《Techno-Heretic》


 Chapter 1: The Heretic

    Prologue: The Heretic


    Year: Unknown


    Location: Judgement Spire of sector 53


    "Who is this poor Schmuck?" asked poohead6969.


    "Some fucker who thought he could get away with putting in multiple brain chips if he hid a few in his thighs" replied Furriesloveyou420.


    This was just a small snippet of conversation that Jose saw in the chat of the live stream he was conducting. While typically posting video game lets plays, the big item of the day was the burning of some fool who thought that he was above the law. On the flickering screen was the visage of a 18-year-old boy strapped to a pole dotted with small holes slowly letting out the vaporous air distortions of gas. On the back of his head was a bleeding wound that used to hold the connector for his AI chips. The platform it was built on was a large metallic disk that overlooked a sparkling metropolis with 12 other figures on it.


    This dude had made big waves not just for his illegal body modifications. Apparently, he made a clone body of himself in another system that he mind jumped too when he was about to be caught. It took a month¡¯s long, multi system man hunt just to catch him, the fruit of which was now the center of tonight''s entertainment. One of the larger figures came forward.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Eli, name stricken. For the crime of heresy against..."


    The speech devolved into some long-winded diatribe about society and the rules that bind us all together. But the point that drew the most interest at this moment was the fact he was delivering this address with no mask or anything in between him and the accused.


    This was being done face-to-face.


    Jose suppressed a shiver just thinking about it. This perverse act wasn''t illegal, but neither was shoving your junk into a blender and both had the same impact on your social media metrics. Sadly somethings are written in stone as far as executions go and this is what the large cloaked figure was paid the big bucks for.


    He looked back at chat and saw how the technology developed and deployed across galaxies, and all the wonders and dangers therein, to allow people to communicate instantly across the milky way was being used to discuss how profoundly homosexual this act was. However, the object at the center of this maelstrom was ignorant of all the Socratic methods, intellectual feints and jabs, and multi-tiered power point presentations being deployed around his every move as he threw a torch onto the damned, burning him to a crisp instantly.

 Chapter 2: Spirit Journey

    Eli POV


    ____________________


    Pain.


    For a moment that seemed to stretch out to the end of time itself, that one word was my very being and existence. But as the merciful void moved towards my mind there came a moment of peace. I had no regrets and if I had to do it all over again I wouldn''t change a damn thing. Well, maybe the whole getting caught part. I would probably like a do over on that.


    As I prepared for the coming end, I wondered what waited for my soul, and it wasn''t a philosophical question either. I knew it was a scientifically proven fact that I had one. It was a simple matter of math and physics discovered in ages past


    "Well, here I come afterlife" I thought as the coldness took me. Then came an wave of warmness and a sensation of bubbles running along my...back? I looked about and found myself in the air. But when I looked down I saw nothing of my body. I had no feet, back, hand, or any kind of human anatomy.


    I was flowing out along a stream of bright shining golden liquid a good mile above the ground.


    This liquid criss-crossed all over the atmosphere and the planet,dotted about this stream of gold were white balls of light. Seeing some of these white balls coming out of a passenger shuttle getting crushed like a tin can by a cargo hauler 10 times its size in the major junction of a air traffic section, I guessed that these were souls.


    "Wait, why is it so hard to turn?" I wondered. I had an odd sense of turning by pushing to the left without being able to turn sharply like my neck would typically allow, like having to move your shoulders to turn your head without any head movement . In fact my ''back'' was just a general sense of being behind my head.


    As I sped up and out to the stars of space along this gold trail, I came to see some distortions in my sense of distance. The planet was now a far distant dot while far away galaxies seemed to almost be within arms reach. In these galaxies I saw other balls of light in yellow streams.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "So its true, we are not alone" I said, with an excitement befitting a child tasting candy for the first time. Humanity had never found other life in the Milky Way or Andromeda galaxies and lacked the means to get to any others. As I looked on in wonder I saw a figure nestled in between the kaleidoscope of star systems.


    It had a hard smooth surface, like that of a beetle, where its head should be. This shell was in between the shoulders of two large, muscular arms that ended in the claws of a bird. The chest had a long row of ribs that kept going until it ended in a series of tentacles. Under the beetle shell an eye was jutting out, with multiple irises of alternating colors of black, white, and red. These colors pulsed and shifted in the eye and some of the color faded into the surrounding body, which was mostly a dark green with bits of fur.


    As I was distracted by the creature, a beam of red light enveloped me. Despite pushing as hard as I could the disorienting circumstances and the decrease in my motor skills left me wanting for an escape as the source of the beam was well out of my field of vision. I then had the misfortune of catching the attention of the odd-dimensional creature.


    At this moment I couldn''t help but wonder at the universal similarities of all living things. Its arms and claws started to flex and squeeze, the tentacles writhed in a hectic motion, the laid back hairs on its body coming to a stand and it''s eye gained intensity with bloodlines running through it. These unspoken promises of imminent and extreme cruelty were understood by all beings. The growing mass of dark energy on its body quickly condensed into a ball in front of the eye seemed to be the fulfillment of these promises.


    With no means of defense, I still struggled aimlessly. At the moment of firing the monster''s dark bullet, a set of wings and bright light sent the ball of energy veering off course. I didn''t see who or what it was because as soon as the bullet was near me it dipped to the left of my vision into the beam. After which the beam began pulling me in with greater effort. I saw a brief blinding flash as I approached the beam''s point of origin.

 Chapter 3: Assessing The Situation

    Eli POV


    __________________


    The next sight that greeted me was a wall of stone as I slammed into it. After a second of disorientation, my sense of direction asserted itself and I found that the stone wall was actually the floor. Breathing in as much air as my lungs could hold occupied me for almost a solid minute.


    " What the fuck, What the fuck was, What the fucking shit" This unfiltered stream of consciousness continued unabated from my mouth for a little while longer in between my ragged gasps for air.


    When I finally managed to calm down to the point where I was only shaking, I could finally take in my surroundings. The sense of pain from my skinned knees was the first thing I noticed. The other was the fact that I was on some kind of an altar. It was a plain circular structure with steps emanating outwards. The stones used to make it were pitch black, while the cave that held it was of a more drab brown.


    The other noticeable feature was the two corpses on the right and left. They were both men, one bald and the other with long red hair, and both were left completely nude. The freshness of the blood made me think I might be able to save them but I saw that their bodies were deathly pale from the slashes across their throat.


    This was all lit up by small bowls with flames in them scattered around the place but one of them seems to have caught a robe laying on the floor aflame.


    Actually, looking around I noticed it was more than one black robe strewn about. I went to pick one up to cover my nudity, but the skull symbol on them made me reconsider this decision. I wasn''t necessarily opposed to such fashion choices but the faded stains of what I suspected to be blood told me they were of a purpose more sinister than any clothing sense, their close proximity to the men who I assumed were murdered only further entrenched this decision.


    But I was not too embarrassed about my nude state. I have often got many compliments about my short silver hair, strong chin, and purple eyes. I had a weaker build with some baby fat on my current features, a consequence of abandoning the old body for the clone of my 16-year-old self, now near 17 after the months-long chase. At least I wouldn''t suffer the horrors of puberty this time around, the only enhancement I''d managed to get into the body before I had to mind jump into it to make my escape. I could have gotten a few other gifts into it but having to hack your way through the body grower to allow more mind chips than what was supposed to be allowed takes a lot of time.


    The cave was a long corridor with rows of stone pews on each side. I went through each row of them until I found a pair of pants, a grey loose shirt, and a pair of sandals. They were slightly odd though, being made of a rough wool and the sandals were made of wood and leather. I thought briefly on the considerable wealth the owner of these items must have had to afford real wool and actual wood for his clothing.


    I then headed out to the back of the cave which led me to the right. Walking a little further along this corridor I eventually arrived at a giant iron door. The door was askew with two more black robes laying in the doorway. On top of one of them laid a small silver crown, which I was tempted to take but my apprehension about this whole place, and anything associated with it, was stronger than the mix of greed and curiosity running through my mind right now.


    After taking a quick scan with my mind chip I quickly accepted the expected prompt from my AI vision sensors for confirmation without looking and stepped over the pile of robes. I noticed then that the prompt didn''t actually show up. As I was fiddling with it I heard some footsteps behind me. Looking down the hall only a few steps from me was the bald murdered man. His dead eyes having a hunger I assumed was only found in life as he looked at me.


    I quickly slammed the door behind me as I heard his soft moans slowly approaching. As he began beating on the door, I threw down the bolt to hold the door in place.


    Turning around and taking off with a brisk walk I then came into a hall that gave off the vibes of being a temple, but without any natural lighting. The floor had long white marble tiles. The walls were made up of more bare cave walls but the roof had sharp lines gouged into it that pulsed with a green energy. These lines would start at the meeting of the wall and the roof then gradually sloped towards the bare iron doors of the temple at the opposing side of the hall. To the left and right of me were a set of railed stairs which led up to the balcony hanging a few feet above my head. The two fire bowls hanging above the two other passage ways on both sides of the hall were the only illumination for my eyes.


    Not wanting to wait for the owners of this temple to find me I immediately bee lined for the dual iron doors,which I assumed was the exit. The sight that greeted me as I cracked open the door was that of a small girl with long brown hair, green eyes, and half a face. Her hungry eyes and and quick attempt to bite my arm left me in no doubt of her intentions for me. Before slamming the door shut I got a quick glimpse at the teeming masses behind her. They were barely illuminated by faint blue light strewn on the floor but they seemed to be packed reasonably tight, which bode ill for any force assaulting them as the cavern that held them was so vast the walls couldn''t be seen as this sea of dead stretched on without end.


    Feeling the faint slams against the door, I quickly pulled down the bolt between the two doors.


    Taking a moment to collect myself, I listened intently for a few seconds. "Odd, I slammed that door loud enough to wake the.... dead" I allowed himself a slight grin at my own pun " I would expect a guard to come see what the ruckus was".


    But the temple was unnervingly silent, the constant banging on the iron doors aside, and remained so for the few seconds until I heard a hissing and popping sound with a strong odor coming from the side entrance to my left.


    After a few seconds I realized what it was I was hearing and smelling. It was food burning. Since this might be the most mundane encounter so far I decided to carefully tip-toe over to the entrance and look inside.


    It looked like a cafeteria with wooden tables and more of the grim brickwork but with even more of the robes everywhere. The source of the sound and noise was coming to my right from what looked like the kitchen area.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I still carefully made my way there and what I saw was a long row of black pots and grills hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room in various stages of burning various soups and meats. As I tried to turn off the stoves to prevent a fire I noticed something odd. None of them had a dial or a button so I looked down near the burner to see if it was closer.


    "What the fuck!" I said involuntarily.


    My eyes were telling me something that had to be a lie. The flat stone underneath the pot was wrapped in leather. But on top of the leather was a flame seemingly coming out of it with no mechanical parts.


    My hand came down to by the block as I tried to move a stray piece of leather connected to the rest of the main block. But when I touched it the flame went out. Perplexed I tried touching it again and sure enough the flame came back. I turned them all off then looked one over closely.


    "Nanites, probably. Although having its trigger on the stray leather strap would be a poor design choice. A simple remote would suffice for such a simple function. But where does it store its fuel?" I thought idly to myself.


    Come to think of it, where is the rest of the tech in this building? I hadn''t seen a single wire, data port, or auto vacuum. Were they really so dedicated to that rustic sense of fashion they used cleaning clouds of micro machines and ran everything over wireless? Expensive but if you got the money who am I to argue?


    Then I wanted to slap my self for stupidly fiddling with a murderous cults kitchenware. On the other hand if they haven''t found me now, then they aren''t here.


    Deciding to take the risk that no one else was around, I went back out to the main entrance area and went up the curved stairs up to the balcony. On reaching the top I saw a wooden door towards the back end of the balcony. The entire balcony area was bare as it only had the smooth stone of the half circle floor and chest high rail leaning over the entrance below. To my thinking this was probably an area for inspiring the troops with speeches, so that door hopefully led to the head honchos room.


    The room was more like a small cell with no bars. There was a simple bed, a table with a candle burning on it, a chair, and one chest which was open. But when I touched the table I noticed that it was made of real wood and supposing that the other items were also of genuine make I supposed  that these were enough of a status symbol. Stepping over the red robe laying on the floor on my way to the chest, I found a small leather bound book and a small dagger.


    Sitting down on the chair, I just stared at the book while still shivering in the seat. My hands had been shaking this whole time, being only temporarily stilled when going over the impossibility I found in the kitchen, and now I noticed how my teeth were too tightly clenched. I idly ran my hands  through my hair for a few seconds. After facing certain death I had a sense of calm, but after that stellar journey, cosmic horror and the disorientation of being ripped into two different, unknown environments my nerves were showing their limits.


    "1,2,3,4,...." I recited, which calmed me down around the 35 mark. I opened up the book and began reading the text of the first passage, which was done in a handwritten style.


    " I don''t know exactly what day it is, I''ve been slinking through this glorified cave for what feels like weeks. When I was offered this job I thought my talents as a dual wind and water mage would be for healing, not this abominable Necromancy filth. But when people who could afford to dish out the kind of gold I jokingly put down as my demands for pay, start showing you something this illegal after you accept, well I don''t fancy they would let a loose end like me go if I re---".


    ''Wait, how am I reading this?''


    I looked at the whole of the text and I could understand it just fine. But when I tried looking at the individual characters all I saw was a bunch of worms that a cat had mistaken for a scratching post. I took a photo of this page with my mind chip to compare it with known languages back in my home galaxy. The odd thing was that no matter how hard I tried the chip wouldn''t come back up with a prompt. '' maybe its still trying to reset after this long trip'' I thought somewhat idly.


    "--fused their generosity. Their ability to find me in the first place despite my best efforts helped suppress any thoughts of escape I may have had. Damn greed was going to get the better of me one of these day''s and I guess that day had come. But they paid up front and in full, so in the end I stored the gold with my folks and headed out with them. The trip here wasn''t too long but when it''s taken in the back of a bumpy carriage with a black sack on your head, 10 minutes would be too long."


    I skimmed through until I got to the part talking about this temple. I wanted to know what fresh hell he had helped dump me into, not this guy''s auto biography/bitching.


    "First day here and I am already getting a damn dress code. This fucking robes so itchy, but keeping the zombies from trying to bash down the door to get a bite out of you is a worthy trade off, I guess. Still doesn''t make walking through all of them with supplies less vomit-inducing."


    Sensing the importance of this information, I immediately went to put on the red robe and looked out over the smooth stone lisp of the balcony. The now dead silence told me I had made the correct decision, the dent sticking out in the left iron door that I could swear wasn''t there before was just further confirmation. I then got back to reading the book.


    "This necromancy business is weird. Typically you use the circle to summon the spirit of the deceased. Then route it back into the intent triangle on the skull, BAM!, you got a fresh undead slave. Which is what I assumed we''d be doing considering the zombie army not a fucking ball throw away from my bed. No, these rituals are different. Instead the circles are being used for some type of interaction with the souls from some poor sods but half of the mana output is to the bigger summoning circle made of black stone the other half is to a massive power healing circle directly above the black circle altar on the ground."


    ''Here we go, we are finally getting to the meat of the meat of the matter'' I thought with some impatience. I skimmed through a few pages seeing various diagrams of circles, squares and triangles. But I couldn''t figure out the meaning of it if my life depended on it. Towards the last page came some scribbling that bespoke of the writers fear with its jaggedness and uneven style.


    "It''s been a few days since my last writing, I was too afraid to put my thoughts down to paper but now is the time. This isn''t a new cavern and I am not the first to work on this project. They cleaned the whole site spotless of any work my predecessors did. But I guess they cant afford to get rid of the circular altar because the stones show the tiny distortions of repeated use that only a caster mage with a water affinity could distinguish, and the ''assistants'' seemed a little too familiar with the supplies I would need and the procedures I would have to perform. My unknown employers are also becoming impatient, not in so many words but the tone is gradually turning aggressive in our various correspondence. I am going to have some of the safety controls overruled. If any essence of power is detected the lure will bring it in and if it detects the special essence we have been targeting it will bring it in at full speed. If I...die, this book will open and allow anyone to read it. I don''t know what good it will do but maybe I can bribe one of the laborers in the caravan that drops off our supplies to get it somewhere important after our first test with the new parameters and the crew comes by to pick up the sample".


    The sample.


    Their coming to pick me up.

 Chapter 4: Self Image Problems

    Eli POV


    ______________________________


    "That''s what happened" I said as part of the puzzle fell into place. The attack of the eldritch beast must have been some sort of anti-life based spell.


    Mages, mana. It just hit me that what he was talking about in such a serious tone was magic. Like it was just some sort of natural force like physics. Those diagrams also made a lot of references that I would have sworn had belonged in a video game but with all of the precision and seriousness of a technical worker.


    My curiosity was floored but the squad of necromancers coming to collect their ''sample'' made me push forward.


    So, when the attack came into this world it ''only'' wiped out the people in this temple whose remains were the scattered robes laying everywhere while leaving everything else untouched. But what power did I have that would have been reduced by the summoning?


    I quickly checked the two long bumps on both sides of my spine leading up to the shoulders and sure enough they were still there. The two extra brain chips were nanomachines that self-healed and would power off the fat and energy of my body. But then I put my hand down to my thigh and felt the Ai chip there. This illegal chip gave me mathematical and memory abilities well past what the natural limits of this body would allow. This increase was many times the allowed 32.8% increase to mental power and far beyond what regular humans could do. I couldn''t wait to get the statistics uploaded into a data base to retrieve the information it held.


    At least, it should have those abilities. For some reason since I came here, I hadn''t gotten any help from it. More disturbingly, the regular and not illegal brain chips weren¡¯t working either. I worked through the book again to see if it held the answer. It was stressed that in using the spell, called the lure, only the first thing coming through would have its power reduced with warnings of what would follow if multiple objects were pulled at the same time. Was that the problem with the chips?


    Looking further there was some references to a manual this guy was provided before starting work. It turns out that souls captured from the beyond make bodies based on the users most stringent and desired self-perceptions. So that would explain why, despite my anti-social tendencies, my looks still transferred over, I mused as I looked into the mirror opposite of me. That praise from people unknown and unsolicited compliments still wormed their way into me in spite of my best efforts. I also spent countless years making and hiding the illegal brain chip and it would take more than the cosmic forces of the universe to make me part with them.


    Rubbing the back of my head in deep thought, a sensation more horrifying than what I could have imagined was felt in this moment. Panicking I ran over it again and again but to no avail. There was nothing but smooth skin and the small telltale bumps of the original mind chips. Where was the connector?


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The connector was similar to the brain chips but was solely focused on doing the leg work of translating human thought into code and vice versa. This is what allowed the brain chips to interact with my brain¡¯s neurology and co-ordinate between each other. Without it the chips were just three highly advanced tumors that couldn''t be removed.


    The memory of them removing the connector before my execution flashed before my mind. Could¡­ Please no. Please don¡¯t tell me that less than five minutes without it caused such a drastic change in my self-image. Whatever my pleas, my continuous rubbing on the back of my neck only confirmed my suspicion.


    A guttural scream like that of a pig being slaughtered reverberated throughout the temple and the vast cavern beyond it. Some of the undead began knocking on the door but gave up after my scream stopped a solid 10 seconds after it began. Panting, crying and sobbing were parts of but not necessarily the total of the miserable display that I put on while still confined in this chair.


    Sometime later, I finally brought myself self back to the now darker, colder, and meaner universe I was in.


    ''All right Eli, let¡¯s get up off the floor and get on with it'' I mentally kicked myself into action. I headed down the stairs and into the right and left passageways. In one was a barracks with beds, and a latrine. After finding nothing of use I decided to head towards the kitchen again. It had a large storage area which seemed to hold a lot of general supplies, not just food in the back section of the kitchen further beyond the pots and grills. I decided to take a leather knapsack and fill it with loaves of bread and dried nuts with berries. ''I guess meat was a luxury they couldn''t afford'' I thought as I scolded the dead men and their enigmatic masters for their cheapness.


    I thought about taking the book and dagger, as well as an assortment of other armaments, but going out into the unknown world carrying the weapons and armor of a necromancer cult who was unpopular enough to have to hide with such elaborate means, might evoke a negative reaction from the locals. Also, I currently had no real understanding of the mechanisms that they used to bring me here or this magic that they had mentioned. For all I knew, there could be some equivalent of tracking device embedded in all of their gear. I was just praying that a simple knapsack and food wouldn''t merit such measures.


    Donning the sack and heading out to the iron double doors exit, I slowly opened one of the doors. I half expected the zombies to shamble in, but they couldn''t seem too care less about my presence now that I had the hood. I looked out over the mass of corpses and saw some of the zombies going down into some depression in the floor. Carefully shifting my way through the repugnant mass, I gradually came down into a smaller chamber with a steep ledge higher than three men standing on top of each other. When I finished shimmying up the ladder on its right side, I saw a wooden door sticking out against the bare brown wall of the cave.


    Gently pressing against the door, I peeked out through the crack but my vision was blocked by a thick layer of vines. Thinking it over, I decided that anyone who knew about the operation here would certainly know I wasn''t the man that was supposed to have this robe, but if I ran into some one didn''t know about it my attempts at disassociation would probably fall flat if I was wearing garb that had all the signs of malevolent work. Skulls on the chest and shoulders with the occasional blood stain in the lighter red of the robe, or maybe it was all blood faded to different degrees, did not tell a tale of a peaceful wanderer. The decision made, I tossed the robe to the side and headed out into the great wide world beyond.

 Chapter 5:Wealth Beyond Measure

    Eli POV


    _________________________


    Pushing out past the vines I arrived onto to a grassy knoll. The wave of sensations rushed over me like a tidal wave overwhelming my senses before I could fully intake the surrounding forest. Living my whole life without having ever seen a plant out side of a hydroponics bay, the deluge was made up of smells that I only ever consciously knew existed but never experienced, had an instinctual knowledge of on the most primordial level but never had experienced through the non-lizard sections of the brain, and saw in commercials as part of expensive experiences that only people who made more in a day than I would ever see in my life could ever hope to afford.


    The world swirled as my eyes rolled upwards and I fell ass first onto the dirt. I sat there for a few minutes just tasting the air, which to my deprived senses, provided what felt like the freshest and wettest oxygen to ever grace this tongue of mine. It was at this point I noticed the tree a few feet to my right.


    I got up to my feet, still slightly shaken from the sensory overload. As I groped the rough bark of the trunk of the oak tree in awe I wondered at the vast wealth that I beheld before me and beyond in the rest of the forest. One of the draw backs of advanced civilization was that while humanity zoomed forward, nature did not. As humanity spread through out the stars wood not silver, platinum, or gold quickly became THE luxury material for the well to do trillionaires and quadrillionaires. Countless attempts with quintillions of dollars went into experiments trying to make the precious material grow faster. But all of the products came out too soft or too hard, too smooth or too rough,etc. It seems somethings can only be done with time and in a universe where companies could make small stations the size of planets before a tree could reach the prime age of harvest, time was the one of the few goods the industries of the mega-corporations couldn''t reliably provide in mass quantity.


    Of course there was the voice of reason telling me that in this new world, wood couldn''t be as valuable as it was in my old world as no one would leave such price less treasure unguarded. It would also not make sense for a pseudo prisoner to have such luxury items in his not-really-but-still-very-much-so cell. But this small voice was contending with a thousand plus years of data driven luxury salesmanship and decades of bragging relatives who boasted of having actually touched the aforementioned treasure.


    Eventually I managed to extract myself from this reverie and head out down the creek, not forgetting to take a souvenir branch of course. Over the course of many ship crashes I learned there was only one constant in civilization, people built along water. The stars could change and maps could be poorly drawn or rendered inaccurate under extreme circumstances but following water was the most reliable path to civilization. Well aside from internet assisted map tracking but I wasn''t holding out hope for that.


    The sun was getting low and I wanted some progress in this trip before the sun set


    ''Does this planet have a similar rotation and day/week/month cycle to Earth?'' I wondered. That schedule had been implemented through out the galaxy with mixed success. The corporate heads were mostly still stationed on earth as a status symbol, so the rest of the universe had to turn on their time. It wasn''t always the most efficient but somethings are too deeply penetrated into the


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.minds of the leadership and general public to allow fractions of efficiency saved to matter.


    So many variables and too few common reference points for any of it.


    After an hour into my trek a voice called out " Mighty one, what has provoked you so?". I jerked alert at the intrusion and looked around but couldn''t find the source of the question. Suddenly, there was movement on a small tree a few feet to my left. No, the tree itself was moving.


    The tree gradually shifted into the visage of a beautiful woman. She had light green skin, sharp eyebrows and chin with a very generous proportions in her figure. The grass skirt she wore could do little to contain the jiggling flesh. Overlaid on her body was hip length, very dark and rich brown hair which spilled about with no concern where it landed.


    "Could you repeat that?" I asked somewhat shyly. I supposed looking at the pseudo human face, which presented itself in fantastic colors pulsating in her irises with bits of bark around her jowls, made what would have been an agonizing experience somewhat bearable. I must have been making a face because she quickly looked down.


    " I am sorry Great One, I just saw the waves of your mana when I woke up. It was too late to flee your presence so I tried hiding but I my sense of your pace and stride told me you were not perturbed". She said in a voice that had some tones that swung between flute and the pitches of singing birds.


    ''Huh?'' I thought to myself. I hadn''t the foggiest notion of what she was talking about. Still, this was a golden opportunity to extract invaluable information about this environment and the world at large. I began to think about what kinds of bullshit I would need to keep my ignorance hidden yet still keep myself in the conversation with this woman to learn anything, no matter how insignificant.


    "It is I who is at fault, dear girl. I am from a land where constricting mana outflow is a sign of evil intent. I will be honest it was never a skill I bothered learning." I said with my best imitation of authority and innocence.


    " Oh, I am sorry but to us nature spirits such outpouring of mana is a signal of danger to warn our fellows. I would not keep you Great One, but might I press a question upon you?" she asked in an innocent enough tone, but her face spoke of serious intents and topics. I better keep this as vague as I can during this verbal dance.


    "How do you manage spells then? I thought humans needed to store Gaia''s mana to cast their intent upon the world." she asked. At this I started getting a headache but it was light enough that I could press through.


    ''Spells.... magic. Right, it looks like that is really a thing here''. I quickly resorted to the quickest and most straight forward lie I could think of, ''None of your damn business''. What I actually said was:


    "I am sorry to say I cannot divulge such important and sensitive information to anyone, even one as beautiful as you." I replied with what he hoped was perceived as respectful force. The slight disappointment on her face was clear as was the slight blush at the compliment.


    "I seem to be lost, could I trouble you for directions to the nearest settlement?" I gambled. There was a sense of contentment being developed in me that helped to instill a sense of ease, if not something close to trust, in the conversation. The warm smile she gave me showed her intent to recuperate this not quite trust.


    "I can mi-lord, but from what I know of humans this outpouring of mana would be threatening. Could I instruct you as we venture?" she stated with mirth in her eyes. Like there was joke in her question only she was privy too.


    "Wouldn''t that be too much of an inconvenience? I wouldn''t want to take you out of your way." I responded with surprised sincerity, letting the lordly act slip just slightly.


    " I am a druid. Our ''way'' is wherever green things grow and our home is marked by the dirt under our feet. We are at ease in the forest and on all the paths with in it as a human is relaxed in the great structures he dwells in." she replied mildly.


    She lead me out into the forest." What is your name?" I asked as I stepped over a log, " I am called Lilly, Great One" she said over her shoulder.

 Chapter 6:New Muscles and Old Mistakes

    Eli POV


    ____________________


    "Ugh, where?" I forced my eyelids open. The sharp pain on the left side of my forehead left me wishing I had stayed unconscious. I looked around and saw I was in a slightly older section of the forest, if the number and size of the trees was any indication. I looked up and saw the underside of a canopy shaped out of a tree as the soft light of the morning sun filtered in between the leaves. At my movement the tree quickly morphed back into Lilly, the buxom nature spirit.


    "Are you all right? that was quite a fall" she asked with concern plain in her voice and face. She checked on the padding of leaves and mashed herbs she had apparently applied to the gash on my head. My involuntary slight twitches of pain told her it wasn''t fully healed.


    "What ...." as I was about to ask a memory came back to me. Along the trip we had discussed how to suppress the mana I was apparently pouring out all over the place. She had said that there was a muscle network under my skin that I had to concentrate on and contract.


    I only meant to humor her so I intended to just constrict my visible muscles. However, as I went to constrict, the mental command also got sent to some previously unknown muscle network. It left me feeling disoriented, as I instantly had the sensation of goo moving throughout my body just under the skin as it all jiggled and moved at my command. I was trying to gather the mental resources to figure out how this could have possibly happened. It was like discovering a tail on your backside that you secretly had from birth.


    At this critical moment of reflection, a vine that felt it was time to make itself known got caught up on my foot tripping me. I didn''t see what I hit, but all the evidence pointed to a rock or I fell with more force than I realized.


    "It seems your land is a far safer place than these wilds, free from the malice of Gaia''s rope. But do not worry Great One for I will shield you from their wicked designs." She said with mock bravery and a smile as she propped my head on her lap.


    A sheepish look stole over my face as I looked away in embarrassment. ''My first interaction with a beautiful woman in who know how long and this is how I shows off my moves?'' Well, at least I got a good pillow for this humiliation.


    " Thank you for your help" I said with as much dignity as I could muster, the visage of the mysterious traveler finally shed. From this safe position on the slope of a big hill, I decided to try this new muscle group out. When I tried moving that skin muscle this time, I succeeded in moving it around in a less nauseating fashion than the first time.


    Taking no risks I slowly tested other muscle groups and parts of my body as I laid down with my eyes closed, pretending to rest. I eventually found two new muscle groups and one weird sensation from my brain. There was a kind of flap behind my eyes that, when I pressed it down, suddenly brought out a bright light blocking most of my vision. My throat had two new muscles above and below the tonsils. When I forced them to flex apart from each other, my mouth became filled with ...something. I gagged and coughed but the chocking sensation went away when I managed relax those muscles back into their slacked position.


    The weirder addition to this body was what happened when I thought about all of the nerve and motion coordination portions of the brain that would have to be changed to accommodate these additions. When I mentally focused on the frontal cortex an almost electric sensation came from my forehead. I felt an intangible connection with this electric buzz.


    After some experimentation, I found that I could move this... thing, throughout my body if I imagined it moving. Down to my stomach, through the arms and legs at the same time. Testing it to the limit, I found I was able to spread it out over my whole body except for a marble shaped hole in my center, which I couldn''t get into no matter hard I tried. A headache was steadily forcing its way to the front of my thoughts so I stopped the exercise.


    "Aside from patching me up, was there anything interesting that happened during my nap?" I asked her, half embarrassed and half curious.


    " Many things actually, but I must ask: can you close off your mana pathways yet?" she replied in a worried tone.


    ''Oh yeah, the entire reason this all started'' I thought to myself. I tried various combinations of movements until I had the flap behind my eye down and saw a glimmer of forestry when I pressed part of my skin inward towards the muscles. Trying this all over my body had my vision almost turned back to normal. In certain parts of the ground and air there were barely noticeable particles of something scattered about. The soft dots, smaller than grains of sand, gave off a gentle blue light.


    "Finally, I thought it would be days before I could look at mother Gaia''s breath again" Lilly said as she and I looked at a large spout of mana about the size of a mans arm coming out of the underground exit of a creek. I wanted to put my hand in it but resisted the urge as Lillie''s earlier tone had me worried. " So, what was the problem?" I asked.


    "Some unsavory characters were investigating the mana fog you were emitting and caught our track. I am a druid and getting a tracker spell on me in a forest would otherwise be impossible if not for the... present circumstances." she said with gentleness.


    "I''m.... uh." I had no idea what to say. A sense of shame and guilt came over me.


    "It''s alright, what''s done is done. The important thing is getting out of here now that we aren''t as easy to follow, so we need to get moving or we will dead come sundown." Lilly said trying to mollify my unease.


    The loose jacket of shame around my heart bloomed into a winter coat made of the thickest bear fur as it snuggled into every nook and cranny of my soul. I had always valued my independence and ability to provide for myself. Sure, I was put into an impossible situation surrounded by fantastic oddities but that stubborn pride still wouldn''t let me get away with this injustice I had forced upon this poor woman.


    " Your right, Lilly. Lets get out of here" I said with a small amount of shame no doubt showing in my face. I couldn''t find the words at this time, but I made a silent vow to make this up to her at some point.


    When we speed off the hill side, I didn''t know where we were going but Lilly had no hesitation when going around a tree, up a hill or choosing a side when the road presented a choice. For a while I was content with this arrangement, but I noticed that the hills were becoming more pronounced while the trees became fewer and farther apart. The hills abruptly took over completely, without any obvious cause.


    "Where are we and where are we going Lilly? I can''t imagine a city being here." The hills rolled with sharp, decisive rises and falls like a roller coaster track designed to break your teeth through repeatedly slamming your head back and forth.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "This is called Dwarves Rumble. When the Coalition tried to push into their mountain range a few years back they let off a huge and sustained magical earth working that left the land like this. It makes moving an army through here almost impossible while also providing a handy reference for their might to would be attackers." Lilly replied academically.


    "The Front goons got tangled up with a troglodyte nest. Those idiots are probably new guys from the west, and never grew up around a tree that wasn''t trimmed and proper for a city park. Otherwise, they would have known that metal armor is like screaming meal time for the bigger beasts out here. Once we lose them we can double back."


    "OK" I said, my voice already getting hints of strain keeping me from voicing the many obvious questions. The constant up and down, along with half dodging past the random jagged rocks and rotted trees sticking out of the ground burned my thighs, that wasn''t even counting the previous travel I put in today already. I couldn''t imagine what kind of stamina Lilly had to be having a lecture in the middle of this slog.


    After a while, the sun was almost down as deep reds played across the clouds in the sky. "Lets stop here" Lilly said. I promptly flopped onto the ground gulping down air and wiping sweat from my face. We were in the middle of the trough of two hills which Lilly used the side of one to quickly grow a small, almost vertical tree.


    "I think I know why I have been helping you. You seem to have such a love of the woods from the way you look at the trees to the awed expression you get when I use my growth power. What has engendered such love in you?" Lilly said while we lounged under the tree, letting the heat of a harsh day gradually slip away from our tired bodies.


    " My people are wealthy. Wealthier than perhaps anyone here could properly understand. But there are somethings mountains of gold and seas of jewels cannot buy." I said cryptically as I rubbed the tree with appreciation, not sure how much of my history I should trust her with. After a few minutes of munching on hard bread and dried fruits, Lilly asked me something odd:


    "Could you look further down the hill''s trough until you find a stream then come back or come back after 10 minutes ,so I can get an idea of where we are."


    "Wouldn''t the dwarves have destroyed any creeks or rivers here?" I asked.


    "Pff, messing with the flows of water is a dangerous and chancy thing. A lesson hard learned by the dwarves through years of underground life. They made sure to leave such features of nature untouched by their workings, now hurry along." Lilly replied with amusement.


    I headed out moving around the sharp rocks and bits of trees sticking out of the ground which lent the whole place a sense of the surreal, until I got to a river. It looked weird with the roughly head height dirt waves on both sides with only 4 feet of flat earth between them and a regular looking river right in the middle.. I looked further down and stared at the beauty of the late day sky as its rich tapestry of oranges and blues reflected off of the river. The conditions of the air and my sense of the seasons honed from my time working on Earth gave me a feeling of oddness compared to what my experiences typically associated with spring. The air was light except for the the heavy pollen of spring, but this morning was chilly and the trees had the mythical slight yellow color on their leaves that fore told of coming winter.


    As I headed back to Lilly I heard a shout coming from where I had left her. I strode over as quickly as I could without making a sound. As I looked on the vision of a group of 6 men standing over a Lilly bleeding from her side came into focus. The gashes on their faces and the mix of bandages around the portions of their armor had the look of wounds several hours old at least, and some newer ones bleeding fresh blood. The corpse laying off to their right told of how dire the combat that gave them these new wounds must have been.


    "Listen you parasite on humanity''s ass. We both know you can''t give out that kind of mana so tell us where your prey bounded off too and we will make this quick" This gruff threat came from a larger man with long black hair on his head and face, with a nasty cut above his eye. Half blinded by his own blood, the sword he had in Lilly''s stomach didn''t need his full vision to do its work. They all had iron plate armor helmets, chest pieces, arm pieces, and leggings. The fact they could still move in that get up in this type of terrain was impressive, but my mana eye saw some faint flickering of blue going into them that told me it wasn''t just regular metal armor.


    I felt a small slap on my right leg. Almost jumping out of my skin I looked down and saw it was a small flower rubbing against me in deliberate motions. I bent down to touch it and felt an electric sensation very similar to the frontal cortex experiment earlier but it had a different feel and texture to it. The sensation stayed along my leg for a second, having no real effect on anything as far as I could tell. Thinking back to my own experiments with this sensation earlier, I had a second to make the leap of faith and logic. Focusing on my frontal cortex and expanding the electric buzz, I took a moment before forcing it down to meet hers with no real notion of what it would do. Feeling very much like a child trying to master their growing limbs as I did so.


    ''Quickly, feed you mana to me'' the flutes and birds of Lilly''s voice said in my mind, like I was thinking to myself but without me initiating part of the conversation. Pushing aside this discomfort, I quickly relaxed sections of my skin muscle to allow the mana to flow from my legs and arms which the flower basked in.


    " I am a druid, what do you know of our power among the woods? I belong here, unlike you. Were you so incompetent at stealing from children and groping passing women that your betters sent you out here so your failure wouldn''t infect any of your peers who have a real future to look forward too?" Lilly said with a tone that was a mix of mockery and pity.


    ''May I know your name?'' Lilly asked Eli through their connection.


    ''Eli'' I responded before I fully processed the finality her tone. A sense of horror crept up my spine when I saw a surge of mana from Lilly''s main body.


    ''Farewell, Eli. Run now.''


    " Find the boy and -" The large man said as he grasped the two sides of his swords handle preparing to twist his sword with red hot rage written all over his face, as he was looked upon with approving scowls from his men. He must have seen the bulging green mass coming up in between Lilly''s skin, because he made a fast motion to get back but his face passed from rage to curiosity to fear and at the last, acceptance, as Lilly exploded.


    The acid spray shot out in all directions. It instantly melted the large mans skin, flesh, blood, and bones while corroding his armor in short order. The more appalling display was the surrounding men.


    The spray itself was more like a quick gas spray than a solid liquid, as it cut through the surrounding men with ease . Well, part of the men anyway. The area of this spell seemed to have a well defined border because it cut just the front facing part of them.


    Some were leaning more forward than others and instantly fell into the acid pool, others just had half their head and their chest melted. Their half brains and entrails spilled out onto the ground as they briefly teetered. The weight of their corroded chest pieces pulled them into the pool, joining their fellows in the toxic soup of dissolving metal.


    For what seemed like an eternity, I just stood there. I looked down to the flower but it had withered and was fast dissolving. Coming up to the pool, I gagged on the smell of the bits of man that escaped the attack but I cared little for my discomfort.


    ''All right, she said to run so I have to get out of here'' I thought, my adrenaline overriding the despair.


    I pushed past the headache that was now coming up as I looked to my right and saw a crumpled body with a wooden spear sticking out of his neck.


    On closer inspection I found that he had lighter leather armor and a back pack. As I rummaged through this pack I saw a symbol stitched onto his shoulder with white thread . It had the outline of a shield with four symbols in the middle: A rock, flame, lines looking like a gush of wind, and a tear drop that looked like water.


    I found some bar that smelled.... edible. Beside it was a scroll that when I unfurled it displayed what looked like a crude map. I looked it over and decided that the sharp waves in between a forest and some mountains must be my current position. It had a river running through it and eventually led to a town called Dunwhich.


    I collected myself and resolved to head out. With a brief look at the green puddle, now clear of everything but a few wisps of smoke, I headed back towards the river and followed it to the town. The same messages played over and over in my head with an overlay of Lilly''s smiling face:


    ''Lilly''


    ''YOUR FAULT''

 Chapter 7: The War

    Location: Inspiration plaza of Coalition HQ


    "....With all of our might, we cannot allow such acts of terrorism to go unanswered. We must cast aside the voices of weakness and the naysayers. We must not crumble in the face of evil. If you''re not with us you are with the terrorists."


    The end came out in a almost rabid pitch, heady with fervor and patriotism.


    Johnson was the president of the Coalition. He was 6+ feet with smooth black hair sprinkled with spots of grey that served to accentuate his power. His slight chin, strong cheek bones,deep green eyes, and clean shaven face only furthered his looks. The only deficiency was his manner, which on close inspection, would reveal sweaty palms, licking lips, and an unneeded amount of power being put into squeezing his cane. But these were partially distracted from by his dark green military style jerkin and high quality cotton black pants. He glistened with his military medals of doves, flags and skulls that dangled about his chest.


    The teeming mass of peasants, upper class and government officials in the circular cobbled square cheered. Some got on the large fountain with his likeness in the middle of the plaza and screamed his name. Johnson waved his right hand to the left and the right. He was standing on the balcony of a large U shaped building as he basked in the glow of praise from the masses.


    He then backed off into the wooden double doors into his main office. It was a grand affair with a rich dark oak desk opposite of the main door entrance from the building. The desk was now to his right as he came in from the balcony. A blue crystal on it maintained a cool room temperature. He sat down in his fine leather chair and observed briefly the tapestries, dark red painted walls, and stone floor with bear fur rug in what was an other wise barren room. After this moment he deigned to looked at the older, tan skinned gentlemen, donned in the black suit and white gloves of a butler, standing opposite of him.


    "So how badly did we fuck up this time?". Johnson asked, without any of the pretense of unshakable confidence in his previous speech and a tone more similar to the exasperation of a mother asking how many dishes their children managed to destroy.


    Sweating and gulping down his fear as he wiped down his balding head to deliver the bad news, something he had become all too accustomed too, he quickly went over a list of all the goods.


    " 50,000 sacks of wheat, 500 cross bows, with corresponding ammunition, and about 7,500 men although we are getting some more coming back from the slau... ambush, so we may recover a few hundred there. Otherwise, the caravan is considered a total loss."


    "How?" Johnson asked with a look of hurt on his face. So many good men lost and resources destroyed in a single day. It was enough to keep him up the night he got news of the attack, as he ordered the surrounding stations put on alert, which was about 4 days ago.


    "The bridge leading over the first river to the Stop Gap. Our scouts report says it has totally collapsed. From what the survivors have testified, the leading officer then brought the caravan through the lowlands forest which was then waylaid by a frojan and orc ambush. They were bogged down in the mud from a rain storm of the previous night and well...." The tone of sadness denoted the horrific slaughter that they sent those men into.


    "Those filth dare attack our very roads?" Johnson asked in cold rage.


    "The Department of Infrastructures inspector is still in the preliminary stage of his report but it seems that they merely took advantage of the bridges natural collapse. Those bridges were not designed to take the constant volumes of traffic we have been sending over them these past several decades and the DOI recommends some emergency repairs", Henry said to his superior.


    ''All of our roads could use some emergency maintenance while we are at it'' Henry thought to himself bitterly.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Damn, alright have the Snake whip congress into order and put in the needed funds. I will be attending the service for the troops tomorrow and make sure to message Annie and tell her that she is to get my boys to write me letters when they get to the academy." Johnson glowed slightly at the last item. His two boys were the world to him and they were also very powerful mages to boot. Andrew, 18, a redhead after his mother with his fathers strong cheekbones, was a scion level mage. The magic department head personally looked him over and said he would go on to reach the heights of magic, the future laid open before him.


    Jeff ,17, was not as innately talented but he had a dual fire and wind type to Andrews single fire type. Even though he was more than full year younger he had a certain intelligence and patience his more willful brother lacked. His black hair and slight chin marked him as Johnson''s son. They both shared the ocean blue, with sprinkles of teal irises that showed the exotic heritage of their mother. The slight pain in Johnson''s heart at the thought of his lost beloved kept him still for a few seconds.


    "My lord, I must inform you that mister Alton has stressed that the countries finances are already strained. Might I suggest pulling our manpower from the swamp and focus it on re-enforcing the Stop Gap? " Henry suggested nervously. He normally would have just hopped to it but he had been understating the discontent in the senate and chamber, well the senate anyway. No one gives a damn what the chamber thinks.


    "Henry, that is....." Johnson replied, but paused as he collected his breath. "The orcs must be dealt with, permanently. They are the living malice of a mad man. If we don''t do everything we can to get rid of them they will overtake us one day. That destiny, our destiny, is determined by the outcome of these battles" the avatar of absolute determination and unyielding will became manifest at the last portion of this speech.


    Swallowing his impending sense of doom Henry quickly went over a few more inconsequential items on the docket then bowed and turned around to deliver the demand from the president.


    After a while Henry came into a small office with wooden floors, a small desk and bookshelf off to its side. The man sitting behind the desk was the ''Snake''. A pudgy man with short brown hair and eyes.


    He looked up from his desk and at the messenger.


    " Ah Johny''s butler, how do you do?" Alston asked. He was a man of middling looks, if one was being generous. His large bulbous nose and fat rolls made for a displeasing vision of humanity, especially when compared to his rivals rather appealing visuals.


    " His presidency wants funding to be made available for the repairs to the bridges and roads to the Stop Gap." Henry replied aloofly.


    "I heard of that unfortunate bit of business, unfortunately I don''t think the senators will be receptive to such a request. Might I suggest shifting our resources from the front in the cursed water hole?"


    Alton replied calmly and humbly.


    Henry had a quick moment of panic, which he managed to keep off of his face. ''How could he have gotten word of our conversation? I will have to fire all the staff, again. Well, maybe it''s more mundane than that. Is this solution just that obvious or is it a ploy to get under my skin? Nah, better not take the chance, but I will leave them with good references.''


    " Our gains cannot be lost at this critical juncture" Henry said, the irony of overriding his own objections not lost on him.


    "What gains? Last time I checked we only hold a few miles of swamp. The Frojan and orcs live in mud and thatched huts, what do they care of the sections of the swamp we take, unless we take the whole of it. Which I hope is something our esteemed president would be wise enough to not even consider." Alton said. He first talked in a mocking tone at the start of the conversation but he accidentally slipped into genuine concern towards the end. ''Damn, I never really cared about governance. Just making connections and getting cushy public jobs was what my politics boiled down to. But the state of the infrastructure, the dysfunction of industries as more and more resources were poured into the swamp, and the growing impatience on the streets for a 9 or 13 month operation in its near 20th year all pointed to growing dissatisfaction with the system among the whole populace which is far too hazardous for the likes of me to ignore.'' Alton knew all too well that when things turn sour every last one of their heads was going on a pike, no matter their level of involvement and he didn''t have the advantage of any magical abilities to aid him if it all goes tits up.


    "Those parasites must be done away with. Do you remember Latra? Do you even care for our troops lost to their evil?" Henry snapped, in part because of his short temper with Alton and in part frustration from the fact that he couldn''t think of a good counterpoint.


    "The Birds razed Latra. What does this all have to do with the orcs and Frojan?" Alton threw back.


    "But still, this is not important to this particular spat. I will see what I can do with the senate if the president can deliver a few items. Now kindly fuck off."

 Chapter 8: Bunich

    Eli POV


    __________________________________


    The town of Dunwhich had a chapel, an assortment of two or even three story buildings and what looked like blacksmiths on both sides of the town. But what stood out to me as I observed the town from the top of a hill was the massive wall with two sluices for the river running through it. It was made up of two layers of logs at least 100 feet high, which had an inner ring platform for what I assumed would be archers. The ring had two entrances: A small one by the church and the other larger one by what looked like a mini fort.


    As I approached I found the road strangely had a sparse few people on it, far too few for what I assumed was a mid sized city. I managed to keep my eyes on peoples shoes whenever I got in front of someone. The guards didn''t seem to mind me refusing to look them in the eyes, having some one more handsome and taller than them showing frayed nerves just talking to them was quite an ego boost apparently.


    When I got into the town proper, more mysteries presented themselves. The most mystifying was that most of the houses seemed to be completely empty but conversely well maintained. They were made of thick wooden beams with solid stone foundations. Their main features were having only one wooden shutter facing the street on each floor with a simple sturdy wooden door on the first floor. The entrance of which quickly presented another peculiarity. Every building, be it shop or home, had a step case of stone leading up to the door. This stair case was just barely wide enough to allow one person to walk on it and was always put in even when the terrain forced owners to put the entire structure on a raised stone foundation just to allow for this one feature.


    I felt like I had been transported to row after row of children''s plastic brick houses made for man sized toys, their roofs having the slightest slant for the rain. I quickly made for the chapel which seemed to be the most populous section of the town. Once there I found the plaza in front of the chapel also served as a pseudo market filled with only few dozen people. It had a stone floor in a circular pattern of dull browns and reds, with merchant carts and stalls on the outer portion of the ring. I browsed various goods and even some ads for housing for a while until he got tired of walking.


    I decided to gather information by relaxing at one of the communal tables at the center of this circle. I quickly laid my almost empty knapsack onto the table and rested my head on it. I caught snippets of passing conversation while appearing to be a common drifter and it also served to hide my face as my tears soaked into it. I had been going at a ragged pace for about 3 days with a headache that gradually got better and this was the first time I could stop and think, which was the last thing I wanted to do right now but my mind went through its motions without any consideration for me as it spun through the smiles, jabs, and death of Lilly.


    I listened for while and focused on the most informative conversation.


    " Yes we just came back. Old Briar Patch is our home but I swear sometimes I wish I could just move out to the capital, Necrosis doesn''t really effect them I hear and not having to help maintain two homes, one I hardly ever have to be in, would do wonders for our means."


    "Oh sweetie, it affects them just as much as any one else, they have big armies to protect them but so what? Them big leaders sit pretty but we folk still die and get eaten same there and anywhere else. The regular stiffs of the capital is no safer there than here." The two women left after this exchange.


    ''So, that would explain the empty buildings, but what was Necrosis and why would it require two houses?'' I though to myself


    After a while I decided that waiting for someone to just blurt out a bunch of exposition wasn''t a good use of time. When I finished clearing the tear streaks running down my face I started to walk around. One look at my surroundings told me I wasn''t in an advanced society. The children ran around on dirt roads with ragged clothing, a complete lack of cell towers or any kind of energy infrastructure, horse carts for transportation had all the hall marks of pre-industry.


    But there was also another mystery in all this. I read up on the ancient humans before the great space ways were made. I knew of the dirty conditions that were considered typical in middle-ages Europe, which is what the races of the inhabitants and their architecture led me to believe was the rough time period I was in. But the commoners were well bathed in what was a stark contrast to the habits of their earth age cousins. The further appreciation for hygiene was seen in the public toilets of the river running through the middle of the town. The wooden out houses were on a raised stone platform covering the rivers exit of the town.


    Several residents also read books with leisure, which should have been a tremendous luxury item in this time period. The presence of books should have corresponded to the rise of machines. The explosion of knowledge led to the making of the first oil and gas based cars in a few short years, leading to the digital age several decades later.


    I eventually came up to the chapel where a wall made up of smooth marble was standing on the left side of the entrance by itself. Looking at the writings on it I realized I hit the jackpot.


    "This monument was provided as a learning tool for all people of the Coalition with the proviso that the church of Adia will provide supplementary instruction, so that the magical potential of everyone might be realized. As ordered by president Charles the third as an act of congress with the support of the Magical Progression Front."


    It detailed how magic ability came in four tiers with each more powerful than the last: Crafters, Casters, Scions and the semi-mythical Ultimate. All humans can utilize spirit magic, an ability like that electric sensation I used to talk with Lilly in her final moments. They can use this to cross translation barriers as their words and voices can be imbued with it. It also allows them to interact with the creations of the higher tier mages. Crafters can make special items that have assorted effects. '' OK that''s pretty straight forward''


    To make these special items they require the input from the Casters or Scions to allow their spells or mana input to take hold on the runes they craft like setting up the mold for them to pour the liquid metal into, only its some form of mana and spirit magic structure.


    The Casters can use the surrounding mana to create some sort of circle that makes spells. It showed a simple graph of what it called the Basic Spell Construct, which when used by casters could create a steady flow of what it called the Mages Element, which could be: Fire, Water, Earth, or Wind. They could also use what was called a convergence of the elements but it gave no additional information on what those were. It was the presence of this element that was the mark of the difference between a caster vs a crafter at the most basic level. But the methods to make these circles or crafts were not provided.


    The information on scions was less detailed merely saying that these individuals were powerful enough to manifest familiar partners. The ultimate mages had the simple description " the manifestation of magic".


    ''Well that was informative. But this graph isn''t enough to tell me how spells work''


    I snapped back as I heard some voice call to me. The mans chest had the brown cloth and rope belt of a friar and his feet were well maintained with leather strap sandals.


    " Is this your first time reading the slab? I noticed the concentration on your face as you read it, something that has long since faded from the locals perusing it." The man said with a gentle tone.


    "I see you have a problem with strangers and know nothing of magic principles. No worries though. So many pups from the isolated farmhouses come through to make their mark on the world you''d think we were a pit stop for the all of the adventurous youth of the world." The man said to me and himself.


    " young man if you would like, I can give you a quick tour of the chapel". He offered.


    "Sure, mister?" I responded with appreciation.


    "Brother Bartholomew, if it pleases you." The friar replied gracefully, turning to go up the stone staircase to the chapel itself. It was a fairly typical church in the same architecture of the great wonders of European construction, with two large stone box like side structures adjoining the main body. It had a high roof and two large stone pillars on two sides show casing a grand entrance. Going through it to the main hall the light of the stained glass flowing through onto the pews and the main podium gave off a spectacular view of rich reds, blues, and greens. The floor was made of simple dark wooden planks with stone brick walls. The stained glass showed the picture of Jesus on the right side and a cross on the left side to the podium.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The friar seemed content to let me soak it all in in silence before leading him off to the left side and through a door. Coming through the door, the left side had a printing press. I immediately wandered up to the workers and machines going through their well practiced art. It was fascinating, like watching a museum video about man''s earliest practices come to life.


    "First time, huh? I understand, it''s quite a complex process to take in. This is our pride and joy." The friar beamed proudly.


    I stared at the pressing of paper, the slathering of ink on the assortment of lettered cubes after each squeeze, and the constant back and forth of the men in white aprons and bandannas carrying paper until my eyes fell upon a most curious sight.


    ''Are those electrical wires?'' I thought almost dumbfounded.


    Rushing over off to the side of the work area near an assortment of hammers, picks, hoes, and other implements of any number of professions was what turned out to be a ring of copper wire about an hands length across and a finger thick of small wires making up its outline with staples of iron to keep the shape intact. The look of incredulity on my face must have looked something more akin to shock as Bartholomew chuckled behind him.


    "Most people just pass that bit over as a discarded piece of art. But the truth is we are just keeping it until our finances improve enough to finish the contraption."


    "What has the finances so bad and what is the contraption?" I asked.


    "While we may be laid back about most things, unfortunately there is still a process to get the information for our workings so I cannot tell you at this time what the contraption is.The sacred texts of Saint Adia are not given out as freely as the scriptures. The tax man probably can''t be asked to visit were your from, but the tax rate has approached near 60 percent with the war taxes in addition to everything else which has put us in quite the pinch." Bartholomew with a voice laden in anguish.


    "How massive is this war justify something so ludicrous?" I asked,dazed at the absurd amount.


    "Word of caution my friend, watch your tongue and surroundings when saying such things. If the wrong ears hear you they will report you to the government for your inconsideration towards your country''s greater needs and lack of patriotism." The friar said quickly in a hushed tone.


    "As for the size of the war, well its more appropriate to say the wars. The capital currently has us in the north-west neck in the swamps but they also had us in the southern part until just 2 years ago. Before that we had a long sordid mess with the dwarves as well as being in the mid-north section of the swamp at the same time. I would say that we have been at near non stop war for almost 25 years in that swampland with wars stopping and starting for some reason or another. So most people just say the war because we can''t be asked to figure out what the current mess is."


    ''Jeez, what a shit show'' I thought to myself.


    "What does your library have to offer?" I asked looking over Bartholomew''s shoulder towards the rows of bookshelves on the other side of the building.


    "Sadly we cannot give out its use freely, the governor was tired of getting complaints about the unsavory wannabe mages it was attracting. So we came to a deal were only citizens or those who pay out a single silver can use it. We were loathe to limit the access but his complaints were valid and our coffers could certainly use the lift." Bartholomew said with some tinge of guilt and slight frown on his lips.


    I understood, frankly it was impressive that there was a library at all. But my eyes were then drawn to the metal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It had a very light glow but the source, a simple looking crystal, just dangled at the center of its metal fixture with no apparent wiring or flame. It did however have a chain link of iron running down from its side with no apparent gears or mechanical purposes.


    "Ah, magic stones. Extremely expensive but if your a long running operation like us who also has long working nights, almost any price would be too cheap compared to the mountains of candles we would burn through without their glow. They collect ambient mana during the day then give out light at night when you command the link in the chain." Bartholomew indulged me in my curiosity.


    "How would I get my hands on one of those stones" I asked, the application of such a long lasting light source having innumerable applications for just the past few days.


    "My boy, those stones are worth more than their weight in gold. They are mana itself condensed down to physical form. I don''t imagine you could afford even a shaving of it after a decades savings unless you forgo having a family and your own home."


    Bartholomew then politely coughed.


    "There is a hostel in town that provides bunks on the cheap and there is always some lumbering or mining work available if your interested in starting out in this town. After some bare bones living you could get enough to lay down roots here and maybe even learn a craft if your so inclined. There is a luxury goods salesman who comes through at this time of year buying up the sparse few magical resources that pop up in these parts if the stones still hold interest for you. He''s the one with the gold and purple tent by the governor''s mansion."


    "Thank you Friar, I think I am going to look around Dunwhich some more" I gave a light bow towards the general direction of what should be the friars head and made for the door to leave.


    "The locals would be ill disposed towards you if they hear that name, we prefer the name Bunich." The friar warned, his voice tinged with some of that very same anger.


    "Oh I almost forgot, If you are still interested in any magical techniques, this would be the second best place to do it in the whole north-east region. While we lack magical resources, our library has magical knowledge to rival even the Diamond academy and is considerably less demanding."


    I turned around to quickly thank him for the information as an idea came to mind but the direct, unobstructed face of an average middle aged man with a black hair bowl cut and slight beard came into my vision. He had a pointed nose with brown eyes that had bushy eyebrows laying atop them. "Good day to you, sir" I quickly said as I half ran out of the church.


    I then went out onto the plaza and walked forward about a 100 yards until I came to my intended target near what looked like a mini mansion. Unlike the others this house was made of large blocks of stone and had a longer almost rectangular shape, but it still held to the same sturdy bare wall faces and sense of brutal strength as its smaller wooden nephews.


    This large block house had the same single windows on each of its three floors but these had the addition of panes of glass as well as the wooden shutters. The roof tiles made of stones and borderline gaudy decorations spoke of the owners wealth. The roof had soaring eagles holding roses on the corners of the house with stone vines in between spoke of the owners embellishment. Even the chimney, simple blocks on its poorer brothers being more than sufficient, displayed this obscene architectural sense as I saw the gaping maw of a dragon poring out a light smoke skyward. In stark contrast, the entrance maintained the same slim bare stair case of stone leading up to the door as its fellows.


    Off to the left in a small patch of grass was a large tent with alternating colors of bright gold and deep purple. The sign on a stake to its right said ''Ranhcho''s magical goods and services''.


    The namesake of the store was behind a small table showcasing assorted magical swords, books, jewelry studded with magic stones, and some small strands of a sparkling substance. He was looking over a necklace intently before I bowed my head when I saw the pudgy bald head and preemptively looked away before he could show me his face. All of the other items were resting on fluffy red pillows with panes of clear glass panes to keep them from being picked up from anyone not behind the counter. Beside this counter was one large metal chest on each side.


    Surprisingly he didn''t throw me out when I moved towards the counter and looked over his goods, which I half expected considering I still looked and smelled like I had hiked through the woods for days on end. Instead he was completely fine with letting me peruse his goods. I must have looked surprised when he actually let me look in the chests with his goods.


    "The only real source of business in this backwater is with the governor or the church. Still, no stone left un-turned as my mother used to say. Besides, politeness is one of the few truly free things in this world and even if you would steal my goods." Rancho got a dangerous tone at this suggestion.


    "I have poured vast amounts of money into their security, if any random person on the street could steal them I would be very much inclined to throttle the crafter who made the enchantments. After I hunted you down, of course."


    I nodded in understanding and went back towards the counter.


    Rancho adjusted his blue scarf, white cloth shirt with a green sleeveless jacket and black jeans. Coming around the counter he came up to me, "The magic crafts I provide are as powerful as they are varied, fortunately I have been matching people to magical partners for years to suit their tastes and needs ". However, I kept my focus on the merchandise behind the glass panels.


    "Thank you, but I am more interested in the magic stones themselves" I replied respectfully making sure to keep my eyes intently on the goods behind the display.


    "How curious. Almost no one wants the stones themselves. A big burning sword is the typical order for young men. Even wanna be mages typically don''t have the patience for the foundations and just want something quick and easy." Rancho said,almost like I was a curio more than a customer.


    "Well I don''t have any mana stones but these strands could become a fine stone if given enough additions. Typically I wouldn''t have even bothered having them in the display but my stocks are low and they do add a certain sense of the mystical."


    I looked at the almost hair thin silver strands sparkling on the blood red pillow. I thought that maybe an alternative solution, one which could satisfy both my empty wallet and curiosity, could be used in conjunction with this merchant. I suddenly cleared my throat and slightly bowed to the merchant.


    "When will you be leaving? I might be able to collect a few items for trade."


    Rancho''s took in a deep breath.


    "This business only deals in legitimately acquired items. So, if I hear of any thefts I will report it to the authorities if you try to pawn off any ill gotten goods here. However, I will be staying here for at least another week if your items are above board." Rancho said firmly.


    "Of course, I think we will have a very lucrative deal" I said and then promptly headed out back the way I came.

 Chapter 9 :Orc Duties

    Location: Unknown home in the north-west patch of the Swamp


    "Mom, what did I say about wasting our cross bow ammo?" Gula said to the sweetest woman in her life, who was currently looking at a wild chicken freshly pinned to a tree.


    Its murderer in question was the 5''11 inch Orc, Durka, who was currently deciding on how to prepare her latest victim. She had two long braids of brown hair with three cornrows on the left side of her scalp with the rest growing out and pushed off to the right with two bangs going past her eye.Her eyes were black spheres with red irises and her multi ridged nose came with a ring piercing in between her nostrils. The larger, muscular body of the mother was a stark contrast to her daughters almost ballerina frame


    "Come on, you ever use these things? It''s so cool to hold a weapon that has it''s own tension, just waiting to go off." Durka said with a grin, her dark green lips sliding over her slight tusks.


    Gula tapped her foot impatiently. " Look at the bolt" she pointed towards the dead fowl, its weight breaking the bolt at the head buried in the tree. "The metal on it is worth more than a dozen chickens. We only have a few of these things and unless they send another caravan filled with idiots into the forest we aren''t easily getting anymore."


    " We are lucky we got this many as is." Gula half sighed. She was a wayfarer, a specialized fighter who was stuck somewhere between ninja, one-man army of commandos, and a scout. She was typically in the northern mountain area but the regions higher ups sent out the call for a massive operation in the lowlands forest to the west. A great harvest was made of that caravan, with the valuable wheat and weapons adding to the lean stores of the Alliance, the mutual coordination pact between orcs and Frojan, the man sized frogs who were native to the swamp.


    "We were at the front lines of that fight, those bullshitters should have at least given us more ammo, if not some wheat." Durka grumbled as she headed into their house. It was a mud brick and small log construction with a main area for cooking, discussion, and armor/ weapon preparation. It had two side rooms for their respectively private areas. The hard dirt floor had been flattened with use to the point that it wasn''t mud like most of the surrounding land.


    Durka made her way over to a hanging pot and started cleaning her prize. Gula made her way to her room, The 5''6 orc was of a slim, muscular build. Her eyes were of the same pitch black of her mothers but with gold irises. Her leather armor was a simple flap with some thicker padding on her shoulders and outer thighs hanging off the side of her straw bed. She put this over her white wool shirt and brown pants after changing into a new pair of hemp undergarments.The small sword sheathed in a leather holster that was leaning by the bed was the only other ornament in the room, which she quickly strapped to her side. Gula strode back into the main room.


    "Mom, where is the grease? I am not going to take the chance that the frojan have any to spare for our travels." She said, her mother had finished plucking the chicken and was working a piece of flint to start cooking her chicken soup. Durka stepped over the small stack of vegetables and went to her room. She came back with a small bowl and smeared the brown goo over the blades entrance into its sheath.


    "Now let me take a look at ya". Durka looked over her daughter. The bangs of pitch black hair were off to the right side of Gula''s face, similar to her mothers but no braids or cornrows as the hair was cut at the neckline. It seemed like just yesterday this little bundle of joy was making cooing sounds and laughing as she bounced up and down on her knee. Now she was a fully fledged soldier, and not just any soldier but a wayfarer, one of the most grueling and dangerous positions in the forces. Gulas scars, the most prominent of which was a long slash along her left eye and a horizontal cut across her nose were hard earned trophies, which may have even enhanced her beauty to certain eyes. Sadly, there was one piece missing from this ensemble.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Durka went back to her room and came back with a black leather collar. Her own neck had been tattooed with a black ring at the outset of her puberty, which all second generation Shamed had so this piece was for her daughter. Gula''s eyes looked at the hated object with practiced indifference.


    "Thanks Mom." Durka said to no one in particular. Her hands had a shake almost impossibly light to be noticed by any one but the daughter who had a lot of practice noticing the subtle tells of her mother''s unsaid sorrow. She made sure to be behind Gula so that she couldn''t see the mix of rage, sorrow and remorse that she never could keep off her face when this daily ritual had to be performed.


    "Fucking bitch." Gulas said as her mother strapped on the collar as gently as she could. Moving her hair out of the way to allow the collar to be placed around her neck, she gave a slight intake of breath when she felt it slide past her sharp ears.


    The expected squeeze around her neck came and Gula let out her breath. ''When will I be free of this?''. Gulas then turned around and gave her mother a hug. Durka returned the gesture and gave her a pat on the head for good measure.


    "I''ll pick up Lokan for this run, I''m sure she will love this mission." Gula then rushed out of the house, leaving her mother to prepare dinner alone. She headed out and took a wooden boat onto the nearby creek, following its flow she came upon a large house. It was made to look like a regular patch of cattails and willow trees but her knowledge of this area showed her experienced eye the truth of this place.


    The cattails obscured the holes that provided the ventilation for the semi underground structure as the willow trees provided a pseudo roof. A soft carpet of grass allowed the boat to go up onto the small island home like a ramp.


    "Lefty, I wanted to do a run with some skavy, you in?"Gula called to her friend. A pair of bright red irises with slit eyes peeped out the hole behind the cattails. A few seconds later, the friend in question came out from a hatch by the trunk of two of the willow trees. As a Enten, she had blue frill of a snake on her head and neck, just barely protruding out past her neck.


    Her jaw, chest, underhand, and legs had a smooth light blue more similar to a gecko while her back and almost body length tail had the hard scales of a snake with a deeper blue, her snout was also similar to a snakes but there were also some distinctly human features in her as well. She had the long eyebrows and considerable chest size of a human female as well as the same general structure of shoulders and legs. Although her tail forced her anatomy to have wide hips to accommodate it.


    "Sure Lefty, I have some left over, you have any of the other shit we need to make more?" Lokan asked. They both had a long scar along the left eye, the obvious child like nickname being established in their formative years together.


    "The gang has the stuff we need, usual split for goods, transportation and sales?" Gula asked. Typically the frojan gang would take a cut for moving them and the goods, while Lokan would take a cut for making the sale itself, leaving Gula the task of making and getting the goods themselves. The frojan and orcs were a known quantity with few people willing to sell or buy with them, openly in the daylight anyway. The Enten were an almost unknown quantity, as long as elves weren''t involved. This allowed her a lot more leverage to get into human settlements, it also meant she had to smuggle the goods into town herself. This proved to be a very profitable arrangement for Lokan in particular but the money made was enough to leave all parties satisfied with the business.


    "Sure, we got some by the house and once mom is done cooking we can make the stuff and get lunch at the same time." Gula got Lokan''s hand and brought her onto the boat, her purple robe ensemble proving a hassle in moving into the wooden vessel. Lokan took a paddle and they both began the journey back to Gula''s home.

 Chapter 10: The Plans of Men

    Rancho was about to close up shop for the night when the purple eyed youth came back.


    He was clutching four strands of the shimmering silver mana. Rancho''s eyes widened and he mentally went over any reports he heard when checking up on the local captain of the guard.....Nope, no reports of anything missing. Anyone who had such a fortune go missing would absolutely report it to the authorities and raise hell until something was done. Considering he was really the only person they could sell such goods too he was usually the "something" guards harangued when such items went missing.


    "Wow, um....Hmph." Rancho quickly cleared his throat.


    "If you could lay them on the counter" Rancho replied graciously, repressing his glee at the potential fortune. The four hair thin strands glistened against the glass and when he used what looked like a metal taser that fed a bit of raw mana into them they glistened even more brightly, giving off a kaleidoscope of rainbows and specks of bright lights to anyone who looked at them.


    "Ah, genuine articles. That effect isn''t reproducible by anything not made of pure mana. May I ask where you acquired these items? If its not too much to ask" Rancho asked with some enthusiasm.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "I found them on my way over here at the mouth of a creek " The boy said.


    Rancho knew a lot of mana heavy spots in this area of the forest but the most consistent source were the creeks coming out of the ground. Of course, as a peasant, he couldn''t see them but eventually patterns show themselves.


    "Quite a lucky young lad you are" Rancho said. He wasn''t the type of businessman who would deal in stolen goods but nor did he need the customers'' life story to do business. He quickly got out a pouch and counted out 30 gold coins.


    "This is as much as I can go for, no second offers" Rancho said while putting the pouch on the counter. He was considered unique among business circles for he lack of haggling interest. But to him time was money and time spent whittling deals out of customers for every last copper created huge time sinks, time that could be spent getting more goods for more customers. He had seen too many ludicrous opportunities pass by people as they let their greed get the better of them, also the customers appreciated it as his prices were typically fair and that was something that was hard to quantify.


    "For a country bumpkin that is an almost unfathomable amount of wealth. I did not cheat him, that was the price he agreed too and that is that." Rancho thought shamefully to himself as he put the precious strands in one of the metal chests. After swindling the strange boy, Rancho was left satisfied with the exchange

 Chapter 10.5: The Plans of Men (2)

    Eli POV


    ____________________


    My mind flashed back several hours ago as I took off from Rancho''s tent. Making my way into one of the bathroom stalls, I sat down and concentrated the external emission of mana in the sides of my arms,the top of my legs, and chest. After a while the mana fog gradually formed a slight distortion in its middle. As I felt some pressure in the air, the fog gradually began to twist and swirl as it condensed into a hair shaped crystal. This whole exercise left me sweaty and tired after what felt like 30 to 45 minutes. I repeated this process until I got 4 strands, luckily there were many stalls and most people weren''t too keen to pry into people doing their business in there.


    "Thank you sir" I said as I counted the 30 gold coins. Satisfied, I went out the entrance of the tent. The prices of the market being a rough estimate, I imagined I could live well on this for a few years.


    "I feel kind of guilty getting this much for just a few hours of work but hey that was what he was willing to pay." I thought as I tied the pouch around my neck.


    Having got my money I needed some rest so I headed towards an Inn. It was of the same strong block style and cramped entrance of its peers but considerably larger with four floors. As I came through its door I noticed a sign that read "See manager for Necrosis specials". Taking the opportunity to learn more about this world I walked through a long hallway into a large bar room. I walked up to a large man cleaning a mug with his back turned to me. Upon hearing some one coming the man turned around displaying a white apron over his brown shirt behind the bar of what was the tavern of the first floor and responded to my Necrosis special question as I maintained an abiding interest in the mug.


    "Ah, yes while the dead are roaming about town, we have a large store house that can hold 4 months worth of non-perishable goods if we have full house. The cost to stay here during that time is 500 silver" The man said, this sales pitch clearly well practiced.


    ''500 silver? That''s almost enough to just buy a house from what I saw in the cities housing brochures. Although with food.....the dead. Did he say the dead roaming about town? As in zombies in the very city?'' I couldn''t keep the surprise off his face but I managed to quickly recover.


    "For now just some lodging for the week" I replied


    I paid out the requested silver and 10 coppers, made from the change of a gold coin which the tavern owner quickly hid from public view. My time in the market gave me the exchange rates for the coins: 100 coppers for a silver, 100 silvers for a gold. I then went up the flight of stairs to the right and made my way to the room marked number 3 on the second floor. I opened it and shut the bolt across the door put in place to keep intruders out when one was in the room. ''I guess metal locks and keys would too much of a luxury, so no keeping any valuables in here'' I though as I looked around the room taking in the well made bed and table. My love of wood was still there, but the obsession was somewhat dulled with constant exposure to the famed substance over the past few days. I rubbed the smooth wood floor appreciatively before laying on the bed.


    Experimentally I then let out a small amount of mana around my hand. The white fog swirled around my right hand for a while. Strangely, it did not simply emit outward but after a certain distance circled back into the skin. "So that''s why I didn''t get tired when I was walking outside with no mana control". I said idly to myself, the emotional pain that now marred that memory quickly moved me away from the subject.


    ''So what now?'' I thought, a question mankind had been asking since its very first achievements. My previous life''s work was just to get away and transcend the limits of my body. Back in my universe the main goal was to improve this body by cyber enhancement, which in a large spanning galaxy was not as easy as one would think. All the corporations and governments worked together to keep the limits enforced, so if some one tried to kill the tracking equipment in their gear the local authorities would be alerted. If the medical equipment was being tampered with to allow extra biochips it would sync with the ship controls to alert the cops. Try to hack the ship controls and it would message the coffee maker to send a signal out so the cops could come "discuss" your DIY modifications. A nice little web in your very own home.


    The answer was to actually live in the most densely populated areas possible. The unrelenting sea of change through broadcasts, hacks, countermeasures, accidents, and sheer unrelenting data flow provided heavy camouflage against what would have been easily distinguished activity out on some asteroid belt.


    ''Well I am going to have to create a connector, so what would that take to accomplish?'' A flood of the science expertise''s necessary came to mind: Biology, High level mathematics, Chemistry, Computer science, Neurology, General medicine if I wanted to survive the procedure. Ugh,.. the approaching migraine was called off. Never mind the knowledge, the industries required alone was a unthinkable undertaking.


    ''Maybe this magic system they have could provide some short cuts.'' I thought quietly to myself.


    ''Alright, Come morning I will contact one of the blacksmiths and see if I can''t make something worth trading after I visit the library.'' The solution coming to me after a few minutes.


    ''Wow Eli, your a real piece of shit. Some one in this world gave their life just to get you to safety and all you want to do is get on with it like nothing happened?'' said the nasty voice in the back of my mind.


    ''All right, they don''t seem to have pumps here, maybe that could be one the first charity projects I work on'' I thought, showing complete capitulation to the voice. That was all the planning I could get in before sleep took me, the strain of long days of travel as well as the other work I put in today was no longer willing to show patience in its demands.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I woke up the next morning and asked one of the cleaners pushing a mop around for the nearest washroom. It was a simple wooden room that had the benches and style of a locker room. The big bowl of warm water and a towel was all that was provided. After getting as refreshed as I could, I headed down to the tavern. The breakfast consisted of a creamy vegetable soup with some hard brown bread. The simple meal being washed down with a glass of milk.


    The first chore today was to head out to one of the blacksmiths I saw off to the left side of the town. The open workshop contained a simple enclosed brick forge, circular grinding stone and a grey anvil, all of which had a shabby roof hanging over them. This roof leaned on a house of the same large block style of the other buildings. On the anvil was a red hot piece of iron being slowly worked into a sword by a burly man with a brown leather apron. He stopped when he noticed me in the corner of his eye.


    "What''ll it be lad?" he asked, putting down his hammer.


    "If I wanted to use your forge for a while what would that cost?" I responded carefully keeping my eyes on the red hot iron ingot.


    The blacksmiths was left silent as he thought about it for a few minutes.


    "I can lend you some iron ingots and tools to use the forge, but I am going to need 100 silver for collateral as well as a silver and 40 copper for each bar used and if the tax man comes by we are cousins and you dropped by to try out the family business. The earliest I could let you is tomorrow though." he said. I figured that amount would more than cover any potential loss of tools or damages inflicted by me if my faint grasp of the prices of goods here was anything to go by.


    "All right, I will see you tomorrow morning then?" I quickly responded, thankful that I got this chance at all.


    The black smith was gave a grunt of surprise, I guess my estimation of his price gouging was spot on. But for me time was of the essence here for.


    The blacksmith grunted a goodbye and I took his leave. I then went to visit the library, After paying out the required sum I perused the local books. They mostly contained books on history, philosophy, some had more knowledge on magic but the basic ones I needed were under repair and the librarian said they would be done in a few days.


    I figured that trying to rush ahead would not be a good idea considering the power of the forces involved. While I was continually looking through the shelves I came upon an old book. It was behind a few books in a corner of the bookshelf, and had the dust and wear of a forgotten volume. Its title was "The Places of Palantia" and had some descriptions of various cities, rivers and towns. It held a crude map and oddly enough showed that the elves were what laid beyond the hills of Dwarves Rumble.


    ''Odd, then why did Lilly take me there if it was closer to the elves than the humans?'' I asked myself


    I was thinking it over when anther question presented itself.


    ''Come to think of it, why are they in an old book if it was made just a few years ago?''


    "Excuse me, may I ask when the Dwarves Rumble was made?" I asked the man in a brown friar robe that acted as the librarian. His feet told of old age through his sandals.


    "Careful lad, the government stiffs don''t much like that name. Pig headed fools think that if they just change the name everyone will forget, the ''proper'' name is now just the hills. Now if my memory serves me well I think it was made near 100, 120 years ago." The librarian replied matter-of-factly.


    " Thank you" I quickly bowed and left. ''A few years back my ass. Even as ancient as I am I would know that most people don''t consider that a few years.Although, maybe a tree spirit would consider 100 years to be a slightly faded memory if she had sufficient memory capabilities''. There was something else bothering me but I couldn''t quite put my finger on what it was.


    I went back and looked over the map and saw that to the south of ...Dunwhich, which is what the map called this town, was some fortress called the Bulwark. A massive swamp covering almost the entire southern portion of the continent was to the right of Bulwark. To the swamps north was what was called Dwarf Beards Drip. So, the wide mountain range to the north of that was the home of the dwarves. To the west of what I assumed was my current position, was a large forest called Elves Clay. Further west was a city called Oceans Breach on a bulge of land sticking out towards the ocean. South to Oceans Breach was the Capital. In the Dwarf Beards Drip was outline a small road in between the mountains which ended in what was called the Stop Gap. Beyond that were blank plains called the Phoenix Empire and the Fire Tribes to the north of that, brushing up against the territory of the elves.


    I then looked around the library for some time before I left. The day then went by


    quickly as I hung about the market sampling and looking over various goods. At one of the stalls I purchased a new clothing set made up off a new pair of wool socks, cotton underwear, a proper pair of custom shoes, a black shirt and brown pants to go with it, both having the ties of older shirt design.


    Some time in the afternoon I ended up around the tavern holding my bag of clothing when I noticed a small procession of friars from the church walking down the street. I followed behind, trying to make sure that I remained unseen. They eventually stopped by the stone entrance to the church. On the steps, stood Bartholomew by his side was a small girl with long brown hair in a ragged brown cloth dress.


    "Brothers and sisters, today we perform one of our most sacred rights. The burning of the witch is one of the founding tenants passed down to us from Saint Adia. And on this day we will perform this ritual devised by her very hands. By the fruits of our hands will our homes be cleansed of the taint of demon hood." He said


    '' Shit, for all of the technological advances, they''re still in the burning heretics stage.''


    The irony was not lost on me looking down on them for this considering my journey,but.. my people had good reasons I reluctantly admitted to myself. Not good enough to change my mind, but still good reasons. These people clearly did not have those reasons.


    ''What can I do? ....I don''t know glow mana at them? Shit'' .A bonfire of wood on a stone plaza to the right of the church was set ablaze and the child was brought up to it. The feeling of a stone block dropping into my throat went down into my stomach. Quickly thinking over all of my options I realized that there was nothing I could do.


    Even if I could get close to them in time, what then? I had no weapons and the knowledge to use spells wasn''t something I had managed to acquire at the library. The fact that I gave these people money left a feeling of vomit rising to my mouth. My mind blanked out at the realization of uselessness and I simply turned around and started walking the destination unknown. When the glow of a great blaze shimmered across the dark wood of a house I was looking at a scream penetrated the air, I stared numbly at the wall for a long second. Then I headed back towards the tavern, opening the door with my clammy hands.


    Once inside I bought a steak dinner and several tankards of beer, but try as I might the brown liquid wouldn''t take the day down with it. So I stumbled up to the room and latched the door behind me. I laid in bed for a torturous moment before sleep mercifully took me.

 Chapter 11: On the Road Again

    Eli POV


    _________________________


    When I woke up the next morning. I groaned under the headache. Bathing and changing into my new clothes was about all I could bear to do. Luckily the innkeeper had no small amount of experience with these matters and gave me an unearthly elixir of one raw egg and some steak sauce which helped clear the pounding my headache was currently dishing out to my skull.


    ''Whelp, time to get the fuck out of here. If I start making some of the more interesting stuff I want to build, they''ll cook me'' I thought bitterly to myself.


    Remembering my appointment, I rushed out to the blacksmith. I was thinking about making a pump but since I was traveling, my use of the forge was now going to be for protection on the road. I had seen a few weapons in the various shops but I felt that I had better options that I could make by hand. It was barely sun out when I got there, the blacksmith grunted "all right lad, a deals a deal. The ingots are behind the anvil". Having collected his 100 silvers, the large man then took off his leather apron and headed inside his shop which also contained his house on the second floor.


    I got to work, the furnace was already stoked with coal and roaring to go. However behind the furnace, I found what looked like a receipt that missed the furnace, it read for a few cases of something called skavy in exchange for more crossbow bolt heads scratched out on some piece of leather. The obvious implications of illegality actually set my mind at ease. People who worked with criminals, but were not necessarily criminals themselves, tended to be the most reliable people around, at least for my current needs. If the blacksmith tried to go back on the deal it would have been a real pain in the ass.


    Especially as I did not want to show off my new weapon to more people than was absolutely necessary and wasn''t sure how much money I would need in the future. Coming up with mana strands out of the blue would create problems if any of the magic item dealers ever talked to each other, so I was reluctant to pull that rabbit out of the hat again. If the blacksmith tried to cheat me, the law would get involved and drawing their attention was probably the last thing the smithy wanted.


    The first thing I made was a spring. Using a pair of tongs I took a metal rod of iron a finger thick and kept it in the furnace to get red hot. While I waited for the rod to get ready I put on the leather apron. The hardest part of this contraption was getting the dimensions of the back plate right so that the spring pressing against it wouldn''t pop it out when it was locked into its position. This was a weapon that I had a lot of experience making.


    In one of my stints as a mercenary the group of troops I was signed up with got stuck on some godforsaken world against a militia of some unknown but no doubt very evil ideology. The weapons had been stored in a section of the ship that had blown up on impact. They wouldn''t have been any good anyway as the whole planet got hit with a nuke virus, the most profane of all software codes, that basically takes out everything connected to the web in a large network which effectively puts everything back into the stone age. Luckily, a freighter had gotten shot down with us and had a hose spewing out flames from a tank of industrial chemicals the size of several football stadiums. Using that heat and mechanical tools, I constructed several dozen mechanical crossbows. They were only good for ambushes back then but it would make a mighty fine weapon here.


    I held a red hot iron rod about the length of my arm with the tongs. Using the rounded front end of the anvil I then gradually twisted it into a spiral shape, occasionally having to hammer the spring to a near-uniform size. ''And it only gets harder from here'' I half moaned to myself.


    The base to hold the spring had to be thick enough to deal with whatever pressure the spring could deal out, but make it too thick and the front of the crossbow would be too heavy to use effectively for any real-world scenario. An iron ingot was then melted down and shaped into a circle about a half inch thick. But when I tested it with the spring it punched through it on the hardest compression.


    ''God fucking shit''


    A long arduous process was started with the melting down of the ruined disk. Another few pieces of iron was added to the metal soup in a mold, then pressed and hammered out into a disk a full inch thick. This disk stood up to the spring at full compression. The back and forth of heating and pounding of the spring into the disk fused them into one piece. Another disk was attached to the other side. Across this new disk were two flat pieces of metal sticking slightly out.


    I then told the blacksmith that I would need to head to a carpenter, which the blacksmith was fine with. The several iron ingots used already were nearly a whole week''s profit for him. He even allowed for me to use the forge tomorrow if need be which I thanked him for but I secretly had no intention of staying in this town.


    Once I found the carpenter I had him make the large body of a cross bow. This one had to be reinforced with metal beams though as I asked that it be hollowed out for the mechanism and two trenches leading up past the metal trigger that holds the crossbows rope in place.


    Coming back to the blacksmith, I came across a vendor selling grilled chicken parts and broke for a late breakfast. When I arrived at the anvil I got started on the most grueling part of this whole exercise. It was at this point I was most tempted to make a gun, surely there was a source of saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur around here some where?


    ''Nah I came this far, besides I can''t afford the kind of attention it would bring right now. Someday, but not today''. I sighed mournfully and got on with it.


    The next item was a series of pulleys, and lines of metal ridges that would allow a metal gear to pass over them. The lever was also attached to this gear as well as a metal line that helped use the pressure of the spring to press on the gear component. This entire portion was attached to one of the metal strips on the spring disk. The other was attached to a small ring like a saddle foot strap. What this all did was allow me to pull down the spring with a foot then use that compressed power to assist me in using the lever to pull back the cross bow string, allowing me to reload it with almost trivial effort, giving one near free shot.


    I considered making it have an ammo feeder as well but decided against it. The most strenuous part would be pulling the string back into place after firing the crossbow and making that feeder would divert from the hardest task of using this weapon. Also an ammo feeder like that needed standard ammo sizes to work properly, and that wasn''t something I had much faith in the current society being able to do on any large scale.


    I tested out this creation and sure enough the snap back, spring and catch all worked, with the pulley for the string coming down with the gear for the reload action. I just had to get some string to complete the weapon, coming up with a total of 7 ingots of iron the blacksmith handed back the collateral minus the due payment and I left for the market.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    After a look around I found the local weapon/armor shop. They had a good leather strap, crossbow string, and 30 cross bow bolts, with quiver. The store merchant was more than happy to help me tie the string to this odd looking crossbow. All the armor on display was divided between leather and metal. I got a plain metal helmet with strong backside covering part of the neck and a chain mail mouth cover that hooked on both sides of it, which helped me with the face-to-face problem. The rest of my armor totaled a leather chest piece and guards for the shoulders and legs. A simple dagger was my second line of defense. I had no patience to learn swordsmanship nor did I feel the need to. I looked the thin black haired shop keep right in his brown eyes and thanked him for his help and went on my way.


    This body did not have the marks of malnutrition that marked so many people of this world. It''s 6''2 foot tall size and now growing strength would hopefully be enough. Besides I had weapon designs in the semi-near future that would render such skills obsolete, at least until much later on. If I survived up to that point.


    One of the oddities of advanced technology is that warfare sort of loops back around in a lot of ways. Personal shields and point defense systems designed to knock bullets and artillery shells off course mean most troop actions dissolve into a melee when ships, avatars, or the heaviest machine gun fire aren''t in play. Even when ships are in play, the skills of the pilot are paramount. AI assisted flying is almost entirely a cargo drone affair, as all electronic resources have to be dedicated to fighting off hacking attempts.


    After filling the knapsack with what I assumed was 2 weeks worth of food I headed out of the town. I figured an academy would be the best place to advance science so I decided to hoof it to the academy the friar had mentioned earlier. The directions I got from the shopkeeper to this Diamond academy said they were 9 days away and there was the village of Brier Patch along the way but I didn''t want to take any chances.


    I headed out, walking on the road for most of the day until night came. I lodged in the hollowed out tree lying on the side off to the side of the road. Waking up, I munched on some more dried fruits and went along the road.


    Along the way I noticed some tracks of what I assumed was a carriage leading off into the forest down a steep hill, too steep to be going down intentionally. Following it I came across a dead horse laying on the side of a tree. The cause of death wasn''t its fall but the arrow sticking out of its eye. Getting a bad feeling, I prepped the crossbow, using my foot to pull down the handle on the front to prep the spring and pulled the lever to get the string into position. Walking down, the broken remains of a carriage came into sight and a visage of human depravity with it.


    Down by the front of the carriage were four corpses. One was a little girl with her plain grey dress pulled up uncovering her body and her brown hair mixed with mud. Beside her was what looked like her little brother. He had has pants down around his ankles with a dirty rag shirt providing the only modesty around his form. Their mother was facing opposite of them fully nude with her long brown hair strewn about. All three had their hair mixed with blood from their slit throats, with white stains about their various parts telling of their gruesome end in this world.


    Perhaps the saddest figure was off to the left. A man tied to a tree with his throat also slit, the blood running down his white shirt and brown jeans. The look in his eyes told of a man long dead before the final blow came. Off to the side was a small campfire with three men. I made my way to a tree several yards beyond the fire.


    "Come on, Dan. We got to get going, these vittles will keep for a while." Said a large man with short cropped brown hair. He was a muscular specimen with a jutting jaw and was rather handsome with an age of mid 20''s. He was rubbing the hair of a smaller lad who couldn''t have been a day past 14. This smaller version of him had a less muscular build with a lighter brown hair and the affliction of a scraggly beard.


    "Sure, What do we do with the rest of it?" Dan said, his tone dripping with respect and deference.


    "That depends, Brett where to now?"


    An older man with long white hair and the facial features of a crow, marked with a large scar across his right cheek, put up his head from the pile of foodstuffs he was rummaging through.


    "Fucking hell man, I said not to rip up her dress. God knows these shits had too little to begin with. We will see what we can come up with in Brier Patch trading these goods." He scowled at the larger man, 5''6 to the others almost 6 feet.


    " Hey you didn''t seem too worried when you ripped up the boys pants to--" Whatever neurons in his brain were about to formulate the clever jab were ripped apart as a bolt was sent clear through the temple of his skull. He fell backward breaking his bow on his back.


    The old man was apparently something of a veteran in combat, because before the dead man had finished dropping he turned around and pulled out his sword among the pile of goods. Maybe he was good enough to realize that the bolt was from a crossbow and wanted to charge the assailant or


    he just wanted to get his weapon and flee. Whatever course of action he had in mind was rendered moot as another crossbow bolt came zipping through the air and shattered his hip bone.


    The smaller lad, Dan, was crying over his brothers corpse when he heard an odd metal clanking sound followed by the footsteps of some one behind him. Furious he turned around and drew a short sword from his hip.


    I could almost read his mind as he saw a youth about his age with grey hair and purple eyes, the face obstructed with a chain-mail veil covering the rest of his features. The most prominent aspect probably being the big cross bow in my arms. I must have looked like a very odd grim reaper.


    This menace was also several feet away, too far to close the gap.


    "You Murderer! Fight me man-to-man, blade-to-blade you son of a bitch." is what I assumed he said, the screams of the older man made it kind of hard to tell. My reply had no such problems relaying intent as I shot a bolt right through the kids right shoulder. I heard the wonderful cry in agony as the bolt stuck clear out of his shoulder and caused him to drop the weapon. Before he could pick up the sword with his left hand, I ran over and knocked him to the ground.


    A swift punch to the jaw left Dan disorientated enough that he could barely resist when he was put face-first into the dirt and dragged over to the fire. I then hefted him up to his knees and his hands were pulled behind him beyond his sight. As he faced the fire I savored putting my boot into his back as I gradually pushed him forward.


    "No, please. Just cut my throat, anything but this." These pleas gave way to screams as his face was pushed into what now must have felt like the fires of hell itself. The blisters on his skin and blackening char around his molting face were all the wounded man could look at while the boy was cooked like a burned steak. Gradually there were only soundless shakes left, at which point I pushed him into the fire fully. The faintly shaking body sticking out of the fire was then ignored as I left his brain to cook. The final victim of my rampage was now looking at his executioner with horror.


    I was, as always, approaching things with a degree of practicality. I fetched a few unbroken arrows from the first kill and what do you know, he had arrows that were basically sharp sticks that could be used with this crossbow once the feathers were removed. I loaded up on four of them and made them fit for purpose.


    "So what now? Huh? You gonna just put me down? Like some dog?" Brett said pitifully. He seemed to have no plan at this point. Any hope he may have had was lying on the other side of the pile, laying in the dirt where he dropped it when his hip bone shattered.


    I took aim at pathetic man leaning against a sack of wheat. I used the arrows to shoot him in both shoulders as well as twice in the gut. "There, your death will be sufficiently painful now." I said as I turned to leave.


    "You fucking bastard, Son of a goddamn whore". Barret cried at the back of his killer before the pain became too much. A soft whimpering was all that he could manage now. I briefly looked to his side at the poor family.


    ''I''m sorry but this is all I can do. They may have associates and I don''t have the time to hunt them all down right now... I hope your next time around is a better one.'' I thought sadly as I trekked back up the hill and onto the road.

 Chapter 12: Carriage Ride

    *SLAM*


    Jeff''s head became very intimate with the hard wood of a bench in his carriage when the vehicle hit a hole in the road. The black haired teen laying on the blankets of the floor winced as the stinging pain intruded upon his sleep.


    "My apologies milord, it was the lesser of two evils. Hope there is nothing too bad" called the driver apologetically.


    "Its quite alright, just be a little slower about it next time." Jeff called back rubbing his head further. Checking his hand he was just glad that there was no blood on his palm. A few seconds and a loud curse resounded from the carriage behind his. If memory serves him well, it was the carriage of Ryan. That miserable cur would be gone just as soon as Jeff could be rid of him.


    The once in a blue moon miracle of a scion level talent was the dearest dream of all mothers the world over and a walking hell to all who had to live through their tyranny. Scions the world over were regarded as the pinnacle of power, which was the only reason Ryan had been tolerated up to this point. Fortunately, Jeff''s brother Andrew was not one of the more malevolent humans of this world, and the redhead mostly kept himself to a decent standard despite having the same gift as Ryan. Although standards can vary.


    He got up and looked out the carriage window, taking in the fresh morning day. The bright morning sun and cool morning breeze swept over his nudity, thankfully the huge carriage doors only showed him from his chest up. Looking to his right he saw a few women being escorted away from Ryan''s and Andrews carriages.


    ''Quite the burden my brother and Ryan carry'' Jeff thought exasperatedly to himself as some new women were brought into the carriages from a new set of horses. As scion level mages, more importantly as male mages, it was a matter of dire societal importance, that they spread their seed as far as possible. An importance so severe that the Magical Progression Front even officially supports making this duty a matter of law. A similar pressure was put on male caster level mages like Jeff as well but not to such an extreme degree. Personally he found the thought of having a bunch of children he would never have any interaction with heart wrenching.


    As he was scolding his traveling companions and the wider whole of society for their degenerate ways, a pair of soft hands came up behind him and grabbed the stem and balls of his loins. The accompanying pair of breasts pressed against his back added to the of buzz of excitement sent up his spine. A soft pair of lips kissed his back before coming up to whisper in his ear.


    "You better not be trying to show off my goods" A slightly affectionate squeeze left Jeff biting his lip. He turned his head and gave a deep kiss to a soft pair of pink lips belonging to the love of his life. The object of his love was his 32 year old former wet nurse, turned assistant. She was a taller woman coming up short to Jeff''s 5''10 by only an inch. Her hair was a red so dark it would be called black if not for the faint red outline in her hair. She was a good looking woman with a mole on the left side of her nose and far corner of her eye, which had the faintest hint of lines. A few of these beauty marks were also along her neck, which Jeff was now affectionately kissing.


    She looked into his oceanic eyes and brought him back down onto the floor of the carriage. Pressing herself into his chest she kept her gaze in his eyes soaking up all the love he would giver her as he poured his heart out into her amber eyes.


    "Honey, I know you may not like the methods but it is needed to ensure our races survival." Annie said with an odd mix of sweetness and academic rigor, having obviously seen his face when the exchange of women happened.


    Jeff sighed, mentally of course.


    Over the course of years he came to know Annie as a member of the Magical Progression Front which was something that would occasionally bring them into conflict. She wasn''t a kinda, sort of believer that never really cares about anything but the corresponding title and prestige, but she was not a die hard fanatic either. She was a member for the simple logic that the Front represented.


    "Babe, I... well as long as they all consent" Jeff conceded while idly pinching the small pink nipple of Annie''s left breast, making her lightly moan. She swatted his groping palm, giving a hand wave towards the driver.


    "I think its a little late for that" Jeff teased.


    "Excuse me? It may be too late for Andrew and Ryan with all their whooping but we have kept it on the down low." Annie huffed. That was true, despite their mutual best efforts they did manage to keep quiet. Which was perhaps more due to their near year of practice more than anything else.


    Annie then adopted a serious face, and started collecting their clothes.


    "Remember when we get to the academy we need to start setting you up with the local service." Annie said handing Jeff his underwear.


    "Can''t it wait? I want to look around the academy first, the Diamond academy is said to have an amazing assortment of amenities, from a 24 hour restaurant to a huge pool, I even heard they had a meal delivery operation so we could eat in our rooms, it would be like going out on a date." Jeff said while giving Annie''s two soft mounds a good squeeze, wanting to appreciate his two favorite objects in the whole wide world before the vile piece of cotton cloth did its abominable deed.


    Annie smiled indulgently. "Maybe, but our duty is too our people. I will do my duty as will you".


    She said as she donned her bra, leaving Jeff''s world a more faded and darker place. He sighed and put on the rest of his clothes. Annie was concerned about the effects their relationship would have if it got in the way of Jeff siring children or establishing political ties through marriage. She made it clear to Jeff she would chew Yook root while they played, which was a universal birth control that made all women, of every species, unable to conceive for a few days after.


    "That duty better come with a ring. I expect we will be busy expanding the human population after my 18th birthday." Jeff said, his voice clearly not allowing any disagreement. The age of consent was 16 for girls and 15 for boys in Palantia. Which was pretty conservative as the mainland rules were 16 for girls and whenever he could start making babies, for boys of casting level potential and above. But the age to get married was still 18 for both lands.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Jeff was referencing a promise Annie made to him a several months ago. In a fit of passion she said she would marry him if he was still interested after his 18th birthday. What she did not expect was for him to still bring it up on occasion to reaffirm he intended to hold her to that promise, and a man who brought up marriage after sex was serious in his intentions.


    Her heart was overjoyed but her mind was running itself ragged with the endless scenarios surrounding such a wedding. After all a man of his talent and future should be given to some one of political background and good breeding stock, not a 30 plus peasant woman who was his wet nurse. It would be a scandal for the ages, but when she looked over at Jeff as he put on his shirt, her heart was buzzing with excitement at his aims.


    "Besides, ''they''re your goods''. Or so a very reliable gossip monger has whispered in my ear. Are you sure you want me to ''do my duty''?" Jeff teased her as he sat on the bench of the carriage. Annie looked up from putting the blankets in the compartment under one of the benches. She then made her way to his side and swatted his arm.


    "Who is this gossip monger? and why would she deign to talk to a worked up little pup like you?" She demanded with mock haughtiness.


    "She''s the most beautiful woman in the world and I don''t know what I did in a previous life to earn having her in my life" Jeff said sincerely back.


    It had its intended effect as the blush that came up over her face made her skin almost match the red fringe in her hair.


    "Enough boy, lets get on to practicing your constructs." She scolded him, with her hands wringing together on her lap.


    ....


    Several hours later the three carriage caravan eventually came to a stop at a roadside inn. Jeff and Annie got out and stretched their legs. Jeff was in a bright blue suit with gold embroidery while Annie wore a dress that had the chest piece similar to that of a butlers built for female preferences, with it all in black and a white undershirt.


    Andrew got out and tied up his brown pants tight as he made his way towards them and Ryan came sauntering up as well. The look of satisfaction on their faces told of their joys last night. Jeff''s red headed brother stretched then came up and punched Jeff in the shoulder. His quality red jacket hanging open revealing the white undershirt beneath.


    "Come on, I''m starving. I wonder what they got in here for a conquering hero." Andrew said while walking into the inn with his hands behind his head, being 6''1 he had no problem looking down at his brother while he walked. Off by the carriages the last group of women left on horse back with two guards between the four of them.


    "What could this pig sty possibly hold that be would worthy to grace the lips of people like us?" Ryan said. He was 17 years old and about 6 feet with shoulder length hair black as midnight. His sharp nose and sharp cheek bones lent him an almost elvish quality with his dark green eyes, at least in the face. His slightly portly frame and gaudy dress told of a lineage far removed from such a graceful bloodline. The black coat was embellished to such a ludicrous degree with not just trimmings but the imagery of lion heads and dragons to go along with it, that it seemed to be more gold than fabric.


    ''Us?'' The two brothers seemed to ask each other with a quick sideways glance. This meh fellow to Andrew and walking bag of cancer to Jeff was coming along on their trip to the academy because their father forced them to allow his presence. Ryan''s family was an up and coming house in the north east mountainous region and having them in the capitals political corner would do wonders for taming what was considered a dumping ground for the criminal and rejected of the Coalition.


    When they got in the four of them were accompanied by 3 guards in knightly armor with long red capes and long swords at their hips. They sat at a table by a window on the right side of the dining area. Their breakfast was served communal style with large platters being placed in the middle with their contents being taken on a first come first serve basis.


    "So why did we drag our asses all the way out here just for this academy?" Andrew asked his fellows at the table in between gulps of milk and pancake.


    "Something about the skills of the academy head being exceptional in teaching students" Jeff replied while cutting into a thick sausage.


    Annie snatched a biscuit from under the hand of Andrew and let a light smile of satisfaction play over her mouth. "Not just teaching, he is the genius who merged adventurer guilds and academies into one organization. Without his wisdom, so many promising talents would have died in quests before having any real skills. It''s said he is an exotic fellow from some island nation near the mainland but few if any know what trail led him here." Andrew huffed and held out his mug to be refilled by the innkeeper himself, who was sweating so hard his palms and red lamb chops were glistening. The portly man then poured more milk in the wooden mug.


    "Well what ever his background, his move to out here has me curious, I thought all the major academy''s were out west? So why trek out here after going through the trouble of coming across the ocean?" Ryan asked in between a mouthful of biscuit.


    "No one knows." Annie replied matter-of-factly.


    "Well then how on earth can we trust hi-" At this moment Ryan threw his hand out for dramatic affect but ended up swatting the jug of milk out of the innkeepers hand and splashing a good deal on himself. A dread silence fell over the whole tavern, with the innkeepers wife clutching her serving pan nervously by a table off to the right.


    The fury in Ryan''s face gave him a near rose colored face. He turned and spat at the innkeeper. "You clod, I will have your miserable head for this. DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU HAVE OFFENDED? I-" Ryan had his scream stop mid spew by Jeff giving a loud cough.


    "Ryan, I don''t know what the social rules are in the north-east but this is an incident involving all of us. Do you presume to speak for all of us?" Jeff said motioning to his hand and Andrews hair, both of which had the white liquid in various quantities.


    Ryan closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "All right, would you suggest we do to this wretch?". The smile accompanying this question couldn''t have been more forced if wires were used to keep it in place.


    "We have eaten a lot of his food, a light whipping and gifting us this meal is enough." Jeff said evenly. Andrew nodded in agreement.


    "Come we must get your clothes in order, lets all head out." Annie said, like a mother looking over her brood.


    "I want to see the whipping." Ryan said, looking at the innkeeper with a mix of desire and spite.


    Annie raised an eyebrow " We can arrange that if you don''t mind smelling of turned milk when the next batch of women arrive, as well as riding on on horse back with the guard when he finishes. Our time is far too valuable to waste watching such sport. We may very well be late arriving to the academy already."


    The brothers nodded in agreement and started getting ready to leave. Ryan sensing defeat decided to simply leave and head to the carriage to change and wash up while he could.


    Jeff leaned over to his guard and whispered " Stay behind for 30 minutes. Take the innkeeper out back where no one would hear you and pay him for the food, then come back and meet us. I don''t want anyone connected to Ryan reporting we slighted him or else he will get revenge on the poor man through other means."


    The man was a long time denizen of the capital, so Jeff wasn''t worried who this guard would obey of the two teens. The knight nodded and took the innkeeper out back with his crying wife following in short order.


    Getting one last good stretch in, the members of the caravan got back into the groove of monotonous travel and got on their way to Diamond academy.

 Chapter 13: Start of A New Semester

    Tansen was a late 20''s man with the sharp brown eyes and protruding cheek bones of his homeland. But what made him really stand out from the locals was his ridge between his eyebrows which went from the bridge of his nose to the near top of his forehead. It was a special organ developed through long forgotten means that allowed him to hold a cache of mana and use it at will.


    His dress also showed a clear distinction from the locals. It was a kimono with flares of sapphire jewels stitched into shining blue waves against the black outer coat, which made it hard to see just where his shoulder length dark hair was. Considering the fact he was the head of one of the most prestigious academy''s on the whole continent, such an expense was insignificant.


    The room had a surprisingly bare thing. The floors were simple wood with the walls being painted in alternating colors of blue and white. The only furniture being his oak desk and leather chair. A standout feature, or its lack of one, was that the room had no window. Tansen considered such an indulgence a needless security risk. Scenic views be damned, as the headmaster of the top academy in Palantia his secrets and security were paramount.


    "So a painfully stereotypical red head with a fire element, a more level headed younger brother with a dual fire and wind element, and a grown child trying cover up his insecurities by pushing the fact he is a new family scion with an earth element. That is quite a list this year" Tansen said looking over the report. Naturally, he didn''t trust the families to be honest in their assessment of their own children. So he had a considerable network of butlers, maids and former students to verify,... not spy, verify the claims of the children''s talent and also give some bare bone personality descriptions. No one had been dumb enough to actually lie about their children''s tier of talent yet but the peace of mind was well worth it. Also the psych evaluations helped him avoid some personality conflicts in the past.


    "So many boys this year, I''d say we have 3 scions in this academy now". Tansen rubbed his goatee happily. Most academies had no scions to speak of, with a few of the stronger ones having a single scion but when you were the best of the best you tended to attract the best.


    "Spirits help us, our mailbox is overflowing with letters from families demanding their daughters be the first into their beds. Not to mention the staff have been finding bits of rope and gear to scale the walls into their rooms. That''s discarding the possibility that some of the female staff were in on the scheme in the first place." His assistant Aki said. He was a late 40''s gentleman with the same racial features as the headmaster. He had been assigned as Tansen''s servant, guard, adviser and unusually, had become his friend. His long gray mustache moved slightly as it brushed against his cheeks. Aki was a skinny bald man with a slightly longer beard than Tansen''s only chin length facial hair. His brown eyes barely peaking out past his bushy eyebrows.


    "Ah yes, well it''s not like it was an unforeseen occurrence. All the needed preparations are in place, or at least Agatha will make sure they are." Tansen said, thinking back to the chaos the followed him when he was the new scion at the imperial academy, that constant sea of feminine flesh and ecstasy that demanded his energy where ever he went and still followed him to this day. The amount of children he sired since his 14th birthday was without count considering his seed covers two continents.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    But it seems the universe is not without a sense of innate justice and has paid him back two fold, maybe even three. It isn''t well established if a dual element caster can match up against a scion. The old headmaster who had to deal with the mayhem of Tansen''s early years now seems to have been dealt an easy hand compared to what Tansen is being forced to deal with.


    "Head master, a letter has just arrived. It''s was from an elven courier." A messenger boy half yelled as he forced the door open and ran in.


    Both the men''s eyes shot up. Elves usually considered themselves far above the petty affairs of humans.When they did deign to talk to them it was never simple and always had great peril as an implicit condition of the arrangement. But it was also a source of tremendous opportunity, if you could stomach the risk. More than one dynasty could trace its origins to the gains of such ventures. As could some of the gravestones in cemeteries scattered throughout the world.


    "Good lad, send the kid down to the kitchen for a desert" Tansen said to a guard dressed in knights armor with the white and blue livery of the Diamond academy by the doorway. He then leaned over and took up the fine paper envelope with the tell tale leaf embroidery of the elves, as the kid skipped merrily to his sugary treat.


    ''Tansen of the far shores,


    One of my sons, Dior, is working on a mission near your area. While the nature of the mission is of a very personal manner, any requested assistance you could offer us in this endeavor would be greatly appreciated and of course, equally well compensated


    From,


    Lord Dilfen,


    Aeson ''


    Tansen leaned back, a thousand different horrors behind these pretty words crept into his mind. But he had not gotten to where he is by not taking chances, these kind of chances were something else entirely though. A cough interrupted his train of thought.


    Aki was looking at him expectantly, with a mix of dread and greed playing across his features.


    "It was from a lord Dilfen and a lord Aeson." Tansen said musing over the oddness of the letter''s composition. He handed the paper over to his trusted aid.


    Aki looked it over quickly. "Ah Dilfen is a rough equivalent to a duke in elvish terms. So his proper name is Aeson. Just Aeson, elves don''t have the same structure of last names like us....well like most humans" he added quickly, noting the hints of sourness etching their way into Tansen''s face.


    "Well anyway, this letter doesn''t have a return address so I guess he is assuming our agreement is without question." Aki said, a note of bitterness in his voice.


    Tansen was similarly annoyed but their well honed dynamic demanded he now be the reasonable one. "It''s fine. What would this elf need?"


    "We better be too ready rather than too unprepared. Troops, supplies both magical and for long expeditions, crafts. He may very well take us near the dwarves for all we know." AKi said.


    "I will defer to your experience in this matter. But the new scions aren''t the only problems, I always marvel at how these semesters get harder and harder no matter how many issues we manage to solve". Tansen said to Aki as much as he said it too himself. The older man then gave a light bow and headed out the room to get the preparations in order.

 Chapter 13.5 (2): The Start of A New Semester

    Eli POV


    _________________________________


    As I came down the road, I came up to what looked like a mid sized fort. But when I came near the clearing leading up to the walls, I looked out past the treeline as the line of large stakes packed into a wall went on for a good bit leaving the impression that the tall palisade actually held a small city. Unfortunately, the guards at the gate were as lax a group this time around.


    When I had to let down the chain mail veil, I just closed my eyes and waited a few seconds.


    "Sir, that''s enough" He said.


    I put the veil back and saw he was looking at me like I was a freak. Then he put a hand to his side and appeared to reach a decision.


    "Maybe if they paid me more I''d care enough to detain you, but I have no reason to not let you in so, no trouble now. You hear?" He said, to which I nodded.


    I was let in and came down a street which held a standard more similar to Earths middle ages. The state of sewage management was still in the throw it outside level of urban planning, with the houses being an assortment of shabby structures with various points of patchwork maintenance. As I moved through the crowd of filthy bodies I noticed a number of what I assumed were people that had what looked like the heads of goats.


    Well, not goat heads of a direct copy from their grass chewing lookalikes. They had a similar fur around their heads and down to their collar bones with a wide variety of horns. Some of these horns were the typical brown curls around the head with ridges, while some were simple, sharp grey horns more similar to a bulls, and a design that had the classic ridges but had them going out of their foreheads and following along the back of their skulls. Their heads were shaped like a humans but had snouts and their eyes were completely white with no visible iris. Down from the collarbone they still had the general anatomy of a human with the women having the curves and eyelashes of the female sex.


    I was walking through the crowd with relative ease. Apparently the chain mail veil and large crossbow were an intimidating prospect for would be pickpockets and passerby. As I looked around at the locals I was struck by the gender make up of the members of the human species. The humans were almost all women, with a some children of both genders here and there. The goat people things however were more gender balanced. The only human men were the guards and a few heading in and out from the gate I had come in as well as the one on the direct opposite side of the town.


    A beautiful mansion was off to my left, it''s rich red brick roof standing tall with it''s Victorian columns and white brick work stood in great contrast to the shamble buildings around it. The rest of the houses in the city were a jumble that seemed to be planned around the idea of houses just go wherever they would fit. The only exceptions to this chaotic rule were the main road and the path to the mansion.


    "Aye, you there. HALT"


    I had the uneasy feeling I was the one being addressed.Turning to my right I found a group of three guards looking at me. The men were several inches shorter than my 6''2 with the leader having a yellow and black stripes on his shoulders and breastplate.


    "Where''s your insignia?" The leader asked. He was a slightly muscular man with a mustache curled around his upper lip, with piercing brown eyes.


    "I don''t know what that is" I said after a moment of consideration.


    The man seemed quite happy at this revelation. and the men around him smiled at this answer.


    "Well lad, anyone coming through here is required to make the trip to the Diamond to check their magic potential. So we got a good trip ahead of us if you don''t have anything else to do". The guard leader said.


    A nagging suspicion kept me from immediately agreeing. "If I did, how long would I have to get the insignia?". This kind of felt like a kidnapping, even if they were really taking me to my intended destination.


    "An individual without the proper insignia is allowed two days at most or if requested will be taken to a judge to allow for a week if the overseeing judge deems the circumstances sufficiently dire" He said like he was reading the text of the law straight from the book.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Lacking any overt reason to deny the man I reluctantly agreed after a few seconds.


    "Excellent" The guard said. They then ''helped'' me over to the gate opposite of where I had entered. Off to the left was a carriage station waiting for me. The leader explained the situation to a clerk checking on the various horses and carriages. Then we were provided a driver and a suitable carriage which we shuffled into. The leader and one guard were on the bench opposite side of Eli with the other guard as my seating partner.


    "All right get comfortable, this trip may take us 45 minutes to an hour depending how much of a bitch the goddess of traffic is to us today." The leader leaned back gave a good stretch.


    I gave a similar motion and was content for about 30 minutes until I noticed something about the carriages passing them by in the opposite direction. I decided to wait until I checked another carriage for my suspicion to become a sense of worry.


    "Um, why are all the carriages coming from the Diamond academy empty?" I asked.


    "Oh a lot of the people coming through here also use this road to get to the capital. But there is not many people trying to leave the west coast, at least not the kind of people who would want to take a carriage." He said, which was perfectly reasonable. However I got the feeling from his tones and the inability to look me in the eyes that he wasn''t being totally honest.


    When they arrived at their destination I jolted awake when the carriage came to a sudden stop. Looking out the window, I saw a bridge leading over a wide river with some wooden houses on the other side. The line of carriages leading up to the exit of the bridge gradually shrunk until we came up to a wood shed with a long wooden bar blocking the road. The leader then explained our purpose and we were quickly let through.


    The houses were of a similarly sorry and chaotic state as the previous towns housing plans. The major differences were the significant increase in the towns size, the lack of a palisade, and a wide wall of white around a large tower in the middle of town. The major road was actually laid with stonework and provided a straight shot to the structure.


    When we got close I noticed that the whole wall was a seamless mass of stone with no brickwork to show for it''s construction methods. The heavily armed archers patrolling on top of the wall made it clear it wasn''t just an art piece either. It was a good two and a half times the height of the highest house so lines of sight weren''t going to be a issue for them.


    Coming up to the massive iron portcullis, the same procedure of explanation and identification at the bridge was followed here. When we were let in, the guards immediately escorted me to a row of stalls to the left with clerks attending to shipping orders, both in and out, as well as various other business that needed tending. We came up to one staffed by an old woman with her grey hair in a bun.


    "We have a prospect for inspection. Brought in under Thompson''s squad" the guard to my right said. The leader,Thompson apparently, was behind me with the other two to his side.


    ''Is Diamond academy part police station?'' I internally grumbled to myself as the old woman told me to put out my hands and pull back my sleeves.


    She put a metal wrist band around the right arm and a small metal disk with four sharp ridges dividing it into four equal parts on my left wrist. After a few seconds the wrist band started vibrating, while the disk remained in stoic silence.


    It didn''t seem like much to my eyes but that small shake produced a sharp breath in the surrounding onlookers. The guards stood still for a moment then cheered and slapped each other on the shoulders. The old lady withdrew the items and started writing down on a form.


    "All right lad you are a crafter level mage. Go down towards the dorms and they will get you set up." The old woman said as she handed a slip to the guards who jovially took it towards another clerk closer towards the gate. I stared at the paper for a long second.


    "I suppose I don''t have a choice?" I said as evenly as I could manage. This drew a few snarls and clicks of disapproval from the nearby eavesdroppers. The elder woman was similarly miffed but had enough grace to only show it in her tone.


    "Lad you were born with a gift many would kill for. Thank the stars for what you got." She said before motioning the person behind me to move forward.


    "Ungrateful fuck." I heard off to the left, but when I turned to look at him the mans companions quickly shuffled away from the skinny brown haired man. The man in question quickly gulped and scurried away with everyone else trying to pretend they weren''t involved.


    I took a deep breath and did as I was told. This time I managed to get a good look at the rest of the academy. It had five large buildings built against the circular shape of the wall with their layers of windows showing 8 stories each. The entrances to each of these were two large doors with two accompanying columns supporting a long overhang with grey tiles that matched their roofs. The three steps from their front doors had a red brick path that led all four of them toward a large tower in the middle which hovered a few floors over the walls, with small fields of grass leading up to the tower.


    This one was odd in that it had a more Asian style roof with its red tiles and protruding corners for its main roof and various balconies. While the buildings were close together, three homes in a walled off section were off to the right of the main entrance with a gate and wall obscuring everything but their red tiled roofs. All of the structures that made up the Diamond academy had the same smooth, white, stone body. There wasn''t a single piece of brick to be found in any of the buildings.


    Eventually a middle aged man with prim black hair came out of warehouse by the clerk station to greet me.


    "Ah our newest addition. If you would follow me, I am the student attendant and will guide you through our wonderful facilities here."

 Chapter 14: Introduction to Academia

    Eli POV


    ________________________________________


    I then reached a moment of decision. Even if I decided to run I would be in the middle of enemy territory, besides this was my original destination. I motioned my acquiescence towards the man that had the attire of an office worker with a plain white shirt and brown coat to get on with the tour.


    As we were making our way towards the farthest left building I decided to sort out my seemingly irrational resistance to this situation.


    ''What would have happened if just decided not to come here at all? Would they have let me just go along or would they have hog tied me and dragged me here kicking and screaming? I guess its more the principle of the thing rather than the practical side of it.''


    I had a distinct feeling that the church wasn''t the only organization that lacked a live and let live world view.


    We came through the front doors and into a reception area. To the left was an entrance to what my nose told me was a dining area and what looked like a lounging area towards the back. "This is your main base, you can get meals and sleep here while working and learning."


    "When do classes start?" I asked.


    The man raised an eyebrow at this. "At this academy the only scheduled events are award ceremony''s and recognition of great achievements. Of course, you will be required to complete certain basic courses before you can start doing commissions or harvesting materials with the Diamonds blessing but the classes are entirely self paced."


    "How much for all of this?" I asked as I readied myself for the blow.


    The student attendant looked surprised, I might very well have been the first person to ask him that. He then cleared his throat.


    "The total for food and housing is paid as a lump sum of 10 gold over the course of four months" He said.


    The expectations that I had were so woefully inadequate for this huge sum. Fortunately, the attendants initial incredulity at the concept of financial worries gave me an early enough warning that I was not left totally blindsided.


    "What if I lived off campus?" I asked hopefully.


    "Well you would not be charged anything. People with magical talent are rare enough that the academy will more than break even for setting up commissions and processing the materials you harvest, so the upfront cost will be covered by a loan until it is paid off. I must warn you though, the rules require you to complete the basic courses before you can get to work... if you want tutoring on any of the advanced courses you will be charged for them upfront." The subtle moments of pauses and reaching into memory showed the mans lack of practice in discussing these issues.


    "Also, the classes enforce a dress code which you will be charged....hmm, 50 silver for the clothes if I remember correctly."


    I thought about it for a long moment and asked if I could take a moment to go over things.


    "Of course my good sir" the man said.


    "Hostess, allow this young man in." He motioned towards the woman behind the stand by the doorway.


    She was a simple woman in a blue and white waitress outfit in the older middle ages style. After giving a light bow she led me into the large dining area with a floor of blue and white squares. The seats were a dark oak wood embellished with roses and the tables all had a bright white cloth draped across them. Most of the students were in robes with stripes of blue and white with a unisex undergarment that covered them from collarbone to a foot above their feet in a grey sheet. All of them being attended by large numbers of waiters with black shirts and pants with white aprons moving tankards and dishes to the student from the two sets of large double doors where I assumed the kitchen was. Both of these classes of people had a large number stop to look at me, although most managed to keep their inspection barely noticeable.


    I decided to sit at a small alcove sunk into the wall with a bench laid with plush red seating clearly meant for someone wanting to dine alone and ordered a steak with milk while I set the cross bow down leaning against the table. Strong alcoholic beer still being reserved for some one past the age of 21 and the hostess probably wouldn''t have bought that I was an untold thousands of years old with a newly made body. Speaking of age, I looked around and saw that all of the students were around my near 17 age to mid 20''s. I would have thought that an academy would be taking in juniors as young as 12 but all the students seemed to be near or fully post puberty.


    The steak came and as I cut into the tender seared meat I worked out my plan. Listening to the surrounding conversation I overheard that some pretty important people are on their way here. The main draws were Andrew, the president''s son and Ryan, who came from an upcoming family. But the brother of Andrew, Jeff, was also someone of interest. A lot of the women were going over their plans for getting into the inner circle of these boys. Nobody apparently had any interest in their own magical workings so I retreated to my inner thoughts.


    ''What I want to do is get the tech for my connector up and working. Although it might be better to focus on cloning and mind transfer first, who knows how many decades this will all take. First things first, I am not forking out such a ridiculous amount just eat and sleep. Maybe I''ll take some large warehouse for my home/workshop, the places around here don''t exactly seem like high brow real estate.'' The meal was interrupted by the same attendant from before. He had the same uniform as the other students in a bundle and a metal pin with a plain circle which he set down on the opposite side of the table.


    "About 30 minutes after dawn the students leave for the class rooms. The attachment of guards will be by the entrance so you won''t miss them. But if you do there is another attachment that leaves every hour or when there are enough students who need to go."


    I raised an eyebrow "The classrooms aren''t on the campus?"


    The puffed up chest and beaming smile told me this was a proud subject.


    "The headmaster believes in a strict line between work and home life. Although, unlike some academies who have everything in one place." The dismissive hand wave made it very clear what he thought of these lesser schools. "It would be more proper to say the forest, this fort, the classrooms and the Base are all part of our ''campus''. Having the school work be at the constant fore front would also get in the way of our quotas, which the Progression Front would certainly take issue with."


    "But if the students are forced to walk a sizable distance to the class rooms wouldn''t that put off the important work towards the quota''s?" I said, confused on how an academy would have anything but a work life for its students. I also bristled at the mention of the Front. If they were here then my stay would be very short one, magical learning could be done elsewhere but those fucks being around would probably lead to a slugging match at some point.


    "My dear boy, the quotas are for pregnancies." He responded with an amused look.


    A dawning understanding came over my mind. ''Oh quota''s as in... babies, not diplomas. This academy is part baby mill as well as a school.''


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The look of concern on my face puzzled the attendant, but he must have put it down to concern over how any children I made during my stay would be treated if they were caring for so many children already.


    "The academy works with the government on this issue as well as the Front. The stipend for mothers of mage sired children is very generous no matter their relation to the academy. If you have any other concerns, know that any of your children will be well cared for and checked up on by the local authorities, even if they stay with family."


    Some of the surrounding women who were eavesdropping felt touched at this concern for my kids. A few even considered making a move but when they saw the bare circle of the pin on top of my clothes they left me alone, slightly disappointed at the lost prospect. I noticed this movement and took an attentive look around, really taking in everything and not just rushing to get to the meal.


    There were mostly women here, with a few men dispersed about. The gender imbalance wasn''t as painfully obvious as the first town but it was definitely still there. I drew some stares earlier but he assumed that was due to the chain mail veil and odd silver hair with my purple eyes. I had no delusions of normalcy in my appearance but it is the one over the countless ages I have come to identify with.


    Now another possibility presented itself.


    "Well thanks for the meal. I''ll decide if the academy is for me and meet in the morning for class if I am up to it." This drew some more looks from the surrounding listeners. The attendant likewise furrowed his brows in consternation. He then gave a light cough and adjusted his collar.


    "The Diamond academy has claim to all magical talents in the northeast region. Refusal is not an advisable course of action."


    A hard moment of clashing wills came and went, whatever my combat and technical experience, I knew the advantage of being on home turf was a hard one to overcome. I then acquiesced with a sigh.


    ''they have a fucking CLAIM on me? All right, just ...1,2,3,4,5,6,.....'' eventually I calmed down enough to reach a decision. Taking my things I then made for the gate and was out past the small garden entrance onto the main road. Sure enough I got a vague feeling of being watched about halfway to the bridge. Turning around I saw a group of white and blue liveried guards just passing through the crowd. I picked up my speed and came up to the guard station in front of the bridge, which had no line this time.


    "Hello just heading out." I said quickly.The muscular man with the simple metal helm and leather armor to go with a scarred face, more typical to a gangster than a man of the law, nodded lifting up the bar.


    I was now a free man. But as the guard was raising the bar the squad of guards finally got through the masses and caught up.


    "STOP!" The lead man said. He then proceeded to get up in my face, his black hair had a few strands over his face, which had a contrast to the red tinge in his cheeks.


    "Listen here you little shit. I can''t imagine what princely, high and mighty existence you had before now. But your ass belongs to the academy now."


    The man took a deep breath, and then leaned back, slightly.


    "Postman, make sure everyone knows that if he leaves it has to be on official academy business. As for you. If we suspect you''re trying to leave again, every law enforcement official from here to Adia''s tears will hear about it and they will drag you back here. Bound and carried if needed. Do I make myself clear?" He said, the anger only slightly receded.


    I gritted my teeth, but he knew I had no choice. No good choice anyway. If I put up any further resistance, they would probably install a tracker or even a permanent watch on me, if I continued to fight. Magically capable people were apparently worth enough to legally allow kidnapping for the academies.


    ''Besides this was my original destination'' I tried to consul myself.


    I gave a nod and the guard huffed before storming off with his entourage.


    ''The best course of action maybe to just go with my original plan, the magical knowledge gap between me and the fuckers working here is too vast. All I could realistically do is quickly shoot two of them and glow at the others. All right, I saw some warehouses by the river. Whatever I end up making there''s no way I''m sharing it with these assholes.'' The stubborn streak not completely extinguished. I then made my way down towards the river side dock off to the left of the bridge.


    The dockside for the large river had a long row of warehouses about the size I was looking for, so I came up to one of the guards patrolling them and asked if he knew who I would have to talk to about buying one for my personal use. The guard left one of his buddies in charge while he went to get a higher up. The guards only had a short sword and some leather arm wrists and shoulder pads for armor. So when the other guard was left alone he would have little chance against this big lug with a huge cross bow. We were both aware of this fact but I just sat down on a nearby barrel and leaned back so the guard could relax.


    After a few minutes, the guard had fetched his higher up and was being soundly scolded about protocols as they came up.


    "Just blow the low threat whistle next time, leaving him alone.... Where''s the buyer?" A man with brown over coat and white undershirt was apparently the manager of this establishment. His clean grey pants told of a man who did most of his work behind an office desk, which made sense considering his rather portly figure and well maintained black hair.


    I got up and made a slight head bow. It was at this time, seeing the three men standing before me that I noticed the wooden pins made up of a single line on their chests. It was hard to make out against the browns and grey''s of this worlds peasant clothing but they were discernible now that I had a moment to look them over. ''So that''s the symbol for non-magical people''.


    "Well you don''t look like someone who does a lot of business in shipping goods. What would a gentlemen from the academy want with a warehouse? If you don''t mind me prying." The manager asked.


    "I care little for the company of the people at the academy. But more to the point this is simply a cost/benefit situation. I could probably work, sleep and eat in this area for a good year at a fraction of the cost to stay at the academy dorms." I said, I didn''t mention the added cost that I expected they would rifle through my stuff eventually given my status as a mage, but I could work around to their ''curiosity''.


    "Well the newer ones we have here are pretty well stocked up... Although we do have one out closer to the water. If you would follow me." The man lead us off towards the pier.


    We then headed off to the left. A few yards off was a smaller building that was half in the water and half on land but it was still clearly a warehouse having two floors and about 60 feet in length from front to back with 20 feet in width. It had the same barn-esque shape of the other warehouses with two windows on each floor near the front. But when we got inside there were cobwebs in the various corners and the dock door letting in boats at the river entrance on the far side had clearly not been worked in a long time with its latches suffering the rust caused by long exposures to a moist environment. This whole back end looked more like a platform for receiving with a long area on land for immediately storing the goods behind the stone lisp meeting the water.


    But it wasn''t a complete mess either. The heavy support beams and walls didn''t have a bit of mold or decay. On the outside the building was still painted and maintained to the same standards as the other warehouses.


    I looked at the manager with a raised eyebrow. "This place is oddly maintained. I could understand letting it rot or keeping it up for emergencies but it wouldn''t be fit for use with the river facing doors having their metal workings rusted like that."


    "Bah! Its a classic case of bureaucratic bullshit. We signed on to maintain the warehouses and work cargo for the local commerce guild but somehow this old thing got mixed up in the maintenance agreement so now we have to ''maintain structural integrity but not operational status''. At least with you living here we will have some use for it" The man grumbled.


    "How much for rent?" I liked what I was seeing and this was one of those rare decisions that came rather easily to me.


    "Well I don''t know what magical workings you''re planning on doing, so how about a down payment of 20 silver and after 3 months it will be a silver and 20 coppers a month with an agreement for compensation for any damages incurred" The manager said after working out a few of the expenses.


    "Alright, I can take those conditions" I said, money in these quantities wasn''t a big worry for me right now. I was concerned about how the manager was so insistent on me paying for damages. The laymen of this world linking working with magic to explosive destruction sent a tendril of hesitance through my mind.


    I then went out to the local market to buy some soap, blankets and a hammock as well as other various smaller items I would need. If I was going to live here I would need to get to know my way around the local area. Stopping at a blacksmith, I had the helm broken down and remade into a simple veil holder that leaned more on the neck and shoulders with the addition of some more metal and cotton cloth. The constant back and forth on my scalp was starting to chafe so this seemed like the next best solution.


    When I got back from this long day of searching and browsing I laid in my new hammock on the second floor in the back leaving me behind a corner where any intruder would not be able to snipe me from the ground floor or the two side windows. This world heavily valued artificial light with the enormous expense of candles and their ludicrous tax, or magical artifacts and their ludicrous tax. So I had to fall asleep with the sun with all of the other denizens in this new home.

 Chapter 15: New Students

    Jeff was stretching in the light cold of the new morning out in front of the smaller wall of the gated houses of the academy. They had arrived late in the night and had stumbled straight off to bed. He made sure that his apologies were sent to the headmaster for not being able to meet with him personally upon their arrival. Come morning he got a letter that gave a generic welcome and understanding about their exhaustion.


    He also got an eye full inside the second story bathroom of his brother with his pants around his ankles while he and an equally undressed maid went at it. From then on it was decided that Andrew would stay in one of the rooms on the first floor. Although Jeff supposed he would be in a similar situation once the paper work for the service went through.


    Annie came out in a more office appropriate black suit/dress instead of the pseudo maid outfit earlier.


    "Well sir, I will be heading out. If you have any questions I will be in the MPF section of the tower. We''re on the first floor so if you have any concerns or needs just stop on by" She held out her hand after a stiff moment which was awkwardly returned by Jeff who gave a look into her eye''s. A light cough was all she said in return and she then went off towards the tower.


    Jeff looked back for a quick moment and then went towards the main gate. A series of quick steps behind him and a slap on the back told Jeff his brother was now ready to join him.


    "Dude", the red head said as he quickly devoured the last bits of his morning toast.


    "Just wear a sign over your crotch that say''s ''Property of My Assistant'' next time, just in case anyone didn''t get what the tension between you two was about".


    A solid punch to the shoulder and a scowl was Jeff''s first response.


    "Keep it down you idiot, remember your station as a son of the president." Jeff shot back in his second volley of the exchange.


    A loud guffaw was all Jeff got for his correction.


    Ryan was already by the gate. Judging by the small crowd accompanying him, Ryan already managed to get a large gathering of friends. As the brothers walked up they picked up on the conversation, which Ryan was naturally at the center of.


    "But, if there was a dragon out here would you be able to stop it?" a girl with short brown hair about early 20''s asked with wide eyes.


    "I think so. The scionic people, which is our in group name for ourselves, don''t fully mature until we manifest our familiars. Even then we still need to grow along with our familiars. But we are considerably stronger than other mages and have the spirits of lions, so naturally we would be at the front if any such fight broke out. You need not worry when you have me around." Ryan said, puffing out his chest in pride at his own heroic bravery.


    This set of a wave of ooh''s and aww''s from the surrounding women. Although there was a pair of two boys by Ryan''s side. Twins with short brown hair and sharp noses to match with their sharp chins. They, along with everyone else present, were wearing the school uniform.


    The two brothers rolled their eyes at this display, with Andrew wondering were Ryan got this nonsense of the ''scionic'' people from. This groups intentions were painfully obvious and their amateur, bumbling attempts at sycophancy would make even the most incompetent member of congress back home seem like a world renowned actor. But fortunately for them, their target seemed to not let something like authenticity get in the way of his daily recommended dose of praise.


    "Hey bro, whose that lady over there?" Andrew whispered to his brother. The woman in question was the near 6 foot tall blond with a white short dress showing off thigh high black leather boots instead of the simple white sheet everyone else had. She was a beauty with red lips, sky blue eyes and soft cheek bones. Her choice of companionship was far more discerning than Ryan''s with only a black haired girl with librarian glasses and another with short choppy red hair and a fierce grin to accompany her.


    "Well maybe if you kept your head in the info packet Annie made instead of putting your other head in the maid, you would know." Jeff said severely. Andrew at least had the good graces to look away.


    "Her name is Veronica, and she is the daughter of the MPF''s leader of this region, who is also a member of the Palantia MPF council. Sadly, she is also infertile so she cannot fulfill her greatest duty but she still has a bright future as her talent with water is exceptional. The two girls are childhood friends who were with her through her gestation. Although most of the info surrounding Veronica and her friends abilities is still out of our reach."


    Stolen story; please report.


    In the mage world, letting people get too much information on what you can do is a good way to get ambushed and put down by your rivals.


    Off in the distance Jeff saw an odd figure approaching from the town in the middle of the peasant masses. He had silver hair and purple eyes with a wiry 6 plus foot build. His eyes were tinged with a sense of indifference. He had the same school uniform as the others but with what he assumed had been a full helmet. But it had its top half removed leaving two steel wings on each side of the guys face with a slope of steel going down the side and back of his neck to hold it in place. This was used to hold a veil of chain mail over his face, covering him from the nose down.


    "Is that the new crafter?" someone whispered behind Jeff''s back.


    "Yeah I heard he actually tried to leave the academy when he heard that he had to attend."


    "Well, I was hanging around the office and the student attendant said he was actually concerned about the money which is why he stays in the town"


    A third gossip huffed at that. "Oh please, anyone with enough money to get him to crafter level wouldn''t blink at the money to send him to the academy."


    Eventually he made his way to the group and just leaned against the wall ignoring everyone. Which was fine with Jeff and Andrew, while Ryan seemed a little miffed at his lack of interest in his tremendous future deeds. Veronica was maintaining her usual disinterest in everyone around her.


    Things continued like this for a few minutes until a squad of troops came to escort them to the classrooms. A walk of 25 minutes on a well worn path through the forest brought them to a large circle of stone like a large fort made of one whole building. It was made in the same white and seamless style of the dorms. A clearing of several yards surrounded it with bare grass. The height was nearly a full third taller than the dorms walls with a wide round roof covering its top like a embellished mushroom top with gold inlays and red tiles as well as dotted with windows on various parts of the roof and wall.


    It had a smaller version of itself near its back attached by several open air walkways with guard rails. The major distinction it had from it''s bigger cousin was that its roof was nearly hollow with, a metal framework outlining a similar mushroom shape. Eli could see a few odd bouts of fire, water, and rocks coming out over the sides of the roof.


    Coming into the building through a large metal double door, they were partially blocked by a work crew doing something with the doors inner side.


    "Whats the problem here?" Andrew asked.


    The crew stopped, surprised that a scion would deign to notice them.


    "Milord, there is a problem with the enchantment that helps open the doors for students. We think it got hit with a winding air spell from the practice tower" said the man wearing a hardened foreman helmet typical to the academy''s maintenance department. The rest just had regular work clothes in the same white and blue color scheme as the rest of the staff. Andrew nodded and went to catch up with the rest of the group.


    The main hall looked like a library with a large circling staircase around a massive central pillar of smooth grey stone in the middle that could let 4 or 5 people move one way. The dark oak of the tables and chairs against the dark grey stone of the floors and walls contrasted by the deep red of the carpets lent this place a more classic medieval look. Although the lighting here was provided by mana stones of varying brightness similar to the churches.


    However a lot its younger denizens did not seem to hold the place in equally stoic terms. The various arguments could be heard throughout the multiple open air floors. Some of them leaned casually against the wooden guard rails on each floor.


    A middle aged woman came up to the group. She rather plain with faint lines around her green eyes and short brown hair which was just a few inches lower than the soft plush hat that all the faculty wore. Aside from that, the robe was the same as the students except their under coat was a two piece of a light blue upper jacket and white pants.


    "Excuse me dear children, If you would follow me. There are some special circumstances that will be surrounding your tutelage this time around. " She motioned to a huge table which could hold the 13 members of their group as well as the three other people sitting at it. Eli noticed that the people already at the table had the same hollow circle pin he had.


    "As you all no doubt know there are 3 scions in our academy now. While Veronica is close to finishing her basics, she still has a few subjects left and master Tansen thinks having all 3 scions getting to know each other and people in other tiers of magic will be the best course of action as opposed to the sole self study we typically do. You will have group study session until lunch after which you may study anywhere and in any way you wish."


    Ryan and Veronica frowned at this. The rest of the class was excited to make connections with the scions, although Eli was still unmoved.


    "But for the new students, know that just goofing around and blowing off work will still have consequences. We have 4 month semesters, at the end of which students are tested on the subjects they have studied. The end of this one will be in 3 weeks. It culminates in exceptionally performing students being recognized. People who are determined to be lacking in their studies are put on strict schedule to get back on course, and then some." The stern look on her face left no doubt as to the fate of those unfortunates.


    "John and Wendy go with Veronica''s team, so you can work on history and etiquette while the new comers do basic magic concepts." A portly fellow of around 19 years and a skinny red head with freckles all over her cheeks and nose got up and went with Veronica''s team to the main stair case, their room apparently on an upper floor.


    "Ryan you seem to have a little group already, so lets have the twins make up a group with Andrew, Jeff, Joey.and.." She motioned towards Eli, apparently not as phased by his decision to wear the chain veil as some of the other staff. Some of whom were quite content to stare openly until their curiosity was sated.


    "Eli"


    "Eli, will head over to the room" She pointed to a room off to the left.

 Chapter 15.5: New Students

    Eli POV


    __________________________________


    All 6 of us got up and headed off to the room. It looked like a medieval conference room but there were 3 books at each seat. The twins immediately sat down on the left, kicked up their feet and started reading their individual books on casting spells.


    I sat down on the first right side seat and immediately began examining the other two books, aside from the spell casting book. One was on craftsmanship and the other was on magical training techniques and harvesting materials. Joey, a slim kid with brown hair, a sharp nose, and thick glasses over his green eyes decided to sit by me and do the same. Whereas Jeff and Andrew sat in the mid right section, acting as a bridge between the two groups. The crafting book looked more interesting so I decided to look through it first.


    I found the explanations for those strange diagrams in the necromancers journal on these pages with a considerable overlap in terminology as well. The diagrams broke down the individual components: The circles were used for summoning. This included raw mana from their surroundings to fuel the rest of the invention or summoning the raw matter that was ''not quite real'' to use during the spells. The squares were used to direct the mana where it needed to go and in what quantity, acting as something between a router and mana limiter that kept the mana from being constantly used. It was also this shape that the user pushed when the object needed to be activated, but these two functions couldn''t overlap.


    The triangles were used to activate the spell to work its effect. It could also materialize the matter summoned by the circle to ''make it real'' beyond the confines of the circle, but apparently there were varying degrees of ''realness''. One example it used was a water based spell. While the cost was astronomically higher, water could be summoned in a particular quantity that would stay around for as long as any normal amount of water out of a river or pond would.


    But for a significant mana discount, the water would disappear after a short period of time after its use in the cheaper set up. I was getting a headache just considering the physics involved in this "free" matter concept. It made no sense that something that would take untold amounts of energy could be gotten at so little price. I could almost hear the drips and splashes of every physicist''s tears at the shredding of their life''s work.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ''All right, will uncovering the mystery of this help me with my goal? Yes. Would it help me more than focusing on biology or computer science? Depending on what it means for quantum computing, possibly. But I don''t see any evidence that the human body functions any differently in this world....''


    My long back and forth of reflection was interrupted by a huff.


    One of the twins, the one with a rock in his elemental pin, was looking at me with a hint of disdain in his brown eyes. The other had a wind element pin and was keeping his green eyes in his book.


    "Listen, I don''t know what passes for manners in what ever hole you crawled out of. But, next time show Ryan a bit deference. Your lack of respect has already irked him" The twin said, his voice dripping with the authority of the almighty.


    I just looked at him for a long moment.


    Finally, I responded when the moment began getting uncomfortable "What is your name?".


    "Len and my brothers name is Ren".


    "Well, Len, take care not to attach yourself too closely to Ryan. Do you have the military authority of a general? The political power of a high ranking official?"


    Len looked at Eli in confusion.


    "We have magic, there is nothing else worth considering"


    This allowed me a turn to huff.


    "His whole identity is bound up in his status as a scion. Do you think he will ever tolerate either of you surpassing him? Ryan won''t mind having associates who provide him alternative means of power. But magic wise? He will only tolerate pawns and being his good little minions will afford you some opportunities as long as your interests align. But at the end of the day a pawn that can rival it''s king is never tolerated for long". At this I put my head back into the book but kept just the barest vision of my surroundings.


    Len looked like he had bitten into an apple and found half a worm. Ren, however, had a more thoughtful look which he immediately hid behind his book.


    Joey was quite pissed, although I couldn''t imagine why.


    I returned to reading the book which then went into how to craft these objects. The crafter must imprint his spirit magic in the shapes and connecting lines while maintaining the single thought of what is going into it. What was being summoned, which section the mana would flow through the lines and where to, the final outcome in the form of how the triangle would interact with the provided mana and materials.


    However, for all of its possibilities the book also contained these crafts critical flaw. When the item was hit with a spell from a caster or another craft it would overload the triangle and circles with mana, which would shut down the links for nearly half an hour, some times permanently if the mana overload was severe enough.


    I eventually puzzled out how to get around this problem but I wanted to practice the basics of crafting before committing to such a strenuous idea. Feeling stiff, I looked around and saw that the twins and joey had left with the sunlight outside saying it was midday. Stretching, I then got up and went out the door for lunch, leaving Jeff and Andrew to study by themselves in the room.

 Chapter 16: Cafeteria Gossip

    Jeff and Andrew were impressed. Andrew just because of the guts Eli displayed, while Jeff showed a deeper appreciation for Eli''s insight. His father was a high ranking fire mage, not a scion but still very powerful, yet his biggest rival time and time again was the ''snake'' Alton. As a powerless peasant he was completely fathers inferior in looks, magic, prestige, and every other metric that could be put to paper. Yet in the political arena he would often match father blow for blow in maneuvers and backroom deals. The fact that magic was not the solution to all problems was something very few people understood. But this lesson seemed to be lost on the other rooms inhabitants.


    The twins waited for a few moments after Eli''s warning before fobbing off some excuse to the rest of the group and promptly left the room with Joey following them shortly thereafter. Ren pulled on his brothers shirt to start looking over a book shelf, initiating a routine that they had developed over the years when they needed to talk but were being carefully monitored by their guardians who would report everything they said back to their mother. A careful ballet of book moving and deep inspections of the various passages therein would cover their lips at key moments as well as help muffle the sound of their voices.


    "What?" Len asked as he went over the passage of rock and mineral types.


    "We need to rethink our plans" Ren said as he put up a cook book.


    "Willingly dropping a connection to a scion? Do you think mother would skin us herself or would she be too impatient and just bribe one of the staff to do the deed?" Len retorted, hardly believing they were having this conversation.


    "Not drop the connection totally, just have a little bit of distance in our affairs. At least, for the near future. Eli''s right about Ryan." Ren said with urgency in his voice.


    "A few ominous words and you want to shift all of our plans? All of mother''s plans?" Len growled, shoving a book into it''s hole with more force than was strictly needed.


    Ren pulled out a catalog of the local frog types and studied one of it''s random diagrams by shoving his face into the volume. "If we came across a dragon''s heart, you think he would share it with us? Who knows what ludicrous amounts of magical resources he''ll need in the future. Any time we come across any thing good he will demand it and if we don''t give it up, he will look at it like a betrayal. We didn''t dedicate all those hours training in the early morning.... put up with all of that bullshit from mom for her or anyone else. We did it for our magic. Whatever power we gain in politics or connections from Ryan will come at the expense of our magical growth".


    Len gave the back of the book he was pulling out a long moment of concentration.


    After a sigh Len conceded, "your right".


    "Lets just keep out mouths shut about what Eli said and try to straddle the fence if those two come to blows in the future, no need to stir up trouble" Ren said, with his brother shortly nodding in agreement.


    After leaving the bookshelf, they made their way to the local cafeteria. Taking directions from a member of the staff, they made their way to the wide, double wooden doors. When they got inside they saw many rows of long tables with chairs, similar to the medieval hardwood in the library. However, this place had more of the white and blue tiling in the style of the dorms for its floor and walls. The hot bar had platters of meats and sandwiches, accompanied by big bowls of soups for the staff and students.


    What drew Ren''s and Len''s eyes in the mass of black attired servers was the small group with Joey. He was looking quite pleased with himself and was animatedly telling a story to someone. As they got closer they realized it was Ryan''s group with two of the original girls missing who had been replaced with three more girls and two other guys, one of whom was Joey.


    With a sense of foreboding the twins came up to the group. Their unspoken agreement was that Len would lead as he had the ability to bullshit his way through things with more ease then his brother. They were now close enough to catch tidbits of the conversation.


    " ...That was what really got to me, how he could say that you would take everything from your followers is beyond me. To say something so judgmental with out even getting to know you. It''s a disgrace" Joey said with righteous indignation.


    "Well, is this true?" Ryan said looking to the twins.


    The whole group then turned towards them. A bit of sweat ran down Lens neck as he reached his decision. A hard decision, made even harder by the fact he would have to make it for both of them.


    "Yeah, he said you would always keep us down bellow your level." Len said, trying to say as little as possible considering he didn''t know exactly what Joey said.


    After a pregnant pause Ryan gave an understanding nod.


    "I have to be blunt, that is very unlikely. Extraordinary talent and resources are required for the growth to a scion level mage, to make so much noise over something so unlikely is a waste of time." Ryan said, with nods of understanding from the surrounding group.


    The twins also gave nods, but they didn''t say what it was that they understood. That wasn''t a denial of the charge, but to bluntly deny the accusation in the same obvious terms used by Eli would mean he would have to feign generosity at the start. Ryan didn''t even intend to do that much.


    The twins then headed off to the bar and got some food.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "So, what now?" Len asked as he picked up a sandwich.


    "We''re in the spotlight now, gods help us. Maybe this whole thing with Eli will blow over but Ryan will probably wonder why we didn''t rush to tell him, so if it does drag on, our standing will probably go down as well. It looks like we will have to work even harder to maintain good relations now and if we show any hesitance with Eli he will drop us like a rock. If it does come to blows I don''t want some weird fellow like Eli gunning for us, not to mention who ever might be backing him" Ren said in resignation. Filling his plate with various vegetables and meats he stewed in his thoughts. When you were a mage you didn''t just fight some one. You had to fight them and the whole apparatus supporting them which was especially dangerous when you didn''t know was backing your opponent.


    "That scrawny shit, if he had kept it in his pants we wouldn''t be in this mess" Len thought, vowing to find some way to get back at Joey for forcing them into this situation. Ren simply huffed in agreement


    But what Ren and Len didn''t know is that the only other person who agreed with their assessment of the situation was the person they were trying to maneuver around.


    "Dammit, I just wanted to come in and get a good steak after those rounds with the cuties earlier but now I have this mess to deal with thanks to this twerp. Who knows what''s going on with that weird silver haired fellow. If I can''t resolve this now I will have to get dad involved to deal with any backers he may have." Ryan almost gagged at the thought.


    "Even if his backers are people of no consequence he is still magically talented. There is no telling what foreign crap he could pull out of his sleeve if he needs too. I just wanted to fuck and eat during my semesters here, not be constantly looking over my shoulder for magic bolts aimed at my back" Ryan made sure not to let his frustration show.


    After all, as a mighty scion with the spirit of a lion, everyone knew he would hunt Eli to the ends of the world until honor was satisfied. Anything less would besmirch the legacy of scions everywhere. This was the burden of greatness laid upon his shoulders that lesser people like them could only observe.


    The twins then made it to the table and Ryan motioned for them to sit next to him, which surprised them.


    "So what was his tone when he said this?" Ryan asked them.


    "Huh? Umm it was more like a warning, you know. Just watch your back kind of thing" Ren responded quickly.


    ''A silver lining at least, there might be some way to salvage this'' Ryan gave an understanding nod and went to get his steak. On his way back to the table, the perp in question walked through the door. As Eli was walking towards the bar, Ryan mournfully put his steak and mug down and met him halfway.


    "I have heard some talk, is there something you would like to say to my face?" Ryan said in a neutral tone, trying to maintain a respectful distance while leaning forward in an intimidating pose.


    "The twins told me you were annoyed with me for not being sufficiently reverent towards you. I countered that they would be left bereft at your side and a mage demanding so much respect was ludicrous" Eli replied maintaining a calm tone.


    Sensing a chance to de-escalate this situation, Ryan seized it with both hands.


    "Ah did he say I was a regular mage or a scion?" He said back towards the table.


    "He outright-" Joey tried to say but was immediately cut off by the twins.


    " -Said that you were only a regular caster mage when he gave us the warning" Len said nearly shouting it out, trying to cut off Joey from fucking things up anymore than he already had.


    "Ah, you see I am a scion" Ryan said, puffing out his chest.


    "Oh, well scions do require a lot of resources and are a strong breed of people." Eli replied respectfully, giving a slight nod.


    "Now that that''s cleared up, I bid you good day" Ryan replied with a slight bow.


    Ei had an approving look on his face as he bowed back and left to get his dinner.


    Ryan sat back in his chair and started to dig into his steak.


    Joey just looked around in confusion. "How did that clear up anything?"


    Ren leaned into Joey with a blank stare but when the expression was put up against Joey''s face close enough that their noses touched it gave off a new sense of imminent murder. "It was a miscommunication, that was all".


    And that was what it was going to be seen as by the other people of the academy. The people who could only get second hand knowledge of the incident would take away that there was some miscommunication about something and that Ryan and Eli both agreed that scions were awesome. That much the twins and Ryan would make sure of when they spread the rumors of this event around, which would be made considerably easier by the fact that Ryan''s group was the only one in earshot when this all went down. The others at the table didn''t seem quick enough, or inclined, to catch exactly what happened and likewise went along with the story.


    Joey was fuming. ''This bastard comes out of nowhere and is already involved with a scion? Eli and Ryan may even grow closer because of this. Great, good for Eli. But it has come at my expense.''


    The fact that this whole incident was his own doing didn''t even phase his indignation at Eli''s snub against him in the slightest.


    ____________________________________________


    There was one other group who observed this encounter though. Veronica and her two friends looked on the exchange in mild interest. But what the two boys at the cafeterias entrance didn''t know didn''t know was that Eska, the black haired bookworm with pale skin, had put up a wind spell that allowed them to listen to sounds far away through a wind tunnel. A mid grade spell that she excellently pulled off which had an almost invisible tunnel of wind snake around the tables until it got under the table near where Ryan was confronting the new guy.


    After hearing the exchange, Mia tutted disappointingly.


    "Not a inch of spine between those two, what happened to his lion spirit?" Mia ,the choppy haired red head said. She had brown eyes and her look was a scruffy woman who got a light caramel tan which only accentuated her more feminine charms.


    "Oh please, Ryan had two wenches during his study session. I heard the staff going over plans involving their future pregnancies if it takes. Eli is still a mage, so he is probably still getting some from the peasant women. Why would they risk getting into trouble and possibly suffer injury over some dust up over nothing?" Eska shot back.


    "Because they are men. They ought to be willing to fight at the drop of a hat, for any reason" Veronica said.


    Eska looked askance at her blond friend. She was at the height of power at this school, aside from the headmaster himself, and yet was quite childish is some ways. Unlike Eska who grew up with several brothers, Veronica was raised almost exclusively by and around women. Her father was some scion who never bothered getting involved in her life so her mother and grandmother were her main pillars.


    This had left her beloved friend with some strange notions of what men were and how they were supposed to act. On more than one occasion she had tried to get Veronica to stretch her social wings some with the opposite sex, but she would always use her infertility as an excuse to avoid the subject.


    It didn''t help that they were always surrounded by suck-ups and people just trying to use her as a stepping stone. Her status of scion had shielded her from many obvious dangers over the years but made the hidden ones far more potent. Eska could only sigh at this remark and went back to her meal.

 Chapter 17: New Possibilities

    Eli POV


    _____________________________________________


    I sat down to my meal of ribs, buttered rolls and light fruity drink. At the far end of the table, I went over the days events and tried to decide on the next move.


    ''I have to admit I wasn''t being the most mature person. Yapping off about someone I don''t even know is always a great way to paint a target on my back. Welp, all''s well that ends well. Once I get some practice with these crafts I want to also check out spells. I know I can''t use them but seeing a fireball being thrown out of someones hand sounds really cool.'' I said to myself. Not the most scientific reasoning but it was still an irresistible thought.


    After wolfing down the food, I headed out and back towards the study. The book was exactly as I left it and picked up where I left off. After explaining the critical flaw it went on to describe how to do these diagrams imprints. One would have to force their spirit magic out of their body, then concentrate on it while thinking about what they wanted it to do. While holding these thoughts the crafter would then move their external spirit magic along the designated patterns. If they completed the thought before finishing the shape, they would have to run through the whole thought again until the very end. The shapes would then form their intended patterns so even if you didn''t form a perfect circle or square it would smooth out into its intended shape.


    It mentioned that certain materials reacted with varying degrees of resilience to the erosion caused by the repeated use of these mana diagrams on their host. Leather, plants, flesh both living and dead, all had very good resistance to mana erosion where as metals and stone suffered from it more heavily.


    ''Whether or not the material used to be alive seems to be the key here, organic materials are cheaper and more easily destroyed by external forces, whereas you have the opposite situation with the non organic materials. ''


    The only perfect material was mana crystals. They did not wear down from the mana usage but were also incredibly durable against outside threats. The only drawback is that they could be consumed by the enchantment if there wasn''t enough ambient mana to fuel it. That and their rarity but that wasn''t going to be a problem for me.


    Leaving the room, I went out into the main library. Managing to flag down a staff member I asked if they had any place to do any hands on learning or practice. He directed me towards the stair cases 4th floor, off to the left coming up would be two large iron doors that would lead to the practice tower.


    I followed the directions and as the doors opened I noticed that they were opening with less effort than I would have expected. The answer came to me when I looked at the hinges, which absorbed a few trace amount of mana when they moved. Coming onto the walkway I decided to take my time soaking in the scenic landscape with a wide view of the surrounding forest and grass plains beneath.


    The inside of this building was similar to the main building but instead of shelves of books it had long stacks of tree bark and large....things that looked like eggs with small patches of wood on their backs. Making my way down the stair case I saw that the eggs were actually pods that probably had some type of spell working on the piece of bark on their back portion. Their fronts acted as an entrance with a white curtain that could be pulled over the oval hole.


    "Excuse me, could you tell me what these things are?" I asked an attendant putting up some more bark.


    The thin man pushed up his glasses and smiled.


    "Ah a new guy. These are crafting pods. You see the bark on their backs? It puts out a field that keeps the surrounding air still with a few holes to allow air flow. This keeps the space in them near totally silent"


    "Thank you. Are there any charges in using these?"


    "Nope, the supply of bark and maintaining the facilities are all covered by your taxes. This is also part of an agreement with the lumberjacks who work on the outskirts of our forest."


    I nodded in thanks, and picked up a arm length piece of bark. The inside of the egg was heavily padded with white and blue cushions which still allowed me to lean back and stretch my legs. It was slightly dark with the curtain blocking out most of the light leaving a soft glow for the rest of the space which provided me enough light to do this job. Sure enough when I finished pulling the curtain down the cloth touched two small wood balls which sent a magical signal up a line towards the outside into the bark. The sudden cutoff of the surrounding chatter and walking people into complete silence was slightly unnerving but I wasn''t here to look over other peoples magic crafts.


    Focusing on the frontal cortex, the electric sensation was then forced through my fingers. I made a circle to absorb surrounding mana as it flowed out of my index finger.


    "Absorb the surrounding mana", over and over I forced this thought through the sensation moving in my body, feeling like I was moving a flow of prickling water through the finger across the smooth surface of the inner part of the bark. Finally I completed the pseudo circle, a jagged slope curving towards the middle on its bottom half. Sure enough the circle smoothed itself out into a perfect circle.


    The faint glow of blue made it''s presence obvious in this dimmed light. I then went on to make the summoning circle, which had its own different requirement. When making it you had to visualize what you wanted the subject to look like. So if you wanted to make a craft that summoned perfectly square stone cubes, you would have to constantly visualize a cube in your head as the triangle took shape.


    Once I had made the circle summon a small stream of mana I then went on to make the square between the absorbing circle and the triangle with the three lines connecting the shapes. For the triangle, I just wanted to make a flame. Pressing on the square, I had the giddy anticipation of a child.


    I was similarly disappointed when I got nothing for my efforts as I stared blankly at this piece of dead tree.


    Thinking back over the design principles, I realized that flame needed to be materialized by a second circle as well. So I made a second circle of to the left of the triangle that would summon flame and made a connection out towards the triangle. I then had to make a mana connection for the new circle as well. But the results were still the same.


    ''All right, it feels like it''s been an hour. I''ll just go get my books. I can''t believe I forgot them.''


    I made the trip there and back, taking in scenery this time around as well. As I was getting back into the pod, a older skinny staff member blocked my path.


    "Sorry lad, no books in the crafting pods. If people spend too much time in them they''d absorb all the surrounding mana, which created a lot of problems in the past before we started cracking down on people treating them like their own private chambers" She said sternly.


    "All right" I grumbled in irritation. I headed over to a table to the side and started reading more of the crafting book. Once I got past the part where I had previously stopped, I found the problem. The crafts need a casters construct put into the circles to interact with the four elements, a tid-bit from Dunwhich that I had previously forgotten.


    I had no idea what a construct was and decided to read the casters book. After a few meaningless introductions about their future greatness, the relevant subject finally came up. These constructs were apparently like crafting with a mix of spirit magic and mana but in the air. The main difference was that the constructs were static, you could do them one way and one way only. A fireball would only come out a certain size and intensity, just like a water jet, or an earth spike.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    This made me smirk, their lack of scientific interest in their own magical workings left me feeling smug and rolling my eyes at the same time.


    ''This will be a chore to study with my limitations but it will definitely be a subject to pursue in the future'' I thought to myself, as I shook my head. But I would be lying to myself if I pretended that I wasn''t personally interested beyond just scientific curiosity. Finding the perfect excuse, a staffer I managed to flag down told me the casters would practice on the roof.


    Making my way up the massive staircase, I came up to the top floor. The whole floor looked like a lounge. There were various people with towels around their necks, sipping cups of water, laying down sweaty and exhausted on benches. Off to the back right was a stone stair case with sunlight flowing down it. I walked up and out onto the roof and looked around.


    The roof had a flat floor of grey stone around the edge with guard rails. A square of lighter brown tile made up the center of the roof. All around were flapping white and blue robes and odd circles of flowing dark blues, reds, browns and greens. In these were other circles with various patterns of squares and triangles in them. Most were working one or two circles while he saw Veronica working a blue construct with three circles.


    "Ah crafter." A staff member, burly with a thick black beard called to me from behind a table under a tent with various refreshments and snacks. He was a taller man coming up to about an inch taller than mine with brown eyes and a fair face.


    "What brings you to our neck of the woods?" He asked.


    "I was learning about crafting but I need a fire construct to make it work." I said, with a tinge of excitement that I couldn''t keep out of my voice. I displayed the bark craft to the man.


    "Ah, well as a crafter I know this all looks weird to you. All these people playing with air, but if you could follow me. I am a fire caster but the rules of the academy states that caster students need to help crafter students with this or else we poor fellows wouldn''t get anything done." He said coming around the table towards the students practicing in the middle of the stone field. I noticed that some of the students would walk towards the edge of the roof to suck in some of the surrounding mana into their mouths.


    "John! We need a basic construct." The bearded man called to a taller man with brown hair. The guy scowled at the interruption to his training. Looking at me like I was an insect through his golden eyes.


    "Where do you need it?" he said gruffly.


    I paused for a second, confused by the question. Then pointed towards the circle directly connected to the triangle.


    John then somehow pushed the mana out of his mouth into the air, like he was naturally breathing. This fire red particle show then formed into a circle with a triangle in the middle.


    Moving it with his hands, John then put this circle into the circle on my piece of bark. The two glowed faintly before the red circle came down on top the crafts circle. The two didn''t match precisely but once John stopped moving it , they adjusted on their own to a perfect fit. The replacement then glowed and put out a small flame.


    But the flame didn''t look right. In the faint movements of its body it seemed to fade then reappear at random intervals making it almost look like a bunch of smaller flames moving in sync. This mass was then captured by the triangle. The ethereal flame was then made whole as it burned for a short period of time as it went through all of the surrounding mana in a small space.


    " That''s pretty impressive lad, I can''t say that I''ve seen you around here before. How long you been with us?" The staff member asked.


    "I came in yesterday, this is my first time here, sir." I said, trying to be the meek new student I was supposed to be in spite of the fact that I was nearly an adult in just this bodies age alone.


    The mans thick black eyebrows shot up, and even John seemed impressed.


    "Kid I don''t think I have ever heard of someone so talented, it takes 2 or 3 weeks before most people get the mental part of crafting down to make something that will actually do anything. Color me impressed. Names Brand, by the way." I shook his hand, feeling the faint squeeze of his palm.


    "So what did you mean earlier about playing with air?" I asked.


    "Ah well, look here" Brand motioned to John who made up a two circle construct, which he seemed pleased to show off.


    "You cant see it but casters can absorb the surrounding mana. John has two circles of red mana inlaid with a series of squares and triangles. What these do is describe various attributes of the spell." Brand was making wide motions and pointing to various parts of the spell and how a crafter made similar shapes, acting like I couldn''t see what he was pointing at. I began to feel something was off about this whole situation. So I squinted at various times to let Brand and John keep that impression.


    "So what about the other types of elements? Do they all follow the same rules?" I asked.


    "Well I wouldn''t know for sure. Fire mages can only see the mana of fire spells, water mages see water spells, you get the gist. While spirit magic effortlessly transcends translation barriers in speech and writing, magic workings are different. Like how John needed your help to find the circle to put the construct in. Only the person who made a craft can see the underlying diagram." Brand explained, clearly loving having a student to tutor in basic knowledge.


    "Thank you for your help, see you guys later." I gave a light bow and went back down to my study spot by the pod. Looking over the book, it said that the casters had to absorb mana with their throat and then use spirit magic to give that mana a form when they use it.


    I really wanted to try this out, as I apparently wasn''t as limited as I was lead to believe. The thrill of possibilities was exhilarating but it was getting late and unless I could get some artificial light, I would need to leave early if I wanted to get to try this out at the house.


    I squeezed in an early dinner and borrowed the three books, which the head librarian said I had to return tomorrow or they would be considered purchased which would then have to be bought from the library for their cost. I headed out with the group of students leaving around mid afternoon. From the academy gates I dashed towards the warehouse, making my way through the crowd of peasant men and goat people. Locking the door behind me, I looked around putting house cleaning on the to do list.


    I then took a deep breath and flexed the new throat muscles that had....grown? Yeah lets go with that, grown in my throat. Sure enough, I saw mana coming into my mouth. Then using the electric sensation I tried to make the construct Johnson had made. But it was not as simple as the crafting had been. Instead of making it one part at a time, the book said that each item had to be made in strict succession.


    After the red mana spilled out like cloud with no real purpose, I was going to try again but then I noticed that the sun was going down so having no choice I cleaned my teeth and got ready for bed. It was a hard fight as the excitement from today''s developments wouldn''t be put down easily. Fortunately, the day had been taxing enough that sleep finally took its hold on my mind.


    ::


    Unbeknownst to Eli, his movements were observed by an interested party who lived in his neighborhood.


    A Kelton woman, with a soft grey fur covering her head down to her collar bones touching the rest of her green dress. Her smooth white horns sticking out on the side of her heads curving out like the handle bars of a bike. The head itself had a human shape with a slight snout that had a streak of white from the tip of her nose to the forehead. But the generous curves of her body left no question as to her gender. Although the dark grey of her skin would leave many in doubt as to how genuine her more human parts were.


    She was looking at Eli pass by through the door way of her house in front of the warehouses. As a Kelton woman she wondered at how she could get a chance to get an exchange with this young man from the academy. Her pondering was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder.


    Turning around she saw her mother, a skinny elderly thing about chin high with black ridged horns running down back over her head, and brown fur flecked with grey hairs coming in the same pseudo human anatomy. The mother then reached out with her spirit magic, Salamede like wise reached out to her.


    "Great daughter of mine, have you seen that waste of fur?" she asked, the brown bottom of her dress showing the tapping of her right foot.


    "Jayaga isn''t here, maybe he''s out working late" Salamede responded hopefully through the spirit magic.


    Her mother could only sigh at this, tired of the game that they had been playing for far too long.


    ''Oh child. Even you don''t believe that anymore. How much money has he thrown away this month in drink?'' The mother responded in a mix of pity and exasperation.


    "About 80 coppers." Salamede tried to look at her feet when she said it.


    "NEARLY OUR WHOLE RENT" her grandmother was shaking in rage. "Make that a silver and 3 coppers. The money I kept in my room is gone."


    Salamede sighed "That''s not fair to automatically blame him. Maybe you misplaced them."


    "Salamede, your better than this, better than him by a mile.''


    The elder closed her eyes for a moment.


    " Well its you and me by the docks for the next few days if we want to have a house this time next month."


    The grinding brutality of bruised and bleeding hands scaling fish and splinters from moving cargo were a thorn in Salamede''s side, but they didn''t really have any choice now. The fish absorbed enough of the surrounding mana through their diet of algae or the smaller critters who feed on plant life to harden their scales to the point of turning them into razor sharp flakes while not absorbing enough to make their flesh a magical resource. This left the work painful yet barely worth doing unless you were desperate for a quick source of cash. The typical source of income for her was washing clothes and cooking but those didn''t pay enough to make up the difference in the months budget.


    Sighing in agreement, she went inside to get the rag gloves they would need tomorrow ready.

 Chapter 18: School Yard Politics

    Several days since coming here and Jeff was off to a great start. His studies had proceeded at a good pace, far outpacing his brother''s middling study regime. Annie also seemed much more eager for him and in ways she had never been before. The second day she came into his room late at night and knocked him down.


    Before he could get his bearings enough to ask what she was doing, she had her brown working dress up and white panties around her knees. Pinning him to the floor with her legs on his shoulders, the dark red haired woman grabbed his head and forced his mouth to get a taste of her womanhood. She even growled a ''suggestion'' that he use his tongue and had continued this practice every several days. They had the time for this game because his love life was thankfully not official here yet.


    The ''service'' was basically making higher level male mages into studs. He was dreading having to deal with the emotional roller coaster of having children before he felt he was ready with women he barely knew. However, the paper work was getting held up and with out it the women would not be guaranteed state support if they got with child so he wasn''t getting swarmed, yet. Andrew and Ryan clearly had their paper work sail through, not that the women had even bothered waiting. Even without government support from the west coast the child of a scion,as opposed to one sired by a caster, would open enough doors that they were basically set for life just from the benefits afforded locally.


    He was heading out the door of his academy house with Annie. They had a late breakfast with platters of sausages and eggs washed down with milk. As they were making for the gate, Ryan came out of his house to the right.


    "Hey where''s Andrew?" Ryan called, stretching in his robes as he accompanied them to the gate.


    "Andrew is-" Annie started.


    "Silence, peasant. Know your place when the betters are speaking." Ryan cut her off. He completed the put down with a scowl, a look of clear contempt in his green eyes.


    Jeff''s right eye twitched and his hand automatically went to his left hip. Realizing he wasn''t allowed to carry his sword on campus, he managed to reign in his temper before the impulse to try out the fireball spell he had been practicing could take over. This was just the latest incident in Ryan''s long line of slights against Annie.


    "I am sorry, sir" Annie gave a slight bow, in her brown business dress. If anything that just made Jeff angrier, seeing his woman having to take an insult on the chin in such a manner.


    "No I haven''t seen him." Jeff growled out. Ryan was surprised at the irritation. Figuring it was just another of Jeff''s mood swings, he moved on ahead.


    Jeff gave Annie''s hand a light squeeze and a look in the eyes with as much love as he could muster. Annie got a slight blush and returned a hug.


    "Listen, just focus on your studies. The coalition cant afford several of its top talents fighting. Just focus on what you need to do". After a light pat on his back, she headed off for her work shift at the MPF office.


    Jeff then made his way towards the group waiting to get to the classrooms. When they arrived the same lady that divided them up on the first day did so again. This time he ended up with Andrew, who apparently managed to arrive on time. The others were Eli, and Veronica''s friends Eska and Mia.


    Eli was someone who had caught his attention these past few days and apparently Jeff wasn''t the only one with an eye on this oddity. The man had apparently completed his first craft on his first day. Something that should have taken a week or more. Although to be fair to the other students the rumors said he was focusing solely on crafting studies forgoing history, material gathering and other courses needed to get the certification to go out into the world as a mage.


    ELi''s behavior had also changed over the course of the week. He seemed to be mystified by what he was reading at times, more in disbelief rather than lacking in understanding. Then later on he seemed more disappointed than anything else. The past day he would see some joy mix with the disappointment in those purple eyes with his movement becoming more relaxed. Of course, Jeff was pretty much the only person who had the time to notice this, one of the perks of crunching hard in the first few days.


    ::


    The day went through its typical motions for the students but this day was anything but typical for their headmaster Tansen. The elf had arrived covered in a cloak and snuck past the guards into the academy. When he knocked on the towers main door he had nearly given the poor receptionist a heart attack. His very voice was imbued with magical power, the brown and green tunic with matching pants was imbued with a fantastic amount of mana crystals. The impossible grace with which he moved up the stairs towards the main office when he was let in left no doubt as to his race.


    Aki however immediately knew something was wrong as he looked him over in the head office. The man had all the grace and what he assumed was the power of an elf. His long blond hair, sharp ears and cheek bones, mixed together with his dark green eyes gave the typical impression of a member of his race.


    But he seemed to lack their more ageless and mystical qualities. His skin wasn''t impossibly smooth and his eyes didn''t have the faint glow that the elves Aki had dealt with in the past possessed. Of course, he had the sense to say none of this out loud or ask him about it.


    "Good day, I am Tansen. How might we assist the elven people today?" Tansen asked. They had talked yesterday on what the elvish etiquette was and what of it would apply to this situation. It turns out that while elves greeting and social ques were very complex and intricate among themselves, when outsiders were dealing with them it was best to stick to the short and sweet of it. They felt that the ''lesser'' races wasting their time was an insult.


    "Two weeks ago my brother left for parts unknown. He said that he would be back in one. When we traced his movements through our territory we found that his trail lead to somewhere in this region. We are requesting a wide area search as discreetly as possible. If he is not found within 3 weeks we will make this man hunt public with a sizable bounty" Dior said, in a quick precise manner.


    "We have a ceremony around that time, would you be willing to make it 2 and a half weeks so we can get the word out as far as possible?" Tansen asked.


    "Yes" the response given, Dior then immediately pulled out a sheet with the sketch of an elf on the desk. His long black hair aside, the imposing figure told of an older, more powerful version of Dior. The elf then went out from whence he came and made off down the stairs.


    Aki then immediately laid out his impressions of the elf to Tansen.


    "That elf looks abnormal, the typical elf has skin smooth as a new born and their eyes are supposed to slightly shine with their elements color. Any task from an elf is difficult and they almost never tell you the whole story. A task being weird for the get go from a weird elf? I don''t like it." Aki said.


    "Well it''s a little late for that. If we ask him about it, he may very well kill the questioner for his offense. This is actually on the easier end of the tasks he could have ''requested'' from us. Just sending out a bunch of troops in the woods to look for someone is about as easy as it gets." Tansen said as he tapped the desk absentmindedly.


    Shortly there after, a knock was heard at the door. A guard poked his head in.


    "Sir, an irate man claiming to be the head of the scion Ryan''s household is demanding to be let in".


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Tansen sighed and savored his temporary silence for a long moment before motioning for the man to be let in.


    The man was 5''9 with a long chin, his long brown hair mussed over to the right of his head coming down to his shoulders. The white undershirt and black coat/pants ensemble had an immaculate attention to it''s finest details. All of which was slightly undone by his manic run. His cheek bones had Ryan''s sharpness, but that was about the only feature they shared. To his wire thin frame or his brown eyes to his son''s dark green, Ryan seems to have taken very little from his fathers line.


    " This outrage will not stand Tansen. Do you hear me? We Stones are not a family to be trifled with." He exclaimed.


    " Mister Leeroy, please stop and tell me what this is about." Tansen replied with cold politeness.


    "That crafting piece-of-shit. He dared impugn on our standing. I want a full accounting for my family''s honor". Leeroy responded, his thin body showing tinges of red all over his face and body.


    Tansen looked to Aki for an explanation.


    "Ah apparently there was an incident a few days ago between Ryan and a new crafter. But I thought the incident had been amicably resolved".


    Leeroy gave a slight cough and adjusted his white collar.


    "My boy has always been on the softer side. The cur actually insulted him in front of the president''s boys. So the student will be paying some kind of restitution for our damages"


    Tansen was actually rendered speechless for a moment. An impressive feat considering how jaded he considered himself to be when it comes to human stupidity.


    "This is my academy, you''re son is a PART of MY academy. DO NOT TRY TO TELL ME HOW MY STUDENTS WILL BE DEALT WITH!" At the end Tansen actually got up off of his seat to stand straight. At this loud noise , a blue shimmering bird flew in through the door. It looked around quickly then left when it deemed Leefroy to be too weak to threaten its partner.


    Leeroy then shrank back, putting up his hands defensively. As he was trying to stammer out some excuse, a voice pierced the exchange.


    "Whatever his authority, he is right if the Fulton boys take an ill view of Ryan because of this. We can''t allow the golden eggs to knock against each other."


    The source of the voice was Agatha, the late 30''s president of the Fronts regional branch. The woman was in a tight black working dress with brown gloves with her blond hair put into a bun. She had the same blue eyes as her daughter Veronica but the harsh edges of her facial bones were a stark contrast to her daughters almost heart shaped face. She had been content to stand in the doorway for most of this exchange until now.


    "This could be a good opportunity to let the scions expand their experiences with people outside of their parents and kiss asses. They need to learn that not everyone will be so eager to please them " Tansen said tensely, feeling for the first time he was not fully in control of this conversation.


    "Oh please, why should a scion need to take shit from their lesser fellows?" Agatha asked, amused at the very notion.


    Leeroy gave a smug grin of agreement. But Tansen just sat back in his chair and sighed.


    "A scion is a mighty existence, but our magic level is not a guarantor of success every time, all the time. They are young and when you spend your gestation surrounded by people constantly sucking up to your future greatness, it is a rare person that doesn''t turn rotten from the deluge of verbal sugar. So this academy must be the cold splash of reality before they bring such ruinous attitudes into the real world. "


    This drew a pause of consideration from Agatha. Leeroy didn''t seem convinced but whatever his delusions, he knew not to interpose himself between these two exemplars of power and strength.


    "Magical power is what matters in the end. But I suppose a little tussle won''t hurt at this stage. However I will be personally keeping tabs on those boys from now on." She said after a moment of contemplation.


    "Don''t you mean keep tabs on all the scions?" Tansen replied.


    Agatha smiled in self satisfaction. "Now why would I need to monitor my own daughter? She''s better than the petty squabbles of boys whose greatest achievement is between their legs."


    Tansen caught the sting at the end. Normally he would let it slide with out comment but Leeroy had made him more irritable than usual and decided to give as good as he got. He closed his eyes and gave a light laugh as he leaned back, shaking his head the whole time.


    "The sheer number of parents who walk through that door telling me all the stuff their kids could and couldn''t do is always a good reminder of how stupid people are. A few years back there was this one low noble, thought she could crap mana crystals because in her whole extended family she was the first to produce a caster talent child. But her little gift to the world thought he was so special that he could steal from the market at the Base and get off scott-free, which in the end he kind-of did. The mother came in yelling about how we screwed it up and how her wonderful little boy couldn''t possibly do something like that."


    Tansen took a moment to close his eyes and pucked his lips, tutting at the women''s stupidity.


    "So we made a wager, if the boy didn''t steal it then he would be let free. Even get some compensation for his humiliation at the false accusation. If he was found guilty, then she would have to be whipped at the post."


    The headmaster then leaned forward and put his elbows on his desk with his hands holding up his head.


    "Sure enough the cock sure mother agreed. Then the boy was brought in and sure enough, after just a little bit of pressure, he cracked and agreed to show us the stump in the forest were he stashed his ill-gotten goods. Then, sure enough, that poor mother who put all her faith in her precious little boy, got stripped and whipped at the center of the market."


    "The students are almost grown adults. They spend almost a week conscious once a month for a few years being nursed by their loved ones and servants. But despite their parents best efforts, they still have their own desires and thoughts. When you come into my office to try and extract her from some stupid nonsense, don''t be so sure you know everything about how she thinks and feels."


    Agatha''s jaw tightened but she did not deign to respond. She just gave a light bow and walked out the door. Seeing that he wouldn''t have any luck in getting his way, Leeroy followed behind her.


    Tansen sighed, then looked to Aki.


    "Remember when we traveled the roads? Spirits, I remember when I could just punch these kind of people and that would be the end of it."


    His friend laughed. Putting his left hand behind his back displaying a white sheet undergarment under his staff robe, more similar to the students than the regular staff pants and shirt, he stroked his grey beard with the other hand.


    " Well the beds were certainly more trouble though. But I told you, when you integrated the schools with the adventurers guild that would mean you also get the parents."


    "I know but I was hoping that the presence of the Front would help dissuade them from being so aggressive with their complaints " Tansen pouted as he mused on simpler times.


    "Even back home, you knew what the Front is like. Pushing the magic abilities of mankind is all they care about. So, if they think that letting, or even helping the parents complain will push their goal they''d do it. Your headaches be dammed." Aki said, looking at his charge with pity.


    ::


    Joey was looking at the tower when Leeroy went in like a mad bull. It wasn''t a safe thing to do if some one was really paying attention to the events unfolding, but when your plan comes to fruition you want to see it first hand.


    Normally student gossip wouldn''t leave the academy, unless some one wanted it too. The students and faculty mostly looked at the surrounding peasant population as cattle and conversation with them was looked at like trying to strike up conversation with an uncomprehending cow. Joey and his father, Mack, were interested in getting the particular piece of gossip concerning Ryan and Eli out to Leeroy''s ears though.


    The father because ever since that dreaded day Leeroy stormed a local gathering of nobles, Mack wanted to try limiting Leeroy''s influence in any manner he could as their lands and businesses could be brought into conflict if his neighbor grew.


    The new father did nothing to dispel these concerns over his ambitions when he came through the doors of the local gathering hall like he owned the place and shouted that he was the proud father of a scion to all of the attending future unfortunates. Ever since then he would loudly barge into everyone else''s business, extort ''favors'' in exchange for not drawing the wrath of his sons future might and generally be as big of an asshole as any human being could be.


    However, like everything else in life, his new found power wasn''t perfect. Ryan always had features more similar to his late mother. Now, there were never any accusations of cuckoldry as the cheek bones gave the bare minimum needed to hold off such speculations. But when it comes to hereditary magical talent it is widely believed that the child''s magical talent flows from the parent they most resemble.


    This was an opening few were bold enough to use as they would rather keep in the good graces of what could very well be a future duke. However, Joey was a crafter which gave his father more leverage than others, as well as being much more of a risk taker than the average noble. So in a party at one of the surrounding towns he brought up the incident. Making sure to mention that Ryan''s passive response would indicate his many inclinations from his mother, known widely for her gentle and caring nature when she was alive. It wasn''t blatant enough that even Leeroy would rage at him, but the petty man could come down on the source of this trouble to soothe his wounded ego.


    Joey''s motivation was more petty than any long term strategic planning. He still harbored animosity towards Eli over the incident in the cafeteria. Ever since then Ryan avoided Joey like the plague. This loss of future connections and power he laid solely at the feet of Eli.

 Chapter 19: Limitations

    Eli POV


    _______________________________


    I looked out over the long dock by the river. The river was wide enough that several vessels could travel up and down it at the same time. This was apparently one of the major arteries that fed the rivers and streams down towards the west coast. The long rows of docks coming out over the water and endless activity as boats were loaded and unloaded with an innumerable amount of goods being carried to and fro.


    These scenes always brought me some comfort. Never one for floating in the middle, I''ve found that the massive symphony of spaceports and the near dead silence of the workshop were my two favorite work environments. After spending a few days reading up on all of the available material I started experimenting and tinkering with various concepts. Considering all of the experiments I have done by myself in the warehouse these past 5 days, I figured I should get away from all that disappointment.


    Caster spells were just crafter constructs in the air. I had all four affinities, an unheard-of stock as far as I am aware, and the ability to produce vast quantities of mana. Yet as I tried out the spell work for casters, I ran into several problems with it combat and construction wise. Even when I managed to get it to work by forcing it through my skin like I saw in the arena, a skill that seemed to come far easier to me than most of my fellow students, I was still left unsatisfied.


    For construction, the increased mana cost to use spells meant crafts were almost always more efficient on building projects. That combined with magic¡¯s poor combat performance meant I got almost nothing to show for all my hard work. For all my studies I only had two good things to come of these experiments: one was that I figured out how to make a flame craft that would produce a consistent source of light, even if it did make the surrounding air uncomfortably hot some times.


    The other was eternal life.


    Yeah that was a pretty big ''only'' to the people of this world, but to me it was just more of what I always had in the past. The ability to live forever was sold in nanomachine packets by the cold and cancer medicine or in dealerships if you wanted a brand-new body from scratch. Here it was more of a pain but still completely doable. I would have to gather a vast amount of mana, probably in the form of mana crystals considering how long it would take to accumulate that much ambient mana. This store of mana could then be used to power a large number of healing spells which would slowly reverse the damage of ageing over long periods of time or use a single, but extremely high-level spell. Considering my abilities, the former option was already within arm¡¯s reach.


    From what the books said this was typically such a massive undertaking that all but the most wealthy and powerful humans in existence would ever even consider it. The elves were pretty much the only race with the resources to expend so much on one individual. Also, the elves as a people leaned towards water and wind as magical affinities, which meant they also had many more dual elemental mages centered around those two elements. That allows them to unlock a whole different branch of magic called healing.


    The caster spells book explained that individuals with dual elements allowed them to unlock a whole new type of spell constructs:


    Wind and water allowed healing. Whereas wind and fire allowed for electrical attacks.


    Fire and earth allowed metal spells but as far as I could tell it shaped metal, it couldn''t summon it from nothing like the other elements.


    Earth and water allowed for plant-based spells, which by all accounts didn''t allow for any genetic manipulation of plant-life just its rapid growth with predetermined magical mutations and even allowing wood puppets of varying power at later stages.


    Apparently fire and water, along with earth and wind had nothing to say to each other.


    Going over it in my head again and again I came to a hard decision. Magic spells felt good and were eye catching. Its mastery was the ultimate sign of power, wisdom, and prestige in this world. And it was pretty shit in a fight.


    The first problem was that it cost the user physical energy to use. Sure, so does lugging around armor and weapons made with the power of science. But the crafts of this world weren¡¯t much lighter and putting on the added exhaustion of spell casting was a huge burden on the human body, a problem I was all too familiar with over these past few days. Now to be fair they would not be hampered with the supply and ammo problems that my universe''s weapons had, as the ambient mana would regenerate on its own. But that rested on the assumption that the fights would last that long.


    When using magic even at the height of magical proficiency, there was still a limit to how fast the average human body could sense and move. This one fact was the only reason weapon crafts were viable in conflicts despite the fact they could be shut down with a single spell. So far, my experiments showed that the crafts and spells could only work as fast as the human who makes them thinks over the instructions. That meant if you could just think over what you wanted it to do without saying it the results were a much faster response. Which was backed up by several theory books by crafting experts I had read.


    Flaming snakes, boulders for armor, massive deluges of water, and whirlwinds of cutting wind blades all provided a treat for the eyes and excited people''s imaginations at every age the world over. But none of them could match the brutal efficiency of a single sniper round travelling faster than the speed of sound through a skull. Death would take them before any spells could be cast.


    At the edges of my magical knowledge, I was aware that huge magical power allowed for increases in a person¡¯s physical strength, reaction speed, and overall ability. This concept generally came into play more in the wealthier central continent, but for my purposes let''s say you could get someone up to the point where they could survive sniper fire and the burden of spell casting became negligible. That was certainly possible, but the scaling was horrendous.


    I hadn''t been to the Base, which is where most of the people who graduate the Diamond academy go after graduation to accept contracts and harvest magical resources from nearby or on trips through Elves Clay. That was the nickname for the expanse of forest further out directly west that the Coalition and elves agreed to leave as a neutral zone that both sides can harvest magical materials from.


    I had listened to a few conversations from the graduates who used the market there but took a gig out here helping around the study hall or stayed at the dorms. From what I could gather the cost of the magical resources grew exponentially more expensive than anything the average person could imagine. A horned rabbit, one of the lowest rungs of the magical creature¡¯s ladder, had a pelt and meat that was worth almost 20 silver. From there the costs only increased eventually reaching such astronomical levels that people just gave up trading in gold and it reverts to a barter system mostly involving mana crystals. These huge price tags were partially due to the fact that the heavy veins of mana coming out of the earth turned the forest creatures in certain sections into foes far beyond what any regular person could deal with. Just getting to the horned rabbits is a feat of great danger.


    The sheer amount of wealth necessary to reach the heights of magic was ludicrous. If it could be put on a graph with fields of effectiveness vs cost, the slope of the cost axis would be the stuff of data analysts fevered nightmares. For that same amount of money, I could equip 50 new men with assault rifles and grenade launchers made from scratch. Throw away all their weapons and ammo after the fight, then pay for their retirement till the day they die and do that again and again for several battles which would still come in slightly under the costs for that one mage.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Also, even the most powerful of mages were ultimately still dependent on their ability to absorb the surrounding mana, apparently there was no textbook examples of a person pushing mana out through their own bodies like I do. While this was rare outside of massive war zones, they would eventually run out of ambient mana to absorb and you can¡¯t just chug mana crystals like a pill. You had to crack the outer shell to release it gradually into the air which was useless if you were in a situation where victory was measured in fractions of a second.


    This was an Achilles heel no one had ever managed to fix. Well, their major Achilles heel. I could still glow mana out of my body that was apparently many times denser than the ambient mana and was gifted in all forms of magical elements. Which I am not sure is even that much of a cheat as I estimate I can only produce maybe one or two palm sized mana crystals a week if I really pushed it.


    But whatever my powers none of these things freed me from the simple fact that making a spell in the middle of a life or death struggle is far more demanding than pushing a button on a rocket launcher or pulling the trigger of a gun. While it was too easy and readily available to not use at first, the path forward was obvious.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t all bad. Healing and plant based spells could do things that my people could only do with extreme resource investment or not at all. The thrill of showing up all of the highest rollers who had their own personal solar systems but still couldn''t force trees to grow was quite satisfying.


    The biggest boon turned out to be crafting. While it was treated ambivalently by the magic world, I could take it to new heights, possibly beyond what my previous world had. In some ways. The ability to make something out of thin air was still a little mind boggling no matter how many times I saw it happen. Not to mention these storage rings and bags were something I couldn''t wait to start tinkering with.


    The mana management system for the crafting enchantments was more like having reservoirs and streams of water than circuit board design. Barriers in magical resources, restrictions in access to elemental constructs and a general lack of interest left a lack in quantifying the portions of mana used into exact increments.


    What I found most interesting was that the routing squares didn''t use up any mana to carry out their instructions aside from the transmissions themselves, no matter how many times they were used. This eliminated the last obstacle to the crafting concept I had on the first day in school. The critical flaw of magical items was the overload from enemy spells, due to the mana surging through the circles and triangles. This would cause the links to shut down, similar to a pipe bursting from the huge mana streams. The only silver lining was that sometimes these could self-regenerate back to working order if the surrounding connections weren''t too heavily damaged.


    I was hardly the first to try and come up with a solution to this weakness. There were so many attempts over the years to rectify this issue, but they all were either useless or involved hooking up mana battery circles to the triangle to store the excess mana. What this would inevitably do is drain the triangle or short circuit any of the squares connecting them when it was hit. Also, since caster spells used more mana, even the simplest spells could overwhelm the largest mana batteries.


    I was disappointed to find out from my groups minder that there weren¡¯t that many people studying this issue anyways. Out there in the real world, not the classroom, constructs were a lot harder to get a hold of as casters typically saw working to make items as a sign of poverty. Not to mention the fact they would essentially be working to help get themselves replaced. This left the few people who did try to find a solution shunned from major organizations and had to foot the huge costs themselves.


    But I had experience and knowledge that they lacked. Combined with my abilities I came up with the answer to this problem: packet switched communication.


    This was a computing concept that had the message broken down into portions rather than sent as a single uninterrupted stream. These portions would have identifiers that linked them together with their other packets which could then be reassembled back into their original form. It would also have computers keep tables with lists of their connections to other nodes in the network which would be periodically updated through messages.


    For my magical system, it will just send brief flashes of minute mana with each spell function being assigned a number of pulses. Say I mapped a fire spell to have two pulses. A square is right next to a fire spell triangle that emits two pulses that go back and forth so there is no net loss of mana. If this square then receives two pulses from another square, it will respond with three pulses confirming it has the connection to the fire spell so that it can receive a small portion of the mana stream. The second square will then confirm to any inquiring squares that it has a route to the fire spell and so on and so on. If it doesn''t have the requested connection, it will send a single pulse back.


    This would allow the mana to still flow to their needed targets in smaller bursts even if one link in the chain overloads with no intervention from me being needed to make it happen. It will also help prevent overloads in the first place. By having all communications start with short bursts I can have it default to treat uninitiated streams of mana as overloading mana and shunt it towards a mana battery circle or maybe even feed another of my spells with it. This also had the added benefit of making the diagram nearly indestructible with its numerous connections.


    Heading out of the docking area I ran back home to try out my idea. After some fiddling with a diagram on a piece of bark it turned out the concept worked out even better than I''d hoped. The lines to the squares wouldn''t have any effect on any squares it travels over. This let me fit several squares inside a larger one as long as their edges didn''t touch, allowing the craft to function a lot more like modern computer network designs.


    The piece of bark was putting out a constant stream of water flowing into a pyramid, which was another aspect of crafting I had mastered. When putting in the thoughts for the circle and triangle that would produce the spell effect for your diagram you had to visualize what it was you wanted it to do, this let the spell effects function without the guardrails of caster spells that typically came from route memorization. This simple difference provided far greater flexibility than the casters magic.


    Setting it down on the floor, I used a low-level wind spell that took almost no effort or mana to use. Sure enough the stream stopped, and the pyramid collapsed into a puddle for a long moment, too long, before it started back up.


    Thinking over it for a minute, the answer came to me. The squares needed to have their minute reserves of mana filled before they could communicate reliably. After turning it off I hit the bark piece with the wind spell 3 more times till the stream shot out by itself, expending the excess mana that overflowed from the battery. Afterwards, the pyramid would barely have the time to lose its shape before the stream re-initiated.


    From what I understand, I would be considered an advanced craftsman before even this achievement. The highest level of design in this world was having simple logic gates that would allow crafts to perform multiple functions. Apparently having multiple codependent objects wasn''t a thing they considered doing either. It seems that the focus on magical development came at the expense of mathematical progress as well as scientific.


    *tsk* *tsk*


    Their lack of curiosity in the world around them was going to bite them in the ass one day. And it looks like I will be doing the biting in the near future. Maybe.


    I was still pissed about how they forced me to be here, taking me in like I was just their piece of property. But eventually I had to admit their actions weren''t totally dissimilar to what I would support back home. Forcing a child to go to school so they wouldn''t be illiterate when they grew up was something everyone, including myself, could get behind.


    My eavesdropping on multiple people led me to believe that how magical humans developed was another major difference here as well. Before the onset of puberty, they would hibernate for weeks every month for years as their bodies changed to accommodate the magical abilities. On a societal level, mages my bodies age were treated like some mix between children and mighty powers. Although their association with the Front still irked me.


    ''All right, enough mopping. Its late and I want to get some dinner from the local sailors tavern and then I am going to sleep late into the morning'' I could feel the strain of today''s work in my bones so I headed out to enjoy myself until it was time to call it quits.


    But on my way back home from a night of good meals and spicy rum, I ran into a Kelton woman laying injured in the dirt.


    She had a soft grey fur covering her head down to her collar bones touching the rest of her green dress. Her smooth white horns sticking out on the side of her heads curving upward. Her head itself had a human shape with a slight snout that had a streak of white from the tip of her nose to the forehead. But the generous curves of her body left no question as to her gender. Although the dark grey of her skin would leave many in doubt as to how genuine her more human parts were as did the pale white that totally covered her eyes.

 Chapter 20: Lecture

    Eli POV


    _______________________________


    I woke up the next morning to a knock on the warehouses front double doors. After quickly putting on the inner sheet of my student uniform and veil, I then rushed to the door to see the kelton woman from yesterday, wearing a brown dress with a white undershirt. She gave a light bow and handed back my academy robe, good as new. As she brought up her head she looked past my shoulder and pushed past.


    She took in all of the cob webs and dirt on the wood work. When she turned around her face had the look of a mother getting ready to scold her child from what I could tell through her marble white eyes. She put up her hands and motioned around to the surrounding mess.


    I looked away for a moment to hide the sheepish expression on my face, surprised at my own lack of irritation at her barging into my home.


    "Look I am a student mage, I have far too many things to do. Besides it was like this when I got here and will be like this when I leave it." I said defensively, trying my best to justify my messy habits.


    She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. After shaking her head, she put her hand to her chest and then made a motion of sweeping a broom. She then stuck out her hand making the money gesture with her fingers.


    ''Well it''s not like I have a prayer of keeping the thieves from coming in here when I''m gone. Might as well let some one in who will do me a service.'' I thought as I cleared my throat.


    "Ok, how about 15 coppers for two cleanings a week?"


    She pondered it for a moment. Then she put out her hand, which I completed with a shake. After she left, I headed towards the back where I took out a bark craft I made last night. The past few mornings I had been getting by on cold water showers using buckets from the local well. The river was used by the locals, and I''m ashamed to admit myself, as a local toilet stream. It was already dubious just being here in the middle and I wasn''t going to take any chances of infection.


    Pressing the button on the diagram, a low flame sprang up. When the bark was dropped into the bucket, the flame went out. Then there was a small glow of orange for the barest fraction of a second. Fortunately, the fire existed just barely long enough to gradually heat the water in bursts. When it got to the right temperature, I stuck a stick in the bucket to turn the device off and brought the now warm bucket onto the water platform.


    ''Oh God, how I''ve missed this.'' I thought to myself when the bucket tipped over my head and washed my bare body in water that was close to being too hot but after days of cold showers I didn''t care. The heated water spilled into the river on the left side of the platform over it, which was the spot I arbitrarily designated as my shower.


    Chewing on a quick breakfast of beef jerky, the trip to the academy seemed a lot more bearable this morning. Even the streets didn''t seem so smelly and awful on this fine day. Coming up to the waiting area, I started going over what my plan was going forward now that I had a general sense of the landscape, both technologically and in terms of the peoples flawed perceptions. I had to admit the people here being so uninterested in understanding the wider world was off-putting.


    Did no one try peering into the possibilities of chemistry or to develop the great machines of industry? My people had none of the magical abilities these people do but still managed to put in the effort to understand and push the boundaries of the worlds physical laws. Well, I will just have to push enlightenment on these people one revelation at a time.


    ''All right, first things first. I should try releasing a few new inventions. Then my reputation will...no. If I start standing out too much, I may draw attention from unwanted people. I still have no idea what that Necromancer cult was doing or if they even know about me. Even if they did know what happened, would this world have the equivalent of a camera to let them know what I looked like? Ok then, I will stick to being a crafter prodigy. That will get me some recognition but it will hopefully be the regular type of attention. The necromancers will probably not take an incredible crafting talent to mean I came from another universe as opposed to me making flying steel vehicles" I mulled it all over as we were escorted to the classes by the patrol.


    Upon arrival, I immediately made for the lady with short brown hair who directed us the first day, ready to do a most distasteful act.


    "Ma''m I would like to take the Fronts courses" I said, just containing my disgust. To get accepted as an officially recognized mage of the Diamond academy a student had to attend a few lectures from an accredited member of the Front and learn history, in addition to learning their magical talent levels workings. An evil I was apparently going to have to suffer.


    "Ah well we have a history lecture starting today, it will be a general series of lectures covering basic events so it should be quick and painless. It''s up on the 5th floors lecture hall everyday at noon with the survival courses immediately after. I can have you penciled in for registration." She said.


    "If you would, thank you." I replied gratefully. I spent the rest of the morning working on practicing my crafting. I got the most basic elements and some of the more complex mechanisms down but mastering these was another story. This was the first time where I had to strictly monitor my thoughts when making something. It was easy in the smaller crafts but it got harder as space became more premium. Trying to lay down a 2 squares inside each other was pretty easy, but putting down 3 squares without explicitly thinking about them not touching was proving to be a challenge.


    Not to mention the math involved. For the pulse system to work effectively, it would need to have responses for the pulses it got back, not just judge responses based on the time it received them. So if it sent out two, I would need to do the math if it got back 3 for a confirmation or 1 for a rejection. It wasn''t particularly hard, but if it wasn''t for my hundreds of years of practice in patience it would probably take me a week to build a single item considering the mistakes had to have whole sections burned out through mana overload.


    Finally, the time for the lectures came. The class room looked more like a miniature amphitheater, with wood benches and a plain empty space in the front. There was quite a crowd with a lot of students sitting in various spots, mingling among themselves. Finding a good spot, I sat down in the back and leaned against the wall shutting my eyes as I waited for the lecture to begin.


    "Hello class, happy to be here today?" I opened my eyes to see a middle aged man came in, wearing his white and blue staff robes. He was a late 30''s man with no hair and green eyes with a slightly pudgy frame. Apparently I had fallen asleep at some point.


    "All right, my name is George Winston and my time is valuable, so lets get right into it." He said, with no patience for a preamble.


    ''Odd, not a very gripping introduction'' I thought to myself. The coming material soon showed why there was no need for further elaboration.


    The teacher started off with a brief introduction of the coalitions history, how it was formed, what lead to the unification, how the mainland let it split off with their consent in exchange for a payment plan. That was actually interesting, but when he got to the subject of the presidents ancestors coming to power it took a less objective turn. Long, grand descriptions of their forefather''s bravery in leading the nation near its inception started the whole affair.


    It had all the hallmarks of great propaganda. Their genius and ingenuity overcoming the enemy''s, be they human or orc, treachery and deceit which they made sure to emphasize were two totally different things. The inevitable greatness of their destiny as leaders to our unfailing nation were consistent themes. It all had a mix of naked bravado and absolute assertion of righteousness that was something I had seen many, many times before. Whether it was oppressive dictatorships, or dying democracies, they all resorted to the same tired tropes when they needed to.


    I was actually a little grateful for this. Since it seemed not even the teacher believed the dribble he was spouting, I was free to go over various crafting ideas in my head. Although I was little perturbed by how many of my fellow classmates seemed to be buying this shtick.


    Thankfully after an hour, the endless stream of bleating came to an end. As the teacher was shuffling out of the room, another older man with a strong chin and brown eyes dressed in a guards uniform came through. His grey hair peppered with flecks of black marked him as being just near the edge of retirement.


    No, not a guards uniform, the Fronts uniform. I could see on his shoulder plate the shield symbol with the elements insignia''s on it.


    "Evening kids. Now before we begin know this: I don''t care about you as mages. I''ve seen a scion die from the antler of a single horned rabbit skewering her through the heart and I''ve seen a human without a bit of mana to his name take down 10 orcs with nothing but his wits, a few opportunities in the surrounding terrain, and a sword." His deep voice was barely above a regular speaking tone, but it commanded respect irregardless of its volume.


    Some of the caster level students bristled at this comment, while a few of the crafters sprinkled through out the groups seemed intrigued.


    "Now, yes, magical abilities are important. But knowing what''s out there, how to deal with it, and how to navigate the civilized parts of this world to their maximum effect in the wilderness are essential to survival. I can only teach you about the first two in this class. But for the third there is one fact I can impart to you: always check in with the Front if you move to a new area. We will have all the info you need on local threats and the latest happenings."


    He said as he strode back and forth in front of everyone holding his hands behind his back. At the last part of the speech he stopped and looked around the room. This time the hardened veteran faded a little as a sadder older man who seemed to wonder if it''s time to hang up his coat took over.


    "Usually we would go over various magical plants and creatures. Not just how to spot and catch them, but how to dissect them in the most efficient way possible. However, due to a recent... incident we will be focusing on threats, both to yourselves and humanity. The first and foremost among these will be the orcs."


    There was a intake of air from most of the students. From what I could tell, most of the students here were from well to do families who think the touch of such horrors was something the peasantry had to deal with. Hearing about them in the context of what they personally were going to do about it was like a slap of cold water on their faces.


    "What I am about to tell you is basic stuff you should know by now, but it is by re-affirming the basics that a solid foundation can be laid." He said as he gave a light, throat clearing cough.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "The orcs are a parasitic species created by Garren the distorter. They are just one of the gifts this mad man left for us but this lecture will focus on his most prominent creation. Having a height more typical to the average human with a physical body more similar to ours one could mistake them for human from a distance if not for their green skin. Especially compared to, say the keltons.


    They are mono gendered, relying on us to provide reproduction. They don''t have any ability to produce magic capable members semi-randomly like us. This is made up for by the fact that if they do manage to secure a mage for reproduction, all of their children will be magic capable. Which is just one of the reasons we have been so reluctant to allow mages engage with them and it is of utmost importance that you be prepared to engage them."


    A girl in the front row raised her hand.


    "Sir, if they are not magically capable then how come we haven''t eliminated them already?"


    "Excellent question." The veteran said, actually giving a light smile.


    "Frojan are man sized frogs. Having the intelligence and magical capabilities of humans, with the caveat that they can only use the water element, they are far more evenly matched on the magical aspects with us. Allying with the Frojan has also allotted the orcs several advantages aside from their straight magic capability. The Frojans home is the entire southern swamp making it nearly impossible to fully push out the orcs with its deep rivers, innumerable hiding holes, and their riverboats specially made to go in and out of the muck. For the local region I would say a unique advantage they have is the water ways. These are the vast network of creeks and underground rivers that run all through this section of Palantia to the swamps.


    Water has carved out these rivers in the hard stone over the course of thousands of years and finding all of the entrances and exits is a fools dream. The Frojan maintain these tunnels with magically assisted crafts that speed them and their cargo along at great speeds. As this region is not prone to earth quakes this has made the underground network far more viable compared to making artificial tunnels in the more volatile western region."


    He drew a deep breath.


    " They can pop out of a hole in the ground in a flash and hit you anyplace, anytime. There are few countermeasures to these tactics and frankly your not going to like them. The first is a poison pill."


    A lot of the students were taken aback, some even stood up in outrage.


    "What?!"


    "Ridiculous, we''re expected to just throw our lives away?"


    "So we''re just dead? Is no one going to even try and save us?"


    Apparently the veteran expected this as he just put up his hand to stop the noise.


    " First of all yes, even the women will be expected to take the pill. They may not be able to mate with you but they can still use your abilities to devastating effect. The men especially will be expected to follow through as their capture and the subsequent surge in magic capable orcs will allow them to kill troops and capture other mages with far greater ease." His voice was hard as steel and allowed for no arguments through the anger in his tone.


    After taking a moment to collect himself, a sense of quiet pain now seeped into his voice as he squeezed his hand behind his back.


    "As for the second question, no, there will be no rescue. As you are dragged through a pitch black tunnel barely big enough to fit a single person in, there will be no way to catch you. A lot of the tunnels have been shaped into straight shots through hills and forests over the years. Even if that were not the case the tunnels are dozens of feet underground and have special enchantments that move the Frojan in them at speeds exceeding the gallop of the fastest horses.


    But lets say you manage to get free of them in the tunnels some way, some how. What then? Your underground with no light and whatever air supply you managed to steal from them. The runes won''t activate for you and the tunnels resupply areas are laid out with the expectation that your swimming at speeds that would make a fish envious. What do you do then?"


    He gave a deep sigh and looked over the students with a sense of pity.


    "No. Once your dragged into the tunnels you are as good as dead."


    "The only other protection is numbers. Going out by yourself in the southeastern region near the Bulwark is ill advised. Heck its not completely safe in the immediate western and northern region either. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to go out alone, try to stick to the more heavily forested sections with older trees. The deep roots have collapsed most of the tunnels or soaked up the underground mana they would need to fuel their enchantments."


    He went on for a little while about the various tactics orcs used in battle then moved on to their typical weapons and armor combinations. It seems the water isn''t good for bows and metal armor obviously wasn''t an option for them either. Mainstay weapons consisted of short swords and axes used for both close combat and throwing. Some use blow dart guns with small wooden spikes laced with a sleep inducing poison. Their shields were small here but nearer to the swamps they tend to carry larger ones.


    "All right that is it for today. Know that whatever your abilities or how much you know, luck and circumstance can decide your fate at a moments notice out there and in here. We have the semester reward trials coming up so we will go over other threats in 3 days with a small break for a few days after. Remember your chance to really shine and put your best foot forward for the whole world to see is only 5 day''s away, so prepare your best spells, crafts, and ambitions. After the trials we will get into the meat of this course which is material harvesting. Dismissed."


    In-spite of myself, I couldn''t help but be impressed by him. The tired world-weary old soul was someone I could feel some connection with in experience and outlook in several ways. Not enough to forgive him being in the Front, but it dulled the disdain. Most of the other students seemed to just sit there stunned, some talking to their fellow in near panic. It seems this lecture was the first time any of them came into contact with appreciable danger, even if it was only in theory.


    ''Whelp, that was a lot to think about.'' I thought as I became aware of the pangs of hunger telling me it was passed my due lunch time. Heading out the door, the rest of the class and I came down the stair case. We were making our way towards the cafeteria when we heard a commotion.


    The double doors were open and inside was a massive food fight, with a few women outside crying. Various staff were outside and inside the hall trying to restore order. Luckily, it seemed we were the late class so we weren''t in when the classes from the lectures broke for lunch.


    "What''s happened?" I said to an elderly member of the staff who was rushing to help corral the students coming away from the melee.


    "Listen dear, I know things are hard right now and your very confused about your sudden growth. Just stay at the tables and a member will be by to talk to you." She said, as she motioned each student towards one of the tables in the hall.


    Soon, the fight gradually began to peter out. A lot of students were in various corners or under tables sobbing and covered in the soups, meats and pastas of various dishes. I just sat at a table in the main study area reading one book on historical magical items.


    Eventually, the middle aged woman with short brown hair who I guessed had been assigned as our little subgroups mentor sat next to me. She coughed and looked at me for a moment with her green eyes looking at me like I was a puzzle she was trying to solve.


    "Well I would launch into the spiel I have given all the others. But you seem to be rather calm, could I ask how you managed to grow so much?" She said, her eyes conveyed a sense of relief. She had probably spent the better part of a day talking to a bunch of hysterical people and was just glad to talk to some one who was emotionally together.


    "What happened?" I asked, wanting to know and also so I could get more time to come up with a lie.


    "Oh this happens every year with the start of the survival lectures for those who haven''t taken them, even some of the students who have been putting it off for months. A lot of the students just go about their day''s like nothings wrong and usually there isn''t with all their needs being met. But when that first bit of real stress kicks in a lot of the repressed emotions and doubts about the seemingly instant changes to their bodies come out all at once.


    While you don''t have this problem, a lot of them are still very emotionally fragile. I was someone who managed to get my crafting talent when I was mid-20''s, so I was spared the emotional whiplash." She said, staring off into the distance reminiscing about times past.


    "How? I thought talent was decided at birth." I plied her with the question in the hopes of getting a straight forward answer about this world. The books told me a good deal but there seemed to be a lot of things that they just assumed were universally known and didn''t bother elaborating on. Ironically, it was the harder books on casting, crafting, and general magic working that had to explain everything in detail that proved to be the most easily understood material.


    "Well, inherent talent makes it easier to absorb mana, it can even make the body come with its mana pathways already established. Although you still need to intake magical resources to activate them. I managed to get a hold of an ice elementals corpse when I was up near the mountains. That gave me just enough to where I could get the ability to craft. The process, whatever the rumors you heard, was only a day long unlike what the kids have gone through. I heard it might be due to the magic not having to make changes to a body already going through the adjustments of puberty. The downside is after puberty it takes a lot more magical resources to increase your mana pathways."


    "Kids? They are adults. Some of them are a near 20 plus years old. Their behavior is appalling for not just their age but any age. Even when I was a child I still had the wits to act better than this." I said, disgusted at her lumping me together with them. Of course I don''t remember my childhood but that was the best excuse I could come up with for my maturity.


    She smiled indulgently, and ran a finger in a circle on the table.


    "Well, Mr Grown From Birth, I clear you to go. However I would encourage you to listen to some of the stories of your fellow students. Maybe you could find some empathy for them after hearing from them." She patted my shoulder and got up to help another student who was in the middle of a break down.


    I got up from the chair and went to go outside. But half way there my curiosity got the better of me and I sat near one girl in her late teens as a staff member came to comfort her.


    " Ok, it''s going to be okay" The woman said as she came up to her.


    "No, I want my dad." The petite girl with long brown hair sobbed out as she cried into her folded arms.


    "If you want we can contact him and get him to come down." The staff member said as she rubbed the poor girls shoulder.


    The girl pulled her head up, her soft brown eyes red with tear streaks running down her face as she looked at the older woman in anger.


    "No I want my dad. Not that old fuck. I want the man who bounced me on his lap and fed me cookies when I played with him. The man who took me out on walks with mother as jasper chased birds along the road. Not that demanding fucker whose only interest is how I am going to get into Andrews bed or that old hag who is constantly telling me I need to show off more skin if I want to get in between a scion''s legs."


    She cried for a few moments, stammering in some incomprehensible gibberish. Finally she managed to say something legible.


    "My own parents, putting me out there like I''m some 30 copper street whore". The staff member could only hold the younger girls head against her shoulder as she cried into it.


    ''Damn'' was about all I could say to that.


    I decided to take a bit more time off to hear their stories. 18 year old men freaking out about how they cant stop looking at women''s chests or where all this hair on their bodies came from. Nearly grown women asking if they were dying as they found blood in their sheets this morning. A lot of the assembled students just cried for their mothers.


    ''Jeez, the mental side of magical development is nearly as costly as it is financial'' I thought to myself. Fortunately, the commotion calmed down enough that the cafeteria resumed operation and I could get my meal. But there were still a bunch of people in various states of hysteria strewn about.


    ''Well I am not going to get anything else done today with all this racket. Lets see how the kelton woman did in cleaning my place up.'' But before heading out I went over to our groups mentor who just got back from consoling a girl.


    "For the trials, what is expected of me as a crafter?" I asked the middle aged woman.


    She smiled brightly at this question.


    "It varies based on your status. As a crafter student you will be tasked with making a general piece of equipment, or multiple if you prefer, that a random soldier will be tasked to use in an arena duel against one or multiple opponents. Your submission will be judged based on general effectiveness and presentation.


    Later on when you become a mage-in-training you will be assigned a mage combatant who you will make a custom craft for them to duel with. Considering your accomplishments so far I have high expectations for you." I thanked her for the information and headed home with the next group leaving.


    Sure enough, when I got back I noticed the distinct absence of cobwebs and dirt on the stone floor. Pleased with the conditions, I sat down and started working out the designs for my trial submission. Obviously, I could create something that would smoke all the competition. But something incredibly outrageous as opposed to only genius might catch attention from people who knew what to look for when it came to people from other worlds and I was reluctant to give up my packet switched technique. Ground-breaking ideas presented by students are a lot easier to steal than ones presented by official mages. Sketching out a rough idea, it was a long day in the market and in my makeshift workshop on the platforms back right area before I called it quits that day.

 Chapter 21: Truths Sting

    Eli POV


    ____________________________


    After a good nights sleep, I was finally ready to put the finishing touches on my submission for the trials. Since I had to make it for a random soldier I tried my best to walk that eternal tight rope every desiger has walked since invention began: User friendliness vs technical capability. I sussed through many designs but I finally decided on two items.


    The first was a leather arm bracer with a metal guard over it. It had a hole in the middle that lined up with the diagrams triangle on the bracers leather. The leather would then be firmly glued with some mix of magical slug slime and glue that acted as a super adhesive. Considering the slugs were one of the few domesticated magical creatures, the sticky substance they left behind in their trails wasn''t as difficult to gather as many of their more wild friends products and people found that you couldn''t advance your magical abilities with it. That left the goo only painfully expensive as opposed to wallet crippling.


    This guard would shoot out a mud mix with fast fading water and long lasting dirt that would cake them in quickly drying mud. My testing had shown that putting the control switch directly on the device was too much of a pain to use in a combat situation. So I had it stitch it up to a special leather arm piece. This would have the initiation square on his index fingers knuckle hooked up to the rest of the diagram with the line running along his inner arm, hopefully providing some protection. But this was just a back up to the main weapon.


    It was a long, two handed hammer with a solid stone head. It had a punch far above its weight class with the hollow tube on the bottom allowing flames to shoot out the back of the head and mana to flow back into the enchantments. This would add huge strength to any blow. But that wasn''t the only function it had. If a button by the index finger on the grip and one in a as of yet undetermined hole were pressed, the stone head would close it''s back opening and the flame enchantment would activate a special explosive effect of condensing several fire effects at the same time inside the bottom of the hammer head while leaving the attached stone base untouched. This pressure should then have the head shoot out as a quick and dirty missile.


    What made this so powerful, aside from the obvious, was two fold: not only did the enchantment charge up enough during the fight to remake the head in seconds, the user could make the flame enchantment spew a stream of fire when the head wasn''t present by pressing only one of the buttons. This function assured virtually no down time in the crafts fighting abilities.


    The biggest drawback was of course, whiplash. The first time I had tried this on a wood mock up, the head had hit like the fury of a volcano distilled down to a single point. Which saw the head bounce back clean off the pole and nearly taking my right leg with it.


    I decided to use a kind of shock pad using water. It had a three chamber pad surrounding the back of the head, well below the flame port. The two chambers on the right and left would be filled with water and have a flexible leather head sticking slightly out. These would also help reduce recoil from the missile function.


    When the internal pressure of the water from the bending head reached a certain point a pressure sensitive square would activate another water spell that would over fill the partially filled middle chamber with enough force it would push back against the stone heads bending, with it''s water set to last only as long as the pressure did.


    This was another handy little tid-bit I had found using the library. Using a square to both activate an enchantment and act as a router wasn''t possible. But you could change what would constitute a press and how many signals it would send out, which had the first function widely used as a means of replacing metal locks and keys. Most people used round tubes with different surfaces on the end to ''unlock'' the squares acting in place of their mechanical counterparts. What I saw when I looked at the ability was a pressure sensor.


    Of course the road from design to product was a rough and uncaring one. I spent many long hours the previous 3 days and nights constantly tinkering under the fire light of my crude bark craft lamps. The constant back and forth readjustments, the worst of them being getting the sensitivity down for the shock pad to where it wouldn''t send a water jet with just regular movement or getting the stone pad to just press down slightly against the leather top so as not to puncture it.


    The mock up staff was a sturdy wood piece with a hollow head. This hollow had several leather strips held in place with a cheap glue around the inside wall with the flame enchantment in the middle. The sides had three leather pieces with the stone enchantments. One would make and reform the hammer head with a similar one to make a head with the closed back. While the third would maintain and repair several lines of stone on the bottom of the shock pad that would distribute the impact along the shaft in several small arches as well as make the base that would take the heat and explosive impact of the missile function.


    For the missile function it required an AND square. This type of square would only activate when two other squares were pressed at the same time. For my purposes I attached a small square in a small hole in the wood near the grips that wouldn''t be hit by most spell effects or be accidentally pressed with most of the regular swinging motions. When this square and the square on a special index finger groove of the shafts grip for the flame enchantment were pressed together it would send the head flying.


    I had an idea for another craft. But it was some pretty advanced stuff if it worked at all and I had no intention of making any major contributions that may benefit the Front, even indirectly. Just trying to test the limits of my abilities and get a great grade was the main goal here.


    Looking out the window at the shadows angles I realized I had spent too much time tinkering with my inventions. Going out to the blacksmith I picked up my main weapons shaft. It was expensive with all the custom work that had to be done with the grips. Using a metal enchantment I could have easily made it myself but I needed to leave behind a solid trail explaining how I made these tools in case I was looked into. Considering the waves I would be making that was certainly going to happen at some point.


    Speaking of trails, I gritted my teeth at the next stage of construction. I was a crafter and that meant if I wanted to explain how I got all the constructs for my enchantments, I would have to ask the various students for them. The best out come would be that they just sigh in annoyance and do it. A lot of the time they would just whine, wasting so much time that they would have been done by the end of their rant if they had just gotten to work immediately.


    I made my way to the smaller tower where training took place in the group, keeping my bigger items in a large leather pack slung over my back and keeping the leather strips holding the actual enchantments that would hold the constructs in my hands. Making my way up to the roof I came up to the table off to the side. There was a skinny brown haired man lost in a book he was reading sitting in a chair behind the table this time.


    "I need so-" He put up his hand.


    "All right, good luck getting them." He said, not even looking up from his book.


    I suppressed my sigh. Going around, I managed to get my water constructs pretty easily but when I asked for the earth ones I got a scoff for my effort from one burly dude who only gave me one. A few more rounds of begging, and I was becoming more and more bitter at how little I actually needed these people.


    On my third attempt to get my second earth construct I felt a tap on my shoulder. The shorter man had black hair and ocean eyes with an odd mix of greens and deep blues. He looked a little sweaty from his long day of work.


    "Hello, I heard you needed some earth and fire constructs. Maybe we could come to an arrangement?" He said


    "All right, I am open to suggestions but I''m not sure how I could help you." I said, a little skeptically. I wasn''t exactly getting a bountiful harvest here and my patience with the other casters was running thin enough that I was open to a little work.


    "I am a dual fire/wind element wizard and I heard you had a craft up and running within a day." He said with a slight hint of a question at the end.


    "Yes but it was only a small flame." I responded.


    "Only? Well it''s more than I have gotten done in my crafting studies. I''m not sure what other people are told of casters or scions studies but we all have to perform crafting to a certain degree. If you help me make my basic enchantment to pass my minimum crafting requirement, I can make your fire construct right now and help you get the other three earth ones you need after we''re done." He put out his hand.


    I thought about it for a second and shook his hand. If my current approach went on much longer I would be done around late afternoon tomorrow.


    After inserting the fire construct into the round leather piece, he led me to a study room where we went over various crafting steps and principles. As we went through each of the steps on his piece of bark I think he got most of it right. Since you can''t see a diagram made by some one else, I had to make due with descriptions of the things he was doing which was a pain in the ass. Eventually I worked out that the craft still wouldn''t work due to an error in his conception of the squares.


    "I think I see what your problem is. When your making the squares you keep saying ''push the mana out'' and not merely directing its natural flow." I said as the puzzle pieces fell into place.


    " What difference does that make? Don''t they both move the mana out of the square?" He asked.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Yes but think of the mana in this diagram like a river. The squares are like damns who can open certain gates to let the water flow past, which are our instructions. It works fine under the regular flow but if you increase its speed that''s also increasing the strain on the structure, eventually damaging it." This was something I had actually tried over my days of experiments to help speed up the communication between squares even faster, but my squares would simply overload like his were.


    I had an experiment that I needed to test out and this was the most opportune moment I would get before the trials. We burned out the square and the two lines connecting it to the rest of the diagram.


    "All right just to control what could go wrong I will make the lines and you put the square in between them." I said.


    He then guided me in making the connections I needed to make. However unknown to him, I only held the connection temporarily while not pushing the connecting lines into the material itself. After I was finished he put in the square making sure to word it so the mana would flow out at its own natural speed. He pressed what I assumed to be the button and I could see the soft glow of the two line I was maintaining take on the blue glow of a mana flow as I held them in place. Doing this wasn''t nearly the hard strain like it was when I first used spirit magic and I could now maintain it outside my own body with ease. I guess like all my other muscle groups this ability got better with practice.


    The craft produced a rose made in flame. It even had full petals of moving fire and the thorns running down its stem gave off soft wisps of smoke. I was always more of a function over form type but even my uninspired sense could appreciate the finer details of this smoldering flower. The clear ocean eyes of its maker shone with a sparkle in the blueish green. I took this moment of distraction to make my lines of connection permanent. Realizing he had been staring, he coughed and closed his eyes.


    "Thanks man, if you ever need anything just call for me and I will see what I can do." He said putting out his hand.


    "I will, but what''s your name?" I asked shaking his hand. We were in the same group but aside from that first pairing almost 3 weeks ago, we hadn''t taken another session together.


    He stopped and looked at me for a long moment, eventually the ghost of a smile played along his mouth.


    "My name is Jeff and my brother''s name is Andrew." He finally said.


    "Ah the snorer." I said like I had found my long lost nemesis. Having had him fall asleep in some of our group study sessions when going over history or math, I spent the whole time early mornings trying keep a good distance from him when the groups were formed to avoid losing a whole study period to that racket.


    Jeff sucked in his lips like he was trying to not burst out laughing for a few seconds.


    "Yes, that one. Well how about we get you those constructs".


    We headed back towards the tower and this time they were practically lining up to give us the constructs. Apparently, Jeff was someone of considerable renown. Which made sense when I recalled the conversations I overheard on my first visit to the dorms.


    I thanked him for his assistance, after which Jeff said he was headed home. Considering how volatile it was now I got an early lunch of beef stew just in case another incident happened. Then it was time for the lecture sessions. As I prepared my self for the coming napping session, I continued going over the same circles in my head.


    How much I should give away technology wise, what industries should I spin up first, and how far should I go with my abilities to get ahead? That last one was the big one right now. It had replaced the question of how to extend my life span which was about the only major long term planning I had gotten done.


    The history section passed by in a haze of word vomit. After which we got to the survival section, which everyone was clearly more interested in. The grey haired veteran came in and wasted no time with introductions.


    "All right we''ve covered the bigger threat but orcs are hardly the only ones stalking these lands. The most dangerous threat isn''t always the most intimidating one. Case and point: Druids."


    I felt the hair on the back of my head stick up. There were few times in life were I let anger control me and I was thinking about letting this be one of those times. But, arguing with him here would draw too much attention.


    "This is an opponent designed for stealth and subterfuge. It won''t whack you over the head like an orc or take a bite out of you like a mountain troll. They use some foul magic to befuddle the mind and induce their victims to their will."


    A girl near the mid section raised her hand.


    "My mother said they are cruel trick by the elves. Is there any truth to that?"


    The veteran smiled faintly.


    "As an official member of the Front, if I were to breathe any life into such rumors it would lead to a diplomatic incident. I must also remind you that just because druids are only found near elven territory and bring all their victims into elven territory does not mean the elves are responsible for them." He said with a meaningful look in his face. His unsaid meaning seemed to be understood by everyone in attendance.


    I began to feel a tightness around my chest. At first I tried to just dismiss this uncomfortable strand of thought from my mind but suddenly a piece of the puzzle fell into place. From what I recalled of the map, it looked like it was only the elves beyond the rumble. Now that I think about it, why go there at all?


    I was the weak link. The guards had armor that negated the disadvantage of weight which she had clearly seen and I couldn''t match their physical strength, at least at that point I certainly couldn''t. So why go through there at all if it would just slow us down more than them? This would explain why she took me through Dwarves Rumble. It was because she was never going to take me to a human settlement.


    I struggled with this revelation for a while. Going back and forth over the whole incident until I got a nagging feeling that I was missing something. I just chocked all of my emotions down and tried to follow along with the course.


    ".... is that as nature spirits they are partially made of mana. We aren''t completely sure if they can use ambient mana but we do know that their abilities allow them to perform acts outside of the spell frame work. The most prominent is an attack directed through their eyes. If you see a tree moving and folding into a human shape try to burn if before the face can manifest or else your a puppet on their strings."


    A clearly scared man on the bottom row put up his hand.


    "Is there any defense once we look them in the eyes? How can they influence the mind? That doesn''t fall into any of the elements."


    The veteran shrugged his shoulders and put up his hands in mock surrender.


    "That''s just it kid, the four elements have no allowance for such a thing and some how the elv..... their unknown benefactors have managed it. We humans have had experts with untold rivers of gold and countless centuries going over all the possible spell combinations but your guess is as good as theirs.


    As for defending against it, the short answer is none. The long answer is time. Apparently using this ability still drains stamina like any other spell. So, at that point your only hope is to run into a patrol or go together as a group and hope your comrades catch you. Their bewitching abilities wear off as they physically tire so it will certainly be possible to save you if there''s anyone around to do it."


    My mind was a whirlwind of possibilities, going over everything that had happened. Was her multi-colored eyes really a spell going off? Why did she have me go to the river when the Front arrived?


    I couldn''t calm my mind so I just tried to take in the whole lecture but alas even this balm for my aches was short lived. Apparently the teacher was done talking about druids various aspects and abilities because the noise had stopped. I looked up to see he was silent for a moment.


    The veteran then coughed and got a saddened look in his eyes.


    "All right, today''s lesson will be cut short. Just know that we are all in this together and what the Front does, it does for the good of us all." He said and strode out the door.


    "That was odd" some one to my left needlessly said.


    ''Welp any chance I had to study today is shot. Fuck this shit, I''m going home.'' I thought to my self.


    I immediately went out side and waited for a group, staring at the blue sky until a guard unit brought us through the forest. Once we got to the dorms I was getting ready to head to the warehouse but I heard a commotion in the main yard. I made my way past the crowd in front of the reception stalls to see a naked fat man doused in green paint.


    He was running around the tower in a wide circle with a member of the Magical Progression Front hitting his back with a cane whenever he slowed down. It took me a moment before I recognized the pudgy man as John, who I had taken a few study sessions with. I could now make out his soft chin and cheek mole as he came near our group.


    I looked on for a quick second and felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around I saw Jeff, who must have seen the questioning look on my face when as I watched the spectacle.


    "He was found with an orc. While he usually would not be punished, maybe even rewarded depending on his bravery, it was clear their relationship was consensual." Jeff said, with an air of indifference. He didn''t seem particularly upset at the sight.


    I mused on this for a bit.


    "Well I can see why there needs to be a punishment for this" I said as I looked on. There were tears running down his face as his brown hair went all over his bare shoulders and back dripping the green paint over the rest of his body. Which did nothing to hide the bruises and streaks of blood on his back.


    "But this. I don''t think killing someone he is attached too then humiliating him like this will increase his.." I stopped for a moment. The word ''trust'' I was about to use died on my tongue as a revelation hit me like a physical blow to the stomach.


    Apparently Jeff thought I was at a loss for words, so tried to counter my intended argument.


    "Whatever he feels, he put us all in danger with his perversions. Should future mages suffer because he couldn''t keep it in his pants? What about all the new widows from the soldiers dying from the weapons of a crafter orc? His feelings are the last thing we should be thinking about."


    I gave an absent nod, which he apparently took as agreement and turned his head back to the show. I just walked off and ran over the scene of me resting under the tree with Lilly in my head. I did this again and again until I got in the warehouse.


    When I was telling Lilly about my people I didn''t trust her with my history. Not odd considering all the impossible things I would have to explain to her were actually mundane for my people. But that wasn''t the reason. When I refused to tell her my history it was because I didn''t trust her, the obstacle of explaining my origins didn''t even cross my mind. Which was odd considering how much I had trusted her up to that point.


    Our teacher said the abilities of a druid would fade with physical exertion. When we were under that tree we were certainly exhausted. I struggled with the obvious conclusion for a while. My mind trying to come up with any number of absurd conspiracies to explain this information before my harder, more logical side took over.


    ''Come now, Eli. A woman waiting out in the middle of the forest just willing to go on a long, perilous journey for someone she never met. Would you ever be naive enough to believe such a thing? Even if she was that type of person, would you have ever been stupid enough to go along with her in the middle of some godforsaken forest into what, let''s be honest, was obviously a trap? At least without some other inducing influence would you have ever trusted her so blindly? Would the Front really go through all of the trouble of coming up with all of these lies about the druids abilities just on the off chance that you were attending this small lecture of less than 30 people? All based on an incident they have no reason to believe you were involved in. Your smarter than this." The cold voice of reason said.


    You could lie to your parents, siblings, loved ones, and all the highest authorities of man but there were few more irredeemable lies and deceptions than those we tell ourselves. I let this hard truth wash over me like a physical pain and forced myself to accept it.


    So much work needed doing. Crafting, studying, drawing up a road map for all the innovations I would bring to this world, the list went on and on. But I was hurting too much.


    Not angry, outraged, weepy, or even feeling betrayed, just hurt. I went to my bed and laid down for the night, letting this aching pain keep me up for a few minutes before the soothing calm of sleep washed it away.

 Chapter 22: Trials Preparation

    Eli''s POV


    ____________________________________________


    I woke up the next morning with a faint sense of distress. When I remembered what it was I was distressed about, the urge to just stay in bed for the day pushed me down from my attempt to get up. But then I remembered something.


    The patrol.


    When they tried to rescue me a whole patrol squad had died. This memory only made me feel more horrible.


    ''Eli, one step. Life happens just one step at a time'' I said to my self. I had to think about what I would do next, not wallow in self-pity.


    ''All right. Hmmm, the flying shin braces should do fine.''


    Well, flying would be too generous, it was more like powerful jumping. I didn''t know if it would work but my experiment with Jeff proved it was theoretically possible. Since my lines of connection worked with Jeff''s diagram this meant that as long as there was a connection anyone''s diagrams could work with each other.


    Group projects weren''t really a thing with diagrams, as there were too many obstacles to the simplest tasks when you couldn''t see big portions of what you were working with. Sure anyone could use spirit magic to find the square to activate it if the crafter didn''t make the button obvious, but the ''guts'' of the craft were still unseen to all but their maker.


    Collaboration also meant that whatever you achieved would have to be split with someone else. Irregardless of the fact that getting mages to work together is like herding cats, it also has no real benefit. Resources were the main drawbacks in crafting new items, with the human talent mostly being focused on keeping those precious few resources from going to waste. Making improvements to a design took a back seat to making as few mistakes as possible leaving work on innovation as a messy, expensive rarity only the most well to do academy''s could afford.


    What my shin guards did was make it so that the craft would have a line be incomplete around the legs. Since it would have a slight bump sticking out where the connection would be, they could connect it through the air pocket temporarily with spirit magic. It had a series of wind spells that would activate based on which side connection was made.


    Of course just having all the thrust come through the legs was a terrible idea. So it connected to a piece of leather that would fold over the soldiers back. With that I had adjusted its thrust so that the whiplash from the sudden movement wouldn''t snap the users neck. I then activated it and I saw the faint ethereal wisps of pseudo-real wind appear and go into their designated triangles. Then it activated, which left a nice little shower of leather confetti milling about the air for a single second as the device tore itself apart. Fortunately, it was on the wood floor where I had it anchored with a block of several bricks.


    The general idea was to put the various outputs sprinkled around the different sections so that it would distribute the strain on the leather but I was apparently too optimistic about the leathers strength. The other reason was to make it easier to maneuver mid air but I didn''t have the time to work out how to get the leather pieces sown together and reinforced to the point it would be able to handle that many conflicting directions.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I had to make due with having the various triangles release their payload in a single direction with the left leg activating the ones the right side thrusters and vice versa. Activating both the shins guards would activate all the thrusters and a special line of dual pairs running down the spine. These would be for long jumps as opposed to the other functions quick sidelong dodges. I was just happy I could have the whole thing sewn into a single piece, other wise I would have to consecrate it. Which would have meant another long night, not to mention hunting for incense and candles.


    The leather armorer looked at me questioningly when I came to him with a new order of leather equipment and a specially made back piece with extra leather sewn on for the spaces that would be subject to the most wear and tear from the spells. But my money was good so he took the order.


    As I was putting on the last few triangles I realized the fatal assumption that I had made. I had crafting as a magical ability, so does that mean my spirit magic could interact with diagrams in these cases while the average persons spirit magic couldn''t? Fortunately my maid would be stopping by to clean up soon so I could get my answer from her. When she came in I showed her the leather pieces and explained the problem I was having.


    "So would you be willing to help me test whether your spirit magic can connect to a magical item I make?" I asked hopefully.


    She looked excited and nodded vigorously.


    Of course, I wasn''t about to strap the woman up in a barely tested device that could very well kill her so I made a simple water bark craft with the line connecting the triangle and summoning circle dotted with a single hole. She put her connection in after I explained a little bit of crafting lore to her. The shimmering water cube sprang up, although not as suddenly as she did when she practically danced on the spot and clapped.


    I had to admit seeing her move around was quite a sight. She may have had the fur of a goat from her head to her collar bone with grey horns sticking out like bike handles but her head had a distinctly human shape with a snout of white fur running along the nose ridge. The abundant female parts of her body bounced up and down with her movements in a very distracting manner but thankfully she was too busy to notice my slight lapse in concentration.


    "Here, as a reward for your help." I said as I handed her the piece of bark.


    She beamed at me and gave me a bear hug


    "Thank you!" a voice suddenly sounded.


    I looked around trying to understand where that had come from. Then I looked at the woman who had already backed off, looking rather nervous. Taking a chance, I reached out with my spirit magic.


    "Was that you?" I asked.


    "Yes" she responded through the spirit link.


    "Humans seem to be very odd about spirit magic, so we keltons try to be sparing in its use. We struggle to audibly speak like humans, aside from shrieks, yells and certain musical notes, so the impulse to use it comes naturally as speech to us.... but you don''t seem upset." She said, getting less nervous as she talked.


    "I''m fine with it as lo-" I started when she suddenly moved over to the spot where I had been experimenting earlier. She looked over the sprawling bits of leather laying everywhere and turned around to stare at me. She put her hands to her hips and huffed.


    "I swear, every time I leave you alone you make a huge mess. This isn''t even as bad as the forest of bark you leave laying about when making your items. I can only pity your mother, poor creature having to endure this for years on end." She said when she came back up to me, with a mix of scolding and teasing.


    "Mother learned to love her lot in life, as I''m sure you will. The demands of magic are great on us all." I said, trying to convey my most mysterious tone through the spirit link.


    She raised her eyebrows and huffed then went to go out the door.


    "I didn''t catch your name by the way." I said as quickly as I could before she got out of range.


    "I am Salamede, good sir" She said.


    "ELi" I said, shaking her hand.


    She went out to get her cleaning supplies while I headed out to beggar some wind constructs at the classrooms.

 Chapter 23: Trial Preparations (2)

    Jeff was going over his attire for the upcoming bouts. The armor he wore was a full body piece of interlocking plates of metal with special padding around his neck. The helmet in his hand was a custom piece as well, with small holes around his mouth and thick plates around the eyes offering the only distinguishing feature on the otherwise nearly spherical helm. It was one of a twin pair with his painted yellow to reflect his dual element, lightning.


    The item that really made this special was the gloves. On the knuckles were some small mana crystals that would shoot out a jet of water or a spike of earth. He thought about using fire and wind as they were his base elements but decided that having a more rounded kit was preferable.


    The other set was a red armor piece matching his. Andrew''s fire element would be reflected not just in his color but with his sword that had a magic crystal in its handle that would shoot out flames. Not terribly imaginative but that didn''t make it any less effective.


    Speaking of the devil, Andrew came through the door to his room with the plain sword Jeff would be using.


    "All right, lets get going before the armorer skins us for staring at ourselves too much." Andrew said as he handed Jeff the sword. Doing heavy practice before the match wasn''t a good idea so they decided to spend the day making fine tuned adjustments to the armor and light practice.


    Making their way down to the ground floor the living room, done up in the typical thick dark wood floor and stone walls, had all of its furniture vacated to prevent damage. Since the point of the competition was to win, giving away free intel by going outside was not an option. Annie and a gruff looking man with grey hair were looking them over.


    "So, any more adjustments?" the armorer asked.


    "Just a little more give putting up the right arm and I should be good." Andrew said.


    "I''m good now" Jeff said.


    "So what was this business with the silver haired fellow? God knows everyone else had been asking me about it" Andrew asked as his arm piece was taken away by the armorer to be worked on in his makeshift workshop out back.


    "I got him a few constructs for his crafts and he helped me with a crafting problem I was having" Jeff replied as he stripped out of his armor with Annie trying to help him wiggle out of the leg section. ''is everything I do here is under surveillance?'' he grumbled to himself.


    "Hmm, you don''t really like being with any of the other students here, let alone help them. Why him?" Annie asked as she put the rest of the armor pieces onto a dummy to hold them.


    "When he looks at me I can tell he doesn''t care" Jeff idly said to himself.


    "Veronica tries to hide it but it''s obvious she''s curious. Also she has looked us up and gotten a good look at out abilities. All the others are just needy parasites trying to work an angle. But Eli? When we finished he asked me my name. Didn''t care enough about my background or what he could get from me in some scheme to even learn my name."


    Annie looked at him thoughtfully as he talked while Andrew just snorted.


    "Maybe it''s because I''m taking all the spotlight. Couldn''t see you behind this hulking tower of a man" Andrew said looking quite smug.


    "Pfft, your just the snorer to him. Annie, remind me to tell father that Andrew is sleeping in his study sessions." Jeff said with mock sternness.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Andrew got a sour look and sputtered indignantly as the armorer put his am piece back on.


    "Of course, sir" She said, looking at Andrew like a delinquent puppy.


    "When does the trial start?" Andrew said, trying to divert the conversation from himself.


    "About an hour after sun rise. It''s to give the crafters time to give their items to their soldiers and give the soldiers enough practice to get used to their items." Annie said as she stood to the side.


    "All right then, Lets go over your foot work. I don''t want to make it look too easy when I kick your ass" Andrew said as he and Jeff got into position to practice sword techniques.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    "All the Inns are full and we''ve bought all the cows, chickens, and pigs we could get our hands on. The trials are now officially here" Aki said as he went over other items for storage and preparation.


    Tansen sat back going over all of the items in his head. It was all pretty typical for hosting the trials with the long feast afterwards. The biggest disruptions were the participants in the trials. The ranks would be crafters items going first in arena contests with the winner going on to compete in the casters portion, who would then be quickly defeated.


    Through those rounds Jeff as a duel element would win, of course, and go on to the final bouts with him going up against a randomly selected opponent. Then the real meat of the event would start. Scions were tougher and had access to special spells only they could cast, which would have left Jeff as an automatic loss but the scions in this fight were not official mages or developed enough to manifest their familiars so it was actually a pretty fair fight.


    So much speculation and betting was going on behind the scenes, especially in the taverns. Sure who would advance in the caster rounds was certain, as was the crafters defeat in the casters first round but there was a lot of room for wheeling and dealing in-between these facts.


    "Any fights we need to keep an eye on?" Tansen asked his guardian.


    "Not at the moment. Just the typical scuffles between parents who think their kids are all secretly ultimate mages that could only shine if everyone else in the world would stop getting in their way. Although I think the competition between the parents is heating up more than ever in the scions ring. If I may be so bold as to say that Agatha is worried her precious water genius daughter will have her due spotlight taken from her by the upstarts taking up space on her field."


    Tansen gave a light laugh at this.


    "Oh and as always there is the typical complaints about the unfairness of the match structure which I took very careful considerate care of when I put them in the kitchen oven."


    A loud sigh and a slap to the forehead was Tansen''s first response.


    "Yes, putting them against opponents with no consideration of elements or power would put some some of them at unfair disadvantage. But life doesn''t do fair. Who will they write complaints too when their fire aligned spawn gets their throat cut open by a water naga or when their precious wind prodigy gets crushed like a bug by an earth troll? What do they think the point of putting them in this academy is?" Tansen raged, as if he could throttle of all those short sighted fools in one crushing speech.


    Aki only smiled at his charges misfortune, both in sympathy and amusement.


    Tansen calmed down and got to the last piece of business.


    "While it probably won''t do any good, we will need to keep our promise to our elf friend. Put out the word of a big announcement concerning international business. He will be giving the address that will make what we have already been doing here official"


    That last bit was more important than some paperwork. You weren''t officially forced to reveal contracts with elves, but not doing so would irritate some members of the Coalitions government who wanted such dealings taxed. This would be just another item on a long list of their examples justifying the forced turning over of all elven contracts to the government. How they would go about enforcing this rule was something of a diplomatic haze as not even the measures most ardent supporters would suggest telling the elves who they could do business with.


    "Well be that as it may, we have been getting some weird reports. The bandits in the area have been acting up more than usual." Aki said, looking over the latest figures for robberies.


    "No rest for the weary. Weird in what way?"Tansen asked.


    "They have been getting mighty bold. There are even some incidents of attacks in broad daylight but as far as we can tell they haven''t gotten any increased magical power or swelling of numbers to justify such confidence."


    "Get the documents ready to officially put out a bounty on all known bandits, as well as any members of their gangs. It past time we cleaned house."


    Aki bowed at this command and went out to run the figures on the appropriate bounty amounts.

 Chapter 24: Trials Start

    Eli''s POV


    _____________________________________________________


    The Base was located deeper into the forest towards the west. At a single glance you could tell wasn''t a fortress like its two counterparts. The whole assemblage had more of a mix between a sprawling medieval town and roman city. It had a large network of aqueducts criss-crossing the city and a large bowl serving as an arena on a hill in the middle overlooking the rest of the city. While the aqueducts and arena had the same brick less, white appearance of it''s associates, the civilian structures had the dilapidated look of the poorer towns, which gradually grew better and more luxurious closer to the arena. But as I rode into the town with Veronica and her ensemble, the smell getting into the carriage made it clear that the water was not used for any sort of sewage system.


    "Mom, couldn''t we arrive a little later? The scion rounds happen nearer to night. Its not even noon." Veronica complained in the most reasonable tone she could manage, giving a slight yawn in the early morning. She then sipped some of her tea and set the cup down to the side.


    "I would, if it meant we could find a room in any remotely decent inn for the night of our victory celebration. Even without that, we need you to be at peak physical condition and getting there in the afternoon may take the little bit of energy that would make THE difference in the final contest." Agatha replied, moving a piece of blond hair out of her daughter''s face.


    "But the boys don''t worry about that". Veronica pouted. Looking at me with an unspoken accusation.


    I looked at Eska, the black haired girl with glasses, but she only bowed her head in a light apology.


    "What do you mean?" Agatha asked.


    "Ryan was going to spend all morning plowing through a few women. " Mia, the red headed friend, said in Veronica''s place.


    Agatha got a look that conveyed a deep sense of dislike for the subject of this conversation before she got her face under control and came up with a response.


    "He takes his duty seriously, as should you" Agatha said.


    Eska decided to distract from the conversation by dragging me in front of the firing squad.


    "I saw that you brought several items or one really big item, maybe you really are a capable crafter." She said looking at me with a tease in her gaze.


    "So how long has Eli been here anyway? I heard some noise about him being a good crafter and making waves socially." Mia asked the group. They all looked at me with a mischievous air as they proceeded to talk about me like I wasn''t around to hear them.


    "I couldn''t find anything about his back ground but he managed to make a craft on his first day, which was only about 3 weeks ago and has gotten into the good graces of Jeff." Veronica sounded off like she was giving a battle report on the enemy position.


    This drew looks from the surrounding women. Veronica had some odd notions, but the rumor mill said she came with a competitive streak a mile long. Most people didn''t even merit a second look to her, but those who did would have every detail of their lives examined for their coming conflicts as she took every measure to make sure she came out on top, as long as it didn''t interfere with her mornings.


    The other traveling companions seemed to be struggling with what was more odd: that she had deigned to notice a mere crafter or that all of her sleuthing abilities had fallen short in getting my background. Of course, her sleuthing abilities couldn''t investigate what wasn''t there.


    "Why did yo-" Mia started.


    "Its a gut thing. He has a look of determination that shows an uncompromising will when he works. It gives me a niggling idea that he is more than meets the eye." Veronica said, looking at me with a ponderous expression. "Well what I can see of his expression."


    Her hand came up and made a slow motion to remove my veil. I quickly leaned back and put up a hand to block the motion. She pouted in dissatisfaction and was getting into position to try and wrestle with me when Eska gave her a kick in the shin.


    "Enough, although I am curious. Why do you wear that veil? Is the deformity so bad you won''t let anyone else see it even when asked?" Eska asked as Veronica rolled on the bench clutching her leg.


    "For my people, some one who shows their face in public gives the impression that they are trying to lie to us. People mislead, deceive, and muddy the truth when their identities are known because we have a reputation to protect, a livelihood to maintain, and a family name to uphold. It is only when we are faceless that we speak the truth to each other. The only exception would be if it is a close friend in a private setting. This is a sign that they trust us with their most intimate self, in full knowledge of the lies they tell themselves and everyone around them." I replied.This got a long look of consideration from the others.


    "But you can still lie even if your face is covered up." Mia countered.


    "Yes, of course. But when speaking anonymously there is less incentive to do it as your words are the only thing being judged. Also in larger groups this means you can speak the truth as brutally and as uncaring as you wish, with no regard for rank or status. This is the sieve through which lies are culled. Although generally the eyes are allowed since they convey more truth without words." The hypocrisy of me pretty much lying non-stop since I got here and arguing these points was so thick I almost feared the magic in this world would decide to give it a physical form to rebuke me, but I would like to think my extraordinary circumstances warranted leniency.


    "So no ones ever seen your face except your parents?" Eska asked.


    I didn''t have much hope in expounding on the differences between online viewing for the masses and one-on-one viewing online or in the flesh. Nor arguing whether the viewing of entertainment media should be assumed to be a lie and thus invalidates the shame. These differences weren''t all that clear in our own culture and the debate wouldn''t make sense to someone who had never even seen a video monitor or the intricacies of the soul to data debate. So I lied more. If I was going to be a hypocrite I might as well be consistently hypocritical.


    "Nope." I said.


    Agatha cleared her throat and decided to get the conversation back on track before the girls could process what that all meant for how I currently saw them.


    "Anyway, Ryan is not some one you want to look up to when it comes to training." Agatha said


    "But isn''t he preparing for battle just as well as us? Men do get more powerful from sex after all." Veronica asked the group with an eye to me in particular.


    I was preparing a scoff at the question. But she had been the one who insisted on letting me ride with them so I didn''t want to be an ungrateful ass about it. I swallowed the verbal comeback I had been preparing.


    Eska, looked at Agatha with me. I tried to convey a question while Eska seemed to be accusing her of some unspoken charge.


    "Well sex does boost men''s egos which could be considered a type of power." Agatha said, lamely. Eska just sighed and turned to look out the window while I looked askance at the conversation and decided to take in the surrounding woodwork of the carriage.


    Eventually we arrived at a cross roads in the city. I had to be at the arena immediately while they were going on a street to the left to rest at an inn.


    "Again Thank you for your kindness. I wish you all luck in the arena." I said as gracefully as I could manage. They all said a few generic goodbyes as I made my way to the back and picked up my package. I managed to catch a snippet of Agatha coaching the carriages occupants as I made my way into the crowd.


    "Well, be that as it may, we need to go over the latest information on the people who will actually be your opponents. Ryan has recently mastered a rock wall that..". The voice faded as they took off down the smaller side road.


    ''God, why were the witch burners the only people who could comprehend the mystery of sewage management?'' I thought to myself as I tried to keep to the main parts of the road that had been kept clean.


    It had been a long time getting here on foot in the first half of my trip, but the carriage rates had skyrocketed beyond all reason this morning. I would have to whip up something in the future to let me hoof it to me destination faster if I didn''t want to rely on strangers letting me bum a ride.


    ''Hmm, an apparatus like the one I made was built for combat with short quick bursts. Maybe something like a glider with expandable wings or maybe just get a vehicle. I am sure there has to be a way to make an engine or maybe even powered wheels.'' I stewed in my thoughts


    Coming into the arena, the floor was hardened dirt from so many people walking over it. Off to the side was large sign for the crafting students. When going over to them I saw the competition. Well, competition was a rather generous word. Most of the students seemed to be carrying around smaller boxes for regular weapons. A few even had their swords out in plain sight and apparently uncaring about the degradation cause by mana use if the cuts and dents on them was anything to go by. A few also brought shields or larger boxes like the one I was carrying showing at least an inkling of initiative.


    After a few minutes we were escorted through the first floor crowded with eager patrons of the arenas arts. The high ceiling of smooth white with the arches of the outer pillars did not provide any cover against the rising sun. A large staircase on both sides led up to the main spectator section of the arena but we students were here for the large gate underneath the stairs which held the performers for the main show. The passage was well lit with lamps that showed a staircase of grey cobbled bricks, which we went down that eventually opened up onto the main floor of the underground complex.


    It was equally well lit with stacks of cages in the middle holding the tell tale green skin of orcs. They were dirty and had rags that would barely rate as clothing. One of the orcs, a rather fair looking girl with red pig tails got up and looked at the oncoming group with eagerness in her eyes but was promptly pulled down by a compatriot. The right side had more cages with various beasts of both magical and mundane nature. All of these rested on more of the grey brickwork.


    My group was then shown to the left towards a long row of various halls with doors running down their length. Once the whole group got settled in a middle aged man dressed in leather armor with a metal shoulder guard came up to us. He had a short black beard with strong cheek bones below his green eyes.


    "All right mighty scholars of our age, this is where all those books you''ve read meet reality. Down these halls are soldiers who will be using the items you have graced us with today. Let''s get one thing straight, it''s your job to make the item and it''s our job to use em. If a soldier can''t work the sword you gave us properly then I don''t want to hear any bitching about how we screwed your score up instead of your own incompetence." He said. This drew some glares from the students, who clearly thought they were above the smack talk of a peasant. But before he could be put in his place, the man started calling names from a list and directing them towards the various doors.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Eli" He eventually called. I raised my hand and picked up my box from the ground.


    "Room 15" He said as he pointed down a hall to his left.


    I eventually got to the door with the proper number painted on it. Pushing it open I came to surprisingly large room of bare brown dirt. In the middle was apparently my combatant, a slightly older man of mid 30''s with a plain grey shirt and brown pants. He had short brown hair and green eyes with a simple stone block to his left. His tan skin and lean muscular body told of a life of physical labor but not enough to bulk up into monstrous proportions.


    "Oh a big box? Well apparently I''m in for a treat today. What''ve we got lad?" He said, eyeing the wood block curiously.


    I took out and handed him the hammer. He hefted it appreciatively then smacked the block with it. The block was chipped and but the head maintained its form.


    "I like the grip but why make the head stone, seems like metal would be far more reliable." He asked.


    "When you start the swing, press that other finger groove on the grip." I said, trying not to seem smug at what was coming.


    He looked at me with a question in his gaze but did as he was told. When he was in mid swing a burst of fire shot out the back of the hammers head and bludgeoned the stone with such force that the whole block blew apart in a shower of gravel.


    "HOLY SHIT!" He said, once he said it again he finally calmed down enough to talk to me.


    "You know, these rooms have enchantments that help block the travel of sound. Always thought they were a waste of time, put in because some paranoid big shot thought they would stroll in here one day with a weapon powerful enough to quench the sun. But I get it now. Sure you kind of have to let it go once the flame shoots out but still. Wow kid. Just holy shit." He said with eagerness in his eyes, looking at my box like it held the powers of the universe made manifest.


    "I will explain the other functions of the hammer after I introduce the rest of the items." I said. The soldier looked at the hammer curiously but was polite enough to take it one step at a time.


    "This next item isn''t as flashy but it''s for those ''oh shit'' moments where you cant get the hammer in place or dodge" I said. I handed him the arm guard with the connecting long glove piece. Looking at it curiously he put it on and moved it around, clearly not getting it.


    I motioned my arm facing towards the wall and pressed my right hands knuckle. He did the same which caused a wide stream of mud to shoot out of the hole in the middle of the arm guard. The stream quickly dried to a solid mound when it hit the wall.


    "Ah, a hold them in place tool or to quench fires and fight water streams." he said getting a serious look on his face, finally nodding in approval.


    "This last one is a bit tricky. How good are you with spirit magic? Like getting it out of your body and holding a single thought?" I asked. This was the biggest obstacle. The others were pretty straight forward but this one would shine like the sun or just be the worlds most useless leather armor based on the users abilities.


    "Umm I am pretty good with it. Why?" He asked, seemingly a bit nervous.


    I took out the shin guards sewn together with the back piece through long straps, which were far too long before they would be tied up to match the users height. I got into it and thought ''Flow'' into one of the little pockets in the shin guard. I shot off to the side as the man almost blurred in my vision. I barely found my footing as I came down from the few inches off the floor I had been lifted up, now standing several feet away from my original position.


    He looked at me with wide eyes for a moment then cleared his throat. I worked myself out of the item and explained the functions to him as I handed it too him. He treated it almost reverently as he slipped into it.


    "But I have to warn you, doing them both at the same time will send you forward several yards in the air so I imagine you won''t be getting any practice with that function." I said.


    "Yeah, I prefer my skull un-crushed" He said. It took a few minutes but when he finally took off we both cheered as he tripped onto the floor several feet away from where he previously stood.


    "Now for the rest of the hammers functions. Hold it firmly in place while keeping the head aimed at the mud pile. Then press the inside of the small hole then the flame button."


    When he did the head dipped slightly sending it off course but it was close enough to the mud mound that it still hit around the general intended area which it pulverized into dust. Apparently the time it took to change the head was long enough to let some flame out the back if it wasn''t given enough time to make the change.


    "Ok, give it a second or two before pressing the fire stream button. But for the other function-"


    "Other?" The soldier said looking at me like I was crazy.


    "Kid, I''m not sure I can handle much more than these functions in a fight." He looked over the metallic sheen on the hammer shaft against the lamp light only now realizing that the head was already replaced.


    I put up my hands in mock surrender.


    "I know, while you will get another replacement from the head enchantment after that it will take it a bit to recharge. Shoot the head out one more time and then press against the hole again."


    A stone hammerhead came to rest by it''s brothers impact site, the other head having quickly dissipated after it completed its mission. When he pressed in the hole again a large tongue of flame came out. It continued for a solid 30 seconds before it ran out of stored mana.


    The soldier just stared at the molten slag in front of him for a long minute.


    "Well kid, I can''t tell if you''re a genius or just crazy but however this turns out I don''t think anyone can say it was boring."


    He stuck out his right hand with the other holding the hammer to lean over his left shoulder.


    "Time is what usually separates the two when it comes to invention." I said shaking his hand.


    "Any questions?" I asked before I made my way to the door.


    "I typically don''t say this. But with bouts like these some of the mages can get touchy about who wins what matches, if you catch my meaning. That''s not even counting reprisals to your backers" He said, looking at me with something like trepidation as he tried to finish his thoughts.


    "What I''m trying to say is, while I don''t know about all the differences between you lot down here and the caster mages. But a lot of the casters parents are pretty viscous and if a crafter is perceived to be reaching above them I''d imagine they would deploy means to bring the upstart down to their... proper statue. It''s the reason you all have to bring them in boxes as opposed to just carrying them regularly, which until now always seemed stupid to me. I guess we''re both going to be doing some on the job training today." He said, sounding like he was half talking to himself.


    "Well I''m pretty new here. It''s not exactly gonna be some unfathomable mystery behind who these came from. What would you suggest?" I asked, suddenly remembering why I always stuck to anonymous groups online when working in collaborative projects.


    "I am going to cover my self up and register as an anonymous soldier while we can say the guild ''consulted'' on your project. You''ll still get the credit and grade but people may think your just stand in for the real talent when they whisper behind your back." He said, acting like he was trying to convince himself as much as me.


    "But won''t people thinks it''s odd I needed help from the guild?" I asked.


    "It''s actually pretty common, especially for the newer students who do actually need experienced help the classrooms can''t provide. Keep in mind that if this is as effective as I think it will be, then even cutting your credit in half will still put you head and shoulders above your peers." He said.


    Of course I wasn''t feeling so free with my trust these days. This all sounded like a perfect opportunity to co-opt my work. If not just steal it outright.


    "How can I trust that this all above board and your not trying to swindle me?" I asked suspiciously as I crossed my arms.


    He smiled and cleared his throat as he leaned against the wall.


    "Many reasons. The most important is that this is about my neck as well. If we don''t involve the whole guild you and me might meet a few accidents for making their precious children suffer.


    Another is because we can''t really replicate your work without extensive study. Which would mean us having to explain where it is to the academy and your people. And if it got around we just take crafts on a whim the guild would die. No one would ever trust us to handle materials or run sensitive mission''s. The guilds co-operation with the academy and it''s affiliates is far too lucrative to risk it over any number of items."


    I thought about it for a moment. I went over all the possibilities again and again until I realized it didn''t matter. I was graduating irregardless of the grade I got at this performance and I had no need for fame at this point. This was more me testing the limits of my equipment than it was them testing me.


    His arguments all sounded perfectly reasonable. The words went down better with the knowledge that the outcome wasn''t terribly important in the end. My paranoia finally subsided when I remembered they couldn''t see my diagrams, something that still tripped me up now and then. Then something occurred to me.


    "But I thought the academy and guilds were merged?" I asked.


    He gave a shrug and his hands came up like he didn''t know the answer to that question.


    "It''s complicated. There''s a piece of paper that say''s we are a part of the academy. Tansen is the one who makes all of the big decisions now but when you do the same things for decades with the same people in the same place, that piece of paper saying everything is different don''t mean much"


    Ah, a tale as old time. The legal vs what''s actually happening on the ground. I coughed and decided to accept the proposition.


    "All right, I''m game." We headed out the room to the left, which is the opposite of where we entered. It had a large set of iron doors with arrow slits along it and the surrounding wall.


    Once we passed through the doors we came into a large plaza with racks holding armors and smaller weapons. All around us were helpers getting people into various armor set ups with even amounts of leather and metal. The air had the smell of sweat and coal with the occasional soft bang of metal from some armor being repaired in a forge of to the far left.


    At the far end was a gate. But it was partially blocked by a long table the held various stacks of papers and people signing them.


    The soldier quickly went into the sea of racks saying he would be back shortly. I wanted to double check what he had told me so I headed towards the table. From the peeks I managed to sneak in it looked like a lot of the students had the mark of consultation in the column next to their name. I felt a tap on my shoulder to see what I was pretty sure was the soldier I had been assigned to.


    This time he had a steel helm that completely covered his head and a face guard with small holes. He also had a cape that had small coin sized bits of iron worked through in the shoulder section. The only other protection was a cotton jerkin to go with the leather strap shoes. But my hammer and arm guard with its hole in the middle was pretty distinctive so I knew who I was looking at.


    "Speed" I said simply.


    "Speed" He replied. Our discussion of strategy finished, we then made our way to the end of the table specifically designated for the students. Unfortunately we got stuck behind another member of my class. The plain woman with long brown hair was arguing with the soldier she was assigned to in a heated fashion as they signed up.


    "I told you girl, there is no way I am can get my thumb on the tip of the swords cross guard." A burly man in standard plate armor complained to the student as he lifted a spear in his hands and put what I assumed was her large entry sword into a sheath on his back.


    "Just take one of your hands off and-" She pouted at him but he put up his hand cutting her off.


    "Just take my hand off of a two-handed sword? In the middle of a fight? Listen lass, I can use it as a regular weapon but unless the enemy is almost dead I''m not going to be able to use it to shoot rocks."


    She huffed and crossed her arms while looking away, her blue and white robes twirling about with the motion. Eventually we made it up to the desk where an older man with muscles and a full beard greeted us.


    "All right, put down yer names and status."


    I put down my name and checked the box saying I had gotten a consultation.


    "I cant say I''ve seen those items here before. Which of our people helped make them?" The older man asked as he took in the odd stone head of the hammer, the distinct hole in the arm guard, and the weird straps connecting the shin guards to a seemingly useless back guard.


    "We didn''t" The soldier said as he put down ''unknown'' in the section where his name should be.


    "What is going on Jo-" He stopped. As he was about to say the soldiers name, apparently he knew him well enough to still recognize him, he noticed what was written in the name section.


    A long moment of looking at us passed before the grey haired man leaned forward and put his hands together.


    "It''s like that?" He asked.


    "Yep"


    "All right. We''ll see what comes of it". Apparently this was some pre-established protocol because he put the paper to the side and took a fresh sheet before he bid us to get out of line. But before we left he stopped us to ask a question.


    "Just for curiosity''s sake, how far you reckon you''ll go?" He asked.


    "All the way". That simple response from the soldier made the grey eyebrows of the man shoot up. After another long moment he simply whistled and waved us off.


    "I don''t go into any fight unprepared. There are large rooms that hold huge beats that I can try out that other jump function. How did it work again?" The soldier asked me.


    "Just activate both shin guards at once." I replied. The wall to the right of the tables had a stair case leading up to the special section for the students, judging by the sign that hung over the arch of its entrance and to the right of the stair entrance was a hallway. I went to my section and he went down the hall way to where I assumed the bigger rooms were.

 Chapter 25: Trials Start, (2)

    Tansen looked out over the crowd, soaking in the glory of all of his wondrous achievements. He currently sat at in a chair with several other patrons of the arena. The guild master, Mason, sitting to his right was an older man with an array of wands on his belt and two daggers holstered on his hips. He had slightly graying flecks in his black hair with two thick lamb chops for sideburns. This accentuated his dark brown eyes and muscular frame to go along with the scar running over his right eyebrow.


    To his immediate left was Agatha, her blond hair flowing over a brown leather jacket and white undershirt with tight black pants. On Agathat''s left was Ryan''s father, Leeroy. His attire was a fantastically embroidered jacket and pants. The black coloring holding up a large assortments of gold inlaid lions and pads at his shoulders. The new crest of his family, a mountain with a bejeweled blue sky, was put over his heart.


    ''It''s a minor miracle he can support all that gaudiness considering his skinny frame. Although if the rumors of his reveling in the various taverns of late are true, he may yet fill out the clown suit'' Agatha thought. She was looking at him with a hint of disdain but fortunately his hair blocking his right eye prevented him from catching this.


    All three sat in chairs under a large roof protecting them from the shining sun with small tables to their sides holding various refreshments, which were kept cool and rotated by a small team of servants. They were treated to an open view of the rest of the arena, their VIP section having a front row and center position. The whole thing, like the arena, was in a white seamless style but with gold bands around the columns and a fantastic array of gold inlay in the walls of leaves and vines.


    "It never ceases to amaze me how much a little vision can do for the world." Tansen said. He was going over how much this place had changed with the introduction of the academy, reliving every grueling negotiation and painstaking detail of construction planning in his mind. This all used to be a big guild hall not even a third the current size, but with their agreement and some tax incentives from the government they turned it into one of the largest entertainment and magical craft testing areas in all of Palantia.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Indeed" Agatha agreed apathetically.


    "We aren''t here for a class on architecture. We are to settle the superiority of earth magic. More wine, stupid girl." Leeroy growled out putting up his wine glass impatiently.


    "Sorry milord" A maid said hurriedly as she filled his cup. Leeroy sent her away with a swat on the butt.


    Agatha scoffed.


    "Oh please. Waters flexibility and grace put it leagues ahead of whatever rock throwing troll dance you mistake for magic" Agatha shot back.


    They both exploded into an argument at this but Tansen just sat back and enjoyed the surrounding monument to his achievement. He had no idea if earth or water was superior or if any of the elements could be called better than the others. But he suspected that hot headed assholes didn''t need magic to be themselves. For a moment Tansen wondered where his assistant Aki had gone too, it wasn''t like him to be gone for long on a bathroom break.


    After a few more minutes of lounging about and bickering the time finally came.


    Tansen got up and an assistant cast a wind spell that sent the air waves of his speech bursting throughout the stadium.


    "Ladies and gentlemen. While we will get to our main event shortly, we have a special announcement from a special guest." Tansen waved gave a slight bow and moved off to the left as Dior the elf came up from the back onto the center of the chairs. He was dressed in a more casual manner compared to his first visit having a green under sheet with another light brown robe covering his body. The small silver crown on his head told of royalty. Agatha and Leeroy scooted back at this legend made flesh.


    "We come with a request of assistance. My brother is a black haired elf, believed to be in this region but went missing several weeks ago. A reward of this mana crystal will to go the one who finds him" He held out a mana crystal the size of his fist. The tide of greed swept through the crowd with no resistance as the spectators practically salivated at the thought of acquiring this great treasure.


    "In the coming hours his likeness will be on every board of every hall and inn. We expect this to be a quick affair." Dior said. Then he simply left, no ceremony or elaborate magic, just turned around and walked out the back entrance to the VIP section.


    But if he had stayed for a second longer his keen ears may have heard the phrase that would have drastically cut short his work here. Off to the left of the VIP open suite was a silver haired man whose words were drowned out by the sea of furious chatter to all but the most sensitive of ears:


    "Oh shit"

 Chapter 26: The Trials Start (3)

    Eli''s POV


    _____________________________________


    "Oh shit" was all I had let slip out of my mouth before I got myself under control. Thankfully the surrounding crowd drowned out the noise.


    I decided to just focus on breathing.


    In. Out


    In. Out.


    When the elf had come onto the stage I noticed the flowing green robes, the distinctly elven ears and finally his crown, which sent alarm bells ringing in my head that I should know where I have seen that before. It wasn''t until he said that he was looking for his brother that it hit me.


    In the necromancers den, I had run across a pile of clothes that had a silver crown on them. A crown that looked exactly like the one that was on his head. Then Tansen came on stage giving a speech I couldn''t give any less of a shit about.


    My veins flooded with adrenaline and my legs were screaming at me to run. Experience was something that came with a lot of perks and while a lot of my time was tied up in technical work, controlling stress responses was something that came in spades from all situations and jobs. Right now I just had to figure out what was going on.


    ''So the elves are in cahoots with or even controlling the necromancers'' I thought quickly. ''And the academy is helping them''. I teased out this line of thought for a while before I decided that this was a nonsensical course of action if they were knowledgeable to what their missing elf was doing. If they knew what had happened in the necromancers hideout they wouldn''t waste their time with a search for him.


    Not to mention the fact that I''m probably an unknown variable to them, that''s assuming they even know about of my existence. Blasting the disappearance of one of the high ranking figures involved in such an unsavory business was about the clearest way of giving me a heads up, since I would probably put the time of his disappearance together even if I hadn''t seen him or the crown. No. if they cared, or even knew of me, I would have gotten a quick kidnapping in my home on a pitch black night.


    The increase in security at my home was another thing I had to keep in mind now. Another damn chore on my list.


    A cheer went up in the crowd around me, apparently swept up in some proclamation Tansen made.


    With that a gong was struck on the end opposite of the VIP section over-top a large almost cave like entrance. The center of the arena was a bare dirt oval. It had four large stone pillars made up of plain blocks in the middle set up in a square of stone one step above the dirt floor. All around this square and on the dirt floor up to the walls were white circles that I supposed were the dueling partitions. On the edges of the middle and the VIP end of this oval were gates, three in total with large metal portcullises that left the entrance with the gong as a pitch black cave like entrance.


    A grating sound echoed throughout the arena as the gates gradually lifted up. Out from these came a large assortment of armed men numbering several dozen.They waved their weapons and hands as they soaked in the cheers of the crowds. I couldn''t distinguish my combatant out this far but I''m sure he will turn up shortly.


    From the cave entrance came another squad of green skinned people with a few having tusks. They had the same rags as before but also an odd assortment of swords, spears, shields, and hammers. A chorus of jeering and hisses followed them as they made their way to some of the circles.


    ''Ah so is there some kind of bargain for freedom if they agree to be good little pincushions and survive the ordeal?'' I looked on the spectacle in contempt. The orcs may be parasites designed to destroy the human race, but still, to kill living things for a show was disdainful. I had thought this duel was going to be between skilled, equally armed combatants not just used to maul some nearly defenseless saps for an easy and cheap source of entertainment.


    At the strike of another gong there was a mass flashing of blades and bludgeoning with hammers followed by mostly feminine screams. I saw one of the blond haired orcs fall to the ground crying as her left knee was crushed from the swing of a morning star. Her opponent had a bare leather coat with a large metal shoulder guard, the whole ensemble being finished out with a iron cap helm. He just laughed at her pain then casually walked up and crushed her skull.


    ''Very disdainful'' I thought to myself. I could possibly understand this if it was made as a warning to the orcs or to discourage them from attacking in the future. But this wasn''t any worse than anything they would be facing in combat out there in the wild. I saw several people raising mugs at his triumph, so I just sat back and leaned back against my stone bench trying to find my combatant in this melee.


    The round came to a quick end but there were a fair number of orc survivors. These looked to be more in the mid-20''s with many scars both old and new. A lot of their opponents had been injured but managed to get out side the circle before they were finished. Although, I could see two or three limp figures in armor being carried out on stretchers. But judging from the application of the distinctive red healing elixirs they could still make it.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    After a 5 minute breather, the gong sounded and the combatant''s sliced and crushed their way through each other again. The crowd''s jeers and cries of murderous glee reverberated whenever a fighter fell, be they human or orc. The blood lust here was apparently not inclined to prejudice when


    deciding where it could get its fill.


    This continued for a solid minute as these rounds had the more experienced fighters so the fights typically lasted at least several blows. I saw one orc with long black hair get two stabs in before the gladiator took her in the throat with his spear. Some of the humans dueled now, but these matches didn''t have the gory deaths that the orc fights did so they didn''t hold the crowd''s attention.


    Afterwards the bodies of the fallen were dragged off the field. Now there were only a few contests left for this opening performance. Surprisingly, the red haired orc with ponytails from earlier was still in it even as all her compatriots fell. She waved her two scythes in defiance towards the crowd. But from what I could see of her bloody face and limbs, she was worn down from the fights and with two more matches to go after this one, it was obvious her time was almost up.


    When the last 8 opponents made their way to four white circles at the outer corners of the pillars, I finally spotted my combatant. He was nearer to the back side of the pillars which had obstructed my vision of him until this switch off of positions happened. As much as I held this whole spectacle in disdain I would be lying if I said I wasn''t eager to see my crafts effectiveness in actual combat.


    The gong sounded again. This time I had a full view of my combatant as he swung forward against the soldier with a bloody spear. From this view I could see why there were no bouts of flame on the battle field so far. He would step forward and shift to the side while activating the dodging function.


    When my soldier ran forward to swing his hammer the spear man tried to dodge but the hammer managed to clip his spear near the middle, shattering it.The spear men then took out the crafters huge sword from his back and tried to shoot him with the swords rock spell but in the time it took him to put his hand on the cross guard the stone hammer head had connected with his gut. It struck with such force that he was thrown clean out of the circle. If I wasn''t mistaken he hit him with the side of the hammer head instead of the single point of the hammer heads front, which helped keep the blow from being fatal.


    What was so interesting was how my soldier hid his items ability with the move. The way he almost slid into the man made it look like the power of the strike was mostly his own physical strength. Of course, the physics involved were so obviously wrong that everyone knew it involved magic some how. But doing it this way made people think the power of this particular blow was in the hammer, not in his legs.


    The other three matches came to a quick end. The orc girl prevailed over the fighter with the morning star, while the other two pairs eliminated themselves. One fight saw the contestants stab each other clear through in the chest at the same time and had both of them rushed off to the emergency ward. The other finished with a winner but his right arm and leg were so badly burned from his fight with a flaming whip that he forfeited and was also rushed to see a doctor.


    "That bastard. If he hadn''t been so useless the sword would have knocked that hammer out of his hands" I turned and saw the girl in the line from earlier gritting her teeth in rage. The impulse to gloat was strong but my mood was not lighthearted enough to engage in any sort of banter. So, once I lose the contest in the casters rounds the best thing to do will be to just try and graduate as fast as possible.


    My soldier and the orc woman got into the main stage between the four pillars. He actually bowed to her. She was slightly taken aback but bowed in return. A long moment passed then the gong sounded out for the final death of the day.


    She shot forward with her scythes cutting through the air with a whistle. He leaned back and brought up the hammer in a fast skyward swing. It caught her in the right shoulder, the breaking of bones being barely audible even from this distance. Before her arm was broken she managed to throw the scythe at him in the split second it took for the blow to connect.


    The sharp point caught him in the side, while the man yelped in pain he still managed to maintain his composure enough to not give her any openings. They circled each other for a moment, the orc looking like a wounded animal trying to come up with a way to out wit a wolf. A loud series of cries came up from the crowd.


    "Die green skin"


    "Let''s see her brains"


    All the rest of the taunts disintegrated into noise. The orc squeezed her last scythe and seemed to reach a decision. She jolted towards her opponent and kicked a slight mound of sand near his face. Unfortunately for her, the sand mostly got caught in the soft wind and the rest hit the soldiers cloak. She made a desperate last attack towards his neck.


    The soldier just shifted his cloaks metal should pieces against his neck and did another one of those sliding swings as her drove the hammer head into her sternum. Her spine reported a sharp crack with bits of bone sticking out her backside. She had managed a long cut on his arm but with that single hammer blow her time was now over. While everyone else cheered, I saw her looking into the crowd as she lay with her head in the dirt and her unresponsive legs on the stone platform.


    I followed her gaze until I saw John, the portly fellow that had long brown hair and who had been whipped at the dorms. I took in the look of love in the orcs face and John who seemed on the verge of tears as he tried to curl into a ball.


    ''Come on. You can''t be .. Oh sweet alpha cores'' was all I could think as the sickening realization of what I was truly watching came to me. This was just.. Why?


    What was the point of making him watch this? Yes punishments must be meted out, but this was beyond any reasonable discipline. Surely there was a better way to get him to realize the severity of his actions?


    I looked back towards the center of the arena as my combatant walked up to her. She was trying to mouth some words to John but as the hammer was lifted up to the sky only blood came out of her throat.


    A single blow caved in her head like a ripe melon. The crowd cheered at this last display of gore and death with the soldier taking in all the praise as he lifted the hammer in triumph.


    I just sat there numbly. Disgusted at what I had seen through this whole event and the people who set it all up. All the more so that I had helped make this possible. Hopefully once this contest was finished I could slink back into anonymity and strike out on my own once I graduate from the academy.

 Chapter 27: The Trials Disruption

    Aki was coming back up through the back entrance to the VIP area. Over the years he, not Tansen, had been the one who had done most of the leg work in merging the guild and academy into one almost-seamless body. A lot of that didn''t involve paperwork or endless debates over protocols but winning over the grunt level people. Getting these members more amiable towards the academy was what allowed the merger to go through.


    This also allowed Aki more contacts on the ground as to what was happening beneath the bone dry reports and statistics. Today that had proved very handy. The final round of the crafters round had commenced. Weirdly it had been between a surviving orc and a soldier with a stone head hammer. But if his sources were right this was just the first twist of a day that was going to be mired in oddities.


    "Ah there you are. You missed the most bloody parts but there is still one good show left." Tansen called to him as he sipped his gold wine chalice.


    Aki hummed nonchalantly in response. As the arm of the orc broke Tansen looked at his old friend again, taking in his beard stroking, ponderous expression and vacant stare.


    "What''s the problem?" Tansen asked. This also drew the attention of Leeroy and Agatha. Watching an orc die was pretty common for them no matter the setting but eavesdropping on a academy head was a once in a blue moon event.


    "I think we should move the crafting victor to the bottom of the match rung." Aki said after a long moment of consideration.


    Tansen just stared at him for a long moment before confirming he had heard him right.


    "When the parents whined about the representation of crafter students you proposed putting their victor in the third to last round and now you want to change things right at the last possible moment? What brought this on?" Tansen said.


    "There''s whispers of a craft capable of putting that soldier in the top spot. I would typically ignore such nonsense but the source this time is someone I trust. The damn gold lust got me before I considered the problems it would make for us if he won" Aki said, pointing towards the victor as he raised his hammer in triumph.


    "That soldier? "Leeroy asked incredulously.


    Aki took a moment to restrain himself from smacking this witless fool.


    "Yes" he responded in a strained voice.


    Tansen considered this for a long moment but was interrupted by Agatha snorting in derision.


    "I swear, old men gossip worse than young girls" She said as she crossed her legs and looked at the hammer with a light interest. "I will admit putting wind together with a hammer is a good idea, but the enchantment to do that wind effect must degrade the head if he had to make it replaceable. Not a bad workaround but all master craftsman know that having enchantments wear down on your equipment is the sign of a low tier talent in the crafting world."


    AKi looked to Tansen who shrugged his shoulders in apparent agreement.


    "Agatha has studied her talent far longer than we have" Tansen said helplessly.


    Aki just huffed. " All right but if I score with the money I put down on him winning I don''t want to hear of us splitting the prize pool." The older man then came to stand beside his charge as the caster students came in when the arena was cleared of the last body. The contestants made their way to the various white circles on the ground already matched up in previous drawings.


    All of the students were dressed in garb reflecting their element. The few men wore full metal armor pieces colored in the typical reds, blues, greens, and browns. A few of the female contestants wore metal shoulder guards with some leather armor pieces, but most of the women on the field wore flowing robes in laid with a few jewels or gold trimmings to accentuate their elements color. These would be opened at certain places to reveal necklines or to show off the length of their legs.


    "Girls these days. They seem to think their boobs and thighs are what is being judged. We will just have to whip them into shape in the coming months." Agatha grumbled.


    "Ha! If you had been here for a while you would know it''s always been this way. Give most women a stage and the first thing they''ll think to do is show off their bodies." Tansen laughed out as he sipped his wine.


    "Well it''s not like they don''t have good reason this year. With 2 male scions and a male dual element in the offering they will do what they can to make sure they''re as eye catching as possible." Aki rebutted. But as he turned to expound on this point he saw Leeroy looking the the spectacle of bare flesh with naked lust in his eyes. The old man just shook his head and decided he had had enough of this conversation.


    The gong sounded and an explosive whirl wind of wind blades, water balls, gouts of fire, and head sized rocks littered the field. Of course there were no deaths in this contest as the combatants this time around were far too valuable to take such risks. Part of their evaluations would be how they not only performed their spells but also the restraint and judgement in which they used them. The crowd was still equally engaged despite the lack of blood sport.


    For all their caution, this was still a chancy endeavor for the inexperienced participants. Despite everyone''s best efforts, one woman had her thigh crushed from a boulder and two combatants were severely burned by steam when a man in blue tinted plate armor tried to counter a red robed woman''s close range fire wall with a water jet.


    ''Better here than in the woods'' was all the sympathy Tansen could offer them. Despite his icy thoughts, Tansen was still impressed with the students. A lot of them had managed to manipulate mana with their hands and feet. Casting spells with the mana through the mouth was a beginner method to allow them to get used to using mana and spirit magic at the same time but a more mid level approach was absorbing mana in the mouth and having it come out through the limbs to release the spell, which many students had accomplished this semester.


    The rounds proceeded with their up and downs. One woman looked to be on the verge of winning but the earth mage made a hole for her to fall in as she was walking towards her victim sprawled in the dirt. A man who put him self on a tower of dirt laughed at his opponents attempts to spray it down with water. His laughter soon died down when she used the water that had soaked into the dirt tower to knock it, and him, down and out of the circle.


    But the main show was Jeff. The yellow tongues of lightning on the field announced his victory wherever he was. The only person who held out against him for any length of time was an earth user who was able to block the lightning in time with boulder armor but he wasn''t able to counter the intense heat of Jeffs fireballs and the wind assisted movements that allowed him to move behind his rock walls. The bright yellow armor with an almost spherical helm and intricate inter working plates stuck out. Many thought he was the final winner of the contest before the final rounds even commenced.


    It was nearing the end of the day when the obligatory crafter round started. It was a fire user who would put him down. The other round was a wind mage against Jeff, and they had about as much chance as the crafter did if his exhausted breathing before the match even began was to go by. After this round the winner against the crafter would go against a third water user who had won a previous round but had both of his two potential opponents mutually eliminated.


    "All right, l have a match against a scion I need to get too so I will make this quick fella." She said like she was strolling in the park, her sharp cheek bones with make up and long luscious brown hair showing off her considerable wealth as these features were touched up to look unblemished after every round. The soldier was concealed in a metal helm obscuring his face with the iron coins padding his capes shoulder section. He just lowered his hammer and kept the head trained on the woman several feet from him.


    "Is he just trying to surrender his weapon in the first blow?" Leeroy asked incredulously.


    "Nah, I think he will try for a quick jab. He probably won''t win but its the best play he''s got." Tansen explained as he leaned back in his seat waiting for the real combat to start as he settled his gaze on the Jeff and wind mage round.


    The gong sounded and an explosion rang out, announcing the defeat of the crafter. All the attention was on the wind mage as he soared into the air to try and get over the fire ball Jeff threw at him. As the wind mage was coming down over Jeff he ran into another fireball Jeff had thrown into the air behind his back. The fireball detonated about two feet from the wind mage and sent the green armored man flying out of the circle.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A cheer went up, but Leeroy exclaimed loud enough to cut through the din.


    "What the fuck happened to her?"


    A moment of confusion passed as everyone turned to look at the fire mage splayed out, several feet from the circle. Her left side was crushed and she was passed out from the pain as a medical team dressed in white robes with a small coolie hat in the style of Tansen''s homeland that had a red line around the edge. The workers on this team also had veils to hide their identities as they stabilized her and put her on the stretcher. Stunned silence reigned for a moment before a cacophony of questions and demands started flying. A few who had seen it were put on a pedestal by their peers but their regaling was cut short.


    "Silence!" Tansen shouted, killing the noise with that same wind spell he used earlier.


    "Head master, I demand to know what trickery this is." screamed a tall woman with similar features to the now unconscious girl.


    Tansen turned his gaze on the one medical member that stayed behind to look over the soldier who was, unbelievably, spotless. While the mans face was covered by a white veil, his head turned unmistakably towards Mason, the guild master.


    A spell was prepared by an assistant to carry the guild master''s inquiry to the whole stadium.


    "The battle field is unforgiving and unpredictable. As such the people attending to the safety of the contestants cannot give out free information about what they see to us or any of the combatants unless underhanded activity in violation of the rules had occurred. Has the soldier received any outside assistance, used an elixir, or violated any of the other rules of this arena?"


    "No, he has not." The medical team member responded.


    "This is outrageous, we need to have a-" The woman started


    "ENOUGH!" the guild master boomed, his lamb chops and bulging muscles making him look like a wolf in human skin. "If any one is to blame, blame yourself for taking the victory for granted." His array of wands jingled as they moved back and forth from his rage at being lectured to in his own territory.


    After a long pause the combatants got in the middle of the arena between the pillars. This time all eyes were staring intently at the soldier. As the soldier put the hammer down he pointed it towards the water mage, a burly man with long brown hair in blue plate armor. The water mage likewise prepared several of his spells in advance.


    The gong sounded and there was another explosion. As the head of the hammer exploded it sent the stone piece zipping towards the mage. But unlike his haughty predecessor he was prepared and used a water jet to zip to the side. The loud gasps of the crowd were barely audible to the two combatants as they used every last ounce of their brain power to out maneuver the other.


    The mage used his other prepared spell to launch a horizontal slash of water towards the soldier but by twisting around the soldier managed to keep the spell from hitting any of his crafts as it slammed against his cape almost knocking him down. Then the soldier dodged to the side with more speed than any man should have and shot another stone head at him.


    This time the missile managed to clip the water mage in the side which sent him spinning but in the brief second that he was disoriented the soldier ran up and kneed him in the stomach hard enough to send him out of the stone square.


    A wave of cheers descended over the arena as the soldier went to stand in the middle of the stone pillars with his hands resting on the staff as the bottom slowly pushed up as it reformed the head.


    Jeff came up to the opposite end and gave a light bow of respect. A small break of 5 minutes was called to allow both combatants to rest. Water and moist towels were sent out to both of the combatants.


    Jeff took off his helmet and casually strolled over to his opponent as they both sipped the cool water in the mugs and wiped off their sweat.


    "I have one question, did Eli make that?" Jeff asked casually.


    The mug stopped halfway to pouring the water down the helmet holes. This stop, lasting for the smallest fraction of a second along with the silence told him all he needed to know. Jeff smiled and nodded as he put his helmet back on and went to his place on the opposite side of the stone centerpiece before the soldier could articulate a response.


    The brass bang of the gong shook the arena and Jeff took off to the side. While the soldier fired off the stone head uselessly to the spot he had been, Jeff shot out a massive fireball and a whirlwind of air blades in a wide cone to the fire balls left and right. Unlike what Jeff was expecting the soldier didn''t dodge or even move from his spot. He put out his arm guard and Jeff saw something come out of it.


    ''Poor sod, a stone shield thick enough to shrug off a fireball that powerful isn''t going to form in time.'' Jeff thought to himself.


    As the smoke cleared, a small mound of dirt came into view. But the blast of a stone hammer head caught his attention more than the mound. It zipped through the smoke cloud to the right and got him in the right shoulder. It knocked him down near the edge of the stone floor but he threw out a gust of wind that the soldier had to move behind a pillar to avoid.


    Jeff moved his right arm and found nothing was broken, internally at least. The intricately crafted armor blocked most of the impact but now it had completely immobilized his arm as the interwoven plates had been crunched into a single jagged mass with some of its yellow paint scraped off.


    This moment to take in the damage was all the breathing room Jeff got. The soldier was now running nearer to him. Jeff instinctively used his left gloves water jet to keep him back while he tried to work himself out of the ruined armor piece. When the water jet hit the soldier it slammed into the back of his cape as the man had turned to block as he had before. This jet was more powerful than the slap dash effort from the water mage the last round and knocked him face first into the dirt.


    The soldier quickly got up and did another of his impossibly fast moves behind a pillar. But Jeff had just managed to get his arm pieces leather straps unfastened and the rest of the piece off to free his arm. Once Jeff took a deep breath he sent out a wind blade to the right of the pillar that curved in a wide arch towards the enemy. The soldier saw this and quickly dodged. A fireball was sent hurdling towards him but he had anticipated this and used his arm guard to throw up a small wall of mud in the air which absorbed the blow. A chorus of shouts accompanied the spectacle.


    Zipping between the pillars he came up to arms reach of Jeff. Jeff tried to slash with his sword but the wall of quickly drying mud from the arm guard coated him and all the spaces in the joints of his armor. Full immobilized, Jeff could only struggle to suck in Mana as the soldier pulled back his hammer and then sent him flying out between the pillars onto the bare dirt.


    A cheer went up into the crowd, more on the commoner end. The section near the VIP lounge was almost completely silent as the parents struggled to process the fact that they lost. Well their children lost, but they felt equally aggrieved at the upset victor as if they were the contestants.


    "Hah it seems like old men know a thing or two about life" Aki jeered, his brown eyes wild with greed at the absurd amounts of money he was going to be making on his bet. His ears already relishing the expected cries of the bookie as he filled his sack with gold.


    "He''s not guaranteed to win the scions rounds." Agatha shot back, a defense so pathetic she scolded herself as the words left her mouth.


    "Pff, I bet on him making it to the scion rounds. Whether or not he wins makes no difference to me." Aki spat back, a little more literally than he intended. Apparently he had been drooling this whole time without realizing it.


    Leeroy seemed oddly nonchalant about the whole thing while Agatha looked like she had sucked on a lemon slice she thought belonged to an orange. Tansen was deep in thought as he looked on in contemplation with his hands folded over his stomach.


    For the coming rounds the pre-determined break was called so that the victor could rest and to allow for the ambient mana to soak back into the arena. There was a mini riot by the VIP entrance as parents demanded to know who had created these impossible crafts. This mayhem continued until it neared sunset.


    Fortunately, the guild master had anticipated this and had made arrangements when he first saw the fire mage out cold in the dirt. The back entrance and all other areas they would be likely to go were re-enforced with guards and all records of the participants were sealed under the highest levels of classification in safes only the headmaster had keys to.


    As the tide of parents yelling at guards and demanding to be let in reached it''s peak, the gong sounded again marking the end of the break. Some stayed behind to argue but most decided they would rather see the scions rounds than try and coax the guards for hours on end.


    The combatants were kept completely in the dark as to what they were walking into. When the soldier came into view the three figures coming out of the gate were stunned for a moment.


    "Where''s Jeff?" Andrew asked in the twin of Jeffs armor done up in a darker red.


    He was accompanied by a massive brown armor piece to his left. It had sharp corners and certain smooth corners giving off the impression of boulders in the arms and legs with smoothed stone in the mid section with the soft green in the brown but its sheen marked it as being metal. The helmet had a similar dark brown with yellow outlines on the helm which had Ryan''s head partially blocked with its nose guard.


    To Andrews right was Veronica, with a flowing blue robe that hugged her curves. It had small roses and birds embroidered along the slope of the neck line. Agatha nearly spat out her drink at this sight.


    "Those stupid girls. No wonder they insisted on spending the day together. They were getting ready to switch out her armor." Agatha said as she clutched her cup in fury.


    As the three figures walked towards the stone center they each leaned on one pillar.


    Tansen stood up and commenced with the final speech of the day.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we reach the main bouts of our event. For the first time students know that your evaluation will be done privately with several instructors that have been tasked with assessing your performance tonight. But we all know that this is no ordinary examination today. Today we have a crafter who has entered into the scions rounds. Lets this be a lesson to us all that victory is not a certainty in life and we must always push ourselves to our limits, to improve upon our achievements day after day, month after month, year after year."


    A large round of applause went up, mostly from the commoner and a few of the crafter sections. Most of the casters parents looked like they aged considerably from all the lines in their faces expressing rage and sourness.


    "Ryan and the soldier will face off first then Andrew and Veronica will be taking up the second bout. As a reminder, with these bouts the combatants will fight until they are too exhausted to continue and will not be limited on space for their engagement."


    As Andrew and Veronica left the stone center they looked at the soldier with questioning eyes. As the two combatants took their places a light suddenly came from four poles at the four points of the arenas central oval pit. These were similar to the churches glowing chandeliers but far more wide reaching with the whole arena being lit up with a soft wispy glow pushing back against the faint darkness that was creeping in through the falling of the sun.

 Chapter 28: The Trials End

    Eli POV


    ________________________________


    There comes a point when success becomes too successful and ends up looping around back into the negative. It was in the middle of the fight with Jeff that this point came, as no matter how hard I prayed or willed, the wind and fire wouldn''t deign to touch my items. The moment when Jeff flew through the air caked in mud is the moment that it all went wrong. There was the faint hope that the soldier had been exaggerating the parents'' ferocity, but that hope was dashed when they almost rioted at Jeffs'' defeat.


    What I wanted was to have my inventions beat one or even two casters, something rarely if ever done. It would provide a light upset to get noticed but not enough to upset the whole ranking. Then I could move into the good graces of the academy while hiding behind the secrecy of the guilds ''consultation'' to explain away any questions about how I managed to make something so grand. Which would help spread out the glory, or revenge, depending on who was being asked.


    But trying to obscure who was responsible for this wouldn''t work now. My fellow students and their backers would scour under every rock and scrap of paper to find what talent could have possibly produced such an amazing result, whether they were in the academy or guild. If I don''t somehow fob this off on someone else every bitter shrew and peaked at 16 parent here is going to make it their mission in life to bring me misery.


    Well no. I''m probably overestimating my ability to cover this up. I have a solid trail for how I made them so I can''t disown it. Just one or two conversations with the leatherworker would lay to rest any doubts about where it came from.


    Maybe I could put this all off on some mysterious helper at the guild? Some rouge mage in the shadows they could point towards when they directed their anger. It''s a pain in the ass but I may have to resort to using magic in combat and having a gun as a last resort if I want to sell the idea that there is a really powerful rogue mage running around out here. Not the walking, talking technological revolution I wanted but me constantly looking over my shoulders for some aggrieved parents schemes would be a far bigger obstacle.


    My combatant and Ryan were facing off now that Tansen had given his speech and the prerequisite 5-minute break had passed. Frankly, I couldn''t believe I would have such shit luck in this match up.


    The gong sounded and Ryan summoned a big stone club as he dashed towards the soldier. The soldier just waited until the last possible moment and then used his near inhuman speed to dash past him and smack Ryan in one of his legs with the hammer. The living boulder yelped in pain but managed to keep it together long enough to throw out a human head-sized boulder towards his enemy.


    Forcing the soldier away Ryan carefully moved his leg and apparently nothing was broken because he summoned a plain shield of smooth grey stone and used his club to smack against it in a challenge to his competitor. The soldier hadn''t suffered any damage aside from a rough bruising on his left shoulder but he seemed to still be in the fight.


    As Ryan charged again the soldier met him head-on. The crowd gasped at his audacity as he ran headfirst into the sprinting mountain. But a tortured scream of air pierced the arena as a tongue of flame sprang out of the backside of the hammer. Ryan had too much momentum behind him to stop now as the soldiers'' hammer slammed into his shield. The round piece of stone cracked and shattered with a tremendous crunch as a whole section of the rock was pulverized to dust. A loud thud soon followed as Ryan was knocked to the ground.


    The soldier gave him no breathing room this time as he brought the hammer down on the club shattering it as well. Ryan tried to throw some sand based spell to take out the craft but his movements were too obvious. The soldier saw through his intentions and quickly moved to the side as he also slammed the hammerhead against Ryan''s left breast piece.


    With another tortured scream the hammer was brought down and crushed the wide boulder-like pad on Ryan''s left shoulder.


    "I yield" Ryan yelled, as I hung my head.


    This whole match had played out more or less as I predicted.


    Ryans'' earth affinity was the worst element to put up against my equipment. While the flowing water and flames wouldn''t be hurt by the hammer, any stone structures made by Ryan would shatter like glass when the hammers rocket function engaged. The principles behind it were the same as a needle puncturing a much softer material. With all of the energy used to summon the stone concentrated in the relatively small area of my hammerhead, the stone summoned would be much harder to break. That''s also before you consider that all of its kinetic energy in the strike would be concentrated on a single point as opposed to spreading out over a stone structure potentially several feet wide.


    There was also a mobility disadvantage as well. With any of his limbs completely immobilized, there would be no way to effectively counter the wasp-like movements of the soldier, which was something my combatant clearly intended to use to the fullest effect. The only thing I didn''t see coming was that he would still charge at the soldier again. It seems Ryan needs a lot more practice in the field if he wants to be a fighter of any worth.


    The silence pressed down on everyone like a physical weight. While some people were willing to cheer on the defeat of a caster, tangling with what could be the wounded pride of a scion was another matter entirely. Beyond all expectations, Ryan stood up with a delighted expression on his face.


    Once he got up on his feet, he took off his gloves and put out his hands. The soldier obliged him and Ryan looked at the hammer with all the wonder of a child. After a few quick gestures from the soldier, Ryan pressed the hammer in the correct sequence. His swing of the hammer went wild with a blaring scream of flame and the hammer was ripped straight out of his hand into the dirt.


    Ryan looked at the hammer with reverence as he picked it up, then he seemed to remember where he was. After handing it back he shook the soldier''s hand, which was accompanied by booming applause from the onlookers as the two went off to the entrance of one of the gates that had a few tables of refreshments laid out.


    Now Andrew and Veronica made their way to the main stage. Andrew had his sword leaning against his shoulder as Veronica blew kisses to the crowd and basked in their adoration. But what I was paying attention to was the tortured scream coming from the VIP section.


    Thankfully the gong sounded as the bout began. Andrew threw out a quick fireball, followed up with a slash of flame from his sword. Veronica quickly used a water jet to move behind a pillar but she also used it to shoot a quick jab at Andrew. He managed to save his sword from having its enchantment broken but the spell wrought water slamming into the armor overloaded any aid he could get from it, aside from the metal''s protection. Apparently, there was some something he had on it because his face suddenly became red with anger.


    He threw out a long whip of red flame tinted with blue on the edges which curled around the back of the pillar. Veronica tried to dodge but midway the whip suddenly turned jerked towards her new position and left a burn along her right arm. She threw out a whip of her own and smacked it aside with a loud explosion of steam. This left the battlefield temporarily invisible in a white mist.


    A wide spiral of flame washed over the arena and around the pillars to reveal a red suit of armor in the middle of the square. Veronica summoned three water balls and shot them towards Andrew. The first two got consumed by a stream of flame but the third managed to get through which knocked him on his ass and slammed his back into a pillar.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Veronica exploited the opening and surrounded Andrew in a coffin of water. He struggled for a while but his sword got knocked out of his hands and he was panicking as he tried to get out for some air. When his movements slowed the gong sounded again. As the blue prison disintegrated, Veronica threw up her hands as the crowd cheered her name. There was also some clapping from the table that the soldier and Ryan were eating at as well.


    The contenders cleared out of the arena as a troupe of performers came out in red and purple livery to entertain the crowd as the final rounds contestants recharged. Their entrance signaled the surrounding lights to dim even more, adding to the mystique of their show. It was an interesting display full of fire and exotic animals but I was too busy trying to decide on my next move.


    I think something with animal bones for my ''helper''. My main force will have to be spells and maybe a sidearm pistol? No, it would be the best weapon that I could have here and would instantly put me above anything they could throw at me. But any chemical-based weaponry had a major obstacle.


    There were innumerable chemical combinations for explosions with classic gunpowder being the main contender for my circumstances, but going forward it would be wise to assume I will be watched. If they discover what I''m doing with all of these minerals for the explosives they''ll drag me into their most secure torture rooms as they twist the blueprint for the most powerful weapon of their lifetime out of me.


    Maybe an overpowered air gun? Well, that would circumvent the chemical limitations and if I used enough pressure it would get within a range of power close to a chemical-based weapon. Then again, having a tank on my arm or back holding in such pressure would shred me to ribbons if it took a fireball or heavy enough bolt. Regardless of this problem this was still a last resort weapon and making something so cumbersome would be a pain in the ass to carry around everywhere. And if I can''t take it everywhere then it''s not really a last resort weapon. This was hardly my biggest problem at the moment so I just had to shelve it for now.


    The main problem was where I was going to make these future weapons. I had no faith in my ability to keep intruders out. How about an underground basement, leading in from the stone lisp on the water? The second floor was obviously no good as it wouldn''t hide anything to a determined intruder.


    Come to think of it, would making this alternate persona so directly connected to me be a good idea? It might hold off the heat for now but in the future, someone is bound to notice that they only appear when I''m not in public.


    As I chewed on this problem the show came to an end. Then the soldier and Veronica came up from the table. Before the gate closed I saw Andrew sitting to the side of the table clearly uncomfortable as he looked at the winners with a bitter expression as his helmet lay in his lap.


    The soldier raised his hammer and Veronica was obviously loving the attention. When they got to the stone center a tense moment reigned as silence hung over the air. The brass clang rang out and Veronica was off in the blink of an eye. She seemed to have learned from her observation and had decided to not give him any breathing room.


    A massive wall of 15 feet high water came in from all sides of the soldier.


    "A scion spell!" someone gasped breathlessly beside me. So that was why I hadn''t seen it before. The spells of scions were special and far more powerful than caster spells if you had the stamina and mana to use them. They were also kept to a special section only scions could use. Which is why I hadn''t seen this one in any of the spell books I read.


    The soldier looked around and took a running leap towards the wave close to Veronica. This would have been a laughable attempt if not for his gear, which helped push his jump clear over the peak. Veronica looked at him stunned as he landed on one of the pillar heads and quickly launched a stone head at her.


    Veronica managed to gather her wits quickly enough to move but that precious fraction of a second cost her as the head clipped her shoulder, leaving behind a bloody patch of skin and the sound of breaking bone. She clung to her shoulder in pain but when she saw him preparing another missile she launched a large tube of water at him which took the missile head-on. It stopped the stone head but that effort must have expended its mana energy because the deluge of water dissipated.


    Veronica surrounded herself in a sphere of water with a few holes in the back leading up to her mouth to allow air around her mouth. She then slapped a strip of leather on her inner left thigh. I could barely make out the skin slowly closing and the bloody exterior of her wound receding.


    The soldier jumped down next to her and braced against the column. A huge tongue of flame came out over the shimmering surface causing the thing to quickly boil. Veronica, of course, didn''t know about the flame thrower function that I had installed. She had a moment of panic as the shield in front of her boiled and the turbulent wave of superheated water made it''s way to her through the sphere. She decided to summon another massive wave but only from her side.


    He saw this and jumped back up on to the pillar. He stopped the flame halfway up but when he went to remake the head only the lower portion reformed. All of these spells Veronica was using must have been soaking up mana like a sponge.


    Fortunately, she wasn''t in any shape to press her advantage. Her arms and bits of her face had scalding burns but the healing strap had apparently run through its reserve of mana after a few seconds, having only healed her hands and arms before it stopped. She laid in the dirt for a long moment panting as she stared at her opponent with determination.


    He apparently didn''t feel confident in pressing the attack so he stood by waiting for the head to reform. The head completed its reconstruction after a few seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity, the advantage of my crafts low mana costs coming into play. Healing effects function with a much higher level of mana usage, so Veronica hadn''t fully healed as he swooped down to finish off his prey, apparently realizing this was the last head he would be getting this fight.


    She desperately dodged to the side and weaved around the columns as he tried to finish the job. After several elaborate ducks and weaves, she threw up a water wall that zipped behind her. The timing was perfect as the wall only showed the dirt behind it on this turn, leaving the film thin wall nearly invisible. It hit him and all three pieces of my equipment at once.


    The look of triumph on her face was remarkably beautiful despite the burns but it came with a heavy price. She was ignorant of the fact that the head doesn''t immediately disappear with the enchantment and took a hard thrust to the gut. At this last blow, she threw out a solid ball of water that slammed him into the side of a pillar.


    Veronica landed on the cold stone and didn''t get up to gloat about her victory. But neither did my combatant. A long second passed before a flurry of white robes flooded the field. The whole arena buzzed with chatter before the medical head stepped forward into the VIP section and whispered a report. The blond-haired woman in the VIP section looked like she wanted to either explode or cry and was deciding on who she should deliver the verdict too.


    Tansen stepped forward and the assistant remade the wind spell.


    "It appears we are treated to one last upheaval in today''s event. The head of the medical team says both gladiators are down and out cold but the observers can''t decide on who was rendered unconscious first. So for the first time, the final match for this year will be considered a draw. Thank you for your attendance."


    The uproar from the crowd was deafening. I was concerned that there might be a riot but the reaction was so varied that the crowd couldn''t come to a consensus. Some of the casters'' parents were yelling or silently hysteric, while others just sat numbly staring off into space. Most of the peasants were just grateful to be here witnessing this upset first hand and couldn''t wait to regale their fellows in the taverns and family tables about the sure to be legendary bouts.


    I just sat there trying to decide what I should do next. But it was getting dark and I was going to need to get moving if I wanted to get home at a reasonable hour


    Eventually, the lights slightly dimmed and the people shuffled out of the stadium. I followed suit and made my way back home. It was a pretty bright night with the stars and all the heavens lit up in a tapestry of stars which I couldn''t help but look up at every now and then. The next several days should have some downtime from the classes as all the teachers went over their evaluations. Whatever fall out from this will be what it will be, I just need to maximize the free time I have now.


    As I walked in the dark I eventually decided it would probably be better to take the coming storm on the chin and try to find another solution. They won''t kill me, I think, and trying to lay the blame on some mysterious mage would just make it more obvious that it''s me when the coincidences of appearances and disappearances start piling up. That wasn''t even considering any problems such a story might make at the guild. But if the bullied crafter kid spends all his time alone at his house to avoid the mean kids and a powerful mage turns up far away, how likely are people to connect those two? Not very.


    At least, I can still affect change this way.

 Chapter 29: Preparation

    Eli POV


    _______________________________________________


    Once I got home, I changed into more typical peasant clothing with a large empty sack on my back. I then walked about the streets and rummaged through the trash of several butchers. Fortunately, everyone who was still awake at this hour was too busy telling their view of the legendary bout to any who would listen to keep an eye on me so I was able to pick up a lot of bones and even a deer skull with horns without drawing attention in the dark alleys.


    When my bone fetching was completed I headed back home and laid the bag of bones on the second story. Then I just slept away my day''s worries.


    The next morning I got my breakfast at a local food cart while shopping for some metal bars as I don''t want to alert any soon to be spies of what I was making in the future. But I had to focus more on my immediate needs as I headed home to experiment on a few more bark crafts. However, these would have to incorporate dual elements if I wanted to keep my involvement in it


    Dual elements functioned a little bit differently than the base elements, that and the rarity of anyone born to use them, meant that their principles and all their spells weren''t fully explored. The first was that they didn''t require a summoning circle to use in their enchantments. The mana construct was put over the triangle instead and that was then fed mana. The big difference between the four is that only lightning could summon the material used. The others wouldn''t just let you summon the raw material, it had to be provided beforehand to be manipulated.


    So I made the plant bark craft and placed some grass over it. I had the bark pieces manipulate the grass into becoming vines that grow out into a simple square. But the vines quickly withered when the ambient mana ran dry.


    I experimented on it for a while and theorized that if I could supplement the plants'' nutritional needs that it might lower the mana costs to sustain it. After going out to the fishery I looked at some of the soil where they dumped the leftover fish parts. Looking over the dirt it had a rich darkness to it that must have everything any plant could ever hope for. On my way back I saw several parents fighting and haranguing other students.


    "Is he the one?" A bearded man shouted at another man in a leather jerkin who was shielding what looked like his son.


    "Did any of you make the volcano''s strike?" a nearly hysterical woman screamed at a small group of younger women in the schools'' robes. She had long brown hair and was dressed in an expensive green dress with white frills. But she seemed disheveled in appearance despite her finery.


    The crafting students had run into the distraught mob of casters'' parents. Now the nobles were shouting, cursing and even in some cases fighting as the local guard tried to restore order. Fortunately, I seemed to be imposing enough for the aggrieved mob to let me pass.


    It occurred to me that it probably wasn''t a good idea to make a very powerful hidden identity while I was too weak to survive with my known identity. Of course, making these two arsenals would require a place to make them. As I stepped over a squabbling pair of wives pulling at each other''s hair I went over the best way to go about digging out and hiding my little workshop.


    Once I got back to my warehouse I used another bark craft to shovel into the stone lisp about a good foot above the waterline. It was surprisingly easy as the magic of the craft did the heavy lifting of breaking apart the stone as I scooped the broken bits away inch by inch. The biggest obstacle was when it absorbed all of the surrounding mana and I had to supply it with the mana produced by my body.


    Pushing in further, I got underneath what I guesstimated was the middle of my home''s wooden floor on land. Since suffocating would get in the way of my concentration, I used a hole spell to put several small openings into the floor just underneath the wood boards near the dock ramp and a wind enchantment near the entrance that would pull in air through one side and push it out the other. I laid my sack of bones in a corner and want back upstairs.


    When I looked out the window it was pitch black and I realized I had let myself get carried away. I slept like a baby that night. Waking the next morning I golfed down a large breakfast to make up for my missed dinner and went to my workshop to work out some new ideas.


    This would be harder than the more outrageous bone crafts I''ll be making. I had to get by on a set up that didn''t use any of the dual elements but met my high standards for protection while not relying on principles that were too exotic. It also had to meld with my fighting preferences, which was not fighting at all.


    If the enemy can still fight after the first blow it was doing its job as a maiming tool to make way for the real killer weapon that would soon follow. If they''re capable of seeing me it''s just a failure by my regular standards. Maybe it was my fighting style that enabled me to live this long or maybe it was my long life that shaped my fighting instincts? I have never really given it much thought.


    But such indirect methods may not be feasible here. Without any radio communications or drone equivalents in this world, I can''t use my typical kit. Those would probably draw attention from the necromancers agents anyway. If they had penetrated the ranks of the mythical elves, the human system didn''t have a prayer of resisting infiltration and I was working on too little information about them to start bringing in otherworldly items. For now. Still, I should be able to keep the fight out of arm''s length at a minimum.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The first idea to come to mind was a sniper rifle. No. I need to stick to mostly magical concepts that could be easily explained if I want the spotlight that''s coming for me to ever fade. Trying to explain all of the concepts in such a long-range weapon would be too much. Eventually, I will rise to prominence but it needs to happen when I have a more powerful backing to support my future industrial plans.


    Maybe a shoulder-mounted cannon in the same vein as my stone hammerhead? Well it''s going to be putting all of the recoil on my shoulder and I am not as strong as that soldier was, so the odds of such a set up tearing my arm out of its socket were high. That design was also front heavy and relied on a large setup of cushions to make the ricochet bearable which leaves it unsuitable for long-ranged attacks. As a mid-close range closer, it was perfect but I didn''t intend to get that close.


    A design presented itself and was similar enough to most fireball spells and other crafts in this world that I could probably get away with it. But what would I use as ammo? Pure flame wouldn''t have the kinetic force it would need. Stone was the most obvious choice but I didn''t feel like that was enough. Cannons needed some explosive element to them, an entirely arbitrary requirement but we had to have some standards in our lives.


    Superheated stone melted down to lava? It could work but how would any of the material handle that level of heat? I thought about it for a while and decided to go with the design principle similar to my arm guard. It would be a wooden tube a little wider than my arm about 4 feet long with a copper inner-frame dotted with holes to allow the summoning enchantments through while still protecting the wooden body. There were alternating triangles of earth summoning and superheated flame to turn the brick into a near lava-like consistency.


    After growing and shopping for the pieces, I assembled my latest creation on the dock overlooking what I had dubbed the ''pool'' area of my home. I was sure as hell going to be near water while working with this much heat.


    I looked in the back end, from a safe distance of course, and saw the red hot brick floating in the middle. It occurred to me that the flame shouldn''t work as there would be no way for the chemicals to react as they materialize in the stone and for that matter, it shouldn''t have worked in the water either. Maybe the chemicals used were summoned mid combustion instead of being ignited in the infinitesimally small fraction of time after summoning?


    ''Focus Eli, there are far more interesting puzzles and mysteries to ponder over if you want to waste time.'' I scolded myself internally.


    Unfortunately, the cannon started smoking. I quickly used a water spell to overload the enchantments. Freed from its constraints the brick fell onto the bottom of the cannons shaft and slowly started burning through. Sighing I knocked the failure into the water below and went out to get a replacement. Working with metal magically was such a mana intensive affair that it was better to just get the cheap replacement from the smith.


    For this prototype I had the metal frame come with a few extra holes. I decided to use air enchantments to make the air around the brick denser while having this heated air flow out the front. This time it didn''t start smoking even after half an hour. So then I installed some manipulator enchantments.


    These used a special triangle type that I had read about in my previous days of studying. It didn''t take any input from a summoning circle, in a manner similar to a dual element craft, but instead manipulated the material that passed through a certain predetermined area. This was mostly used for construction tools or in moving large gates in the wealthiest cities. It also had the complication of needing more mana based on how far the object was or if it was fighting the items'' natural momentum.


    I had a long line of them set up to move any stone in their field to their left or right depending on their orientation at the highest speed they could. The trick was to have the front end enchantments fire first so they could be primed to increase the speed of the projectile before it flew out of the barrel. This time the brick flew out into the side of the stone lisp and gouged out a chunk of it, and splattered on the surrounding stone. The slag then fell into the water and let loose another explosion as it hit the water.


    I felt some pride at my achievement but in truth, this was something that had already been done by the crafters in this world. Large barrels working on similar principles had replaced this worlds catapults but came with severe limitations. One was limited range, they couldn''t clear most walls as their ammo would lose cohesion and get tossed away by water or wind magic. When installed on top of walls they could fire in the general range of several hundred feet. The second was the sheer cost of making so many mana constructs from different elements together into a single device.


    But the biggest drawback was personnel. Anyone with enough ability to work such a device was typically valuable enough to not be put in the line of fire operating such a hazardous position. The giant barrels were a magnet for the enemy''s magical attacks as disabling such a weapon was usually high on their to-do list.


    Slap on an outer metal shell to help absorb external damage with the brick placed further in the back so that it wouldn''t melt my shoulder if the device failed and my baby was finished. Well the main portion, I still had to make a handle imbued with the connection with a hole that would let me fire it when reconnected with spirit magic and the leather strap to allow for the smooth motion of quickly firing it from my shoulder. This invention would be a considerable achievement but still well within the margins of limited success that I was shooting for, as long as no one got a hold of it and noticed that it would keep working after being hit with a spell.


    It was getting late and I had been working all day, so I made my way to the hammock. My ''life'' story was already worked out so I just needed to squeeze as much construction time as I could out of these next few days if I wanted a full kit that would satisfy me. I swirled in the sea of ideas for a few minutes before my world gradually went dark.

 Chapter 30: Evaluations

    Tansen was looking over the wall onto the surrounding town, appreciatively rubbing the smooth stone. The soft breeze played across his goatee as he went over the past few days.


    ''a complete disaster'' was the most accurate summation of these past few days.


    The whole trial incident hit the academy at its weakest point, exposing the fragile glass core for any who would care to look. The caster families demanded to know who had the audacity to surpass their precious spawn and damage their prospects. The parents of the fire sorceress and water mage were among the most hysterical, as they had somehow convinced themselves that their children would have been the one going up against Veronica, and won no less, if not for the trickery of the crafter.


    But the guild used a special protocol to hide the name behind an impenetrable wall of secrecy and bureaucracy until the guild head, Mason, felt the parents had calmed down. Since they had the most non-magical humans in the academies operation they were the group who depended on the crafters the most. With the parents trying to interfere in guild operations by essentially demanding a crafter to be handed over as a sacrifice, their stupidity had opened a gaping wound in the roughly stitched together body of the academy and guild as the latter felt its space was being pushed upon by a hostile force.


    But worst of all was Agatha, she was the sole head of the Fronts operation here and for the past two days she had effectively cut herself off from everything. This communication blackout had basically rendered huge portions of the academy''s own staff useless as their chain of command required Agatha to sign off on their pay, acquisitions, and field operations.


    ''Well, one things clear, going forward I''m getting more people who answer only to me. I put off the staffing problem for too long and let myself lean too heavily on external help.'' Tansen thought idly to himself. Surprised that after all of his achievements and experiences that he could still be so foolish.


    The only one in high spirits was Aki. His winnings proved so ludicrous that he was able to bathe naked in his golden winnings. A sight Tansen had the misfortune to bear witness too just this morning. Suppressing a shiver, Tansen made his way down the wall stairs to the main gate where a carriage and Aki were waiting.


    As headmaster, he rarely left the dorm area except for the end of the semester. This academy was his baby and part of maintaining it was making sure his graduates were up to snuff. So at the end of the semester, he would personally go over the students'' evaluations. This would determine if they could fully graduate or be bumped up to mages in training.


    His practice was considered eccentric, going far beyond what the other heads of academies would ever consider doing. But this practice was a part of his decision in moving the best academy on this continent to such a backwoods crapshoot. All the academies were assigned to teach their territories magical talents. This meant that the academies of the richer western region had far bigger facilities to accommodate their larger number of students. It was these schools that provided the flow of thousands of magical talents needed to keep the veins of the Coalition pumped with fresh blood.


    But when Tansen came to this land and looked at this setup he saw an incredible opportunity. If there was an academy that focused solely on quality over quantity, they would quickly rise to the top of the pack. Given the framework of an academies'' obligations, this academy would have to be located somewhere the students would come in a small enough trickle to allow for his personal oversight. This weaker region also came with two benefits: without the exorbitant expenses associated with living on the coast, he could go that extra mile in providing for his students which would break the banks of any other academy. Also, the lower mana levels of the area allowed the students to safely get more hands-on experience than their counterparts who lived in regions with powerful monsters.


    After buying a rundown academy from the previous head who couldn''t have given any less of a shit about anything beyond his next bottle, a river of gold was poured into the facilities and replacing all of the dilapidated woodwork with specially made stone buildings crafted with magical tools. Results speak for themselves, and over the course of time, the right people began to notice that the people coming from the Diamond academy were a cut above the others.


    The casters always knew how to craft, the crafters always knew how to mold their items to best fit their customers instead of just making generic trash, and all of them had a strong working knowledge of magical monsters and how to dissect them derived from some experience in the field that those students in other academy''s lacked. Of course, some Diamond academy students just laid about doing nothing or didn''t care to put forth the effort during their stay, but these would never receive the stamp of the guilds'' official approval as they soaked up their parents'' tuition money year after year.


    Once that first senator put up the expense of getting his daughter here, the flood gates opened.


    Aki gave a light cough which pulled Tansen out of his meanderings.


    "How did your talk with the military recruiter go?" Aki asked.


    Tansen huffed unhappily at the question.


    "The only combat experience that man has is the brawl for the last buttered roll at the buffet table, I''d stake my life on it. Probably some general''s cousin''s aunt''s precious child so they got his plump ass some easy position where he wouldn''t have to ever do anything actually important. He gave some excuse about ''no real-world military applications'' and promptly left for the Bulwark." Tansen said, his voice betraying no attempt to even hide his sourness.


    "Well, he''s not completely wrong," Aki said,


    "Maybe, but to not give the person with the vision to make such fine crafts even a chance to prove themselves is just negligent. I suspect that it was being known as the guy who brought in a crafter more than anything else. Musn''t let things like new possibilities for the magical world get in the way of mommy''s praise for his spotless record. Of course, I sent out a complaint letter to the local military mage branch to try and get a second opinion but spirits know they''re struggling to keep up with everything as is." Tansen finished


    "Speaking of that great crafter, people in the records room are starting to piece together who made the volcanoes punch," Aki said, looking out the window.


    "What?" Tansen responded


    "The thing that put all of our lives through hell these past few days," Aki replied.


    "Oh, well, things to be more precise. They had multiple crafts. Besides I don''t think you''re having too rough a time of it if your morning activities are anything to go by." Tansen teased.


    Aki looked back at his younger friend and huffed. "It''s just to mask the pain. I assure you my ears are still ringing from the banshee wail of that fire user''s mother."


    "All right enough dawdling, tell me who it was," Tansen said, the first bit of eagerness he felt in a long time coming out as he leaned forward on his bench.


    "It''s that new kid who got into a not-scuffle with Ryan. Not that it''s hard to see once you know how new he is to the academy and the fact he isn''t from around here. A few of the parents are starting to pay attention to him, so I''d imagine the guilds hand will be forced soon."


    "Ah, so why have his backers not come forward to gloat? God knows most of the parents did before the trials even began." Tansen asked.


    "That''s just it. I don''t think he has any backers, at least not ones that are present. I haven''t gotten word from anyone whose even seen him before he came here."


    "How can we not know who his backers are? What about the records?" Tansen asked


    Aki put up his hands defensively. "This is the first time this problem has come up. Magic talents are so rare that the people who nurtured them will come forward and make their names known without our prompting. Clearly we will have to make it a part of the signup process in the future."


    "Clearly" Tansen replied.


    "It won''t make any difference here anyway. With the academy shut down, I can''t dispatch a messenger to tell them about their prodigies performance in the trials." Aki replied.


    "We''re not shut down, we just have a systemic staff .....hierarchy issue right now," Tansen replied icily.


    "Yeah right. We just have about 90 percent of our networks and functions rendered useless. That''s totally different than being shut down. People who spend their time playing word games would be better off trying to find a solution to their failures, instead of trying to blur the lines with bullshit." Aki responded to his younger friend.


    After a long moment, Tansen sighed and nodded in agreement allowing the rest of the ride to pass in silence.


    The dual structure of the classrooms came into view and the carriage stopped at the large entrance doors. As he came in the staff bowed as they went about their various tasks.


    Making his way up the staircase to the highest floor was the evaluation area. It took up the entire right side of the floor. The smooth white stone left only a door on the immediate right as you came off the staircase. Going through the door lead through a long hallway with small rocks wrapped in leather, which had another door on the right. In this big room were more of the leather-wrapped rocks and a long table with a row of chairs, with some straw dummies further behind. All of this inner stonework was done up in the same white seamless style in contrast to the more grim grey brickwork of the rest of the building''s interior, although the floor still had the plush red carpet.


    These rocks held wind enchantments that would deaden sound like the crafting pods, helping to make sure the private evaluations stayed private. The thicker white walls made the room seem smaller than what the size of the building''s floor would allow for, making it another layer of protection from prying eyes. Tansen sat down in the biggest chair in the middle with Aki taking a seat to his right. A knock was heard from the door.


    "Are we ready to begin sir?" the short-haired blond asked, as she poked her head through the door.


    "Yes we are, spirits have mercy on us all." Tansen said, signaling the beginning of the deluge. The crafting master came in at this. She was a short woman with long grey hair, her green eye and glasses coupled with her weight gave a look similar to a toad disguising itself as a woman, or maybe a woman trying to disguise herself as a toad. This was still a matter of some debate in certain circles.


    After a few hours of going over the crafting students Tansen was getting bored. It all went through the same motions. Students arguing that just because their crafts damage their material it shouldn''t mean that they get penalized. Most of these were clearly destined for an existence barely different than that of a magic-less human once their parents'' patience or money ran out. But a few had put in the effort and would make something of themselves, especially now that they were mages-in-training allowing them access to the Base and all of its opportunities. Their crafts displayed a competence that would pass the Diamond academy''s high standards as they showed off a variety of flaming swords, wind assisting bows and various assorted goodies to Tansen, Aki, the toad woman, and the judge assigned to monitor the performance of their items during the trials. While the trials were over, the guild insisted that the school be in charge of inspecting the gear students would bring for their work at the Base and only the items they showed here would be allowed on the premises until they had gotten settled in with the guild.


    Then someone walked in who blew the rest out of the water. He had a metal tube sticking out over his back that had a leather sling over his shoulder. His armor looked like a patchwork of brown leather armor at first glance but on closer inspection, there seemed to be a method to the madness. The reinforced patches on the hips of the leather jerkin and the thighs of his leather pants were too symmetrical to be put on as a slapdash effort. Anyone who had seen the leather items used by the crafting victor in the trials would immediately recognize the similarities.


    The helmet was made up of an interlocking iron neckpiece with wool put snug up against the neck. This piece was holding a spherical helmet covering the whole head. What made it interesting was this iron helm seemed to be crying as the holes provided a distinct pair of eye sockets with a strap of leather around them while two thin lines of metal ran straight down past the chin.


    Aside from the tube he also had a leather glove on his left hand and what could be a club in his right hand. It had a long metal shaft with four thick rings of copper around the shaft. A light bow and the previous students judge left to allow this new student''s minder in. The woman was the same short brown-haired woman who had been assigned as the scions'' group leader and who had insisted on being his monitor for the trials. Tansen took a deep breath and scrunched up his face in concentration, which accentuated the ridges running down his forehead.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "My people are wise and learned about the world, as such we are blessed with insights that pass by the dimmer eyes of more ignorant peoples. Drawing on our ancient traditions of deduction and reasoning I believe I have pierced the veil of secrecy and see that you are the one who made the crafts that upset the trials." Tansen said, in a lighthearted manner.


    The minder gave a bemused smirk. "Your people are truly enlightened. If only we all were blessed with such vision. Sorry for making you wait, but for obvious reasons we thought it would be a good idea to have him equip them in the hallway out of sight." She said stoically as she sat in her chair on the far right of the table with Aki between her and Tansen.


    "Time is the only resource I can''t stand wasting, so let''s not waste any of it here. You''ve passed, obviously. Once you finish the survival course you will officially be named mage in training as long as your other supplementary courses are done." Tansen looked to the judge for confirmation.


    "Ah, he still needs to finish the history lectures and a magical etiquette course. But once that''s done all of his other courses can wait till he is near graduation." She responded with Tansen nodding in satisfaction.


    "There''s no point trying to give you ideas on crafting when we don''t even know how your trial items work. Of course, getting you to divulge such information would break just about every written and unwritten rule of the magical world, but do know that we will need a demonstration for these new crafts if you want to become a mage-in-training. Also, for getting a draw in the final round of the trials you will also receive an official commendation from the academy and a prize of 100 gold coins. " Tansen said as the corner of his eye told him the crafting master to his left was rubbing her nose irritably at the treasure trove slipping through her fingers.


    "Oh? I didn''t know there was a prize." Eli asked.


    "Well, we try to keep the prize out of the picture when it comes to competing in the tournaments. Glory and recognition are what we emphasize to the students as well as a few other prizes. But now, if you would?" Tansen said a little bitterly towards the end as he thought of the stubbornness of magical associations. Guaranteed entry into any magical association of the victors choosing was another unspoken prize of the trials, but if Eli didn''t know about what he was being denied then Tansen saw no reason to sour the boys'' mood.


    A light nod was all the student said in return. He went by the table towards the straw dummies in the back. As he took the rings off his club Tansen noticed that the staff had a few empty lines running down it with some rope coming out somewhere as he put them into a line on the floor. Once Eli moved out of the way when setting the first one down it became obvious the bottom half of the rings appeared to be hollow to hold a long line of rope with each having bits of a different color about 3 feet apart. The small painted rings were blue, red, green, and yellow. When he came back towards the table he pressed on the handle and a light shower of lava spray came out of the rings through their small holes on the outer topside. The spray came out in a wide cone with the stone plopping on the bare floor as it gradually cooled.  Finally, the small bits of melted stone disappeared after a minute as their enchantment had the stone scheduled for a short lifespan.


    Everyone was stunned for a second but the crafting master recovered first. Her green eyes went wide as she ran to the student.


    "How?" she asked.


    "The top of the ring has an empty chamber that summons-" The crafting master cut him off.


    "Yes, yes. I can imagine several ways to do that part but how did you manage to set it off when you had already pressed it?" She said as the student handed her the staff.


    "The squares in the grooves of the handle react to grades of pressure instead of just being pressed. The bottom of the shaft has a lid that you lift up which has another square that will activate an AND square that will trigger the mines if you squeeze hard enough." He said, his voice partially giving a slight reverberation from its metal cage. " The range is about 100 straight feet of rope for each ring."


    The woman looked impressed and looked over the staff with its multicolored fingers of the grip one last time before returning to her seat.


    "As impressive as this all is I would caution you against relying too heavily on stone and fire. Those elements are great for weaker enemies but there is a flexibility to wind and water that the other elements can''t easily match, at least not without using far more mana. To say nothing of possibly running into a stone or fire-based monster." Tansen cautioned.


    "I know, which is why I have this" Ei said, holding up his leather glove.


    Suddenly a square wall of water appeared about 5 feet high and wide in front of him. When Eli walked up to one of the dummies it went over the straw dummy but kept it in the square as it expanded over the dummy. When he moved his hand further away it picked the dummy off of the stand and kept it inside the shimmering prison.


    It wasn''t as flashy but the technical side of it was just as intriguing. Eli explained how it was using multiple water enchantments, the first of which would just summon the water. But as the object pressed against it, it would summon more water to try and keep the original square shape. The other enchantments would then try to hold the shape of any water that fell into their field. It wasn''t perfect as any outside water could quickly drain the enchantments mana reserve but still, it was a phenomenal tool.


    "Excellent, young man." Tansen said impressed despite his best attempt to appear as the aloof master who had seen it all before.


    "Thank you, but I have to admit I got this idea from Veronica''s performance. But the helmet piece is an original idea." Eli replied


    "The concept behind this piece is that it uses the leather strips inside the metal lines on the helmet to channel a large amount of mana from the batteries in the neckpiece to the leather straps around the eyeholes to emit a noise so loud it bursts the target''s eardrums, maybe even knocks them out. But I don''t have any subjects to test this out on."


    None of those present were willing to sacrifice their hearing for the advancement of magical crafting so they decided to just take him at his word.


    After demonstrating the hand cannon on another defenseless straw man, the judges were quite pleased with the explosion and more so by the smoothness of taking it out and using it. But it was a play on something they had seen before and the high standard the student set for himself made this achievement only acceptable in relative comparison to the other pieces.


    Finally, the last piece of equipment was shown.


    Eli used a slight running jog to give himself a slight bounce. But this slight jump sent him high in the air, nearly hitting the ceiling. It prompted some involuntary oohs from those around the table, with Tansen and Aki being taken back 3 days ago to the start of their current hell. But they managed to keep the pain off of their faces and just enjoy seeing their student thrive in their abilities.


    The student then came around the table and stood proudly in front of the table. Tansen felt an odd kind of familiarity towards Eli like he was similar to someone he met before but couldn''t quite put his finger on who. While the brown-haired woman just gave a light clap which the others soon joined.


    "All right. You clear the threshold for going forward as long as no one else objects." Tansen said as he looked around the table and got only nods of agreement in response. "While you could graduate from this academy outright on a purely technical level at this point, know that this school tries to teach the things that can''t be taught. The real world isn''t found in schematics or books but the hard, grueling application in the field which can''t be replicated in the classroom. From this point forward, your opportunities will expand as will the danger that comes with those choices. Good luck and make us all proud." Tansen got up and shook the student''s hand, as did the other staff members present.


    It was at this that Tansen noticed a hint of disdain creep into the students'' movements when he was touching them. But it passed so briefly that he wondered if it had been some trick of the mind.


    The students after Eli would only let the judges down with their comparative lack of imagination, but they were professional about it and didn''t ding these poor successors enough to be noticeable. Finally, as Tansen began losing the feeling in his legs, the long list of students was coming to a close as the scion evaluations started. Veronica was the first and after an elongated coaching from Tansen, water scion to water scion, she was heading out through the door to enjoy the rest of her day.


    But the day seemed determined to make this review far more interesting as Agatha stormed in past the judge leaving with her daughter. She looked at her daughter lovingly but when she turned towards the table those present saw she had bags under her eyes almost as dark as her working dress. Her bun of blond hair also had a few stray hairs.


    "Everyone but Tansen, out. We will be discussing confidential student information" Agatha growled at the table.


    "The lack of sleep seems to have compromised more than your working duties. Anyone qualified to examine the students is also authorized to access their file information."Tansen said firmly, looking at Aki and the crafting master to make sure they were not thinking of leaving.


    "So, it was Eli." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Tansen gave a heavy sigh and nodded in agreement.


    "Well, points to him then," Agatha said with a cruel smile. She then turned to leave but a slam on the table made her turn around.


    "He is my student, not yours. If your petty bullshit hinders his progress I will be launching formal complaints to your superiors." Tansen said as he stood up from his chair.


    "I won''t be taking any punitive measures. But as the leader of the Front, I have certain privileges. One of those is putting payments for the breeding stipend on review. And since Eli is such a great force for showing the potential of us mere crafters, we should make sure that any children under his name are actually his. Yes?" Agatha contended.


    "Of course," Tansen said, not realizing the trap he had walked into until he had already sprung it.


    "Yes, of course, so we will conduct a review of all his current brood mothers. After all, we wouldn''t want an unworthy heir to tarnish the legacy of the ''great'' crafter. I''m sure the women will understand this necessity when their payments are put on hold for this process." She said, with a heavy air of smug satisfaction.


    "Ridiculous, you can''t just target one man''s women for your own personal grievances." Tansen almost yelled while he thought back to how much child support various governments had to dole out just from his activities alone. In a way, he felt that he was defending himself as much as Eli in fear of this becoming a common practice.


    "Reviews are not abuse. We will be conducting a review of everyone so as to make sure the governments'' money is not going to waste. Eli''s review will just have to be more in-depth." Agatha pushed back.


    Tansen could only internally weep for the poor boys'' misfortune. Unfortunately as headmaster of the academy, he had no control over these stipends as they were paid for and distributed by the government. Tansen just hoped and prayed the women would be wearing slippers as they stomped on Eli''s manhood.


    Agatha gave a light bow and left through the door.


    Ryans and Andrews evaluations passed through easily enough, their biggest issue being them trying to just brute force everything. It was this attitude that had cost them so dearly in the trials and would cost them far more in the future if they didn''t change. His grueling task finished, Tansen went home to enjoy the rest of his day in relative peace. The private room that served as his abode had the same sense of elegant poverty that his office maintained. A simple room of white stone but painted a darker brown with a simple bed big enough to hold two people for the nights Tansen wanted company.


    The area above the bed had a mana crystal chandelier. This would provide light for the book reading supplied from his bookshelf to the beds left or the review of a student file, the latter of which he was doing as the sun was falling on the end of this day. As he was laying down, snug in the blankets of the bed, Aki came in to wish him good night.


    "Aki, is the Diamond academy a good place?" Tansen asked absentmindedly.


    "Well we can''t seem to get rid of some of the little shits, so we must be doing something right" Aki replied dryly.


    "But is the food served warm and fresh? Are the beds as comfortable as any in the capital? Are the underground pools pleasing to the eyes and soul as they warm their occupants in a balmy heat to wash away their stress?" Tansen asked, keeping his eyes on the file in his hands.


    "Yes, they''re happy little prunes when they lay on their plush beds. Where is this coming from?" Aki asked.


    "I am looking over Eli''s file and it seems he heavily resisted coming here. The guard even had to threaten him to make sure he attended." Tansen said, going over their paperwork again for the third time.


    Aki got a surprised look. Then he just gave a light laugh at some long-ago memories. Tansen looked up towards him with a question in his features.


    "He''s a more reserved version of you a good decade ago. We all told you about why going to the Imperial Academy was a great idea, all the opportunities it would afford you, how many wonderful experiences you''d get to have. And all of the goodwill we managed to build up evaporated like spit in a fire the moment your father told you that you were going no matter what. Considering how much Eli has already accomplished he may turn out to achieve as much as you, despite his handicap." Aki said, a wistful look playing over his face.


    "Maybe it was the messenger, more than the contents," Tansen grumbled.


    Aki could only sigh at this. "Good night, Tansen." He said as he shut the door behind him.


    The next morning Tansen was going through some paperwork in his office when he smelled a fire. Rushing down the tower staircase he came into the back end of a crowd working crafts that spewed water into the records room which was set ablaze. He shoved one bystander aside and strode into the blaze as he summoned a huge mist of water to put out the burning files and furniture. Looking around he saw one badly burned woman laying in a corner.


    "Get the medical team down here now!" Tansen shouted at one of the guards who took off at a breakneck speed. Tansen went to look her over to see if she would survive, which if his limited medical knowledge was anything to go by she would.


    The medical station was located by the academy entrance on the inside of the carriage station to allow the quick offloading of the injured. Tansen was in a plain wooden room with a small side table and window overlooking the dorms'' main yard with the woman and Jeff, who looked like he wanted to either mourn or commit murder as he held her hand and looked over the slight burns on her arms and neck. He continually ran a hand through her dark red hair affectionately.


    ''Ah, so she''s the assistant/fuck buddy I''ve been hearing about. A problem for another day but today I have to admit it''s rather nice to see such tenderness in this world." Tansen thought while looking at the scene as he leaned against the wall.


    "So do you know what happened?" A voice from the doorway asked.


    Agatha, wearing a white shirt with a brown blouse, stood in the doorway. She looked quite nervous, with her hands in front of her lightly fidgeting. Then the woman on the bed, Annie, gave a light cough.


    "I was working to set up the oil lamps for the upcoming review but one of them must have not been securely-" She gave a deep cough, which led to Jeff giving her a drink of water from the cup on the side table.


    "securely set on the desk and fell onto the floor. But it spread so fast I couldn''t get to the doors to escape" She finished.


    "Well, it''s past time we switched to mana lights. I''ll put in the purchase once everything gets back in order." Tansen said.


    "Indeed, although why are you still burned? Shouldn''t the healing potions have kicked in by now?" Agatha asked.


    Before Annie could respond, Jeff stood straight up. The chair was knocked to the ground but he didn''t care as his face was red with anger.


    "Because, you stupid bitch, after the one there were no more healing potions. Everything has been running low because you locked yourself away sobbing about how Veronica got her ass whooped by a magic-less human. Although I can''t seem to figure out why when you weren''t even a competitor in that fight." Jeff said, looking her straight in the eyes.


    A light cough from Tansen drew Agatha''s gaze, but she turned away when it became apparent he was trying to keep his laugh in his throat.


    Annie tried to pull Jeff back and sputter out some apology but Agatha just put up her hand and sucked in a large breath.


    "He''s a rude cur, but a not wholly incorrect, rude cur. I will try to remedy this failing and make sure the healing remedies are prioritized in the shipping." Agatha said, giving a light bow and headed out the room. Tansen gave a nod towards the couple and left with Agatha.

 Chapter 31: Guild Work

    Eli POV


    ___________________________


    Coming down the road onto the Base was an experience. When I left the warehouse this morning for my first assignment at the guild, I had been able to use my leap assisting armor this time. The rush of air on my face as I bounded several yards every step provided something almost like flying. Along the way, I made sure to store some pieces of bark in a knapsack on my side.


    Of course, a lot of people saw me and it was pretty much a dead giveaway as to who made the crafts that nearly won the scion rounds, but the past few days had been a flurry of activity that would soon reveal this fact anyway. I might as well save myself from a long walk if there isn''t going to be any point hiding it and enjoy the wind in my face. The helmet was tactically great, but my chain mail veil provided enough protection that I could take this risk wearing it. Although I will have to make the helmet more comfortable to make sure I can use it all the time, unlike now when I had to hold it.


    Apparently, the records room had caught fire so there had been a flurry of secretaries and record keepers trying to fill out the lost files. They had even asked me where I could find any of the women that I had given child.  When I replied that I had no children the woman looked at me like I was joking. But after some back and forth she was finally convinced and I was allowed to go about my work, which these days mostly consisted of secretly learning as many spells as I could. I doubted I would get any alone time after the big secret was revealed so I didn''t want to try reading caster books disguised in crafter books once they started really harrassing me me. Which was going to be very soon.


    Whoever was in charge had suddenly decided to enforce order again. The errant miscreants, aka the parents, were finally cracked down on. Shortly after, an announcement had gone out that the guild would release the official records of the trials crafting portion.


    As I came onto the roads of the base I had to bring my elongated leaping down to a normal walk and stowed my helmet over the tube. I doubt anyone would appreciate me bounding on the roofs of their houses and I wasn''t about to take the risk of slamming into a pile of sewage when I was leaping around the roads. After a few minutes, I finally came onto the Billboard.


    This was the place where contracts were displayed or negotiated. It was a three-story building with a thick wooden frame and roof at about 60 feet wide and 90 feet long as it took up an entire block all to itself. It''s windows and yellow paint were better maintained than the slums of the outer region but it lacked the stonework of the richer inner section of the Base. As I was coming up I saw a group with the pins of crafters. Among them, I saw my study group companions, Joey, John, and Wendy.


    As I was going through the double front doors, Joey blocked my path. He had a smug expression and had folded his arms over his chest. As he pushed his glasses up I saw the raw disdain in his eyes but he kept his distance.


    " What do you think you''re doing?" He asked condescendingly.


    "Going to start my first assignment, the one we all have to attend" I replied evenly.


    "Get in the back of the line, freak." He snarled back.


    I looked inside and saw several other students already in the building.


    "What line?" I asked.


    "Crafters come in once the announcements start. I doubt you had enough time to make anything good so let someone with a real chance make the first impression." He said like he was swatting away a fly.


    Damn, I can''t believe I never went into education when I had the opportunity to indulge in such stimulating conversation. Well, it''s good he let me know that he''s an asshole right off the start so I wouldn''t waste any time on him. As I was preparing a retort that would no doubt scar him till his dying day, a commotion flared up in the building.


    We all turned our heads and packed through into the main floor, official invitation be damned. The building had floorboards the color of sand and a long blackboard to the left with different papers attached to it advertising various contracts. This main entrance was a wide-open space with a wooden roof. To the immediate right was a long line of receptionists who were handling various reward distributions and helping various teams accept contracts and stamp out any minute details as they stood in attendance in their kiosks. Above these receptionists was a balcony with thick wooden railing with a rounded open entrance leading to what I assumed was a room.


    While the far back had a staircase of dark oak leading to various rooms the main area was a large assortment of tables and chairs. But most people were gathered around the staircase as a man in a white shirt and brown pants with glasses, looking very much like an accountant, was reading out names and their corresponding number from a piece of paper. Coming up I saw that a lot of the people also had the pins of casters. Off to the left in a small trio was our academies three scions, with Jeff standing by Andrew.


    They all still wore their trials combat uniforms, except for Veronica. She had a blue shirt with brown pants and a metal helmet. This, along with her chest piece and thigh guards, provided far more protection than her embellished robe from earlier. As the man was numbering people upwards he finally came to the name everyone was here for.


    "And the first place, going to the victor in not only the crafter round but also the caster rounds. Who went on to go toe to toe with-"


    "Hurry up, we''re not getting any younger here!" Someone shouted in the crowd.


    "All right! No appreciation for setting the mood here. The winner is Eli, No last name." He said as he slammed the paper into his pocket and stomped off up the steps. But everyone''s eye looked around until they saw me. Even those who didn''t know who the name belonged too would follow their companions gaze until they saw me. There was a collective intake of breath and then everyone rushed forward. But the din of questions and accusations was culled before it could even begin as a man in leather armor with black hair and lamb chops interrupted the stampede. He gave the railing a loud pound on the second-floor balcony above the receptionists'' kiosks. It was the guild master if I remembered correctly.


    "All right I''m sure your all eager to get in his pants, but this is a guild building and guild business takes priority. Right now there are shipments that are badly needed both here and elsewhere. You''ll have a few experienced minders on this mission to help you deliver goods to the Bulwark but outside of life or death situations, they will render no aid to you on the way back. This will be your first real taste of life out here and in the guild should you choose to stay. Be on your guard and good luck." He said, waving the onlookers goodbye causing his assortment of wands to jingle as he headed back into the adjoining room.


    A large man with a metal shoulder guard over his bare chest motioned for us to come from the entrance that we just came through. His face was obscured by a metal helmet. We all moved through but a man with short brown hair elbowed me out of the way. He had high cheekbones and green eyes. The sharp cheekbones only served to accentuate his long nose and shorter ears.


    "Know your place." He growled to me, but I just gave him a blank look and kept walking.


    Coming outside I saw several carriages each with two horses. Beside them was a guild member each dressed in varying assortments of weapons and armors. On top of each carriage was a large number of tents and foodstuffs. They also had a large trunk in the back, which had been secured with iron chains and a small metal disk which I knew to be the equivalent of a lock.


    "This is going to be a good long trip so pick your minder and let''s get on with it." The large man said. I could see his brown wool pants and large sword on his back now as he made his way to the front carriage.


    Most of the students immediately went towards the men in big shining metal armor or the women whose robes seemed to have a shimmer of magic about them. I immediately went towards the oldest person of the lot I could find. It turned out to be a woman of about early forties. She had a blow dart tube and a blue robe so dark it was almost black with a wool headcover. On the various parts of her chest and arms were a scattered assortment of wood or bone that I would have mistaken for knick-knacks if not for my magical knowledge.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Oh why would you want to hitch a ride with me?" She asked, her brown eyes peering out of the headdress. I could make out the sharp eyebrows and small button nose inside but her eyebrows were obscured by the headcover


    "When a lifestyle involves risk or death, it is the older people of the pack who are the most dangerous," I said as I made my way into the carriage.


    "Seasoned, pup, the term is seasoned." She said, but I could tell from her eyes that she approved.


    Eventually, everyone found their carriage and the people who had to pick what they considered the leftovers of the choices came in. My companions for this trip were John, the sharp-nosed guy earlier, and a third caster who could use fire. The sharp-nosed guy had a wind pin on his outfit.


    John was equipped with a simple iron cap for armor with a shield and mace for weapons. The rest of his attire he stuck to his regular student robes. The leather straps on the shield showed he had put some of his personal work into it. The sharp-nosed man wore what looked like a blue cotton jerkin with tan pants that had a dagger sheathed at his hip while our other companion stuck to a plate armor setup with a sword on his hip. The blond man had his helmet in his lap, his handsome face with his strong jaw accentuated his brown eyes.


    "All right kiddos we are heading towards the Bulwark. The largest fortress in the whole of the Coalition. From there we will guard some shipments of medicine, food, weapons and blacksmith tools. On the trip there we are helping deliver a few magical resources to them. My name is Shelby". The older woman said.


    "I''m John"


    "I''m Desmond" said the blond man.


    "I''m Raymond." said the water mage.


    "I''m-"


    "Yeah, Yeah. We all know who you are. So what dirty tricks did you use to get ahead?" Raymond said, his contempt palpable in face and tone as he looked at me.


    "Whoa, before we start this love fest lets get the chain of command clear. I will be leading this team on the way there. Learn all you can and then on the return trip you will have to decide on a leader amongst yourselves." Shelby said as the carriage jolted forward.


    Along the way, we stopped for meals and washing. The hills never went away but they at least smoothed out to gradual slopes. As we ventured, Shelby gave us advice on local wildlife, what positions to use when confronting an attacking force while the carriage was either moving or stationary, or the best places to call camp. I had found it all very fascinating in a watching someone reenact the making of the wheel for the first time, kind of way. It felt like I had been brought back to the near-forgotten ages of antiquity. She also gave us an interesting tidbit.


    "There used to be good work in fighting the orcs out further east. But now it''s more of a chore than anything else" Shelby said wistfully.


    "Why was that?" I asked


    "The government used to offer rewards for goblin ears, but eventually they shut down the program. No idea why but they offered enough to make it a good money maker." She said ruefully.


    Unfortunately, this excursion also came with a lot of dangers as well. One would think the wildlife would present the most challenge or at least the terrain. But for me, the danger seemed to be mostly from my fellow traveling companions.


    I had thought that Raymond would have been the most hostile but after observing them for the past few days I realized that he was just the most honest of the group. Desmond gripped his sword whenever I was near and his distance was intentional whenever I needed help setting up camp even when no other work needed doing.


    The worst was John. He never helped me or took his hand off his weapon when I was around. I had thought it some passing jealousy for my success but then I noticed something when we tucked into sleep on the first night.


    When we set up our tent that night he had finished last and looked disappointed when I put my tent by the minders. The next day he suggested we put up our tents in a field with large boulders away from the other camps. Doing this, he argued, would help keep us concealed from ambush but his suggestion was rejected by the minder.


    I had dismissed it as a bad idea and thought nothing more of it until we made camp. As we were setting up our tents I noticed that he had intentionally put his tent in a spot that would block the minders'' view of me from her tent. At this moment I recalled the scene of the orc dying in the last round of the crafters'' trials and his tears as the hammer, my hammer, crushed her skull. His lovers'' skull.


    Yes, a boulder field would be good for concealment. His concealment. I quickly offered some excuse about finding a sharp rock and set up my tent right by the minders.


    When we finally arrived I noticed that the fortress had two large walls resting on the mountains that were spaced apart as they formed a corridor. These wings of grey stone then came down to rest against a giant box of stone. Each brick was the size of a man and probably had an individual weight in the tons. I estimated the walls to be near 130 feet tall with a parapet on the top. On each corner of this box rose a tall tower of grey stone with their roofs being replaced with the long tubes of metal that had replaced this world''s catapults.


    We came through a large gate and into the main offloading area. The center was just a large circle for wagons to offload. The surrounding buildings were just one large continuous expanse of rings, their grey stones acting almost like a series of inner walls. The grey stone and hardy construction with minimal woodwork seemed to further this purpose in their construction.


    Once the trunks were offloaded we were then loaded up with various goods and crates where we had stored the trunks and in the spaces where we stored the food we had eaten on the way here. It was then that Shelby took us all aside as the laborers loaded down our carriages.


    "All right, here is where the real work for you pups starts. From now on unless it will endanger the cargo or lead to your deaths, I won''t advise or help you. Good luck." Shelby said before turning around and making her way to the carriage.


    "I am obviously the leader of this group. So the first thing-" Raymond said but Desmond didn''t agree with his royal proclamation.


    "Whoa, since when was that a damn fact?" The blond man said.


    "Whatever we do, I have some bark pieces that-" I started.


    "Silence crafter!" The two casters almost yelled, drawing gazes from several passersby. John, that fatso with a mole on his cheek, also looked at me. His face smirking and obviously enjoying the sight of me getting verbally dragged.


    So much for uniting against a common enemy.


    I just left for the carriage and decided to let the two idiots slug it out between themselves. I saw the other groups arguing as well. The only groups working smoothly right now were the ones with the three scions and Jeff. They had no arguments as the other instinctively looked to them for leadership.


    As I settled in Shelby gave me a questioning look but said nothing. I figured this was a good time for some information gathering.


    "So what is the point of this fortress? Won''t attackers be able to go around the mountains?" I asked Shelby.


    "Ah well, the dwarves in this region raised these mountains as a sort of passage through this territory for outsiders. The Coalition and the Phoenix empire have been going at it for as long as I can remember and since the dwarves are in the middle they just decided to make a nice little corridor for us to slug it out and trade-in. I guess they got tired of us trying to sneak through their territory and having to negotiate prisoner releases. The rules nowadays are if you''re found on their turf you''re killed on the spot since the corridor invalidates any legitimate excuse to be there." She said.


    That would explain a few things but not everything.


    "Are the Orcs and Frojan so formidable that people would prefer going through such a meat grinder?" I asked.


    "Aye lad, the Phoenix empire marched an entire army on a town called Latra. One of their commanders decided to try his luck in that wet wasteland. They burned the place to the ground but the costs to get there and leave through the swamps were so high that they never tried such a massive operation again.


    Although, the Dwarf Beards Drip, named for all the rivers that flow underneath its passage, is not all that bad. We managed to get a nice defensible position set up a long time ago called the Stopgap and it''s manned by our top soldiers. So it''s actually peaceful in the first several miles." She said looking off into the distance.


    I heard a scuffle break out but I wasn''t in the mood to try and smooth things over. Spending the past few nights trying to dodge being murdered and treated like trash had dampened my team spirit. Eventually they all came in, with John seemingly getting the worst of it. His face was swollen and he had a bloodied lip while the other had bruises and cuts about there faces and hands.


    After a few seconds, the all-clear was given and we headed off. As we made our way towards the Base in utter silence I decided to make use of this time to decide which industries I would go for first. I had enough experience to start doing basic binary computing if I could get the materials. Quantum computing required a lot more finesse and tools that had some pretty involved and exotic concepts.


    But the local populace thought of everything not immediately obvious as some form of magic. It would have to be something that could be easily explained while also being interesting enough to catch their attention. Which could then be the beachhead into technological thinking. Maybe an electric car or train?


    This time around we had decided to just follow the lead of the carriages at the front of the caravan when they decided to make camp on the less forested side of the road a good hour before nightfall. Of course, I made sure I was in plain view of the minder when I started to pitch my tent. But then I saw several of the carriages keep going until they reached a more forested area about 10 yards away from our empty grass clearing. There was no chain of command outside of the individual groups so everyone just shrugged and got on with their business.


    In the middle of the night, I heard some screaming. I almost squeezed on my staff to set off the mines I laid around me but I was quick enough to realize the scream was coming from the other camp near the forest. I quickly dawned my helmet and tube then dashed out of the tent onto a larger boulder to survey the area. As I did this I used my water glove to put a thick ring of water around me to stop any arrows as I took in the situation.


    The forest camp was on fire in the outer ring of tents and I saw some figures lying on the ground and others among the tents fighting. In the pale starlight, I saw a group of men sneaking up the road towards our camp with various weapons drawn. But from this distance, I could see who we were fighting.


    Bandits in patched leather armor carrying an assortment of weapons. Their face wild with lust, based in both sex and blood, as they leered at the female students they would soon descend upon.

 Chapter 32: Elemental Match Ups

    Eli POV


    ________________________


    Ice flooded my veins. This was a sensation I had become all too familiar with over my life. The most effective way to kill bandits wasn''t to run in screaming or to charge blindly but methodical extermination. Like a snake delivering its deadly venom in measured, deliberate strikes.


    I took aim and fired my cannon which tore into the group trying to sneak up the road. The molten stone slammed through the body of one of the bandits like butter, melting his lungs and throat before he could even scream. Two of his companions caught fire from the stray drops of lava. Before the other four could react I used my helmets scream to incapacitate them as I pulverized them with two more shots of lava.


    Taking in the battlefield from here I saw more bandits coming through the woods and the occasional spell going off. Not nearly as many as there should have been. Looking at the various fights I saw the few casters who managed to get out of their tents were struggling to conjure their spells as they fought the bandits. The minders were trying their best but it was complete chaos and they were too scattered to form any cohesive strategy.


    Thankfully, the dead appeared to be made up entirely of the bandits, their shoddy armor providing little protection while their weapons couldn''t penetrate the wealthy caster students'' expensive armor. I saw one student getting swarmed by 4 of them. My hand cannon took them out with ease, allowing her to get back up and kill the last one who had been rolling around in the dirt in pain as his face burned. I saw the walking mountain of hastily summoned rock armor that was Ryan charge to the front of the fight and push back several of the enemies in a single swing of a stone club.


    "Well first things first," I said to no one.


    I zipped through between the trees as I laid my mines on three-wide boulders and the large branch I sat on. When I set them off the entire section of forest, except for the trees right by the camp, caught flame as thousands of small droplets turned the surrounding air so hot it boiled the moisture in the trees. And the bandits. The screams of pain intensified as even the ones who didn''t get caught directly in the deadly mist were boiled alive.


    It''s the little things in life like this that make it all worthwhile.


    Any momentum the bandits may have had ground to a halt as their backs were put up against a wall of flames and their front had the fully roused fighting force of the camp. I saw Shelby use one of her wood trinkets to launch a rock clear through one bandit''s eye, as the larger man from before cut one of them down the stomach who he then left to clutch at his spilling innards.


    Of course, I kept my self wrapped up in my bubble this whole time and just launched the occasional lava missile anytime the bandits tried to organize or looked like they were about to kill someone. The fight was over in barely 5 minutes after that, at which point I collected my disks and re-attached them to my staff. Veronica and some other water casters were putting out the fire I had started as the others went around finishing the various bandits who were dying and pleading for their lives as they were killed.


    "That was mighty reckless, kid. Do you know what would have happened if that blaze had gotten out of control?" The large man asked me as I got down from the tree to help with taking out the trash.


    "The bandits didn''t have any water mages while we do. If we have the ability to deal with fires far more easily than they do, then what''s the point of having that capability when we don''t use it." I responded evenly.


    He gave a light laugh, his dark tan skin glistening from his night of bloody work.


    "I was hoping you were just being hot-headed and I could explain why you did the right thing for the wrong reason. But apparently you knew what you were doing. I''ll make sure you get full marks once we get back home." He said, his deep voice showing the first bit of joy I had heard all night, from someone besides myself. I nodded then was about to head back to my tent when a duo of women blocked my path. There were two things that stood out: one was that they were both crafters like myself. The other was how quickly they pressed against me.


    "Um, shouldn''t he stay here? In case they come back." One brown-haired girl said.


    "Yes, we''ll need a quick, strong man like you. You managed to get up and turn the tide of the fight when most of us were barely out of our tents." the other cute blond said pleadingly. They both looked at me with some desperation in their eyes.


    "I''m sure that if they come back you can just use those pretty faces to ask if they''ll fall on their swords. Which I''m sure they will be all too happy to do when you bash those long eyelashes at them." I said teasingly.


    The women pouted at that, but I could tell they enjoyed the barbed compliments.


    A woman with a long scar across her forehead laughed as she held her hands to her stomach under her white shirt. Her long fur boots, small shield, and short sword all swayed with her motion.


    "Damn men, always trying to make us blush even in situations as dire as this. But, he isn''t the only one here who did good work. Ryan, you lead the charge like a champ." The muscular brown-haired woman said.


    Ryan bowed his head humbly as he took the compliment.


    "It was nothing ma''am." He said, clearly trying to tamp down his tone of pride.


    "All right people, the good news is that we thankfully had no deaths. It seems the caster''s side was the one attacked and your better equipment spared us from any grave digging. Their ambush was also discovered by one of the guild members before they got to the tents.


    The bad news is some people were a hair''s breadth from death, frankly they''re not much farther from it now, and that will weigh us down as we make our way from here. So, consider the exercise canceled as we minders are taking over again. Any chance of sleep tonight is gone so let''s just pack our shit and head on out." The large man loudly so everyone could hear..


    He then headed out past Andrew who was driving his sword through a bandits skull and came up to the carriages. He pressed the carriages lamps on their rooftops as he went down the line. A soft glow pushed back the night as the horses were calmed. They must have been well trained because none of them ran off in the fight.


    He then took out a birdcage and loosed a hawk after tying a message to its leg. Everything else seemed fine except for a few crates that got smashed and their contents were either destroyed or haphazardly put back into their respective crates. Everyone in the camp got packed up and we were moving out in a few minutes.


    We even made decent time, if my rough estimation of the landscape markers and the distance between them was anything to go by. Unfortunately, my traveling companions were actually more unbearable this time around. I couldn''t figure out why they had gotten so much worse, but it appears even Shelby had run out of patience with their dramatic sighs and bitchy sniping at me. Finally, she snapped when Desmond gave a particularly loud sigh when I leaned out the window.


    "Oh, you poor men. Couldn''t risk your skin for those beautiful girls but you get nasty when Eli does the job and gets their attention because of his abilities. John''s the only one who made decent time getting to the fight, but you other two didn''t even get out of your tents. You''re not completely hopeless, but I swear if I hear one more little moan out of you lot I am going to make sure you receive the lowest possible marks." Shelby snarled at them.


    Thankfully the rest of the day passed in silence, both during the day and at night. When the third day came I got an odd request from the large man when we were getting ready to get moving after the break to stretch our legs. Apparently all the scions were going to ride in a single carriage and wanted me to ride with them. Desmond and Raymond went beet red that I would merit such an invite but they didn''t.


    "The scions want him? He''s a crafter. How could they want someone so inferior to even us?" Desmond demanded, his plate armor clanking as he shook in outrage. He then made a move to get out his sword but the large man just struck him in the jaw. A tooth and Desmond''s head slammed against the carriages'' wood wall as Desmond lay there unconscious. Raymond and John just sat there stunned. Shelby looked over worriedly to the big man.


    He got a sickly look on his face like he just realized he had stepped over a cliff. But he just coughed and swallowed his spit.


    "Yes, they do want him." He said before he stalked off.


    Frankly, I had enough of their petty bullshit and veiled murder attempts so I accepted. I made my way to the lead carriage and inside were Veronica, Andrew, and Ryan. I sat in the empty spot by the ruby red plate armor that was Andrew and closed the door behind me. The brown mountain of earth looking steel known as Ryan sat opposite to me.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I was told you needed me for something?" I asked the group as the carriage started moving.


    "We want you to make some items for us," Veronica said, more timidly than I had ever heard her.


    "After that bandit raid, we don''t want to take any chances and your the best we''ve seen."


    I thought about it for a moment and decided that having the academy''s top students in my debt was probably the only way I would ever keep the aggrieved parents off of my back."Sure, have any items, in particular, you want made? Or maybe special ones that would help compensate for any of your weaknesses?"


    They all nodded at the latter.


    "What makes my items so effective is that they are generally centered around the users'' abilities and preferences. How do the fights between mages play out? I didn''t get a long enough view during the trials that I would stake your lives on my observations."I asked


    The boys turned to Veronica as she gave a slight cough with a fist over her mouth.


    "All things being equal, water will win against fire." I saw Andrew look out the window unhappily at this so it must have been true.


    "Oh don''t pout, it is what it is," Veronica said before getting back on track.


    "Earth will crush wind because short of the most monstrous winds as they have no means of hurting them. But the others are more tactically advantaged. Fire will cook the slower earth user inside whatever defense they can summon and earth users are always too slow to dodge their attacks. While the water user is typically more nimble than fire or earth, this advantage evaporates against the faster speeds of the wind user. Also, their wind spells make any sort of long-range attacks nearly impossible as their spells are far more effective at veering ours off course than the other elements."


    I hummed and thought it over for a little bit.


    "First thing: Ryan is definitely getting some of my wind boosters," I said


    "Speed isn''t really our thing" Ryan objected.


    "Speed is both defense and offense. All defenses have holes that can be exploited, you need to be able to move and adapt to the situation." I asserted. Ryan relented and nodded in agreement.


    "All right, but I want one of those fire hammers," Ryan said, which I accepted with a nod. Then I turned towards Andrew


    "You seemed to do well in the bandit raid, it''s just water that''s your biggest obstacle. Fortunately, fire can overcome water. It just needs some work." I said.


    Andrew looked hesitant, like he was interested but conflicted about where this information was coming from. But eventually, he nodded and put his hands over his helm waiting for me to explain further.


    "Oh, 5 minutes in and your already rendering my element obsolete?" Veronica pouted, crossing her arms and looking away.


    "Every problem has a solution, even the magical ones Veronica. Andrew, your problem in the trials was you kept going for the larger sprays of fire. Even in the bandit raid you couldn''t really use your abilities as you would have cooked the people you were trying to help. You need to go for more concentrated blasts." I stuck out my arm and motioned over my wrist.


    "A device with a round hollow circle around on your arm should do the trick. It will absorb your fire spells when activated, mixing them with a small amount of earth for added heft, which will condense them all down into a single beam that should give you more precise fire attacks and allow you to pierce any water wave or wall. Although we may need to work on a design so that it won''t be burned from you using it."


    "But won''t the water cool it down just the same?" Andrew asked.


    "A little, but by condensing the area of your fire spell it lowers the heat loss to the water," I replied.


    Andrew looked a little lost so I tried to come up with an explanation for thermodynamics and heat dissipation that he would grasp.


    "Its similar to why getting stabbed with a dagger is more dangerous than getting slapped with a wooden board," I said unsurely.


    "Oh, because all of its killing power is in the tip and more easily gets past clothing. Or in this case water." Andrew said, to which I nodded in agreement.


    Veronica huffed and we both turned to look at her.


    "Don''t mind me. Just sitting here watching the advantages of my entire element as they fly into the trash." She said ruefully.


    "All right, let me think. Your problem doesn''t have such an obvious solution." I said as I thought about it for a few minutes when an idea struck me.


    "Can you hold the shape of a bubble with an empty center? So that it will only release its contents after it touches something or when you want it to explode?" I asked.


    "Sure, why?" Veronica said as she cocked an eyebrow at this.


    "The main problem in the fight is just getting the wind users wet right?" I asked, to which Veronica nodded in agreement.


    "Yes, once we get them wet we can use magic to pull them down if they don''t dry themselves off." She said.


    "So we can have a device that makes bubbles that you can fill with a large amount of mana with your spells to take the air mages fuel for their spells or maybe we can fill them with a timed spell to launch at the enemy. We will have to experiment to see what works." I said as I leaned back in my chair. The others looked impressed and a silent conversation took place as they made faces and hand gestures. I decided to let them come to whatever decision they were making.


    "So what are you going to want in compensation for this work?" Veronica asked.


    "I would like to keep the damn mob off my back more than anything right now. The parents are fighting in the streets over finding who made my items and I can only imagine what''s going to happen when I get back, to say nothing of the caster students." I said. They all shared a look that I would call....dubious at that. So I wasn''t expecting them to be able to help me. But Ryan surprisingly came through.


    "I have a few friends who can help with that. I''ll make sure the parents won''t be bothering you, but it will take some time." Ryan said gracefully. I thanked him while Andrew just looked confused as he looked Ryan up and down.


    When we arrived at the academy the wounded were rushed to the infirmary while some parents stopped to check on their children. I got out and helped move a few on stretchers into the equivalent of a hospital at the carriage station. Its entrance was to the carriage stations right with a wide double door on the ground level. The building had thick wood walls and white smooth stone floors.


    When I was coming through with one particularly bad case, one of the nurses stopped me. Then the three scions went ahead and the casters who could walk soon followed.


    "Hey, what gives? She has a leg that''s pretty torn up." I said as I gestured towards the woman I and another man were helping move into the building.


    "Sorry, Scions and casters have to be checked for injuries first." She said.


    "Injuries? Some of them were laughing with their friends when they went in" I said, trying not to yell. As I did I saw that the woman I was helping move was actually the first crafter I was bringing in.


    "Rules are rules, kid." She said indifferently then went off into the building to look over one caster who had skinned her knee. I just stood there dumbfounded for a second before I gingerly sat the poor woman down and waited for this ridiculous bullshit to be done. I had a moment where I considered healing her myself but that foolish notion was quickly discarded. Finally, after every scrape and bruise had been checked, the crafters were looked at.


    Eventually, everyone got treated and I was moved to help deliver some of the goods. One of the crates had been crushed, with all of its contents mashed together. It had a V burned into the side with the manifest saying it was tea. But when I looked into the contents I saw some odd plants mixed with the tea leaves that looked like celery with yellow edges.


    After dropping it off in the designated loading zone I walked to my house as I waved my fellow workers goodbye. The sun was getting low in the sky and I wanted to get home before the sunlight lost its purchase. As I came up to the docks I saw my maid waiting out by my warehouse/home. She had a green dress and brown shoes which were her typical attire. When she saw me she rushed up and hugged me.


    "I was so worried. A message came through saying the students'' group was attacked. But we didn''t get any more information besides that." She said through the spirit magic as she hugged me. I had to admit it was nice to have someone worry about me, so I hugged her back.


    During my stay here I hadn''t had any real conversations that weren''t crafting or information gathering related, aside from that one in Veronica''s carriage on the way to the trials. Crafting was very enjoyable but there was more to life. I wanted some regular company that wasn''t just some business exchange and since online chat rooms weren''t a thing here my chances for those human interactions were feeling slim. The discomfort of looking at someone''s face was still there and while I hadn''t let that strain show, it ate at me whenever I was in a crowd or in the cafeteria. So many people walking around exposed like that was just obscene.


    But I had begun to notice that I don''t get this feeling when I talked with Salamede. Maybe it was her more goat-like features or our verbal repertoire. Without even knowing it somewhere along the way I had started to grow more comfortable around her than most of my own kind.


    "I''m fine, just a few bandits. Nothing we couldn''t handle." I said like it was no big deal as we made our way inside to go over the events of my journey.


    We sat on the stone lisp by the water and just stared at the back and forth waves of the water until the tell-tale sensation of spirit magic touched my skin.


    "So what happened?" She asked, her excitement practically buzzing through the connection.


    I spent nearly half an hour going over the trip there, the size and vastness of the fortress, and then the raid with how it lead to me being picked to make the scions weapons as she sat there taking it all in with her legs crossed.


    "Quite an adventure. But don''t you feel bad about killing the bandits? They are still human." She asked


    I looked out towards the water because I knew that I wouldn''t be able to keep the murderous expression off of my face.


    "A disease is a disease, no matter the skin it wears," I said with as little emotion as I could manage.


    She must have still sensed my hatred because she silently sat there for a long moment. Eventually, she gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze.


    "Well, I''m surprised you can still move after all that. You must have the stamina of a horse." She said.


    "No, I''m just near my limit. I think I''m taking tomorrow off. Hey, how have you been?" I asked. Regaling her with my achievements was nice, but I was running out of things to say.


    She gave a huff and uncrossed her legs as she dipped her feet into the water. I noticed that they were completely human and not the padded feet of a typical goat. So did that mean the goat features were only in the face?


    "It''s had it''s ups and downs but we''re getting through it just fine. Gods know my mother could walk off being attacked by a troll like it was nothing." She grumbled.


    "A tough old goat," I said, not realizing the potential offense it might cause until it left my mouth.


    She stopped for a second, staying completely still before she started having a light chuckle. It sounded in quick starts and stops as she tried to fight it. Then she let it out fully as she clutched her stomach in a laugh.


    "Indeed, she is one tough old goat. Well, I won''t keep you any longer. Have a good night, sir." She said, as she hugged me and left.

 Chapter 33: The Importance of Titles

    Eli''s POV


    _______________________


    The days following my return to the academy were in many ways more, and less, agonizing than I had anticipated. It turns out most of the students who hated me were the crafters. I still managed to get ahead in my studies, with our group leader even cheering me on as I pushed through some of the course work. But the more bitter people were constantly making my life difficult. The only reprieve was during the survival courses as everyone was too busy trying to soak in every little detail of gathering those most precious of substances off of various animals and plants. But the rest of those lectures only lasted 3 days, the last of which we were now attending.


    "That''s all we have left lads, our time together has reached its end." The grizzled veteran said as he finished going over the diagram of skinning a naga hide.


    "Know that how you cook these items and whatever non-magical items you add to them will only change the flavor. Anyone trying to provide you with a cooking ''service'' for the animals'' meat and products to increase their mana enhancement property in your body is either lying or ignorant. Only the mana of these magical resources will increase your mana capacity and abilities. All right kids, good luck and goodbye." He said as we all shook his hand on our way out the door. I had gotten a lot out of his instruction and not just from scavenging natural resources. He had, and by extension the Front, given me critical knowledge of this world that would be invaluable in the future, as well as the past.


    Afterward, the days went back into their typical cycles. Occasionally, there was a food fight when some newer students came in or when a few were just pushed to the breaking point. The greatest annoyance was trying to get alone long enough to read the higher level books without one of the harassers seeing what I was doing.


    A few of the casters got vicious, like Raymond or Desmond, but surprisingly most just flashed me a strained smile or gave me a nasty look but they weren''t nearly as aggressive as the crafters. A few even came over to congratulate me on my performance. There was a tone in these compliments that I couldn''t put my finger on but still rubbed me the wrong way.


    But the crafters were testing the limits of my patience. They would ''accidentally'' knock the food out of my hand, shoot me obscene gestures whenever the staff wouldn''t see it, or annoy me during my studies with loud discussions to insult me in conversations laden with thinly veiled jabs at me and my appearance.


    Joey and John were amongst the worst of these. John was always trying to get me in an honor duel, which always infuriated him when I refused. Unfortunately for him, his reputation suffered more than mine. People saw his motivations were tied up in his deviant past, which some had thought he had left behind at this point.


    Joey was more of an annoying piece of shit. Apparently having those girls fawn over me and the scions call me to their carriage angered him so much that he would now pester me whenever a staff member was not around. A practice I was enduring at this very moment.


    "So arrogant, thinking you''re so much better than us. All for what? Because you got lucky a few times? If any of us here had half the starting resources you did we would far surpass your measly efforts." Joey said, his little gang of losers nodding in agreement. These were comprised of the students who didn''t put forth any effort in their crafts. Why they seemed so much more offended at my success than the casters was a mystery to me but I had just enough social skills to not ask them.


    "Well, I can''t imagine what resources your talking about since I haven''t gotten any goods from the Base since I enrolled here," I said defensively.


    "Oh don''t be coy, we both know your rich parents put you up with as many constructs and magical growth resources as you want. Who knows, maybe one of us could have made caster rank with all the money they wasted on you." Joey spat, his green eyes flaring in anger. A small round of agreement passed through the group.


    "Enough, my time is far too valuable to waste on the likes of you," I said, my patience finally reaching its end.


    Joey tried to block my way but he seemed unprepared when I just kept moving. He stumbled back and slammed into a bookshelf. A book fell on his head and left a small cut on his forehead. Then a burly staff member came by to see what the ruckus was.


    "He, he shoved me. I was just trying to talk to him and he knocked me down." Joey squeaked out as he soft cried and his posse started spinning their lie.


    "Yeah, Joey was just talking when Eli knocked him down out of the blue." One said, his fat jiggling as he recounted the horror.


    "You need to relax Eli, just because your doing so well doesn''t mean you can bully people." A man whose features were so rat like it was almost uncanny how his brown hair, mustache and goatee resembled a rodents pelt.


    "All right, let''s take this to the main office." He said as he corralled the lot of us to the big office on the first floor next to the cafeteria. It had a green square carpet with a single wood desk and leather chair.


    I gave my tale of the events while Joey gave his. Of course, Joey''s posse sided with him and at the end of the day, numbers count. I was to be given a warning with a period of one week''s probation. But apparently I wasn''t the only one who didn''t like Joey.


    "What do you mean I''m getting a warning as well?" He whined. His glasses nearly falling off his face as he shook in outrage. The older woman in the big leather chair got up. Her brown eyes and hawkish features taking in all of Joey''s movement like a predator studying its prey.


    "Don''t think it has escaped our notice how you two are always apart until you think a member of the staff isn''t in earshot. Trying to pull one over on the staff on our own turf. Do you really think we''re so stupid that we don''t know why your little group goes missing whenever Eli tries to study by himself? " She said, her foot tapping against the carpet.


    Joey tried to sputter out some indignant retort but she just put up her hand, silencing him.


    "Enough. My ears are hurting from your whiny tone and I can barely hear. I can only imagine what a fresh young pair like Eli''s has endured these past few days. Everyone out and know we will be watching very closely from now on." She sat back down and started going over the paperwork she had been browsing before we interrupted her.


    Joey stormed out while I made my way to the practice tower. Some things had gone around how I thought they would. Others.... didn''t.


    I had been cornered by the casters'' parents several times and each time I told them I had just put forth my best efforts without any cheating. The parents would then get irritated at their children for not defending the family honor. A few looked like they really wanted to do it too but they had something holding them back. What was odd is that some of the casters would look askance at their parents before flat out refusing, looking at the surrounding students in embarrassment. The casters'' parents were beside themselves but aside from several individuals their children didn''t react negatively to me in nearly the strong manner I thought they would.


    The only thing I could think to do was find someone to clue me in on this behavior. I found Jeff by the rails overlooking the crafting pods of the practice tower as he talked with Andrew. Andrew saw me approach and I could see some hesitation towards me in his eyes. But he left when I said I had a question for Jeff.


    "Why are the other crafters attacking me so aggressively and not the casters?" I asked as I knew he witnessed some of the incidents and had told several staff members.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Well, it''s complicated," Jeff said, idly running his finger around the railing as his oceanic eyes tried to avoid mine.


    "If it''s the same here as it was back home, the crafting students are just told to make the best with the hand their dealt. When they can''t measure up to the achievements of the casters, hey no big deal, they have a disability. The higher-performing ones are given pats on the head for their hard work while the ''real'' mages do the ''real'' mage work. And they were content with that because that''s just how things are.


    The big thing seems to be their parents were content with that as well, but now that they know their kids can accomplish more, a lot of them are coming down hard on their kids and constantly telling them they need to be more like you. Personally, I think a lot of its simple jealousy." He said.


    I felt more than a little smug at that until I considered it from the crafters'' perspective. The parents were making demands that were ludicrously unfair for an actual crafter mage. To make my equipment took so much trial and error I probably wasted months'' worth of mana constructs if I had to beg them from the casters. Hell, effectively making the pressure sensors attached to the fire hammers cushion for the first time would probably have taken them weeks.


    God knows just getting the constructs to ''officially'' make the items, even with Jeff''s help, was arduous torture. Of course, they didn''t know about my cheating caster ability, and that''s what''s misleading the parents into believing they just need to squeeze their kids to do what I can. Some could obviously improve but my equipment was the product of a lot more than what ''just try harder'' could achieve. Then my thoughts honed in on one particular word he used.


    ''Disability''


    At this time, in this context, I could scarcely think of a more loathsome word. As I struggled to take this in I looked at the crafting pods again. Really taking in their shape and what I now suspected they represented.


    "The pods are shaped like eggs on purpose. Telling us we need to gestate longer." I more stated than asked, as I realized what their makers'' true message was. A slight jab at our very existence even as we worked.


    "Yeah, this is a side to the magic community that non-magicians, even the parents of magicians, don''t ever see." Jeff hung his head, saying it as softly as he could.


    "So crafters are all special needs cases, is that what you''re telling me? No one wants to be the one seen bullying the uppity defect? So they''ll just grin and bear it as the invalid gets his precious moment in the spotlight?" I asked in a low growl. Honestly, I think I would have preferred their scorn. At least there was a certain dignity in being hated.


    "Well, you clearly aren''t a regular crafter. The scions asking for your personally made items is enough proof that even the blind could see it. But some attitudes don''t just go away because of one event. There''s also a.... bureaucratic aspect to it as well, at least for the parents and high achievers. When the military looks for promising magical prospects or the bigger mage associations look for new members, their consideration is only limited to casters and scions." Jeff said, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.


    "Is that why the parents are so upset? All the tournament''s glory and recognition, a chance to get their kid an easy ticket to the good life, got wasted on someone who can''t even use it?" I asked with curiosity and dread.


    Jeff just nodded solemnly.


    "Why? My items would be great against massed troops or on long sieges, to say nothing of ambushes." I asked, managing to keep the indignation out of my voice.


    Jeff just looked at me with a raised eyebrow.


    "I don''t know what you''ve been reading about military tactics but just clumping thousands of soldiers together isn''t something armies regularly do. One or two Frojan casters would kill troops by the hundreds if we tried something like that. Outside of magicless groups like the bandits or in the cases where the ambient mana has been so badly depleted that magic has been rendered basically unusable, single large armies aren''t used.


    The labors of war are divided between two different tiers of fighters: the specialized mages and the regular foot soldiers who guard and man all the defenses while holding various points in the field. The regular men will only lead fights against low threat targets. Mages are the ones who push back the lines of the dozens or even hundreds of small fights as two sides fight for one objective or another. And these small teams need members who can fight equally on their own as well with their companions.


    If the two sides are being managed even semi-competently they will have wind spells or mists going off at predetermined intervals to knock out any items the enemy might have. I''m not familiar with sieges so I can''t tell you how that would go, but the last time the Coalition performed a siege was before living memory.


    As for ambushes, you would probably do great.


    But the bigger issue, regardless of the tactical circumstances, is that someone in the military hierarchy needs to be willing to take that first step to actually bring you into the fold and being the general who thought it was a good idea to bring on a crafter would draw a lot of mockery in the officers dining halls. Worse yet they could be punished for wasting the military''s time and resources on a ''pointless whim''." Jeff finished.


    Ah, peer pressure. When I was going over my review of magic I was looking at it through the lens of what is practical and possible in a purely technical context. I had neglected to consider what emotionally needy shits humans are.


    There was a second of temptation. The impulse to gloat about how I can use all the elements and this ''mere'' crafter was probably the best caster he''d ever see on this goddamn planet. It was so strong I had to stop the words as they tried to come up out of my throat. As did the temptation to show off an array of spells that would dazzle him beyond his wildest dreams. Apparently, crafters, as a rule, had pride issues.


    I took a deep breath then slowly let it out. Whatever I was feeling, taking it out on the messenger wouldn''t do any good and being a quadra element caster wasn''t the kind of information you just give out in a fit of rage. The packet-switch crafting concept would revolutionize crafting and prove the worth of the trade the world over, but I wouldn''t be in a position to safely benefit from its release until I was a fully-fledged mage and would not have my work stolen. So the only thing I could do right now is more of what I''ve been doing: studying and tinkering.


    Wishing Jeff a good day I headed out and went to wait for a group to walk home with. Apparently mages-in-training got no special treatment in the classrooms. When we got to the dorms I went to head down to my home but was stopped by a guard who said I was wanted in the headmasters'' office.


    Coming in I saw the headmaster in a white kimono embroidered in waves of sapphires. His aid, an older man named Aki I think, was beside him arguing about something.


    "What bullshit is this? Just take down the bounties? What is the Coalition thinking? That we should just give up on putting down the bandits." Aki said, his face red with anger.


    "That''s the current order. But we''ll see if we can get it overturned in the military court." Tansen said, putting up his hands defensively.


    This, of course, caught my attention. Bandits went hand-in-hand with government corruption. It was a bad sign that the idea of acquiescing to them was even being discussed, much less ordered by any branch of the government. Maybe they heard of my fight and brought me here to see if I would help clean house?


    Tansen then noticed my presence and killed the rest of the conversation with a gesture.


    "Ah thank you for coming. We have a small issue we need to resolve." He said.


    "Sure, but what was that about bandits?" I asked.


    Tansen glared at Aki, who looked away in embarrassment.


    "That was some confidential information about an ongoing dispute," Tansen said evenly, his eyebrows still broadcasting his annoyance.


    "We have been renewing the lost records these past few days and we haven''t been able to get in touch with your backers. Where could we contact them to let them know of your excellent trial performance?" Tansen said.


    I stood there going over the story I had previously prepared for situations like this. Well, the friar did say they have a lot of kids come down from the homesteads further up north. That was as good of an out that I could come up with over these past few days.


    "I''m from a small family farm up north. My parents always said I was talented but they died in a bandit raid. I made my way down here after vowing to get stronger." I said.


    Tansen looked at me with a considering gaze.


    "Well if you wouldn''t mind me asking, how did you manage to become a crafter?" He said leaning forward on his desk.


    "My pops was always an adventurous sort and worked out in the woods out west a lot. Occasionally he would bring back some bits of the animals he could catch with his friends. After a while, I started going through my gestation. And, well, after my last birthday.." I tried to act like it was still an uncomfortable memory.


    Tansen whistled at this story.


    "Your father must have been very skilled to become a poacher. And you must have a great inherent talent to get this far on a poacher''s scraps, no offense intended." Tansen put in respectfully.


    As much as I detest his work in the arena, I have to admit Tansen had a charming and caring quality about him. Like you could just come into his office and he would put all of your problems to rest if you would just trust him.


    "None taken sir, he did what he had to. Just like anybody else." I responded.


    I then bowed and turned to go.


    "Oh, one more thing. Good job on the guild assignment. I was told we may have lost several students if not for your quick thinking." Tansen said smoothly.


    "I was just trying my best to help, not be a hero," I said humbly.


    "Everyone is trying to help. It is the people who have the vision and will to set themselves up to help others who make a real difference. Good day." Tansen said before going back over his paperwork. I bowed again then went out of the room and made my way back to the house.

 Chapter 34: Protective Measures

    Eli POV


    ________________________________


    The past few days since my meeting with Tansen had been taken up by new projects. The plant and metal crafting meant I had long periods where I couldn''t work anymore with their huge ambient mana costs. So I had to spend my time roughing out some ideas for my main arsenal. I sat down on the stone lisp the first day I got back and went over the battle with the bandits again in my head. The first thing I did was ask my self the question I always tried to ask.


    What if I had been in the worst spot to be in that fight? That would be the first tent closest to the forest. Well, I would never put myself in that position. However, life isn''t always so amiable to allow you to pick and choose. So what would have protected me if they had set fire to my tent or just tried to stab me before I could wake up?


    A stone cocoon with small air holes would do the job. With a separate wind enchantment to provide fresh air in case I had to close it completely. Also, make a special section distinct from the rest of the cocoon so that I could deploy mines around me as I slept. The new piece of equipment was a wood cane with a special growth on the inside of the hollow handle and indent on the bottom to keep it from activating unless I specifically wanted it to. But after that I felt that my defense was good enough I just needed some more varied mid-range attacks.


    Tansen warned me about the possibility of running into a fire monster and I felt relying too much on launching a big molten stone was a bad idea. The fire rate on the tube was too slow and took too long to aim for anything less than several yards away. The big things I need are something that I can just toss and forget about, as the mines still take time to set up, and a more mid-range weapon. My water glove doesn''t have that instant kill potential I like for either of those roles and the cannon would instantly give away my position to anyone who survived the initial attack which wasn''t something I was comfortable with given the ranges these two needs had.


    I had a few ideas but those would have to be for the secret mage as they involved plants and metal. The most obvious would be a bolt crossbow like the one I first made. A guilty look at it as it gathered dust in the corner was all I could give it as the surrounding merchants didn''t have the incense I needed to consecrate it. Frankly, I still needed to do it for my other equipment as well but I would like to think god is understanding about my situation. Even if I was willing to forgo such a critical procedure, it was too large to carry with my mine club.


    A grenade came to mind. A disposable craft was a pain in the ass but I didn''t feel comfortable using mass production to make anything involving pressurized containers or explosives. The spray design from the mines should work on a smooth stone ball with its trigger square designed to send the signal after a few seconds. So what if I made a grenade that worked on the bubble idea I had with Veronica? That could be a nice non-lethal solution for those moments where innocents are in the way.


    I used some of the bark I had collected on my trip to make an enchantment that constructed a stone sphere with a small indent for the trigger. In the middle was a cut about 2 inches deep into the body that would hold the mana circles that would absorb and hold the fuel needed to allow the enchantments to run for several seconds. Getting the spirit magic small enough to fit into this small space was a pain in the ass but I finally managed to get it done.


    The big problem I ran into was the lava spray. While the single triangle and summoning circle for the bubbles worked fine as it trapped all of its surroundings in several feet of bubbles, the multiple triangles and circles needed to summon and heat the stone for the lava spray proved to require too much space to fit onto a sphere small enough to fit in my hand.


    I tried something like a small club of stone but while the spheres could stay in a small knapsack the required size was getting so large that it started to become a weight problem. Even one or two would be near the weight of my shoulder cannon and I didn''t want to go near that much considering I had another weapon I wanted to make. So I shelved it and decided to work on the other weapon for a few minutes.


    The design that fit my needs came to me after a few minutes of reflection. Water would be a nice addition to my offensive arsenal, but the massive amounts of water needed for any offensive purpose typically made it unsuitable for the more stealthy approach I wanted. But it could work in the set up similar to what I was going to give Andrew.


    After a few test runs, I found I could use a sound dampening effect around a leather circle to create a stream of water powerful enough to cut stone at mid-range but was also near whisper quiet. I attached this leather hoop to an arm guard at an angle leaning back while putting a rounded piece of steel over the whole piece. The several water triangles on a leather patch behind the circle would summon the water and squeeze it under high pressure in a small marble-sized ball just behind the hoop.


    But the fields would leave a small channel leading up to the circle out of the marble with no manipulation, acting as the water''s exit towards the center of the hoop, which would then increase the speed and pressure to as high as I could get it as all of the triangles would now only have to focus on manipulating the water, not making it. The blue line of hair-thin water cut through stone like butter. But after several yards it was reduced to a spray that I guessed would only bruise.


    This would afford me a handy jet that was pretty silent and could kill several yards away while only emitting a faint buzz when used.


    Several failed attempts and long sessions making new models after the water tore several of my crafts apart from ricochet after a few uses, improperly stitched leather fastenings coming loose and a whole host of issues getting the water to line up properly, the equipment was finished around mid-day. After I begged some constructs to ''officially'' make my items I headed over to the dorm''s carriage area to get a ride.


    Someone had put out a bounty on some fire lizards near that town filled with women whose name I had yet to get. I wanted to make some quick cash when I went to register my new weapons by turning in some of the bounties. The survival course had yet to finish but I was confident I could just make do with cutting their heads off.


    I made my way up to the kiosk and a black-haired man with glasses in a black jacket and white undershirt greeted me behind his desk.


    "Hello, how can I help you today?" he asked me.


    "I have business in the town further down the road, the one filled with women, and would like to hire a carriage as well as pick up my pill," I responded. The pill is the poison we would have to use if we were captured by orcs.


    He got a stiff smile at this and asked me to wait while he checked on the availability. After a minute he came back.


    "I''m sorry but the carriages are all reserved for another party or have their horses too tired to use." He said.


    I sighed and nodded, then I went back to my house to try and figure out what else I should do in the coming future and move towards the whole point of what I was doing here: Reconnecting my A.I. chips.


    The industries I would start up would probably have to start on the more base end of the production chain. Mining and manufacturing would be the main focus in the first few years. Years, in the future. As in not soon.


    One aspect that I found increasingly trying was the lessened availability of information. I had spent my whole life with just a thought away from the encyclopedic knowledge of all of mankind''s achievements and insights. To go from having the proverbial world at my fingertips to having to wait hours or even an entire day to get one or two paragraphs of needed text was one of the most grating experiences I could ever conceive of. I could probably come up with some small scale stuff more quickly but the whole point of data webs is having other people to connect your tech too.


    But even with all of that it still wasn''t THE issue going forward.


    The bigger issue, on a personal level anyway, was who was going to be enjoying the fruits of my labors.


    Apparently banditry was still a problem the world over. It was something that would always be there, a cancerous thorn in the sides of all decent people everywhere. But the irrational part of my brain wouldn''t allow me to get over the fact that some time in the future one of these scum were going to enjoy air conditioning, the thrill of driving a vehicle or a good show on a VR screen and there was nothing I could really do to stop it. That they would ever receive any shred of comfort in this world from me soured my mood the more I lingered on it.


    Well, I could at least kill as many of them as possible before the dreaded day came when they would taste the sweet nectar of technology''s bosom. I headed down to the underground basement that I had expanded out to a proper workshop, complete with a special hatch in the stone lisp. I figured if I had to wait until graduation to safely get my ideas out into the world, then I should try and get a few more high tech items up and running. They would take a lot longer to set up, so the sooner the better.


    I started working on what would be this world''s first radio transmission system but I heard a knocking at the door upstairs. I came up and when I opened the door I saw that it was Shelby knocking on my warehouse door.


    "Hello, what brings you here?" I asked.


    "Hey kid," The robed woman said, shaking my hand. She had a red robe in the same style as before with a headdress and charms made with wood and bone about her body. But this one allowed me to see more of her face. In addition to her button nose and sharp eyebrows I could now see her pale skin and the faint lines of age in her face.


    "We have a problem, there is a special barge service maintained by the local villages that will be under attack from a smaller swarm of giant ants and your tool kit would be perfect for this situation. Think you could help out?" She said, seemingly nervous which surprised me coming from a veteran such as her.


    "How much money are we talking about?" I asked.


    She bit her lip and paused for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and stiffened her shoulders.


    "The payment would be in gratitude. The villages spent what little money they could afford on a few stiffs to help hold the ants back but it''s not looking like it will be enough with just them, me, another seasoned scout who volunteered and the local lord. The lord says we have more than enough and seems to be using this as an opportunity to get his son some recognition but I''m not nearly as confident as he is." She said, her hands fidgeting nervously as she spoke.


    Well, I''m doing all of this to help people and fix my biochips. This would just be a continuation of what I was already trying to do. Besides, I could use some public goodwill and gratitude is one of those commodities that''s hard to quantify.


    "Sure, just let me drop off my -" She put me in a bear hug before I could finish.


    "Thank you, thank you." She said as she hugged me. "I''ll go get a carriage, our destination is down by the river near Holstead."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Holstead?" I asked.


    "The town filled with women." She said before turning to leave.


    After I saw her go around the corner towards the academy I remembered that the carriages couldn''t have had enough time to rest their horses and any new carriages would probably have their horses be too tired after getting here if my imperfect knowledge of the animals was anything to go by. Fortunately, I had made some changes to my armor to allow for more elongated jumping and more helmet more comfortable for long uses.


    I put several quick touches on the copper wires making up a pseudo satellite dish stored in the underground workshop and then put a few copper bars in the second story ''workshop'' to satisfy the curiosity of anyone who would ''visit'' my house. As much as I hated it, I came to realize that putting in traps to keep intruders out would just require more work and explanations for how I set them up. I just had to work around it while only using a few traps around my bed. The only addition I had made was curtains for the windows which helped provide me some extra privacy as I slipped into the leather armor with a white shirt and brown pants.


    But it turned out I wouldn''t need my jumping equipment. I was quite surprised after putting my stuff away and getting my new cane slung on my back ready to take a long journey doing jumps with her on my back that the carriage came rolling by outside my house.


    I hopped in and as we made our way there my curiosity got the better of me.


    "You know, I tried to get a carriage earlier but there weren''t any available." I said, trying to sound idle as I looked at the passing trees.


    "Well, maybe they were just out. It happens a lot after the trials." She said.


    "That wasn''t what they said, I was told the horses were too tired or they were reserved." I pressed.


    "Too tired for your destination maybe, but this trip isn''t too long." She pushed back, the tone of defensiveness becoming unmistakable. Which was odd since as far as I was aware she had no connection to the carriage system.


    "I was headed to Holstead." I said, trying to keep the irritation of being lied to hidden from my voice, with pretty poor results.


    She stared at the floor for a long minute before giving a light chuckle.


    "Damn, we''ll need to do a better job of making sure the receptionists know to just stick to the reserved lie." she said ruefully.


    "Is this related to why saw almost no one in the carriages going towards Holstead when I first passed through?" I asked.


    She nodded then cleared her throat and leaned back.


    "Way back when the two towns used to be just one big single town where the academy currently is and Holstead was another small nameless village. They were also far more gender-balanced. But with the advent of the academy, the nobles began congregating in this area far more than they usually did. Now their behavior is typically bad enough but throw in their mentally unstable magic spawn all gathering in one place and well, I''m sure you can imagine. The reason the families were moved towards Holstead is that it was far enough that the more cruel students wouldn''t bother coming over. But it was also close enough that they wouldn''t treat going there like a vacation.


    You wouldn''t know it by looking at it but the town by the academy when all of the families were shifted towards Holstead was almost a ghost town. But the opportunities of the academy drew enough people in to replace the people who had been lost." She said this absentmindedly but then seemed to realize she had gotten sidetracked and continued on.


    "Our biggest protections are the escorts and bureaucracy. Any time a student wants to come through this northern part they have to be accompanied by a guild member, for their ''protection''. If a guild member isn''t present then the carriages are ''reserved'' or taken towards Holstead empty. " She finished.


    I just sat there trying to wrap my mind around having to send your family away so they wouldn''t be raped or tortured for fun by the people you have to serve food or clean up after.


    "Does this land have no justice system or laws?" I asked.


    "Aye, it does. But when you have entire houses, most of whom control significant portions of the goods we all need to survive, pinning their future on a single child politics will get mixed up in it. This was a solution the local people and the nobles worked out together.


    The workers had to send their families a good hour away but the nobles are the ones who have to cover the costs involved. There are few students who leave the dorms comforts which helps us control their movement. I gotta say you made a lot of people who manage this system very nervous when you moved into the warehouse." She said. I just put up my hands in surrender, apparently I had stepped on some toes even without being near the other students. She smirked and finished with the explanation.


    "It''s pretty shaky, but it''s been getting us by in the years we''ve been doing this." She finished.


    "That seems like a lot of work when a good whipping could keep them in line," I said plainly.


    She looked at me, her brown eyes going wide. Then she gave a light laugh but it didn''t seem like a jovial one.


    "Lad I don''t know where you come from, but the land must have dragon hearts as plentiful as acorns for you to even suggest such a thing. These kids are the walking outpouring of every bit of wealth that their families can manage. To even suggest inflicting harm on them, aside from the direst circumstances, would be deemed a sign of mental instability in most circles. Which is why I was so surprised when you agreed to help us mere peasants." She said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    My laugh was far more genuine than hers.


    "Well, I haven''t really gotten the impression that students are treated like spun glass. Between the arena, John''s beating, and that roadside bandit adventure, it seems we get put through a lot of shit for such important assets. Also, didn''t that big guild member punch a student on our way back?" I said my voice clearly showing disbelief.


    "Having magically capable children isn''t the same thing as having a mage as a child, they still need experience to accomplish anything. Experience takes doing and doing is unavoidably followed by danger. It''s been far more bloody for the students than usual I''ll admit, but the orcs are too big of a threat to let John go unpunished.


    The bandits are also a lot more uppity than they usually are. Which wasn''t supposed to be a problem as the road from Bulwark to the academy is among the safest roads around. Not that the parents cared for any of that when we got back. As for that guild member..." She became more somber at this and pain in her eyes began to show as she looked at me.


    "Former member, he is now a former member. 20 years, 20 good years of service and it ended with a whipping and a few coppers of a retirement package." She finished


    I just nodded in sympathy. 10 minutes later I felt like asking something I had wanted to ask one of the locals for a while now.


    "The arena, and all that showmanship around killing the orcs. Was that really necessary? Wouldn''t it have been more humane to just quickly put them down when they got captured?" I asked.


    Her jaw clenched and her brown eyes got a hard look as her skin stretched with a severe frown.


    "Lad, I know it''s because you have a kind heart. But don''t ever let anyone else know you have any shred of compassion for the orcs, under any circumstances they may be in. All right?" She said in a tight voice.


    I nodded in agreement.


    "As for the ''humane'' part of that question. We use them as training for our troops. It''s as close to real combat with orcs as we can get without just dumping them out into the middle of the swamp. So its is more humane, for us. As for compassion for the orcs.... a few years back there was an incident where a caster got kidnapped. Wasn''t even a man, thank the heavens, but they eventually got her to make constructs for the orcs who were sired by the crafters that they had managed to capture.


    A lot of soldiers died to those fire weapons before a special raiding team managed to break in and put a bolt in her. The only upside was that the water degraded their items quickly enough that this new arsenal didn''t last long afterward. There are a lot of people who got kidnapped or died in the fighting and a lot of their families still live here. So don''t go spreading your compassion on this subject around too much.


    But for you to really understand I''ve got to ask you something kid. Did you have Orcs back home?" She asked, more like she was giving advice now as her anger got more under control as she went on.


    "No" I responded plainly.


    "Thank the heavens every day for that. So let me tell you what it''s like living with orcs. It''s sitting down for breakfast. It''s taking your kids out to a festival and letting them run around playing among their friends. It''s sitting at the tavern playing with your buddies and drinking your worries away. During all of this, you have the nagging feeling that you''re just waiting. Just passing the time until THAT report comes." She looked out the window at this.


    "Constantly on the watch for that day when the local messenger comes through talking about how some caster men were caught alive and now everything you wanted to do or were doing has to stop as you and everyone you''ve ever known has to buckle down and march of to some faraway land to prevent a swarm of caster, or if fate truly has abandoned us, scion orcs swarming over us. It is the always looming cloud over every day of your life knowing that you''re just 2 or 3 self-centered idiots, like those assholes we had to tolerate on our trip, from having the orcs becoming almost unstoppable.


    Unlike us, all of the mage-sired orcs will have their mana pathways fully developed when born and can use an almost meager amount of magic animal flesh to activate them with their innate talent from their sires." She gave out a long breath as she finished her speech. But then she looked me in the eyes.


    "This does beg a question though. You didn''t seem too broken up when killing those bandits, so why the soft heart for the orcs?" She asked, her tone was surprisingly more curious than accusing.


    "The bandits had a choice. They are guilty. The orcs didn''t have a choice being born, and the concept of being born a living crime is not one I''m really.... at ease with. " I said, after a long moment of going over my feelings.


    She gave a tired nod and leaned back while silently contemplating as she looked out the window again.


    The trip finished almost leisurely afterwards. We passed through Holstead and continued on a road that broke off from the main one from the left of the town''s exit. The road was actually decently maintained and we managed to get there after a half an hour.


    The place had a two-story house in a log cabin style with a chimney and a roofed front porch along the entire front. By the river was a well-maintained barn with red paint and an older, run-down barn nearer to the house. The house and barn were directly by the road and the red barn was near a wood platform sticking into the mud near the river. Along the old barns side was a long pole with various horses tied to it and the look of a very rich looking carriage was sticking out behind the red barn.


    The river was deep and fast from the look of it with the surface occasionally having white foamy peaks from the speed of its movement. On the opposite side was another platform which helped suspend a thick chain over what I wanted to say was about 70 feet of rushing water which connected to the pole on the platform on our side of the river which had the flat wooden structures of barges slightly in the water but still firmly on land. Our side also had a line of poles with a string attached to a bell and a smaller barge already hooked up to the chain.


    We saw a sizable group on the porch with a man in a white cotton shirt and brown pants talking to the assembled group. In the crowd, I saw Joey next to another man wearing a metal suit of armor who looked to be his father, but with more muscle and his green eyes were slightly darker behind his glasses. As we made our way towards the porch Joey noticed us and scowled.


    "What is he doing here?" He said, not even attempting to hide his tone of contempt. He had an iron cap and a bow with a quiver of arrows on his back


    "The lad who won the bandit brawl we had on that lovely school trip is here at my request." Shelby shot back. Apparently Joey had managed to find himself on Shelby''s bad side with his typical brisk efficiency.


    "Fine but this is our land and our business. As the son of the noble house Freton, I am here to safeguard our interests, so try not to screw up too badly." Joey said, his voice heavy with macho confidence.


    The man in the white cotton shirt was about mid 30''s with a grey cap and lean muscular build. His brown eyes and rugged black beard gave the impression of a working man. Coming down off the porch he shook our hands.


    " ''Ello, I''m Rick and I am the poor sap who has to maintain this place for the villages who want to move their good past the river here." He said as he gave our hands a firm squeeze.


    "I can start setting up a perimeter once we get a better idea of where the ants will attack first. But I''ve got to ask, why is this not a bridge? The river is even narrower here than it is at the academy." I asked as I looked at the set up of the beached barges.


    "The villages don''t have any magical resources to speak of, just crops and animals. The people who run this region" He motioned to Joey and what I guessed to be his father. Joey puffed out his chest at this. "helped set up this as a sort of middle of the road fix. Any bridge here would also have to be large enough to let ships pass and all the expenses and maintenance to go with that, but going around the river bends towards the academy or Holstead would be a huge waste of time. So we just use the barges fixed to chains with a manned station further up river that rings the bell when a ship is coming through to let us know we have to drop the chain."


    "All right so where are they likely to attack?" I asked.


    "The barn, that''s where we currently have a load of grain and vegetables waiting to be moved. The ants aren''t typically so bad but it looked like a good swarm this time." Rick said.


    I nodded and then got to work setting up my mines in and around some of the rocks and fallen logs leading out from the forest opposite of the house''s front. The back of the house had been cleared of trees for several yards. As I was setting up the last mine, a man on a horse came dashing in. He had leather armor and scruffy black hair with flecks of grey while the spear on his back swayed with his horses'' movements.


    "Troglodytes, we have troglodytes coming." He almost yelled to the people on the porch.

 Chapter 35: Home Defense

    Eli POV


    __________________________


    This caused quite the stir among the assembled audience on the porch.


    "What happened?" Joey''s father cut through the creeping panic.


    "The damn ants ran into a troglodyte cave. A few of the bugs ran off in this direction when their fight was lost and the brutes eventually made their way here chasing them. Now they''re in a blood frenzy and we''re the closest humans for them to smell. They''re coming straight towards us, Mack." The scout reported.


    "All right lets all pile into the carriage. It''ll be tight-" Joey''s father, Mack, started but the scout cut him off.


    "They''re coming directly down the road, we got about 10 minutes before they get here." The scout said.


    "Well, looks like we''ll be leaving on horseback. let''s untie all the horses-" I started.


    "Why do you think we have the barges? The rivers too deep to get across and we''re in the culdesac of a sharp bend in the river." Rick curtly retorted.


    Mack looked around and saw the barges laying on the river bank.


    "We can use those and get across the river," Mack said.


    "No, we need to unhook the smaller barge to get those hooked up to the chain. That would take a good 20 minutes." Rick said, his voice getting a slight tremor.


    "What about that smaller barge already hooked up?" Mack said, his voice getting the faint signs of panic. Joey just looked scared shit-less.


    "It''s only made for 2 or 3 people." Rick almost shouted.


    "All right, I''m pulling rank. Me, Joey and Eli will head towards the far bank while you lot try to fend off the beasts." Mack said as sweat dripped down his forehead.


    A blond-haired woman, fair in appearance with a long scar across her cheek and green eyes like emeralds came out. Her white gown covered her belly that was swollen with child and a smaller boy came in behind her. He had her soft cheekbones and green eyes while having his father''s black hair.


    "Honey, what''s the problem?" She said, her voice betraying her trepidation.


    "Nothing, go back inside." Rick said, clearly trying to keep himself from screaming.


    The rest of those assembled didn''t look any more thrilled about what was happening. Apparently, fighting the troglodytes was basically being told to go die. Since there was no way I was taking the place of a pregnant woman on the proverbial lifeboat I decided to go set up my mines in the abandoned barn.


    "Hey, where are you going?" Mack yelled at me as he and Joey made their way off the porch.


    "GO!" I yelled to the pregnant woman as I pointed towards the barges.


    "Wha-" She said before Rick pulled her and the boy towards the barges, his face showing clear gratitude to me. The others looked impressed while Mack threw up his hands. Joey just made a mad dash towards safety.


    I laid my mines around the four corners of the barn while setting up a ladder towards the second story rafters. Setting down my staff I came back out and saw Rick with the boy coming towards me and the small barge on the chain with Mack and Joey pulling the chain to move across the river. The pregnant woman was crying as she yelled how she loved Rick and Henry, the boy apparently.


    I looked questioningly at Henry then Rick.


    "Too much weight, so now what?" He said.


    "Shelby! What do you know about troglodytes?" I yelled towards the small crowd.


    "Big, tough, and stupid. They also have a penchant for going after children, even when others are around." She said as she made her way down the porch, giving the boy a meaningful look at the last part as she came near.


    "Any ranged attacks?" I asked.


    "Nope just a lot of muscle." She said.


    "All right we need to maximize our ranged abilities. Can any of you shoot on horseback?" I asked the crowd on the porch. They all shook their head in denial.


    "Fine, let the horses go, they''ll just get in the way of our arrows when they start stampeding everywhere. The archers need to be on the roof while the melee fighters need to be in the house to hold them off. Shelby go to the other side in the forest and prepare to draw them to you when the archers start firing, use this when they get close." I tossed her the cane. Off to the side, the carriage drivers were getting the carriages out of the way further down the river and releasing all of the horses.


    "Press the knot of wood on the handle then the hole and it will encase you in a cocoon of stone. Once you''ve drawn them towards you, Henry, who will be hiding in the barn, will then shout when they get close to Shelby and-"


    "Woah, what the fuck? You can''t be serious." Rick said.


    I got on my knee and looked the kid straight in the eyes.


    "Listen kid, we''re in a bad spot right now. We need someone to distract those monsters while we try and kill them. Are you up for it?" I asked the kid. He was shaking but he put out his chin and puffed up his chest.


    "S-Sure mister." He said, putting on a brave face. I smiled and patted his black hair.


    "Now Ho-" Rick started.


    "We don''t have ti-" A deep heavy bellow off in the distance interrupted me as I was interrupting Rick. It was far off, but too close for comfort. Far too close.


    "WE DON''T HAVE TIME!" I yelled. Everyone else scrambled into place but as I was explaining my bubble grenade to Henry and how he had to throw it behind him when he got through the barns back exit another woman came through the front door.


    She had short wavy brown hair, soft purple eyes, and a small sharp nose. Her full pink lips with a mole on the right side accentuated her looks as did her sharp eyebrows. She came up to my height a few inches short which was actually pretty tall for the women around this region. But the skin showing out of her elegant brown dress and white undershirt was only lightly tanned so she obviously wasn''t used to outdoor work like the other women here.


    "Where is my husband?" She asked.


    Then she looked out over the river and saw Joey and Mack with the pregnant woman just making it onto the shore. Her face went red and she looked at me with a question in her gaze.


    "Troglodytes, you need to get back inside," I said as I saw several of the men get onto the roof of the log house.


    "Oh. So that little shit and the coward left me? Those two are going to know what it''s like living with an unhappy woman in the coming weeks." She said between gritted teeth. Then she stomped back into the house and slammed the door shut.


    Damn, now I had to survive. There was no way I was going to miss seeing Joey get humiliated and raked over the coals by his mother.


    After the eternity of 10 seconds passed the hard thumps of something big running came into earshot, multiple somethings. Then around the bend, large shapes that looked to be covered in moss came into view. They looked like huge apes with enlarged eyes that held a sort of primal lust and thick eyebrows, but their faces came with a mouth in a sharp V shape brimming with razor-sharp teeth with thick tongues running over them. Their bodies sized to about 7 feet as they lumbered forward on muscular arms and legs. Coming closer I could see all of their bodies were covered in dark green fur that was also peppered in bites and sticky goo that must have been from the ant fight.


    I shot the leading troglodyte in the gut with my lava tube, bits of his rib cage got exposed but he was too tough to just die. He roared in pain from the wound but still charged toward me. I sighed and shot again after a second. This time it took him in the face and he went down. But the mob was still about 7 strong if my quick count was accurate.


    Working my way back I managed to get off two more shots before the archers on the roof let loose their arrows. I had hoped they would start firing immediately but apparently they were stunned by the giant apes coming towards us, with Rick being the lone shot when they first came into range.


    When the overgrown apes were trying to decide on where to attack, Shelby started unleashing her crafts as well. The fireballs, rock shards and nasty wind blades couldn''t kill them but it left a lot of them angry enough to charge her.


    I made my way into the barn and up the ladder as Henry shouted by the barn''s entrance. When I looked out the window of the second story I saw the stone cocoon cracked but still intact as the troglodytes went wild and charged towards my barn. There were only 5 left now as the other 3 apes lay in the dirt, their bodies riddled by arrows or the wounds of magical crafts. Henry was already out the back entrance which was now covered in the bubbles of my grenade when the first troglodyte made its way in. I immediately started the mines as the platform I was on rumbled from the sheer seismic tremors of the coming stampede.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Unfortunately, the enemy didn''t seem to understand the concept of a single file entrance as the entire front of the barn exploded in a frenzy of fur and bulging muscle. I immediately jumped out the window as bellows of pain emanated from the quickly burning barn as it collapsed on the inhabitants. When I had designed the staff I knew the ropes could easily burn so I had the mines hold mana batteries to run for a good 10 seconds even with the connection to the staff cut off.


    A burning mass of muscle came bellowing out of the wooden wreckage and tried to force its way into the house by caving in a window. The scream inside told me Joey''s mother must have been watching from that window. I shot the beast with the hair-thin line of water from my arm craft.


    The distance was great enough that I didn''t cut into him but the sheer kinetic force of the water left a small line of bruising and slight tears on the patches of bare skin as I ran it over his body. He turned to me but as he readied to charge the round of slag from my shoulder cannon blew lava and his enlarged eyes into the back of his skull.


    The men on the roof gave a cheer with Rick amongst them and I saw Henry peeking from behind the houses back with a smile on his face.


    "Stay sharp! We can''t relax until we know they''re all good and dead." Waving my hands aggressively at Henry telling him to get back.


    The top side of the destroyed barn, now nearly a full floor shorter than it had been, hadn''t fully caught fire. But there was still the odd movement and crunch that told of things pushing and struggling underneath. I used my water glove to make a small water shield on my left and proceeded to systematically blow hole after hole in the ruins with lava missiles.


    Eventually one of the monsters crawled out, so burned he was barely recognizable. I still put up my shield and shot it in the head with my lava tube. After a while, the archers gradually slacked their bows and I saw the barge with the three who escaped earlier coming over. Well one of them escaped, the other two ran away in a panic.


    I still went at it. The water shield was gradually made into a shell covering my whole front while staying out of range of my jet to allow it to pass through. It wasn''t until I had cut through the wreckage and found the charred bodies of the other 3 troglodytes and cut their skulls clean in half that I finally relaxed.


    It took a good hour of bucket moving and water craft using until the ashes were considered extinguished. It was during this that I somehow managed to find my bubble grenade. The smooth stone was worn down like it had spent a good year in rushing water until it was barely larger than a pebble.


    "All right lads, dinner is on us. Tonight we feast and tomorrow we boast." Rick said to the gathered crowd.


    "Aye, we''ll be covering the refreshments, as a token of thanks for the bravery you''ve all displayed." Mack put in.


    There was a moment of tense silence but I broke in with a cheer, which everyone else followed up with. Whatever he may or may not have done, he was offering free food and that was enough for me. By now some of the horses were trickling back in and had to be calmed or the rest brought back by their owners.


    Mack and Rick went to secure our dinner in the carriage. Once everything was back in order the rest of us went to work on the damage and recover any valuable bits from the troglodytes. Eventually, the carriage came back filled with food as I was changing into my chain mail veil. We men went over the whole battle and our other experiences in the large living room as the women prepared the food.


    "I gotta say that was a hell of a way to get rid of the old thing." One of the men on the couch said, which drew some light chuckles from the others.


    "Yeah. Man when they charged through the front, I thought Eli was out of work." Rick said.


    I raised an eyebrow at this phrase.


    Rick saw my expression and ran his finger across his throat while spewing out a gurgling sound.


    "Enough, Rick. I swear, sometimes I think I''m raising two boys. Dinners ready." The pregnant woman called from the dining room.


    As we sat around the table eating various pork chops, chickens and vegetable dishes the feeling of discomfort started creeping back into me. I liked these people, except Joey, but having to constantly look at their faces was wearing on me. Towards the end, Mack tapped his glass and called attention.


    "Tonight we celebrate a great victory. We owe it all to the hero of the hour." He said looking towards me. I stood up and gave a light cough.


    "Indeed, Henry''s bravery during this crisis was something we should all aspire to." I raised my glass to the boy as everyone else raised their glasses to him and cheered. He went beet red and leaned into his mother as we all clapped for him. We drank, sang, and laughed for a while even as I drew more distant and weary. Eventually, the sky went orange and we all had to make our ways home before dark.


    I was out by the woods taking a leak when I heard footsteps behind me.


    "Woah. Sorry, but this tree is currently taken." I said, still feeling slightly ashamed that I had to relieve my self on such a priceless thing to get any sort of cover.


    "It''s all right kid, I don''t have the equipment needed to take your spot." The voice of Shelby said behind me.


    "I just saw your leather armor pants by the forest and when I didn''t notice you were around I came looking to make sure you weren''t getting into any trouble." She finished.


    "Well, I would typically bring my full armor into a fight. Showing strength in battle is important but showing off that kind of prowess is not typically helpful." I said dryly as I tied up my rope belt around my cloth brown pants.


    "I wasn''t talking about that brand of trouble," She said before sticking an odd vegetable in my hands. It was more of that yellow-edged, celery thing I found in that one crate after the guild trip.


    I raised an eyebrow at this and just looked at her.


    "Do they not have Yook root where you''re from? Well, for your information, it''s a conception controlling vegetable that prevents a woman from conceiving for day''s afterward once chewed." She said in a very formal tone.


    "Well I''m flattered, but wouldn''t the guild say something about our rendezvous?" I said, not sure if she was being serious or not.


    She gave me a swift kick me in the shin. I was determined to not give her the satisfaction of seeing pain on my face so I remained stoic.


    "Not me, you cur. Beth" She huffed.


    I just gave her a blank look.


    "Mack''s wife. She was quite forward in her intentions of ''sating the hero'' when her husband was out of earshot." She said sounding completely serious as she turned and walked away.


    At this, some faint visions started flashing before my eyes. Writhing mounds of human flesh wriggling in orgies covered in neon-colored dust and flashing lights. Long nights with women in hot sweaty movements as our faces were covered with masks of varying colors and designs. And at the later part, cold nights of crippling loneliness even as my body was covered in the heat of others.


    I blinked away the sights and went back towards the house. Coming out of the forest my leather pants were not where I had left them. Looking around it took me a good minute before I realized they were on a branch by the embroidered carriage.


    As I went to pick them up from the branch the carriage door swung open and a hand grabbed my outstretched arm. Whirling around I found myself face to face with the purple-eyed woman from before. But what really stood out was the slight taste of honey and cinnamon on my mouth as she moved her pink lips under my veil and forced her tongue down my mouth.


    She had managed to get her arms around me in a pretty impressive wrestling maneuver to lock my arms in place as she leaned back and dragged me half into the carriage, pressing the covered mounds of her chest against me the whole time. It was completely dark but Beth moved her left foot over one of the benches and the mana crystal in the middle of the roof lit up.


    At this, she kissed me more deeply as she ran her tongue up and down my mouth and throat. Unless I hate my future children enough to give them Joey as a half brother, I need get out of this situation quickly before I do what the blood coursing in my veins is screaming at me to do. When I tried to use my tongue to push back she gave me a sharp pinch and became more forceful in her penetration as she ground against my erection.


    I had thought about pushing back with my arms but then I considered the consequences of putting bruises on a married woman when I was on top of her in her own carriage. After a good minute, she opened her eyes and looked at my red hot face. With that look, she stopped her oral motions and stared into my eyes like they were a newfound treasure.


    "Oh my, I thought we merely had a similar fashion sense but I see now how truly inferior I am. Tell me who is the healer who managed to work in such hues of pink and deep purple with... are those flecks of gold?" She said as she cooed in wonder.


    ''Well, they''re actually vision aiding sensors designed to-'' I started thinking but then she took the Yook root from my hand.


    "Ah, this is what I was looking for....but looking at you now." She said with a question in her gaze. She hummed in thought for a few seconds.


    "Well, our child would have the most wonderful eyes. So go make caster and we can make a baby with eyes so beautiful they''ll blind all who see them." She said before chewing on the vegetable.


    "I don''t think making a-"


    "Don''t blink!" She said suddenly after swallowing a mouthful of the vegetable.


    She looked into my eyes with a sheer intensity that was intimidating. When I had to blink again she pushed her mouth forward and kissed my left eye.


    "Here, I can at least feel them when I can''t see them." She said as she kissed my right eye.


    This went on for a while. I could only lay there as my first sexual experience in this world took its very weird course. It was tough at first as she kissed and licked my eyes over and over. Fortunately, the sensation was becoming less perturbing as it went on but I could only wonder when in my life I had done enough evil to deserve this.


    "Goodbye."


    "Thanks again for your help gentlemen."


    That sounded like Mack and Joey going out the front door of the house. I quickly moved to put my leather armor pants back on as Beth made herself decent. They were still talking on the porch so I had ample time to make my way into the forest. But before I turned to go Beth took my head in her hands and gave me one long last look before shoving her tongue in my mouth.


    "All right boy, go. I have two men whose lives I need to start making miserable." She said once she finished. The carriage driver was coming out of the house now and making his way towards us.


    I just dashed into the forest as quietly as I could. As I looked at the carriage taking off I saw Beth starting to lay into Mack and Joey with exaggerated finger-pointing and a mouth twisted in a growling expression. As satisfying as that was to see I heard someone laughing off in the distance which I went to investigate.


    Leaning against a tree was Shelby. She had her hands around her stomach as she shook and rocked back and forth across the slanted tree. I gave a light cough to interrupt her.


    She just laughed for a few more seconds.


    "Damn, that was a tale for the ages. To think your eyes would be getting more action than your cock." She said as she breathlessly continued laughing at my expense.


    As an ancient and wise being with eons of experience, I was, of course, above such petty antics and took my leave. Making my way back to the house Rick came up and shook my hand.


    "Thanks, man, you really pulled through for us in the end. Mack is going to be paying for all of the damages so all''s well that ends well." Rick said.


    "Yes dear, thank you so much." His wife said as she hugged me.


    Henry was between the two of them looking rather shy. I got on one knee and gave him a firm shake when he came forward.


    "Make sure to keep watch in the future kid," I said.


    He got a serious look and then went back to hug at his mother''s leg.


    Then I and Shelby went into the carriage and made our way back to my place we both were too tired to talk and just enjoyed the ride in silence. When I was jostled awake from the nap I was unwittingly taking I saw my warehouse out the carriage window.


    I got out and waved goodbye to Shelby as the carriage pulled away from the front of my home. When I went to sleep in my hammock, a half faded memory of vast skylines filled with skyscrapers came to me. The dark streets snaking around the steel mountains were filled with various drug dispensing fountains, piles of nude bodies in varying states of sensual pleasure, unending streams of the neon powder in the sky and strobe lights pulsating against the various buildings as a vast party that had never started or ended raged on before it all faded to black.

 Chapter 36: Fathers Prerogative

    Eli POV


    ____________________________


    A few days after the troglodyte incident I headed towards the classrooms going over the problems I was facing in my projects as I partook in the morning ritual of walking to the classrooms. After replacing my mine staff I moved onto the plans involving metal and plant working. A mana issue was becoming a very real obstacle to getting anything done. I was constantly having to stop mid project when all of the surrounding mana dried up and worst of all it was getting so bad that I heard some people near the academy complaining about how their various magical items were struggling to take in enough fuel for their enchantments.


    I had gotten so desperate I wasn''t willing to wait on mother nature and started pushing the mana out of my body but that only did so much. Setting up the iron pieces and electrical equipment to make the magnets, twisting the copper wires and making the metal frame for radio communication while also growing the varying interweaving layers of the large vine suit parts was leaving me exhausted and sweaty when I went to sleep at the end of the day.


    Another complication was that I''m definitely being watched now. A few men would stay around street corners looking over the crowd but how they went out of their way to not look at the silver-haired man in the crowd made it obvious they were looking at me when my back was turned. One day I came back from class and several of my personal items were not where they should have been.


    Over the course of working with it, I found that metal magic could move metal as easily as stone could be moved by earth magic. The problem was changing the shape of the metal took far more mana than the other elements, which I guess made a certain kind of sense. I thought about asking the blacksmith to shape the items or making my own mini forge, but the former would basically be telling the people watching me that I was doing something interesting that needs investigating and the later would require almost as much mana to use since I couldn''t very well start bringing in load after load of coal or wood for fuel. I couldn''t keep going like this if I don''t want an official investigation started. Any mages wandering by my side of the docks would take note of the differences in mana density if they came to this side of the town looking into the nobles complaints.


    The only upside was that the parents were starting to leave me alone. Some of the kids were still unbearable shits, but the adults were gradually starting to back off. I guess Ryan was calling in favors and working angles to finish his end of the bargain, which was going to be another item on my plate soon.


    Despite all of my gripes I actually had a lot more free time than the other mages-in-training. The need to acquire and absorb magical resources was like a dark cloud over everything they did. It was the conversation they had at the cafeteria tables, the contents of the letters they sent to their friends and loved ones, and the central crux of every interaction and deal they got into.


    This constant grinding need for every little bit of magical monster parts was their lives as they took ever more risks on a never-ending series quests and treasure hunts. To give themselves even the slightest fractional advantage was an all-consuming task as they tried every day to find any shred of magically animated plant or animal parts that would help them absorb even the smallest additional amount of mana. Back in my universe, I had heard of universities that had a similar work environment but those generally came with less sex.


    The stresses of university life must be severe enough that even the staff endorsed this stress relief. I knew this academy was part baby mill, but to have official rooms for the purpose seemed a bit much. One thing that seemed especially out of place was the lack of marriage bands and weddings.


    I wasn''t totally familiar with the customs of this world but here a woman symbolized being married with either a special gold hairband or ring while the man just got a ring. But despite the obvious pairings going on the women who did get pregnant remained unmarried as far as I could tell. Even without a wedding to attend, how the men managed to get anything done between school and fatherhood was beyond me. I had just kept to myself and did research over these past few weeks and there still seemed to never be enough hours in the day.


    Speaking of research, what increasingly held my interest these days was the bags of holding. Such an item would prove invaluable for my current situation as well as an interesting source of experimentation. It was a higher level crafting item and I was only now allowed access to these higher crafting concepts as a mage-in-training.


    When I finally arrived at the classrooms I immediately went to the now available advanced crafting section on the upper floors.


    The other high-level recipes included alchemy, which was basically using healing magic in a soup of '' organic matter'' to make healing potions with a few other less noteworthy potions as mana potions didn''t seem to be a thing, there were even using special cooking combinations for magical meats and plants. The others weren''t that interesting, just recipes for ''powerful'' weapons and armors that wouldn''t do shit against gunfire.


    Going over the bags of holding recipe I now understood what made them so rare. It was a process where you had 8 casters, each of the 8 different elements and dual elements, cast a single interwoven spell. In the middle of this rather simple array of circles, triangles and squares was an empty space that one person had to send their spirit magic through. Once this spirit magic was pushed through you would then have to press this spirit magic against the inside of a bag or box.


    Once that task was complete the hard part began. You had to fight to push outwards with the spirit magic in the limited space in the bag or box which would then expand that inner space to be larger than it was outside. Once finished, the inner circle was then molded to fit the opening of the container to clearly mark where this space expansion began and ended.


    All of this had to be done while the area was saturated in enough mana to keep the spell going as the process of expansion went on. The mana costs were astronomical while the labor was considered equally expensive. But that was due to having 9 mages, 8 of which had to be one of the different elements. The fact that only one bag could be made at a time also made it hard to get members who would put aside their own personal interest to make the item for someone else. Maybe you could make it happen with a promise that they will get one eventually but that required a lot of trust.


    No wonder they were such a rare treasure.


    I went over the spell and the procedure again and again in my head. This was a special caster spell so there was no automating it. But that wasn''t to say I didn''t have a trick up my sleeve. The size of the array prevented one of the dual element mages from taking the spot of one of the base element mages as the arrangement of the mages put the dual element mages away from their two base elements. My advantage was that I could probably do it by myself if I was in the middle of the mana construct.


    Was going through all of this really worth it? I thought about it for a while, until the answer came to me.


    Yes, curiosity is always worth it.


    I jotted down the spell on a piece of paper to study after the mana issue was resolved and while I made my way from the dorm''s entrance a guard told me I was wanted in the headmasters'' office.


    ''I swear I''ve probably spent more time there than most people do in a year.'' I thought exasperatingly to myself.


    When I came in I saw two men with two younger women who looked to be their daughters by them. These two pairs were standing on both sides of Tansen''s desk. The headmaster motioned me forwards but apparently one of the men was determined to start this conversation.


    "Listen, kid, stay away from our daughters if you know what''s good for you." A skinny man to the left said, his blond hair combed over his otherwise bald head.


    I didn''t know what they were talking about until I looked more closely at the girls at their sides. They were the duo of women that wanted me to stay with them on the night of the raid. I looked around confused.


    "I''m sorry, what exactly am I being accused of?" I asked, feeling defensive.


    "Nothing, he did nothing." The blond girl said.


    Her father put a finger to his lips and motioned for her to be quiet. She relented but pouted in silence and refuse to look at him.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "She''s right," The other father said. He was deeply tanned with a red shirt and tan cotton pants. He had a strong chin with a scar running down it with deep brown eyes almost as black as his short hair.


    "I know you''re new here, so I want to try and make you see our side of it." He said as he stuck out his hand like he was pleading a case to me.


    "I have..., we have invested most of our lives into our girls. Heck, we''ll probably invest the rest of our lives into their siblings." The other father nodded at this. He gave his blond-haired daughter a loving squeeze on the shoulder, which caused her to blush and fuss at the attention.


    "And the way the benefits are set up here, they will be afforded a far more comfortable life if they can get with a caster instead of a crafter."


    "I didn''t come onto them." I defended myself.


    He squeezed his nose with his callused fingers like he was tired.


    "I know, she told me. The problem is that things like that can hurt their reputation if people start getting the idea that their situation is so bad they need someone to latch onto, either physically or financially. Our family''s reputation will also suffer as a result. Which in turn will make it harder for their siblings to get ahead.


    I feel like a piece of shit for asking this after you probably saved them but I need to do what''s best for my children. That''s why we''re asking that you not associate with them in the future." He asked.


    So, despite all that I''ve accomplished I''m still just a crafter? Just by virtue of being casters all the caster men were better for their daughters than me by the measure of these benefits. I tried to reconcile it to being down to some box on a paper form being ticked but it still stung whatever my actual interest in their daughters.


    Another sense of indignation came over me from a different source. I hadn''t hung onto them like some lecher if anything they were the ones who should be getting warned. Why should I have to suffer?


    But...


    But damn if I wasn''t a sucker for the ''I''m doing this for my child'' routine. The father had shown a kind of raw humanity and concern that was heartwarming, no matter how much of it was going towards making my life harder or how insensitive it was to my position. Both of the men were clearly worried about my response as they looked at me with thinly veiled concern in their faces. The complex emotions swirled through my mind until I chocked it all down.


    I sighed and put up my hands in defeat.


    "All right, but if they sit by me in the cafeteria or study room I''m not going to be constantly inconvenienced by having to move. If they want to talk to me I will talk back to them but I won''t go out of my way to meet with them." I said finally.


    The girls looked a little put out while the fathers heaved a sigh of relief and shuffled out while looking at me appreciatively.


    "You know, if I was in that situation when I was your age, they would have found me in between their daughters'' legs as they went to kiss them goodnight sometime soon. Unless that''s your hidden plan, you handled that way better than I could''ve." Tansen mused, sounding completely serious as he said something very not academy-head like.


    "They just want what''s best for their daughters," I said. But there was a more important bit of conversation we needed to have.


    "What ''benefits'' was he talking about?" I asked


    Tansen grew visibly uncomfortable at this but he at least had the decency to give me a straight answer.


    "They are a government program that gives a monthly stipend to mothers of mage sired children." He said firmly, but his apprehension told me this was a subject that involved me in ways that I was not going to like.


    "Where would I go to find information about this stipend?" I asked.


    "In the Fronts main office. And know that whatever your abilities you still have a great future ahead of you, Eli" Tansen responded mildly.


    I must not have been hiding my inner turmoil very well.


    "I am genuinely fine with my situation, I just wish I didn''t have to be reminded of it every other fucking day" I said as I bowed and spun to go back out through the door.


    In spite of the obvious aura of calm and serenity I no doubt emitted there at the end, I was actually quite bitter inside. I had come to the heights of what everyone thought a crafter could achieve and moved beyond even those limits. I had triumphed in the trials while my crafts overcame casters and scions, killed some of the fiercest non-magical creatures around, ones that even most caster mages wouldn''t tangle with, and what did it count for as far as the rest of society was concerned?


    "let''s find out," I said to myself. I went down the stairs and towards the Front main office.


    It had a central half circle desk flanked by a door on the left, a bookshelf to its right, and two tables on both sides of the walls with chairs. One had women going over their paperwork with a member wearing the Fronts symbol, a shield with the magical elements caricatures, on the shoulder of their blue and white staff gowns. The secretary helpfully directed me to the book holding the latest stipend rates which I took from the bookshelf.


    Setting the book down on one of the tables I skimmed through it, passing over a page about some ''mandate'' and eventually found the section on this stipend the father mentioned. Apparently, the women were paid a monthly wage when having a mages child. This section also had a chart containing the basis for what the stipends paid out each month. A crafter sired child paid out a single silver and 25 copper. A decent wage by local standards.


    Children from casters paid out 5 silver, at 100 coppers per silver that was 4 times as much as a crafter. Scions children got a whopping 30 silver a month. But that wasn''t the whole picture. Mages could also get the stipends for their children increased, and thus their desirability as partners, for committing good deeds. These fell into three categories: military honors, academic commendations, and exceptional civil service.


    These also came in different tiers for the 3 classes with the higher classes rewards showing similarly increasing disparities between the higher classes from the lower. I didn''t have the patience to go over them all so I just picked the information that answered the most interesting question for me.


    Military honors for crafters who were killed in combat got their children''s'' stipend doubled. Doing the quick math in my head I realized that I would have to die 2 fucking times to get my children the same degree of comfort as the base pay for a casters child. Just to get to the same level as the caster who did absolutely nothing all day, every day. That wasn''t even counting the prestige and social benefits either.


    Well god damn, I really can''t be angry at the fathers now.


    The hardest part was I could see why it was done this way. As much as I loathed to admit it, Jeff was mostly right. Crafters were essentially gimped mages who couldn''t even do their magic without a caster providing a mana construct, acting as living time savers for the ''real'' mages as Jeff put it. The fact that casters and scions could still craft meant this disparity would still remain even with my future contributions.


    Intellectually I could understand it, but that did nothing to quell the simmering pool of outrage in me. This issue now involved my children or my future children, at least. Having my own kids not be worth as much as a casters made the hair on the back of my neck stand up in outrage.


    There were thoughts in me saying it was alright. That I was actually a caster, the best caster they would probably ever see so I shouldn''t get worked up over it as I could just ''discover'' a dragon or elemental corpse so my children could get the best possible start in life. And since it would be sometime in the future I''ll probably be set up to defend my self from the malicious forces that brought me here.


    ''But people like Joey and John don''t have that luxury. They have to live every day knowing that any children they bring into this world will be, by government decree no less, inferior. There''s no super-secret magical powers or visions of grand industries in their futures. Just the constant grinding reminder of what they lack every day for the rest of their lives'' A voice in the back of my head said


    That this system made me feel something close to human empathy for Joey was perhaps the greatest offense. I could have some inkling of empathy for John''s emotional state, but for Joey, who has been such an unrelenting ass to me since day 1, to be made sympathetic was too much. I stewed in these thoughts until I decided to go home and bury my bitterness in the workshop.


    Sitting in my underground workshop, the only progress I could think to make was to rely on my internal mana generation to prepare as many mana crystals as I could for whatever solution to my mana problem I came up with.


    I spent the next week crouched over, condensing my internal mana into the glistening hair-thin strands. The regular classes passed by in their usual paces, but my mind was always busy going over all the solutions. Maybe having a patchwork of leather crafts to absorb ambient mana in the forest? Well, even if I could hide them well enough the forests around here weren''t exactly the safest. I didn''t feel anywhere near well-equipped enough to be going out on long treks at night with just my current set up. Also, leaving a huge mana dead zone in the forest would attract attention eventually.


    So I did the only thing I could think to do, which was store up as many mana crystals as I could in the meantime, which is what I was doing this afternoon. As I put the strands around each other they expanded slightly and came together to form a crystal. This was done over and over as the expanding crystal strands folded and meshed together like sand flowing into itself until it hardened into a solid crystal mass. The process of shaping it was extremely imprecise but for my purpose, it could look like shards of broken glass for all I cared. Fortunately, this process was a bit faster than when I first came to this world. It only took me till sundown today to make a small thumb-sized crystal.


    Satisfied I called it a day and went to sleep. As I was sleeping in the hammock a noise near the front woke me up. Through will power alone I managed to only slightly open my left eye. There were three men barely visible in the starlight coming in through the front. The last one had gently bumped against the door.


    I waited until they stopped to look over the barren cargo area to whip out the lava tube by my side and shoot one of them in the head. He didn''t even get to scream. The other two sprang into action. They both charged up onto the dock area towards me so I used my water spray glove to cut along their shoulders and lop off their heads.


    There was a moment when I seriously considered just laying there and getting a good nights'' sleep. Surely people would understand me deciding to sleep in a room with three fresh corpses.


    Dammit, I had a lot of attention on me for my trial achievements, I didn''t need the kind of attention that sleeping with dead bodies would bring me. After a long battle of will, I dragged my tired ass out of the hammock. Making my self decent I then went out to the guard station by the bridge to get the authorities involved.

 Chapter 37: Jealousy

    Jeff was his house wearing his white and blue student robes on a cool day with Andrew and Annie. He had come home early today and had gotten the mail from the porch, which looked to be from the government.


    "Hey, am I the only one here getting mail? Why is it only my stuff that gets left outside?" Jeff asked as he strode in through the front door.


    "I get my shit, you need to get your own shit as well." Andrew shot back.


    Jeff pulled back as the wild-haired redhead stalked past and made his way to his room next to the kitchen, which was on the right of Jeff as he was coming in. A cute brown-haired woman came out of Andrews'' room in a mussed peasant dress and wished everyone a good day as she skipped happily out of the door.


    "What''s up with him?" Jeff asked Annie as he moved to let the newcomer leave.


    "It''s the trials, and having to ask a crafter for help, I suspect," Annie replied sweetly, the woman with red hair so dark it was almost black had a simple white blouse and brown pants on as she leaned forward to give Jeff a kiss, once the curtains were all let down of course. She fussed with his black hair as they talked.


    "So what? Ryan got the same as him, arguably worse, but he''s been just fine with it. Better even, if his recent light and happy attitude is anything to go by." Jeff said with only a small amount of interest. His focus was mostly on the light cut of Annie''s blouse and the curves and various moles about her form.


    Annie pulled his chin up and looked him in the eyes as she motioned for him to sit at the living room table opposite the kitchen.


    "I''m no mind reader, but my woman''s intuition says it''s their views of themselves as scions." She said as they sat down.


    "Oh, so womanly intuition covers magical affairs? Not just relationships?" Jeff said skeptically.


    "It''s a magical power all its own, now" She swatted his knee " Let me finish".


    "Andrew is always in an environment where everyone is always telling how wonderful he is and how marvelous his future greatness will be. And for the first time you, me, your father can''t always be there to bring him down to ground level. So those compliments have gradually, without even noticing, gotten under his skin and made his identity as a scion more important to him.


    Ryan has always had being a scion as a core component of his very being. And I think since getting here he has started to push himself towards the more... heroic aspirations that others have ascribed towards him." Annie said.


    "So Ryan started believing his own bull shit while Andrews just finding out how much being a scion is actually important to him," Jeff said after a moment of thought.


    "Ryan started trying to be the better person they think he is, yes. Ryan has always known what he is while Andrew''s kind of finding himself all over again. I think wanting his own personal fire hammer may also be a part of it for Ryan." Annie agreed.


    They chatted for a little while longer until Andrew came in.


    "What''s this about going over to Ryan''s house?" Andrew said as he drank some fruity drink in a bottle, specially made and delivered from the dorms kitchens reserved solely for the meals of scions.


    Jeff raised an eyebrow to Annie at this.


    "When I told them about Eli making the scions all custom items, the headmaster and Agatha said that the scions should do it together. You know, make it a group project to increase your bonds." Annie said.


    "Why? It seems Ryan can do anything he wants without getting all friendly with us. He''s the only reason Eli is making the items for us." Andrew said sullenly.


    Jeff and Annie both looked at Andrew with surprise clear across their faces.


    "Oh, you don''t know? Well, you were right about Eli, Jeff. We asked him what he wanted to be paid in return for the items and instead of some long-winded spiel about just being glad to help us, he said he wanted help getting the parents off his back. Which Ryan gladly offered his services to do." Andrew said.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "What I don''t get is how he can get that kind of pull with people just from being a scion. We couldn''t get involved and shut down a noble houses intentions like that, let alone multiple ones." Andrew asked the table, more pointedly towards Annie.


    Annie gave a deep sigh and looked at both of the men in turn.


    "Ever since you boys first started out you always disdained working with the... let''s call them fellow political players. That was always something I liked about you guys. But there is a price to that. By not participating in those kinds of games you have influence that is far more limited than someone like Ryan." Annie said.


    "What? So we should have just hung around those soulless parasites?"  Andrew demanded.


    "No, I wouldn''t change a thing about you boys, aside from your dress habits," Annie said as she took in the sloppy white shirt and brown pants Andrew had on and Jeff''s lack of concern over his robes dirty foot area.


    "I''m just saying that everything comes with a price. You guys avoided a lot of the backstabbing, petty intrigue, and shady deals of the court. But while Ryan has to deal with those things here, he also gets to do things you guys can''t through his connections. Not better or worse, just advantages and disadvantages." Annie finished.


    The boys both took a moment of reflection at this and then went back to their respective rooms.


    Jeff went up the stairs and into his room. It had a wooden bed of dark oak bed to the right and a nightstand to its left. The main source of light being the big window opposite the entrance door.


    He looked down at his mail and saw one was a letter of confirmation for the women he got with child at the academy. As he went to open it, he heard some footsteps coming up behind him.


    "So how have the classes been going?" Annie said as she went to look out the window, taking in the view of the academy grounds and central tower.


    "Good I just-" Jeff stopped as he went over the letter.


    There were several names in the letter that he sort of recognized as they were similar to some of the local names but with slight changes and others he had no recollection of. These were all in the column saying he had gotten them with child. Which wouldn''t be a big deal if it wasn''t for the fact he hadn''t been with any other woman aside from Annie. He looked up and saw Annie looking at him with a hint of nervousness in her eyes.


    "Oh is that the confirmation letter? Those were supposed to be going out later today. Here, your times too valuable to waste filling out-" She moved her hand to try and snatch the letter out of Jeff''s hands but he backed off and put it behind his back.


    "Annie. Are you-" Jeff got closer and whispered to her


    "Are you skimming money from the breeding stipend?" He asked faintly.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, what would I even spend that money on here? It''s all going back into the main fund. It just takes a few turns along the way." She huffed, seemingly genuinely offended as she tried to reach around Jeff''s back to get the letter.


    As they wrestled Jeff thought about how she had handled the new paperwork saying how many women he had gotten with child, how the Front counselors never heckled him over his lack of baby-making, or how the women here never bothered him for a romp after their first attempt to seduce him.


    The answer to all of this actually made him smile, both on his face and in his heart.


    "And just what are you so happy about?" Annie asked sullenly, sounding much more like a teen than an early 30''s woman as she tried to pry the letter out of his hands.


    Jeff let go of the letter but then shot her a cocky grin.


    "Annie, if you don''t want me to fulfill my ''duties'' you could have just said so. But does this by chance have anything to do with you forcing me to taste your womanhood since we got here?" Jeff asked cloyingly


    Annie pouted at this and crossed her arms.


    "No, why would it? It''s not like I had a problem when that little slut put her lips on you." She said bitterly.


    Jeff wondered what she was talking about at first but then he remembered back to that first day when he got here that he had immediately put out of his mind. A blond student with pigtails came out and introduced herself to him by kissing him on the lips. A kiss that Annie was right beside him to see. Come to think of it she hadn''t bothered approaching him again, even going as far as leaving the canteen whenever he went to eat.


    "Making those skanks taste me whenever they tried to use their whoreish charms on you never crossed my mind," Annie said, turning towards the window.


    Jeff''s heart wriggled with happiness as he dropped the windows curtains. Then he took Annie''s hands and pinned her to the bed as he kissed her.


    "You naughty wench, keeping me from my sacred duty. You will have to be punished." He said in mock anger as she cooed in joy under him.


    Then a darker thought interrupted his playtime as he considered what would have happened if the review had gone through. They would have certainly found that these women didn''t exist. That Annie slipped up preparing the oil lamps now seemed like too big of a coincidence.


    "Annie. That record room fire. Did you do that on purpose?" His voice now betraying a very real anger.


    "I...uh," She said, clearly knowing that she had been caught.


    "You almost died. Do you know how many nights I spent just laying there worried sick about all the ways you could have died and all of the diseases that could have still killed you as you recovered?" Jeff growled as he got up, tears beginning to form in his eyes.


    Annie got up and fidgeted with her hands nervously as she looked at Jeff''s feet.


    "I...I''m sorry" Was all she could think to say.


    "Never again. Anything involving the two of us we work on together. All right?" Jeff said as he put a hand under her chin and forced her to look in his eyes. She also teared up and nodded in agreement as they hugged.

 Chapter 38: Capitulation

    Eli POV


    ___________________________________________


    The guard wished me a good day as he turned to go out my door and into the mid-morning sun. A brief investigation was conducted and the local law determined that it was a simple robbery. My fucking ass it was. I just hope Ryan wants that hammer badly enough to move faster. I had been reluctant to put traps in, at least to keep my maid from accidentally getting hurt. It looks like I was going to have to make the poor woman''s life more difficult. But as long as they''re all as stupid as the first bunch, this wasn''t even my biggest problem.


    The mana problem was now becoming too much to ignore. I had a whole list of items, both scientific and magical, that needed doing but constantly waiting for the ambient mana to refresh was becoming the single greatest obstacle to all of them so I had to put everything else on hold until this issue was resolved. The reserve I had managed to build up this past week was a priceless treasure but for my work, it was totally insufficient. The sack of mana crystals I kept in my basement is what would help me make the eventual solution to the mana shortage.


    Mana was sourced from the earth. How it was actually made or worked on a molecular scale had eluded the greatest minds for ages, not that the people here knew about molecules, and I don''t think it would be a good use of my time to try and develop a particle accelerator to tinker with it on the atomic level. Using the tools that I had was as far as I could go right now. And the only idea that came to mind was using spells to overload an enchantment and store the excess mana.


    I had tried just straight absorbing earth into the summoning circles to convert into a spell but it seems the mana ecosystem won''t allow non-mana summoned elements into the summoning circles. The only external sources of input were the overloading mana when a spell hit the enchantment.


    The main issue here with crafting magic is that its an insular ecosystem within the physical world. Obeying few of its laws but still interacting with the natural world. But from my limited reading and views in the arena, caster magic, on the other hand, seemed to be much more involved in the physical world.


    When I went into the classrooms the morning after the over due late-night house warming party, I immediately started going over the caster books in more detail, secretly as they were covered by other larger books of course. I eventually came across what I was looking for around midday. In one of the books was a tale about a lightning user who used a bolt of lightning from a storm to assassinate a king.


    This pointed me towards the books more focused on the dual elements. Mages had found that natural electricity could be absorbed as a fuel in certain lightning caster spells. In fact, 2 of the other dual elements also had this absorption ability. Plant spells could suck the life out of plants, and healing could let you use an animal or person as fuel until they also crumbled into dust, but these 2 methods didn''t seem to create new mana. Metal was the only one without this ability in the group. It could weaken metals but not absorb it as energy.


    The more I found out about the ''healing'' element the more of a lie its name seemed to be. It had elements of vampirism, necromancy, and then healing. Why only the latter merited the title seemed to be down to the marketing efforts of its users rather than any honest straightforward assessment.


    The base elements had no such provision for ''stealing'' from the natural world. Which was a good thing in my opinion. If the greed of mages the world over was anything like it was here, the seas and mountains would have been converted to mana ages ago.


    After my lunch, I headed out to get back home after going over the electric conversion spell. But on my way there I overheard a conversation that one of the armor strapped guild members was having with a carriage driver out in front of the classrooms as laborers unloaded the carriages goods.


    "I swear driving these things nowadays is almost as dangerous as being an adventurer. I got out of your gig to get into a safer line of work, but now...."


    "Aye, I''ll tell you, everyone at the guild is pissed. Taking down all the bounties like that left the Guildmaster so red in the face you woulda thought he had fire in his veins."


    "Still, to have the freaking government, of all the people, give in to the bandits like this is just mind-boggling. What are the people on the coast thinking?"


    The conversation faded after that but it stuck with me no matter how brief it was. As I walked home I still couldn''t believe what I had heard. The Coalition actually caved to the bandits? The chance that this would be the outcome was always there but it seemed so remote that I hadn''t thought about it after it was first brought up in Tansen''s office. Best not get ahead of myself and just wait to see if that''s actually true or not. I needed to keep my mind in the workshop which is where I was currently headed.


    Over the past few days, I had managed to use lightning magic to magnetize two large half-disks about a foot wide with a hole in the middle and a thick meshing of copper wires with an iron punch to hold the shape of the ring. It was made to fit snugly over the half-disks with about a half-inch of room for the magnet to move inside and generate the electricity. This mesh left a slight hole in the middle of the two half disks which left about one and a half inches of the disk exposed.


    A thick pole of wood was then grown down the middle and grown firmly against the disk. I then tried attaching three wood fans to the pole. The copper head and the pole were placed on two different smooth stone arches with indents to hold the pole slightly higher to allow the magnet free movement inside its copper prison as the pole spun.


    I placed a single piece of copper wire near the copper shell in a stone holder. This probably wasn''t necessary right now but I needed to make sure all the magnetic principles back in my universe still applied here. As I used wind magic to spin the pole I noticed the sparks between the strand and the copper shell occasionally going off.


    "Well, at least magnets still work how they should," I said to the empty underground room.


    The mana portion of this experiment now came into focus. I put up a bark craft that would take all of the overloading mana and shunt it into a blank triangle to release all of the mana into the upside-down glass bowl over it. In between the strand of copper and the generator, I placed a lightning construct that would take any lightning, a spark in this case, and add it to the spell which would hopefully mean it was converted into mana.


    It was tricky doing that and using the wind magic but I managed and after a while, I saw that the mana in the bowl was near the same amount that I had used for the lightning spell. After several hours I realized that the process wasn''t producing any new mana. Where in my assumptions had I gone wrong? Maybe the spell just bent the lightning but didn''t actually make it a part of the mana made lightning. Or maybe it''s just because magic and that''s the simple reason why. At this, my stomach grumbled.


    I went up and sure enough, I had worked way past dinner, again. After getting my meal from a street food vendor I went back home and slept through the night.


    The next morning I headed towards the classrooms early to get a quick breakfast and try and figure out what went wrong. I thought about maybe using the healing and plant elements to absorb mana, but that had its own set of problems. To safely harvest the mana rich beasts and plants I needed my specialized equipment, but to make my specialized equipment I needed more mana. No, working with the element I can reliably produce in the workshop was probably the best idea.


    What I did notice as I moved between sections was that the parents left me alone now. Sure a few of the parents were around seeing to some issue, personal or business, but my older detractors mostly kept to a few mean looks now. As I was going over the lightning magic through the various assorted books I couldn''t find any new information. So I decided to head home after lunch to see if I could work out something on my own.


    As I was heading down to the docks, Ryan called out to me from the academy entrance.


    "Well, I''ve pulled some strings and your day has been more peaceful, has it not?" He said, his tone and manner clearly very eager to get to the point of this conversation. I was not so cruel a person as to string him along.


    "Yes, indeed it has. Where would you like to do our item crafting?" I asked.


    "At my house in the.." He started but looked behind.


    I turned around and saw Salamede looking at us with what I assumed was a broken bark craft in her hands.


    "This is official scion business, get... If you would wait, ma''am, we have to work out some details." Ryan said as he forced his tone to be more civil towards the end, no doubt seeing the look in my eyes that I couldn''t manage to keep out. Still, there was a slight shake in her now as she nervously clutched the bark pieces.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Well, I will need to finish up a mock staff and get the leather pieces in order. So I will be over in about an hour." I said gracefully.


    Ryan nodded.


    I headed back to my house with Salamede. When we were on a less crowded street she touched me with spirit magic. She hesitated for a long moment before actually saying anything through the connection.


    "So when will you meet that scion that he was talking about?" She finally asked as we were coming up to my house.


    "That was him, I''ll be-"


    "Eli!" Salamede squealed as she squeezed my arm and started swatting me with her free right hand.


    "You can''t look at a scion like that! My god. What''ll happen if that face you made hurts your relationship with him?" She said, half-panicked.


    "Then it will be what it will be. I won''t be told by anyone who I can and can''t be around." I said plainly back through the connection.


    She bit her lower lip at this and moved her right foot back and forth. Her right hand played across the lower part of her dress.


    "Eli...thanks." She said happily before giving me a hug and starting off back to her house.


    "Oh and later I will be putting in a few traps. Some people have been getting the idea they don''t even have to wait till I''m gone to start rummaging through my stuff. But don''t worry they''ll be nonlethal." I said.


    "I saw the constables near here this morning. Were you hurt?" She said as she turned, looking me up and down.


    "Nah, I''ll just have to be more prepared. I''ll show you the new protections after I put them in so you don''t get hurt." I said before we both gave a slight bow and went our separate ways.


    I wasn''t expecting any danger so I just kept on my water-based weapons and my jumping equipment. After collecting the leather pieces and wooden bits I would need I headed back towards the academy with the assorted goods slung under my arm. The special section for the scions was a walled-off area with three houses. Ryan was waiting in front of the gate clearly excited to get started. We went through the black metal gate and up to the house made of stones.


    This one, unlike the other structures here, or even the other scions'' homes, was made with thick blocks of stone and wooden beams showcasing excellent craftsmanship across the three floors. Its front entrance had the slopes and angles of a cave entrance with stone steps leading up to it. Inside was a long hallway with dark oak wood walls and smooth stone floors. The long doorway to the left and a regular doorway further to the right were all that I could see aside from a staircase leading to the upper floors at the end of the hall.


    Ryan came in and motioned towards the room to the left. Coming in I saw it was a wide-open room with a couch to the right and two chairs to the left with a large door to the back yard. I followed Ryan towards the door but on the way, I saw a portrait of a woman on the left wall. She looked like a female version of Ryan but with a smoother curve to her cheeks. She wore a black dress with a wooden bird on her right shoulder.


    "Ah, mom was quite something, served in the military in her younger years and eventually settled down with dad after getting enough honors to retire young. My earliest memories are with her smiling and making me cookies." Ryan said as he stopped to look at the painting affectionately.


    "Sounds nice, she must have been a very interesting character to go from the military to cookie baking," I said.


    "She was. Always talking with the neighbors and very involved in her peoples'' needs. But one day she....uh, tripped on a rock and went right over a cliff. So many years in the military and a single trip took her." His voice grew strained and the gaze in his eyes distant.


    Silence was the only appropriate comfort I could offer him. A long moment passed before Ryan finally shook himself.


    "Enough about that, we have work to do." He said as he took himself out of his stupor.


    We went through the back doors and out onto a plain yard of grass going off for several yards before coming up to the smooth white wall of the scion enclosure. Off to the left was Andrew, Jeff, and Annie talking with Veronica and her friends, Eska and Mia. On a stand to their right was the armor pieces Ryan used in the trials and on the guild trip.


    The twins were looking the armor over, their distinct sharp chins and short brown hair distinguishing them easily in a crowd. Ren''s green eyes to Len''s brown were the unique traits amongst themselves. Ren was looking over the boulder-like armor''s sides intently while Len occasionally looked longingly over at the red-headed tomboy Mia as she idled amongst her friends. He did this out of the groups'' view of course.


    But as Ryan walked up all the idle chatter stopped.


    "All right, we''ve got refreshments on the way. So let''s allow the master to work." He said to the gathered crowd.


    I looked over the backside of the armor and found that the backplates and legs had holes to allow for the wearers'' movements. Looking it over, I could probably work in some back leather pieces and down the backs of the legs. The whole thing was too heavy to even consider using any kind of elongated jumping so the next best course of action was to use the boosters to lighten his weight and use them for a quicker frontal charge.


    "Well, I think I know what we will need for your equipment. You won''t be doing any of those crazy jumps but a lot of people will be wondering how a mountain can move so quickly." I said as the rest of the group started sampling the various cuts of meats and crackers being laid out of a table the servants were bringing out as well as some papers and pencils for my work.


    "Excellent, and the hammer?" Ryan asked by the table as he put some charcuterie on his plate, clearly trying not to sound too excited.


    "That is something we will need to discuss. Did you have anything, in particular, you wanted for the hammerhead?" I asked him.


    "A dragon head. with flames shooting out of its maw." He said as his eye lit up in excitement.


    "The flame part of the hammer is what thrusts it forward. For that design, the hammer would be hitting them with the dragons butt. Are you sure that''s the kind of business end you want to be hitting people with?" I asked. The surrounding onlookers giggled at the suggestion while Ryan nodded with a grin.


    "No, that''s not quite how I want the portraits to look. What would you suggest?" He asked.


    "A lions head. The flames can shoot out the back making it look like the flames are an extension of the mane." I said.


    "Excellent." Ryan agreed.


    I gave a slight head nod and headed over towards the armor and worked on the mock staff. There was a point in making the stone head after making the spells output triangle that I nearly made an earth mana construct for the summoning circle just from habit. That wasn''t a conversation I was prepared to have at the moment, so I took it over to Ryan.


    When he finished the mana construct and pushed the square to summon the hammerhead a smooth stone lion roaring with a mouth full of smooth stone quickly grew from the end of the wooden staff. Ryan looked it up and down appreciatively.


    "Once we get a metal staff from a blacksmith I can work in some leather strips for the enchantments on the grip. While that''s happening I''ll work on your boosters and the hammers cushion." I said


    "Ah, each house has its own separate blacksmith and leather workshop for any items they want to be made at home. The craftsman will be here soon." Ryan said.


    I nodded and then started drawing up some plans on a plank of wood and rough paper. As I did so, I made sure to keep my hearing trained on the conversation around the nearby table.


    "....They did, pants were down and everything right by the docks." Mia told the group as the other took in the juicy gossip with eagerness. A light laugh went up at this revelation I was too late to the party to understand. This jovial banter went back and forth until one particular piece of conversation came forward.


    "Hey, I heard that the government stopped the bandit bounties is that true?" Len asked. A quick look told me he was facing towards Andrew and Jeff.


    "Yep, they just took down all the posters this morning." Andrew said as he munched on a cracker and sausage sandwich.


    The snap of my crude pencil drew the gaze of those at the table. But when they saw what had happened they returned to the conversation at hand.


    "Why?" Eska asked.


    "How would we know? Dad doesn''t run military operations by us." Jeff said as he chugged a glass of water. The others shrugged and went back to gossiping over various items that I half paid attention to as I took out a new pencil from the small collection of them by the table end with the other tools.


    Soon two men, one black-haired man in a thick blacksmiths apron and the leatherworker I got my other items from came by. After going over some of the sketches they got to work. As I waited for them to finish the designs and I worked with veronica to make the hammerhead cushion. It was hard but nowhere near as arduous as when I made the first design. After we had burned through 4 or 5 cushion designs to make it activate when the hammers struck something we took a break. When I went over to the table for refreshments, I grabbed some of the food and tried mingling with mixed results. But eventually, the time to get back to work came.


    As we stitched and glued the various pieces together we had to wait at certain points to get constructs from the onlookers who had the right element. Another problem came up with the staff grip so that had to be reworked to make the grip just right for Ryan. When Ryan was putting on the armor he raised the issue of how to activate the boosters. I thought about it for a while and decided that being known for this discovery would be an easy way to boost my standing without giving up anything really critical.


    "Use spirit magic to repeat the word ''flow'' like you would in crafting while pushing the spirit magic into the indents. This will create a temporary channel for the mana to travel through and activate the enchantment." I responded.


    "So that was how he managed it." Veronica said from the table. The blonde got up from her chair and came over too look the armor over in more detail.


    Ryan motioned for us all to move back. He took a deep breath and then launched forward as his getup made him look like a miniature mountain given legs. After a second he got a huge boost of speed, covering several feet in a single movement of his legs. The sudden speed burst compromised his balance and he went down churning up dirt and grass as he skidded across the lawn.


    "WOOOH!" He yelled as he got up from the small crater he had made.


    "Damn, that was fun." Ryan said breathlessly as the onlookers all clapped for him.


    Now we got to the main show. I put the long metal staff in his hands, it had deeper reds and blacks to make it look like a more natural piece of marble stone. He took it almost reverently and looked over the lion head with wonder.


    Then he pointed it towards a random spot on the lawn and launched the head. It tore a smaller crater in the ground and then disappeared as the new head gradually materialized.


    "I thank you all for coming. Some dishes are coming in from the kitchen..." as Ryan was announcing to the group a team of servants came out of the house and started laying out various dishes at the table and taking away any empty platters.


    "Ah, just in time." He said.


    We all ate a rather substantial meal for a good half hour.


    Eventually, the party died down and we all begged off to leave at various points, with the twins being the only one staying behind as Ryan practiced the rocket swing function. After I got out of Ryan''s house I saw Jeff and Andrew walking off to their house with Annie. while Veronica headed to the house beside theirs. It was a similar mini-mansion with two stories and blue paint with wavy patterns in the roof and woodwork.


    "When will you want your''s done?" I asked Jeff''s group.


    "Eh, I have some classes that are really kicking my ass right now. But some time soon definitely." Andrew responded.


    "Same," Veronica called.


    I gave a light bow and headed home. But when I got there I saw the door to my house open.

 Chapter 39:Hidden Rooms

    Salamede POV


    ____________________________________________


    By the ancestors, Eli is working with scions.


    When I first met him I knew he was a crafter. Probably not from a wealthy family if he was living out by the docks, but still he was far better off than anyone else here by a long shot. As a mage, he would get to do great things in the future.


    I hummed as I made my way back to the house, happy for his promising life. If he didn''t screw it up. I still couldn''t believe he gave a scion, a real-life scion, a look like that just for being rude to me. My heart fluttered at the memory but I suppressed it. Eli shouldn''t have his future ruined due to one mistake, even if it was on my behalf.


    I came in through the front door and saw Jayaga on the couch to the right. That useless lump had burned the craft Eli had made for me to light a fire. Maybe I wouldn''t be so angry about it if I hadn''t kept it in my room next to the money Eli paid me for cleaning his house, money that was now missing. It was looking like another long week at the docks cleaning fish.


    The thought of staying in the house with my husband was unbearable so I got the mop and rags I would need to do a long day of cleaning. I opened the doors to Eli''s home and started earning my pay. After a long time of cleaning the various corners and walls, I came up to the stone lisp to scrub off any mold and noticed something odd. The previously smooth stone wall now had a large piece of stone sticking out in a round shape.


    ''Eh probably some cheap stone repair, back to work'' I told myself. But when I pushed against it to get myself off the floor it slid to the side and moved up while staying attached to what looked like a pole seamlessly worked into the stone allowing it to move. Looking behind where the cover had been was a hole that led to what looked like a room.


    "Don''t Salamede, just pretend you didn''t see anything," I said to myself as I maneuvered into the hole, my horns just barely letting me through the passage.


    "Mage business isn''t for the likes of us, better to keep your snout out of trouble." I reminded myself as I shimmied through the cramped passage and into the room. It was lit with a single flame from a bark piece whose soft orange glow flickered against the smooth dirt walls.


    To the left was an odd pole with a copper string basket on one end and fans on the other end being held up by two arches. To the right was what looked like an unfinished armor piece but the material was interwoven vines and it had a deer skull where the helmet should be. The center of the room had a table with an odd iron piece. It had two iron bars with a few pieces of iron half-circles on it.


    I went to go look at the pieces but I knocked against the pole. As I moved away from the thing it actually spun slightly. I pushed against the fans harder and it moved faster and spun. After some faster movement, I noticed some odd sparks coming from the copper wire basket near the piece of copper wire sticking out of a stone column. It looked like what happens when you move across a carpet then touch someone else or a piece of metal. The sight was intriguing enough that I just stayed there for a while looking at it as I spun the pole.


    Eventually, my trance was interrupted by a thumping sound upstairs followed by voices.


    "I told ''em, we looked this place over good and thorough. He ain''t hidin'' nothin," A rough voice said above.


    "Bah! you know... Wait. What''s that sticking out of the stone by the dock?" An equally rough voice responded.


    Shit! I left the hatch open. The thumps of footsteps overhead were now clear as the intruders made their way over. Even if I knew how to shut the door there wasn''t enough time for me to move to close is so my eyes darted around the room trying to find some kind of weapon but the foot shuffling of someone coming through the hole stopped me.


    Out came a rough man with a long scar across his forehead. His lack of hair made it even more pronounced. But his green eyes went wide as he looked around. His companion, a skinny man with short black hair and brown eyes also looked around until they both spotted me behind the odd pole.


    "Whoo Weee, Looks like we haven''t been snooping around for nothing. But you... you''re just the maid. So I''m guessing you''re not supposed to be here any more than we are," He said in a long drawl. The two of them had pretty good leather armor on with short swords on their right hips that they were now drawing.


    I looked around and saw a sharp piece of iron laying on the table to my right. I ran over and picked it up and held it as a quick and dirty shiv. A laugh was all I got for my efforts.


    "Yeah, you''re no fighter. Boris. Let''s make this quick and-" The bald man''s head gave a loud crunch as a boulder slammed into the back of it. The other man had the wits to quickly dodge behind the pole obstructing his attacker... Eli!


    "Well, well. It looks I have house guests. Typically I would offer a drink or food but those are for invited house guests." He said, coming out of the entrance. The words were light-hearted but the tone and look in his eyes said it was anything but cordial.


    The man then dodged to his left side and got up to me. I tried to move out of the way but I was too slow as he grabbed ahold of my right hand before I could run.


    Then he swung his sword up.


    "All right. Now we-" He started, but a sharp cutting pain sprouted from my neck.


    His panicked motion had been too quick and he stuck my neck with his sword instead of just pressing against it. I vaguely heard a heavy sound to my side as I clutched at my bleeding throat and my panicked vision blurred.


    Then an odd sense of warmth sprouted from my neck.


    I looked up to see the chain veil below the purple eyes of Eli now looking at me with worry.


    "You okay?" He asked.


    I got up off the floor and turned to look around. The man who struck me was lying on the floor with a rock replacing his front face and bits of teeth and blood-spattered flesh about the ruined head. After a minute of just taking it all in, I started getting the shakes.


    "Holy shit, I almost died, "Was all I could repeat to my self. Eli was content to just pat my shoulder sympathetically for a few minutes before I calmed down. Eventually, I got it together and promptly stood up.


    "All right. Before we talk could we do it somewhere with fewer corpses?" I asked him in my rough audible voice.


    Thankfully he nodded in agreement.


    We made our way out of the workshop and out into the water.


    "Help a lady up?" I asked through the newly formed spirit connection which he thankfully did not refuse.


    We had this odd shimmying act where he would push me up to get my foot back onto the hole''s entrance and then again when he pushed me to get onto the lisp. I had to take a moment to scold myself for enjoying his hands on me as he helped me up. When I put out my hand to help him up he just used a wind spell to do a big jump and landed precariously on the ledge.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Eli then sat down on the edge and I joined him as we both sat there in silence.


    "So, how did all that start?" Eli asked patiently.


    "I, uh, was cleaning the stone ledge when I pressed against the hatch entrance. After a few minutes... inspecting the place, they came in behind me and well, you know the rest." I said respectfully.


    "What do you know about magic?" He eventually asked me after a good minute.


    " There are 4 elements: fire, wind, earth, and water. Casters cast spells. There are special ones who can use two elements and get a unique third element. Plants, lightning, and healing are the only ones I''m familiar with. Scions get bigger spells and a familiar companion. Crafters are the ones who make items. That''s about it really." I replied honestly.


    "True but the caveat is that casters and scions can make items as well. They are the ones who provide the spell constructs we need to make the magical items work. Also metal is the other dual element." He said.


    "Oh, so what can crafters do that the others can''t? Do they get any special elements?" I asked, eager to hear more about magical life straight from a mage instead of the market gossip mongers that I usually relied on.


    "Nothing, the crafters have no other special abilities or any elements." He said ruefully.


    "You''re not a crafter though. I know those rocks were from a spell since they came out of your hand and you didn''t use a craft to heal me," I replied carefully.


    "Yes, it appears I was mistaken for a crafter." He said indifferently.


    "How did that happen?" I asked extremely mystified as I tried to work my way through all of these concepts I barely had any understanding of.


    "I''ve not had the time to figure it out. Besides, it''s probably for the best" He said indifferently.


    "But, but Eli. You...you''re.Ugh!" I got up and put my hands on my hips.


    "Eli, you have this amazing ability. You need to share it with the world." I said, trying my best to balance the firmness of a loving mother with the righteous proclamation of a judge.


    "I will. Once I get some things set up, a new home going to the top of that list now, I''ll be in a much better position to do good. More good than any single mage could ever do." He said, surprisingly not getting too defensive at getting scolded by someone so totally his social inferior.


    "A lot of people say that. '' I will tomorrow'', ''I just need a quick break to get back in it'', ''It''s not the right time''. Day after day talking about all the good they''ll do tomorrow, and then they die. Run over by a cart, taken by some mugger, or laying on their death beds from old age muttering about all the good they''ll do some other time." I said, perhaps more severely than warranted. My husband Jayaga fed me all of those same excuses over these past few months and I couldn''t stand the thought of Eli falling down that same hole.


    Eli just looked at me blankly for a minute, his purple eyes not giving away any hint of what he was thinking. Finally, he got up.


    "How about we talk more about what you saw down there and then maybe you can decide on whether I''m putting off helping people." He said. I nodded in agreement.


    Of course, I waited outside until he had ''dealt'' with the bodies. After a few minutes, he called.


    "All right, come in." He called


    "This generates electricity, or lightning if that''s easier for you, and with this, I was hoping to use as a fuel for a lightning spell to overload an item and hopefully make more mana. That didn''t work, unfortunately." He said as we looked over the odd device.


    "Why would you need more mana? Isn''t it already in the air?" I asked, looking at the sparks again as the pole turned.


    "Yeah but the stuff I''m doing takes a lot of it. It takes so much mana that it''s starting to affect the surrounding crafts'' ability to function. This is the main problem for now." He said to my right as he helped me spin the fans.


    That''s why I''ve been hearing complaints from some of the wealthier nobles staying here.


    "How does the plant armor help with the mana issue?" I asked as I looked over the tightly woven strands.


    "It doesn''t. That''s another project for killing bandits." He said.


    "Eli, don''t you think your time would be better spent... I don''t know helping the sick or making fields bloom." I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.


    "No, they''re out there. Breathing my air. And if I make anything to better the situation here they will benefit, even if it''s only indirectly I can''t stand the thought." He said. I noticed his hand was gripping the pole frame now. A piece of the puzzle fell into place as I comprehend a part of his reluctance to open up to the world. I felt like I understood him more, even if I wasn''t totally satisfied with the answer.


    Then I did the only thing I could think to do and gave him a light hug, squashing the urge to tear flesh as I rubbed against his exposed neck.


    "So what magic is this?" I asked as I disengaged the hug.


    "Oh, this isn''t magic. Tell me, is a ball rolling down a hill magic? Does starting a fire with flint make you a mage? No. This is just a more advanced application of these everyday occurrences." He said proudly as he rubbed the copper basket.


    "Oh, so what do you call that?" I asked as I took in his words and tried to connect rolling balls to lightning.


    "Science, but this piece is what you would call technology. That is the application of science to achieve some end." He said looking over it fondly.


    "Does this technology also run on magic or is it solely through the ''science'' as you call it," I asked.


    "No it-" He stopped as he started looking off into the distance. He then turned and looked around the shop. His gaze lingered over the workbench as he rubbed his chin.


    "Hmm, now there''s a thought. Usually, it does not." he finished. There was a long uncomfortable moment that stretched between us before I worked up the courage to the real question.


    "What do we do now?" I asked, unable to keep the nervousness from being broadcasted to him through the spirit connection. But he seemed oddly nonchalant about my presence now.


    "Nothing, come to think of it. In hindsight, it seems I had been quite rash when we first met. If you had told anyone about how I had healed your leg they would have known about my true status as a caster. So as far as I''m concerned you knew enough to make trouble for me since the day we met." He said


    "Oh, how would they have known that?" I asked.


    "Magic crafts require a mana construct only casters and scions can provide. There''s no way I could afford to waste any dual-element construct on a simple bark piece and as far I understand almost all of the healing mages are out on the coast pumping out healing potions. Unless I was the one making the construct, I couldn''t have made such a craft." He finished.


    "Ah, well let''s keep it our not so little secret, but you have to promise to try and push for something, not just a bunch of future plans based on some time that might never come," I said. As I hugged him my urge to squeeze harder almost ruining the moment. This time he returned the gesture with a grimace.


    "All right, just don''t be impatient." He replied in my ear. Afterward, we made our way out of the cave and towards the house''s exit.


    "In fact, there might be a more immediate good deed you could perform tomorrow if you''re up for it," I asked hopefully.


    "Oh, so all that talk of working for today was just buttering me up? " He asked with a pouty lip.


    "No, I''m just helping you realize it sooner. I have a plant seed I need your help with, tomorrow of course. This grand adventure spanning two rooms has left me way too tired for anything else today." I said.


    "Have a good one" He called as I went through the door.


    I nodded and walked back home, careful to hide the bloodstain on my dress. Upon my arrival, I saw my husband sleeping on the couch in a stupor. Frankly, after the day I had, I just didn''t care what he did today. I got my dinner and went to bed, my sleep slightly perturbed by the image of a blade sticking out of my neck.


    The next day I was up with the early morning mist knocking on Eli''s door holding a clay pot with soil and a special seed in my pocket. He opened up and looked out over the morning traffic before letting me in.


    "So what''s this dire task that requires an omni elemental mage?" He asked teasingly.


    I took out a gnarled brown nut from my pocket.


    "This is an Exter nut. It''s a special plant from my homeland and I bought this seed from one of the traders who come through carrying goods from our icy home in the central continent. Could you make it grow?" I finished, my voice carrying tremendous hope in the last part,


    "I can try, we just need to watch the soil to help it grow." He said


    We spent a good hour filling and changing out the dried and depleted soil with fresh dirt from the riverbank in the houses'' dock area. Eli was doing magic during this, apparently, and he said having rich soil helped mitigate the mana costs some. After a while, we were rewarded with a small green leaf that was just barely peeking out over the soil.


    "What''s so special about this particular plant?" Eli asked.


    "It''s not just the plant, part of this is also a shell from a magical snail. On the icy shores of my homeland, the snail will wrap around these plants and it will take the surrounding mana into the hollow of its shell. Then somehow by rubbing up against the plant, it causes the shell to glow in a multi-colored display to draw in unsuspecting fish or mates." I said wistfully.


    "Sounds cool, when do you think we will get to see it?" Eli asked.


    "Never probably. Getting the shells requires a huge amount of paperwork as they are considered a special item of cultural significance to the humans near their home as well. Personally I think it''s just a tax or extortion racket by another name." I huffed unhappily.


    "Even if it''s never completed, we can at least finish this part of it at some point. I think some people are still keeping tabs on me and if you came out with this the wrong eyes might see. Maybe once it''s fully grown we can just sneak it out late at night or something." Eli said.


    "Thanks," I said as I hugged him. There was so much I still wanted to say and questions to ask as I left the house and wished him a good day but I felt those could wait until a more opportune time.

 Chapter 40: Alternative Path

    Eli POV


    ____________________________________________


    The green arrow in my palm made slight movements but looking at the house Salamede was in as I meandered around in the street, it was obvious that she hadn''t left her home after wishing me good night. Wind magic had a special tracking spell that allowed you to attach a mana construct to something. After going over the caster library of spells, knowing more about the spell that the Front team used to track Lilly was one of the first things I looked up just in case it had somehow gotten on me. Fortunately, the construct fades after a few hours so I didn''t bother with it after learning the spell.


    The fact that Salamede didn''t react after I put it on her back told me she was either terrible at her job of spying on me or she was genuine in her intentions. The later was already the favored assessment considering what she had known about me from our first encounter. Greed, however, could strike her so I had to make sure she didn''t go to the academy or one of the nobles to try and pawn the new information.


    Eventually, the light faded completely and still, she remained in her home and as time wore on I felt more and more guilty for having doubted her. A half-hour later I was satisfied that she had no intention of selling off my secrets so I headed back home. The next morning we worked on the Exter nut plant. As I bid her farewell my mind turned to less....mistrustful lines of thought.


    I have an encyclopedic knowledge of technical work, living through ages uncounted as I walked across, built, and maintained stations that used entire stars for fuel and piloted ships the size of continents. I reached the ''ageless one'' status in a society that spanned worlds and distances that would be incomprehensible in their proportions to the people of this world. And yet, I felt conflicted about having a maid tell me what to do.


    There were a thousand different things I could have said to refute her but my gut told me there was some fundamental truth to what she was saying. All of my industrial plans will probably take years or decades. Maybe focusing on doing some good right now would be the better option.


    She had also hit upon one of my most stubborn flaws as well. My tendency to hole up in a workshop and ignore the world around me has been one of my greater failings. It''s just one of those things where even if you know you shouldn''t do it, you still do it because it''s your nature. Getting caught off guard by the rates of the breeding stipend was just the latest example.


    At this thought, there was a faint tugging of memory and the faded image of an obscured woman, her face covered by the shadow cast from the light of the door. She was playfully pulling me away from the various boxes of tools and benches that held multiple engines and spacecraft parts as we headed out towards the light.


    I blinked and blinked until it went away. After a tired sigh, I picked up the mental trail of where I was going before the detour.


    There was another element to this that I couldn''t quite put my finger on. I hadn''t considered killing her when I found her in my workshop, even though that would have been the most logical thing to do. Her words were also far more powerful than they should have been.


    I knew what my technical knowledge could do for this world and all the wonders it could bring, probably far more than she could currently understand. So why was I so bothered by her criticism?


    I was doing all of this to reconnect my A.I. chips, something she had no appreciable understanding or notion of. I pondered over it longer until it hit me. When I talked with her afterward I felt... calm. Like I was in a state of peace that I had not known since coming here.


    Maybe it was the long conversations that I could actually relax in, or maybe it was her honest nature contrasted to the constant web of lies and deceit I had been mired in and contributed to since I came here. There was also the feeling of being myself when I talked to her. When talking with the mages I always had to keep in mind my status and what questions I should and shouldn''t ask.


    The thoughts of a reliable companion meandered through my mind as I set up some tripwires on the stairs to the second floor with netting that I would rub in with this world''s equivalent of poison ivy, as well as a few bubble grenades for when they tried to go up the stairs on the left up to the second floor. I also put up a piece of paper that said "Lethal Beyond This Point". I didn''t want Salamede to get caught unawares nor did I want to be dragging the authorities back here more than strictly needed. Then I headed out to the local town hall.


    It was a reasonably well-maintained thing with a long blockish center and two side structures attached to it. Going in I came up to the entrance desk. The walls were painted white and on both sides of the desk were two hallway entrances to the other parts of the building. I walked up to the desk over the dark wood floors up to the desk.


    "'' Ello, how may I help you today sir?" A rather pudgy woman wearing a plain green dress behind the large desk asked. Her green eyes looked at my indifferently as her brown hair had a few strands slip from her bun, freed by the head movement.


    "I wanted to see about buying some new property," I said cordially.


    "Head down there and take out the paper to start in the stack of files with the "Buying Land" Sign beneath them," She said indifferently.


    I went into the room and while the sun was shining through the window, it still felt stuffy. On a long table to the right was stack after stack of papers. Some for official government business, others for establishing a trading company and for every other function of society. I meandered through until I got to my stack. Taking my sheet of paper, I then looked over the requirements for land ownership and got paler and paler as I traversed the literary mountain.


    A stamp of approval from the mayor, a re-examination of the zones involved to make sure it was up to code, signing of several forms which would take at least a few weeks to get processed. All of which had their own set of fees and forms to be approved in triplicate.


    It was a tree genocide.


    Then after all that I still had to have the background check, which was an obvious non-starter for me. I put the paper back on top of its brothers and went out of the building, noticing the sympathetic glance from the secretary as I left. Coming back to my house I made the last adjustment I needed to make.


    It was when I started moving my hammock up to the second floor that I now got into the mental space to really think about a new avenue of experimentation.


    I had been trying to use technology to fuel my magical works. But there seemed to be a finite amount of mana that could be generated at any time and that only came from the earth. I could possibly create a few workarounds but I had to be realistic. The thought of me creating an alternate source of mana when all of these civilizations hadn''t been able to over many thousands of years was ....extremely optimistic, even with my knowledge. If it was purely technical I would have far more confidence in doing so but this was their arena and while I could pull a few neat tricks, like the packet-switched crafts, something so fundamental as making more mana was probably something they were far more studied and informed on.


    The solution might be to make a magical device that provides energy for my technology.


    On my way to the shop I also changed the hole cover to only open with a hidden handle on the bottom and the whole thing was made to look more like a seamless part of the brickwork.


    Coming into the shop and looking over the pole with a magnet at the end I couldn''t keep my mind from wandering. How many thousands or millions of man-hours have humans spent in front of wheels figuring out how to get them to turn in the most efficient way possible? But I had access to tools that none of my ancestors or fellow engineers did. What magical items would give me an ability no one else ever had?


    Over the next hour, I tinkered with wind and water summoning to move the pole. As I expected, it was a dead-end. No amount of finicking would produce any amount of consistent electricity or wasn''t a huge Mana drain. What I needed was something that had magical properties but didn''t rely on a constant intake of mana.


    Then an idea came to me like a bolt of lightning.


    It was so absurd I almost dismissed it but my mind teased and chewed on it long enough that I became determined to try it, if for no other reason than to let myself move past it. I called it quits for now and went out to go back towards the academy to get one particular study reference. But as I was getting the book with the item''s recipe I needed, Joey and his gang of shit heads came up to me.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Hello, great crafting genius. You know, people have been talking. You''ve done a lot of good for us crafters and I have to commend your academic achievements. But there is a rumor going around." Joey said, leaning forward at the last word.


    "Are you a virgin?" He almost whispered.


    My work was being held up for bullshit like this? I''m so close to a potentially world-changing discovery and he wants to know if I''ve gotten my dick wet? That''s not even counting how rude it is to ask a borderline stranger that, in public no less.


    "No, now please exc-" I said as I tried to push past. But the green-eyed man-child with glasses just moved in front of me.


    "Woah, it seems I''ve struck a nerve. Even if any woman deigned to be with you, the record rooms chatter would seem to indicate your seed is impotent." Joey said as he pushed up his glasses. His little gang snickered.


    I just stood there. There were a few times that someone gave off a ''creep'' vibe to me, and that signal was now broadcasting loud and clear as I looked at this group.


    Dear God, what wouldn''t I give for a professional work environment?


    "Enough Joey" I heard off to my right. Coming from between the bookshelves was our mentor, the middle-aged woman with short brown hair and green eyes. But those eyes showed a deep aggravation as she looked at Joey''s group.


    "Do your parents need another letter about your behavior?" She asked.


    Joey and the rest paled at this and promptly scurried off.


    Our mentor then turned and looked at me with a mischievous grin.


    "Thanks ..." I struggled for a name.


    "Bess, but I won''t hold it against you, especially considering how I never told you my name in the first place," Bess said.


    "Listen, Eli, I know it''s been rough. But you have much to offer the magical world. The crafting master and I would love to get together and go over ideas for organizations you might be well suited to join. Maybe we could even collaborate on some projects." Bess asked with her hands clapped together in eager anticipation of my answer.


    "I''ll think about it," I said, not willing to commit to any more obligations at the moment.


    Bess gave a light bow.


    "We will be eagerly waiting for your answer. Eli, just so you know, a good number of crafters have started getting better grades and pushing to make better crafts since the trials. So keep at it. Don''t let those people who''ve never met you decide your fate or tell you what you''re worth all right?" She took my hand and looked me in the eyes with genuine eagerness and joy. I couldn''t help but smile at her.


    When she left I took my book back to my workshop and along the way, I bought the various implements and parts I would need. Fortunately, I had accumulated several mana crystals that made the job ahead of me doable.


    It took many long hours. Sculpting the metal frame, getting the ambient mana into the air by cracking the crystals so I could maintain the spells I was using, and making the magical crafts needed for this absurd idea. But there was only so much time before the human body got too tired to go on. Judging by the setting sun when I came out of the workshop that time was fast approaching.


    After a quick dinner and good night''s sleep, I was refreshed and ready to start the day anew. As much as I wanted to get right back to my device, I had a few classes today that I had to attend. This time it went smoothly and I didn''t run into Bess or Joey''s gang.


    I was out on the road with a group heading back towards the dorms during one of the less traffic-heavy times of day when there came a loud din of screams and mayhem over the treetops.


    Coming onto the main road section leading up to the academy I saw a few pillars of smoke billowing into the sky from the town. We all rushed up and a line of guards was blocking the academy entrance as fighting was heard in the distance. One guard was motioning for us to come over into the academy.


    "Hey, come back kid!" Someone yelled as I took off down the side of the hill towards my part of town. Everyone was running around in a panic as the few women scrambled into their houses and the men armed themselves with whatever was on hand. I beelined straight for Salamedes'' house. I saw her in a window clutching a crude knife.


    "What''s going on?" I yelled to her.


    "Bandit raid," She said as she came through the door, clearly shaking in her dress. My jaw tightened and my fist clenched.


    "All right come on, I''m getting my shit. You''ll be safer with me." I said as I took her hand.


    She motioned somewhere in the house and an older Kelton woman in a plain brown dress came out of the house. She was a skinny thing, coming up a good foot shorter than me, with brown fur flecked with grey and horns going over the back of her head. Her eyes were the same white spheres as Salamedes.


    I led them to my house and went to pick up my equipment from the underground workshop. As I opened it I saw what I assumed to be Salamede''s mother stare as I went into the underground room. After getting my weapons I came back out to see the two Kelton women in an animated argument.


    "Excuse me, but we have a problem that we need to address outside, so let''s get you ladies to safety before we finish this discussion," I said as I took both their hands.


    As we came up to the academy the line of guards was letting in an assortment of students. I pushed through the crowd while making sure to keep the two women holding my hands firmly attached. Eventually, we got through and I left my two charges besides the receptionist kiosks.


    As I turned to leave I noticed Ryan looking out over the guards'' heads nervously.


    "I heard it''s a bandit raid. So what''s the plan?" I asked him.


    "Just sit tight and wait out the storm. The guards are massing to push the bandits back but it seems most of them got tied up escorting some men to be examined, probably a ruse to spread our forces. That''s all we''ve been told so far."He said taking in the growing flames from the right side of the town.


    "What? They''re just going to let them rampage?" I said, my blood boiling from such nonsense.


    But my tactical sense kicked in and I considered what was happening. This was exactly the kind of situation I didn''t like. Going into the opponents with no set up beforehand or intelligence on their capabilities. The counter-argument of distant screaming and cries for help were burrowing into my brain. Damn it, this is one of those times where being a psychopath would really come in handy.


    "We got to get in there, or else there won''t be many people left to save before long," I told him


    "Get in there? You want me to risk my neck over some peasants?" Ryan said looking at me with clear confusion. As he talked his green eyes shot back towards the town as a particularly loud scream went out.


    "What about the bravery of scions? You talked a lot about being the hero, well here''s your chance." I growled between gritted teeth.


    Ryan looked at me with fear in his eyes, then to the din of battle outside. But his face got a look of determination and his back stiffened.


    "Right, your right. If anyone should be leading the charge it''s a scion. I''ll get my armor and that hammer" He said before running back towards his house.


    Who knows if he''ll deliver, but I had places I needed to be.


    A few of the guards tried to stop me but jumping clear over their heads put an end to their intentions. Coming down the road to the right I eventually came into the shopping quarter. It was a scene of hellish proportions. Men and a few rare women laid in the dirt moaning and bleeding from various wounds, often among their dead fellows. A few women were among burned stalls as men in dirty leather jerkins tore at their dresses, some already had their pants down as they thrust into their screaming victims.


    As much as I wanted to just rush in and start cracking skulls, I knew cutting the bandits off at the source of their entry would save the most lives in the end. But I shot a brick of molten slag from my shoulder cannon into a group of bandits who were moving through the crowd as a parting gift before I used my leather armors air boosters to get onto one of the roofs.


    Covering myself with a water shield, I took a moment to see which targets I should prioritize. I was considering a few choke points in the streets until I saw a group of boats coming down the river. That seemed like the best choice so far. Jaunting over the roofs and alleys filled with scenes of murder, rape, and destruction I came upon a squad of archers slowly moving around the rooftops, occasionally stopping to shoot at some target below them.


    My lava tube would do as much damage to the homes as the bandits were so that wasn''t an option. Bounding through the roofs I got close enough to at least hit them with my water jet. As one archer leaned over the roof of a shop to shoot a guard in the back I hit him with hair-thin water. It didn''t cut into him but it did have enough force to unbalance him and send him right over the edge. The loud crunch of breaking bones followed me along my path as I repeated this tactic, ducking out of view and weaving through the uneven field of roofs to hit them before they could react, on my way to the docks, which is where they seemed to be coming from.


    The vast array of warehouses and river docks that made up the riverside of this district came into view. Moving quickly between the smaller warehouses to stand on the tallest one I finally had a view of the bandits'' point of entry. Boats nearing the pier were filled to the brim with whooping men as they approached the pier and pouring in fresh reinforcements for the raiders.


    I fired a shot at the one closest to disembarking. The shabby boat exploded in bits of steam and wood as the lava hit the vessel and then water, sending its jeering occupants tumbling into the water. I got off another shot at the boat behind it before ducking behind the roof. The explosive hiss and crack of wood followed by hoarse screaming told me my aim had been true.


    This process went on for a while. The warehouses were so large and numerous that the enemy archers were struggling to find me among the rows of buildings. The few archers who did find me and got a shot off before they died were not having any luck getting their shoddy arrows past my water shell. But after the first few unlucky enough to succeed in their mission of locating me, all the remaining ones got too scared to come into the area. I suppose finding men whose heads had been replaced with a brick of molten slag or diced into fine pieces like an onion from my water jet would merit such a response.


    The river was becoming chocked with the scattered bits of wood and bodies. The bandits who did manage to make it to shore had discarded their weapons to prevent them from sinking into the churning river and now wasted precious time trying to scrounge for a weapon. But whatever purchase the bandits had made into the town was now slipping as the stream of reinforcements stopped and the guard started its counteroffensive.


    In one of the engagements, one of the bandits put up his hand in surrender as I looked at him from my vantage point on the roof. But then I saw the mana construct to use a fire spell come out of his hand. He clearly thought I couldn''t see it and if he had met any other crafter he would have been right. I went to fire my lava tube and move out of his spells way but a strong gust of wind knocked me out of the air onto the hard ground beside the warehouse.

 Chapter 41: Tricks Up A Bandits Sleeve

    I fell through the rushing air and landed on my side in the darker alley between two of the buildings and was too dazed to get up for a moment.


    "He saw my fire construct, I''d bet my life on it." A voice said nearby said.


    "Come off it Dan, he''s a crafter. He was probably just nervous from standing there for so long. I''ve seen rabbits that look like snails compared to how this one dodges and weaves all about the damn place." Another voice responded.


    "Enough you two, let''s finish this and get back to the base." another said.


    My vision was coming back to me and I saw three men standing in the only exit to the alley. They wore leather armor that was decently maintained and the two smaller men each had a short sword on the hip while the bigger one had a morningstar. As I got back up on my feet, they noticed me again and stopped their squabbling.


    "Well kid I''m sorry it had to turn out this way, but if it''s any consolation you died for the betterment of the Coalition." One of the men, a big, bald bear of a man standing a few inches taller than even me with a long black beard and piercing brown eyes said. His two companions, a rat looking man with red hair who was missing a front tooth to the left and one with a mop of brown hair and a ragged goatee to the right, sneered at me off to the side as the bigger bloke stood front and center from his companions.


    I drew my tube but sadly while the other two sneered, the big one wasn''t as witless as his companions. He summoned an earth shield just in the fraction of a second before my lava round could burn a hole in any of them. The goons stood there a moment until the redhead slapped the mop head.


    "Damn it, Joel. We could have died just because you can''t aim for shit." Dan, apparently, said.


    "I hit his stuff. I know for a fact I did, Ben. You gotta believe me" Joel said, as he summoned another blast of wind that rolled over me.


    The men visibly relaxed. I was too badly outnumbered to not use the element of surprise, so I had to put my acting skills to the test.


    I moved to make it look like I was trying to get the tube to fire again without success and slightly panicking when it didn''t fire, giving it a frenzied slap for good measure.


    "Hmpf, it looks like the Diamond academy doesn''t hold the staggering talent people say it does. Kid, you''re screwed. Let''s just make this as painless as possible." The bigger man said as he sauntered over to me brandishing the morningstar.


    I waited until he was a few steps from his fellows to use my internal mana generation and metal magic. Doing this made sure they didn''t see me making the spell construct, just in case they had the metal element and it also meant they wouldn''t see me use any of mana. The spell violently pulled the two gangly goons short swords from their holsters and slammed them into the big mans'' back and thigh. He bellowed in pain and turned on his traitorous compatriots.


    "So that''s how it is then. You really couldn''t wait till we got back to the capital to start taking all the glory? I''ll remind you why Noah put me in charge!" Ben roared as he charged, leaving a small spattering of blood dripping down his back. The two goons were too stunned by what their eyes told them had happened to react at first.


    The redhead managed to snap out of it and threw a fireball. That such a large man could move out of the way so quickly was quite impressive as the flame hit air and splashed against the dirt.


    "It..it..wasn-" The wind mage, too stupid to see what a lost cause trying to plead innocence was, had his argument end with a swift bash to the head. His blood and unused brains decorated the wall of the warehouse.


    The fire mage turned to run but he just got a spike of stone in the back for his troubles. Despite that injury and laying on the ground, he wasn''t completely out of it as he managed to scorch his killerwith a loud animal scream from both men before his head was crushed by a summoned boulder. The gorilla just stood there for a moment catching his breath with heavy pants as his right side smoldered but he still started walking towards me to finish what brought him here.


    "All right, let me make this quick and I''ll take out my frustrations on some whore in this shit hole." He said as his right hand limply swung to his side.


    As great it would be to drag him into the depths of despair with our insurmountable power difference, I had my own job to do. My response to his offer was to shoot him. Unfortunately, I was a little off and my shot took him in the good left shoulder with a lava brick. He roared, for the second time in as many minutes, but this time he seemed to scream in surprise as much as pain.


    "How the fu-" I silenced him permanently by running up and decapitating him with a quick cut across the neck using my water jet. Leaving the corpses behind I jumped back up as I heard more bandits coming from the river. Back in my preferred altitude, I prepared to continue the bombardment.


    After a few more lava bricks flew into their boats, whoever was in charge now knew his casters had failed and decided to take the goods in the warehouses as a lost opportunity as they tried a new tactic. I had found and eliminated several small teams trying to light the warehouses on fire. Their efforts were pointless though as those buildings were specially treated to become flame retardant.


    Finally, a big mob of about 30 plus bandits ran headlong into the alley between the warehouses to try and force me out through sheer numbers. The burning missiles from my shoulder canon and the spray from my previously set up mines quickly singed that charge into a mass of burning bodies. I noticed faint whiffs of steam wafting in the air as the cobblestones started heating up the blood spilled on them.


    When I finished looking over the carnage, I took another look over the river. The boats had stopped coming and the bandits were gathering from their spree of murder and rape to meet the force of the guards. Then I saw a big walking boulder coming down the main street to the docks.


    Even at this distance, I could hear the scream of air as the rocket function of Ryan''s hammer engaged. The stone lion head tore through a group of 3 bandits like paper, sending fragments of bone and flesh in a spray whenever the hammer was swung. It took the bandits two other attempts at stopping him and getting their challengers turned into a red paste as a reward for their bravery before the mobs'' morale broke and they all fled in a panicked frenzy.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Some tried to swim across the river, others made across the town towards the bridge. It seems the garrison was truly stretched thin as some of the fleeing scum managed to make it across the bridge before the exit was blocked off by a squad of infantry. I considered chasing them but the acrobatics and fighting had dragged on for what seemed like hours but was probably less than half an hour. Sheer hatred was the only energy that kept me going towards the end of the battle.


    The guards were cleaning up now. Mostly seeing to the injured while Ryan crushed any remaining pockets of pathetic resistance the bandits who didn''t manage to get away could muster. As the din drew to a close and the medical teams started working, Ryan looked out over the carnage and helped one injured guard up. Gradually a cheer for him went up among those not tending to a dire case.


    Ryan looked embarrassed at the attention but could only put on a brave face for the crowd. I also gave a light clap from the rooftop I was laying on as I overlooked the docks. But eventually, the moment passed and everyone got back to work.


    I got down after 5 minutes of rest and was looking around when one particularly worn-out soldier came up to me.


    "Oh, thank the gods for you lord wizard. I thought we were done for, but you saved us all. You and Ryan, thank you sir." He said as the brown-haired fellow with a side covered in bloody bandages gave me a bear hug.


    "All right lads enough cuddling" A voice called, and I turned around to see the captain of the guard in a full iron helmet and white and blue striped cape.


    "We have too many people doing recovery and not enough to handle the prisoners. Think you could help move some of them to their ''trial''?." His emphasis on that word left the impression it was going to be anything but.


    "Sure, what are the disciplinary ''boundaries'' if I may ask?" I responded.


    He gave a cruel laugh and nodded.


    "After today, just make sure at least one of them makes it to the bridge for a judge to execute."


    He pointed to a long row of bandits chained up by their wrists and feet in a long row. I came up and took the lead chain hoop to direct them towards our destination. The third prisoner in the line, a greasy man with wild black hair sneered at me.


    "What? I''m more than 30 years old and they want me to follow the lead of some punk barely out of his mother''s womb? " He spat on the ground at this while the rest of the ragtag bunch chuckled and looked at me with mockery.


    I simply walked up to him and activated the water jet cutting him in half at the hip. His guts spilled out onto the dirt as the rest of the men blanched at the sight.


    "OH GOD. My... That''s my fucking" He cried as he clutched at his entrails in horror.


    I then promptly went to pick the hoop back up and tugged again. This time they swiftly moved to follow, even as they dragged the still crying half-man as dead weight.


    Ryan was leading the whole procession in front. The peasants not too injured or traumatized to stand formed a crowd of spectators as we all marched in lines. He soaked up the attention, his previous hesitance gone.


    "Ryan!"


    "Mountains Fury"


    The various members of the crowd cheered.


    Along the way there the half-man''s cries died, and the only pained screams left were from those being treated or from the ravings of the other lines of prisoners being pulled about. The occasional onlooker would hurl a rock or dirt at the chained men. As we came near the section closest to the academy a heckler even managed to get one of the prisoners in the face with a dung pile. But this recipient seemed to have some stubborn pride issues the others didn''t.


    "How dare you." He screamed. He had a bare chest with a long leather jacket, brown pants, and a well shaven midnight black beard. His brown eyes simmered in outrage at his treatment.


    "Silence, scum," I responded with my wrist guard that had killed the last prisoner bared for him to see. The other prisoners flinched back, but he remained unimpressed. A crafty look stole over his eyes for the barest second before he went to scratch his thigh.


    Then I saw the ocean blue of a water mana construct come up in his hand. It was tucked in his jacket sleeve and was concealed from any onlooking mages. Well, any onlooking mages who weren''t me. The density of the mana and structure of the construct told me he was using a single powerful spell to crush my ribs or skull, not just put my craft out of commission. I had a lot of really shitty choices on how to deal with this and not give away my ability to see what he was doing.


    Unfortunately, I had stared at the mana construct for a split second too long. His face got a look of comprehension and the choice was made for me. I activated my jet and it cut his hand clean off. He screamed as his severed hand and the dissipating construct flew off to the side. Then I took his head off.


    A lot of the onlookers cheered, and the rest of the prisoners just stood still in bitter silence and stared at the new burden they would have to pull. 10 guards came out of the academy to reinforce the guards already moving with us. When we got near the academy entrance Ryan turned into the smooth white building while the rest of us turned right on towards the bridge.


    We finally came up to the bridge. There was a well-dressed man standing on a large box as he looked over a long line of chained men who got here before me. Before getting onto the bridge there was a large fire burning to the left of the entrance of the bridge.


    "Guilty!" He exclaimed.


    "Fuc-" The leading prisoner didn''t get to finish his profanity before he was dragged off to the side. His throat was slit by one of the guards and he was unceremoniously chucked into the fire. This went on for a little while but once or twice the men would produce a piece of paper that the judge would look over. These men would then be put into a heavily armored carriage off to the right. One of the men, with short black hair and a cut over his right eye, even looked back to glare at me.


    The rest were searched for their gang tattoos and summarily executed. When my line came up a heavily armed guard took the hoop from me and I went back towards the academy.


    "Good luck lads" I jeered towards my former prisoners as I made my way down the road. I was already too far for them to spit at me and their curses were promptly silenced with a whip from one of the guards.


    When I came up to the academy it was a mess of civilians, students, and soldiers trying to account for everyone. In the mayhem, I saw my targets idling awkwardly off to the side standing amongst the carriages. When I came close Salamede spotted me and ran up with a hug. Thankfully I had managed to get my helmet off before we collided.


    "Is it over? Are we all safe now?" She asked through a spirit connection, her words still carrying a tremble of fear.


    "It''s all over except for the minute-long ''trials''," I said in the most comforting voice that I could manage to use.


    She stood back for a moment before giving me another hug. Her snout just rested against my neck, as she just leaned against me and her body shook with tremors for a long moment.


    "Oh, thank the ancestors. I was scared shitless they would charge through the gates and that would be it for all of us." She said as her tears splashed against my left shoulder. I just patted her back until she finally calmed down.


    "You should have seen Ryan when the guards tried to stop him, he just pushed through and ran ahead of the garrisons formation. Everyone''s saying he single-handedly saved the town." She said excitedly as she pulled away.


    I must be really good at hiding my emotions because she didn''t react when my mind flooded with anguish and bitterness. I had at least gotten praise from the trials.... and what did it matter in the end?


    ''After all, if nothing comes of it either way why get worked up over it? '' I thought bitterly to myself.


    "If you lot would ship out, non-authorized occupants are now required to vacate the area." One of the guards said as he came up to us.


    We all gave a light bow and made or way back to our homes, with Salamede giving me one last hug before we parted ways.

 Chapter 42: The Invention

    Eli POV


    _______________________________


    The next two days passed in a haze of blood, bodies, and ruined wood buildings. After the raid, the local government put out a request for volunteers to help clean up the carnage. I was on the fence about helping considering the aid I had already rendered but Salamede stopped by and asked if I would join her in the effort. Besides her request, there was way too much attention on this side of town now for me to be taking in all the mana like I usually did.


    Over the course of the repairs, we came across a lot of corpses. Most were in positions showing the ways they had been burned, stabbed, and tortured to death. When we had stumbled upon some children who had been visiting the town Salamede broke down in tears, I had a few to give them as well but I figured I needed to be the strong one so I just stood still and let her cry on my shoulder.


    After a long two days, we finished helping with the cleanup. Now that all the bodies were accounted for, the whole town was attending a funeral procession around early morning for the deceased as the remains were carted off to a large wood pyre across the bridge. Everyone around wept openly for their lost friends and loved ones.


    But I didn''t. I was familiar with several of the tavern workers and food cart vendors that had died but I still kept it all in despite my sadness for the poor souls lost here. Which was odd considering how I wept for Lilly, despite having spent even less time with her. Maybe that druid''s mind magic had some residual effects or maybe it was because I genuinely believed the world had lost a wonderful person.


    I remembered quite clearly how devastated I was even days after I lost her. Was the magic really that strong? How could a purely artificial emotion produce such strong attachment? Or was it just the first interaction that involved her mind magic and the rest was all me? Did the fact that it was artificial at some point make the sorrow and pain I felt any less real? I just huffed under my veil at these questions that presented themselves without my consent.


    It was too early in the morning for this philosophical bullshit.


    I felt something lean on my shoulder. Turning around I saw the soft fur and bike handle horns of Salamede''s head as she leaned on me. A coil of pain wrapped around my heart as we stood among the crowd of the grieving.


    Of the people I knew, Salamede was suffering the most these past few days. Her movements looked like that of a scared animal. She constantly looked over her shoulder, clutched at her dress in nervousness, and probably wasn''t sleeping if the bags formed under her eyes were anything to go by.


    After the funeral procession, Salamede bid me goodbye. Shortly after Ryan came to visit me in my warehouse. He looked quite refreshed. He still wore the typical white and blue striped student robes and white undershirt, but his happy green eyes, lush black hair and general manner told of a man loving life and life was returning the feeling.


    "Hey man, how''s it been?" He asked jovially as we shook hands.


    "Tiring, very tiring. Much worse than the time you''ve been having if the talk of the peasants is anything to go by." I responded with a light-hearted prod.


    He looked defensive but he apparently picked up on the mirth in my eyes and gave a nod as he relaxed.


    "That''s actually close to what I wanted to talk about. There''s a big ceremony planned to commemorate my bravery and achievements two days from now. It''s practically been the only thing dad has talked about since the raid." Ryan grew apprehensive at that last bit.


    "Congratulations, I''m sure th-"


    "Eli" Ryan interrupted me. "We both know that the fight was over before I got there."


    A long silence crept up for several seconds as we both measured each other.


    "So what are we talking about exactly?" I asked carefully.


    "An amicable exchange, hopefully. You''ve been honest in our dealings so far and I hope we can make an agreement we can both uphold," Ryan said. He gave a light cough and stood straight


    "The military and mage associations don''t really take crafters, as I''m sure you know." Ryan continued.


    "All too well," I said between clenched teeth.


    "Yes, well. The government has already released the official story about how I won the battle all by myself but there are a fair number of people who know the truth. Even so, I now have a path to several very promising careers with my showing in the raid. What boon would you be willing to take in exchange for continued silence about the battle at the docks?" Ryan said, abandoning any sophistry or gilded words.


    I stood silent for a few seconds.


    After getting back home on the day of the raid, I came around to admitting that Ryan getting all the credit was ultimately for the best. God knows all the attention from the trials made things difficult enough. So when the official story went out I didn''t bother contesting it. This was the sensible, reasonable path to take.


    It was very.... logical.


    But now it looks like I may get a little something from my efforts.


    The obvious thing to ask for was to get more resources or connections in the mage community. But my internal mana generation meant that getting mana resources from him would be extremely wasteful, comparatively anyway. As for the mage community... their indifference towards me was becoming a very mutually feeling and I wasn''t sure just how involved I wanted to get with them if it meant wasting years on the bottom ring being ignored.


    "A favor. At some point after some amount of time, I''m going to need your help, some resources or something else entirely. Whatever it is I want, I assure you it will be within reason." I finally said after some deliberation.


    Ryan was, of course, hesitant to make such an open-ended promise. His face broadcasted the internal conversation going through his head but eventually, the siren call of potential gains from the fight at the docks won out. He stuck out his hand and we both shook on it. He then gave a nod and left.


    I turned around and went to get back to work on my invention downstairs. A sound by the door told me it was opening,


    "I think a favor is quite-"


    "That fucker!" A spirit connection reverberated those words into me. I instantly recognized the voice in it.


    By the time I had turned around Salamede''s white stripe running up her snout was a few inches from my face. Her eyes may have been white marbles, but her bared teeth, the furious expression in her face and clenched hands spoke of her anger well enough.


    "Is that true? You saved the town?" She demanded.


    "Well, I don''t think the town was in danger of being completely destroyed, it probably would-"


    "Eli!" She stomped her foot at this and put her hands to the hips of her green dress.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "Yeah, I did. But we came to an arrangement so it worked out fine." I said defensively.


    "A favor? Some promise of help at some point? What on earth could he give you that would make up for your rightful recognition?" She demanded with her hands on her hips.


    "He''ll give me more than nothing, which is what I would have gotten. He knows that and I know that, so he at least let me have something as opposed to the byline of lip service recognition that results in nothing but hardship." I said far more calmly than I thought I would have been capable of.


    "What?" She said hesitantly, the anger in her face being replaced by confusion.


    "Salamede, I have enough attention on me as is. Being the crafter who won in the trials has already made enough problems for me. It might be worth it if I got anything for all the trouble but being a crafter in the magical world is like being handicapped without any of the sympathy to go with it. None of the associations wanted a crafter dragging them down." I replied with a steady tone.


    "Your not just a crafter, Eli. If you showed people what you can do they would have no choice but to reconsider." She shot back.


    "I can''t. I don''t have any idea where the people who might be looking for me are." I said as I tried to hold back my exasperation at having to repeat myself.


    "You''re a quad element caster. Who cares how badly they''re looking for you? Once you get into the government they can''t touch you. " Salamede retorted.


    "Can the government protect me from the elves?"I responded coldly.


    Her ears drew back as her eyes went wide.


    "You''re wanted by the elves? " She whispered through the connection, almost like she was afraid their sharp ears would hear her through the connection no matter its'' lack of sound.


    "Yes, maybe. They''re connected to them. Or maybe they are them. Or it could have just been one rogue elf. I don''t know but some proportion of elves are involved in some way." I said, giving the sum total of my intelligence on the situation.


    Salamede just stood there trying to process my words. The elves had reflexes, magical power, and raw strength that far surpassed humans and keltons. This was such a fact of life that most people regarded going against them as a form of suicide. Why they hadn''t simply conquered the ''lesser'' races, their title for non-elves, was a mystery as was almost everything else about them.


    "Eli, you don''t need to be a quad caster to do some good in the world," She said after a moment of consideration.


    "Why are you so hung up on me going out into the world.? What difference does it make to you?" I demanded as I tried not to lose patience with her.


    "Because they deserve to know mages like you exist. People deserve to know that there is a mage out there who cares. Who looks at peasants and keltons and doesn''t see walking talking cattle. Who will take time out of their day to help them when they''re laying in the dirt and filth with nothing to offer them." She took my right hand and squeezed it appreciatively.


    "I want people to see you as the good person I know you are and not just the oddity who spends all day in a book or in a basement." She finished.


    "Salamede, I need to be careful. I have many considerations that you do not understand." I said firmly, trying to ignore the warmth in my chest from her praise.


    "I don''t presume to know all about what you are and what you''re going through. But if you''re willing to take risks, it''s not like the locals have nothing to offer" Salamede countered.


    "Oh, and what is it that they can offer, exactly?" I asked hesitantly.


    "Well land, for one. It''s extremely hard to buy but the local government has a bad need for some services that you could provide and that would grease the wheel for getting your own home that you could do with as you please. Another is that you''re still a mage, even as a crafter, so you won''t have as many people challenging you." She said.


    "That''s all well and good but the mages-" I started but then I considered a different angle.


    What exactly did I need the mage community for? I already had access to the magical libraries in the classroom building.


    We didn''t have magic back home and all the stuff I needed involved a lot of technical knowledge. The mages were far more wealthy and connected but since spirit magic meant everyone was functionally literate that learning barrier didn''t exist for technology. Until I find out more about the people who brought me to this world, I am going to continue to hide as a crafter which means it''s going to be far harder getting any help from the magic community.


    But the peasants didn''t understand those differences very well. I could probably gather a group among them that was far more loyal and less likely to be infiltrated by the necromancers than I could find amongst the mages. It would take a while but being some kind of local legend might give me the pool of reliable people I needed. There were a lot of downsides, but the time and danger invested might pay off more in the long run.


    "I''ll think about it, but I will make no promises," I finally responded.


    She gave a big smile and with a light bow turned to go out the door.


    However, I still felt like teasing her a bit as I re-established the spirit connection.


    "Oh one more thing, do you make it a habit of staying near my house to eavesdrop on my conversations?" I asked with mock indignation.


    "I was coming over to check if your house needed another cleaning and saw Ryan going in to meet you." She said without a hint of shame.


    "And?" I prodded.


    "And what? It was a scion meeting a quad caster. Of course, I eavesdropped." She said matter-of-factly.


    "Pff, goodbye." I waved her on as she smugly waved back while she closed the door.


    Well, if I wanted to finish my work in the time frame that I had promised I had a lot of work ahead of me. After getting a quick lunch from one of the local street food vendors, I headed back into the underground workshop. It took a few more hours getting the metal frame, wooden pieces, and balance right on my new invention.


    But finally, it all came together.


    Around the fans of the pole was a large wheel with panels of wood in between the iron spokes. On the sides of this wheel were 8 leather bags whose openings were sewn into the inside of the wheel as well as teeth like that of a gear behind the bags. This was perhaps the hardest part making this device as I had ripped several bags and destroyed their enchantments before I had gotten the procedure down.


    The whole thing was held up by two hefty stone stands and a thick metal pole in the middle with a counterweight block of stone on the end allowing it to spin while not putting any strain on the magnet holding pole. What made this really special was that these leather bags were bags of holding.


    Each of these I had made to hold a 5x5 foot space in their barely foot long size, which was now half-filled with river water. I had attached a metal casing around them to thread rope through, while not letting any water out through a watertight seal, connecting to the metal squares that acted as their lids allowing me to open or close them all in a few swift back and forth motions.


    I took a deep breath.


    "All right here goes nothing," I said to myself.


    I pulled on the string to get the bags caps into the open position.


    Opened, the bags on top or tilted down released their contents. At the spout of each bag was a slanted piece of magically maintained stone so that those coming up wouldn''t have their water push against the wheels counter-clockwise motion. This water deluge on the fans caused the pole to spin. The magnets pole had a large gear around it that spun another gear attached to it. This gear was skewered in the air by a stone shaft on a stone column that allowed it to spin while connected to another gear through the long metal shaft near the water wheels end that was also held up by a stone pedestal on that opposite end. It was this gear that spun the water wheel.


    This spin allowed the empty bags on the bottom to take in the water from the bags above as they were surrounded in a wood case with sharp edges to make sure all the water flowed into the slight dip of the bag''s entrance. Then the empty top bags came down and were in turn filled as the water poured down over the fans. And since the water lost its weight when it went into the bags, the usual counterbalance of their payload was nullified.


    Standing there, all I could think to do was just stare for a while. The wheel spun on and on while the sparks from the magnets came in a constant stream. Eventually, I realized that I was waiting for something.


    An explosion? The twisting of the fabric of the universe as space and time collapsed in on itself? God coming down from heaven to swat me on the head before smiting such nonsense? I don''t know what exactly it was that I was waiting for, but ''it'' never showed up.


    I decided to just sit down for a while, taking in the motion and the partially blocked sound of sloshing water. Eventually, my mind started going over all of the possibilities of such a device and the improvements I could make to it. If I could get four bags and put them in a box I could have small turbines generate electricity while slowly moving a metal rod in a circular motion. It would have to be in the middle to close the bag when it turns as well as open another to keep the cycle going.


    Another possibility was to set up a hydraulic press to help me with my metal manipulation problems. If I could just get the copper and iron bars into the general shape I needed them to be it would save me a ton of mana allowing me to move my other projects ahead far faster.


    I went over to the small sack that held my stash of mana crystals. That used to hold my mana crystals. I had been so excited putting my idea into reality I hadn''t realized that I had used up all of my reserves. So whatever I decided to do will have to wait for me to replenish the spent mana crystals. But it was getting late and I was fighting to keep my eyes open as I went over all of the possibilities. For the sake of safety, I put a wooden block in the gears besides the magnet poles end to stop the movement.


    After getting a late dinner mere minutes before sundown, I went back home to sleep. While my excitement over what lay beneath my house kept me up for a while, sleep came to me in time.

 Chapter 43: Community Service

    Eli POV


    ________________________________________________


    After waking up to a bright morning sun I made my self decent and immediately scarfed down some quick porridge from a local food vendor. Fortunately, there were no mandatory classes I had to attend today and was on track for my other magical etiquette and mana theory classes. The main advantage of having no social life was now coming into play.


    When I got back into my workshop, I thought that the answer to my problem with the directional issue in my mobile generator might be water pressure. By having two bags entrances empty into a hollow metal sphere, I could make the water spin a turbine by having the pressurized water go through a tube leading up from the sphere. This turbine could then use a gear to move a long metal pole with teeth to open and close the bags at certain points.


    But this design had many flaws. Moving the bags so they would be facing down would be a nightmare. Not to mention fitting a twin apparatus for the water to continue the circular flow. Having too many moving parts would make it prone to failure in the rough treatment of a combat situation. I needed a design that had few if any moving pieces and just re-enforce those parts as much as I could.


    Then I considered the bigger issue going forward for me personally. My attempt to get into the good graces of the mage world hadn''t really worked. Worse yet my situation has deteriorated since then and there was an argument to be made that I would have been better off if I had just done the absolute minimal amount of work.


    The unique circumstances I''m in also means that any big achievements I made were likely to have to be done on the sly for what could very well be years.


    Behind me came the soft creek of the hatch. I prepared my water jet and hung the tube over my shoulder. I was 99 percent certain it was Salamede, but that 1 percent was enough to merit this minor preparation. As expected, this 1 percent didn''t present itself as I smelled something like a fresh bread pastry in a basket Salamede carried in her right arm as she shuffled into the room. She wore a blue dress today with the typical white undershirt.


    "Smells good. May I ask what the occasion is?" I asked as she handed me one.


    "The occasion is you need a decent breakfast. I saw how you dashed out towards the food market and back in 5 minutes. There''s no way you had anything good or filling in that quick amount of time." She said as she handed me a bottle of some liquid from the basket. After a sip, I let the fruity and faintly spicy drink run down my throat. The meat-filled bread went perfectly with it, but the bread was oddly stringy. As I chewed on my second breakfast/early lunch, Salamede leaned against the table holding my magnet crafting set up and looked at the floor for a long moment.


    "I think it''s time I tried my luck among the peasantry," I said after swallowing the last of my meal.


    "That''s perfect. I''ve been asking around town and one of the things I found involves an earth troll..." She trailed off towards the end. After a long second, she started talking again.


    "Eli, why are you listening to me?" she asked.


    I just raised an eyebrow to her.


    "I''m a magicless Kelton while you are some mage from a legend who could be working with scions. Why not simply send me away and dismiss me?" She asked nervously.


    " I think we''re both in the mood for a more light-hearted story right now. Frankly, I''ll probably have more luck amongst the peasants than I will among the mages and you''re the only connection I have to that side of life here. " I said. I can''t decide if what I was feeling for her was a simple bout of lust, friendship, or genuine attraction so I kept that out of my reasons until I made a decision on the matter.


    She gulped and release a heavy breath.


    "Well Eli, if you want to raise my spirits there is something you could get me. Would you be willing to give me a weapon to defend myself with?" She said, her apprehension clear in the spirit connection.


    "Sure, but I would advise you to remember that tools are just extensions of your intentions. A simple, well-executed plan can overcome many shortcomings." I offered.


    She nodded in agreement and pushed herself from the table.


    "So, what would be a good starting weapon? A sword or a dagger?" She said as she stiffened her shoulders. I stopped to think it over for a moment.


    "Neither. Unless you¡¯re willing to become a professional soldier, bladed weapons aren''t going to be a good fit for you. Another consideration is that unless you''re willing to lug around a weapon over your shoulder everywhere you go, we''ll have to stick to something that can be hung on your hip or hidden up a sleeve." I responded.


    For the next few minutes, I roughed out two ideas for her as she went over the agreement she got with the local government. Apparently, our association was of such wide interest that they never even questioned her claim to work for me. Killing the troll would get me the civil service achievement I needed to get the right to own land and they had another infrastructure need that I could help with that would help smooth out my land purchase.


    One weapon was a flamethrower over her left wrist that had a small smooth half-circle of wood at the joint that would shoot out a tongue of flame several feet in front of her. The other was a right armband that summoned a water shield. Stone was too heavy for her and this water had enough enchantments to hold the liquid in place that it would at least block arrows. It took a while to get the proportions down right but eventually, she had a shield that could cover her top half while leaving enough space to allow her to shoot the flamethrower in front of her.


    Fortunately, I had stocked up on several leather strips laden with fire, earth, and wind constructs from working with Ryan and bumming from other students so I at least had a ready explanation for how I got her those. As she fiddled with the new accessories, I also refilled my store of bubble grenades and had even gotten the process of making their enchantment down to just a few minutes.


    I thought about making her crafts packet-switched to make them immune to spells, but it only took one stray wind spell and her to then activate the items to bring the heat down on both of us. Besides this was more for bandits or quick alley fights so I wasn''t really worried about it. Although the bandits did apparently have mages among them.


    That little tidbit still puzzled me. How anyone who had access to enough magical materials to make caster could fall to the depths of banditry was a mystery but when I went over what the big guy had said about going back to the capital I knew there was more to this picture than them just being some souped-up bandit minion. Salamede sending a tongue of flame out the hole entrance of my workshop brought me back to the present.


    "These will do nicely, thank you thank you thank you," She said as she turned around and hugged me. When I hugged her back, I noticed a lot of the tension bleed out of her shoulders.


    "All right, why so they want me to kill a troll and the charity gig?" I asked, finally getting into the fine details of what it was they wanted me to do.


    "Oh yeah. There''s an orphanage that could use food. Money was tight before and with people still struggling to get stuff in from the docks, food prices are going anywhere but down. Their problems have only gotten worse as the influx of children from families who lost their main provider have trickled in.


    Another problem is a small village that''s been getting harassed by a rock troll. They''re too poor to afford guild help, even if the guild wasn''t too swamped to help anyone else right now but the local government has put out an emergency award of a single civil achievement, which would help you buy your own house" She finished.


    From my poor attempt to start acquiring land, I knew it was a complicated matter here, to say the least. If I wanted to prove that I was a citizen, I would have to submit references and documents for my family line, which obviously wasn''t an option. Otherwise, the only way was getting the official recognition of the local government for being a person in good enough standing to get an award.


    The one they could give me was only recognized in this local area, so it wasn''t nearly as good as the merit Ryan earned, but it was enough to start the process to buy land. It would be long and painful if I didn''t also get another in with the local bureaucrats but staying in such an unsecure location was quickly becoming untenable. Fortunately, governments always have means of letting you get what you want if you know what levers to pull for the right people who need them pulled.


    "Sure, I''ll kill the troll and get some food on the way back," I said as I got up to leave.


    "Um, could I come along?" Salamede asked. I sat there for a while going over the approximate weight limits of my armor. This was a dangerous job and I was very reluctant to bring her along at first. But I wasn''t familiar with the local area and I needed a guide to wherever this was if it was as dire as she made it out to be.


    "That depends on how far away the village is. Of course, on the way back it may take a while to get home depending on how well we come out of this." I said. She nodded in agreement.


    "It''s a good bit from Holstead, we should get there after lunch," she said.


    "Ah, that''s by carriage. My jumping armor will get us there much faster since we can ignore traffic." I said as I picked up a mid-sized leather sack and slung it over my shoulder.


    "But first things first," I said.


    After getting my armor and arsenal equipped, I made one badly needed piece of equipment, a quick and dirty leather saddle with air boosters. It had a special sack that would allow her to slip into it.


    After a few minutes of testing the saddle, I took her down to the armorer and got her a leather armor setup with thick shoulder pads and a thin metal chest piece. Salamede had a fist to her mouth as the total came up and was clearly worried about how she would pay for this.


    "Well, I think if I scrounged up enough from calling in a few favors maybe I could afford-" I put up my hand stopping her.


    "It''s fine, I''ve spent five times as much in materials just these past few weeks," I said as I handed over the silver to the shopkeep. But now a very real test, as a man and as a decent human being, was upon me as we headed out of the shop. The trip was going to have to be done carrying her on my back as I was sure having her trial run with the boosters in a forest or against live opponents would be a fantastically bad idea.


    She would be safe wearing the leather armor as we moved. Of course, having her wear the leather armor and metal chest piece was obviously the safest option for her personal safety. But the thought of her generous bust squeezing against me on every landing kept me from going with the obvious solution. When we finally made it out of the shop and into the bright sun of mid-morning I knew that I had to do the responsible thing, the decent thing. If she got hurt because I wanted to be a pervert, I imagine my conscience would make sure I was repaid a thousand-fold.


    "All right, suit up in full armor. and we can head out." I said.


    After she put the armor on in one of the local latrines we headed out over the bridge. Once on the other side, we briefly stopped to get her into the saddle I had made for the ride. Once we started moving It took a few tries to really get the motions down but eventually, I was moving along at a speedy clip with slightly elongated jumps. Salamede squeezed way too hard the first time we landed but fortunately she knew to keep her head firmly against my shoulder.


    My jumps along the road were eventually assisted by the saddle wrapped around Salamede''s back. Once I was confident enough to leisurely jump with her on me, I activated the saddles boosters and while I used it in fits and starts I eventually got it down to where I was going a good several yards in each leg motion. The saddle also helped lower the weight load and impact on my knees by using a booster to constantly thrust upwards. As we moved along, I took in the oddness of the atmosphere. The air had less pollen than when I had arrived, and the temperature was gradually dropping. Despite this, the trees were in full bloom like it was still the early days of spring.


    Following her directions, we eventually came up to the village. The village was split down the middle by the road and was surrounded by a wide field with a forest off to the left. The few drab houses had thatched roofs and dingy wooden walls that had their shoddy construction exposed in the rising sun. The scattered ruins being picked over by various peasant men besides some of the houses said this wasn''t the peaceful slice of country life it looked like


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "So where exactly is the troll," I asked Salamede.


    "The farmer said that he came out here around lunchtime yesterday. The locals have been trying to pack up and leave but when this troll came by yesterday, he scattered all the animals. They only just got some of their animals back out of the forest this morning." She said through a spirit link.


    "Why risk getting them instead of leaving straight away?" I asked as I looked around the village, taking in the weary tired faces of the inhabitants.


    "These poor people have nothing. Those cows and pigs are the closest thing to wealth and money they have" She said sourly. I just nodded, not agreeing or disagreeing.


    A few minutes after getting the lay of the land and scouting several potential sites to fight the beast a crunching sound was heard off from the direction of the forest and suddenly a good 14-foot tall walking mountain could be seen moving in between the tall trees. Its movement was less ape-like than the troglodytes and more like a human with long arms going nearly to its knees.


    He had beady red eyes sunk into the vast empty chasms of his jutting eyebrows with thick wet lips over a pair of tusks. His whole body was covered in muscle and what looked like stones couched in the brown sandy hair surrounding them. Fortunately, he hadn''t seen us yet and the size of the trees meant he was having to slowly weave his way through them. Salamede got behind me as I went out over towards the forest.


    I moved over to the only nominally safe spot I could see in the few precious seconds I had to move, a particularly large pair of trees and then set up my mines around the base and a big boulder beside it. A shout went up in the town and the people going over the ruins panicked as they scrambled with their family and loved ones in a stampede to try and leave the village. But they were fleeing into an open field, so the troll could hunt them down at its personal leisure once it got free of the forests'' obstruction.


    Salamede moved to come with me as I went closer to the walking giant well over twice my size.


    "Stay back! I''m going to try and kite it around the trees." I said. She looked a little put out but took another look at the troll and acquiesced to my demands as she waited behind a large boulder.


    The troll was getting into the clearer section and was looking at a particular family of running peasants, made up of four children and their parents, with hunger as his tongue ran over his lips. But when he made it out of the forest, I ran forward in front of several trees behind him and shot him in the back with my lava tube. The roar made my teeth shake in their gums as the troll turned, his eyebrows furrowed in rage. A second shot took him in the gut. They didn''t have as dramatic an effect as it did on humans or the troglodytes as the rock hard skin and bits of stone armor proved quite resistant but the sheer heat burned the hair and left scorched burn marks wherever the molten stone landed and dripped before it disappeared.


    I moved back and shot out another missile. The troll summoned a rock shield and continued his charge. I dodged the occasional head-sized boulder he shot at me and managed to get near to the mines I had set up. But as I managed to clip him in the shoulder, he did a big pull with his hairy right hand. I didn''t understand what he was doing as he didn''t summon any new stone with the brown earth mana coming out of his hand.


    The faint whooshing of air behind me told of what he had used his magic on. I dodged to my left, but the troll summoned a block of stone to intercept me as the bigger boulder brushed past me. It hit me full on and knocked me out of the air like a rag doll. Thankfully, my fall was ''cushioned'' by a tree.


    "Fucking shit. Great idea to fight a rock troll near a boulder you fucking dumbass." I said to myself as I lay against the tree I had landed against. 3 seconds later I was cursing my dumb ass again for not putting a heal function into my armor for a moment like this when I was too stunned to heal myself with a spell. I tried to push through the pain and focus on what needed healing. Shit, my right arm was crushed.


    The thumping of the dirt and blurry visions told me the troll was charging me now as he maneuvered around a tree. The world was spinning and I could only feebly throw out a bubble grenade with my left arm at what I prayed would be the general vicinity of his foot. Fortunately, it was and he tripped as his foot met the unexpected resistance of the bubbles. As he fell with a thunderous crash that shook all of creation, Salamede came up and tried to douse him in flame.


    "Get back!" I yelled as I made my way over, but I still wasn''t balanced enough to do the elongated jump. The troll looked up and did another earth spell with both his hands in a fist pump motion. Part of what was making this hard was that the troll didn''t have to use mana constructs to do his magic, he just absorbed the ambient mana and converted it into the earth mana which I guess then cast the spell as it was in his flesh. This circumvented the typical means to at least get a general idea of what the spell was going to do based on its number of triangles or size of the circles.


    This spell sent the surrounding earth up and down like a wave. At least near the troll, it did. The roots of the trees must have been severely limiting the spell''s effectiveness because he howled in frustration and probably pain from the burns as well. The waves still managed to leave Salamede unbalanced long enough for him to pull back his arm and swat her.


    " NOO!" I yelled as my visions came fully back in synch and I saw her fly past a tree out of my vision. My tube and water jet were made with the intent that my right hand would use them and I had to move right now If I wanted to make sure the troll stayed off Salamede.


    "Hey ugly" I called. The troll turned his beady red eyes on me and roared again, just like I was hoping. I tossed a bubble grenade in his mouth. It had even managed to get a decent way down his throat before it activated. The bubbles filled his mouth and completely clogged his windpipes. I was hoping he would choke to death on it, but I wasn''t taking that chance, as I shot a few clumsy left-handed shots with my lava tube that reduced his eye sockets to smoking ruins. I then left the thrashing mass of hairy muscle clawing and pounding on the ground.


    I called for Salamede as warmth flooded my arm when I used a quick healing spell on it. I found her laying on the ground a good distance from where she had been thrown.


    She was clutching her side and the plate armor over her chest was heavily dented. Moving quickly, I removed the chest piece to make sure it wouldn''t interfere with my healing. After I healed the broken ribs, she coughed up some blood that had gotten into her lungs and then got to her feet.


    We just stood there for a while taking as much air as our lungs could hold and listened to the deafening thumps of the troll pounding the dirt close by. When I got my second wind I rushed back towards the troll. He was stumbling around now as the bubble grenade had apparently run its course. Taking no chances, I hit him with missile after missile of red hot slag as it feebly put up its arms to defend itself. After the sixth or seventh blow, the charred giant arms were burned to black stumps as it laid in a barely breathing heap. To make sure the job was done I hit his skull repeatedly until it caved in from the repeated blows. The brains and blood splashed all over the ground in a pile nearly 3 feet tall.


    A sound of liquid splashing against the ground and heaving drew my gaze to my left as I saw Salamede throwing up in front of a large tree. I walked over and patted her back in sympathy. After a few dry heaves, she finally talked.


    "Damn, warn a girl before you do something that disgusting." She said through spirit magic.


    "In combat, there is often little time for warnings, as I''m sure you now know. I had to make sure it was dead." I said with as much warmth as I could manage right now.


    She nodded in response.


    A few more minutes of refilling our lungs and we headed back towards the village.


    The few peasants too old or feeble to leave were looking out from windows and porches. One skinny lad with a bandaged leg called out to us from one of the doorways.


    "What news is there?" The kid with brown hair and green eyes yelled.


    "He''s dead. The troll is dead." I responded. The faces I saw showed mixes of incredulity and relief. I didn''t care to convince them so Salamede and I just laid against a tree until we got a second wind. After a few minutes, a patrol of guards came by. They seemed surprised to see that the village was still standing.


    "Alright men, form up. The troll may come back at any moment. We need to-" The lead guard said, his brown beard and green eyes telling of a veteran.


    "The trolls dead" I called.


    The men either did a double-take or had looks of flat disbelief. I got tired of having to explain myself, so I just pointed towards the forest.


    "Go check it out" The leader said as he motioned for two of the lighter armed guards towards were I had pointed. They didn''t look happy about it but did as they were told. As the other guards were setting up various positions the two scouts came back.


    "He was telling the truth boss, a huge troll is lying dead just past those trees." One of them shouted and pointed behind them as they came out of the woods.


    This caused quite a stir among the guards and the growing crowd of peasants. Then someone among the peasants cheered and the wave of relief sent the cheer through the rest of the crowd.


    "Thank you, thank you. I thought we were being sent to die" The guard leader said as he shook my hand vigorously.


    "It wasn''t just me, she helped as well," I said as I motioned towards Salamede. There was a moment of hesitation but not dying helps people move past many prejudices.


    Salamede blushed and looked at the ground as she was showered with praise and thanks.


    The guard leader sent some men to track down and bring back the families who had not yet returned as well as get someone to give out a price for the trolls body. After a while, the peasants who had run away or back towards the town were trickling back in, drawn in by the guards or were coming back to investigate what they assumed would be the wreckage of their lives.


    As some families were hugging at the reunion or swearing at the returning people for leaving them behind, the guard leader pulled me aside.


    "All right, the examiner came back and it looks like a good haul. He reckons if we get some dissectors down here we''ll have about 4 gold and 50 silver to be had from it. As the officer on duty, I am authorized to make an offer of 4 gold and 10 silver for the remains, the difference being a convenience fee." He said.


    Good. Frankly, paperwork had never been my strong suit. I shook his hand and took the money from a pouch he put in my hand as well as a certificate commemorating the sale. But I had another question that I wanted to ask him.


    "How exactly were your men supposed to defeat the troll with swords and spears?" I asked.


    His eyes got angry and he squeezed the pommel of his weapon.


    "Someone giving the orders really fucked up, that''s how. Trolls aren''t supposed to be allowed anywhere near this close to civilization. Somehow a 14-foot tall bugger damn near strolled right on top of us. Some heads are going to be rolling in HQ soon. Maybe." He said ruefully towards the end. I raised an eyebrow at that last remark.


    "Eh, you know how it is. Some people know enough of the right people to never get fired. No matter how badly they screw the orc." He said, his voice brimming with resentment. I could only nod and turned back towards the peasant group.


    Eventually, I found my target and walked closer. I motioned towards Salamede who was talking with a few housewives.


    "All right, lets head on out of here," I said. She gave a slight bow towards the other women who returned the gesture and accompanied me down the road. Along the way, I tried to decide how I would move my stuff out of the workshop out without being seen.


    "No jumping travel this time?" She asked with spirit magic.


    "Nah, they paid out for the troll corpse. Once we get to Holstead let''s just pick up a bunch of food and take a carriage back to the academy." I said, handing her the two gold and 5 silver as her split. She stopped dead in the middle of the street.


    "Eli! This is... it''s too much." She said trying to hand the gold coins back. I just put up my hands.


    "Nah, you can pay for the carriage and the food though," I said.


    "That''s barely a dent in what you''re giving me. No one alive would say I deserved this much just for getting in your way and making you lug me everywhere." She said, her voice had such a sweet mix of honest praise towards me and innocent purity.


    "I don''t think getting slapped by a troll would be considered a light contribution for anyone," I said.


    I forced her open hand closed until her fingers wrapped around the money.


    "T-Thanks Eli," She said as she gave me a light hug.


    Salamede was a damned distracting woman.


    We went through town and got three crates of vegetables and salted meats after a quick perusing of the food vendors. A few of the carriage station workers even helped load them into the carriage we rented. The whole affair took less than an hour before we were off. On the way, we were both too tired to do anything but sleep as we sat on the opposite sides of the carriage.


    "Oi! We''ve arrived" The voice of the driver slammed through my sleep. I jostled awake with my neck slightly cramped from the position I had been sleeping in. When we both went out, we got our three crates of food, two for me and one being held by her, she lead me down towards the poorer part of town closer towards the back end that brushed up against the forest.


    Eventually, we came up to a long building that looked more like a rundown barracks, with its thick beams and small windows, than a home. Salamede knocked on the door and a tired-looking woman with grey hair answered.


    "How may I- Oh," She said, taking in the food and our no doubt rough appearance.


    "We come bearing gifts," I said as I laid my burden down.


    "Jordan, Pete! We have dinner!" She called inside the building. Two young lads with brown hair came up and took the crates eagerly.


    "Thank you, thank you both." She said as she hugged us. Her tears and the tears of the boys flowed freely. I could hear some commotion in the building now as the food was brought in.


    "We''re just doing what we can ma''am. Just like everyone else" I said humbly as we both made our way back down the street.


    As we walked down the street, we both took in the fading sun as we moved past the various pedestrians coming to and fro. Salamede was humming and looking at me with what I assumed was pride.


    "See? Is it so bad to have a day out of the house to help people." Salamede asked.


    "Maybe not," I responded.


    Coming onto a larger square building with a sign out front saying ''Town Hall'', we made our way inside.


    The entrance room had nominally well-maintained wood floors with white paint on the walls and two hallways on opposite sides. The first thing presented was a large desk with a large woman with brown hair and green eyes getting ready to close for the day as she dusted off her brown dress behind her station. Salamede gave a cough, which caused her to look up.


    "Oh, hi." She said before looking down the hallway to the right.


    "George! They''re here! The troll hunters." She called before giving us both a light smile and looking back down at her work.


    "Ah, so I trust the matter has been seen to?" A voice coming from the doorway called. Through it came a large set man. He had grey lamb chops with a full head of hair. His green overcoat and brown overalls lent him a docile, friendly air that would immediately be dispelled by the hungry look in his almost wolf-like brown eyes.


    "Indeed," I said as I showed off the certificate.


    He took it and looked at the paper up and down. Then gave a satisfied grunt. He then looked over to the secretary and clicked his tongue.


    She then scrambled through the desk until she produced a metal medallion of copper with the signature of one ''George Manta'' melted into it. This metal disk she quickly tossed to Salamede who caught it with ease.


    George gave a slight bow and then headed back from where he came. With that, we both left then hugged and went our separate ways as I went to use the local latrine and Salamede headed home. I thought about getting some work done once I got back to my house, but I felt way too tired from the charity work I did today. The world went black the moment my head rested in the hammock.

 Chapter 44: Cleaning House

    Salamede POV


    _____________________________


    What a day. Adventure, helping people, and a dashing mage confessing to me. Maybe. He said he was worried about my wellbeing. Hell, the way he handed over the silver for the armor like it was nothing was more generosity than I had received all year, forget splitting the troll bounty.


    But was he worried about me as a friend or as a woman? I thought it might be the latter until we started our trip. If he.... was thinking about me as a woman he would have made sure his hands strayed when I was on his back.


    Right?


    I stewed in my thoughts as I walked down the quickly darkening street until my musings were interrupted as I was coming up the street to my house. My ears picked up a loud crash and a scream coming from the old thing. Rushing in through the back kitchen entrance I saw my mother holding her hand against the brown fur of her left cheek as she sat on the floor in front of the upturned kitchen table. Standing above her was the chubby Jayaga holding a small sack.


    "What is going on?!" I bellowed through a rather forceful spirit connection.


    "This fucker was taking my money." Mom screamed in outrage through the connection.


    "again," She said, this time sounding near tears.


    I looked at my husband, that fat waste of grey fur who never gave me anything. These past few months had been harsh but I now felt that thin line of patience I had in me finally snap. At that moment, I decided that I had had enough and after dealing with a troll he should be no big deal.


    "Whatever, bitch," He said, sounding slightly drunk as he huffed dismissively at both me and my mother.


    "Jayaga, I have tried to be a good wife. To be understanding and supportive. But putting your hands on my mother is the last rabbit''s horn." I walked past the shoes by the door and activated my water shield around his neck. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.


    "How did a no-name goat like you get magic items" He demanded. He apparently wasn''t too drunk to realize what danger he was now in.


    My answer was to drag him to the door and throw him out into the muck. Well, push and trip him into the muck anyway.


    As he turned around covered in mud and looking very much like he would love to kill me, I used my flame thrower just above his head. It singed the tip of one of his horns and stopped whatever he was thinking dead in its tracks.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Consider that sack of coins our divorce settlement. And if you ever darken my doorway again, I''ll barbeque you." I said before slamming the door. As I turned around I saw my mother standing there looking at me with a smile playing across her lips.


    "Wow, came in like one of those angels from the stories and took out the bad guys. That''s my girl." She said while giving me an appreciative hug. I took the skinny brown and grey flecked Kelton woman in my arms as we enjoyed the now fresher air of the house.


    "But he did ask a good question. How could you afford the magical items?" She asked.


    "They came from that mage." I said, slightly saddened at how the conversation was moving away from how awesome I was.


    "Oh, that crafter fellow?" She asked.


    I nodded.


    "Well, make sure to thank him next time you see him. How was your day?" She asked as she looked over my new armor.


    "Wonderful, Eli and I went and saved a village from a rock troll and fed an orphanage," I said putting down the money I got from the troll bounty on the now upright table.


    Mother''s eyes immediately went to the sheen of the gold.


    "How did you come by this?" She said as she walked over and caressed the gold like a long lost child.


    Then we sat down at the table and started talking about the whole adventure, just like we used to talk about our day before the only topic of conversation in our lives centered around all the way''s my husband was letting us both down. But she stopped me when I started talking about riding piggyback on Eli.


    "Wait. On the way there did you wear your dress?" She said, an odd note of hope in her voice.


    "No, Eli said to wear my full armor." I responded


    Mother leaned back into her chair clutching at her eyes.


    "Oh ancestors, please give this foolish girl wisdom." She said mournfully.


    "What?" I asked, crossing my arms defensively.


    "You should have asked him if he liked you wearing the dress while on his back. If he had said yes then you would have known if he liked you, at least on a physical level." She said, exasperation clear in her voice.


    "If he wanted me as a woman he would have tried to feel me up on the way there." I rebutted. Despite my best efforts, I couldn''t keep the note of disappointment out of my voice. Mother just raised her right eye at me.


    "A man, at least one who can slightly think with the head on his shoulders, isn''t going to just start groping a woman he likes. You need to at least let him know that your open to being touched." She asserted.


    "But I don''t think Eli really thinks of me in a sexual way. Honestly, I wonder if I''m just tolerated because he''s lonely, not because I''m so great to be around." I said in a put out tone as I ran my finger over the table. Mother went out over to the kitchen cabinets to pull out a candle with a flint and steel lighter.


    "Now, now. Even if you''re there just because he''s lonely, not saying you are, but even if that''s the case, so what? How do you think most relationships start? Being lonely is the reason most people get into relationships in the first place. Besides, he seems to prefer solitude over being around all the other women. And he prefers being around you to being alone. So don''t fret on that front." She said as she set the candle down and lit it with only two strikes of the metal rod and rock.


    I smiled at her kind words.


    "Fret over being clueless about how to handle him" She finished as she sat down.


    I snorted and swatted her arm. For a long time after we just sat down and talked about the day, both mine and hers. I still hadn''t told her about Eli being a quad element caster so I had to adjust the troll portion of my story some. That night we relaxed and smiled more than we had in ages before we called it a night.

 Chapter 45:Celebration

    Eli POV


    _________________________________


    When I woke up in the morning I felt oddly refreshed. More lively and light-hearted than I had been in what felt like ages. After taking a shower and getting a good breakfast from the local market, making sure to give Salamede no room to complain this time as I ate a whole fish and some chicken soup, I headed back to the workshop.


    I took out the woodblock from the magnet poles end and pushed the water wheel. As I looked over the now constant motion of the wheel I made a big decision. While painful, I probably was going to have to scrap this. This design had too much dead weight and I needed more power if I was going to be setting up any machinery to run on it. Fortunately, I at least had the foresight to make the most precious component, the bags of holding, easily taken out with the manipulation of a few stone screws.


    Having all of these inter moving parts was severely limiting the potential of this machine. I needed something that solely moved from the sudden weight of the bags. Wading out into the knee-high water of my homes dock area, I turned the bag I was holding upside down. The square cap was pushed to the side into the open position and a stream of water shot out into the river. But the bag didn''t immediately slam out of my hand from the movement inside its own mini dimension.


    So the negation effect applied to the momentum of objects inside the bag and their weight, even if it''s moving inside of it towards the exit. That meant that If I wanted to employ the weight differences in my machine it would have to use a bowl or bag around the exit to hold that water then let it slosh back from whence it came on the upward motion of the wheel.


    I spent a few hours taking my machine apart and assembling its successor. This version had the 8 bags replacing the fans with L shaped blocks of wood. On the end of these wood shapes were the bags of holding with a thin stone vase sealed tight over the bags heads. Unfortunately, this design forced me to use metal magic to sense and then pull the metal caps into the open position.


    This spun the magnet at the end far faster, producing a consistent stream of sparks and even getting some heat from the coils and the standalone copper wire. I started thinking over a new design as I held the wheel in place to summon a stone block to stop the motion.


    An air pump. I could make a crude air pump to fill a cannister and have a piston at the end. Depending on how maneuverable it was I could get a lot done. Maybe I could even lower the metal magics mana requirements enough that I could finish out the vine suit.


    As I was roughing out a design of something that looked like a rivet gun with a square head for the air piston to shape the metal, Salamede came back into the workshop.


    "Eli, you ready for the parade? " She came in with a bright red dress with a modest cut.


    Oh yeah. I forgot about that whole thing with Ryan getting recognized for his bravery.


    "Parade?" I asked with spirit magic.


    "Oh yes. There''s going to be a big parade through the center of the town. Ryan is going to be on a horse-pulled stand in the middle of the procession. You coming?" She asked as she stood there with both her hands cupped in front of her.


    "Nah I-" I started my rejection, but then I considered what having a parade with a lot of mages attending meant. After the raid cleanup, I could get away with sucking in the surrounding mana because the mages went back to avoiding the working-class areas like their poverty was catching and the peasants couldn''t see mana. The fact that the wealthier nobles were having their items suffer mana shortages at the fancier inns nearer to the academy was a testament to my greed.


    "Sure." I said as I got up from the workbenches stool and put on my student robe I kept to the side.


    As we were coming up onto the main floor Salamede put out her hands like she wanted me to put my arm through hers.


    I accepted with a smile. As we went out towards the main street leading from the bridge straight towards the academy the crowds were already jostling and milling about the various vendors either selling flags stamped with Ryans likeness or various snacks and meats. For a while, I and Salamede joined the chaos, sampling various grilled meats and fruity drinks that were said to be specialties from the coast.


    Eventually, a guard blew the horn announcing that the parade was officially starting. But as I went to get one of the flags to wave Salamede pulled me back and gave me a severe look.


    "What?" I asked.


    "Don''t forget who the real hero of this celebration is." She said, moving closer to me and fussing at some dirt I had gotten on my face.


    "I won''t. But whatever the actual situation, he''s still a scion who put his neck on the line for the peasants. Should we not encourage that attitude?" I asked as I patted her arm.


    She huffed unhappily at this while thinking it over. After a few seconds, she relented.


    "Fine," She said bitterly. I gave her arm another pat and went to get my flag. Coming back I saw the crowd nearer to the academy was now moving aside as a long line of horses pulled a wooden platform along the road. The bright sun reflected off of bits of confetti being tossed into the air by the crowd and some women in gold-embroidered dresses near the moving platform. The occasional water or fire displays of the entertainers went off in front of the carriage.


    On top of the dark wood platform was Ryan. He was in full battle armor and the lion head of the hammer was clear to see as the hammer was held in his hands in an almost cradled position. Occasionally Ryan would raise his hand and wave to the crowd, who would, in turn, go wild at his attention.


    Behind him were Tansen in his typical sapphire encrusted black kimono and a blonde woman who looked like an older version of Veronica wearing a black top with a grey dress bottom. As they passed by us I felt eyes on me but as I looked around the crowd I couldn''t see who it was. The feeling quickly passed and I just put it down to one of my typical minders keeping tabs on me.


    Eventually, the platform made it''s way to the bridge and I saw Tansen step forward on the end of the platform that was now facing the crowd.


    "Today we celebrate the bravery one of our best. Today we commemorate the human spirit that shows us that even at our worst, there is still the ray of light showing us at our best. Ryan, please step forward." Tansen motioned for the walking mountain to come to him. At this Ryan stood at the front of the edge of the platform and took a knee.


    "By the decree of the Coalition, you are to be given official recommendations for both military and civil service." Tansen said as he took a scroll from one of the women on the platform and handed it to Ryan. A great cheer went up from the crowd as he Rose to accept. I joined in clapping while Salamede gave a lighter clap with a strained smile.


    Ryan then came down from the platform and was greeted with a wave of various personages and their handshakes. Some had the dark green typical to the military while some had the red, blue, brown, or light green robes, vests, and other assorted apparel that made sure to announce their wearers'' magical status to all who would lay eyes on them. Those were probably representatives from various mage associations looking to contend with the military for his membership into their organizations.


    I had to admit, there was a certain bitterness to seeing the people who wouldn''t even deign to look at me shower him with praise for what I had done. But looking at Salamedes'' increasingly sour expression I was getting worried she would charge into the lot of them to get me that praise so I had to move quickly to avert disaster.


    "Salamede, didn''t you want to go to the parade to relax and have fun?." I asked.


    "I did. I just thought seeing you not upset about this" She motioned towards Ryan as he shook the hand of a greying mustached man whose metals on his steel armor screamed ''important general''.


    "Would make me feel better about it." She finished.


    Truth be told I was rather conflicted. At first, I was bitter at my lack of recognition. Then I considered all the trouble that it would bring to me and dropped it. Still...


    Whatever my internal conflict, right now I needed to be the calm one right now.


    "Hey, there was a vendor selling this wine-soaked, fire-lizard steaks. Wanna try it out?" I asked, giving her arm a slight pull. She looked at me and back towards Ryan. Then she nodded with a saddened expression.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The rest of the time we spent trying out various delicacies and enjoying various shows and treats.


    One of the vendors even had incense which I bought up and promptly stored on my person. This went on until the sun got low in the sky and I could tell Salamede was getting near the end of her endurance.


    "I''m getting kind of tired, I think I''ll head on home," I said with a stretch as we looked at one craft that put water shaped into fish swimming over the crowd''s heads.


    "Indeed, this has been quite wonderful though," She said as we meshed arms again as we walked.


    "Yep" I said as we separated at the bend in the road that marked the split in our journey. we waved each other goodbye before heading to our separate homes. Coming in I did a few more hours of mana crystal summoning before heading to bed.


    The next morning I headed out to the classes to do some more mandatory lectures and to get more information on the local weather cycle, lest I get caught unaware on a subject I should obviously know now that I was branching further out into the world. As I headed through the dual doors of the main entrance I saw a group of women snickering at me. When I turned towards them, they covered their mouths and shuffled off.


    I was getting at my patience end for school-age drama so I didn''t bother pursuing the matter and headed towards the repository for the local affairs and issues section. Going through the books I eventually found what I was looking for. It was a world magic theory book that tried to come up with reasons for this "Necrosis".


    Going through it the author explained the gist of it in the opening paragraphs. When this world''s winter went into effect, the trees would... retract. I read it over several times to make sure I was seeing what my eyes were telling me I was reading. Yes, apparently at winters start the trees begin a several day''s long process of retreating into the earth, making the land look like it had suffered from scars of bark. During this time the earth would then flood with a wave of low-tier healing magic.


    This would then have the dead re-animated to try and eat every bit of meat they could get their now moving hands on. I thought about that for a few minutes. In the coming months, there are going to be hordes of fossils underneath my feet struggling and moving in the dirt trying to get out. The thought had no practical purpose as these fossils were without any means of escape, but still, it was damn creepy.


    It then went on to explain how Dunwich, the town I was unfortunate enough to first encounter, was a typical gathering point for the dead. Why they were attracted to the place was anyone''s guess but the town enjoyed special tax breaks and incentives to get people to live there and help cull the dead.


    The other main countermeasure was having the dead burned to cinders so that they would take a huge amount of healing magic to reanimate. This helped absorb enough of the planets healing magic wave to help mitigate the effects on the dead wildlife. I tried to process how this would all work on a cellular level but I had one far too exciting project at home to spend more time on this.


    After my classes were completed I started heading out to leave the building but bumped up against by a bigger student, which meant he came up to eye level, with brown hair and green eyes.


    "Excuse -"


    "Watch it goat fucker." He shot back before stalking off.


    Some of the surrounding students chuckled at the insult. I stood there a long moment, trying to decide whether to retort or threaten but the siren call of progress could be heard from my workshop and I was at a point where I didn''t really care about what the rumor mill was spouting. I just went and leaned against the building''s smooth white wall away from the others until the next group was available to leave.


    Coming back home I spent the next several hours working on the internal components for the air valve, the canister, and the piston. I didn''t have a voltmeter or any other equipment to measure the electrical output. Yet another item on the list.


    Then my train of thought wandered on what I had lost. To go from being able to run dozens of simulations at the speed of my mind to just plugging it in and hoping it works was quite the fall from grace. A tired sigh was I could give and got back to work.


    I connected the copper wires to the crude air pumps electric motor and removed the stone pillar stopping the spin. The magnet couched in copper wires attached to the wood pole spun it and moved the piston in an up and down motion in the cylinder. It took a few attempts as the inlet valves either blew out from the pressure when closed or the outlet valve didn''t open when at capacity.


    But finally, I had a good airflow going and could attach it to the thick canister, done in a typical rounded design with a separate piece at the bottom to hold the piston as well as allow it to be manually put back into firing position. Getting that to release properly and not have pieces fly everywhere had been an arduous task that put me near my limits. Sweat was running down my face and slicked my hands as my back ached from all of this grueling manual labor but I couldn''t stop now that it was all coming together.


    I screwed on the attachment between the air pump and the canister. Then I made a stone bench to hold the air pump overhead and have the piston slam a few inches above the table with the cannister was also encased in two rings of stone on the top and bottom to hold it in place. After a silent prayer, I cut the mana flow to the stone block stoping the bags of holding power generator. The pump stopped moving as the canister was filled to rough capacity. Pressing the switch, the steel piston head slammed down with a solid thunk.


    All right, now for the real test. I placed an iron bar below the piston heads position. It slammed down leaving a big dent. After a few more attempts I got it into a rough ring shape. Using the metal magic craft I shaped it into the needed form for the more compact generator I was designing. This time the amount of mana needed was almost trivial in comparison to shaping with solely through magic.


    The desire to push on through to the end was strong but I had been pushing the entire day to get this done. Making sure my new invention was securely in place, I headed out for a good dinner but along the way, I saw a small entourage of guards with a raven on their cloaks around a pudgy man confronting Salamede at her home about something.


    He had the white and blue dress of an academy student that accentuated the blond hair and green eyes but what drew my gaze was the finger he was rudely shoving into her green dresses left shoulder.Apparently, I made quite the impression when I killed the two prisoners, as the guard paled and tapped on the student''s shoulder for his attention.


    "What?!" the student demanded, his turning motion stopped when he saw me.


    "God to think you''re allowed to call your self mage. Even the very mana itself doesn''t want to be seen in this shit hole." He said dismissively as he stepped towards me.


    I just continued walking until I was a few inches from his face. His eyes showed fear when my hand with the arm guard outstretched towards him.


    "Woah!"


    "Back the fuck up!"


    Variations of these two phrases were repeated by the surrounding guards as they drew their swords. But the student just got a haughty look, although the glint of fear in his eyes was plain for all to see.


    "Are you threatening me, crafter?" He demanded, his voice low.


    "Threaten? Me? Should not an inferior make the first move to greet their superior?" I asked, in as innocent a tone as I could manage. His eyes darted towards my hand again to see that the hands'' position to cut someone in half and to shake their hand was the same.


    "Yes indeed." He said with a strained smile as he shook the hand. Then he released the smallest portion of a water spray, a spray so small I wouldn''t have noticed it if not for the minute blue glow of a water mana construct, brushed up against the metal and leather arm guard. Having ''killed'' my craft, we both relaxed. Him from the new false sense of safety and me from the knowledge that I could hit him with my water jet before he would have time to understand that it still worked.


    "What brings you to our humble side of town," I said looking briefly at Salamede. She seemed nervous but she was holding her position in the doorway. I turned to look at him again.


    He gave a light cough.


    "I am here to demand compensation, in coin or honor," He said, sticking out his chin.


    "What?" I asked, as I went over where at any point I may have even seen this man before.


    "When you brought those things" He waved dismissively towards Salamede " to the academy during the raid, you lot blocked my path and even bumped against me. I am here to make right the wrong committed against me." He finished.


    I just stood there for a moment trying to make sure I heard him right. When I confirmed that I had heard what my ears were telling me he said my first impulse was too just finish this argument by cutting him in half. But I was at a complete disadvantage, even if I won this fight. I had no backers and getting into it with any house, no matter how small, would be a disaster for me. It would shortly come out that I had no one to fight for me, economically, legally, or militarily. The consequences of that piece of information becoming widely known would be many and varied, but they would almost certainly all be bad.


    I nodded and gave a slight bow.


    "Well, I am so sorry that you had to come all the way down here." was as much of an apology that I would give.


    He looked like he wanted to punch me, but just huffed in irritation instead.


    "I''m not here for an apology from you. I want this goat-thing to make proper compensation. Money or hard labor will be acceptable." he said.


    Salamede stepped forward.


    "This is a poor area, maybe we can-"


    *Smack*


    Salamede''s rough voice was interrupted as the fat piece of shit backhanded her.


    "I swear, some things ar-" He started but as I moved to within an inch of his face his voice died in his throat.


    "Eli, just don''t" Salamede warned me.


    I took a deep breath. Come on Eli, remember all that stuff you said one minute ago.


    Besides, I was too tired to take him and his entourage on without killing them via water-jet dissection.


    The only thing I could think to do was fold my arms while making it look like I was holding onto something up my sleeve. The previous arrogance of the man dissipated. As I had hoped, my abilities as a maker of magical items were widely known and his eyes told me he was now weighing the possibility of coming up against some crazy new item that he couldn''t shut off in time before I used it on him.


    We both stood there for a moment before the pudgy guy relented.


    "Hmmpf, well, it''s not like you guys have any honor or money to give anyway." He said looking at us both with contempt before stomping off with his contingency of guards.


    "Are you all right?" I asked.


    "Yeah, just watch your back, Ok," She said before giving me a hug.


    Afterward, I headed back towards the food market to get my dinner. Returning from my chicken soup and bread, I proceeded back into my workshop to put the incense sticks in a circle around the piston and generator. It didn''t have the requisite code intake or other typical things but it met the bare requirements.


    "Guide us through till the end, Gods'' craft. See us through this time of tribulation until the last code is made, the piece put in, and our task is finished. Amen" I said as the harsh incense filled my nostrils. Getting up off the floor and throwing the used incense sticks into the water, I went back upstairs to go to bed.

 Chapter 46: Reflection

    Morning of the Parade


    ___________________________________


    Tansen was currently going over the orders for various goods in his windowless office, both to and from the academy. The bigger headache, sitting by itself off to the side of the pile, was a letter with complaints from the Rangers. They had been hounding him for a meeting since the raid and this was their latest demand.


    His mind went back to the bandit raid after looking over their latest letter demanding they be allowed to investigate. Looking out over the atrocities and destruction had been infuriating. The time he had spent on the road had been defined by swift personal action, either to save fair maidens or in the split seconds of brawling street fights.


    It was a heck of a lot more dangerous but damn if it wasn''t more fun than having to be the academy head sitting in the back and giving orders. And it also came with the benefit of not having any reports or paperwork to fill out afterward.


    His thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door and Agatha coming through with a letter in her hand. The mid 30''s blond with a black work dress came up to his desk.


    "From home office," She said as she handed he letter to him.


    Tansen looked over the letter and sighed.


    "Again? How many times am I going to have to tell them the same thing? Men can put out a lot of children, but there comes a certain point where even scions will drift to other interests. Ryan getting into crafting and heroics more and Andrew training harder is slowing down their child making, but that always happens. What magic wand do they think I have to fix human nature?" He asked exasperatingly.


    "They know that it''s just that the natural curve of the decline happened far more quickly than most. Maybe it''s something to do with those trials?" She asked innocently.


    Tansen sighed as he leaned back in his chair.


    "They could at least take a day off to celebrate their victory in congress," He said mopingly.


    While it had no bearing on the average folk, the upper echelons of society were buzzing with the surprise passage of an amendment to the breeding mandate. The provision, to make casters breeding a matter of law, had been a matter of some contention for a while. Although they had to make some compromises along the way, the Front had managed to mandate that male casters must try for a child at least 3 times a week and female casters, if able, must produce at least 5 children by 30.


    It may seem like a light requirement, but the mandate as a whole was considered to be made of two pieces: part push to increase mankind''s magical potential and part protection of scion and caster mages against coercion from political, social, or military powers. This meant that every single word was gone over with a fine comb by legal experts of nearly every field and credential. Getting any sort of change done to it was considered a pipe dream by most but apparently the Front had managed to get the pull in the government needed to get it passed.


    "It''s not like it came freely. I heard we had to loan out a lot of mages to the government to make it happen," She said with surprising indifference.


    Tansen raised an eyebrow at this and decided to press her on the specifics.


    "Just why was handing over mages worth getting this in? Another thing, why did they go for casters and not scions?" He asked.


    "They did, at first. But changing anything concerning scions is far, far harder than changing the sections with the casters. Besides, it would be pointless considering how much ''soft'' pressure" Her hardened face and the sarcasm made it clear how hard this ''soft'' power was.


    "The government brings down on those scions who don''t produce. So our job is already being seen to there, the casters were just being neglected in this area" She finished.


    "Legislators, military professionals, mages, and teachers. You can change laws, petition a censor of people, and get a say in military operations. What the Front doesn''t do would seem to be the more important question." Tansen said.


    "Our bounds are wherever magic is found, from here to our main offices on the coast or central continent. As long as it involves magic, the Front will be involved with it." She said as she turned to go.


    Tansen leaned back when the door closed.


    He just sat there for a few minutes staring at the smooth soft white ceiling. There was something going on the past several days that nipped at him. It was like a fly that would faintly brush up against his skin but would be gone from sight when he went to swat it. Now that Agatha had mentioned the trials, Tansen felt like he was getting closer to the trail of this little irritant and it wasn''t his grumbling about staying in the back of the fight either.


    But it was getting close to midday and he had an appointment to keep. Coming out to the academy gate into the town there was the platform with the walking boulder Ryan, Agatha, and the confetti throwers. As Tansen came onto the platform one of the guards gave the thumb up. The gate opened and the crowd cheered their new savior. Some women blew kisses and shook themselves provocatively towards their new hero while the men fist-pumped and cheered Ryan on.


    As he scanned over the crowd his eye eventually went over one couple in particular. A Kelton woman. human-shaped head with fur, pure white eyes, and ivory horns contrasted with a good red dress together with a man would be odd. A Kelton woman in a red dress with a man who had purple eyes, silver hair, and a chain mail veil was freakish. While he paid the two no more time than anyone else, that time contained more focus and attention than most of the people he had given the past several days combined.


    When Tansen had heard that Ryan was going to be getting all the credit for the dock battle, he had been quite upset. As academy head, he had access to the only telescope currently on the academy grounds, another order of which had been added to the pile of requests. He hadn''t seen all of it but the towering height of the walls had given him enough vision to see who had truly turned the tide before the garrison had even rallied.


    That Eli hadn''t even officially protested his lack of recognition had also been a matter of irritation for him. Was it cowardice or wisdom that stayed his tongue? When you''re on the bottom of the pile the two are close blood brothers, so maybe it wasn''t Tansen''s place to judge him for it. But there was something more to it, that feeling of missing some piece to the puzzle stuck in the academy head''s mind even as he gave his short speech to the crowd.


    As Tansen came down with Ryan among the crowd of important onlookers, the various envoys and people of note from the coalitions magical and military institutions swarmed over the newest prize for their membership pools. As the back and forth went on one particular general, clad in military honors and the dark green armor, highly polished and richly inlaid with gold, reserved for those of high rank made himself known.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    His name was Marvin. A favored friend of the president, a veteran of many battles and the overseer of the operations against the orcs, when one thought ''set for life'' they saw the man with a chiseled jaw to match his toned physique, greying black hair and dark green eyes that was him. Right now, Marvin was rubbing his clean-shaven face as he looked at Ryan and walked over to Tansen.


    "Ah, Tansen. Good, Good. After getting a crafter", He stopped and lightly chuckled at the thought as Tansen grinned and bore it. "A crafter as a dual trial winner, there was chatter that the academy for the Coalitions top talent was losing its touch. But after this, it seems those concerns have been laid to rest." He said with mirth in his eyes.


    "Lest you forget that crafter had his tools best Ryan." Tansen retorted.


    Marvin waved his hands dismissively.


    "Bah, bad timing and accidents can make any warrior stumble. No matter their power or their opponent." He said as he looked over the walking boulder currently shaking the hands of a female water mage.


    Then the crowd of personages parted and a green-eyed elf with blond hair came through. Dior, the elf with almost human features, looked at the crowd dismissively as he came up to Tansen.


    "The men haven''t returned with any news. But we are also putting every available member of the guild to work as well." Tansen said quickly, remembering the etiquette advice Aki had told him about getting to the point immediately.


    "Good. Father has come across some...information. We should focus our efforts more in the southern region." Dior replied before turning around to leave.


    But as Dior turned to go, Marvin walked up to him.


    "Hello, my name''s Marvin. You may be-" He started but Dior just shoved past and moved down the road towards the bridge. Marvin looked bitterly at the increasingly distant figure as the swirl around Ryan resumed.


    Tansen just looked over the crowd again, for what he did not know, but eventually, after mingling with the various peoples both important and common, the festivities came to an end late in the afternoon. As Tansen was walking back towards the academy gate he looked down the path towards the sacked section of the town. As he looked over the road he got the feeling that he now knew what it was that was bothering him.


    During the procession of bandits immediately after the raid, He had moved near the lines of guards on the higher hill of the academy entrance. Of course, no one would even suggest a caster or scion be present lest they risk danger to themselves, but what was the point of having the power to take command in a fight if you can''t even look at the defeated in contempt? While everyone was looking at Ryan, he was keeping a watch on Eli to see what his emotional state was in case he decided to make a scene.


    Tansen was told Eli had killed two prisoners, one by the docks and one on this road which Tansen had borne witness too. He pondered on that scene again and again.


    Tansen was thinking about it over and over even as he got into his office to finish up his paperwork. As he neared the door he saw it was slightly open between the two guards


    "Sir," One of the guards said to him.


    "Yes," he responded irritably.


    "The head of the rangers is inside. She said she was expected." the guard.


    Tansen growled and stormed through. Standing in front of his desk was a 5 ''9 woman with graying black hair covered in a headdress and grey leather armor. Her tanned wrinkled face and soft blue eyes might seem kind but the color of her arraignment and big grey hood marked her as a member of the Rangers. And to Tansen''s knowledge, she matched the description of their Leader, Freya.


    Beside her was some man with a cut over his green eyes. He had the same attire but his hood was pulled down. His hair was black, cut short and he had a strong chin with a curved nose.


    "Ah good to see you, I do hope you''ve made a full recovery from the bandit raid?" She said sweetly.


    "Oh just fine. May I get you tea or maybe some wine from my personal larder or the favorite book from my collection? After all, you''ve made yourself so comfortable already" Tansen replied in as sweet a voice as he could manage as he walked past her.


    "Nah just one crafter is all I need." She said.


    Tansen raised an eyebrow to her as he took his seat at the desk.


    "That seems like an odd dish, but I suppose the rangers have never been too picky," Tansen responded.


    Freya got a light chuckle out of that.


    "We need one. A particular one for a more.... judicial matter." She said, but her jovial tone didn''t hide the murderous glint in her eyes.


    "What crafter could help the Rangers? You lot don''t even get along with other casters" Tansen asked absentmindedly as he shifted through the various reports on his desk.


    "Not help, just rectify a misdeed against one or more of our members." She said.


    "What misdeed could they help you correct if you can''t get the perp yourselves?" Tansen asked as he leaned back into his chair, now actually intrigued by this conversation.


    "They are the perp," Frey said with a wolfish grin.


    "Who?" Tansen asked, his mind already weighing a rejection. As academy head any decision of moving the students from the academy had to be brought to him and only then would they be brought to the local authorities. There were only two exceptions to this rule:


    Orc mating that is punished in an unsatisfactory manner and a national emergency declaration that goes uncontested.


    "Eli" She said.


    Well, that made the decision very easy.


    "He''s had a great performance in the trials but I don''t see how he could have gotten the jump on some of the best casters of the coalition in a real-world scenario." Tansen deflected as he tried to come up with the most polite rejection.


    "Not in a combat scenario, but in the middle of town being walked around like a dog. Joren was being walked through town like a common criminal and Eli cut him down like he was moving dirt off his shoe." The man said, his snarl grew and grew until any pretense of the cool collected bystander was gone.


    "Ah, he speaks. What is your name?" Tansen said nonchalantly.


    "Noah," He said blankly.


    Freya shot him a severe look but Tansen noticed that the docile woman had now disappeared and what he now saw was a mother bear getting ready to tear into whatever poor soul had harmed one of her cubs.


    "This Joren fellow brought it on himself, if he hadn''t gotten mixed up in the bandits he would have been spared." Tansen retorted as he picked up the latest report on food deliveries.


    "He didn''t get involved with the bandits. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Eli cut him down for what? To take attention away from the hero of the battle. I''d say I''m doing you a favor getting such a bad seed out of your academy. We lost a good water caster for fucking nothing" She responded coldly.


    "He didn''t cut him down for nothing-" Tansen said as a revelation hit him like a physical blow. His gratitude to this report for covering his face was immeasurable at this moment.


    "Joren started resisting and throwing a tantrum. Given the circumstances, I''d say Eli''s response was warranted. It wasn''t ''fair'' but as a trained soldier he should have known to keep calm and wait to get to the judge." Tansen said.


    Frey took in a deep breath and looked at Tansen like she would love to beat him into submission until she got what she wanted. The seasoned veteran bit her tongue though and promptly walked out the door without another word, her companion following suit after a hard glare.


    Tansen''s spine tingled as he ran over the scene of Eli cutting into Joren again. This time taking in the look on Joren''s face, the swiftness of Eli''s movements, and the soft glow of what he had thought was some kind of powder. The distance made it hard to see but Eli blocking some blue powder from being thrown at him seemed like the most likely solution.


    But Joren seemed shocked. Like he wasn''t expecting what had just happened before his head was removed. Maybe it was foolish arrogance but with him being a well-trained soldier and a water mage another possibility presented itself.


    Eli saw his mana construct.


    Tansen repeated the phrase to himself then huffed at his foolishness. When he said it to himself again and went over the scene in his mind''s eye there was a feeling in his gut, some niggling bit of instinct telling him he was right. But there was the more practical side telling him that it was just nonsense and he would rightly reprimand any of his staff for wasting his time with such drivel.


    Eventually, he reached a decision.


    This line of thought was too absurd to look into officially. Mostly because it was probably nothing, and being the headmaster who thought a crafter was actually a secret caster is the sort of tale of incompetence that tends to outlive nations.


    ''But subtle off the books snooping was another matter'' he thought as he started going over the people he knew could keep discretion in good faith.

 Chapter 47: Balance

    Eli POV


    __________________________


    The sweat on my back dripped down as I pushed a wooden cart along the dirt road. While moving the cart itself was no big deal, pushing mana into the small sack with a hole facing my back at the same time was quite strenuous. The bright morning sun was beating down on me as Salamede came up to me with a water bottle.


    "Oh yeah. I brought up our project at a local pub popular with Keltons. Everyone was really excited to be getting stone roads. I wonder what they''ll be doing with trade once they''re finished." She said happily as I started the carts stone summoning function back up.


    I was in the middle of upholding my end of a deal Salamede cut with the local head honcho yesterday. The mayor was quite eager for these new roads and I was quite keen on a more secure living area. One small stone watchtower was sitting near the downstream bend of the river that had been abandoned when the massive bridge meant the barge system it helped maintain wasn''t needed anymore.


    Typically getting such public property would be a nightmare but the wheels of government can be greased with many lubricants, stone road work being one of them. New roads were a central campaign initiative that the mayor had promised and his ass was getting in hot water over the project''s lack of progress. I was stamping out the final design for my vine suits power source in my head as I waited for the stone to push out from the cart like a moving granite wave in front of it.


    This new design had a metal box with hollow copper spheres inside that will hold a wheel inlaid with small metal balls in a groove pressed into the wheel. That would allow it and the magnets near the copper shell on the metal wheel to move around in the sphere. With smaller bags of holding in the middle of the wheel that were covered with special metal boxes over their mouths, these would provide the wheel movement as the released water filled into the metal boxes and had the water slide back into the weight negation dimension from whence they came.


    This inner sphere design would eliminate the multi-directional issue in combat. My biggest obstacle now was getting the balls into the correct shapes. That was something my piston was not well suited towards compared to the flat shapes of the boxes, not to mention the difficult precision needed for the copper spheres.


    Mana was now the issue again and when Salamede told me of our newest endeavor it wasn''t physically demanding and I had an idea that would let me absorb far more of the ambient mana than the kinda-sorta-not-really balancing act I typically strove for. This had been the perfect opportunity to plunder the surrounding mana with no restraint and I had taken the opportunity for all it''s worth. Right now several bark crafts were slowly shaping the spheres and balls I would need as they took in as much mana as they could get.


    In addition to that, I also made a knapsack firmly attached to my hip to allow me to push mana from my back into the bag.


    We spent a few minutes pushing the cart as the enchantments on the bottom summoned a solid layer of stone. This layer would ''grow'' out from under the cart for several feet in front as it pushed a solid mass of stone bricks into and over the dirt. The roads from my warehouse and hers were now solid stonework of large square pads with more rectangles on top. Even now the surrounding dirt was working its way between the rectangles with help from the water of last night''s rain and moving pedestrians, making it look like it was made up of hundreds of individual bricks.


    Our current slog was going towards the docks to give the lanes there a proper road. But this much stonework took a lot of mana. Not anywhere near as much as metalworking but it still ate through it enough that even working since the rising of the sun hadn''t given us enough time to let the ambient mana recover. At least that''s what I would tell any inquiring mages.


    Some peasant men and women would walk by whispering. I had heard a few talk about the physical demands of magic, ignorant of the fact that most of my strain was from me condensing a small number of crystals into being as I waited for the cart to do its thing. Once this block was complete I pushed the cart again past the newly formed stone slab to do it all over again.


    "Once we get done tomorrow, I bet the local merchants will go out of their way to use the roads on our side of town," Salamede said excitedly.


    "Maybe, I think at the very least the local vendors will move closer to us," I said as we gradually made our way towards the next street. We did this for a while before we came up to a busier main section.


    "We''ll probably have to wait until after sundown to finish this when the traffics cleared," Salamede said through the spirit connection as we turned around and went to put the cart back. I also had to turn off my metalworking bark crafts to make sure it didn''t keep draining the ambient mana.


    "And the appointment with the teachers is in the afternoon so it will be tight getting it all timed right but I think we can do it. Hopefully later today you can get the guild application done as well." Salamede said as she walked happily over the brickwork while her blue dress now went without touching the dirt. We both parted ways in the street and I put the cart off to the side to get ready.


    After getting into it with that fat mage two days ago we both thought it over and decided that becoming an official member of the Guild would at least help provide us some protection. Somewhere in the conversation I also brought up Bess''s offer to work with her and the crafting master. Salamede had immediately twisted a promise out of me to go to the meeting, which honestly wasn''t a bad idea to at least hear them out. I had scheduled the meeting for today and was now getting ready for it in my home.


    Frankly, I was content to be outside the magical community at this point and just be another crafter who couldn''t hack it, for a while at least but I suppose giving it one last go won''t hurt. As I quickly showered I mused on how the conversation became about ''our'' protection as I put on my school uniform. But I had to admit, it was nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of.


    When I got to the classrooms I looked around and saw Bess waving at me off to the right. Coming over she pointed towards a door leading to a conference room. Once we got there I saw the short chubby crafting master, her green eyes and glasses combined with her gray hair to give her the appearance of a witch despite her blue and white robes and a white undershirt. The whole room had the classrooms grey brickwork with a thick red carpet with lighting provided by the window.


    "Ah, just the person I was waiting to see. We were hoping to collaborate on crafting techniques and maybe even look at a few organizations that you may be interested in joining." She said in front of a table with three chairs. She was one the left side with another chair to her right and one on the opposite side. On the table were several pieces of square leather.


    I sat in the chair on the right side.


    We talked for a while about various crafting aspects like our preferred ways of putting the squares, triangles, and circles in the material, where and how big to make the proportion of elements being expelled by the triangles and other such things. Then the subject of general tactics came up.


    "When you made the hammer how did you manage to get it to hit so hard, even without shooting flames out of its back?" Bess asked.


    "It mostly relied on using the boosters in the armor giving the blow some added kick. When making my items I try to focus more on how they will all work together, rather than how strong I can make them by themselves." I replied.


    "Really?" The crafting master said.


    "Yes. Think about that mud spewing arm guard I made. If I went with the typical stone shield it would have made the booster function almost unusable when activated due to the weight it put on the arm. By having a stream of mud it can also be used mid-air without throwing the user too far off balance." I said.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "That does beg the question though, are you an offensive or defensive crafter? Most crafters will lean towards one or the other after a while." Bess asked, with the crafting master looking equally curious.


    "Depends on the situation. Killing people before they have a chance to fight back is always preferable, but having no defense means you die the minute someone decides they want you dead and are willing to wait to make it happen. I find it isn''t defense or offense that''s really important but movement. No defense is perfect and there is no attack so absolute it can make up you not being in range. Getting into a position to counter-attack after a strike or to hit a weak point in the armor is better than just trying to batter down the defense or trying to make your defense impenetrable. All things being equal, of course" I replied.


    This drew a look of consideration from the two women who eventually nodded.


    "We have several lines of inquiry into some magic research associations. These are far more accepting of us crafters and some have expressed interest in you. If you''re also interested." the crafting master said, with a hint of hope in her voice.


    "I was also considering joining the Guild. Would that interfere with joining those associations?" I asked genuinely intrigued.


    "No, it will probably help your application. They typically like people who can go out into the world and extract specimens and materials. They aren''t as rich as the more combat-oriented associations, but they still have some influence and pull in the government." She replied happily.


    "There was even a good harvest of mana crystals this year for the western organizations. I heard one of the associations even got to work with one the size of a pebble." Bess said enthusiastically.


    "How lucky for them. I wish we had enough mana here for that." the crafting master sighed ruefully as she ran her finger over the table with a pout.


    "Does anyone know why the mana is so much weaker here?" I asked, only just realizing my error as the last word left my mouth.


    They both gave me an odd look before looking at each other in a quick movement.


    "Where are you from that you wouldn''t know that?" Bess asked.


    "A simple farmhouse from the ass-end of the north. Why?" I asked, quickly trying to cover my slip up due to the moment of rushed curiosity.


    "Ah, well student history can be a delicate thing so that portion of a student''s file is typically kept hidden from teachers. Personally, I think letting us look into a student''s background would help us out in situations like this." Bess gave a light cough before continuing.


    " The lowered amount of mana here is not a natural phenomenon. In the mage community, there is seething malice for the dwarves as they diverted the stream of mana from the earth that would make our region as prosperous as the coast." Bess finished with a clear hatred in her eyes.


    "Still it''s not like we had much to begin with. Even the coast is destitute compared to the central continent." The crafting master said.


    It then occurred to me that what the crafting master considered a great treasure was burned through by me in two or three days.


    Our meeting now coming to a close, we left the room and I headed towards my class for the day. Several passersby looked at me like I had something that was catching. Even some of my previous hecklers just got a disgusted look, shot out an insult and left me alone. But this didn''t stop them from talking behind my back on several occasions. The most common phrase I heard when describing me was...what was it they called me? Oh right.


    Goat Fucker.


    My, my what great wordsmiths they have here. I thought it may have just been a one-off insult from that student but it seems to have caught on. I do hope they didn''t injure their overworked brains trying to deploy such linguistic mastery.


    After going through the military tactics class that I would render obsolete in the near future, I headed back home as I took in the late afternoon sun. When we got to the dorms I quickly went towards the reception kiosks by the entrance on the inner side of the wall. After filling out my application to the guild, I went down to my side of the docks.


    Coming into my house I got the cart and took it outside. A few yards off I saw Salamede in a green dress.


    "Ah, good. How was school?" Salamede asked as she approached me.


    "Ok, but I managed to get my application to the guild submitted," I said, keeping my voice neutral.


    "Excellent," She said as she went to shoo away some kids who were playing too close to the cart.


    The sun was now fading as I came onto the main road with Salamede following me. Traffic was now significantly slower and I saw several guards stroll by. They gave us a slight nod as they passed.


    We had managed to get almost the entire left side of the main road before it became too dark to continue.


    After we parted ways I quickly went through my bark crafts that had been molding the assortment of metal pieces I needed. I went over the steps for getting the ball into the groove of the ring until I put it back into the cradle of bark that shaped it.


    I added the sparse few strands with the others in my mana crystal sack and slept through the night on the second-floor hammock.


    The next morning I got ready for another day of class. The clear blue sky and slight mist made it look like a cool spring day but there was the slight note of a chill in the air. As I headed towards the market, Salamede, wearing a blue dress, waved me down.


    "So, I was thinking once you get done working-" Salamede started saying but then our gazes were drawn to a small squad of guards coming down the road who quickly surrounded us.


    "Are you Eli? Student of the Diamond academy?" One of the guards asked.


    "Yes," I responded as I moved Salamede behind me.


    "You are under arrest. The specific crimes which you stand accused of will be explained to you by a public defendant. Your trial will be held two days from now." he said as he put a metal cuff around my hands.


    "Eli?" Salamede said worriedly.


    "I didn''t do anything, Salamede. It''s just a misunderstanding." I responded calmly despite the pounding in my chest as my heart felt like it wanted to explode.


    "I''ll see if I can get Ryan. He still owes you so maybe he can help," Salamede quickly said through a spirit connection. I could only nod in agreement.


    The guards moved me a few steps ahead and brought me up to an armored carriage in the alley that was guarded by four other lawmen.


    When we came up to the carriage they frisked me. After putting all of my tools into a special box they put me in the back, gently enough, and the driver started the carriage forward Looking out the small window I saw Salamede standing there, holding her hands to her chest waving me goodbye as she ran towards the academy. I just stared at the wall as we rode towards our destination. About 40 minutes after getting over the bridge we came up to Holstead. Going through the streets we came up to a large stone box of a building that just screamed ''prison''.


    I was lead on past a desk with what looked like a courtroom on my left and deep halls in the grey stonework that apparently went to the cell area. Going down the hall I was brought into a long line of iron cells on the right and left. This section was far mustier, with bits of mold on the grey stonework in the various corners.


    After removing my restraints I was placed into a cell slightly bigger than a closet with a bench. Leaning against the wall I went over in my head anything that I might have done that would be illegal but I couldn''t think of anything. I just waited for a while, actually grateful that I had forgotten to start up my metal crafts this morning.


    Eventually, a guard came by and rattled a flat piece of metal against the cell bars.


    "All right lad, your public defender is here. Your trial will be held two days from now. I''ll warn you, any disruptive behavior will be marked down in your profile so try to keep it civil." The older guard with a bored, indifferent voice said. He placed the flat metal piece against the cell door and it popped open then two other guards came in and put me in restraints.


    Back in cuffs, I was lead to a room with a balding pudgy man in a brown coat and pants with overalls. His white undershirt was slightly stained from his lunch of what I assumed was chicken soup. He looked at me and his brown eyes held the guards the same indifference. I sat down in the chair and put my hand on the rickety table.


    "Hello," He put it his hand out which I shook.


    "So what exactly am I doing here?" I asked, having no patience for niceties.


    A single cough and he proceeded to read off my alleged crimes with all the weight and gravitas of going over a grocery list.


    "You stand accused of child molestation, murder and orc mating." He said.


    I just looked at him with a blank expression as I tried to comprehend what he was saying.


    "What?" I asked softly.


    "You are being accused of child molestation, murder, and orc mating," He repeated.


    "I know that but, what by the almighty processor are you talking about?" I asked again, my anger now starting to cut through the confusion.


    "Several people have come forward with testimony saying to the effect that you indulged in orc mating and the raping and murder of children." He said plainly. Thankfully, a raised eyebrow was all the slip up in my curse warranted from him.


    "No, I haven''t," I growled between gritted teeth.


    "Look, as a public defender, I''m your lawyer here. For now, we need to go over where you''ve been and what you''ve been doing the past two weeks if we want to win this thing." He said with a shot of firmness.


    From there we did more of a back and forth on firmly establishing the timeline for what I had been doing the past two weeks. Of course, I altered what exactly I was tinkering with when I was at my house but that had no effect on the outcome of my day so I had no problems there. I was confident that my hidden sanctum wouldn''t be revealed by any passing investigation they did after I made the waterside entrance better hidden.


    Going over various legal minutia we finished about half an hour later. My lawyer nodded towards one of the guards and I was brought back to my cell. Looking around the dingy place I could only lay on the rotting bench until something similar to sleep took me.

 Chapter 48:The Judicial Process & Far Off Foes

    Eli POV


    __________________________________


    The next day passed drearily with me staring at a grey brick wall watching as mold grew on it. My meals were a bowl of tasteless gruel served with a cup of water. Sometime in the afternoon, Salamede came by. She had a red dress and leaned nervously against the cell bars.


    "Eli, have you been hurt? Are they feeding you well?" She asked, her voice in the spirit connection was broadcasting fear but with a subtle tone of trying to keep it all in.


    "I''m all right. What about you?" I asked. She shrank back slightly and gulped before continuing.


    "It''s bad, Eli. Some people are spouting off some ridiculous rumor about you being a child molester and a goblin mater. I tried to get to Ryan but they wouldn''t let me in the academy and none of the three scions have come out the past two days." She said as she put her white striped snout through the bars.


    Odd, but I had too much on my plate to ponder on that right now.


    "Where is this all coming from?" I asked partly to her and partly to myself.


    "I was hoping you knew," She said back.


    "I''ve spent my whole time here thinking about it and I can''t see who we''ve offended enough to merit all this trouble. The fat student from before is a possibility, but this is a lot of trouble for such a small squabble." I replied.


    Salamede put out her hand and I took it. The guard looked at us carefully but her dress came up a good several inches short from her hand so he decided to let it go.


    "We''ll get through this. I talked with the investigators and they said I could be a character witness" She said with some confidence now.


    I smiled in return.


    "Well, I do hope I''ve made a good impression on you," I said with mock bravado.


    She sighed with a kind look at me but eventually, she had to let go and head back home.


    "You actually let a Kelton use spirit magic with you?" The guard asked incredulously, as his black mustache curled in disdain.


    "It''s easier than talking, why? Is it illegal." I asked defensively.


    "Nah. Just odd, but I suppose that fits with you." He said indifferently.


    "All right lads! Anyone needing to use the shitter will raise their hands now, else it''s good night." He yelled to the rest of the prisoners.


    The day and night passed in a haze of meandering thoughts and stuffy air, punctuated with nervous pacing but finally, my trial began around mid-day as I was lead into the big oak-paneled room.


    It had a big central podium with two tables behind it. against the back of the wall was a fat man in a white wig with a red overcoat and a black undershirt, his sharp nose and eyebrows contrasting with the bloated frame. He sat higher than anyone else in his mini castle made of wood. To my right had the jurors in rows of ascending benches who seemed to be a mix of everyday peasant folk.


    Behind my table was Salamede in her green dress and her mother. The prosecutor, a man in a grey suit with a white undershirt, sat at a table with an assortment of people both unfortunately known and unknown in the benches behind him. The small group consisted of Raymond, the water mages sharp facial features and brown, bowl-like hair cut unmistakable, the fat blond-haired student who slapped Salamede. His eyes shown with contempt towards my group.


    The last member was an older gentleman who had a big brown coat to match his pants and a white undershirt. He was so skinny you would have thought he was recently excavated from a crypt, with his hairstyle speaking of a similar origin. The main contention for his categorization among the living was the mustache with flecks of brown and brown eyes.


    A gavels bang from the judge stopped all of the surrounding chatter.


    "The case will now begin," A secretary in a grey dress said to the right of the judges'' mini tower.


    "How do you, Eli-" The judge looked at a piece of paper. His plump nose and sharp green eyes looking over the paper until he looked at me.


    "No last name, your honor," I said respectfully.


    He raised an eyebrow at this but went back to reading over the paper.


    "You stand accused of child molestation and orc mating. How do you plead?" He asked.


    "Not guilty," I replied between gritted teeth.


    "Very well, let us begin." The judge said.


    The prosecutor, a slim man with smooth black hair and grey eyes stepped forward as did my pudgier public defender.


    The prosecution took a step towards the jury as he apparently got to go first. His sharp black hair and cunning green eyes told of a man in the prime of his career and life.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, today we are here to pass judgment on crimes among some of the most heinous. Crimes against children, future children and the whole of humanity. We have sworn testimony that this man" He pointed towards me his brown eyes flared in indignation.


    "Has not only sated his perverse lust on children but also sired children with humanity''s doom, the green-skinned malice on all of our lives." He gave a slight bow and went back to his table.


    "Innocent until proven guilty," My lawyer said stepping forward.


    "This principle applies to each and every one of us, especially for crimes such as this. The defendant has a sterling reputation for helping those in his community and exemplifies some of the best humanity has to offer."


    He also bowed and then they both went back towards their respective tables


    It was all very grand and high minded but eventually, they both sat down and we got to the meat of the matter, the witness testimony.


    Raymond was the first called to the central podium.


    "Raymond Drsedell. Do you swear to tell the truth here in front of the judge, jury, and the world." The prosecutor asked.


    "Indeed" Raymond responded. He was wearing a fine cut suit of light blue and white.


    "You took a trip with the accused, did you not?" He asked.


    "Yes sir," Raymond said.


    "Can you describe the trip? At least the parts were you interacted with the accused?" The prosecutor asked as he walked towards the jury.


    "We went out on a guild trip for some supplies to and from the Bulwark. Along the way, he made sexual remarks and leering looks at the various passerby. I dismissed it as typical shitty behavior but when he started physically groping children it became too much. Over the course of the trip it got so bad we started fighting and I was relieved when he left our group on the way back." Raymond finished.


    Yelling or glaring wouldn''t help matters so I just leaned back in my chair with an air of indifference.


    Now my lawyer went up to the podium.


    "You say that your argument was due to his abhorrent behavior during the trip, am I correct?" He asked.


    "Yes," Raymond responded.


    "Yet, I have a testimony that asserts you were in fact jealous of Eli''s success and that is what animated your mutual animosity for-" The bang of a gavel interrupted my lawyer.


    "The sum total of evidence we have today is all that will be presented," The judge said.


    Sweat started running down my lawyer''s neck. He dabbed his forehead with a napkin from his jacket''s chest pocket and took a deep breath.


    "We-well, why didn''t you report his activities earlier?" My lawyer managed to get himself together long enough to get to the next question.


    "Everyone knows how well he did in the trials. And who knows what he has managed to make since then? I only just now got the assurance that I would be protected by coming forward." Raymond said. I had to admit he sold it well. Just the right amount of hesitation with the closing scene of a tortured child no longer afraid of his tormentor. The jury was certainly buying it as several members looked at me with open scorn.


    Raymond was dismissed from the stand and the two lawyers went back to their respective tables to talk with their respective sides.


    "Kid, who have you pissed off?" The pudgy man asked me, as he sat down in the chair beside me.


    "No one. No one who''s been alive long enough to complain besides those two younger guys and one other set of losers in the academy and some of their parents." I said ruefully as Salamede and her mother leaned in.


    "That denial got a bit long at the end." My lawyer said exasperatingly.


    "Well, I''m gonna just give it to you straight as I''ve seen this before. We''re screwed. Whoever is behind this has enough pull to get the judge in their pocket. I''ll do my best but this..." He leaned forward and put his hands over his eyes.


    "But we could help with the character witness, right?" Salamedes'' rough voice cut in.


    "No. This whole thing is character assassination. Having a Kelton woman speak out on your behalf would only further add to insinuations of sexual depravity. I suspect that was the only reason you were allowed here." He said, his tone showing strain and a sense of defeat.


    "The stand will now call Borin Ravencroft and Johnny Wilders." The judge called from on high.


    The fat student and the older man went up to the podium which just barely fit both of them.


    After giving their oaths to tell the truth, they started spouting their putrid lies.


    "We were walking near Rose Bud Cliff six days ago. Coming down the road we took a slight detour." The old man, Johnny, stated.


    "Quite dangerous, although I''m sure you''ve been told that enough times," The prosecutor said with a hint mischievousness.


    "Yes, yes. My wife gives me enough flack about it. I don''t need it here, sony." Johnny huffed irritably.


    "Please continue," The prosecutor said putting up his hands in surrender.


    "My friend and I were heading down the road there when we heard a cry from the forest. It sounded like it was from a small child so we moved in to see if we could help. When we got there we realized we were too late. The small girl and two other boys who were already dead, the girl already having her throat freshly cut as we saw her.... last spasms of life," The older man said. He had a tear in his eye now as he recalled the horror.


    Then the fat student, Borin, picked up where the old man left off.


    "The other two boys'' bodies were bruised and bloodied laying among the dirt. Off to the right was Eli and two orc women. They were naked and acting like it was just another picnic outing. We heard Eli say: '' they felt good, but damn if their whining didn''t get annoying.''


    A blonde orc then complained to him ''you barely have enough seed left for us'' as she and the muscular black haired orc leaned against him. We were far too scared to continue watching and quietly slid back as they went down on him. Johnny quickly contacted the authorities while I went to confront the villain a while later." Born finished.


    "Also very foolish young man. Only the proper authorities should handle such cases." The prosecutor chided.


    "I know sir. I know that now." Borin responded ruefully.


    The prosecutor went back to his table while my lawyer went up to the stand.


    "Gentlemen, did you take any evidence of Eli''s supposed crimes? Any bit of information or other accounts to corroborate your trip together? " He asked them.


    The older man got an irritated expression.


    "I''m a veteran in the fight against the orcs. I''ve spent more time fighting orcs than most people here have spent alive and this is the thanks I get? How dare you impune my honor!" He said outraged.


    My lawyer leaned back defensively and put up his hand. Some jurors also shot disapproving looks at him, their minds about my guilt clearly already decided. After a light cough, he continued the questions.


    "You say there were 3 children involved. Quite dead yes?" He asked.


    "Yeah," Borin said dismissively.


    "Yet there have been no reports of missing children," My lawyer asked sharply.


    "What? Are you saying we lied? That I would lie about the menace I dedicated my life to defeating?" the old man protested.


    A gavel bang interrupted my lawyer before he could respond.


    "Enough! If you continue to harass these two upstanding gentlemen, you will be held in contempt of this court" the judge said coldly, his brows furrowing in anger.


    My lawyer just wiped his brow with a napkin, the thing so soaked it barely removed any sweat from his face. He then gave a slight bow and slunk back to our table.


    I don''t know what was worse: that they were screwing me over or that they were putting so little effort in to pretend otherwise.


    Then I was called forward. The disdain filling the air was palpable, from the look of contempt in the judges'' eyes even as the rest of his face remained emotionless to the open looks of hostility emanating from half the jury. Sweat was running down the back of my neck but I kept my breathing even and managed to just stand still like a statue.


    "Ah, the man of the hour. So do you want to tell us where you were six days ago?" The prosecutor asked smugly.


    "Salamede and I went out to deal with a problem a smaller local village near Holstead was having. A rather large rock troll was attacking them and we both rendered aid to them." I said evenly.


    "Saving a village from a troll? Is that really the best lie you can come up with?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "It''s the truth, just ask the guards they sent there or let me go back to my house and get the-." I rebutted with a raised eyebrow.


    The bang of the gavel interrupted me.


    "No more evidence," The judge said forcefully.


    "The survey department sends out regular public notices of such events. Tell me, have any of you heard of a troll being spotted near Holstead before now?" He asked the jury. Several of them shook their heads, while the rest just looked at me like they saw through my elaborate con being the smart, sharp-witted people that they were.


    "The survey department screwed up, just get the captain of the guard in here and he will-" Another gavel bang interrupted me.


    "Lad, the patience of my court is something of a legend. But I swear if you keep using its platform to impugn the good men and women who protect us I will throw every form of legal hell your way." The judge said, his ice-cold voice dripping with contempt.


    "But there is a more interesting perspective on you generally, aside from your lack of respect for the troops. Six days ago you were seen traveling with that Kelton woman at the time of the crime." The prosecutor said as he pointed towards Salamede. She visibly shrank back as all eyes turned towards her.


    "You know, people have remarked on just how close you two have gotten. I''m wondering if maybe we need to hear from her as well" He said. I knew he was trying to rile me up but I just bit my tongue and kept it together. Even so, I felt my sweaty hands gripping the podiums wood frame like it was his neck.


    "Yes from this veil that you wear everywhere," He said waving dismissively at me, "To your companionship, you have many odd tastes. Now for our good men and women of the jury, we will be going over some-"


    The slamming of the doors interrupted him. I saw a man coming through the middle but the prosecutor obstructed my vision as he moved nearer too him. I could still make out a black coat and pants as he moved to the judges'' position and handed him a letter before going into the door on the left of the judges'' fort.


    "Lawyers and the defendant, in my office. Now." The judge said after reading the letter, he then stormed off to a door to the left.


    The courtroom came alive with questions and general noise as the three of us and two guards shuffled through the door. Of course, the prosecutor shoved through and made sure he was in first.


    Inside the rather grand room were two bookshelves on each side and a large window in the back letting in sunlight. In the middle of the room was a huge oak desk with one large plush red chair on one side and two other smaller wooden chairs on the other side.


    What drew my attention was a wiry man with spectacles and a plain black shirt and pants on the right side of this desk. He had soft brown hair and a copper coin pinned to his chest alongside the wood pin marking him as magicless. His green eyes surveyed the three of us indifferently. Then his soft reedy voice rang out with a new lifeline for me.


    "I am Gerald, from the Coalition Taxing Service. Unfortunately, this proceeding has run afoul of our nation''s great tax law." He said.


    "What?" The prosecutor asked. For the first time, he seemed nervous and now it was his forehead sweating.


    "After receiving a tip, we conducted a review and it appears that the trolls movements were indeed not caught by the survey department. However, we have come across information that proves that the troll did exist and that it was sold by Eli," He then looked at me with severity.


    "A transaction that was not reported to the local tax service and has thus far evaded our nation''s federal due. And as I understand it the general thrust of this cases'' conviction will be that the troll incident did not happen?" Gerald asked.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The judge and the prosecutor looked at each other for a long moment before the judge gave a light cough.


    "We have the records from the survey department. There is no evidence to back up Eli''s claim that he was involved with any such troll on the day of his crimes" The judge said carefully, he chewed his lips in nervousness as he produced a few sheets of paper from his desk and laid them across the table. A few lines about an odd incident or two for the past few days, but their lack of any mention of a troll being the most important part.


    "Yes, yes, that what those reports say but this," Gerald took out a piece of paper from his front pocket, "clearly shows a sum total of four gold and 10 silver was paid out for the corpse of one rock troll near Holstead six days ago." He said as he put down the invoice on the table. Looking it over, it showed several lines detailing how the corpse was dissected, where it came from, the account the captain of the guard took the money to pay me from, and the destination of the goods: the Bulwark.


    "So, I''m afraid that just cannot be. The transactions for magical items are among some of the most highly scrutinized and carefully crosschecked. It simply would not do for there to be a ruling that something on our books didn''t happen," Gerals retorted with a polite smile.


    Honestly, I''ve never enjoyed government incompetence or chaos. But at this moment I was never more happy to see a nation''s bureaucracy stab itself in the dick. Please God, if this goes through I''ll always pay my taxes on time and with glee from this day forward.


    "Guards get him out of here," The judge said harshly pointing to a door to the left and looked like he would very much love to stab me right now.


    I was lead through and it took a bit for the guards to get me onto a bench right by the door. Of course, it took a few precious seconds when I finally sat down for me to bend my foot back under the bench and through it construct a wind tunnel spell with my internal mana sending the invisible tunnel through the small gap of the doors bottom half to get back into the conversation as it pulled in the surrounding sound.


    "- so I don''t think you understand why this needs to go through," The prosecutor said sounding quite nervous now.


    "Oh no, I do understand. But that''s not my departments'' concern." Geralds reedy voice responded.


    At this, my lawyer snickered.


    "I don''t see what you''re so happy about Joe. This may undo the bigger charge but your clients'' ass is still in deep shit for a public indecency charge from the first testimony." The judge growled.


    "Well, I could point out that testimony typically isn''t sufficient for a prosecution, but we both know that doesn''t matter. However, I don''t think you read the manner in which the prosecution has filed the case." He replied smugly.


    "What is he talking about?" The judge asked.


    A pause of pure silence lasted for the eternity of five seconds. A barely audible grumble came through the wind tunnel into my ears.


    "What?" The judge asked again.


    "I BUNDLED IT!" The prosecutor yelled so loud I would have heard it even without the wind spell.


    There was a slight sound of someone falling back into a chair.


    After a few seconds, the judge spoke again.


    "Listen, Gerald, this case is bigger than any one of us. This needs to hap-"


    "Do you know why we wear these pins?" Gerald asked in an off-handed manner.


    "The copper...No, I do not" The judge responded like he was trying to not scream.


    "This is a reminder that we get everything due. Every single last copper." Gerald replied.


    "This matter goes far beyond such-"


    "I. Don''t. Give. A. Fucking. Shit" Gerlad replied back, his reedy voice now getting some firmness to it. "You must have a very optimistic disposition if you can even entertain the notion that my department is going to accept this mark on our record for you and yours. Drop this case unless you want the full weight of the CTS legal division to get involved, and trust me, those guys love their jobs when it comes to slam dunk cases like these."


    A hard silence passed until the judge called out.


    "Guards take the defendant back to the courtroom." He yelled.


    "Oh, one thing young man," Gerald said as the guards came to a halt.


    "The due tax for the troll is 70 silver, to be paid by the end of the week. Understand?" He said strictly.


    After I gave a vigorous nod, then the guards resumed pushing me towards the door.


    I was lead back into a courtroom that was now buzzing with excitement. My eyes must have been simmering with excitement because Salamede and her mother immediately started looking more hopeful while Raymond, Borin, and the old man paled.


    The three men then came back as I sat down. The judge looked like he was ready to commit murder, while the prosecutor had an almost green tint like he was ready to puke at a moment''s notice. My lawyer came and sat down beside me giddy as a newborn tasting candy for the first time.


    The judge took a long breath when he sat back down in his throne. A long pall of dead silence fell over the courtroom before he moved forward and put his hands on his desk.


    "The case has run into legal technicalities. One of the charges has been rendered invalid and the case has been packaged as a whole legal motion by the prosecution" He stopped for the briefest second to stare at the nearly crying prosecutor with clear hatred in his eyes.


    "As such the case in its entirety will have to be dropped. Dismissed." With a final bang of his gavel, he then got up and stormed out of the courtroom back to his chambers.


    That motherfucker.


    He just left it at a ''legal technicality'' so now everyone will think I''m guilty but escaped justice through some legal loophole bullshit. I took a deep breath and just tried to revel in the moment as I pushed aside my anger.


    The three shitheads who lied about me promptly shuffled out while Salamede, her mother and I hugged and whooped for joy. A lot of the jury looked at me with scorn but fuck them.


    "First thing when we get back, I''ll make us all Lunch," Salamede said to us in her rough voice.


    "Aye, but I need to stop by the tax office and drop off a payment," I said when all the hugging and handshaking was done. Salamede and her mother quickly left. Then I turned towards Joe my lawyer and shook his hand one last time.


    "Thanks, man," I said as I shook his hand.


    "Thank me? No, thank you, lad. My reputation as a lawyer is going to shoot through the roof after this. Who knows, I may be able to start my own practice after today." Joe said ecstatically.


    I headed out the back door, but my head thumped and my throat choked up with bile as my reflex to vomit surfaced. I was getting faint and plopped down on a bench. Fortunately, it seems everyone else had filed out by now and I had a moment to myself.


    The reality of what I narrowly avoided crashed down on me like a wave. The stress over nearly two days of agonizing wait came out in a few seconds with all of its anger, fear, worry, and uncertainty.


    Then I started doing my deep breathing exercises.


    One, two, three, four, five, six...


    After that, I heard a light laugh coming from behind me. It was the old man and Borin.


    "Aye it was quite the days way back then... but ...."


    I was struggling to hear them so I shot a quick look around the corner, seeing the old man and that fat blond student in a brief flash. Luckily, when I used my internal mana generation even a wind mage would only notice an odd gust of wind on the floor if he was looking closely at the wind tunnel.


    "That''s what I''m doing here anyway. Some old pals really needed ...what was his name," The old man, Johnny I believe, started saying. At the last, I head him take out a piece of paper from what I assume was his pocket.


    "Ah, Eli. Well, good day to you lad. And remember to enjoy your youth for the sake of us old people who didn''t" He said.


    Snatching a quick look I saw him put a piece of paper back in his front pocket as he tipped his cap in goodbye. I quickly ran through all the options I had. Going outside and stalking them wouldn''t work as I didn''t have a prayer of blending into the crowd. Then I did the only thing I could think to do.


    I quickly summoned a gust of wind using the same hidden techniques I used for the wind tunnel. The gust of wind hit them just as they went through the door and it curved from behind them to make it look like the wind came from outside.


    Using the wind tunnel, I ran it across his chest to catch on the letter sticking out of his pocket. As I''d hoped, the letter got caught up in the gust and even better the old man instinctively went to keep his cap on instead of putting his hand to his front pocket.


    The letter fell to the floor and the guards were still looking out into the street, so I rushed to quickly read it.


    ''Dear Johnny,


    I need you to provide testimony against a certain crafter called Eli. We managed to cut a deal with our associates in the grove after they lost three men trying to get him in a nighttime operation and we need all the help we can get out here. Contact your old boss when ready.''


    After memorizing the short paragraph I put the piece of paper back on the floor. A minute later Johnny came back and picked it up. He seemed sweaty and very worried about losing it but promptly shoved it back into his pocket and went out the door.


    I sat there waiting for a good minute to make sure he was gone then went out the door. I started thinking over when I had been attacked during the battle of the docks by the three casters as I walked towards the main road. The local guard who I asked for directions looked at me like I was diseased but still pointed me where I needed to go.


    Losing those casters must have been a massive blow to the bandits considering... Wait.


    ''in a nighttime operation'' was what the letter said.


    Thinking over the past few weeks as I went in and paid my due tax I eventually honed in on what it was referring to. That night time robbery where three men snuck into my home.


    As I walked over to the carriage station I went over everything that had happened so far, chewing on a growing sense of dread in my gut as it took root. Coming home, I went over to Salamedes'' house where she was putting the finishing touches on a spicy beef stew and some milk to drink it all down.


    We talked over some minutiae as we ate at the kitchen table and went over the trial again. But when Salamedes'' mother went to bed I switched the conversation to a new topic. This time I used a spirit connection for the sake of absolute secrecy.


    "Ok, so I think I have some pretty important information. But I wanted to get your opinion to help me work through this," I said as I gulped down the last of the milk. She nodded as she sipped some of the stew and bit into a roll.


    "The old man who lied about going on a walk with Borin. I got ahold of a letter he dropped and it appears he agreed to testify for the sake of old associates in ''the'' grove. Know where that could be referring to?" I asked her. She took a second before responding.


    "Yeah, there''s only one place someone could be referring to by saying ''the'' grove. It''s a northern section near the dwarves space called Bandits Grove. That''s a battlefield between the bandits and the orcs so most people avoid it like death itself. So what? Some of the bandits got away. I imagine they were mighty pissed at you and I could see them getting a judge under their thumb" Salamede asked back.


    "Remember that night where three men broke into my house?" I asked.


    Salamede nodded back.


    "That was them as well," I said.


    "But that was before the raid. Why would... the people you''ve been hiding from?" Salamede asked as she ran ahead to her own conclusion.


    "But the elves. Why bother with humans if they have elves in their ranks?" She asked, seemingly to me and herself.


    "The thing is when I got...away from them a lot of their people died and one of them is the elf that all the guild members are looking for," I said in the spirit connection.


    Her eyes went wide but all she managed to say was:


    "wow"


    "Indeed, but this is the part where it gets tricky. As far as I can tell there are two possibilities considering who could possibly want to harm me before the raid: They already know where I am. But they''ve lost their elven connection, who I''m guessing the elves genuinely don''t know was involved, and their main base of operations. So one or two people in the bandits have been trying to use their positions to get at me instead of.... coming as necromancers." I said gently.


    "Necro-They''re necromancers?!" Salamede yelped through the connection.


    "Yeah. But another possibility is that this might be some nobles who were still pissed at me but didn''t want to risk running afoul of Ryan and these bandits are just their workaround for that issue." I responded as I leaned back into my chair and looked at the rough boards of the ceiling.


    "I doubt it''s the nobles. Getting access to the magical training and resources of academies is a house''s highest priority. Sometimes a lord will raise taxes on his subjects just for that explicit purpose. I''ve seen one or two lords get ruined from having their illegal activity exposed and getting caught up in the gangs would be a huge risk to take with little reward considering they have their own goons and lands to manage. As that welcome party we ''greeted'' when you came back from working with Ryan will well attest," Salamede said, looking into her bowl of soup.


    "Never underestimate the power of short-sighted greed, Salamede. Although, I would think mages were too valuable to be disposed of so ruthlessly." I said


    "Oh, they are. But a mage versus a mage recognized as part of a house is two different things. I''ve heard of a few incidents where the mages are shipped elsewhere with explicit orders to never contact their house again lest they tarnish the good name of mages everywhere. Not that the houses typically survive long enough to receive mail once the magical talent they poured all their money into has been cut off from them." Salamede said as she sipped her glass of milk.


    I gave a deep sigh and thought over it some more.


    "Did the judge say anything that might be a clue to who''s behind this?" Salamede asked.


    "Nah, all I got from him was a bunch of snippets that didn''t say anything when it came to the purpose of the trial," I said as I moved forward and rested my elbows on the table.


    "Whatever the reason, I think focusing on the Bandit Grove is the best bet. Even if it doesn''t turn out to be the necromancers I can still focus on killing a lot of the bandits now that I''m probably going to be a pariah after this. Keeping my public appearances to a minimum would be for the best and since I''ll have my own place I can start working harder on the vine suit." I said as I leaned back into my chair.


    "Are you sure you want to be killing the bandits? It may be better to just focus on the few people involved, like those pieces of shit who lied about you." Salamede asked hesitantly.


    I chewed on my lip for a bit before answering.


    "Even if it wasn''t the bandits this time, it doesn''t mean they won''t try to kill me for the battle at the docks later," I said. The prospect sent a thrill up my spine as contemplated surgical blows I would reign down on them. Just charging in blindly would be a terrible idea but once I had enough information... ooh boy, was that going to be fun.


    "Besides, if any of the people who lied about me suffer so much as a scuffed knee, all eyes will immediately look to me. The bandits, however, getting slaughtered by a plant mage is not something people will trace back to me and who knows, I may come across some information to clear my name as I scrounge through their corpses."


    A few moments of silence passed before Salamede spoke back up.


    "Oh, yeah. you got some mail. I picked it up considering.... well, considering," She said before getting up and going over to a cabinet to pull out two letters, both with the distinctive red G of a guild correspondence.


    I nodded in agreement and opened the letters.


    "So what does it say?" Salamede asked excitedly after I had been reading for a few minutes.


    "The first letter is saying that they are putting me through the process of background checks."


    "Yes! That means they skipped putting you through the competency trials." She said excitedly.


    "But the second letter is a newer notice that my application was put on hold for further deliberation, that''s the summation of several paragraphs of very nice sounding text beating around the bush. I don''t think they want me in their guild now." I said evenly.


    Salamedes ears drooped but she got up and came over to me then gave me a comforting hug.


    "Hey, it''s fine." I lied.


    "Besides, this may end up working out for the best considering this is the first inkling of a lead on these people I''ve had since I got here. If this does turn out to be the necromancers, then once I''ve got a better understanding of their intentions and, probably, killed them I can reveal my self as a quad element caster.


    If it''s a noble house doing this, then I''ll still kill all the bandits and we will have one less problem to deal with considering they may want revenge against me, even if I will still have to disguise my self as a crafter. First thing tomorrow morning I''ll head to the local authorities and see if their reports on the incident at night hold any clues about who I''m looking for" I finished.


    "All right, but it looks like we will want to finish our end of the bargain with the city council as quickly as possible. Jurors are forbidden from discussing what they see and hear during the trials but this isn''t going to stay contained for long." Salamede said as she got several bottles to fill with fresh water from the well.


    "My thoughts exactly. I''ll get the cart and make you a quick and dirty one as well," I said as I got up and went back to the house. I made myself another one as well to do two blocks at a time Salamede took the new cart and started on the other side of town.


    We spent the rest of the afternoon working on the various roads, and this time I didn''t even have to pretend to soak up all the ambient mana to do it. The only stops were for a quick dinner and using the latrine. The crowds and traffic made it slower than it would have otherwise been, but eventually, we finished as we met up at the bridge. The stone blocks didn''t quite meet up at the lisp of the bridge and there were a few odd corners in the blocks of the roads meeting up, but if the local government couldn''t even manage that small problem then they had no business employing people with anything sharper than a spoon.


    Then as the sun was sinking in the sky we headed back towards the town hall. When we came in the secretary immediately recognized us.


    "George, they''re here!" She called into the hall.


    The pudgy man came through the door rather swiftly. His green overcoat and brown overalls were prim as was the lamb chops on both sides of his face, but what drew my eyes was the rolled paper in his hand.


    "Yes, yes. Good job on the roads, the guards were quite talkative about your incredible speed at getting it done in one afternoon. Here. Normally I would have only expedited your acquisition but after that sham trial, I think it''s best we conclude our business as quickly as possible," He said, tossing the paper to me.


    After looking over the paper, I handed over the gold for the building, but I couldn''t help but ask.


    "How do you know it was a show trial? Not that I mind you thinking I''m innocent," I asked.


    He just chuckled jovially and his hungry brown eyes got some mirth.


    "Boy, here''s a life lesson. Just because some people choose to be blind doesn''t mean everyone will. Those asses can say a troll wasn''t there all they like, have all the survey records say whatever it is they want and the courts hush it up as they stack juries with their lackeys. But memory is still one of those pesky things the desk jockeys haven''t quite figured out how to scrub.


    And having a crowd of people come into Holstead talking about a troll destroying their homes? Oh, people remember that." He said.


    "I know that I just thought you would be... if not in the pocket of the people behind it at least too afraid to dismiss them so easily," I responded carefully.


    Geroge just laughed at that, abandoning the restraint in his previous chuckle.


    "The tax service is giving that judge and the whole legal department a good bloody nose over the mess. Apparently, he and several other accomplices had been using some ''creative'' accounting to hide due taxes, which was only caught due to them looking into the troll.


    Besides, I''m the one who helped establish the academy with Tansen. I made this city what it is and I''d love to see anyone short of the president himself try and get me on my own turf," His smile turned predatory at the last part.


    ''Well, that''s at least something. I''ll just have to see how this all shakes out,'' I thought. Afterward, we both quickly left the town hall and headed to our respective homes.


    That night I put in more traps and moved my hammock down into the workshop. The thought that, despite my best efforts, the people who brought me here had tracked me down made me want to lash out at those ethereal shadows stalking me, like an itch you can''t quite scratch. This urge continued even as I laid down in the hammock. To try and soothe my nerves I went over how the likelihood of them being the culprit behind my show trial was almost non-existent.


    A near-infinite mana generator was a prize too ludicrous to let roam free for any amount of time.


    I repeated this several times until my nerves calmed.


    After a troubled sleep, I got up the next morning and went out to get my breakfast. There were a few whispers here and there but most people seemed indifferent to my presence. Despite wanting to immediately head out to my new home or look at the guard reports, I remembered that I had some classes I needed to attend.


    After getting up to the academy dorms to head to class I went to lean against the wall. Most of the students looked at me with a look of scorn or avoided me like I was a plague victim.


    This mix of hostility continued as I got to the classrooms. When I got through the double doors, all the students either avoided me or even spat at my feet. On the upper floor leaning against a rail, I saw Jeff and Andrew look down at me. The redhead looked away in disgust while Andrew gave me a sad look and just walked away with his brother. What was odd was that I could make out what almost looked like a monkey on Andrew''s shoulder.


    ''What is going on? I thought that everyone knew... Shit'' I thought to myself.


    Holstead was specifically designed to be the place where the mages wouldn''t visit and the village had been too poor to even request guild help. With the troll remains being sent to the Bulwark the only thing my classmates had to go on was the official story considering how mages didn''t bother mingling with peasants.


    But surely just asking a few questions would clear up... No. Getting the truth of what happened would take an effort that many wouldn''t want to expend. A good number of my peers would rather enjoy seeing me taken down a peg while all the others were mostly indifferent, or at least not invested enough in me to go through the trouble of going against the preferred narrative of those who disdained me.


    Eventually, the day passed with as much rudeness and disdain as it began and I got through my classes around midday but on my trip out of the building, I was stopped by Bess, my assigned groups'' mentor, in between some of the bookshelves.


    The middle-aged woman just stood there for a minute, twirling her short brown air between her fingers while biting her lip for a few long seconds.


    "Did you do those things they say you did?" Bess asked, her green eyes projecting worry and the subtle hint of an accusation.


    "No. I may have gotten off on a legal technicality, but the technicality was that it wasn''t physically possible for me to have been there." I said firmly and deliberately, trying my best to not show the anger I felt at this injustice.


    She looked at me uncertainly for a minute until she took a deep breath and relaxed.


    "All right, I believe you" She finally said.


    I had to admit, this may not count for anything but it still meant a lot to me. Some of the tension in my shoulders came out and I felt more light.


    "Thank you. I need all the support I can get right now, even if it''s only a few words." I said but then I turned to business before I got too emotional.


    " What about the research applications? I suppose you guys have withdrawn them?" I asked.


    "Yes, unfortunately... I did. But... Eli, she told me to tell you this. The crafting master has withdrawn her support from your application and has asked that you not contact her in the future." She said as her eyes shimmered with sadness.


    I just gave a stiff nod. After all, I can''t really say I blame her.


    Bess then came forward and gave me a hug.


    "It''s all right Eli. It will all work out in the end." Bess said


    Afterward, we parted ways. The walk back home was still hell but at least I would be done for the day.


    "Eli?" One of the guards asked.


    "Yes," I responded.


    "You''re wanted in the headmaster''s office." He responded.


    Oh boy, with how this day has gone I''m probably going to be expelled or burned at the stake like a witch.


    Heading up to the main office I saw the black-haired man with a ridge running down his forehead sitting in his leather chair behind his desk in the typical black kimono with waves of sapphires. But his brown eyes lit up when he looked up from his desk and saw me.


    "Ah good, good. Come in" Tansen said as he got up.


    Coming over he shook my hand with his right hand, which I now saw was covered in a black leather glove. He then leads me over the blue and white tile work back over to his seat and motioned for me to sit down at a rather large wooden chair in front of his desk.


    "I know that I typically don''t have chairs in here aside from mine, but I figured you of all people needed a rest." He said as he sat back down in his. I noticed he still made sure that his chair was the larger one.


    "So, may I ask what it is you need?" I asked politely. I had a brief flash of suspicion, something in his manner. But then again if he wanted me dead I doubt I would have made it up the tower. Still, I quickly went over the spells and crafts that would most aid me in escaping.


    "We need to go over your course curriculum, to make sure that you''re still on track. Eli, I know it seems like the world is ending right now. But all things will pass. And even if the people still give you shit for what they think you did, know that being highly skilled will overcome many shortcomings, especially when people need those skills." He said.


    The fact that the headmaster seemed to believe my innocence was definitely a good sign. Being such an important figure, he probably had the connections to see why my case had been thrown out. So that means at least four people believe I''m innocent. Now I only had several thousand more to go.


    Over the next several hours we talked at length over various coursework and other such academic interests before I was let go, thankful that my paranoia was unfounded. Still, afterward, I wondered whether or not having to dodge the guards for the rest of my life was worth all of this trouble. With the shit day I had, I spent the rest of it finishing out my new home and getting ready to move my workshop.

 Chapter 49: Curious Test Results

    Tansen waved goodbye as Eli left his office. When the boy was gone, he immediately pulled up his right sleeve. Towards the shoulder, attached to the long black leather sleeve, was a small glass globe, barely bigger than a bead, and inside was the soft blue glow of the mana it held. The grin on Tansen''s face was almost feral.


    The past few days had been a blur of mayhem, requisitions, and unrelenting nagging but through all of that was the mystery of Eli. More than once he had thought he was being crazy but that small voice of instinct goaded him on. While he attended to his regular duties he quietly did background checks on everyone who had been involved with Eli when he first came in.


    The guards, the student manager who showed him around the academy, and the kiosk receptionist. A few had been taking bribes or caught up in affairs, but Tansen''s goal was something far above these mundane evils. When the list of suspects rand dry as Kiosk receptionist turned up clean he had almost given up and when no one came forward to provide Eli with a legal defense leading him to rely on a public defender Tansen chided himself for his overblown fantasies of conspiracy.


    After all, if Eli secretly had people backing him and he was a caster, either from a noble house or a rival academy, why had they left him to the wolves?


    But this whole web around Eli now presented another source of interest. He knew who had bribed the judge and the court staff but what their true motivation was is another question in this haze of the unknown. All of this was very interesting but it was taking time, something academy heads had precious little of even on the best of days.


    In order to finally put this nonsense to bed, he decided to test Eli. Once the possibility of him being a caster was discredited, he could move on to seeing what was behind this fiasco that had dragged one of his students through the mud and decide if it was a threat to any of the other students. But low and behold, the test had provided an upset and confirmed the conspiracy.


    The black leather glove was an item used to test individuals elements discreetly. It was something of a specially made item from Tansen''s personal armory for his more undercover staff members testing students claiming to be one element or another, so Eli couldn''t have known what its true purpose was. Tansen only bothered learning the bare minimum needed to make the tool so his understanding of the principles at play was bare at best.


    When testing a mages'' elemental affinity, the device would force neutral ambient mana into their body. But when that mana was then sucked back into the device it was compressed against the skin of a magical monster. Mana takes on the elemental properties of the person when taken into the body, which really makes little difference to humans because they all have a magical affinity to all of the elements, most just not to any useful degree. Monsters'' bodies, on the other hand, will block any non-neutral mana not aligned with their element. So If mana came out of a water mages body the thin piece of monster skin would block it if the monster wasn''t a water-element monster, whereas a water nagas skin would let it pass through unchallenged.


    With the soft glow of mana, the hunt was now officially on. Someone somewhere was playing a game to sabotage his academy or maybe Eli was a fugitive having committed a crime so heinous that living as a crafter was a preferable fate to receiving justice.


    Tansen then got up and made his way to the chair Eli sat in. He began to muse on where his inquiries had failed as he popped open a wooden compartment on the bottom and pulled a device from beneath its seat. The chair was a special make that had the distinctive metal affinity testers, disks with four sharp ridges dividing it in four even quarters. But the tester Tansen was currently wiggling out of position had a wood bottom, as opposed to the more typical leather bottom, that would seamlessly fit with the bottom of the chair and check the sitters'' affinity.


    ''Either way, it''s kind of sad. Eli had seemed to be such a promising seed, if only as a crafter, and a good person but I guess he''ll have to be handled by-'' Tansen''s thoughts were halted mid-stride.


    The disk was as lifeless as any other piece of metal could be. He pulled up his sleeve again and sure enough the small globe still had mana in it. The small glow meant Eli had the water element as his mana was allowed through the skin of a naga inside the small tunnel in the glove.


    Yet when he looked at the tester all he saw was pure nonsense as he turned it over and over again to make sure his eyes were working properly. He had spent so long looking at the lie in his hands that a knock at the door caused him to give a slight jump.


    "WHAT?!" Tansen yelled.


    "Sir, we have Veronicas'' familiar-" A secretary squeaked behind the door, clearly not expecting the outburst.


    "Yes, yes. Very good. I''ll be right there" Tansen replied irritably as he put the tester back and put the glove into one of the drawers in his desk. He mused on the fact that he must be the first academy head in history to be more interested in a crafter student than his scion students'' familiars.


    When he had made himself decent, he made his way to the scions'' houses. Along the way, his familiar, Gatra, came out of the sky. The blue bird had impossibly smooth feathers with a pitch-black beak. The tail end of a rat was showing out of its mouth that it quickly swallowed.


    "Well mannered as always I see," Tansen said ruefully as he made his way across the lawn and stroked his familiars back. The bird cawed indignantly at first but its silver eyes eventually glazed over when the petting started.


    Sure enough, when he got there several staff members were excitedly scurrying about. Once past the black metal gate, he went straight to Veronica''s house. It had two floors and a faint whiff of the nautical in its light blues and smooth flowing woodwork. This one had two windows on each side of the house with panes of light blue glass. Coming onto the stone porch and inside the house in front of him was a dark oak staircase and two rooms to his right and left. The one to his right had sandy floorboards and walls painted with varying waves on it. The center of the room was a circular carpet of soft white with a long smooth green couch and two wooden chairs around it, both occupied by Rayn and Andrew.


    At the center stood Veronica, giddily patting a seagull on her shoulder. Well at first glance one could be forgiven for assuming its species, but after looking at the sharp crown of feathers on its head, strong red eyes and wings with stripes of blue water mana running along them, such a misconception would be inexcusable.


    "Finally, I was beginning to wonder if you were actually just a caster," Andrew said sitting in one of the wooden chairs while still wearing his student clothes. A barely two-foot-high monkey dipped and bounced on his shoulder. It had dark red fur like that of wine with several stripes of bright orange glowing with flecks of red fire mana on its forehead and its dark green eyes looked around in excitement


    The blond just stuck her tongue out at him.


    "Your just jealous because mine can fly" She shot back.


    "Hey remember, none of that matters because I got mine first," Ryan said teasingly from the other chair. He wore a black-green shirt and pants, but in his lap was a stone elemental colored like dark marble. It had the arms and legs shaped like rough clubs and a middle section like a rough, elongated boulder. There were bits of crystal shimmering with brown earth mana strewn throughout its body. Next to him was his ever-present hammer, something that stuck to him like a child with its mother.


    "Well now that we''re all gathered here. Let''s get on with the lecture. They are not magical animals but they do have a certain intelligence to them." At this Gatra got off his shoulder and landed on Veronicas'' left shoulder opposite of her familiar. The two birds looked at each other and then started swatting each other''s wings as they shuffled back and forth on their human post with Veronica giggling in excitement.


    "But while they present numerous possibilities, they also present numerous challenges and responsibilities. Now that you all have your familiars we will go over proper cleaning techniques and feeding regiments." Tansen said as he moved closer to the group.


    Over the next hour, Tansen went through various procedures and best practices. The three were positively giddy as they rubbed and scrubbed their new life long friends in wood tubs on the lawn. The sharp crack of flesh being hit sounded out as Andrew''s face was left with a red palm print across the right cheek from his monkey slapping him as he tried to put the primate in the soapy water. The others maintained the sensitivity to quickly conceal their chuckles.


    Even as Tansen went over the uses of spirit magic and other aspects, his mind was right back in his office even as he demonstrated with Gatra on his left shoulder. Then a question came to mind that demanded his attention and it was getting late as the sun sank below the academy walls so he figured he better ask it now. He gave a light cough and the three looked up from the tubs in the yard as they cleaned their new companions.


    "You know, while your familiars are the talk of the academy, there is another item that has drawn my interest. How familiar are you with Eli? I know he made Ryans'' items but I haven''t heard anything aside from that." He asked.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    They all got guarded looks but Tansen kept his gaze on Ryan until he finally relented.


    "I heard he molested and killed some kids while mating some orcs. That it was witnessed by an upstanding veteran and another student but got out of it by some legal trickery." Ryan said, keeping his gaze on his familiar as he scrubbed some dirt off of its right arm.


    "Yet you still carry his crafts with you?" Tansen asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "I said he was accused of molesting children and orc mating," Ryan said defensively. "It''s not like dad cares about that though. He''s constantly having fits over my refusal to part with Elis'' creations but he''s never swung this baby before" Ryan finished as he rubbed the lion-headed hammer leaning against the tub.


    Tansen looked at the others who gave exasperated nods.


    "Well, I can assure you he is quite innocent," Tansen said as Gatra flew onto the roof of Veronica''s house. The three scions turned to look at the headmaster.


    "How can you be sure?" Andrew asked.


    "I am sure due to... certain bits of information I''m not a liberty to reveal. So I would not advise cutting ties with him too carelessly," Tansen said idly as he took in the red and orange hues of the fading sun as it''s light played across the clouds.


    "What does it matter now? Even if he was innocent no one is going to tarnish their reputation by bringing him into their fold." Andrew said indifferently, while Veronica gave a sad look of agreement, her soft blue eyes showing regret.


    "Maybe. Finish up and that will be all for now," Tansen said as he gave a slight bow and headed back to his tower. Gatra flew off the house and to parts unknown. It was a part of the relationship that they had developed over the years. While a familiar companion, she was a fiercely independent thing who only showed up when she thought her friend was in danger or needed her.


    When he got back to his office he saw the grey leather getup and hood of Freya, the head of the rangers. She was stopped in front of his office by his two guards and she was alone this time.


    "I see you set your guards right after our last encounter." She teased.


    Tansen just pushed past her and went to sit at his desk. By the time he had turned around to tell her not to sit in the chair, she was already in it. A tired sigh was all he could give for the lost data, not that it was especially useful until he better understood the mechanics of how the testers worked. It looks like Eli will need another academic consultation in the future.


    The two just sat there as they measured each other for a solid minute.


    "This crafter is being quite the hassle to remove," Freya said, finally breaking the silence. Her soft blue eyes showing a hardness as her wrinkles molded around her hint of a smile.


    "Well, I guess I should be flattered that any of my students would create enough trouble to merit such lengthy measures. Lengthy measures that oh... wait where did I put that," Tansen asked idly as he perused the papers of his desk with an almost whimsical look on his face.


    "My my. I appear to have misplaced that requisition order for Eli. Which you obviously sent me, because" Tansen gave a light-hearted chuckle "Because obviously you know that as academy head you need to check with me if you want to take one of my students or hold them in court for a crime." He said as he rested his elbows on his desk.


    "It must have slipped my mind," Freya said idly as she twirled some of her grey hair.


    Tansen spent 10 seconds looking the woman in the eyes with pucked lips.


    "That judge must not have been cheap to buy off," Tansen said as he leaned back nonchalantly, abandoning the tactic when she shamelessly held his gaze.


    "We didn''t actually pay him anything. I suppose you get back as much as you invest though. If that fucking judge spent less time sipping expensive wine at nobles parties and more time double-checking... I suppose I can''t entirely blame him. All the Survey Departments resources and they let a fucking troll slip through their net. Their reports are going to fuel our cooking fires after I''ve gotten my own scouting apparatus up and running." She said like she was going over the days'' house cleaning chores.


    "So what did you give him for his lackluster ''service''?" Tansen asked.


    "We gave him the opportunity to take the fight to the orcs without having to leave the comfort of his courtroom." She said.


    Tansen just raised an eyebrow as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a report, which she promptly threw onto his desk.


    "We''ve been working more closely with the bandits. Their drug operations are getting pushed on by the orcs looking for some form of trade to exchange for metal gear and more recently crossbow bolt heads, as well as establishing another foothold near the coalition. And since our main job is to fight the orcs, well, it was a match made in heaven." She said idly as she looked over the white and blue tile work of the floor.


    "Does this heavenly match involve working with them in raids?" Tansen asked in an even tone as he made sure to project calm in the rest of his body language.


    "No. We make sure to only cooperate in orc related troubles." She replied firmly.


    Tansen gave a noncommital huff, neither acquiescing or demanding.


    "Your main job is to protect the Coalition and its citizens. I don''t remember working with the Coalitions unwittingly made army as being in that job description." Tansen said dismissively as he leaned forward and looked over the brief order approval allowing them to work with the bandits and the official seal of approval from the army head himself, Marvin.


    "Hmph, you''re more informed than I would have liked," Freya said ruefully.


    "That''s typically the level of informed that I like to be," Tansen said as he sat back and pushed the paper back across the table.


    Freyas'' right hand strummed its fingers across the arm of the chair for a few long seconds before she sighed


    "I had been hoping to limit the needless spreading of information about our activities. But you were far more stubborn than I thought. Since you thwarted us in the courts-"


    "Did I? Must have slipped my mind," Tansen asked as he idly twirled a finger on the arm of his chair, which caused Freya to glare at him as her lips twisted into a scowl.


    "In the courts by alerting the tax vultures to the troll sale, I suppose there''s no point keeping you in the dark."


    Freya took a deep breath like she was stepping over the ledge of a cliff before continuing.


    "One of the bandits, Maw, had two brothers and an uncle he was quite fond of. On his way to the academy, Eli killed them but the uncle was left alive long enough to relay the information of his killer to one of their associates who happened upon the scene."


    Tansen put up a hand to interrupt her.


    "What were they doing to merit Eli killing them?" Tansen asked.


    "Bandit things I assume, it''s not important. What is important is that it has provided us an opportunity to bring in one of the bigger gangs into our fight.


    Maws'' got a lot of muscle and pull with the other gangs and locals further up north. What''s more, his turf isn''t being pushed on by the orcs and none of his enterprises are in the way of the slaughter going on in the woods. Even so, bandits have to tread very carefully when dealing with mages, even student ones. For weeks now he has been hounding us into a bargain for Eli''s hide in exchange for his strength in humanity''s great fight."


    Tansen''s severe frown made it clear what he thought of such a proposal.


    "We were content to simply weigh his demands. Maybe even strike a more favorable bargain with him after one of his attempts to get at him through stealthy means failed. But Rangers are a family, a glorious mess of a family, but a family none the less. So killing Joren has... made this decision far more attractive on our end. In fact, several of our liaisons in the big offices have intimated that this deal was already good enough to officially approve.


    But that takes time and while we are currently winning the contest here in the mountains, the more time, blood, and gold we waste here the less we will have for the real fight in the swamps." She finished.


    Tansen gave a deep sigh. He could understand it all quite clearly, if she was telling the truth.


    "No. My students are not pawns to be sacrificed in the schemes of generals, rangers or anyone else, at least before they graduate," Tansen responded back firmly.


    Freya''s face was a mask of emotionless indifference as she got up from the chair. When she spoke her voice showed less warmth than ice.


    "How many casters are you willing to sacrifice for him? We have a golden opportunity to make what will probably be a several months-long campaign cut short into mere weeks," She asked.


    "That''s not the issue here and you know it. Rangers have always been rather loose when it comes to obeying the law and it has been tolerated because you get results. Hell, I''ve looked the other way a few times when you ''borrowed'' some needed supplies or had to use our library because you got results. But this is way over the line." The previous playfulness or even indifference was gone now as Tansen stood up from his chair with a scowl on his face and the ridges on his forehead accentuated the lines of anger in his face.


    "Try this crap again and you''ll find out just how much power and influence stands behind this academy. They are my FUCKING STUDENTS! NOT YOUR BARGAINING TOOLS!" Tansen took a moment to collect himself before finishing.


    "Now I bid you good fucking day."


    Freya looked at him for a second with utter contempt in her eyes before walking away. But before she got to the door, she turned back around.


    "When we are being paraded in the streets of the capital for our grand achievement here, we will be sure to remember who was not helpful as we ascend the ranks," She said before storming out the door.


    Tansen just huffed at her grandiose proclamation. Then he got up and took the tester out of the chair and, sure enough, the glass of the wind symbol was bright with green mana.


    "Tch"


    "I suppose it''s not defective then," He said ruefully as he put it back in place and went back to his chair.


    ''So what is going on here? The most logical explanation would be a mechanical failure. But that''s just so... blah. A water mage being missed just because of some twist of mana theory is quite the tale'' Tansen mused. But he certainly wasn''t willing to alert Eli, or anyone else involved, to his suspicions so dragging Eli back and extracting an explanation from him was out of the question.


    One particularly enticing opportunity presented itself. Once this mystery was solved and if Eli was shown to be innocent, he could be made into a sponsored mage of the academy. Typically, getting caster talents to sign on with academy''s was far too difficult. But Eli''s circumstances might mean he''d go for it, which would be a huge boost for the academy''s standing.


    After he graduated, of course. Over the years, getting students to sign on with the academy before they graduate was one of the biggest rule breakers any academy could commit. Too many leaders made a big mess of students'' lives and their backers'' plans by snatching up talented prospects in moments of emotional vulnerability during their training, so this rule was laid down as a protection for the young would-be-mages.


    Sure there would be some snide comments about missing the mark at first but long term it would be well worth it.


    But, first things first.


    This mechanical angle, while the least malicious explanation, presented its own set of challenges as well. Tansen''s schedule was already full and the Front was dragging him over the coals for the decline in Ryan and Andrews''s siring rates. Not to mention getting to the bottom of how Eli has gone this long without noticing that he is a caster.


    Time, as ever, was the needed commodity for this to be sorted out but there was a shortcut. A while back he heard of a similar incident where a student was misidentified due to some issues with a tester, Grimlock academy was the place it happened. Taking out a paper he wrote a letter asking for information about the incident addressed to the academy head, Boris. After handing the letter over to the secretary, he went to finish up the days'' reports and arrange some discreet sessions going over how the testers worked.

 Chapter 50:Bandit Reconnaissance

    Eli POV


    ___________________________


    It was a cool morning as I moved quietly through the forest. Well, moved through the top of the forest. The wind magic along with my vine suits magical boosters allowed me to do jumps, that to scale, whereas large as crickets. Landing on a tree branch, especially one of the smaller ones in the good hundred feet height I was bouncing through, after a jump of several dozen-plus yards was a terrible idea so I engaged the latch function of one of my suits arms.


    The firm vines extended out from the folds inside the suit and wrapped around the trunk of the tree. Having extended, it lashed around the trunk and distributed the sudden pull around my body instead of putting it all in my arm. Air enchantments in the back of my suit also used the bubble design of the crafting pods to deaden the sound of my impact against the tree. The leaf-covered head wrap still allowed me enough vision for all of my needed tasks. As I used my legs to push against the tree I looked around through the holes in my rough cloth headcover until I saw them.


    Below me was the target, a group of several men in poorly maintained leather armor. I had been stalking these men for a few hours as they moved through the forest and now they were finally returning to camp on a hill below a large boulder. After a quick inspection of the surrounding area, I decided to make my move.


    After putting down several tripwires, I aimed the 2-foot barrel at the end of my right arm at the archer standing watch on top of the boulder. The air pumps on my back engaged and filled the small canister at the other end of the barrel near my elbow. A small bullet-shaped stone was summoned and then shot out of the barrel when I activated the trigger at its base.


    The man''s head had a hole blown in it as he fell backward over the boulder. But my air gun was whisper silent so the men just heard a soft whoosh that was different enough from an arrow that they didn''t know how to react. The camp of about ten remaining men scrambled around but they were ill-disciplined and clearly had poor leadership as seven charged my general direction and three others ran away. The cries of two men from the direction they fled told me I would still need to hunt the third down.


    The others charged through the forest haphazardly. Three ran into the trip wires and had the small wooden blocks the string was attached to activate. These shot small stone arrows in an upward v formation from both sides, skewering their victims like a pin cushion.


    I swiftly moved over the forest tops, looping and occasionally lashing around a tree until I had moved several yards away from my original position. From there I shot two more men in the back. By now the already shambling charge broke completely as the two remaining men fled in terror. But I was moving at speeds that a deer wouldn''t be able to imitate and the men had no real chance to get away as I shot them in the back.


    Then I sprinted over the camp looking for the one who had managed to escape. After a few minutes, I saw a pudgy man leaning against a tree with the same filthy leather armor as the bandits. I needed some information from him so I decided I would keep him alive for a little while longer. But as I came up to him I saw the complete stillness of his form.


    I jumped over but I was already too late. His neck had been punctured by a stone pin right in the windpipe. Despite my self, I was rather impressed that he had managed to get so far with such an injury.


    After bashing his skull with a hammer-shaped piece of summoned rock, I immediately went back to the camp. Then I took arrows from the archer I killed and stuck them through the heads that I didn''t pulverize. Over the past few days, I had seen the aftermath of several raids by the orcs and I replicated their tactics here.


    Hitting from afar first using small darts and arrows to pincushion them before moving in with hammers and swords. By the time I was done I had made it look sort of like an orc attack. There were no orc corpses around and the stone darts would disappear but this was the best I could do. Now if this had been one of the more official gangs that probably wouldn''t fly as their compatriots would definitely look it over but who knows when or if ever this new graveyard will be found.


    As I rummaged around their mini cave I thought on the oddness of the situation here. It had taken me a good two days to finish my mobile generator, the small box on my back still having its internal wheel inside its container spinning, and put together the air gun. I hadn''t intended to use air guns at first but this new power source meant I didn''t need to carry around high-pressure containers everywhere.


    But while the gun parts were getting shaped I did some preliminary scouting the day after finishing out my house. The bandits in the east and south were more typically poor, like these men I had decided to conduct my first live-fire exercise on. But in the more northern part, they got a lot more interesting. Sure most were still just poorly maintained foot soldiers, but the officers had access to magical weapons and then there were the casters.


    They would follow the bandit groups around like a shadow. Whenever the orcs tried to raid them, the bandits would take the initial brunt of the attack before the casters moved in and devastated the charge. I had seen several attempts by the orcs to change up the formations, order of attacks, the weapons used, etc. But at the end of the day, their whole premise of combat was hitting first and hitting hard, and when the casters moved out of the grass covers or holes in the ground as they wasted their surprise on easily replaced fodder, that style of fighting went straight into the crapper.


    The mages disguises were pretty good too. They must have some sort of plant mage in their ranks because the grass covers were of far too intricate of a make to not be made by magic. But that was another problem and right now my task for today was not yet complete. From the bag of holding on my back, I produced several orc axes, shields, and arrows. The weapons were damaged and the arrows were convincingly stuffed through the holes I had left in the men.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The past few days this group had been trying for a few carriages but had let two of them get away and a third actually ran over and killed one of their members. Over the course of voicing their frustrations, they had discussed several gangs and their general locations as well as the prospect of joining them, behind their leaders back of course.


    When it came out they didn''t know where several of the large gangs were, the one I needed to know in particular was outside of their scope, it was time to perform pest control. I was going to kill all of them eventually, so I might as well start the job on the ones that wouldn''t be missed. Fortunately, I wasn''t flying completely blind, so I may not have to confine myself to just these small fry soon.


    The men who had attacked me at night had their bodies long burned, but the guards'' report, a report that I had only gotten to see by using a tunnel and my metal magic at midnight to break-in to their rather lax section of the station. Apparently, they didn''t consider solved case records important.


    It said they had an elongated jaw getting ready to bite down tattooed on their right shoulders. The local authorities dropped it after that on account of it leading to the gangs up north. I didn''t know why that meant it was automatically dropped but the last note mentioned something about ''bitchy bureaucrats''.


    Once the last bullet hole was stuffed with an arrow, I collected my goodies. The good thing about using magically summoned stone for a bullet or a trap was that all the ammo was readily available so the trip wires were the only things I had to pick up.


    Sitting on top of the chests in their cave, I rummaged through the various bits and baubles I pillaged from the bandits. It mostly consisted of a few wood carvings and bits of leather drawings. No bandit letters or correspondence so this expedition was a waste as far as my main goal was concerned.


    The jumps I could now perform were so absurd I made my trip back home in less than 10 minutes, something that would take me an hour or two plus on foot. When I was coming up on that peak of the jump it felt almost like something akin to flying and this was the only time I could really push the jumps to their greatest heights. With the huge size of the trees and my own leaf and vine suit, I could easily blend in, even if someone could see me all the way up here.


    Eventually, I came onto the river about midday.


    Slipping into the cool water, I let up the small tube of interwoven leaves float to the surface. That, with the face cover embedded with wind enchantments that pushed air in and out, allowed me to come down the river unnoticed with nothing but a small pile of leaves and twigs floating on the river surface. When I came onto the big rock on the left side of the river marking my destination, I bent over and felt my way through the muddy water until I grasped the hatch. Pulling it up and disengaging the tube to allow the top to float downstream while the rest retracted I began moving into the hole.


    Going down then moving upward I came into my own little grotto of rough stone. In the middle of the large room was a stone pillar, its mana crystal lanterns dangling off the side providing a soft glow to the rest of the space. It would look like a cave if not for the smooth stone floor and odd bits of furniture. My magnet making table was to my left with the generator and piston set up on the far side, the small hallway leading to a secret exit in the woods to its right. The walls were roughly gouged out with sharp edges and deep reds from the clay. On my right was a staircase leading up to the main floor.


    Coming up the staircase I opened the hatch and was now on the main floor. The rotted wood floor was replaced with dark oak boards and the moldy, dilapidated stone was now smooth brickwork of large grey bricks that were smooth to the touch. I closed the hatch door behind me and the secret entrance then seamlessly blended into the floor as it slammed shut.


    The walls grey brickwork was a continuous flow around the four walls except for the door facing the town and one former window facing the river. To the wall right of the door was the hammock while the wall left of the door was the window, now completely sealed with stone. It was the wall opposite the door that I stuffed all my non-secretive worldly possessions, my money, school and casual clothes. The crossbow leaned on the wall to the right of the chests.


    The ''tower'' was clearly not designed with security in mind as the staircase to get on the roof was on the outside to the left of the entrance. I decided to leave the exterior in its pitiful state as that would require mana for something that was not needed for the structural soundness of my home. The roof was a smooth stone circle, in the middle of it was the wooden stumps of what had been the wooden watch post of the tower, having long since collapsed and rotted in a pile a few yards from its stone foundation.


    My biggest task for the day completed, I strapped on my leather armor and proceeded to do the big leaps towards the town. If I had used the new design that I had in the vine suit I would have made it in a third of the time. But no mages deigned to give me any more mana constructs to provide me the needed explanation for where I got them from and my bridges with the scions had been pretty much burned.


    The only bright spot was that most of the local peasants didn''t buy the trials propaganda so I could at least walk around the town in peace.


    The academy was another story.


    People would spit on me with no hesitation, food would be knocked out of my hands in the cafeteria so regularly that I just decided to leave after classes to just get a meal, to a constant stream of men mocking me and getting in my face to impress the women around them, it was a little piece of hell all my own. I made sure to remember each and every one of their faces. All of my abilities, from the quad element casting, my inventions, and probably even my internal mana generation, were going to get discovered eventually. Either I would have to use them to save my life or the necromancers would finally be done with, but it was all going to come out eventually and I had so much nose rubbing to do in the future it might very well take months.


    As for the three scions... well I wasn''t sure about them. Andrew seems to have made up his mind about me, although he at least just avoided me rather than make trouble for me. But I didn''t bother seeking out the other two. It wouldn''t get me anything and it would just...


    It just wouldn''t do anything.


    But I made a lot more progress on my equipment so I guess I had that going for me.


    I ate my lunch and went back to my house. Coming back into the workshop, now much roomier than what I had been working with previously, I put the finishing touches on the final piece of my suit. The deer head now had its skull hollowed out and the horns were jutting forward so as to not catch on anything.


    The biggest improvement was in the tips of the horns. These had enchantments running along the two points on each side that worked similar to the design that I had been intending to do for Andrew''s equipment. The tips were hollow with several focusing triangles at the outermost points that would focus the flames into an almost laser-like line and give them bits of stone to turn into molten slag as they fired into the poor fool on the receiving end.


    My final task complete I headed out for some night time scouting. I had no classes tomorrow and decided I could just sleep in the workshop late into the morning to make up the deficit in sleep.

 Chapter 51: Bandit Reconnaissance(2)

    ELi POV


    _________________________________


    Staking out on a tree, I looked over the road out in the middle of the woods as the moonlight filtered through the dark trees. I had seen a carriage coming down the road a good ways off. More importantly, I saw the group of bandits who saw the carriage coming. My current position was farther north this time and the batch below me was far better armored than the last bunch I put down a few days ago.


    I was thinking of how to kill them all and prevent the poor sods coming down the road from being murdered until I saw the telltale glow of orc eyes in the bushes farther back. This group of bandits also didn''t have the regular band of mages helping them so it was going to be a proper ambush this time. It was honestly very unnerving to see the orcs when doing night operations and I had to admit some grudging acknowledgment of the bandits'' tenacity to go out and be willing to face them.


    It wasn''t just the orcs ability to swarm in and out of the rivers and ponds with their frog-like allies, and it wasn''t just the great skill a lot of them showed with their axes, bows, and darts. A big part of it was the creepy display of their eyes. When looking through a dark forest at night their green skin helped them blend in but their eyes would reflect the smallest torchlight or the moon if it glowed brightly enough.


    Since orc eyes were black, it gave the effect of a pair of irises just floating in the air. There have been several troops of orcs moving through the woods in my scouting area and all my eyes could make out were several floating circles of red and gold as they moved around trees and boulders. I had also seen several ambushes where the bandits would walk through the woods carrying goods or trying to get somewhere and out of nowhere would be several red and gold irises just looking at them in the bushes and between the trees before they were stuffed with arrows, darts and throwing axes.


    I was just damn glad to be up here in the treetops.


    As I was thinking about how to deal with the situation while keeping the civilians out of the way, the neighing of a horse as the carriage came down the road reached my ears. Driving it was a red-haired man in a white shirt and brown pants who looked very tired. As he looked behind him into the carriages canopy, an arrow took him in the chest, from some archers farther up ahead I had apparently missed. He slumped forwards and the whole carriage ground to a halt as the panicked horses tried to pull back against the sudden onslaught of whooping bandits wielding clubs, swords, and daggers.


    The men ran up to the carriage and dragged out a screaming woman. She had soft brown hair and was holding her crying daughter of about seven years old. As they leered at the crying duo they only just now noticed that the entire band of about 25 men had been cut down to barely more than 13 as the orcs tore through the back ranks with barely any sound that was distinguishable from their earlier battle cries.


    "Go you sons of bitches. Get those green cunts!" One larger man, wearing nothing but brown pants and a belt holding a dagger and a sword yelled. He had a red mop of hair and while his green eyes spoke of ferocity, he apparently had no plans to die in glorious battle. The rest charged forward but he just turned around and grabbed the two trembling victims. Then he dragged them off behind the carriage.


    The mother''s green eyes were slicked with tears as they ran down her face and hair. But the bandit just kept pulling her along until they further into the woods. I bounded through the treetops silently but I couldn''t move too fast as I didn''t want to get spotted as I leaped around the woods away from the slaughter to the opposite side of the road. Then the mother started fighting back. Eventually, the bandit got tired of her struggling and took out a dagger, which he promptly slammed into her throat. The little girl, a freckled thing with light red hair and brown eyes cried out but he tossed her to the ground as he shoved the dying mother into the dirt. Then he turned to the little girl.


    "Come on you little bitch, you''ll at least keep my cock war-" The swing of a blade, dodged at the last possible second that only got to slice into his shoulder, interrupted him as an orc tried to remove his head.


    She was a slender thing with a short bowl cut of black hair with a little bit running down the right side of her face and golden irises. Her form was like a ballerina but with more muscle. Aside from a scar across her left eye, there was very little I could see of her face in the night light. She wore black, skin-tight armor made of shiny leather, from what animal I could not guess.


    The bandit drew out the sword at his hip and then I got a good look at his shoulder.


    Jackpot. He had a gaping jaw tattooed on his shoulder that was now exposed due to the cut on his shirt.


    "But how am I going-" My planning was interrupted when the orc grabbed the girl and pushed her off behind her as they tried to shuffle backward. I didn''t have time to think about what I was seeing as the red-haired bandit made a move to go after them but after a second of consideration he promptly took off in the other direction. But my speed greatly outpaced his and my pool of patience had run out when I heard that little comment about the girl.


    My boots were a special make of wood and water magic that acted as shock absorbers. It helped distribute the energy of landing throughout my legs and in the rest of my suit. I had worked out a series of wind and magic spells that did the same thing but the crafts did their work automatically and freed my mind to ponder on all the great times with this gentleman I had ahead of me.


    After putting a stone bullet into his back, I slammed into the ground right a good foot in front of him. He miserably tried to lift up his sword as he laid in the dirt but I just kicked him in the side opposite the sword hand and turned him over after I used magic to yank the sword off into the underbrush.


    "Damn orcs. Can''t just let-" His voice died as his brain caught up with what his eyes were telling him. I must have been quite a sight. My body was just a thick ''mess'' of vines and leaves with a deer skull for a head that had the horns sculpted forward.


    "What the fu-" the swift punch of a stone first silenced him. I quickly healed and buried him in the dirt with just his head sticking out for air. Some stone restraints around his limbs and a cover for his head made of a pile of leaves, and he was properly restrained. Rushing back towards the carriage I tried to see if I could save the girl from the orcs but I didn''t really understand what on earth they would want with a human peasant girl.


    All sorts of images of the girl being torn limb from limb, tortured for sport, and all manner of gruesome fates presented themselves for a few seconds as I made my way up the trees and back to the battlefield. What had been the battlefield.


    All the bandits had been butchered. Not surprising given the orcs abilities but as I scanned around the area I found something that was surprising. The little girl was on the carriage driver seat crying but the rest of the orcs just milled about picking up various pieces of armor or valuable metal bits. Beside her was the orc from earlier.


    Out in the open, I could see the orc more clearly now. She had anther light horizontal cut across the top of her nose in addition to the vertical one across her eye. Her chin was very sharp and her chest against the girl showed a bust of a middling size. I noticed now that she had a black band around her throat as she hugged and patted the sobbing girl.


    Eventually, the corpses were picked over and the orcs exchanged some words. Then the slender one on the carriage took the reins and led the carriage further down the road closer to one of the local villages as the rest shuffled back into the forest. I didn''t know what to think of the situation so I just stalked behind them waiting to see what would happen. When they came near the end of the road towards a village the carriage stopped. The orc spoke a few more words to the girl then got off.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She helped the little girl down after tying carriage reins around a tree. Once the little girl was back on the ground, she ran off towards the village. The orc then stared for a moment and shot out back towards the woods. I looked out at the girl who seemed familiar with the place as she ran over to one house in particular and slammed on the door until the residents came out.


    The orc was far more interesting though and I stalked her through the woods until she came back towards the main fighting force. The others gathered all of the good material from the battle but when she came over they started arguing. I decided that I wanted to know what they were saying so I sent a wind tunnel down the tree and over to them through the bush. It took a lot of careful maneuvering but I eventually got the wind tunnel to where I could hear.


    "-at isn''t fair. I fought good and hard in this fight, killing the three archers further up the road. I even went off to save the girl. You know the rules, fair split amongst all parties." She growled to another orc, blond with large muscles and red eyes.


    Her opponent just spat at the ground.


    "Shamed, you best be grateful we even let you fight with us. I''ll bear no more shit talk about taking OUR loot." She growled back as she put her hand to the ax at her side.


    The rest of the group looked at her in scorn as well. Outnumbered, the outcast simply scowled at all the others then shot off into the woods.


    I had a painful stab of familiarity as I watched her push past the bushes into the night. Shaking my head I made my way back towards my stashed treasure. Coming up on the pile of leaves I saw he was still sleeping tightly in his hole. It took some doing, but eventually, I got him back in my house by shoving the air mask on him and dragging him through the water entrance while using a wind spell to hold a large bubble over my head.


    After molding a stone table out of the earth near the pillar, I slapped my sleeping prisoner on it. The night was already too exhausting so I just left him in a stone cocoon, with the smallest head portion exposed, enchanted from a mana crystal with several bits of bark around him. These had enchantments had a sound blocking effect like the crafting pods back in the classrooms.


    A good night''s sleep was in order and it passed rather quickly. The next morning as I was coming down into my workshop, I could hear the faintest sounds of struggle. Closing the stone cocoon completely, I quickly went to put on my vine/deer skull get up that I put on a crude mannequin in the corner. When I cut the mana flow to the summoned stone around the cocoon by disabling the mana crystal with a wind spell, the whole thing disappeared except for the stone shackles around his limbs.


    He looked around as his eyes tried to adjust to the sudden burst of light from the flame I held in my palm directly in front of him.


    "I will speak. You will respond." I said with as blank a tone as I could manage.


    ''What the fuck is-" I turned the flame into a whip which I lashed across his body three times in as many seconds. One for disobeying me, two for the people he helped murder the night before. Then I dragged him off the table towards the small pool of the river entrance.


    "Now, wait. I-" He yelled before I forced his head under.


    A quick head only bath later, I pulled back up when I stopped seeing bubbles. He gasped for air in big mouthfuls before he threw up on the floor. Giving him just enough time to get some air in his lungs I slung him back on the table.


    "I will speak. You will respond." I repeated as the lantern behind me flickered.


    He spat at me with a look of defiance.


    "I don''t know who or what the fuck you are but it''s gonna take more than that weak shit and a leaf costume to make me break. Maybe if you get down there and suck my dick for me we''ll have a good conversation, cow head!" He spewed.


    Cow head? Now that was just insulting.


    I then sent out the vines from my suit onto his chest. From there I used my internal mana to grow them under his skin. He screamed in agony as the veins of green worked their way under his skin, gradually peeling him while leaving the loose skin on him.


    "All right! All right! What do you want?" He screamed, his eyes now showing real fear as his face glistened from sweat.


    "That tattoo on your shoulder. Tell me all about that gang and everything you know about their operations and locations." I said.


    He looked confused for a moment until he started spilling everything he knew.


    "I worked for them a good bit, but decided to strike out on me own to-"


    "I don''t give a shit about you. The gang. NOW!" I commanded.


    "Works up in the woods past the grove a bit. They do a lot of...  not violent crimes?" He said awkwardly as he was trying to explain this alien concept.


    " It involves a lot of money with businesses and taxes. I never understood any of it. but I was a low-level grunt for them a while back. That was until I got tired of taking-"


    I took a deep breath and proceeded to move the vines back over his chest near the bits of bloody spots where they last entered.


    "Numbers, entrenched positions, preferred routes for trading and fighting, favored weapons and tactics. Not your fucking life story." I said as my patience neared its end. I knew he was disoriented but god damn I felt my brain cells dying just talking to him.


    "A large stone fort with three floors out against the mountains. They keep it near in a small valley near the Beards Drip. The whole thing is a military camp near Bushwackers. Their preferred fighting style is whatever works. Mobs, stealthy hit and runs, hired assassins, whacking families, whatever gets them what they want. Pretty much like any of the other gangs." He said, breathing more and more heavily as he spilled his guts out.


    "Where is the valley or Bushwackers?" I asked.


    "Bushwackers is between Dunwich and the Dwarves Mountains. I don''t know where the valley is, I only got a description from a guy stationed out there." He said pleadingly.


    "Is that all?"I asked.


    "Um..." His gaze told me he was out of information and he knew his end was here.


    A spike of stone sprang up from the table into his skull, ending his life.


    For all that was worth.


    I quickly disposed of the body by putting it into a stone coffin and setting fire enchantments to burn the corpse to ash. Afterward, I threw the skeleton out of the underwater hatch to have it drift and shoved by the current of the river.


    I spent the rest of the afternoon working on a more close-range option for my vine suit when Salamede came by near the setting of the sun. I was currently adjusting the hammock when she knocked on the door.


    "Ah, good. I had something I wanted to show you," I said as she put down her cleaning supplies to follow me into the workshop.


    "I see you''re still at it, so what does that do?" She asked as she pointed towards the retracted wooden hand fit snugly in the vines of my suit laying on the stone table. It would be out of view but I had lifted up the vines to work on it.


    "You know how you use spirit magic to activate a mana flow with the jet boosters?" I asked as I put down the needed plant mana construct into the triangle.


    "Yeah" She replied.


    "Well, this runs on that same principle but, this allows me to move them semi-independently. With this, I can wield an extra set of blades while keeping my hands free. Once I get the hang of using them obviously." I finished.


    "So, it''s like having two new arms?" She said excitedly.


    I had to admit, there was a part of me that enjoyed dazzling her with my inventions. It wasn''t the recognition of the entire mage world, but hey a little appreciation goes a long way.


    "Eh, not really. I don''t have any delusions of using the spirit magic to such a fine degree. But activating certain triangles will allow me to do crude thrusts and swings." I said.


    To do a little demonstration, I put out my spirit magic and sent the electric sensation into the wood while thinking ''flow'' at the joints in the elbow and wrist. It took a little work but I got the spirit magic to make the right connections in the left arm when it suddenly shot out in a simple thrust.


    Salamede gave an excited little coo of wonder.


    "Want to give a try?" I asked her, to which she excitedly nodded.


    It took a few minutes but after explaining the principles, she got pretty decent at it. While she worked moving the wooden arms, I went over how to broach the real reason I had invited her here until I got it down.


    "I have to make a trip up north to the grove. Do you know anything else about the place?"


    Slalmede paused for a moment in consideration before resuming our conversation in a spirit connection.


    "It doesn''t have any hard borders as far as I''m aware. You just know you''re in it when you get there. But the more northern part is treated as distinctly more peaceful than the southern section" She replied


    "And one more thing. After I get back did you want to help me hunt bandits?" I asked.


    This was something I had been reluctant to do, but I needed all the backup I could get. A few rounds of practice with the gun and jumping mechanics and she would be good enough to stay in the back and kill people out of site. Plus, she didn''t panic when she set the troll on fire or run away when it charged so I felt she had that ''it'' factor where combat was involved.


    She waited a long moment just leaving the wooden arm hanging in the air until she turned to me.


    "I''ll think about it. But whatever I decide, let me make you some good traveling meals before you go." She said through the spirit connection.


    "Thank you, and I will await your answer," I said as I gave a slight bow.


    "I better get going. Those meals will need to be cooked good and long if they''re to be travel-worthy." She said before heading out.


    I gave another slight bow in appreciation. After she left, I spent the rest of the day working on the suit and going to get lunch and dinner. I did a last-minute check of my equipment to make sure it was all in order for my early morning trip tomorrow before going to bed.

 Chapter 52: Bushwhackers

    Eli POV


    _____________________________________________________


    The next morning I headed out to Salamedes home to pick up my travel meals and shop for some needed supplies


    Coming up to her house I noticed several of the peasants remarking on the solid and reliable stone that now made up their roads. I stood for a moment looking at the people in the slight fog of the early morning skip over the stones with a certain glee.


    "I tell ya'' it''s just like being in the capital, only some stones there wiggle when you step on them," I heard a passing man mention to his fellow.


    I suppressed a smile at the appreciation of my work as I came up to the two-story house.


    After a knock, Salamede came to the door.


    "Ah, good. I got your meals. They''re some granola bars and some hard nut candies with certain spices. I also made some hard crackers mixed with dried onions and garlic." She said as she retreated back into her home. Coming back out, she handed me a small basket. After handing it over she pulled me into a hug.


    "Stay safe." She said through the spirit connection.


    "I will" I replied as I returned the hug with a pat on the shoulder. Then I broke the contact and went back home. Dropping off my food in a bag of holding in the workshop I made specifically for this trip, I had to head back towards the classroom center. It was more of the typical mean side glares and dismissive scoffs in my direction as I moved through the forest in my group until I got there then I dashed through to my destination. A few still tried to spit at me, but I managed to get by most of them untouched.


    For the next hour, I listened to a long-winded course on general troop movements and attack patterns based on magical combat in a classroom on the third floor. After the lecture, I came up to the teacher as the rest of the class shuffled out.


    "I have a trip I need to take for the next couple of days. Could I take my textbook to look over my needed course work?" I asked the mid 30''s man with green eyes and a beard.


    "Yeah, I think it''s best if you darken my classroom as little as possible," He said before shuffling out the door. I stood there for a moment in the now empty classroom before taking a deep breath and heading out. The other big item of the day was rounding out my caster spell knowledge.


    My other teachers expressed similar.... support for my at-home study initiative.


    Fortunately, this also provided me an opportunity to go over the caster books without having to hide them. After all, knowing what magical spells can be used is critical for the tactics class.


    Unfortunately, the one set of spells I needed the most wasn''t available. Apparently, the healing spells to change hair and eye color were considered ''unfit'' for academic pursuit so that means my next few nights will have to be camping out in the woods. I spent the rest of the morning going over various spells and memorizing their constructs.


    The prospect of waiting in the cafeteria was unbearable so I just snatched a few rolls for a skimpy lunch. Then I took out several books to be rented over a span of several days. After finishing everything I came to the classrooms to do, I headed home. Back in my workshop, I used my piston to create a metal box.


    As great as the prospect of sleeping in a cold hole in the ground and eating raw berries with the occasional granola bar was, I felt the need for a stable heat supply was needed for both cooking and warmth. This iron box was about two feet tall and one foot wide, with several plates of copper inside to act as a heater when hooked up to my mobile generator or as a grill plate when the enlarged iron top was flowing with electricity.


    I didn''t have any new ideas for science-based weapons, well explosive powders were still an option, but that was a pretty big time investment and I would only really consider it for a more long term campaign. Who knows maybe the gang will have a few leaders all concentrated in a small area for me to kill.  A few quick shots from my gun, a few spells and I could put this all behind me as the people who made the decision to target me lay dead.


    If they were more powerful than that or the leadership more numerous, then I''ll just have to deal with the situation when I get there.


    I got a late afternoon nap in preparation, but when the stars finally beat out the glow of the sun, I put my heater in the bag of holding and headed out. Going through the hallway in my basement, I walked on for a good while until I came onto my destination. The ''door'' was a slab of stone that took a good amount of mana to move even just enough for me to shimmy through.


    My immediate surroundings after squeezing out was a large number of sharp slabs of stone and molded slate. The various stone bits were haphazardly strewn about and provided a stone jungle as the stone slabs jutted into the sky. This was just one of many abandoned troll nests and it made an ideal location to provide a secret exit.


    After a moment''s pause to listen for anything that might be nearby and hearing nothing but the ever so soft whirl of the generator in my hands, I started with putting on my desk skull helmet and vine suit once finished I slung the bag of holding over my shoulder and used my booster to move quickly through the treetops.


    Making my way through the humongous elders of this land, I started my trek back to Dunwich, or at least near it. This trip took me several days the last time I took it but now with my leaps bounding near flying speeds through the soft glow of the moonlight, I had made half the trip in several hours before I needed to rest.


    The cool air became chilling as it stripped any sense of warmth from my skin. It was right at that razor edge where it wasn''t cold enough that I had to stop and fix it, but it was cold enough to make the trip hard. Not to mention the occasional moth splattering against my chest or helmet.


    As I rested on a tree branch overlooking the forest from a height that made the few passersby or guards traveling on the roads this late look like ants meandering below the canopy of treetops, I pulled out a spellbook and went over the contents. The battles ahead would demand the use of every tool at my disposal, including magic.


    One interesting tidbit that I found when going over the dual element books is that combining elements wasn''t something that students learned unless taught under a skilled master. I knew that summoning fire inside water or stone would heat it, but there might be other combinations with... interesting results.


    I used a flame spell to make a small candlelight in my palm then combined it with a wind spell. The small flame then grew blazing hot as it shot up nearly doubling its height before I cut the mana off from the spell construct. The desire to try other combinations was strong but I was sitting here to rest, not get even more tired trying to maintain spell constructs. After a good 10 minutes of taking in the scenery, I resumed my journey.


    It was well past midnight when I came upon Dunwich. The large palisade and big square houses were the same as the first time I came through. But this time I have a destination away from this town. The signpost by the meeting of the road and several others was close enough to the forest that I could make out the town names on the arrows without being seen.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I knew that I would probably be here for a while so I had to rough out a general idea of where everything was. Traveling through the treetops for several more minutes before I came upon what I assumed was Bushwhackers. It was a messy place with many of the shops and houses being haphazardly strewn about as the road shot down the middle of the town with smaller paths flowing in between the various buildings of the surprisingly large town.


    That said, their construction, at least from what I could make out in the dim night, seemed sturdier than the academy towns. Their thick wooden beams and brick foundations seemed to reflect more of the Dunwich style of design rather than the more shoddy construction elsewhere. Even so, the dilapidated roofs and shambling windows, combined with the lack of sanitation if the bits of dung in the streets were anything to go by, proved that it did not hold the same associations with its neighbor.


    Deciding that it was late enough in the night, I quickly sashed my vine suit into a kind of hammock amongst the trees. The soft breeze coming over the treetops slowly rocked me back and forth while the thick vines shielded me from the worst of the cold. A quick few hours of sleep and I was up with the morning. The late-night travel still wore on me so I stuck to just scouting out a good place to set up camp and getting a general lay of the land. As I looked through the forest nearer to the mountains I came upon a rather large cave formed from the erosion of a creek in the steep hillside.


    It was a dark and drab affair going on back far enough that I had to summon a flame to get light, but the end of the cave only lead through a smaller series of holes in hard stone that the water trickled through. It was sturdy enough that no orc or Frojan could get through so it was as safe as a cave could be, at least on the inside. I thought about making some traps and claiming this little hole in the dirt as my own but that would just draw attention from passing parties who perused it while I was gone and could potentially get some innocent bystander killed.


    The solution was to carve out a mini-room in one of the bends in the cave and cover its door entrance with a rock cover, well designed to seamlessly blend into the surrounding stone. I put in some holes in the bottom that did an S shape between the open air of the cave and my little sanctuary to allow airflow while also preventing any light from shining through.


    My mini sanctuary now secured, I thought about how to go about getting information about my quarry. Hiding in the crowd wasn''t an option, I decided as I twirled some of my silver bangs. But that may not be the preferred option. The nobles after me don''t know that I can use magic nor the extent of my craft''s abilities.


    If my unique features were spotted in Bushwhackers, then they might send a gang out to get me. That would provide an excellent source of intel, unlike the former member I had kept in my basement. But that could also compromise my element of surprise, as they were sure to know that my presence there meant I was on to them, which could create another set of problems even when they don''t know of my true abilities.


    Having discarded that option, I had a lot more to work with here but scoping out this valley where their base was located was the first step. After snacking on some of the onion crackers, I headed out along some of the roads leading out of Bushwhackers, most just lead to dead-end villages in the middle of no-where and this split in the road at the end of the town didn''t even have any signposts to help me narrow down my choices.


    As I zipped through the woods and villages, I took special notice of the people in the towns and on the roads. The people here seemed a bit rougher. Weapons, be they swords, clubs, daggers, or even bows, were the norm rather than the exception. The local law, if you could call it that, seemed more of a suggestion when it came to the gangs roaming about. The guards came down on anything in the town proper but the roads were basically a free for all as the bandits basically owned the rights to travel, dealing out punishments for the slightest perceived disrespect but they kept the violence and intimidation to a level that didn''t threaten any one''s life and if they were raping the peasants, I hadn''t seen any indication of it.


    Still, a few almost forced my intervention when they threatened some poor old woman or got an exorbitant toll from a starving peasant trying to get his meager goods to market. I made a mental note of the ones who needed to disappear when I completed my task here.


    It took me all day but a few hours before sunset, I found the road I was looking for. Down one of the trails I ghosted through the trees, I eventually came upon a sign with the gaping jaw plastered over a wooden signpost. The only problem was going a bit past that, the land became an ocean of severed trees and another unpleasant sight greeted me as I latched to a particularly large tree with my vine suit.


    Past the fields of stumps lay what looked like a pretty decent fortress. The distance was great enough that I couldn''t make out all of it but the large fortress of grey stone with three levels each higher than the last in the middle of the valley was hard to miss. As was the distinctive white lines in the walls stone making it look like rows upon rows of teeth in the jutting walls. The whole place was in the dead-end of a mini valley with several smaller buildings of wood out on the plain in front of the fort. but most concerning of all was the sea of people milling about the place.


    Even from this distance, I could see the workings of what looked like an army moving goods, training, and worst of all the occasional spell going off. The mages stood distinctly apart from the rest on the field, which wasn''t hard as they only numbered between 35 to 50. As small as their mini pocket off to the left was, it was still an impressive force.


    Ah fuck.


    There was no way I was going to just stroll in and out of that place. I looked back towards the woods as I went over my options. If I wanted to get in there I would have to bleed them dry. Digging underneath the place was a terrible idea considering all the problems with getting a tunnel through such a long field without being noticed.


    It would be easy enough to kill them in a series of ambushes by myself, aside from the mages maybe, but the bigger issue was alerting them to a new malevolent presence. Killing too many of them too quickly with no explanation would likely lead them to turtle up in the safety of the stone fort as they tried to gather intel on this new threat.


    But the orcs would elicit a different response. I hadn''t seen any on my way here but I also wasn''t looking for them either. If there were a fair number of them in this area my attacks could just be seen as the orcs ratcheting up the pressure, the response to which would be to fortify their positions with more bodies lest they permanently lose their territory. Which would only work if the orcs were active enough in this area for them to assume their guilt in the coming attacks.


    I started some more scouting to get a better lay of the land and look for activity from my soon-to-be scapegoats in the few fleeting hours of sunlight left. I got a good lay of the local landscape and even managed to catch a rabbit in passing through one of the many groves. The meat was a welcome addition to my dinner that night.


    I hadn''t had any more luck the next morning, so a few hours before suppertime, I went to one of the more solitary bandit gangs in the more mountainous region, comprised of about only 6 men who were only capable of robbing withered grannies and children.


    My attack was simple yet no less effective. When one man went to take a leak overlooking a cliff, he got a nice bullet to the head making him fall over the mountainside. When two of his companions went to check on their missing companion, a stone spell summoned and launched a bar of stone that slammed into their backs and helped them find their lost friend.


    The last three barely had time to register that they were under attack before two of their skulls had split open with stone bullets. As the last man cowered in fear, I knocked him out. After going through their pockets for any scraps of information,  I threw the other two corpses over the cliff. I brought the last surviving member back to the cliffside as I waited for him to wake up. Going through all of the scraps of paper and bits of bobbles, I waited until the heavily black-bearded man jostled awake to find himself dangling over a cliff by a tree branch curling around his leg.


    Our conversation, short and productive, confirmed my scouting and fears. The orcs weren''t active in this area as the occasional rumblings from the dwarves, as close by as any human could get without being in their territory, would collapse the tunnels they relied on for their hit and run attacks. Which meant my hopes for making this a quick and dirty operation were officially dashed. After the last bandit joined his fellows'' bits and pieces on the cliffside, I went back towards my personal cave.


    As I jumped through the treetops, I slowly came to terms with the fact that this operation was probably going to be a few weeks or even months longer than I had originally hoped for. I brooded on this new reality and all of the many changes I would be making until my trip was interrupted.


    It was near the fading of the sun as night took the reigns from its eternal foe that I heard a cry near one of the roads. Coming near the source, I saw a group of big wolves attacking a small carriage with the screams of little girls inside.

 Chapter 53: Church Activities

    Eli POV


    _____________________________________________


    The grey-furred beasts were tearing into the dead horse of the carriage. A few of them were trying to get into the carriage but the driver, a friar from the church who seemed to be a few inches shorter than me, was managing to hold them off with what looked like a sturdy walking stick. Even with the light fading, I could see he got one or two good swings in. Every time one of the beasts drew near, a chorus of hysterical cries would ring out from inside the cloth canvas.


    When one of the wolves managed to grab the friars'' staff and pull him off the carriage, it occurred to me that I might not want to hide my presence in the grove. As one of the wolves jumped over his body and into the carriage a new plan, one that satisfied both my conscience and my tactical needs, suggested that being totally unnoticed may not be the preferred solution to my bandit problem.


    I plunged forward and slammed a pillar of summoned rock into one of the wolves biting into the man, crushing its head. The other 4 shirked back for one crucial second, giving me enough time to activate the fire function on my deer skull helmet.


    The scorching lines of fire cut three of the wolves down in an instant with one sideways movement of my head. The third wolf and the two feasting on the horse scurried off in terror from this new foe. The sound of tearing flesh inside the carriage prompted me to let them go. Coming into the carriage, the carriage canopy further obscured the faint light but I did see three small girls in plain brown dresses, two with brown hair cowering in fear near the back and one blond who was currently having her arm chewed off by the starving wolf.


    I quickly shot a stone bullet into the beast''s flank. It dropped the poor girl onto the wooden floor, but not as quickly as the wooden hand shot out from my web of vines and shoved a serrated blade into the throat of the beast. I had been trying to aim for the eye but the new ''limbs'' were still a chore to use with any kind of real proficiency.


    The three girls cried out hysterically, even the blond who was clutching at her torn arm that looked like it was only barely attached to her as the wound shot blood all over her and the carriage floor. I moved forward and quickly used a healing spell on her as I held her in my lap. The torn flesh slowly mended itself, even so, the blood loss was leaving the poor girl woozy as she feebly struggled to get away from me.


    Eventually, she calmed down when the warmth of the healing spell flooded her body and the bloody flesh of her arm restitched itself back together, soon followed by the gradual growth of the outer skin, now pale as any cave dwellers. I put up my hand for them to stay put while I checked on the man.


    He had a nasty bite mark on his shoulder, but worst of all was a deep gash on his forehead. I used my healing spell on him to stop the bleeding but I wasn''t about to bring him back into the land of the waking before I needed a minute before I had the energy to fully heal him. I didn''t have a lot of options for this situation so I picked him up and laid him in the carriage. Looking at him now, I remembered his face. His black short beard and pointed nose with his bowl hair cut reminded me of my time in the church and all of its odd bits. The man''s name still eluded me though, B-something if I remember right.


    My time in the grove was only going to last a few more days if I didn''t want to the staff at the academy probing my activities to explain my prolonged, unexplained absence, but this operation wasn''t going to be the days-long excursion I had been hoping for. As I mentally consigned my self to the long haul I had come up with another plan of attack, one that would mean I didn''t need to be worried about the friar or the girls spreading rumors about some weird vine man-creature. It would actually work to my benefit if the bandits kept their attention on protecting themselves here instead of the larger battlefield in the southern part of the grove that I was going to be doing more work in.


    Long term, I didn''t want them turtling up in the fortress, but if they did that for just one or two weeks, it would make my job in the southern section a lot easier as they spent precious time and manpower protecting against a threat long gone and god knows they wouldn''t lack for orcs to blame when things started going wrong down there.


    What I was worried about right now was essentially leaving the kids to die in this godforsaken land with no means of getting back home. But when I started thinking over who I had found the little girls with, my stomach clenched as another possibility presented itself.


    Looking over to the girls I gave a light cough and tried to deepen my voice.


    "So, where are your parents? I''m sure they''ll be eager to get you back." I said in a reassuring voice.


    They looked at each other for a bit before one of the brown-haired girls spoke up, her green eyes shimmered with her remaining tears.


    "We don''t ''ave any parents...sir. We was going along with the man on account of the urgent matter with them witches." She said hesitantly.


    Shit. So, that''s what I''ve stumbled into.


    Looking around the ever-darkening woods, I made the decision to take the kids back to my camp. I didn''t know what to do with the friar yet but leaving the kids behind wasn''t an option.


    "All right kids, I got a place for you to hide for a while." I offered as I made my way out of the carriage after covering the friar in a stone shield. The half-sphere covered him enough that the wolves couldn''t get at him but the man could still wiggle out of it if he woke up.


    The girls seemed very hesitant to take up my offer, but the growing pool of blood from the dead wolf and the smaller pool of blood from the blond girl seemed to help make the decision easier. Once out in the open, the two brown haired girls were gradually shimmied up onto my back and fastened with vines while I had to sling the blond-haired child in one of my wooden arms. The jumps had to be a lot more conservative with the three passengers on my person but it was still enough to make two of them cry out in terror, while the brown-haired girl with amber eyes on the right side of my back whooped with excitement.


    Since the jumps weren''t as high, we weren''t actually too cold when we finally arrived at the cave. After getting down the girls looked around for the destination in confusion.


    "Look, I know it''s not much but it''s what we have to work with," I said as I let the blond down to stand on her now slightly sturdier feet.


    A dubious look passed between the girls as they talked in unspoken conversation.


    "If I wanted to see you dead, I would have just kept walking," I said plainly as I walked inside with a flame in my right hand to light the way.


    It took a few more seconds but once the more adventurous girl went inside, the two other followed. When I opened the door to my little room buried in the wall, they looked inside quickly but when they saw the sack with some crackers in the back right corner, they all rushed into the feast.


    I suppose they needed their sustenance so I just shook my head. Besides, my mind was already working over the best way to get the Maw gangs'' attention. It needed the right balance of devastation but also quick enough that I was long gone before they started sending squads of mages to investigate.


    "All right kids, I''ll leave this door closed if none of you have to relieve yourselves. Once I deal with the gentleman who was transporting you, I''ll come back and we can see about getting you somewhere more... safe. Ok?" I said in as calm a tone as possible, as I went over my mental map of the local area.


    "Ughff gches" One of the brown-haired girls started saying as she chewed on a cracker. After swallowing and taking a swig from a wineskin filled with water, she resumed her previous attempt at speech.


    "But what about the witches?" She asked.


    I moved forward and patted her head.


    "Look, you''re safe now. Let me deal with all the unpleasant stuff and enjoy your food," I said reassuringly as I mentally sorted through my class schedule to see what days would be best to alternate my attacks in the south.


    "Ow, my stomach hurts" The blond moaned.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Chew then swallow," I said light-heartedly as I rubbed her head as well.


    "There are some blankets in the sack in the corner if I get back too late. Once I get back we can go over places that I could take you to, but I need to check up on the friar who was bringing you to Dunwich." I said absentmindedly as I put a bark piece whose flame I had been using for a lamp in the middle of the room for lighting. The light source cast shadows past the girls and illuminated the rough, dark stonework of the room.


    "What about the other girl, sir? Did she get through ok?" The more timid brown-haired girl asked.


    "Other girl?" I asked, turning my head away from the flame and looked at her green eyes shimmering with worry.


    "There was a girl another friar took up ahead of us. Did they get through to Bunich?" She asked


    I quickly made my way to the stone door.


    "I don''t know, but I will go check. Just make sure not to be too loud or who knows what passerby will hear you through the air vents I put in," I said before closing the door behind me.


    Taking off into the dark woods of the night my mind continued along the same tracks of planning as I jumped through the high treetops back toward Dunwich. Stalking along the road, I found no one in the half-hour I had been going over all the paths.


    ''I guess I''ll just have to wake the friar. He might be able to give me some information about what to expect in the church as far as security goes.'' I thought idly.


    Coming into the dark abandoned carriage I threw the stone sphere out of the carriage into the semi-darkness of the night. The friar was still out cold. I checked his pulse and sure enough, he was still among the living. But I couldn''t afford to waste time so I quickly checked him for weapons and after I found nothing but a simple clear bottle, I used a water spell to wake him up. A splash and a few sputters later and he was awake.


    He was laying on his side and looked around the carriage before he turned his head. His brown eyes went wide but he just lay there paralyzed with fear. It appears I will have to be the one to start this conversation, which is just as well considering the question I had for him.


    "There was another girl that was sent to Dunwich before the other three. Where would they be keeping her?" I said in a calm, even tone.


    "What about the three girls I had with me? Are they safe?" He asked eagerly, his face etched with a hint of worry.


    "Quite safe but I''m asking the-"


    Wait.


    Why would a man killing children for being witches ask about their safety?


    "Why ask about their safety? Being burned alive isn''t very safe either." I retorted.


    "Well, the safety of the parasite isn''t what we are typically concerned about" He replied seemingly confused by my response.


    "They''re not parasites, they are people who deserve to live their lives free from persecution and not be killed for living their lives,"  I responded evenly as my fists clenched.


    He gave me a blank look as his eyebrows scrunched together and his lips grew puckered. It took a long moment before he responded.


    "What are you talking about?" He asked, clearly bewildered at the conversation.


    "The girls," I said plainly.


    "I''m talking about the parasite that is going to kill and mutate them if it isn''t quickly removed" He responded in an almost panicked tone.


    I stood there for a moment, going over what the girls had been saying. When the girls talked about the witches, it struck me that they had been talking about the witches in a distant, impersonal manner. As in not themselves. But I had been too distracted to pay attention to such seemingly small details.


    Sweat started rolling down my back despite the cool night air.


    "All right, stay here," I said as I prepared a stone cuff spell" I''ll get the story from them and maybe-"


    "There''s no time" the friar responded as he pulled out the small bottle from his robe pocket as he made his way out of the carriage. "The only reason we risked coming out this late was that they were critical, late-stage cases. Depending on how quickly we move, we might be able to have them ingest this holy water to help paralyze the demon before it can do its foul work."


    He looked around for a moment before I stepped in front of him.


    "Just give it to me and I will get it to them," I said.


    "Do you know all of the procedures for administering holy water to a patient?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, the underlying aspect of distrust was obvious even as it went unspoken.


    "No. But I can get you there far faster than on foot. As long as you let me carry the bottle." I offered, not totally trusting him yet.


    His beard crunched up with his face as he considered my proposal. After a few seconds, he sighed and handed me the bottle. When he put it in my right hand, my stomach did flips.


    There was a part of me that really hoped he was just the world''s best con man. That the girls had just used that particular language due to a lack of education and this was all just a mix of deception and bad grammar. But he wouldn''t have handed over the only potential weapon he had if he was misleading me. My gut now told me that he wasn''t lying and I didn''t have the time to be paranoid about him finding my base that took only an hour to set up.


    After a few seconds of getting the wooden arms to hold the friar in place, I managed to get him securely fastened on my back while taking special care to restrict his arms in the vines. I didn''t even bother going high into the trees as I leaped through the forest floor with only the occasional faint beams of moonlight to light my way through the dark woods. But there were several unique large boulders and ravines that still guided me through my mental map of the woods to my destination.


    All the while my ears pounded as my heart raced. The trip took no more than 10 minutes with him on my back but each second felt like an agonizing eternity that cruelly stretched on for as long as possible. When we finally got there I immediately wished to go back to those 10 minutes of eternity.


    The first thing that I noticed, that anyone would notice, was the smell. The assault on my person hit like a wave of blood mixed with the sharp bite of ammonia. It had a hint of viciousness to it, like it knew its odor was one of the worst offenses to anything capable of detecting its presence and reveled in its barrage on my senses. The smell, if a force of this magnitude could be relegated to such a simple word, was so all-consuming even breathing through my mouth provided no relief as my eyes watered from the awful taste my tongue was registering.


    From the cave entrance, I saw some movement as the friar tapped my shoulder to be let down. By the time I had let him down and handed him the bottle, the movement in the cave came forward into the faint light of the night and stood a good seven feet tall.


    It had an elongated mouth like that of a goat above a pair of white balls for eyes and was colored like a newborn along with deep red veins running through its waxy skin. The only remanent of the girl it had been was the few faint bits of blond hair moving back and forth as it shuffled forward. I looked at its shoulders and sure enough, its right shoulder showed the same paleness of the girl I had healed. As it moved forward, its enlarged teeth clacked together appallingly with a constant grating noise. A tooth cracked and fell out only to be replaced with a new growing member from the gums.


    But as I followed the discarded tooth I finally registered a sloshing sound and that was when my eyes fell upon the worst display of the demonic beast. Past the bony rib cage lay the stomach, swollen and engorged. It was split open horizontally and inside were several smaller versions of the thing with furless, goatish spawn writhing inside the stomach. They were covered in an odd clear slime but what stood out among them was the small white leg. It stuck out of the stomach and was being chewed on by the demons babies who moved and jousted inside their living home.


    Then the thing opened its mouth and gave a roar. It was low pitched and warbled, with the heavy wet undertone of someone hacking phlegm. It charged us, moving on its two legs with considerable speed as it raised its clawed hands to rip into its next meal.


    The friar ran backward while I hit it with a ball of flame from a spell. It barely even registered as it moved forward uncaringly. I activated my guns air pump which took precious seconds to fill the canister before it was ready to fire. Thinking quickly, I threw up an earth wall that managed to slow the thing down long enough as it crashed through it to get a shot in.


    But between fighting my need to vomit and trying to keep moving backward the shot only took it in the left shoulder. Another wet roar and it tore the cracked wall fully down to lunge at me again. This time it got nearly two feet close before I sent out my vines to take the blows it tried to get in. It cut through the plants like tissue paper and barely gave me enough time to ready a combination of wind and fire spells.


    Its head shot forward and gave a loud clack when the teeth of its mouth tried to reach in between my suit and helmet to get at the flesh of my neck. As the wet warmth of its foul breath spread across my face I finished the mana constructs and activated them in my right hand along with the laser-like flames from my helmet. The blaze of heat burned the beast and pushed back the foul smell but as the demon lunged back, seemingly more in pain than actually sustained damage, one of its spawn fell from its mother''s womb and landed on my chest.


    The small red thing gave a light screech before trying to burrow deeper into my vine suit, I could even feel the pressure from the vines on my chest as it pushed through. I quickly used my vine suit to crush its head, which stopped its movements. But there was no way in hell I was taking any chances by leaving it there. As I tried to get the vines to maneuver the slimy thing out of my suit, its mother''s foot stomps made me look up.


    As it moved back towards me, from my left I saw the small bottle of holy water fly towards the beast. A few drops landed among the dew of the nights'' grass, but the rest of the bottle sailed true to its target. When the bottle landed inside the exposed stomach, the rest of the brood screeched while the demon clutched at its stomach futilely trying to get the holy water out of its stomach pouch.


    Its task was hopeless though as bits of smoke started wafting from its skin and it cried out in pain as it clutched at its head. Not wasting the opportunity, I then shot it between the eyes. It fell down in a heap, but that wasn''t nearly good enough for me. I prepared several wind and fire spells that shot out a great white flame. Using the vines to launch the corpse of the dead demon baby towards the rest of its dead brood, I continued to pour flames over the corpses.


    It took a while for there to be nothing left but the bones of the dem-... the girls. These were innocent girls, not demons.


    The bitter thought was all I could process as I burned the corpses, washing the white-hot flames over the body again and again in a back and forth motion. The writhing mass near the stomach produced a loud assortment of shrieks that went on for a while until the pile had been reduced to a mess of cinders and blackened bones.

 Chapter 54: Adia

    Eli POV


    _________________________________________


    Fuck.


    Fuck.


    Was all I could think as I turned around. The world began to swim and bile began rising in my throat.


    But fortunately, the helmet had a lot of open holes so my vomit passed almost unobstructed as I bent over. After a few more good heaves, I used a water spell from my mouth until all the previous days'' rabbit and crackers were washed away.


    "Why? Why didn''t you immediately take them to Bunich?" the friar cried hysterically at me. His face and brown eyes were slick with tears and his face was red with anger.


    "I...I... I thought you were going to burn them alive." I responded honestly, my mind too disoriented by what I had just seen and done to come up with some clever lie.


    "What?! You... Where did you get that idea from?" He asked, now slightly calmer as he took a deep breath. Just slightly.


    "I... uh" I stumbled. Telling him that I had been burned to death as a heretic just a few days before seeing them do a ritual with a small girl next to a bonfire and had made the wrong connections was not an option. While my execution was not... unjustified, I still had some bitterness about the choices I had been forced to make that lead to the situation. That may have influenced my thinking. Maybe if I had just one or two more days away from the mind-rape magic and had more time to process that I was in a new world, I would have made a less rash choice.


    But coulda, woulda, and shoulda did me no good now.


    "It was what the local rumors had been saying," I responded meekly.


    "Jesus Christ, those damn pubs. Poisoning people''s minds with alcohol and drugs. Who knows what fucking lies they''re spinning out there in that haze of sin." The friar said between grinding teeth. His bowl haircut spun as he turned away. After a few seconds, his shoulders drooped as he put a hand to his head. I just stared blankly off into space for an unknown amount of time before I heard him move again.


    "All right. We need to bury these poor girls before anyone else comes along." He said in a cold tone as he turned towards me.


    "What? Just bury them in the woods like dead animals?" I asked in a soft bitter tone. I would normally be far more forceful in such matters but my trust in my own judgment was... limited right now.


    The friars'' small beard pressed against his chest as he looked down with a sad face.


    "Now I know you''re not from around here. Listen, it was hard enough to establish the church''s position as the place to deal with witch infections. If word gets out that the girls turned, circumstances be damned, the locals will go back to using the tried and true method of dealing with daughters who develop purple spots on their stomachs and occasionally emit that foul odor." He said with a voice of steel as he turned his head back up. The look of determination and general gravity in his voice told me all I needed to know about the ''tried and true'' method.


    We made out way over to the burnt pile. The transformed girl was the most easily distinguished due to the small bits of blond hair her twisted form had. Inside the expanded rib cage was one distinctly human skull. Down near the misshapen, elongated leg bones was another human skull. In between these two lay the small pile of goatish skeletons that had been the monsters brood.


    I fought down the retching sensation in my throat before I took a deep breath and made the needed mana constructs to make a hole in the earth. I looked on as the remains of my crime fell at least a dozen feet into the earth. It took a good minute of looking at the hole before I collapsed it and filled in the depression in the soil with some of the surrounding dirt.


    Looking at the cave, I walked on the rough, uneven stone floor towards the door to my hidden room. The door obstructed my view of the room from this angle despite being open but the room still had the faint shimmer of the flame craft I made flooding out of the hidden sanctuary. I could distinguish several scratch marks along the doors edges and surrounding stone. The smell, now dissipating, was still strong here.


    Frankly, I don''t think I want to risk eating or touching anything where the girls'' transformation took place. I shut the door, making sure to see nothing but the soft shimmer of light around the edges of the door as I pushed it forward, and used magic to fill in the gaps of the stonework making it an actual piece of the surrounding cave wall. Then I did the only thing I could think to do, which was a silent prayer for the girls'' poor souls.


    Coming back out into the night, I saw the friar giving a silent prayer over the girls'' pseudo gravesite.


    "Well, I suppose I can at least make sure one person gets to Bunich safely," I said meekly.


    "That would be greatly appreciated.I''m Brother Bartholemew, by the way." He responded.


    I gave a nod and let the man onto my back. As we made our way back bounding through the dark forest floor the friar coughed in my ear.


    "I know you''ve heard of us but may I ask what you know of our doctrines or the bible?" He asked.


    "Genesis, the gospels, Jesus Christ the risen Lord and savior. I know the lords'' word as well as any other" I responded as I launched us off a larger boulder. I was going to say the sections of the spirit codex, co-gospel of the tech manifest, but that would lead to far more explanations on my end than I wanted to provide.


    "Ah, good. But what of saint Adia? I''m guessing you''ve never heard of her works if you didn''t know about the witch removal procedure, her crowning achievement. After spreading the gospel of course. How could you not know of her?" He asked.


    "I got a hold of a bible, but there were no other Christians or priests to properly instruct me in the scriptures." I lied.


    It took me a moment to really appreciate how easy lying came to me now. Back in my universe I mostly did a lot of warping and hiding, which seemed so much more... clean than what I have been forced to do to survive in this universe. Is there no subject too sacred or lie too large that I wouldn''t spout it off without a second thought? Still, I was far too curious about how the gospel came to this world to stop listening now.


    He gave a slight cough as we landed on another boulder and I looked around for my next jump point.


    "Saint Adia came to us sinners to spread our eternal salvation some hundred plus years ago, and give us a bit of it in this life as well. She had traveled far and wide with her husband, Daimond, through the central continent. We don''t have the full story but as they traveled the central continent they came upon some mishap that prompted her husband to take her and secretly flee to Palantia.


    But she, ever more pious than her less than religious husband, continued to spread the word and her works. It was during one of a number of arguments between the couple that" he cleared his throat before continuing.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "That Daimond was heard to say ''We gotta get outta here, that place was like fucking Dunwich or something'' and that was the unfortunate origin of our towns more widespread name." He grumbled.


    I came to a stop on a hill overlooking the endless tree line.


    "Not exactly the great poet of his age," I managed to reply lightheartedly, in spite of my current mood.


    He gave a soft laugh.


    "No, he was never regarded as such" Bartholemew said, with a playful tone still in his voice.


    "And he wasn''t referring to Bunich," I asked.


    "No" He replied firmly


    "Adia made that very clear afterward in other conversations. Sadly, the name still stuck for those not in her immediate circle. We don''t know what it means but its the manner he used left a very unfavorable impression. Would you happen to be familiar with the word?" He asked back.


    "No," I responded truthfully.


    Bartholomew cleared his throat before continuing.


    "She didn''t stay long, instead going back down the rivers as she and her husband had a falling out. It is said that at the junction where the river meets the ocean, Adia cried. Not only for her lost marriage but also the friends she left behind before heading back towards the central continent. Aside from supplies, she carried a golden cross around her neck. The closest thing to a worldly possession she had. Daimond went northward and constructed a large house now in ruin."


    I looked over the various boulders and trees and plotted my path through towards Bunich before asking my next question.


    "Do you know where she obtained the gospel or the various works?" I asked as I leaped on one of the boulders and started picking up my stride again.


    "Oh, they were both ultimate mages. What elements I couldn''t tell you." He said like that explained it all perfectly.


    "I read about ultimate mages on that slab by the church but haven''t heard too much about them since then. It had one phrase describing them as something of magic. Aside from that, I''ve read little about them" I mused as I made ready for another light jump.


    "''The manifestation of magic'', yes. I''m not surprised. There are only so many ways an academic can write ''we don''t know'' and still come across as an authority on the subject when the phrase is repeated in different forms every other sentence. They come and go with little discernable reasons or causes, maybe once in a generation or even longer. Only a bare few lasted more than a year before disappearing. What many consider their main ability also isn''t well understood either." He gave a slight cough before continuing as I lifted us off into the air.


    "I''m not sure about the whole significance of mana production but they are a semi-mythical tier of mage that is granted the ability to manifest mana inside their own bodies and eject it out into the world. What we-" He stopped and clung tighter as I skidded and nearly tripped off the boulder I was landing on.


    "Sorry, slipped on a pebble" I lied. Again.


    "Please, go on" I plied him, trying my absolute best not to sound as desperate for him to continue as I was actually feeling.


    He gave a slight cough as I took off again.


    "Yes, well what we are more concerned is their knowledge. Ultimate mages are known not just for their mana generating abilities but also for their blessing of incredible knowledge. I know the kingdom taking up nearly the whole eastern portion of the central continent, the Rodring kingdom, was the product of not just the magical abilities but also the tactical genius of one such mage."


    "And they were allowed to roam free? It seems like they would be too valuable a tool not to be used by those in power." I mused to him. My head was throbbing with all of the implications of what he was speculating and what I knew behind the mysteries.


    "Hardly. The couple had slipped away in stealth, and when the government finally understood what had made its way into their backwoods, the couple had already split. It wasn''t until after he died from a troll attack that they discovered his house covered in odd markings. From what the merchant that sells us holy water says it''s still a matter of wounded pride on the central continent that they got away. The president''s family, even more so." The friar responded but he grew slightly miffed as he continued.


    "Not that most coasters believe in her legacy. The few who''ve been forced to live here through mishaps at court or streaks of poverty just dismiss it as something the backward peasants tell themselves to feel important."


    "So what was Adias'' plan as far as spreading the gospel and her inventions?" I asked, trying to get as much information out of him as I possibly could.


    A sad sigh was the first answer but then he continued.


    "She was hoping that our techniques for medicine, printing books, and a few other contraptions would help us move along with the projects, but sadly our medicine isn''t as effective as healing potions, which means our medical practices only help the poorest folks, and witch infections are only a real issue in this poor region.


    She gave us a means of using the turning of magnets in copper to make glass spheres with twines of special metals glow with light. They never drew any interest as they required replacements and were more expensive to install than mana lamps. A fact we were eventually forced to accept when we purchased mana lights for our church.


    We''ve made good money on our bookmaking and have even gotten a few deals for mass distributors, but sadly a lot of people heading merchant guilds and government don''t want to be known for associating with a bunch of backwoods kooks who believe in anything more powerful than magic.


    We''ve tried to fund other creations but things have been going downhill financially for a while. Adia meant the best, but it seems her inventions were geared more towards replacing magical items and none of the ones we''ve made can compete with their magical equivalents.


    Between food for the orphanages, stocking up for Necrosis, and the ever-higher taxes for the war in the swamp, we''ll be lucky to break even this year." He said mournfully.


    "How did the orphans manage to cover the cost for the witch removal procedure?" I asked.


    "They didn''t need to. We provide medical services for free for those too poor to afford them and ask for donations from our congregation or people who benefit from our services. We even go to the scenes of attacks to administer aid" He announced proudly.


    The thought of investing in them and maybe even getting access to their trove of hidden contraption plans came to mind, but from what I gathered Adia seemed less focused on weaponry and more on peacetime applications. Which did nothing for my current situation.


    Still, one look was in order.


    That was as far as I got before the flood of questions started. Were Adia and Daimond from another universe like me? When...


    ''Eli. Are really going to let your self get distracted again? After what happened the last time you kept your mind off of what''s in front of you?'' I chided myself.


    I pushed past the sea of questions and kept my mind on getting to Bunich.


    It was a few more minutes before we came near the town of Bunich. We were overlooking the town, now softly lit up with lamps and a large woodpile to the right of the church, on a hill when I let him down. Bartholemew looked down past the hill for a while before turning back towards me.


    "Could you tell me about what happened after you found them?" He asked gently.


    "I took them back towards the cave with the three of them on my back. I didn''t have any room to carry you so I just put you in a stone shield. They were terrified of the jumps at first,"


    The friar gave an understanding nod.


    "But one of the girls, brown hair with amber eyes, took to heights and speeds with glee. She would ha... have loved to take more trips with me." I almost said ''she would have made a great pilot''.


    I better finish this before I say something I shouldn''t.


    "Well, they chowed down on some traveling rations before mentioning another girl who went further up ahead. Then I left them there to go get her and then turned back to you to get information about her whereabouts and... you know the rest." I finished.


    He placed a hand on my shoulder.


    "You saved one life, whereas we would have all died without your intervention. However it turned out, one more person is walking above the ground who wouldn''t be if not for your aid."He said but the soft glow of a great blaze shot across the trees drawing both our gazes. We both turned to see the bonfire had been lit. One priest brought out a small black-haired girl in a knapsack dress.


    "So how is the procedure performed," I asked as I saw a small team bring out a table. It was all too far off to make out any appreciable details.


    "Well, it first starts with a large gathering and a prayer but they seem to be skipping that part due to the urgency. The tools are all special metal boiled in water, then" I could make out the priest putting the girl on the table before picking up one of the tools and running it across the girls'' abdomen. I could almost discern her scream from this distance as the lines of blood started flowing from her side. Then the man grabbed another long tool that almost looked like an exaggerated pair of scissors at this distance and rushed over to the fire as a nun ran up to the girl holding something in her hands.


    "Ah, the sister is administering a watered-down healing potion. The parasite is removed from the girls'' side with a pair of red hot tongs. With it safely removed from the girls'' insides, the foul thing is placed in the center of the blaze to both burn and suffocate." He finished as the priest put the red tongs to the girls'' side then sharply pulled back. I couldn''t see if he caught anything but he apparently succeeded as he then rushed back towards the fire, quickly plunging the tongs into it.


    "Why not use holy water?" I asked.


    "It''s ludicrously expensive and has to be purchased through special merchants from the central continent. Couldn''t tell you how its made, but whatever the clear liquid is, it costs us an ungodly amount of silver. More importantly, it''s hell on the body. We only use it as an absolute last resort" He responded.


    It was a few more seconds before I asked another question.


    "What does the parasite look like?" I asked absentmindedly.


    His voice grew disdainful.


    "A multi-colored iris in the middle of a fat teal-colored worm with two rows of tentacles on opposite sides."


    He took a deep breath then started making his way down the hillside.


    "I''ll come up with something to tell them and thank you for your consideration. Not many people in this world would try to help people with nothing to offer them." He said encouragingly as he moved past the dark trees back towards the palisade of the town.


    I stood there listening to the sound of the friar walk down the hill as I looked at the small girl on the table. She was now being lifted up by a bigger priest into the church as the other two helped clean up the blood. Looking back over the church, I saw several large trees in its back yard. These and several larger oak trees outside the palisade provided a means of getting to the church undetected for my future visit.


    Going over my situation, the most logical course would be to gather as much intel as I could about this Maw gangs'' operations in the south then unleash hell on them. Since I already knew of a few places with that jaw sign nearer to the swamps, I at least had a general idea of where I needed to go. If I could get them to concentrate their forces up here, then that would make it far easier to bleed them in the southern region.


    Perhaps the lessened number of troops will even help land me a more high ranking officer. Wiping out the gang completely would be the best outcome but I need more information about how the decision to target me was made and who specifically made it if I wanted to potentially get back at the noble, or nobles, who used them to target me.


    Even better, If I could kill and maim enough of them, the church would even get called to help deal with the injured, which would allow me to sneak in and get a closer look to see if Adia''s inventions could be of any help to me.


    ''It would work. You''re so good at getting people killed that your success is pretty much guaranteed'' A nasty voice in the back of my head said.


    There was nothing I could say to the charge so I jumped into the treetops and used my vine suit as a sling to sleep among the dark treetops, the wind slowly rocking me amongst the stars above into a sleep riddled with stomach-churning smells and writhing demon babies.

 Chapter 55: A New Predator

    Ben was a mid-level goon for Maw''s gang. At a 5.7 height with brown eyes and black hair, the man would be considered average both in looks and physique, the only notable aspects of him being the sword at his hip that was made with leather strips running along the handle with flame enchantments and his well-maintained leather armor. As this seemingly average man traveled down an average forest road he yawned in the early morning as he sucked in the fog that had yet to be culled by the rising sun barely filtering in through the trees.


    "Damn, outliers. Don''t know why we bother giving commission status to these losers, they barely make enough to eat" He mumbled to himself.


    While the local gangs weren''t officially apart of Maw''s gang, they were still allowed to work the territory''s various extortion and protection rackets.


    For a bit of rent of course.


    Not being an idiot, Ben naturally trusted none of his underlings to perform the needed task of collecting his bosses due. It was on this fine morning that he now began extracting the rent from the various gangs along the highways, starting from the outermost gangs and slowly working his way back towards Bushwackers to save him the agony of carrying all those coins back towards the town if he started his collection nearer to the only stain of civilization here.


    Coming up to the predetermined meeting site, a small grove nearer to the mountains, he calmly waited for a few minutes as he scanned the empty woods. Since the outermost gangs were too dispersed to make coming to them individually convenient, this was where they brought their rent for their commissioner.


    Half an hour passed.


    Ben huffed angrily to himself before stomping further ahead, his steel-toed boots crushing the dew-laden grass.


    "If they''re not dead, they''ll wish they were by the time I find them," He promised the surrounding woods.


    Going through the woods, he came upon a poorly maintained house. The two-story thing was rife with mold and vines on all its sides. Its grey woodwork told of better times long since past, but its impoverished denizens had no other accommodations to call home.


    But as he came up the porch he noticed that the door was smashed open and the smell of death hung in the air. Coming up to the door he heard the tearing of flesh. Drawing his sword he looked through the door frame and saw several corpses being chewed on by coyotes. The tan furred beasts were content to merely growl at the intruder as they continued to feast on 4 dead men, all dressed in shabby, worn-out clothing.


    At a closer inspection, Ben could make out dry blood on the rotting floorboards. Dark and dry, it told of a kill made well before his arrival.


    "Well, I guess I better see what the potters have to say for themselves," He mumbled as he left the ruin. The potter gang earned its name for the abandoned pottery making site they called home. They were the most powerful of the weak bunch, an issue that was noted with some concern in meetings before. If they were hitting other gangs without the boss''s consent, they would have to be brought back down to their proper size.


    Going further down the main road towards a large campsite by the river dotted with tents and some crude wooden structures, Ben came up to the place with the power and strut of a king coming into his own domain as he approached from a good distance off.


    For who would be so foolish to attack a made member of Maw''s gang on his own turf?


    The only surviving reminder of the camp''s original purpose was the collapsed spherical roofs of the long-abandoned ovens nearer to the left side of the camp that faced the forest. The right and upperside were taken by the river.


    "All right, you lot. Come out and expla-" Several crows flew out of the middle of the camp at his yell. It was then that he moved closer and noticed some of the tents in the mess were badly cut up and burnt from various cooking fires left unattended. Drawing his sword again, he crept forward. Among the tents were more bodies with the same day-old blood. Now aware that this wasn''t an inter-gang fight, he paid close attention to the wounds. Several had their head smashed to a soup of brains, bones, and teeth among the pool of blood, but most were punched with deep holes or cut right in half. Curiously, several seemed to only be sleeping, with no apparent indication of what had killed them.


    "Damn, the boss needs to hear about this, he''ll know what to do," Ben said to himself.


    Jogging his way back down the road, Ben came closer to the town. As he came around the bend in the road, his ears registered a stream of screams and the stomping of many feet. The front of the town had a large road running down the middle with houses and shops on either side. The usually peaceful location was now in pure chaos as dozens and dozens of bandits, both commissioned and official members of Maw''s gang, laid against the various houses and in carriages. Some had their extremities either chopped clean off or barely dangling by a few fleshy threads, while some had bones crushed and sticking out of their skin.


    Carriages from the church came in from further down the road with the nuns and priests administering various poultices and medicines. Even so, Ben saw several cases who were lost causes. Their deaths sure to be imminent or they would be too mutilated to be of use to anyone after they survived their current ordeal. Pushing the dirge of the damned from his mind, he shoved through the mass of panicked townspeople and priests trying to get a handle on the situation.


    The local sheriffs'' office was a few buildings further along the main road and consisted of a two-story building with the lower level for the police and the upper floor for cells. Bursting through the pandemonium at the front he came into the building. It was all dark wood with several desks on the open main floor to the right that had all the activity of a beehive and a sheriff''s private office to the left, past which was the open staircase leading to the cells above. Ben maneuvered through the swell of secretaries, armored men getting suited up, and messenger boys going in and out of the building, to get into the sheriffs'' office.


    When Ben pushed open the dark oak door, he saw the pudgy man with brown lamb chops, a white undershirt, and a brown vest was at a desk near the back window dabbing his glistening forehead as he read over a report. It was one of a dozen on his desk.


    "What the almighty fuck is going on here?" Ben yelled as he slammed the door shut behind him.


    The sheriff jolted in his chair before turning his gaze up.


    "We don''t know. This morning a bunch of the local gangs working the roads stumbled in with all of these injuries. Thank the powers that be that the church has that oath to render medical aid no matter the recipient or we would just be digging mass graves right now." He said as he chewed a nail on his right hand in fear.


    "Which ones were hit?" Ben asked, his mind already going over the costs involved in all of the lost workers.


    "All of them as far we can tell. The ones here are just those who survived, the rest are either dead or were left to die. The only good thing is that the outer gangs haven''t shown up, so we at least have that muscle to-" Ben shook his head sadly before crushing the man''s hope.


    "They''re all dead. None of them showed up when I went to collect the rent and the two I visited were reduced to graveyards." Ben finished.


    The sheriff put a hand to his forehead as he leaned into his desk. His rounded face showed an urge to vomit as he squeezed the report in his hand to a crumbled ruin.


    "So, what happened? What attacked them and how?" Ben leaned forward on the desk with a demanding tone.


    "We. Don''t. Know. The few men who are still lucid enough to talk were asleep when it happened. All they remember is getting their bodies shredded, by what they have no idea." The sheriff put forward with a defensive meekness.


    "Fuck. FUCK!" Ben screamed as he slammed down on the desk, dangling his head over it. He knew someone like him was a prime target by whoever, or whatever was doing this. But the attacks hadn''t happened in the town, so this was the safest place for someone in the Maw gang if the needed information got out.


    "Did you get word to the boss?" Ben asked as he lifted his head back up. The sheriffs'' brown eyes showed a hesitance before he finally came out with a reply.


    "Sort of," He said.


    "Sort of?" Ben asked numbly.


    "We sent out our only raven to tell him a few of his men got hurt on a patrol. It wasn''t until we started getting more of the injured and dying trickling in that we realized the scope of what happened. They probably just think it was a bear attack or a pack of wolves going off the message we sent." The sheriff quickly said.


    "One damn thing after another!" Ben shouted as he threw some of the paper on the desk onto the floor.


    "Get me a horse, I''ve got to get word to them," Ben said as he went out of the office back into the street to stand and wait. Maw wasn''t a forgiving boss, he was more the type who saw his underlings in two categories: those who succeeded and got promoted or those who failed him and subsequently failed to live.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    And minions who let his entire protection racket go up in smoke because they were too scared to tell him of the danger? Those would certainly fall within the latter category.


    The choice was to possibly die on the road or certainly die when Maw finds out what he didn''t do, and Ben loved his neck far too much to do otherwise.


    Eventually one of the stable boys came up to him with a horse saddled and ready to travel. After pushing past the crowds, he rode his way along the often walked road to the real source of power here.


    Traveling on the road for a while, he happened upon two horses. They had spurs and saddles but looked quite spooked as the milled about the road. Ben looked a little bit past them to see something on the side of the main road. He eventually got close enough to make out three bodies with grey cloaks in the ditch and road beside a horse whose throat and chest had three deep cuts laying closer to the middle of the road.


    The faint smell of smoke was also quite strong here. Spotting them, he stopped his horse beside the bodies and looked at them for a few long seconds. One had been cut in half while another had been cut to the bone by what looked a thousand blades. The third and final one had a hole in her head with blood dripping out.


    It killed rangers.


    Those cunts never bothered to give him a second glance despite his best efforts, whereas the relatively few men in the group weren''t so bad when it came time to play cards or dice. But whatever he felt about them, their skill was without question. Sure they would never win a fistfight or brawl with their more slender lithe builds, but magic more than made up for that in any actual combat scenario. A fact they were always quite eager to demonstrate on any gang member who got too handsy with them.


    So many piles of gold coins in investment and years of brutal training culminated in these women joining one of the more powerful and feared mage associations. All of that sweat, pain, and money now lay in the dirt, rotting like any other peasant or animal of the forest.


    A sharp crack and yelp rang out behind the hill where the three dead women were sprawled out in the dirt. Curiosity overtook him as he carefully stepped over the bodies, and peeked past the hilltop.


    In a grove alight with flames and burned trees, some distance away was a vine, deer skull monster fighting with two mages, one blond with blue eyes and one younger brown haired girl with amber eyes and a sharp chin. They were both burned and cut up as blood dripped down their shredded grey cloaks and leather armor but the vine monster seemed to be bleeding down its right arm.


    "YAAAAHH" the younger girl cried as she charged forward with a sword.


    The older blond looked furious at the charge but still was level headed enough to use it to her advantage. A blast of wind sent her flying over the thing as she drew a duo throwing daggers. But as she launched them at him, the daggers suddenly jerked out of the air and flew straight at the brown-haired girl. She took one in the stomach and one right between the eyes, promptly falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.


    "Metal-" The blond started but a sharp crack of air sounded out as a flower of blood bloomed on the woman''s lower chest a few inches below her right breast. She kept her initial momentum but she only just barely managed to properly land with the bloody wound in her lower rig cage.


    There was an odd sucking sound, like air rushing someplace. Ben thought it might be the mage but she seemed too dazed and looked like she was ready to pass out. When the sound stopped it was promptly followed by her head being violently punctured by ... something. The distance was too great to see.


    The vine thing leaned against a tree for a few moments. A suggestion of taking out the wounded creature came to Ben''s mind but the moment of rash bravery was quickly squashed. The creature then stood back up and looked around briefly before doing an impossibly high jump into the treetops.


    Ben just stood there for a moment before he bolted back to his horse and made his way to the only place nearby that could hold off such a monstrosity.


    After a few minutes on the road, looking around the familiar woods with new respect and terror, Ben finally came upon the field of stumps. The place was as chaotic and messy as usual. He stormed through the crowd, flinging curses and being cursed in turn. A few even got confrontational as he barged past, but a quick:


    "Message for Maw"


    would promptly make the man go pale and scurry out of the way. Coming into the grey stone fort, Ben looked around the yard of grass and towards the main building. The main structure of the fort was in the middle of several wooden houses and warehouses for storing goods, all enclosed by the grey stone wall. Coming into the fort proper by the way of a large wooden door with several iron bands, the floor was a smooth, almost reflective stone with some mana crystal lights on the lower section to give a V-shaped light showing out of the small alcoves running along the floor.


    In front of him lay a mid-sized hallway only about twice as tall as a man. Along its sides ran several wooden doors with iron bars for added strength but he promptly ran to the end of the hall and opened the wooden door strengthened with steel bands. At the center of this room was a wooden platform. The mini room was far more luxurious with red carpets and several pelts of bears, wolves, and mountain lions. Above the wooden platform was a hole with several ropes attached to the platforms rounded frame that went up into the highest point in the fort.


    As he came into the wooden cage he pulled a small rope that dangled in the middle. He was promptly pulled upwards, with only the occasional V-shaped light to break the darkness.


    He went over his story again and again before the shine of an un-interrupted light almost blinded him.


    "Yead, we still can''t fix that. Although it''s probably better for security''s sake." A voice said as Ben squinted his eyes.


    As the rest of the room came into focus took in the rest of his surroundings.


    The bosses ''meeting room'' as he called it was a round room with more of the V-shaped lights running along the wall. At the center was a large circular table made of stone. It was a lighter color than the surrounding grey stonework and was encircled by several fine wooden chairs and people going over various pieces of paper.


    From his position, Ben could make out two wooden doors past the table on the right and left. But the main attraction of the room was the small pack of leather armored guards around his boss on the right and the smaller team of grey cloaked mages on the left hovering around an older woman with greying black hair and a lean build, their leader, Freya. Both were looking at him like a fly that was hanging on the side of their plate. The only people not looking at him were the maids in white aprons and black silk dresses who served various meals and drink while taking away dishes.


    "A mid-level grunt? You better have a very good reason to think you are worthy enough to use my lift and barge in here without an invitation," A muscular man with long flowing brown hair and painfully white teeth said, as he sat at the seat opposite the mages. Maw was a handsome fellow, one who certainly wouldn''t have trouble getting women even without his considerable wealth, with a white undershirt and a rather expensive leather jacket that had white fur lining the hands and neck portions. This helped add some more hair to his otherwise smooth features. His brown eyes showed nothing but impatience as his black silk pants under the table moved with him tapping his boot on the floor with a steady rhythm of smacks.


    "We''re under attack! The- " Maw put up a large callused hand.


    "We know. The sheriff of the local law" Maw took a moment to lightly chuckle at the joke title," sent us a raven. For you to think such a small matter is worth bothering me and interrupting such important negotiations is quite foolish." His wolfish eyes now shone with anger.


    Ben''s back slicked with sweat as he licked his lips but still, he pushed forward.


    "The idiot sheriff sent out the raven too early. All of the local gangs have been attacked, including our official people. Also, all of the outlying commissioners are dead." Ben said, trying to get to the relevant parts as quickly as possible.


    Maw''s eyebrows shot up and he quickly whistled at one of his subordinates on his right with a large sword on his back and a horn at his hip. The near seven-foot-tall man with green eyes, pale skin, and a bald head shoved past Ben and pressed against the elevators button. Below was the soft scrape as magical tools moved the stone blocks that gradually lowered the man to the ground level.


    "How would you know that the outer gangs are dead?" Maw asked as he leaned back into his chair and studied Ben like a wolf studies a rabbit.


    "Ah, he is the one who collects the local rent from those disposable gangs we employ." A rat-faced man with a leather jerkin and brown pants said respectfully behind Maw''s back. His grey eyes peeking behind his brown hair showed complete subservience to his master, through fear or devotion it was impossible to tell but these things were one and the same to Maw.


    "Oh, well then let''s wait and see," Maw said as he picked up a mug in front of him and took a deep gulp from it. Freya gave a light chuckle which caused a sour expression to mar the bosses otherwise fine features.


    "Well, well Maw. It looks like you need our help as well. I already had a team sent out to go south a few minutes ago but if you need the help so badly-" Ben gave a light cough to interrupt her.


    "They''re dead," Ben said with a barely audible whisper.


    No one in the room had been looking at such an insignificant thing like Ben after he gave his initial report, but those two words stopped everyone in their tracks. Every face in the room turned as one towards him. From the maid taking a used mug off the table, to the few people going over reports around the table, to even the two leaders and their guards. They all turned on Ben almost at the same time and the intensity of their gazes weighed on him like a physical pressure. The worst of them all was Freya. The hood partially obstructed her face against the soft yellow light glowing against the walls as her blue eyes spoke of extreme violence.


    But her voice was as cold as the grave and about as loving.


    "What?" She asked.


    Ben had already made this decision on the way up the lift. Telling Freya that he let the killer of her precious cubs go was practically a death sentence. Telling Maw he let him get away was a guaranteed death sentence. Maw wouldn''t be very understanding about letting the... thing that dared attacked his operations go, in spite of being completely outmatched by his opponent.


    Maw might just kill him to help improve relations with Freya. The boss had never been a ''we''re all in this together'' type and now the brand of harsh discipline that prompted his journey here now held his tongue. Ben could choose to offer up invaluable tactical intelligence and probably his neck or keep his life while staying silent on badly needed information.


    And taking one for the team was not what Ben had in mind when he joined a gang.


    "Along my way here I saw five dead rangers. Three in the ditch of the road and two dead in a grove just past the bodies." Ben said quickly.


    "The ditch?" Freya said like she couldn''t comprehend what he just said.


    Maw made no light jabs or smug remarks. The mages were stationed here as a part of an ongoing negotiation. In exchange for a central command away from the carnage in the southern gangs'' territories, the mages agreed to provide another layer of security and they further burnished the gangs'' reputation with their presence.


    Mages weren''t supposed to die here. Sure in the woods far away from here, a land and subject only spoken of in the warmth and safety of this castles strong loving walls, when fighting against the numbers, ability, and ferocity of the Frojan and Orcs they could and occasionally did. But getting murdered in the streets of the stable bedrock of their lives along with the expendable fodder simply wasn''t how things happened. The mood turned dire with a hint of fear coming into everyone''s eyes as their warm bubble of security was popped.


    Maw cleared his throat and fiddled with the lip of his mug.


    "At least we are safe here. Cren, get-"


    "Fuck that!" Freya hissed, standing up in pure rage as the chair shot back and slammed into the floor. She turned on Ben like a hawk meeting a mouse.


    "You! We''re taking a trip to this magical ditch so wonderful that it''s worthy of holding mages bodies. And I swear to god if you pilfered their bodies I''ll... Come one" She said, shoving past a now paler Ben with her posse. Eventually, they all got down to the first floor with a few turns in the elevator. Sure there were stairs but this was still far faster for such a relatively small group.


    As they were coming out of the fortress a horn blew in the distance.


    "Ah, he must have found them. If I''m not mistaken, it''s coming from where I saw the mages." Ben said carefully.


    Freya did a dual hand thrust forward and sent a large gale through the crowd. Already milling about from the sudden horn blow, a few cries of pain and panic went out as confused people tried to shove themselves out of the mages way. Going back out onto the road they eventually spotted the man that Maw sent. A horn was in his left hand with his sword in his right.


    Freya came straight up to the bodies and looked them over. Ben could only see the back of her hooded robe and a clenched right hand.


    She finally spoke after a long minute.


    "They didn''t even get the chance to fight back. None of their swords or bows are drawn" Freya said with a quiet sadness.


    She then lifted her head and turned towards the grove. Going up over the hill, some her gaggle of guards quietly followed behind her while two others went on ahead. Ben followed them over the hill into the grove. Several trees and bushes were smoldering and the gashes in the earth told of a long battle but Freya only had eyes for the two women lying in the dirt.


    One of the guards, a tan man with dark brown eyes peeking out between black strands of hair coming out of the hood and a long face with a scar running along the right side of his jaw, came up to the younger girl and turned her over to inspect the blades sticking out of her head and stomach.


    "If I didn''t know better, I would say these were our blades." He said absentmindedly.


    Freya came over and looked at the other dead blond woman before turning her gaze to the dead brown-haired woman.


    "They are. Those were Diedras daggers." Freya said with a hint of numbness.


    All of the guards took in a deep breath, with a mix of scowls and confused faces passing through the crowd.


    "But how?" The man asked seemingly more hurt than confused.


    "I don''t know. Do you?" Freya said as she turned towards Ben. Her manner actually seemed less threatening now, more like an honest question than a veiled threat.


    "Sorry, I heard a whoosh behind the hill as I was looking over the other three but when I got up the hill to see what it was all I saw were these two," Ben said, making sure to be as calm and even-toned as possible.


    "Well that confirms some of our findings at least" A voice to the left called. A brawny man with short red hair and dark green eyes emerged from between the trees. His chiseled jaw had a red beard that stood out among the grey ensemble of his armor and cape.


    "The tracks are damn odd. The middle portion could almost be seen as a boot but there are always small holes and drags in the dirt around the steps. One set has a deep imprint but nothing beyond it. It either did an impossible jump or flew off. Never seen anything like it boss." He finished.


    Freya gulped and looked up for a few seconds.


    "Gather the fallen. Maw''s got more than enough supplies to hunker down for a while. Let the expendables do the dangerous scouting for a while before we risk coming out here again. No offense" She said to Ben as the other mages gave nasty laughs. Ben could only nod submissively as the rest of the group headed back to the fort with Maw''s other minion and him in tow.

 Chapter 56: Similarities

    Eli POV


    ________________________________


    ''Damn, it was all going so well until the end'' I thought to myself as I worked my way back to Bunich in the mid-morning sun.


    The day after...that, was a day spent taking out the weaker outer ring of bandit camps and getting intel. I kidnapped a guard of one of the smaller number of drug convoys that pass through with their goods in the early morning. Our conversation gave me enough info to find several of their camps that I didn''t already know about as well as their general operations. The drug of choice, skavy, needed to be produced from a special mushroom that only grew in the eastern region near the swamps and withered so fast after harvest that transporting it was nearly impossible.


    Maw''s gang was pretty new to the drug game but he invested heavily into new labs as well as taking over older abandoned ones that the other gangs couldn''t hold onto due to orc raids that had since been pushed back. The guard didn''t know much about the mages, just that they came around and sort-of joined all the gangs when the southern gangs started losing.


    As I threw him over the cliff, I reflected on the details of these mages. They seemed to be some kind of mercenary outfit but with a rather uniform sense of dress and were highly skilled from what I could tell. Mages were highly regarded in this world, so what were they doing in the weeds here?


    They were probably people that had a falling out with various mage organizations and were now trying to get a hand in the drug industry. It was another pain in the ass but not insurmountable. But more importantly, I needed information about how these gangs worked and who could work with nobles and authorize my kidnapping, information low-level grunts couldn''t provide.


    The rest of the day was spent clearing out the remote outer camps. They were ill-fed and ill-equipped so they posed no challenges for me.


    The only one that gave me a little trouble was the one with pottery kilns, as it was the only one far enough away from the trees to prevent me from easily sneaking up to them. Attacking that one required some stealth and using the air spells to choke them from afar. It would only take one of them escaping to possibly warn the others but I couldn''t hunt down these ones on the outer ring once I started attacking the bandits closer to the town lest I get cornered in the terrain by mages who know this place far better than me.


    I had prepared several contingencies in case one of them slipped past and warned the others but there were only a few camps, the largest of which had 17 people. Since no forces started patroling the roads or bands of mages came to investigate I knew I had succeeded in keeping my appearance hidden, allowing me to commit to the maximum amount of damage that I could inflict.


    I spent a good while making enchanted rocks in a large tree as I overlooked the road leading to the fortress. Their enchantments would send out blades of stone that barely lasted longer than they flew. This was a test run for an attack pattern that would lead to the orcs getting blamed. Sure I could use a few arrows and darts but I couldn''t make those in the needed quantity or summon the wood as I could stone. These would make something more similar to knife and ax wounds that were typical of the orcs arsenal.


    Another benefit was the magical constructs degrading the inorganic material actually worked in my favor, leaving behind nothing but bits of nondescript stone. The next day was spent zipping over the camps in the barely lit morning and dropping 4 or 5 stones at a time leaving a wave of carnage through the gangs'' camps behind me as I moved through the treetops to my next target.


    It was all going well until the final ambush, which would be close enough to the main base to really rattle their nerves. That the victims were going to be those grey leather armored mages was a considerable bonus to the fear factor. Down on their luck mercenaries or not, they had made their decision. As had the nobles who dragged me into this conflict, as had the gang who targeted me.


    I was a good several yards on the left side of the road hiding in a bush. One of the enemies took my bullet with no fuss. The other two only just barely reacted but far too slowly, one got cut in half with a stone blade summoned from the craft while the other got shredded by a stone block sending out a storm of razor-sharp stone half circles.


    The problem child of the bunch turned out to be two women on horseback. The blond and the brunette had been discussing something when their horse got spooked. The dumb beast jerked upwards taking the whirlwind of stone blades from the stone craft I threw from their right instead of its masters. Still, I suppose it went above and beyond the call of duty for its owners, which was commendable. Of course, when the two swiftly moved to go after the source of the attack instead of stupidly trying to run, I did not greatly appreciate the steeds'' noble and unintentional sacrifice.


    The brown-haired girl promptly sent out a wave of fire which forced me out of my position in a bush.


    To their credit, they wasted little time being stunned or confused at my appearance and knew that now was the time to fight or flee. They chose to flee and after a few minutes of jumping and maneuvering, as they tried to get out of my reach, I took a dagger to the arm. After trading a few blows and realizing that they didn''t have a prayer of outrunning me, the brown-haired girl charged me.


    When her blond companion used air magic to jump over me and throw her daggers, I got the opportunity to end the fight, which I promptly did.


    ''Great, too bad your plans that involve saving people never work'' A nasty voice sounded in my head.


    I had tried very hard not to think about what had happened during my expeditions out in the woods. But any time it got quiet or my mind wasn''t rushing to the next objective my conscience would inflict excruciating pain. The attack on the road with the orc gang had been more understandable, but with the incident involving the witches, that too now ate at me with its suggested pattern of failure.


    ''It wasn''t my FAULT! I only had one or two minutes max when I came upon that gang and the orcs. Besides, Bartholomew was right. I at least managed to save one person.'' I reasoned to myself, as I stopped on a larger tree.


    ''Those girls aren''t going to grow up. They will never fall in love, start a family or go out with their friends talking about the good old days because YOU didn''t ask some basic fucking question when you came here'' was the only response my conscience gave.


    I leaned back against the tree for a long moment as tears came up into my eyes. But I had a mission to do and promptly took off from the tree, the pain in my heart being about the only thing I could feel in the cool air.


    Coming back to Bunich, I made my way back around the backside of the town. Going through the treetops overlooking the palisade, I came onto the church rooftop shaded by the trees. Using earth magic I came into the building through one of the upper story windows. The room was bare of any furnishments and with the cobwebs on the various boxes, I was probably inside an older storage room. I moved swiftly across the dark wooden boards up to the door to my left.


    After quickly listening for any movement through the crack in the door, I slinked out. The place was practically abandoned but it still took me a while between maintaining the sound deadening spell and crouching through the hallways and roof beams to find my target.


    In a basement on the right side of the building was a large iron door surrounded by pretty solid stonework. Using earth magic, I quickly tunneled to the right and came into the room as I filled in the hole once I got into the room. I also made sure to leave a line of stone to guide me back towards the hall once it was time to leave.


    The dark room was soon lit up with a flame in my palm. I still wasn''t sure about how the fire magic worked as far as burning oxygen went but there was a large enough space under the door frame that I wasn''t worried about running out of air. While the sides were bare with nothing but the grey stonework, the middle of the room held a line of bookshelves back to back. I walked up to it and started perusing its contents. Taking special care to remember where I took the books from, I picked up a red book and went over its contents.


    This one was from Daimond if his name scrawled on the first page was anything to go by. It seemed to mostly be about momentum and the formulas for physical energy. All quite fascinating to see on such old paper but that was something I was already familiar with.


    Perusing through the other volumes I found more inventions but they all suffered from the same problems the friar mentioned:


    A mechanized jackhammer that wouldn''t be as effective as slapping a stone enchantment on a leather sleeve around a regular hammer.


    The mechanical water pump had a number of moving parts that would require a lot of replacements, which is a problem you wouldn''t have with a rope that had enchantments pulling up the water through its fields of manipulation.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    A sad thought struck me. It was these things that were the foundation of a technical society. The massive supply chains and professions involved in operating and improving them were the seeds that allowed my people to create things that far surpassed the abilities of magic.


    I reflected on that briefly.


    I could make several crafts that would far and away increase the bounties of a farm''s crops but the restriction of available mana would forever limit the increase to the fields yields. But hydroponics had no such limits. More nuclear, solar, or bio-reactor plants could always be built to increase the scale but magical systems had no such scalable abilities. It was getting over that hump into the higher tier industries where Adia had fallen short.


    The bitter thought nipped at me as I reflected on how much better things would have gone if I had just put forth little to no effort in the trials. All the things I could be building right now and the only thing I''ve done since getting here is kill bandits.


    I suppose it''s not a total loss.


    After putting the book back, I dug through the wall again while making sure to replace every bit of stone as I followed the trail in the earth I had left behind. Coming into the hallway, I went back up to the main floor. It was still pretty empty, so after maneuvering around a few of the priests, I used magic to slip two gold coins into the collection box as I sat above it in the darkness of the rafters.


    It was the only way I would let myself get away with inflicting more expenses on these poor people.


    Going back into the room from whence I came and back into the treetops, I made my way towards the academy town. Despite my great hunger and need to shower, I pushed on knowing I could get all I needed once I got there. It was around mid-afternoon when I got back. Coming into the abandoned troll nest, I undressed and pushed the boulder blocking the entrance a little bit using magic. I made my way through the tunnel until I got back into my workshop and hung up my suit on the stand to my right.


    I got a quick shower using magic in the grotto section of my basement. Afterward, I replaced my leather armor and cloth undershirt with a white shirt and brown pants. I headed into town carrying a deflated air about me with a lot of the passerby going out of their way to avoid me, more so than usual. The street food stall by the docks I ate at served a delicious looking whole fish served in a bowl with spicy peppers and a rich cream sauce washed down with a fruity ale.


    But it might as well have been cold porridge for all I the taste I could register.


    Going back to my house while looking blankly over the It would take a while to get all of the timing down, but if I could make enchantments that had some time delay mechanism that would allow me to set up traps above their camp and ''launch'' attacks while in class. I went over several ways to do that as I went home but all the late nights and long trips of the past few days had taken their toll on me so I just lay in my hammock opposite the main door resting and futilely trying to think of my past family as the late afternoon slipped away.


    Then the door opened and I saw Salamede coming through the doorway with the bright oranges across the sky glowing from her back. She had a bucket and several rags in her hands. I felt an odd sense of foreboding as I looked at her but couldn''t quite put my finger on what was causing it.


    "Oh, you''re home. I thought you would be coming back late so I wanted to-" She stopped as she looked back over towards me. I guess the shower didn''t help cover up the rough few days I had.


    "What happened?" She asked gently, her soft, feminine voice showing concern through the connection.


    "Nothing," I said bitterly as I looked back towards the smooth grey stones of the ceiling.


    She clearly didn''t buy my assertion as the sound of her approaching was heard on my left side.


    "Eli, what happened?" She asked. I turned towards her. She had a green dress on with the rags and the bucket on the floor by the hammock. Her white spherical eyes, though lacking irises, still showed some concern with the look on her humanoid face with fur. She was biting her lower lip in worry.


    I sat up in the hammock.


    "It''s no...I...I-"


    I just stared at her for a bit before it all came out.


    "I am growing tired of these people," My voice laden with weariness but I pushed through. "I see children stricken with hunger, the bodies of beggars deformed with disease in the markets, and I know in my mind it is my duty, by the word of God and by my own moral imperative, to help them. But damn if the people in charge aren''t making it hard to do so. Another growing part of it is the loneliness.


    I''ve spent a long time in workshops and tinkering with various tools but even the most independent soul needs companionship after weeks, someone to provide a sense of belonging and to be a member of your tribe. With the trial, the scions now avoid me and none of the crafters or casters ever cared for me. Things would have gone far better for me if I had just done nothing for the trials.


    But now if I want to bring science to the world I have to prove that I''m not a pedophile and I''ve got to scrounge up some scrap of paper or confession to clear my name."


    "Have you considered going somewhere else?" She asked hesitantly like she didn''t want to know the answer.


    "Yeah, but the problem with that is the stench on me will follow wherever I go. I can''t hide my identity" I pointed towards my silver hair and purple eyes "in any city. Who knows, if the guards sent to bring me back to the academy don''t catch up with me the nobles might. Besides I''m already established among the peasantry here, so I can still buy land and build the... um, they''re called factories. Special buildings made to huge quantities of items very cheaply."


    Salamede nodded her head in what seemed like a mix of comprehension and relief.


    "and... you know I thought myself so much better than other people, so much more righteous and good. But maybe I''m the asshole and I just don''t get it. "


    "Why would you even say that?" Salamede asked as she sat down to my left.


    I looked her in the eyes then told her about the gang and orc attack on the road, and then the incident with the witches. She put a hand to her mouth near the end as her eyes glistened.


    "Oh, those poor girls." She said as she shed a single tear for them.


    "I tried several times. Several times to save people, to make a better world with my actions outside of the workshop, but several young girls, who had so much life ahead of them are dead because I didn''t ask the right questions." I said bitterly.


    Salamede squeezed my hand as I continued.


    "But you know what I have done right? Kill bandits. I can kill bandits. All of those plans have gone exceedingly well. It''s just actually saving their victims or other innocents where I can''t seem to get it right. I''m just not used to having to act on the spot. Back home I would typically have 2 or 3 contingencies in place before having to even consider what to do, not to mention years of crafts at my disposal to accomplish what I wanted. " I finished.


    "But the friar was right, you did manage to save one life. Which is even more impressive considering you''re a mage. Most mages wouldn''t go out of their way to help peasants, something those people we saved from the troll will well attest." She said sincerely.


    "Is that enough? That I''m a mage so not letting a bunch of kids die makes me worthy of commendation. What-" It hit me then what I had sensed earlier. Salamede had a human-shaped skull with a soft downy fur. But her goat features were still quite prominent as were her pure white eyes. There had been only one thing in this world that was similar and it had been just different enough that I didn''t put the two together immediately: The demon.


    "Salamede... that demon. It had some features that were... similar to a Kelton. Is there a connection there?" I asked hesitantly.


    Her eyes drooped with her ears and she bit her lip as she clearly struggled for a response.


    A chill went up my spine.


    Dear God, did it happen again?


    Did the female Keltons have magic powers? Like the kind Lilly used on me?


    I quickly went over all of our interactions, from picking her up in the street to the rescue in the basement to our troll adventure up until now. I couldn''t remember anything that stood out but that didn''t mean that the Kelton''s abilities were limited by having to look us in the eye like the dryads.


    "I... think I need to be alone," I said quickly.


    Salmede pulled back like I had physically hit her. She looked at me hurt for a moment before picking the bucket and rags that sloshed some water along her green dress. She half ran out of the door, pausing only briefly once she reached the doorway looking out over the grass and the red sky of the fading sun. But the moment passed and she ran back towards her home.


    Getting up off the hammock and over to the stand that held my items to the right, I put on my armor as my mind raced with different tracks of thought. Why would a part-demon woman help me out? Why are half-demon people allowed in the town?


    Hold on, one step at a time.


    I rushed back towards the academy dorms and from there went to the classrooms myself. Luckily it was late enough that the guards didn''t see me blend into the small crowd approaching for late-night study sessions. When we finally got towards the classrooms, some people noticed me and gave me the typical scowls and mean spirited glares, but I ignored them and pushed past into the white circular dual-building. I half-ran towards the third floor dedicated to works on the world''s various species and their known abilities and attributes. The biggest distinction was the human-breeding capable species on the left side of the floor and those who couldn''t reproduce with humans on the right. I guessed correctly and found the Kelton on the left side.


    It took me well into the night of reading book after book about the Keltons to find my answer. There were several inquiries into their origins. The most popular theory was a freak accident of a human morphing into a demon and the parasite dying halfway, possibly something to do with the administration of holy water.


    The most important part was that Keltons only seemed to have odd spikes of blood lust. Three different books testified that Keltons had no other innate magical abilities any different than humans. The only difference seemed to be that if they became scions they manifested a personal weapon rather than a companion.


    I took a deep breath and looked out over the mess of books.


    Yeah, I mean this all would make sense. If the Keltons had some malicious abilities and given how xenophobic low tech societies-


    ''Don''t fucking start with that. The first time I heard about the Keltons origins my first impulse was to not even let them in the town. I''m in no position to start on this high minded crusade about enlightening the unwashed masses'' I scolded myself.


    After putting all of the books back, I headed back towards Salamedes'' home.


    The faint glow of a candle in the window told me she was still up. After knocking on the door, I waited for a few moments before the door slightly opened. Salamede looked at me through the crack with a bitter look on her face.


    "Are you sure it''s safe being so close to me?" She asked in a spiteful tone.


    "Salamede, come on. That''s not fair. I understand why you''re upset but that was quite a lot to drop on someone out of nowhere." I said in a conciliatory manner. She closed her eyes briefly before letting out a long breath and after a moment she opened the door, revealing the rest of the green dress that she hadn''t changed out of. I followed her as she went inside and sat on the red couch to the right.


    We sat in silence for a few moments before continuing our conversation in the candlelight glow from the table in front of us.


    "So what did you find out about us?" She asked. Salamede was leaning back into the couch as she stared at the ceiling with her arms across her stomach. I just sat upright looking at her.


    "Part demon with odd spikes of blood lust. Aside from getting weapons as scions, you''re pretty much humans." I replied.


    "Yeah. It''s so irritating, just having a conversation or shaking a hand, and out of nowhere is a sudden urge to attack and kill. Some of us struggle with it more than others, but I''ve never given in to the impulse." She said. I took the opportunity to lighten the mood.


    "I''m surprised such a species would vomit at the sight of a trolls head caving in." I teased.


    She swatted my arm.


    "Ass" Salamede chuckled "The occasional bout of blood lust doesn''t mean we''re fine with guts and gore. Though, given my troll reaction, did you really think I was a threat to you?"


    "I''m not a god among men. The right arrow from a peasant could kill me. Besides, I wasn''t really worried about a frontal attack. My first concern was mind manipulation." I responded. She raised an eyebrow at me.


    "When I first came here, I ran into a druid. She lead me away from a Front patrol after using some form of mind magic on me. I didn''t even know that I was under her spell and I''m pretty sure it had residual effects for days afterward. My main worry was that I got tricked again." I said as indifferently as I could but she must have seen how the deception still stung.


    "Eli" She said as she hugged me with her handlebar ivory horns going over my head. She wrapped her arms around my neck as her considerable chest pressed against mine. I had a faint tugging in my memory like I''ve done this before but all it produced this time was an intoxicating mix of lust, contentment, and safety. A feeling so primal, right from my ancestors'' days in caves enveloped me, letting me truly relax for the first time in ages.


    Sadly, the moment passed. Eventually, she let go of me and looked me in the eyes.


    "I''ve thought more about your offer to help in the missions. I think it''ll be best if I come with you. Another pair of eyes out there would be invaluable, yes?" She finally said.


    "Indeed. You''ll mostly stay in the back and shoot at people though." I said with a smile.


    "Why? Don''t trust me with my flame thrower?" She asked in a decidedly neutral tone.


    "I do, it''s just that making them think there is only one vine monster will give us a tremendous advantage in surprise and flexibility," I responded. I would probably have to give her my gun at first and set up another generator, but this time an unenchanted vine suit would be fine for a while since she could just piggyback on me to travel.


    I got up and shook her hand. She waved goodbye to me as I took off down the stone bricks of the street. Coming back into my home I rested in the hammock, this time my sleep came as a gentle drift as a sense of warmth and comfort helped push me into sleep.

 Chapter 57: Target Practice

    Eli POV


    _________________________________


    The boulder cracked as the bullet missed the red dot made of berry juice on it by several inches.


    "Don''t breathe when you''re taking the shot. Small movements like that make huge differences in where the bullet ends up" I told Salamede. She was currently perched on a tree overlooking an empty field while I was down below a few yards to her right. It was approaching midday and my vine suit/ deer skull helmet was getting a bit too warm.


    It took a while but I managed to make a scope that used half-circles of water as lenses in a wooden tube that fit above the gun. While easier to describe than make, it provided Salamede a window of training for accurate shots that was actually achievable in the amount of time we had left.


    The mass of vines and wooden helm molded around Salamede''s skull and horns, giving her a more organic feel than mine. Magically enchanting a vine suit involved putting down several triangle constructs with plant mana constructs placed in them and using it over and over until they moved like any other limb. Salamede had used it a few times but the branches still needed a lot more practice and mana usage before they could be used to jump and hold on to trees like mine.


    "Hey, I''m hitting near the dot now." Salamede pouted.


    "If a bandit takes a child hostage, that distance between the red dot is the difference between a family reunion and a funeral. You''ve made great progress but there is still a lot to improve on."  I tried to respond encouragingly. Truth be told I was proud of her, she had made good progress for just a day''s training and she hadn''t even looked down the barrel of the gun once.


    We had spent most of the morning getting her used to the air boosters. But she took to using spirit magic to make the connections quite easily, which wasn''t a surprise considering how much Keltons use it compared to humans. The biggest issue was that she would stand still when attacking, even as she was being charged by me. Also, no matter how many times I came at her, she would hesitate for the critical fraction of a second.


    "All right, it''s almost lunchtime. Let''s break for now and get some rest." I called to her.


    "Sure," She said in her rough voice as she jumped down. We then made out way back towards the abandoned troll nest that held my secret entrance.


    "What a thrilling day this has been. I feel so... powerful, like a lethal killing machine. Not a bad step up from being a maid." She said excitedly through a spirit connection.


    I gave a slight cough as I moved the boulder aside.


    "It varies by the person, but having to use that gun on another human being will be different than using it on an inanimate rock," I said as we moved through the dark hallway.


    When we made it into the soft glow of the workshop''s lamp fastened to the pillar in the middle of my basement and put our vine suits away, I saw Salamede looking at me with a smile playing across her lips. She wore her leather armor under her suit, now padded out with air booster to give her some added maneuverability, and some brown boots. She went over to the grotto on the far side to wash her head.


    "What?" I asked as I took off my vine suit and laid it on the magnet table alongside a blue dress with white frills. Along the length of the stone table were various bark pieces molding the copper sphere, wires, valves, and other assorted parts slowly molding bits of steel and iron laying on top of them into another generator/gun set up to replace the one I gave Salamede.


    My white shirt and brown pants didn''t have any sweat on them and my leather brown boots were still good enough that I could walk directly to our lunch.


    "You said ''another human''. You really consider me like your kin?" She asked almost shyly.


    "Better than. You''ve been invaluable to me, both as a friend and as a partner." I replied semi-honestly. In truth, I have started to feel more and more like we should be something else besides friends. She had helped me more than anyone else had in living memory, and my feelings had become more inclined towards romanticism after yesterday.


    Sure, I had found her sexually appealing long before then but that had been a purely physical thing. I was a man after all and I make no apologies for that. But this was different, more like a subtle warmth in my bones and a sense of ease with her near than hard lust.


    "Thanks, I''d love to talk more but I''m starving." She said as she stood back up. When she came up to me and looked over the rough wall of the basement I noticed that the water was flowing down her grey skin in the neck opening of the armor near her chest.


    Subtle warmth, Eli. Not hard lust.


    "Sure, I''ll let you get changed and we can get something by the docks," I said as I made my way up the stairs. After a minute Salamede came up with the blue dress and looked tired but quite happy. I offered my arm, which she took. As we walked through the town we got a few quizzical looks, from both humans and Keltons, but the people in our area had gotten used to this ''odd'' couple and made no comment. Besides, they were all still happy with the ''capital-level'' quality of their roads, and being the ones who made them that quality was a great way to make up for oddness.


    We came onto the backside of the docks and ate at a tavern. Our dark wood booth came with a view overlooking the dockworkers moving cargo onto and off various ships. I had a chicken soup while she ate a chicken leg quarter with spicy cream sauce. We talked in a spirit magic connection as we ate.


    "So what are we focusing on when we start making moves against the bandits?" She asked.


    "Any attacks have to be hit and run unless we can nab a high ranking officer. They will have skilled mages hidden with grass camouflage, not unlike ours, and we can''t afford a long drawn out fight or let any of them get away. The big thing going forwards is that this is all needs to look like the orcs fault. That means collecting their discarded arrows and supplies to leave at attack sights and using our advantage of surprise to the greatest effect.


    We have your suit up to snuff for long-range movements, it''s just not capable of my extreme jumps so you''ll have to ride on my back. While I''m doing that, focus on aiming and shooting while moving. You don''t need to be perfect just be proficient enough to hit a body while jumping." I said as I gulped down the last of my soup.


    We finished up our food and went back towards my house. Salamede spent the rest of the day jumping through the air and shooting various stones placed among the trees. While she did that, I went out and gathered as many orc arrows, body parts from battles, and other weapons to use as a cover for our activities. While I jumped through the trees, I used my internal mana generation to accumulate mana crystals in the sack I used while doing the roads with the hole facing my right side.


    The next day I had classes again. It was another miserable slog and I only got a barely passing grade in my tactics class. Apparently when you''re being charged by cavalry, setting up caltrops ahead of time isn''t a good answer because you''re a mage who is far too valuable to take any such risks setting them up and instead you need to let the peasants die as you use the enemy''s charge as an opportunity to hit them from behind. Of course, it didn''t outright say that but it was pretty obvious that was general strategy when reading between the lines.


    Blow them all away with a minigun wasn''t an option so I felt like the whole mental exercise was a waste anyway.


    It wasn''t until I got back home around midday that I felt like my day really began, I accrued a good number of mana crystals as Salamede showed marked improvement in her marksmanship.


    She had even lessened her hesitance in fighting, not by a miraculous margin, but the difference was definitely there. It was at the end of the days training that we were both in the workshop. The air piston helped the container and some flatter portions of the wheel generator and air pump go along much quicker than pure magic would have demanded, but it still wasn''t quite finished. The mana crystals quantity also reflected my growth in mana generation. The slab of mana crystal that took me nearly a whole day to make now only too a few hours at most.


    As Salamede stood to my left, she watched the writhing mass of vines on the table as I fed the mana crystals to her vine suit. The enchantments somehow got gradually better at moving the vines into the proper directions and with greater speed every time it was used, making it just a matter of using them over and over again until the suit was capable of using all of its functions.


    "Ok, repeat the steps again" I told her as I made three vines sway back and forth in the air above the table.


    "Wrap the vines around the tree at an angle to help maintain momentum or wrap around sideways and extend the grass underlayer to cushion the blow when you stop." She repeated studiously. I nodded back in satisfaction.


    "Quick, you''ve sustained a wound. Where do you activate the healing function?" I asked in a brisk tone as I fed a cracked mana crystal to the summoning circles that sustained the almost minute triangles running along the vines.


    "The shoul... no, the stomach?" She said uncertainly.


    "The back base of the skull or the throat." I replied firmly, I felt a dull ache in my lower chest but it passed quickly enough that I continued my train of thought , "We''re not going out into the field until you can activate the healing functions without even thinking about it. When we dual later I will randomly shout "Injured" and you must activate the healing functions. I''ll have them shoot a small jet of water out instead of going to the healing function to let me know how fast you''ve activated them."


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Salamede got a put-out expression with pouty lips but she kept it out of her voice.


    "I understand" Was all she said in reply.


    But we didn''t have a lot of time to spend training. I had been up before the sun scouting several of the locations in the closer western region where Maw''s gang were hunkered down. The decision had finally been made and the message had arrived. The soldiers fortifying these places had only just this morning left for the main base to help root out the long-gone menace, a.k.a. me, from their base of operations. Even if I hadn''t seen the troops leave, the few left to maintain their patches of territory were obviously left understaffed.


    The camps all varied in composition and size, from wide camps to single stone building to mini forts with a wood wall, but the signs of a recent reduction in numbers were all there regardless of the makeup. Roads in and out of the places were churned from heavy traffic but the places now had few if any traffic or noise. One watchman being assigned to patrol an entire side of the perimeter by themselves. Men who had armor being forced to empty latrines or attend to the other dozens of maintenance jobs.


    However few men were still left, it still meant someone would be in charge of them. They would almost certainly not be high enough to negotiate with nobles but they could tell me who would be. It was an opportunity that was probably going to close in a few days and I needed to take it for all it''s worth.


    We spent the afternoon doing more training in the middle of the woods. She got decent about activating the healing function and getting a good shot off when still, but her vine suit still wasn''t ready to do the very long jumps. Even without that, I would say melee combat was her biggest weaknesses. She could move almost as fast as a wind mage with the regular boosters and the half oval of wood she had used as a hand cover was also a flame thrower, so those would help make up for her short-range problems in the fighting.


    Hopefully, she wouldn''t see hand to hand combat but it was a good enough melee craft, so much so that I made one for myself.


    The next day I didn''t have class and fortunately, the new one I was taking in a couple of days was a math one so I would ace that pretty easily. I was taking one crafter class on customizing equipment for our clients starting in three days, which would be the big time sink going forward but until then I was free.


    Salamede and I made our way out of the tunnel to the troll nest as we donned our vine suits before the rising of the sun. We made our way towards the most promising site I previously found by scouting, with nothing but three days worth of supplies in a bag of holding she was carrying while I carried the bag of various orc weapons and bits to make sure they''re blamed for what''s coming.


    After a few hours of jumping, we came up to our target. It was a wide camp nestled out in a clearing in the middle of the woods. As we looked on from a large tree by the entrance, I saw it was all the same as when I had last seen it. The surrounding trees had been cleared with the closest being near the entrance, which was wide enough for two carriages and complete with a sign proudly displaying the gaping jaw.


    It had a wide wall of logs running along its entire perimeter, about twice and a half the height of a man. The center had a sloppy wood house with no porch and only a single window to the left on its front surrounded by a large field of mud and stumps. The small slope on the right side of the encampment had a grassy hill that stood above the muck and had previously been a campsite with tents if the well-worn paths running along it was anything to go by.


    I took note of their numbers. There were less than a dozen tents on the hill now and one or two men patrolled the wall on the walkway while a small team among the tents were working with some vegetables over a boiling cook pot. I saw one messenger go into the house then quickly come back out. The rest were working on the roads, filling potholes, clearing stumps and other such menial tasks.


    "At least there are no innocents in the way this time," I said to my self. The guilt was still there but it at least wasn''t as raw as it had been. More like a numbing ache than a blade to the gut. There was pressure on my shoulder as Salamede gave me a squeeze in reassurance. I scolded my self and got back to the task at hand.


    The camp was large enough that we couldn''t just charge in without risking one of them getting away and giving their leaders an early warning about our presence in the southern region. So I put Salamede on guard duty. She would watch the entrance since the palisade was high enough that the men couldn''t get over it without injuring themselves.


    I slipped down to the forest floor and got into position, leaning against a tree while lining up my shot to take out the guard overlooking the entrance. I was far enough away that he didn''t see me until I had gotten close enough to puncture his throat with a stone shard.


    I rushed headlong up to the entrance and did a boosted jump over the palisade onto the platform behind it. People were so busy they didn''t notice me at first but as I jumped down to rush towards the larger group of men, one of the men working on the road looked up. The scraggly man with wild black hair was with a group of six men to the left working with shovels and a few yards to the right were three men using axes on stumps.


    His brown eyes went wide when he saw me and looked down at the body lying on the walkway but before he could make a sound I jumped towards the group and activated my helmets laser-life fire. It cut through him and five other men. The last one stood there dumbstruck before I bashed his head in with a stone boulder flying from an earth spell.


    The three men with axes were a bit quicker to react. Two charged me while another towards the back immediately fled. I put up my right hand and set them both on fire with the flame thrower. As they were screaming and dying on the ground, I ran up towards the hill as I heard the sharp release of air near the entrance telling me Salamede was doing her job. A horn blew from the last watchman on the far side of the palisade, but it cut off when a bullet from Salamede took him in the head.


    By then the few men near the cooking site were rushing to the tents, probably to get some weapons while someone came out of the house. He was about 5''7 with a large amount of wild black hair and a decently maintained combo of a white shirt with brown pants. He took one look at me and rushed back into the house. He was probably the commander, so I couldn''t just blow the house away. I made a quick dash towards the cooking site. There were a few men now carrying swords and putting on leather armor, but it did them no good.


    I activated my helmet again. The lines of concentrated flame cut through the camp with ease, slicing tents, and the men inside them like an onion. Through the den of sobs and cries, I saw three men slinking through the smoke and mayhem to get away by going around the backside of the hill. I took one of them in the head with a fireball but I noticed the commander coming out of the house now, so I let the remaining two run off to ''safety''.


    The commander had a solid jawline with bright green eyes peering through the open face of his helmet. He scowled at me with a sword in his hand and a metal plate over his chest as he sauntered up. He took a stance extending the blade outward with a dramatic flair.


    "I don''t know what the fuck you are, but I will deliver your head on a platter to the boss." He spat at me as he pressed against the hilt of the sword. The plain-looking sword sprung two lines of flame out from the guard handle along the sharp edge of the weapon. It was far enough that the steel didn''t glow from the heat and seemed to be used mostly to kill other sword users who tried to parry the blows.


    Summoning a dozen smaller rock spells around me, the stone shards quickly formed and pincushioned the man. Sure he blocked a few with his sword and armor, but his knees and arms were still completely exposed. After tearing several holes in him the brown, razor-sharp stones quickly disappeared.


    He howled in pain and dropped the sword into the mud, making bubbles come out of the partially soft ground before the flames died out.


    After restraining him with several stone cuffs around his hands and feet I dragged his bleeding body back to the wooden house. I whistled off towards the entrance of the camp and a second later Salamede came bounding down from the woods.


    "How did you do?" I asked through a spirit connection when she finally got within arms reach.


    She stood there for a moment, the wooden mask that flowed around her head portraying no emotion.


    "You were right, it''s different when its a human. One of them nearly got away but I got all three that tried to take off" She said, sounding kind of distant and subdued.


    "You did well. If it helps, these are bandits. When we run across some of their victims any guilt you feel will disappear like flecks of water on a hot stove." I reassured her. She didn''t say anything in response.


    I dragged the man across the yard into the house. He dripped blood everywhere but once we got to the door I healed him. While holding him in front of me like a shield, I moved to open the door. Which is when he screamed.


    "Wait! All right, there''s a blade that will drop on your head if you go through," He cried pitifully.


    I summoned and threw a stone block using a spell from my left hand. It crashed through the dark wood door. What looked like the blade of a guillotine fell from somewhere above the door head and cut deep into the rickety light brown wood of the floor. I stepped over it and into the main room. The house was comprised of the main room we were currently in with a smaller room to the left that had a bed peeking through the doorway. The wood of the floor and walls was barely maintained and rather bare, having only a desk and chair to the back right. for any furnishings.


    "All right, I have some questions about how the Maw gang works," I asked as I slammed him flat across the desk, landing with a solid thud from his armor. He looked like he would love to punch me but was held back by the fact that he loved living more. Salamede walked in and stood to my right.


    "When the boss hears about this, he''s gonna stop at nothing to kill you." He said bitterly.


    "I''m sure he will," I said dismissively before continuing.


    "So how does the gang operate? Who would have the authority to launch raids in the western region?" I asked. I was hoping to get more accurate information about this gang from an actual member and not a former one, the last question was to lead him to believe I was interested in the raid on the academy town while allowing me to probe him about their power structure without making my real concern obvious.


    He glared at me for a long moment.


    "This can be as pleasant or as painful as you want it to be," I said evenly. I had my wooden arms with blades coming out of the hand portion extend outward closer to him.


    When the serrated edges came closer to him he took a deep breath before spilling everything.


    "Maw typically likes doing tax schemes. Helping nobles hide goods they don''t want the government to know about or have trade associations look leaner than they are through fake raids while taking a bit of the difference in some tax thing with the government. He does a lot of stuff outside of what bandits typically do and doesn''t typically like doing actually dangerous activities." I put my hand up to stop him.


    "You keep saying Maw as a person. Which is it? The boss Maw or the gang Maw?" I asked.


    "It''s both," He said carefully.


    My eyes glazed over at the sheer gaudy hubris of such a labeling decision.


    I started up a spirit connection with Salamede.


    "Go stand by the door and keep an eye out." I said politely. She moved back towards the door and stared out over the sea of mud and the occasional body.


    "Please continue," I said respectfully while keeping the incredulity out of my voice.


    "As for the raid, a while back a meet up was called. This is when all the bosses get together to make any sort of move in the western regions, it helps keep the wrong eyes off all of us by denying the more reckless ventures. They agreed on some plan where we had to move some of our boys out to be put under the command of a Viper higher up for a raid. It went south and we''ve been trying to keep a low profile while they sort out all the problems." He said.


    "So why did the boss, Maw, want to help launch a raid on the academy? That''s just about the best way to get attention on themselves. And does the restriction about western activity include kidnappings?" I asked while trying to sound like I was saying it absentmindedly, my mind trying to sort through this mess of information.


    "I don''t know the whole story behind it or if the boss actually wanted to help. People out in the dirt don''t get any information about decisions like that. It was as much of a surprise to me as it was those ditch diggers you killed when we got our boys taken under the Vipers command to pad out their numbers. As for the kidnapping, yes, yes it does" He replied. His green eyes now had a sense of calm. He was a man who knew his time was coming and had finally accepted it.


    "So where would I go to find the Vipers commanders?" I asked politely, but on the inside, I was screaming ''fuck'' as loud as I could. I came here to extract information from a high ranking goon but apparently no one outside their castle has any idea who made the decision to kidnap me.


    But then my skin crawled as I realized something about the set up he described. I chocked the realization down to focus on the conversation.


    He motioned towards the back of the desk. Going to the right and around him, I saw a small stack of papers with various logistical reports and scouting details. But the most prominent item was a map with several landmarks and known Viper and Water Skimmer holdouts, another gang directly next to the swamps.


    "So which of these would I have to visit to find out more about the Viper camp?" I asked calmly.


    "The main base is the middle one with a viper head for a symbol on the map. Unlike us, they only have one commander who stays in that base and coordinates the rest of the region instead of having one guy manage each section like us. Aside from him, their leader is the only one who would know but the leaders all took up as ''guests'' in our castle." He said, his voice dull and lifeless.


    Figures, why stay with your men when you can stay in a nice warm room and get cozy away from the fighting?


    I took a deep breath and put my right hand up in a flash, not even giving him time to think before a block of stone took him from this life through a gaping hole in his skull.


    "Eli!" Salamede shouted, almost stumbling as she turned on me with her shoulders raised in anger.


    "He... you. You just killed him. He was defenseless." She said, her voice showing her clear outrage despite how rough it was to audibly hear.


    "So were his victims. Besides, what were we going to do? Were we going to let him go after we finished our conversation?" I asked calmly. Salamede took a few seconds before she turned her head to the left to stare at the wall in thought.


    "N...no," She said in a deflated tone.


    I put a hand on the patch of vines that was her right shoulder before using the calmest and most polite tone I could manage.


    "That was the most humane way to do it. No fear. No elongated drawn-out suffering or agonizing about the few seconds of life left. Just a barely formed thought then nothing." I told her. But on the inside, I was getting a chill up my spine wondering if he was looking at me right now. Of course, that rested on the assumption that death itself functioned in the same manner as I had experienced in my universe.


    "You''re right, I should defer to your judgment more." She said after a moment''s consideration.


    "Pff. I am but a man. If you have something to say or contribute don''t hesitate to bring it to my attention." I said encouragingly as I went and looked over the rest of the reports as salamede went back to keeping an eye on the entrance. When I was satisfied that I had learned everything worth knowing in this place I jerked my head back towards the door. After taking the map and putting it in one of my pockets, we stepped over the blade sticking in the floor and went back outside into the main yard.

 Chapter 58: Vipers Nest

    Eli POV


    ______________________________


    When we were back out in the mud with the late morning sun filtering in over the treetops, I turned around towards Salamede.


    "I''ll start on the backside of the camp and set everything on fire. You start burning stuff on your way back to the entrance and keep an eye out for anyone coming to visit the camp." I said. She gave a nod and started walking back towards the exit. After we dropped a few throwing axes and darts from some dead orcs I had gathered in a bag of holding, we stuck a few of the black barbed arrows in the bodies. Then I headed back towards the house in the middle of the camp.


    I started up my fame thrower and ran it over the run-down thing. As the flames washed over the woodwork, the bits of tar slapped in between the boards to provide meager weather protection bubbled slightly as the whole building gradually caught alight in flame. I walked over to the campsite and went through the tents, burning the leather and cloth pyramids as well as any of the injured survivors to ash.


    Then I walked over to the wall and did a walk around the perimeter, bathing the woodwork in fire at certain ramps to preserve the ambient mana. I walked out of the entrance, the sign with the gaping jaw to my left being the only item preserved from the flames. Salamede dropped down from the tree and landed in front of me.


    At least she getting more confident in her equipment.


    "What now?" She asked as she crawled up onto my back. I used my wooden arms to lock her in place before taking off. The ambient heat on my backside was getting pretty intense and we needed to get going.


    "According to the map, the main base of the Vipers is next to a lake a few miles from here. But we have a much bigger problem now," I said as I moved upwards through the treetops. I managed to get high enough that I wouldn''t have to worry about smaller branches so I let my bigger jumps rip.


    "What do you mean? Why go after them?" Salamede asked through a spirit connection as she gripped my shoulders in the turbulent movements of my jumps.


    "He said all western activity has to be agreed upon by the other gang bosses. Including kidnappings." I replied.


    She chewed on the information while I stopped and looked down at the road. I took out the map from my pocket and looked it over more carefully in the rising sun. The headquarters was well past a lake that went beyond a sharp bend in the road, but it didn''t come close to the river. It was on top of what looked like a singular mountain that may be man-made if mages were involved with the Vipers as well.


    "They were all involved in your attempted kidnapping? But that seems a bit expensive to get all the gangs involved. Just using their own knights would probably be a far more reliable option." She said, clearly as mystified as I was.


    "Probably, but that''s not the only factor here. I had taken out the troglodytes by that time so they may not have had a lot of confidence in the ability of non-magical minions to take me out. In that case, it would probably be better to use some third party help.


    What puzzles me is why bother using the bigger gangs at all? Surely it would have been far cheaper to use some of the nameless backwoods nobodies if they wanted to just throw minions at me till one of them gets lucky" I said as I mused on all of the possibilities. None of them good and getting worse all the time.


    "It''s hard to tell what a noble would do to satisfy their wounded pride. Maybe several of them got together to split the costs of the needed bribes just for their expertise." She suggested as I stuffed the map back into my side pocket in the underlying leather armor.


    "Perhaps, but that also leaves a bigger paper trail for them to be found out. If the Viper gang has the information I need then I''d prefer to go after them. You didn''t see the castle the Maw gang has to its name. That thing is a massive work of stone surrounded by an empty field and an army of goons and mages.


    I was originally going to use the raid as a misleading question to see who made the kidnap order. But helping in the raid seems very out of character for this Maw fellow and I need to know more about what goes on when making these decisions if I want a better picture of who my actual enemy here is. Besides, the people in the Maw gang out here don''t have the info I need but the Viper commander probably does," I said as I took off, following the road below me as I zipped through the treetops.


    ''And maybe find out more about the odd phrase ''dying for the betterment of the Coalition'' the mage said to me during the raid. Going over the whole incident, I thought he was talking about all the suffering in the raid in some kind of crazy conceited mania about purging the weak that no sane person could understand, but it appears there is more going on with the raid than some mad mans ravings.'' I thought to myself as I tried to filter this haze of questions and mysteries into something more cogent and understandable.


    We were moving through the trees for a good hour or two, sometimes moving over the small clouds of lingering fog and sometimes through them. It was near midday when all the fog had been banished by the sun that the road took a sharp rightward turn. We went on further until we came upon a decent sized lake. It was no puddle but I could make out the far side even if I was on the mucky shore.


    As we zipped along the treeline surrounding the lake towards the Viper HQ, the place in question came into view. The giant structure of grey bricks a good three feet wide and two feet tall had one entrance, a large door with iron bands around it. The whole set up was a good-sized fort for a couple of hundred plus soldiers on a large hill. The thick grey stones were laden with moss here and there but the wall was nearly 5 times the height of a man with a moat of spikes surrounding it, a retractable bridge being the only way up to the entrance. Apparently the architects respected the orcs marksmanship because no building went higher than the wall aside from a single stone tower to the left side riddled with murder holes and flat stone roof.


    I saw a line of carriages loaded down with meats, cheeses, and chests of other basic supplies moving up to the building. The large gate gradually opened for the visitors and the dar bridge was brought up after the last carriage crossed onto solid land. I watched on as the doors closed once the carriages made their way inside.


    "All right. Let''s find a place to rest" I said in a spirit connection before turning away.


    We made our way back towards the mountains further north. I took note of several large rocks and unique twists in the river to keep track of the trail I was taking. There was a larger hill with rocks jutting out of the sides and some particularly tall trees on the peak as the ground behind them gradually slopped off at a slight angle.


    After a late lunch of bread, water, and dried nuts, we headed closer towards the swamps to try and get a better layout of the surrounding area. The area was far mustier and despite being more open with only the occasional hill, it still had a tight, claustrophobic air brought about it from the dead and decaying bodies that would be occasionally spotted along roads or left to rot among the trees.


    As we headed towards a muddy marsh we saw several wooden spikes along the swampy water. Atop them were human heads, all with their jaws torn off and eyes gouged out. Several were displayed more proudly than the others. These were on spikes much larger than the others and had their bodies, disemboweled and burned, laying against the spikes as opposed to the others who were left in grip of loneliness with nothing else to accompany them.


    The taller ones were also almost entirely female while the smaller spikes were almost entirely male and it didn''t take a genius to guess which ones were mages mostly mages.


    This pattern continued for several hours. We would stalk through the fresher air of the high treetops observing when we were in orc territory with more heads on spikes and sometimes even witness when the orcs were getting both the tree and human parts to make them.


    The orcs in the more northern region stuck to using only night-time raids. But the orcs here felt confident enough to do their work in broad daylight. We watched several battles where the orcs ambushed the gang members. That typically went great or poorly based on whether the mages were there. Sometimes the men would suffer a hail of axes, darts, and arrows, as the frontlines of the orcs rushed in to slaughter the survivors.


    Other times it went like the battle we were observing below.


    The orcs had unleashed a volley of arrows from a steep hill behind the trees into a group of about 15 men patrolling the road, leaving only 10 or so to actually fight back as several were curled up in the dirt from various wounds. But as the front line of orcs with small shields and axes charged forward out of the bushes, the whole front line got lit up with balls of flame and stone. Several of the grey leather armored mages with hoods hiding on the branches of the trees used wind magic to get on top of the orcs archers and lay into them with daggers or arrows. I saw at least two orcs go down before they even knew where the attack was coming from.


    Their movement wasn''t nearly as effective or graceful as my own ability but it was still far faster than what the orcs could manage on foot. Now that the tide had turned, the orcs retreated. A few got hit in the back with arrows and I saw one red-haired orc even have their compatriots try to stop and save her but she waved them off as she and the rest of the injured were killed with large stones crushing their heads or burned alive with balls of flame.


    I quietly moved over the orc position to get a better look at how they intended to escape as their path was blocked by a wide churning river.


    Once the 7 odd remaining orcs got towards the channel of water, giant frogs the size of a man came up out of the water. They looked like regular frogs scaled up to 5 or 6 feet tall with webbed hands that had opposable thumbs. While their dress was robes and loose-fitting shirts, the only weapons they carried were wooden clubs and staffs. The spectacle of bright and dark greens, teals, and even some reds rushed past their orc allies to lay down walls of water and usher the survivors into the water.


    The barrage of arrows and stone got caught in the floating walls while the fires just splashed against them and dissipated in a cloud of steam. Once the orcs had slipped into the water the Frojan joined them, pulling back slowly before slipping away in a wide disturbance in the water surface that quickly moved out of eyesight.


    One of the archers shot into the water with a howl of frustration followed by a barrage of stones from some of the other troops.


    "All right, All right. I get your anger, but we killed a lot of them without any casualties" A tall dark-haired woman in grey leather armor said. She had smooth skin with a sharp chin and green eyes.


    "We did good today, let''s head back." She said but she stopped when she saw one of the mages leaning against a tree. The blond was clutching at her side with an arrow sticking out of it.


    "Damn", She said as she ran forward, looking over the wound she whistled over to another woman with brown hair and grey eyes. This new woman produced a healing construct that stopped the bleeding. After a few minutes of care, the arrow was removed and the injury was patched up.


    "All right, lets get back to camp and get you on extended rest," The commander said. But the blond was still crying. The commander helped her up to her feet and helped her lean on her shoulder to help her move along.


    "But...it was my turn tonight. Come on, I can still try for a child tonight if I-," She half pleaded.


    Instead of outrage or bewilderment, the commander looked at the younger girl with a hint of sadness as she put a finger to her lips.


    "Sorry kid. I''ll make sure you get pushed to the front of the line once your fit for the task," She said in a light-hearted manner.


    "If she''s fit? If the men could reliably deliver we would probably have enough mages to finish this war." One of the women called as they headed back towards the site of the attack. This got a round of agreement from the other women.


    "Now, now girls. It''s never been proven that men are at fault for our struggle to conceive." The commander chided.


    "If anyone''s to blame it might as well be the men," Another mage called from the back to the whooping cheer of the rest of the women. They all moved back and disappeared between the trees.


    I thought about it for a few moments.


    "Salamede, is that true? Do mages conceive at slower rates?" I asked in a spirit connection.


    "No idea." She replied.


    Well, it would explain how Andrew and Ryan hadn''t impregnated every woman in the academy by now.


    I shook my head and moved on to the more important task of scouting out the area. The land here didn''t have the constant rolling hills the north had aside from or two steep hills that may not be entirely natural. It was also slightly warmer with a more heavy set musk of decay.


    Fortunately, the mages never came up into my zone of the treetops. This allowed me to gather a lot of information about this new landscape with telative speed and ease. I couldn''t tell who was winning the overall war aside from the local fauna and animals who feasted on the remains of the battles.


    Oddly enough, I came upon one set of spikes during my travels more inside the swamps towards the more eastern region. As we nestled against a tree and looked a good distance past the row of spiked heads, I could see what looked like a human village that had a dozen decent wooden houses and could make out several human girls playing.


    It was odd but I didn''t see anything that suggested they were in danger or being held against their will as they played happily amongst the woods. I looked back towards the row of heads on spikes in clear view of everyone.


    Nothing that suggested they were in immediate danger.


    "They seem well-fed and happy. Not what I would imagine human prisoners would look like" Salamede told me through a spirit connection. A boy came out from behind a house and started talking to one of the girls. The scrawny brown-haired boy looked mighty nervous as he talked to the redhead who was also blushing faintly. In spite of the location and decor, it looked like any other scene in any other village of the Coalition. I moved off and continued my scouting of the area.


    The day drew to a close and we headed back towards our preferred trees on a hill. We sashed ourselves high up in the trees like two hammocks swaying in the nights'' gentle breeze as our sleep passed without incident. I woke up to the good smell of something hot.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Turning in my grass hammock I saw Salamede on a large branch several feet below me working an iron bowl as she used the flame thrower to heat the oats and water within for a nice hot breakfast. I ate the meal of oats and fresh berries on a large branch with my helmet off. It passed by quickly as the faint red and orange glimmer of the pre-morning sun shined on my left side as it did its daily climb into the sky. I fashioned an enchanted piece of bark to act as a shower head with quickly disappearing water.


    While Salamede took her shower, I made more of the stone blade grenades I had used on Maw''s men. As I was putting down the triangle to expel the stone, I felt another dull ache similar to the one I had in the workshop. It was more intense this time but went away as quickly as it had come. I used healing magic on myself then got back to work when I felt fine again.


    In addition to the stone grenades, I also made a crude water shield from a wooden hand cover for my left arm. I didn''t have a prayer of replicating the tools I used as a student in this time frame or in these conditions, but that might be for the better anyway. Wouldn''t want to make anything that might make a knowledgable observer wonder where they''ve seen similar crafts before.


    After a quick restroom break, it was time to get back to work. We zoomed through the trees for a while, stalking and eavesdropping on the various conversations from the bandit and mage groups. None of it was useful or provided any insight into any of the gang activities or their organization and none of them were far enough away from the others to do a snatch and grab. It was when we were traveling a fair bit north from the lake near the Viper HQ when I heard a faint noise coming from my left as we were about to move past the nominally swampy area entirely.


    "Want to check it out?" I asked Salamede through a spirit connection.


    "Sure." She said.


    After a good jump, we started making out the sounds of screams and clothes tearing. The distinct femininity of the terrified voices became clear. I gave another good jump to get closer but when I got at a tree right above the noises I saw directly below me was a grove playing out a scene straight from a bandit raid on innocent families, but the women this time were orcs. On the men''s shoulders, I saw a snake with checkered black and green scales curling around a sword.


    There were four piles of bodies with two or even three men thrusting their manhoods in and out of an orc''s holes, which exact one seemed to make no difference. Off to the side were a few men with an orc to themselves as they roughly took their crying victims from behind over a log. A few of the dead orcs nearby told me they were the ambushee''s this time.


    "Yuck. Let''s get out of here," Salamede said, her voice betraying disgust and a hint of sadness.


    I hesitated for a few moments but then one of the men came out behind one of the trees. He had long black hair and lines along his face. He had a long black coat and pants with a white undershirt. But his green eyes merely took in the scene with indifference as he pulled out his sword from his hip holster and stuck his blade in the throat of one of the orcs splayed out over the log.


    The man who was riding her, a rather ugly, pudgy man with no hair aside from his oak colored eyebrows and brown eyes pulled back and looked at the man in fury. He pulled up his pants over his erection and pulled out his mace from his belt.


    "I wasn''t fucking finished." He bellowed as walked up to the black-haired man.


    "We don''t have time for this. Cut their throats and stop wasting my time." He said evenly.


    The pudgy man laughed in his face.


    "I''m sick of you acting like you''re better than us and can''t seem to realize the situation you''re in. You and Kane fucked up that raid so badly, he''s got a date with the executioners'' blade and you. AINT. NO. OFFICER. ANY-FUCKING-MORE!" He screamed red-faced at the end.


    The black-haired man went livid, with red slowly making its way up his face as he pulled his sword out and held it out menacingly.


    "Listen you scum. I will be back on top soon, I worked my way up the ladder once and I''ll do it again. But you pathetic lot of orc fuckers will always be the cattle sent out to take arrows for the real men among the Vipers." He spat with pure venom in his voice.


    "You? Getting back into the officers'' ranks?" The pudgy man laughed. The other men were finishing up now. The occasional cry of ''Please'' and ''No!'' rang out as the orcs throats were cut but their bodies were eventually tossed about the forest floor or put in a pile past the logs.


    "You lot had one job! One. And you got your asses handed to you by the man you were sent to kidnap. You''ll never even smell the officers'' dining hall ever again. What a delusional fool you lot are." He laughed in the apparently ex-officers face again.


    A stone dropped in my stomach. The town and government denied my involvement in the raid but the bandits knew the truth of how I turned the tide. My hands squeezed the tree branch I was grasping like a steel vise as sweat accumulated on my face.


    The man in the black coat got a shocked expression, his green eyes going wide.


    "How... how did you?" He stammered out.


    "Everyone knows, fuckwad. You can''t keep that kind of failure a secret forever. With those lack of wits I''m not surprised you screwed it up so badly. Besides, it''s not like those other two idiots under Kane are still around. Bob took an arrow to the throat yesterday and George... well we all know what happened to him." The pudgy man said with sneering contempt. A few of the other men now came near to stand by him as they all crowded around the black-haired man.


    "Stay back scum." He put up his sword as the men got closer but one skinny man near the back threw a rock from among the crowd. The sharp rock struck him and the man clutched at his bleeding left temple but the second of disorientation was all they needed. The small mob rushed forwards brandishing daggers, maces, and swords.


    "FUCK Y-" That was as far as he got before the pudgy man bashed him upside the skull and kicked him further away from the group.


    "Salamede, keep an eye out," I said in a spirit connection.


    I disengaged the wooden arms and she balanced on the tree branch before I moved off to the right along the treetops as she awkwardly hopped from tree to tree to look over the few ways someone could come up to the area. Not that there were many people who would come out this far away from the other patrols or outposts.


    How very considerate of these men to provide me such a solitary avenue for our discussion.


    I moved over a few trees and got directly above the black-haired man who was getting his ribs worked on with the pudgy man''s mace about 4 feet from the base of the tree I was hanging onto.


    "All right." The pudgy man said after getting in 3 good blows. He pulled back as he began working his belt.


    "You''ll have to finish what the orc bitch started," He said with malicious glee.


    To spare my self the image, I magically summoned and sent out a wave of razor-sharp stone knives into the crowd of men. Throats were slashed, eyes were punctured, and cries of pain resounded. One man managed to get away unscathed, but as he turned to run in a panic, a bullet hole sprouted from the back of his throat as the sharp crack of something breaking the sound barrier rang out.


    The two men below looked at the bodies and the dying man laying on the ground clutching at his throat for a split second before I slammed into the ground 2 feet in front of them.


    "Evening gentlemen, while I hate to interrupt such a romantic rendevous, I have some questions for you," I said in a calm voice.


    The pudgy man backed off, taking his hands off his rope belt and instead tried to make a run for it. I used earth magic to have the ground below the black-coated man launch him against a tree to the left while I zoomed forward. The wooden hands tucked against my rib cage extended the two feet of serrated blades inside them and cut clean through the upper side of the fat man''s right leg, severing the tendons and nerves.


    He screamed in agony, but I put an air bubble around him that would deaden the noise but still let him breathe. The man I threw against the tree was still too disoriented to move and made no resistance as I turned him over. His face was covered with dirt, rich and dark from being fed with the blood and bodies of decades of war. But his expression told me he wasn''t ready to join his fellows in the mulch just yet as his green eyes went wide with terror.


    "So. About that raid. Tell me who you were trying to kidnap, and why." I said in a calm measured tone. The man looked behind me briefly to see the pudgy man noiselessly thrashing on the ground as blood gushed out of the wound in his brown cloth pants.


    "I, ah, don''t know the name, just that he had silver hair and purple eyes. We were to go around the part of town where he typically stayed while the guards were distracted." He said, pulling back in fear as he cowered against the tree.


    Shit.


    "Why? Why would you go out of your way to kidnap that one person during a raid?" I asked in as calm a tone as I could manage.


    "It wasn''t supposed to be a raid. We were just supposed to clog up the guards with distractions while we made our move. The kidnapping was the whole point of going there. But something went wrong. Only the old commander was given the reason why we went through all this trouble for one person and he''s scheduled to be executed." He said, his eyes going up and down my frame. My mind was spinning as fast as it could to absorb all this, but I needed to squeeze him for as much information as I could get out of him. I could see his mind struggling to put down if or where he''s seen me before. But my deer skull and thick vine/grass suit made that a hopeless cause. Even my arms were covered with leather.


    "Where is he?" I lifted my foot to press my boot into his side. He paled as he only saw the mass of grass move forward beneath the vines. Moving my wooden set of arms and extending their blades to inch closer to his face also added to the effect.


    "The Crypt. The raid screw up took a long time to sort out and decide on his punishment but now he''s kept at the Crypt to await a beheading a few days from now for his failure." He said in a shrill voice.


    Salamede dropped down to my left, causing the man to scramble back in fear and put up his hands in a defensive posture.


    "People are coming, we got a minute before some mages stroll in." She said quickly in a spirit connection.


    "Where is this Crypt?" I asked calmly.


    "Between the castle and the swamps. It''s along the only actual road here as a resting point." He said carefully. He was sitting to the left of the tree I threw him against, and a quick and crude slash from my left wooden arms blade made sure he would stay there.


    The headless body tumbled backward as I shot a stone block at the head of the pudgy man. I released the air bubble after his bald head had been crushed. I did a quick nod to Salamede who got on my back and then used my vine suits extending vines and grass to zigzag up the tree.


    "What the fuck happened here?" I heard some woman scream below.


    When I got high enough in the trees to know I wouldn''t be spotted, I looked back down and sure enough there was a group of about 5 of those grey armored mages coming out from behind the trees near the log where the men had bent over the orcs.


    "So, what did he say?" Salamede asked as I zipped through the treetops.


    "Apparently that raid on the town wasn''t supposed to be a raid. The whole thing was a set up to kidnap me." I said as I used my vines to stretch around a tree and pushed off for long jump. The air, typically better than the fetid rotting stench below, was feeling fouler than it usually did


    "What?! That... that seems like a bit much for a mere grudge, even for a noble." She said with a sense of dread.


    "Yeah, it does." I said with a sense of unease, "But we also have a lead. The commander for the raid knew more about the decision to kidnap me and he''s in a place called the Crypt."


    I followed the instructions the dead man gave me. Heading towards the castle and going down the wide brown dirt road that moved past it I followed the trail for a while as I moved through the tree tops. Eventually, I came up to the ''Crypt''. It was on the right side of the road and looking down from the treetops I could see several large stone slabs laid on a wide hillside amidst wild, unkempt grass.


    In the middle on a more even field was a tree, several halls of plain wood on the side opposite of the main entrance with thick beams and red-tiled roofs, and a box looking house. It wasn''t dilapidated like the Maw gangs house, but the one-story structure was still a squat ugly thing, having only one door and a shuttered window. It was at the end of the dirt path and was the first building you walked up to when coming into the larger gathering of halls. Its architect had no appreciation beyond keeping the elements out of its occupants'' way, with the same taste being used by the halls that surrounded it.


    There was one entrance into the hillside cave several dozen yards from the main entrance on the right side of the camp on with what looked like a hole wide enough for two people to pass through at the same time. It rested between two large two-story bunker houses that were both leaning against the hill. Milling about the place were men tending to pots over cook fires, chopping logs for the fires, putting up tents in a space in front of the bunkers, and other needed tasks for civilization. But none of the inhabitants seemed worried for their safety. Especially the occasional mage who wandered the camp, of whom I would venture to say numbered 2 or even 3 dozen.


    This would all barely peek out beyond a sizeable wall of smooth grey stone surrounding the whole place. All the surrounding trees had been cut down so there was no way in unless you either scaled it with a large ladder, dug underneath it quickly, or flew in. The troops patrolling the top of the wall made the first no concern while the second and third would require magic that the orcs did not possess.


    Even so, this was a place that had been sieged many, many times. From the scattered arrows sticking out of the ground in the field both towards and from the walls, to the orc corpses that dotted the field in varying states of decay and their blood that faintly stained the stone structure, it was clear this was a hotspot in the ongoing war out here.


    It was all too much for me to take on. Maybe, if I was feeling daring, I could take on the people in the inner field with several of my stone crafts, but there were clearly a lot more people in the caves and the other buildings, and I didn''t like my chances of taking out a dozen-plus mages in what would be an even fight at that point.


    I sat there, looking over the place for a while before I left to scout out the woods. There was one more day that I could be here before I had to be back at the academy. I could almost tangibly feel some large piece of the puzzle slipping from my grasp. A sense of desperation came over me as I scrounged the woods for a stray patrol to see if anyone could provide the ex-commanders location inside the fort.


    Then as I landed on a tree, I saw far below me a large gathering of orcs in a pile of boulders. It looked like one orc with long black hair, small tusks, and plain leather armor that held a large ax sheathed on her back was in charge as she stood on the biggest boulder high above the rest. She was in an argument with another orc but it died down when I got close enough to hear.


    "Enough! Get going you lot." She shouted as she spat at her opponent who... ah. I recognized her. She was the orc I had met before, the one who comforted the little girl. The bowl cut with a line of hair near the right eye, a scar across the left eye, and vertical cut across the nose. The black leather armor complimented with a black neck choker was distinctive as well.


    They all broke up the assembly and moved through the woods. I noticed the direction they were taking and followed them. The orcs kept along the same direction as the afternoon sun made towards its journey''s end. As the night was just beginning to bring its hold on the woods, the orcs moved in near-total silence as they moved with practiced athletics around trees and boulders. The main body of orcs marched, picking up a pack of a dozen-plus Frojan along the way until they came up to the Crypt. They hadn''t been spotted so they crept along the left side of the tree line around the camp. I stayed a good several dozen yards between them and the orc I knew who stayed in the treeline closer to the only entrance to the Crypt. The larger group moved forward until they came upon another smaller group of orcs on the side opposite of the main, roadside entrance, all wielding ladders.


    Their purpose clear, I came back towards the orc closer to the entrance to stay over her. One of the Frojan, a large specimen with a dark green hide and light green underbelly showing under his tattered blue robe, said something to her. She put her hands up to her face with a sad nod. I looked back at other group for a while before turning back down towards the black leather orc. She took a crossbow from one of the giant frogs. After priming the weapon, she waited for the opportune moment.


    When a laborer was moving some buckets filled with what I assumed was sewage out of the now opened gate, she shot the guard working the winch on the wall to open the gate. He was above the wall and the distance from the tree line where she was and the winch open to the air was far greater than what the smaller bows of the orcs could usually cover.


    He took it in the throat, but his fellows quickly took out and blew their horns. It was already too late to stop her though. The gate didn''t automatically lower with no one working the winch, and as the laborer dropped his buckets and ran back into the encampment. . The frojan and the orc rushed in, cutting men with her blade and the frojan using various weapons to cut and stab.After a few minutes, horns started blowing on the back left side as well


    But this charge was a lost cause. The other party charging the wall was getting rocks, arrows, and fireballs thrown at them. As the charge broke down, the mages started coming out in full force as well. Then a saving grace for the orcs came in the form of a wagon filled with oils for torches and grease. It was on top of the hill and caught a fireball from a mage who took an orc arrow in the shoulder.


    The men who were pushing it had been replacing torches along the walls and were now trying to gently maneuver it down the side of the hill that was closer to the wall where the orcs with ladders were and put it back in the underground cave. They panicked and abandoned the wagon as it careened down the hill and its barrels rolled everywhere engulfing everything in a cloud of smoke as the flaming oils spread to various tents, wooden structures and crushed the men in its path, leaving the only visible side the one near the forts main entrance.


    I chewed on my lower lip for a bit, thinking over everything.


    ''It''s crazy I''m even considering this'' I said to my self. I had to decide how badly I wanted to get to that commander before he felt the tender mercy of the executioner''s blade.


    And letting the only source of information about the nobles after me that didn''t reside in a huge ass castle die was no decision at all.


    "Ok Salamede. We need to get ... involved. Stay here and snipe any bandits you can." I said as I let her down, but Salamede''s unbelieving voice came through a spirit connection.


    "Just the bandi... Orcs, Eli? We''re helping Orcs?" She demanded in a scandalized tone.


    "No, we are performing an operation that incidentally means a moment of mutually working towards an equally desirable goal," I said using the language that would most obfuscate the truth while not lying. Once she was down and secure on the tree branch, I landed on the ground and launched my self towards the wall.

 Chapter 59: Unexpected Helper

    Gula POV


    _______________________________________________________


    "And this will be the time that we go down in history as the Orcs who won the war for our species," The orc boss said to thunderous applause. She threw up her hands in triumph as her long black hair swayed and the axe on her back glinted in the remaining sunlight


    "Pff" I scolded under my breath, as I looked down over the black leather armor that tightly clung to my breasts and hips. It was nearing the end of the day, in the middle of the forest that I was enduring this pompous speech. My position was in the middle of a crowd of my own kind whooping and cheering her speech on the dirt floor between two boulders. Some were standing on boulders while others stayed on the ground level looking up to the leader who made sure to be on the highest boulder looking down on everyone.


    "But what''s different than the last time we did this?" I called, putting my green hands to my mouth in a cone. A lot of faces turned to scowl at me but it wasn''t anything worse than what I had endured since my youngest years. Surprisingly, the orc commander just smiled, her red irises showed some pleasure against the rest of her black eyes.


    "Yes, we have had a few bad runs of it. But I sent for a decent crossbow to be delivered from the Frojan gang you''re so fond of, shamed,'' She emphasized the last word, to the sneers of those around me but I kept my eyes locked on her. " That will allow you to shoot the man opening the gate. Since several other scouts have confirmed that it will stay open when the guard lets it go, you can then rush in to provide the distraction we need" She finished.


    I felt the blood drain from the green skin on my face.


    "But that-"


    "Enough! Get going you lot!" She bellowed over me., even going as far as to spit at me. Everyone started moving out after that. I saw some faces in the crowd that told me they knew as well as I did what a terrible plan this was. If I missed the guard, if the guards along the wall reacted too quickly, or if the commander decided not to commit too many troops to put down a single orc and a dozen Frojan everything would fall apart.


    Conveniently, it would all be on my head if things went badly. Which was fine, because hey, whoever gave a fuck about me in the first place?


    We all moved through the forest with a sense of dread. I had helped in several attempts to break the back of this stone beast, but the fruits of those efforts were riddled with arrows as they rotted among the stumps leading up to the considerable walls.


    Along the way, my boys joined up from an entrance to an underground river. The big frogs walked slow but they could do light hops that kept pace with the rest of us. Moving through the forest, it was near night time we came upon the biggest thorn in our green sides aside from the main castle. The grey stone wall was smooth from the work of the mages who formed it. The faint stains of blood on the wall also told of the sacrifices previous attempts had cost us.


    Without a word, the others left us. Our group had stayed behind among the trees. I was leaning against one tree out of view of the bandits as did all of the other Frojan. One of the Frojan, a big green guy in a blue robe spoke to me as we all peered through the dimming light up towards the jutting mass of stone. His voice had a deep vibration and rumble similar to the mating calls of his less intelligent, smaller cousins.


    "What is this? Do they really expect us to take this place down tonight or pull enough away for them to get up the walls?" He asked in a scandalized tone.


    I put my hands to my face in silent agony. The longer hair on the right side of my face was squeezed against my face for a bit before nodding and releasing my hands.


    "Nah. We were never going to take this fort. The higher-ups back in the swamps got a big dick over the idea of getting this extra piece on the map without even considering the losses we''ve sustained elsewhere" I said solemnly. The frogs of red, green, and teal surrounding me all nodded in the darkness of the night at that.


    The war for the north had been going disastrously. The long distances for the raids had lengthened our supply lines and brought our soldiers to near breaking. The orcs and Frojan had spent decades in the swamps and enjoying the benefits of being on home territory. But I guess some higher-ups were getting impatient at our kinds lack of apparent progress, so the long slog of pushing northward was launched years ago.


    The thing is, none of the generals would have to slog through that mess. It was the sods on the bottom of the pole who would die and bleed to expand the lines of territory on their maps. But it seemed like someone making the decisions had finally noticed what was going on and decided to start focusing on where we should be: the southern regions.


    Focusing on taking down this fort was a good start. If it had been done properly. Sadly it also seems whoever made that decision wasn''t willing to pull resources from the north to do it. Making the whole thing a pointless waste of lives and resources.


    "You know what''s gonna happen right?" Baloo, the green Frojan with the blue robe, said in a deflated tone. He looked out over towards the fortress while making sure to have his green hide blended in with the moss-covered tree as he peered over the side of it.


    "Yep," I responded in as quiet and neutral a tone as I could manage.


    "This will fail, just like all the other raids did. But this time they will have someone to blame. They didn''t want us for our skill or ability, they wanted someone who could take the blame when this operation fails. Because more than skilled, experienced, or well adapted to the battlefield, we are above all else, expendable," I looked around the Frojan, who all looked at me with a knowing gaze. These Frojan were all outcasts who offended the wrong person back in the swamps, stole the wrong goods, or slept with the wrong wife.


    The bitches'' crime made me expendable as well. These blokes had helped me through some tough spots, as I had helped them. Over time we had just melded together through the course of raids, battles and ambushes.


    I cleared my throat before I continued.


    "The commander knows we don''t have the troops or the means to take this place. It''s fucked. But at least this way she can say her desperate unworkable plan would have succeeded if we hadn''t screwed it up." I said. The scowl on my face wouldn''t be contained as I looked over towards the fort.


    "Hey, maybe we can win. It''s not like we have no chance at all" One of the younger Frojan to the side said.


    "Bah! And maybe I''m secretly Borba. Keep your eyes open and your mouths shut," I commanded as we all settled in.


    It took a while but finally, a laborer came out. When the gate was pulled up the winch, I took a deep breath and whipped the crossbow up. The bolt flew through the air and took the guard right in the throat. His armor only extended up to his shoulders, not that the leather armor would have done him much good anyway.


    I had that ever-present pang as he fell over clutching at his throat, but then the other guards blew their horns and the adrenaline pushed aside my doubts to do what needed to be done. We all dashed towards the wall as the laborer ran back to safety, dropping the buckets of sewage as he sprinted. Some of the frojan battered the men on the wall with balls of water as they tried to get to the wench, pushing them over the side of the wall. Once we got past the stone arch where the palisade still sat immobile we fought with the 8 or 9 guards who came up to resist us.


    When I pulled out my sword, a horn blew off to the left side.


    "idiots," I growled to myself as I ran one man through the heart when as his leftward swing with a morningstar missed. The others were already running towards the wall before enough troops had been drawn to this side of the camp. Not that the plan was good to start with.


    After killing the guards with a few minutes of fighting, it was when we were making our way towards the halls that a wagon filled with oil barrels caught on fire and careened down the hill on the right side of the camp. Flaming barrels rolled through the field setting the halls on fire as well as some of the passing men who were now screaming in agony as their skin melted off. All I could see of the side where the main assault was taking place was a wall of smoke. I had Baloo and two others behind my back as we pushed towards the entrance but as the other frojan fought on the left side of the field with some of the bandits, a group of men came who came out of the smoke coughing up their lungs got a second wind and charged us.


    A sharp crack rang out through the air but I focused on the mob approaching us.


    Brandishing swords, spears, and war hammers, they pushed us further back. I saw one of the red Frojan on the farther side take a spear to the leg and when he toppled over and out of the main formation, one of the men in cheap leather armor rushed forward and crushed his skull with a maul. The smell of blood and smoke filled my lungs as I parried a sword swing aimed at my neck. Going on the offense wasn''t an option as more men came out of the smoke and embers.


    Baloo crushed the throat of a spearman two tried to get in a jab at us with a solid water ball, but there were more men coming out of the smoke now. Another sharp crack rang out but in the confusing chaos I couldn''t get a bead on where the strange sound was coming from. Turning back towards the wall of smoke and the row of now burning buildings I saw some of the distinctive grey cloaks of the mages coming out of the two bunker houses near the cave entrance. All of the water mages were running about trying to put out the flames while the mages of the other elements came towards us or to defend against the attack on the far wall.


    The ones who approached us looked like wraiths that had their backs glowing with the flames from the burning buildings as their fronts were covered in the shadow of the night. They sauntered forward, every inch of their beings exuding power and confidence.


    A group of about 7 mages approached the Frojans who had made it almost up to the bunker on the left side. One blond woman with blue eyes used a spear of flame to skewer another of the frog-men through the gut, leaving a smoldering hole through his red chest. The brown-haired mage to her left dealt a quick blow to the skull with a rock the size of a head, finishing him off. The two mages did a hand clap to celebrate their victory over a foe who had been looking the other way.


    "Eddk" I said sadly as I recognized the Frojan who had died. But as the men pressed down on us, three mages came over to put us down. As our group of three were slowly edging backward I went to stab one of the men in the leg but his friend to the right swung a mace at me, knocking the sword clean out of my hand.


    My sword was flung a good 10 feet behind me but fortunately, I got away with only some scrapes on my right hand. Unfortunately, the 5 men got in closer before the laugh of one of the mages rang out.


    "Man, Garren must not have given you green skins much to work with upstairs to try a plan this stupid" He mocked, his rusty, wild red beard stood out among his grey cloak and leather armor. His blue eyes showed clear contempt towards us while I could only grasp my right hand in pain.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Now, be a good-" His taunt but the sharp whistles of blades moving through the air and a sudden chorus of fresh agony behind him stopped his speech. A lot of the water mages and several of the halls had been diced and cut with what looked like a whirlwind of stone blades that disappeared by the time he turned around. Between the smoke and the distance of several dozen yards I couldn''t see the source.


    "What the FUCK?!" The mage screamed. Then some flames started moving in his hands as he whistled towards the group of mages toying with the Frojan. All but two of them turned towards him.


    "Get over there and see what happened. Once I''m done cooking this-" Another sharp crack rang out and this time I saw what the noise actually did. The left side of his forehead suddenly had a hole in it that trickled blood and brain matter before he collapsed in a heap laying backward. Seeing as how the flash of whatever pierced his skull seemed like it didn''t come from the far side of the camp, I turned around to see where it had come from.


    The night time was like a dark cloak over everything, with not even a ray of moonlight to provide us any sort of lighting beyond the barest illumination of stars that peeked out between the clouds. That, combined with the flickering light of the fire making it hard to distinguish anything in that formless expanse of blackness, I didn''t really see anything until I saw... it. And when I did, I had a moment where my brain refused what my eyes were telling it.


    Melting from the darkness of the walls'' shade, with nothing but the soft orange glow to light up its features, was some demon, plant hybrid. The skull was like that of deer, with only a mass of vines and a shifting underdress of grass for a body. But it apparently had legs underneath those vines because it ran at a speed greater than any deer or jungle cat I had ever seen. Each stomp into the soil would kick up dirt behind it and the demon closed the several dozen yards long gap between the wall and the group of Frojan to the left in what seemed like mere blinks of an eye. The only sound that I could register was the wind generated by the tremendous speed of this nightmare.


    ''A Pandego.'' was the word that finally came to me. Pandegos were a mythical plant monster, the mutated mix of a demon and a dryad. It was said to stalk the swamps for prey and it was the favored monster for scaring wayward children who wouldn''t keep out of the patches of tall grass or stay in the house after dark. It wasn''t quite like the stories though, its horns were bone instead of black wood and the body was a mess of vines instead of the bones of its victims.


    As it came from their right side, it summoned and launched a column of stone into the air towards the mages. That finally snapped them out of their stupor, but as they all jumped out of the way, three of the mages got pushed off to the right side by themselves. Dodge rolling towards the monster, they tried to summon various fire and what I assumed were air effects but the demon just launched a hail of stone shards at them as they landed on the ground. The stones quickly vanished but the mages left behind resembled some odd bits of people that might have enough spare parts laying around to form one whole person.


    The other four mages howled in rage and charged forwards. Showing exceptional reaction times, the demon just jumped straight up. It slipped out of the glow of the fires and into the sky, briefly hiding in the dark spaces between the stars and clouds for the briefest of moments before coming back down. And this time a faint whistle could be heard as it brought a wide slab of stone back down in its hands of... leather? The slab of grey stone careened through the air before it landed among the mages and reduced the blond fire mage to a paste with a sickening crunch.


    The other mages gave a cry of rage but the monster just summoned a wave of flame to burn the other two behind its initial victim. The brown-haired mage to the monsters left let out a cry of outrage, but the Frojan also snapped out of their stupor and 4 of them promptly stabbed her in the back with spears, which she uselessly clutched at in disbelief before collapsing.


    Then the thing turned its head towards our group as the stone slab came apart as it cracked and broke into nothingness and it was only then that any of us moved. We instinctively moved backward, like smaller animals making way for the alpha predator. The men and two mages ran away in a panic, but the beast closed the gap with the speed and grace of a bird. When it got close to our group, several lines of flames, condensed into a solid line, sprang up from the antlers of the beast that gave a harsh pounding sound. The lines of flame moved back and forth, cutting through the men like a blade through water. The vibrations in the air from that magic cut out as the odd flames died out.


    The deer skull turned towards us, and for the briefest moment, I worried that we were next. But then it spoke and despite the cries of carnage everywhere, the voice was so all-consuming that it blotted out everything else, including my fear.


    "I have business here. Would any of you happen to know where they keep prisoners slated for execution?" it asked. Another sharp crack went out and I saw in the distance one of the water mages who had been working on a burning building collapse on the dirt writhing in pain.


    My hands trembled but I still stepped forward, looking into the black nothingness of the skull''s eye holes for the briefest second before averting my eyes.


    "Master, such ones are typically held in the cave between the two bunkers. At least that is what we have gathered from various captured bandits who have lived here, great one." I said, miraculously keeping the tremor out of my voice. I dared not look in its eyes again so I kept my gaze on my black boots.


    "Hmm. Very well." It said before stomping off towards the cave. It took a brief moment but I made my decision and dashed to get my sword. As I made my way towards the demon I whistled for the Frojan to follow him.


    Baloo came up to me as I jogged to keep up with the vine-demon.


    "Are you crazy?!" Baloo demanded as he and the rest of the Frojan did the one-legged hops that allowed them to keep up with regular jogging.


    "It... it isn''t hostile to us and I''d rather be fighting with it against the mages than by ourselves," I said but as we got closer to him a water mage who had been putting out a fire in one of the tents intercepted it with a dash and water blade in hand as another group of mages came out of the relatively unharmed bunker to the right side of the cave entrance. Two air mages came out of the second-story window while 3 more mages came out of the door of the front entrance.


    The demons leather hands did some hand motions and the earth beneath the water mages feet shifted, throwing her off balance. As the two air mages started throwing daggers down at the mass of vines, the motions of the creature barely missed a beat. Dashing forward, it used a flying water blade to cut off the mages hand that held the water blade, and then it grabbed the water mage by her left shoulder as she was disoriented and screaming with pain as it jumped upward with its new cargo. The demon turned and used her as a shield, her body taking four daggers in the gut and shoulders before he threw her in the air towards one of the air mages.


    The two women slammed into each other and promptly landed near the group of Frojan, who both let out a sharp cry as the frog-men ran them through with spears. I saw it reach into the mass of vines and throw out a block of stone the size of a fist towards the mages coming out of the building entrance. As the two skyward objects met I saw some movement in the mass of vines as the air mage pulled out a sword from her back.


    She did some air magic that caused her to shoot forward towards the beast. As she came close t the beast raised its right hand and her sword suddenly jerked back even as it remained in her grip and from the vines two...arms jutted out. They looked similar to arms but the blades jutting out of them said they weren''t actually flesh. The mage who had dashed forward didn''t have enough time to adjust course and impaled herself on the two blades, one between the eyes and one in the heart, her hand slacked and dropped the sword she had been carrying tip first into the grass. The whistling of air drew my gaze to the right as a series of stone blades shot out of the stone block a few feet behind the mages before it crumbled and disappeared.


    The three mages were cut up pretty badly but one of them had been an earth mage who summoned a dirt shield that blocked him and his compatriots. But this proved to be futile in the end as they were now exposed to the water blades Baloo and the other Frojan launched at them. As the mages were cut to a mince, the demon looked on with a satisfied nod as he threw the mage''s body off to the left. It then continued its march around the back end of the wooden bunker, making sure to send a jet of flame from its right hand over the side of the wall as it walked.


    "Besides, what exactly could we do if he decided to attack us?" I asked Baloo. His eyes looked away into the carnage of the camp before turning back to me with a nod.


    We meekly followed behind it, but there was no way the commander would see us cowering behind this demon. The now burning bunker had been the only place that wasn''t lit up and I could only just barely make out the tops of the wall peering out over the smoke on the opposite side. The two bunkers on the sides of the cave went into the hillside so the demon did another exaggerated jump onto the roof as we went around the side.


    The smoke was so thick as everyone ran around in a panic that we managed to slip between the bunkers unnoticed. It also helped that the troops were all focused on the burning halls or the assault on the walls. When we came up to the mass of vines I noticed that it was standing in front of the cave entrance.


    "Dammit," It suddenly cursed. Getting closer, I saw the deer head was looking at the wooden boards above the entrance, but I could see nothing wrong with it.


    I stepped forward to the demons left and was curiously looking at the boards attached to the roof. I tried to give a quick look to my right but the thing was looking at me and noticed my gaze. It held it for a second before it started moving its hands back and forth, I assume to make a spell.


    "The boards on the ceiling have air magic enchantments to suck in the surrounding air. But now it''s sucking all the ash and smoke into the underground base and if I don''t hurry the ventilation system is going to kill everyone inside. Including someone I very much need to talk to." It said casually before it started walking forwards.


    Vent-er-nation? I chewed on the unfamiliar word before I continued my walk behind the beast.


    Looking more closely at the boards now, I saw the wisps of smoke and bits of black ash getting sucked into the cave entrance as we got closer. A twisting ball of air formed above the demons'' head and slammed into the boards. Then the sucking motion into the cave stopped. The beast put a leather hand out and a ball of water formed in its palm, putting our a constant stream of mist that coiled and moved around the air as it slipped around the form of the demon is an expanding circle.


    It put up a hand for us to stay behind. I nodded as we got into defensive positions behind the bunker or other upturned carts. The amount of time that passed was hard to tell. Everything was a burning heap of chaos and we were well hidden on a side of the camp no one was paying attention to. But eventually, a cry of fury and rage rang out from the cave.


    After considering that any traps in the cave had probably been knocked out by the demons mist, I ran into the cave and heard the Frojan coming along with me. We hadn''t gotten any orders on what to do after the distraction, not that we were supposed to live past that anyway. So following around this beast and making sure it stayed alive was probably the best course of action if we wanted to defy expectations.


    We moved through the smoke into the cave while two other Frojan stayed behind to keep watch on both sides of the cave entrance. Its walls were rough dark dirt with deep cuts showing its creation was not done with the soft graceful measures of water. As the constant application of mist had thoroughly doused the flaming chairs and wooden support beams in the hall, the air took on a constant stream of sizzles and pops. Pushing forward to the end of the hall, it split into two empty door frames on either side.


    Peering past the door frame on the right I saw a huge storeroom with large stacks of grain bags, bundles of arrows, and wood planks all lit up in flames from the embers that had been sucked in. I pulled back and went into the left side room. As I passed through that doorway, the first thing I smelled was burnt flesh. To the left was a charred corpse laying on the ground and a heavy barrel that had spilled oil all over the floor of the room and also dripped past the rail of a staircase into the lower rooms with its entrance on the far side of the room.


    Judging from his positions, as well as the several scattered torches laying around the floor, it seems he was replacing the torches when the embers caught the barrel. The second thing I noticed was the beast pacing back and forth past the cells that lined the right side of the wall while the wind moving around its left shoulder suggested some kind of air spell flowing into the basement. Its manner and general movements spoke of extreme agitation as it looked inside the cells. Looking past the walking bundle of vines, the cells that weren''t empty all had a charred corpse in them.


    "Dead. They''re all dead." The Pandego said, seemingly more to itself than us.


    "But how? The fire shouldn''t have been intense enough to burn them this badly." I said in a voice soaked in as much meekness and respect as I could drench it in.


    "Poor planning, that''s how. The lower room was a storage space for the oils. When the barrel up here caught fire and spilled its flaming contents down below the staircase, it caught all of the barrels down there on fire. That proceeded to cook everything in the cave, like a meal forgotten in the oven." It gave a deep sigh before lowering its head.


    "All right, get out. I''ve stopped the flames and mitigated the heat with several air barriers but it''s so hot down there the whole place will flare back up once I break the spell." It said as it made its way out the doorway. I saw the faint whisps of wind stop and suddenly the heat surged as did more of the smoke pouring out of the staircase.


    We all quickly shuffled out of the room and into the hallway. Unfortunately, past the end of the tunnel was a line of archers to the left and 5 mages to the right.

 Chapter 60: Demon of Another Kind

    Gula POV


    ______________________________


    "Shit" I said under my breath, on both sides of the tunnel were the two Frojan we left behind clutching at their stomachs with an arrow in them.


    Unfortunately, The mage leading the operation wasn''t a gloating idiot like the redhead from before.


    "It wasn''t just Frojan, kill them and that thing!" The blond man in grey leather armor shouted, his green eye and sharp features made for a handsome face but those smooth green eyes showed fear rather than confidence.


    The archers were several yards farther back with only the flames to illuminate them in the dark night. The mages were considerably closer but the archers already had their bows knocked with arrows. They fired at our new ''leader'' without a moment''s hesitation. It already had a hand up and as the arrows flew at us, they suddenly veered off course to the right and seven arrows pin cushioned two of the mages while the other arrows slammed into the dirt.


    "Tch. I guess I should be grateful they let me get the spell off at all" The demon said under its breath as we all charged forward.


    "M-Metal magic! It has metal magic!" The blond mage said with a hint of hysteria in his voice. But he still pulled out his sword as he and the other two mages charged forward. I saw the plant demon throw another stone thing towards the archers who were just staring confused at what they had seen.


    The blond mage summoned water blades to cut us but the Frojan used their water magic to try and control the water, rendering the sharp blades into a harmless mist. The other two mages were a mace wielding brown-haired man with brown eyes and a nasty scar across his ugly jaw while the other was a skinny man with smooth black hair and green eyes who brandished two daggers.


    The mace wielding mage went straight for me. His first move was to put up his hand and throw a wall of fire towards me. The Frojan behind me tried to get up a water shield in time, but they weren''t fast enough. A tongue of flame managed to slip past the shield and sent searing pain along my elbow and forearm. As I dropped my sword despite my best efforts to get past the agony, the mage turned on the enchantments in his mace and a tongue of flame shot out of it to twirl behind my rear. The flames kept the Frojan back while he took a quick swing at me. I used a feint to the right, but this mage must have been a real veteran to obtain such combat mastery of his magic because another fireball shot from his shoulder towards my head.


    I tried to move out of the way, but that only threw me off balance. The mage used the opportunity to take a good swing into my side, sending me flying and fracturing my rib cage. When I landed the pain was excruciating, leaving me only the barest inkling of vision as the rest of my brain lit up with all the ways my body was broken.


    The only thing in my sight was the blond mage getting cut in half with the demons'' wooden arm blades. My vision flickered when my head turned down from my own lack of energy as I saw the Frojan moving towards the other two mages.


    Cold.


    It got cold and I felt the energy in my veins receding as I struggled to breathe. As my thoughts of bitter regret and anguish at the injustices I had suffered all my life crowded the last moments of my mind''s precious time, there was a new sense of warmth enveloping me.


    Despite my increasing vigor, my vision was still blackened, but then I realized I was staring off into the night sky. Looking down I saw the Frojan standing around the mage with two daggers who had some foam about his mouth, clearly haven taken the special poison pill that all the male mages had here. The specialty of this pill was not only to instantly kill the person who took it, but it also destroyed the seed in the men''s bodies, a fact we had discovered to great frustration over the years. I noticed someone to my left and my head jerked to them only to find the fire mage with his mace laying in the charred grass a good three feet away.


    Or rather I saw his body. His head was not anywhere to be seen.


    I quickly felt around my side and sure enough, the leather armor was torn but the skin underneath was good as new. Baloo walked up to me and put out a dark green webbed hand.


    "Thanks, I didn''t think the new healing herb poultices were that effective," I said as I got back on my feet and went to pick up my sword that was laying in the grass. I looked back over the left side of the field through the bunkers'' windows. Apparently no one else noticed us in this mess as far as I could tell.


    "Bah. If they could fix a mess that bad it would be a Frojan''s ass sitting in the presidents'' chair. The demon used a spell to heal you and the two watchers, even after the dual-wielding mage threw a boulder in his face." Baloo said casually as he walked back towards the group of Frojan who were now maintaining a watch past the end of the two bunkers. I came up to the demon who was interrogating one of the archers on the ground.


    "I don''t know, I''m tellin ya, I don''t know." the archer sobbed as his brown hair soaked into the mud and he clutched at a wound in his side. The demon just kicked him over onto the other archers lying injured from bad cuts in the dirt. When I got closer to the vine monster I noticed something about the left side of the demons deer skull.


    The left side of its face was cracked open and I could now see a jaw along the left side of its face. A human jaw. I stared at him, numb and... was I feeling hurt?


    "W-why did you heal me?" I asked, stuck between anger and fear as I backed off with a hand to my sword. The night was still dark from the clouds and the soft fires only illuminated his outline.


    "Generally speaking, I don''t like leaving living things to suffer or even inflicting pain unless they''re actively a threat. Eating meat is the only exception, though more out of my own desires than any profound moral judgment," He said casually as he put up his right hand and a tongue of flame washed over the archers. As they screamed in agony, I noticed the man''s movements. There was no hesitation or restricted movements that would typically come from internal conflict as he burned his fellow man to a crisp.


    "Um... I... I don''t understand." I said plainly, looking at the writhing mass of burning men on the ground and going over what had sounded like a very non-sarcastic statement in my mind.


    "Huh?" He said as he turned to me, the eyes of his helmet offering no glimpse of the man within even as the stream of fire coming out of his right hand continued to blow flames of the pile of bodies.


    "Oh, these ones. They''re bandits and bandits aren''t people or even alive. They''re just... corpses I haven''t met yet." He said, punctuating the last part. When the bodies stopped moving he turned off the stream of fire and just stood there in seeming thought for a few moments.


    "What is your name?" He asked casually as his head turned back towards me.


    "Gula," I said, still not entirely comprehending the conversation I was having.


    "Gula," He said as if committing the word to memory.


    "I wish you well, and who knows? I may need to work with you again in the future. Where would I find you if I wanted a more... long term partnership?" He asked in a light-hearted tone.


    I thought about it for a moment then decided that if he wanted me dead he wouldn¡¯t have healed me.


    "Depends, typically I''m in the north hunting or I''m here helping on special missions. I expect I''ll be moved outback north after this." I said respectfully.


    He gave a slight nod before he turned around and inspected the pile of bodies. Seemingly satisfied, he lowered himself before he jumped onto the roof of the bunker facing the forts main entrance. I saw the vines lift over the side of the roof before I heard another rush of air as he took off.


    "What now?" Baloo asked as he walked closer.


    "You know what all this means, right?" I asked him, my hand still gripping my sword.


    "Hey now, we''re Frojan and the higher-ups made it very clear we are no to get mixed up in that side of the war," Baloo said as he put up his hands defensively, his deep rumbling voice showing minimal interest in the subject.


    This war was one of territory, supply lines, troop movements and bragging rights, but underneath that was THE war. Ever present and always on the minds of orcs everywhere, THE war was not on a map, it had no infrastructure to be supported nor any forts and the only title worth fighting over was but one: Mage.


    Our entire species was in a constant struggle for access to the seed of a caster, or if the wildest fantasies of our dreams should come to pass, a scion. Out here, male mages were only ever allowed behind the largest forts with the sturdiest walls. Even so, it was a testament to orc power and ferocity that they had been forced to bring them out here at all.


    But the Frojan had no such imperative. Sure, early on in the alliance the Frojan would help us try to get mages, but after considerable losses and the fact that male mages never left any but the most well-fortified positions eventually pushed the Frojan to consider it a purely orc problem. More than that, there was the issue of who was to blame if a male mage got away, so, they washed their hands of the whole thing.


    Another, politely unspoken, motivation was that they didn''t want us getting too powerful. After all, once allies outgrow their fellows they too can fall to the growing ambitions of their former compatriots.


    "So, what now?" Baloo asked, coming up to look past the windows.


    "We do our job," I said coldly as I went past the bunker closer to the wall with the rest of my squad in tow. The other side of the camp was still burning but a few halls had been quenched and the staircase on the far left that lead up to the top of the wall was a frenzy of humans moving up it. A lot of men were running back and forth and hadn''t seemed to notice us yet.


    This was mostly due to the fact that a large number of orcs were fighting along the battlements as the men packed on the staircase leading up the top to the left of the mess of halls trying to get in a shot with their bows or replace their comrades who perished. The wall was so high up that the dark night was only reliably lit up with the occasional torch as the glow of the flaming buildings danced across its lower side so it was hard to tell who was winning and where but the occasional bolt of flame or rock going off telling me the mages were fighting as well but we were in among them now and they couldn''t just blast us off the wall without hitting their allies.


    We rushed into the haphazard mess of buildings and attacked the water mages and bandits, my sense of smell had almost grown numb to the smell of smoke and charred bodies as I ran over the now scorched grass.


    "Men, get back towards our side. Repeat. All men get your fucking asses back to the halls." I saw that the source was a black-haired woman with a long face standing on the top of staircase leading up to the battlements on the wall. She surveyed the carnage passively and made sure to stand to the side to allow troops to reinforce the walls in various positions. But her predatory green eyes went wide underneath her grey cloak when she saw me move from behind one of the wooden buildings to stab a bandit through the throat. The rest of the Frojan scattered among the building and got in a few shots at the men coming up to the wall with flying water blades.


    "The Vanguard failed! Form up around the stairs." She said as she moved down on to the ground with air magic as she drew her bow. Unfortunately for her, a lot of the buildings were still on fire and she couldn''t use her magic as she hunted us without making it worse or further spreading the fire.


    The poor woman didn''t know that this game was second nature to outcasts like us. As she lead a squad through the buildings to flush us out, one of us would pop out to let loose a volley of water blades. It injured one of her lackeys badly enough that they had to leave with a guard of two others. The lack of planning in the halls construction also came into effect.


    If they had been built in neat rows we may not have had much of a chance, but they had been built in the ''wherever it fits'' fashion from weeks and months of unexpected additions. This allowed us to bob and weave in between the smoke and get off cheap shots in the odd bends of the road and blindspots from views obstructed by the occasional odd jutting corner or out house just like in the forests we had gotten so much practice in.


    The commander was damn good with her bow and nearly got me and several others a few times. But she was trying to stay back enough so that she could still give orders and keep an eye on the wall. That kept her from being effective and she couldn''t spare too many troops to play catch with us.


    I can''t say how long we hunted and were in turn hunted but at some point, the arrows from the wall stopped aiming at us and started aiming at the men. It was pandemonium as the smoke blinded everything and orcs stampeded down the stairs. I assume at some point the commander was either killed or ran off but when I tag-teamed a group of three scared, confused bandits with Baloo in the wider middle road in between the burning halls, the fighting kind of just stopped. One of them took a water blade to the throat and another took my sword in the heart. As I shoved the dead man off my weapon I looked over the corpses and took in the scenery from behind the upturned cart I had used to ambush them.


    There were no humans around.


    Still holding my sword in my hand, I looked back towards the bunkers and sure enough, there were just a bunch of orcs milling about the place. There was a minute of almost pure silence as I took in the crackling of the burning wood and the soft wind until a peal of great booming laughter resounded out back towards the staircase.


    "Hot damn, ladies. By the bastards beard, we did it!" The commander said, a slight cut bleeding along her left cheek. A roar of approval resounded through the fort as the orcs smashed axes against their shields and yelled to the sky in victory as they stood upon the corpses of dead foes or in the few remaining halls that had yet to be burned.


    I felt like my heart was being tugged on by a thousand different loyalties. If it came out that I let a caster getaway, they very well might kill me for my cowardice. That the blood of my grandmother flowed through my veins would settle any doubts about my selfishness in not trying to bring him in. But he was at least a dual element mage and such a sire for our species would be invaluable. Was it not my duty as an orc to bring him in no matter the personal cost to me?


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "All right, Frojan get to work bringing down the walls. The rest of you lot get out scouting the roads and taking out anyone coming to check up on the place." The commander said as she made her way down the stairs as she swung her big axe to a merry tune.


    I quickly made my way towards the middle by the two ruined bunkers. The thought of explaining the dead mages flashed in my mind before I looked at the two heaps of woods and ash. The bunkers had collapsed outwards with the wall of the burnt building covering the mage who had been smashed with the mages stone slab and the mages by the cave were somewhere in the pile of burnt ashes. While the men who had been cut to pieces with the mages helmet fire looked indistinguishable from the men we killed with the water blades after the grass had caught aflame and cooked the bloody chunks.


    "Hey, I saw him too late and didn''t know he was human." A deep voice whispered to my left. I turned to see it was Baloo. His blue robe had several cuts and he had a few burns on his arms but he would be good as new in a few days.


    "What?" I asked him as I looked around. No one was around us besides the other orcs who were passing through and chatting with no regard to the rejects they were walking by.


    "I know you''re conflicted about the guy, so I can just say I thought he was a pandigo, pandeegoth-"


    "Pandego," I corrected.


    "Yeah, that. and I didn''t know that it was a human. That way we can give the commander the report but you didn''t see the chipped deer skull, so that would give you the cover to explain why you let him go." Baloo offered as he did a slow walk with me towards the wall of the entrance. The other Frojan were already there, pushing water in cracks or forming new ones with spells to help bring the wall down. When the spells worked on the walls it looked like what happens when a river runs over a boulder long enough only sped up several dozen times.


    "I''ll think about it," I said as I stood back with my arms crossed and looked out over the troops whooping and cheering as they went out through the gate onto the road.


    "He offered to work with us in the future," I said mildly as I breathed in the fresh air rolling in over the hill as the last few faint wisps of smoke gently wafted up into the air overhead.


    Baloo gave a low whistle. "Damn, to think we may actually win this thing. With the way he tore through mages we''ll be in the capital before long," He said excitedly.


    "Baloo, he was clearly insane," I reprimanded him.


    "Eh, he''s got issues, but we can''t be too picky. Besides, he healed you and two of our guys so he¡¯s already done more for us than any of our own kind ever have. " He said with a shrug.


    I huffed as I walked over past the wall out onto the road. After a good hour of keeping watch, the wall creaked ominously. This was something the Frojan had great practice and experience in, so I left them to it. But a few minutes later the Frojan backed off and pressed against the wall with a big ball of water. After a few more of these pushes the wall teetered as it gradually leaned out into the road. As larger and larger cracks started running up the smooth surface the thing finally gave way as a mini landslide of stone came thundering down on the road in a loud crash.


    It took a while to do the other parts of the wall as certain points had been reinforced to make it solid enough to support a staircase, but in time the only thing left of the fort was 4 staircases leading to nowhere and the husks of buildings, all of which had now been either completely burned or re-ignited.


    We traveled back into the forest and as we walked along the well-known and lesser-known tracks in the woods, the whole place was alight with the gleeful songs and battle cries of orcs. It was as close to a party atmosphere as any I could recall. Along the way home I even saw several bands of orcs drink and sing openly in the woods while the few human patrols were either running back towards the main fort in a panicked stampede or didn''t seem to get the news yet and were nervously looking about the woods as orcs sung songs of victory and reveled in our triumph.


    When we got closer to the swamp, the boys and I parted ways at a line of spiked heads overlooking the murky water. I made my way through my typical route of tall grasses and patches of semistable- dirt until I got home.


    It was a one-story house with a grass roof and a hard dirt floor. The walls were made up of hard mud bricks and logs with a window in the right side of the main section, the left and right sides of the house being rooms for me and my mother. Coming through the rickety door I saw mother wrapped in a green blanket on her bed in the left door frame and our cooking spot to my immediate left.


    Taking off my armor and getting down to my underwear and laying them on my bed, I took a quick dip in the nearby river to wash off the ash and smoke of my days'' exertions. Coming back into my house, I went to the right and fell asleep on my straw bed the minute my feet left the hard-packed dirt floor.


    The next morning, I woke up with a leisurely stretch as the waft of something delicious filled my nose. I wore nothing but my bra and panties as I came into our main room with a rumbling stomach. The early morning sun showed through the door as my mother sat on a stool and moved a long spoon over a steaming pot in a fire, making some kind of stew with some unknown meat and vegetables.


    She was a buff woman with three cornrows on the left side of her head and two long brown braids with the rest of the hair flowing freely down her back. Mom wore her typical white shirt and brown skirt on as she stopped to chop some vegetables on a board to her left while keeping her black eyes with golden irises on the stew. Her nose had a bone ring that dangled above her thick green lips.


    "How''d your night go?" Durka, my mother asked.


    "Better than I could have imagined, we took down the fort," I said merrily as I got a bowl from the wall of hooks behind the pot that held all of our utensils.


    Mother stopped stirring but kept her eyes on the stew.


    "Really? How''d that happen? I thought taking the fort was a lost cause." She asked carefully as she dumped some herbs into the boiling pot.


    "Well, we brought down the fort but the major fighting wasn''t done by orcs but a human mage," I said as I stood by the door with my bowl and spoon in hand as anticipated the coming meal.


    Mother''s head shot up with an eyebrow raised.


    After explaining the whole night, going through those front gates, seeing the ''Pandego'', finding the crisped prisoners, and finally his offer to work together, she used a ladle to put some soup in my bowl which I devoured like I hadn''t eaten in days.


    "So, when will you work with him again?" Mom asked as she took a bowl for herself.


    "I''m not. I''m gonna write up a hunting order and see if we can nab him," I said, a decision I had come to on my way home.


    Instead of pride, mother looked at me with anger in her eyes as her ridged nose flared.


    "Why?" She asked in a rather furious tone.


    "Why? It''s my duty as an orc, as a wayfarer." I said, confused about where this was coming from.


    "Do you think that you took my eyes with you when I pushed you out between my legs all those years ago? I know what they''ve been putting you through. Giving you these insane missions and pushing you to the breaking point again and again. And I''ve ignored it as best I can. But this last mission? Setting you up to take the blame for their poor planning." She said as she stood up and took in a deep breath before continuing.


    "I know all about our obligations, but they have obligations to us. Obligations they have not been fulfilling. If you can work with him, it would mean you''d come back home every time. Maybe you could even mate him and get a mage child. That would make your daughter the next Borba. Even better than, considering he''s a dual element"


    Borba was a semi-mythical leader among the orcs in the swamps. She was said to be sired from a fire mage and a popular legend was that her mother, Ghorza, was of such beauty and so sumptuous a woman that she had gotten her child willingly from an unknown mage who had been from the phoenix kingdom.


    No one I had ever talked to claimed to have seen her but there was a steady stream of rumors coming from the deepest heart of the swamp. One explanation for her seeming absence was the fact that the last time we had captured a mage the humans had sent a massive squad of elite hunters to kill our prisoner, even though she had been held in the very heart of our territory. If it came out there was a mage sired orc they would stop at nothing to kill her, not just for the danger she posed but also because of the insult she represented to humanity.


    "By the bastards¡¯ hands, mom, you go between cynicism and boundless optimism faster than I can blink," I said after I took a big swig of soup.


    "Mother. It''s my job, no, my privilege to do the most I can for my species. This isn''t about me or what I deserve, it¡¯s about the fate of our entire species. All right? Now I''m going to get with Lokan to figure out what elements to put in for the report." I said before turning around to get dressed, but even I could tell I had only spoken with meager conviction. I took out a white shirt and some brown leather pants. My boots from last night were still good and slipped on over my white socks with no fuss.


    I went out the door with my mom still sulking in the corner with the soup. Going out I turned left and walked until I came up onto the river. Our boat was lashed around a tree and kept in a large series of bushes. Undoing the knot on the rope and pushing it out onto the river. I followed the slow flow, taking in the bright early sun and looking at the dragonflies and regular fist-sized frogs who scampered about for their breakfasts until I came upon the familiar house made up of trees and cattails made to look like a particularly overrun patch of plant life.


    "Lefty, I got some questions for you." I called. From between the tall grass, the head of the blue snake woman peaked out.


    "Ah, lefty. Sure thing, come in." She called before retreating back into the grass. I pulled up to the tree nearest to the water and got out of it. After using the rope to secure the boat to the tree, I walked forward until I got around the mass of trees and cattails until I came upon a door sticking out between the trees. It was regular brown wood with no visible handle so I pushed on it. Coming in it looked like a singular large room with the wall being one large round series of boards. The roof provided sunlight through windows on the ceiling which had beams of light shine and reflect off the walls of wood and the hard-packed dirt floor.


    The only furniture was a table in the middle with several large pillows in colors of red and purple used as seats. On one of them sitting opposite the door was Lokan. She was a snake woman with hard, dark blue scales running along her upper side with smaller light blue scales running along her belly, lower jaw, and front. Her garb was a purple cape and tight cloth of red that seemed to only have a sash running along her midsection to distinguish it from a simple dress.


    "Ah good, what is it I can help you with, Darlingsss?" She asked, her voice showing the elongated accent of her people at the last word. Her red, slitted eyes looked at me with warmth. I moved forward and sat on the opposite side of the dark oak table, the heat of the room being rather light compared to midday when the snake woman would bask in the heat of the sun.


    "I got a mage I want to put a report on, but I''m not sure what his elements are," I said as I looked over the tables various scratch marks.


    "Elements? Multiple? Have the humans gone daft letting a male like that out in the woods?" She said with a raised eyebrow.


    "No, I don''t think they know about him at all," I said before I gave her the whole story. She looked at me with slight interest at first with her hand twirling over the wooden table. But as I went on to describe him and some of his feats, her red eyes gradually widened, and her idleness evaporated as she squeezed her palms together in anticipation.


    A high whistle was all she said when I finished.


    "What visions of horrid splendor. All done by a quad elemental and that wasn''t all just magical talent he showed either." She finally said.


    "Quad? I thought he had earth, metal, water, and healing." I asked, mystified by this new title.


    "You get healing from having the water and air elements, it was a healing spell right?" She asked.


    "That''s what Baloo said," I responded. The elements and how they all worked wasn''t something a backwoods nobody like me would have time or the resources to study.


    "And he had metal magic. That covers earth and fire. He''s a quad element mage and he''s within spitting distance of orcs." A smile crept up over her face to expose her fangs and she chuckled lightly, "If the other humans-s knew their hair would catch fire just from sheer rage at him even talking to you. Much less actually helping you."


    "I''d imagine they would probably kill him," I said idly.


    "Pffft," Lokan chortled in a dismissive manner. "They''d sacrifice a hundred mages to keep him safe without a second thought. Be careful, whatever you choose. Unless he dies from a chance meeting with a troll or gets caught in an avalanche, there''s going to be an ocean of blood if his existence is exposed and he''s out here where people can think they can get him."


    "Damn straight. We orcs would sacrifice anything for just one caster male. A quad-element would-"


    Lokan put up her hand to stop me.


    "I''m not talking about the orcs. I talking about the phoenix''s sending raiding bands to burn and scour every inch of land this side of the mountains to find him. I''m talking about the dwarves coming out of their territories to entreat and maybe nip in the bud a line of future super mages. The central continent launching their fleets to scour these lands for this most grand of prizes


    And the elves." with that last group her eyes grew deadly as she put her hand on the table.


    "Even the elves may be tempted to leave their ancient haunts to examine this curio. If everything you told me was true and he''s not firmly under the thumb of the Coalition by the time word spreads about him, this swamp and all the lands nearby will reminisce about these good old days of peace," She finished.


    I swallowed my tongue as my mind struggled to comprehend the sheer scale of what she was talking about.


    "But...But how could you know that?" I asked.


    "I''ve read quite a few history books back when my parents and I were still in the central continent. A while back I read about a similar incident but that one was a fake. Even so, it was before the unification of the Rodring kingdom and that lead to several wars and invasions between the pre-Rodring states before the elves intervened and revealed the deception. Even the dwarves started getting involved towards the end.


    That''s the scale of what we''re dealing with here. We''re talking about the start of a line of mages that would probably put the humans on top, or at least the human country that lays claim to him. Whatever you decide, be damn sure about it before you bring down the heat.


    Because you''re right, you orcs would gladly make huge sacrifices to obtain him. And once they start flooding this area with people to find him the humans will know somethings up and start snooping around. The odds that they won''t find out what you''re looking for is almost non-existent," She said with a note of finality.


    I looked around the room, for what I didn''t know, as the realization of what I was truly dealing with hit me.


    "T-Thank you Lefty, I need to get home to think this all over." I stammered out. I got off the pillow and walked out the door on wobbly legs.


    "Stay well friend," Lokan called. I waved back and made my way back towards the boat. It took longer going upstream but I eventually got back around mid-day. My mother was holding a piece of paper that had come in on a messenger hawk. The brown feathered bird was looking between me and her as it rested on the window.


    "What''s up?" I asked.


    Mother looked up at me, a sadness in her eyes.


    She handed the letter over to me without a word.


    I took it with a sense of dread and went over the contents.


    ''Go to the northern region again and resume hit and run operations,'' was all the thin strip of paper said.


    "Where''s the rest?" I asked her.


    "That''s it." She said simply.


    "That... No. No. No. No. No. They must have made a mistake," I said as I rushed back into the house and took a piece of paper from my room and wrote with a small piece of charcoal, ''What is the status of my commendations for my work in taking the midway fort?- Gula''


    I tied it around the hawk''s leg with a string and sent it off with a piece of jerky.


    "All right come morning, I''ll see what I got and then I''ll send out the report," I said to mother with fake confidence. She merely looked at me with a blank stare and nodded before going back into the house. After writing up my report, the night and morning passed without any incident before the hawk returned. I was out in the yard trying to fish when it swooped down to the window.


    I ran up to it and I saw it had a small piece of paper around its leg which I took off as gently as I could without hurting the poor creature. I opened the paper and read it.


    ''We have reviewed your efforts and have not found any actions that rose to a level meriting such acknowledgments. Resume work in the northern region IMMEDIATELY.''


    I felt tears well up in my eyes as I looked up at the clear sky. Running into the house, I threw the paper on the floor and went straight into my room. I stared at the wall of rough wood thinking over all the months of brutal training and agonizing tests. All that blood sweat and tears for not one shred of respect or acknowledgment. All because of that bitch who I had nothing to do with.


    I heard a noise to my left as my mother looked at me in the doorway, holding the letter in her right arm.


    "Th...They didn''t even... Was it the commander or?" I felt my lips shaking as I looked at her.


    "Ok, ok. Just let it all out now" She said as she came to sit beside me, taking me in her arms.


    I cried. For all my pain, neglect, and lack of love from my own people, I let it all out in the tears I loosed on the shoulder of my mother''s white shirt. This went on for a while before my mother finally took my chin in her hand and made me look at her.


    "All right. Now that that''s out of the way, let''s go hunting. I think I saw a flock of chickens a ways off when I went to collect herbs. I''ll get our bows and arrows and we''ll spend the rest of the day hunting." She said in her sweetest tone.


    I nodded as I wiped away my tears. Mother got up and left the room, with me following after a few seconds. In my right hand was the report about the mage that I had prepared the previous day. Taking a deep breath, I threw it into the embers of the fire that had cooked our lunch before going to get my skinning knife on the wall.

 Chapter 61: Academic Advising

    Eli POV


    ________________________________________


    I made my way back up to the treetops with nothing but the faint light of the stars to guide me. I made my way up one of the trees and off to my left I saw a figure approaching me. It was hard to make out in this darkness, but the horns and shape were too unique to be anything else but?Salamede.


    "Nice work with the gun. I''d say that scope was a good investment." I said in a spirit connection as she landed beside me.


    "Thanks, but don''t keep me waiting. What happened?" She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Poor structural planning is what happened. All the prisoners got crisped when the ashes got sucked in through their air filtration system. I had a run in with some mages, but they were no problem.¡±


    Salamede nodded as she went to get on my?back?but I put up a hand.


    "It¡¯s?too dark tonight for me to be comfortable doing the large jumps with you on my back. The class I have tomorrow isn''t until midday so we can move on a little bit and find someplace to spend the night. " I said in a miffed tone before I pointed back up the roads.


    She took off along the treetops with me. We moved through the woods at a much slower?pace since her suit didn¡¯t have the advanced jump functions mine did,?but we still made ok time. I decided that we should push on until we get to the lake. The whole woods were lit up like a party. The orcs were everywhere drinking and singing songs with the deep base of drums and primal whoops or screams. While beneath me I saw a lot of patrols consisting of mages and men scurrying back towards the main fort.


    When we came upon the stone mountain it had a large crowd of men who looked to be trying to all get through the open main entrance. I saw one man on top of the wall screaming down at them, but time was of the essence. As we moved off and came up to the lake I motioned towards a particularly large tree near the middle portion of the lake. As we made it up into the?trees?I could tell?Salamede?wanted to talk more as she got off my?back?but we were both too tired as we slung our grass suits into hammocks.


    The next?morning?we got up and took quick showers with some quick and dirty water summoning bark crafts as I didn''t dare go down to the forest floor to get into the lake. It was now bright enough that I was more confident carrying?Salamede?on my back to do the big jumps.


    A few minutes into the trek home, I decided to ask?Salamede?what she wanted to talk about.


    "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" I asked. I had several ideas of the things she might want to discuss and the things we had to talk?about?so I wanted to get her concerns out of the way first.


    "Eli... What do we do now?" She asked through a spirit connection.


    I pondered on it for a while. I knew what needed to be done when I was torching those bandits with?Gula?beside?me?but I needed the right words to make this course of action more.... palpable. Part of me also wanted to convince her just because it would help convince the doubts in my own mind.


    "I think we may have to help the orcs take the viper base," I said.


    She was silent for a few minutes with no noise but the whistle of air as we almost glided through the air with my enormous jumps off and onto the huge trees. As she was going over all the same objections I had and worked through all the same arguments and?counter-arguments, we made it all the way out of the southern area. At this rate, I would just make it back in time to get to class.


    "Eli, what about the villagers?" She finally said.


    "First of all, the orcs won''t win totally. The most likely outcome is that the orcs expand in the southern region but get halted by the Bulwark and intensify their efforts in the north. But as for the villagers, I don''t think it will be too bad. I''ve never seen orcs attack civilians and that human village seemed well treated.


    But am I willing to risk thousands of people''s lives on those two data points just to save my reputation? I''ll admit I''m not too sure about that. It''ll be one thing I ask?Gula?about." I finished.


    "Gula?"?Salamede?asked.


    "The orc with the black neckband," I responded.


    "You...You talked with them? Did they realize you''re human?"?Salamede?asked, more curiously than accusingly.


    "Yes,?to?both questions. She and a group of Frojan helped me take out the mages blocking my way. They were more than content to just stay by my side instead of running off fighting so they probably were content with their contribution towards the orc siege in the opening minutes. Given that, it¡¯s pretty safe to say they probably held back and waited for the other orcs to finish the fighting. They¡¯ll still be alive if we need to work with them.


    I can''t take on the fort with just the two of us. I saved her in the?Crypt?and she has shown some sympathy for humans in the past when she was involved in another attack I saw. No, it''s not the most solid relationship to start out with but I can''t work with any of the human factions because no one else has the desire or means to take the fort holding the Vipers'' commander. And she is the closest thing to a connection I have with the orcs. I just need a better understanding of the scope of what I''m dealing with if they expand.


    And it''s not like it''s entirely selfish to want to clear my own name. In the future, I will probably save untold thousands of lives with my inventions and scientific wonders. But that will get pushed back years or even decades to get in with any major organizations if the accusations around me don''t get cleared."


    Somewhere in the diatribe, I lost track of whether I was talking to her or myself. I had been too busy trying to justify to her and my own conscience the action my mind was telling me I had no choice but to take.


    "All right. Just make sure you''ve thought through everything. I know this is a lot to handle for someone your?age?but you seem to have a good head on your shoulders." She said with a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.


    I was smiling under my cracked helmet. Well, even if she was an order of magnitudes off about my age, she still believed in me which was comforting in that same stupid way any compliment was. After pushing aside my feelings I planned out the next few days.


    No matter how much I ''knew'' this was the optimal choice, I still had to do some more scouting. If the Coalitions defenses towards the mainland were solid enough and the villages under the orcs control were treated well?enough,?I could go ahead with the operation. I thought about all the fear and panic that would spread from the orcs victory in the south.


    God knows the people were terrified enough of them as is. I spent the rest of the trip mulling over any other way to get ahold of which nobles had put me through this hell but when we got?there?I was still drawing a blank.


    After going through the troll nest and changing into my white and blue school robes with the white undershirt, I put my chain mail veil back on and quickly made my way back to class as?Salamede?went to a ''meet''. This was a kind of gathering where members of the Kelton community got together at certain times of the month or during emergencies to pool resources and come up with solutions to various problems.


    I made my way to the dual towers of smooth white stone with a group of my fellow students, who all avoided me like the plague as usual.


    After a few minutes of walking, I made my way into the twin white towers and pushed through the crowd of students and teachers as I walked over the grey stonework on the interior floors. Walking up the massive staircase that served as the means of traveling between the vast open-spaced floors, I made my way towards the 5th floor. Going into the third door on my left, I came into a big classroom with glass-paned windows on the far side and 7 rows of duo tables. in front of a plain wood podium.


    A lot of students were talking and socializing amongst themselves and only a few bothered looking my way when I came in. As I made my way to the back of the class, one of the students on the left side tripped me up with an outstretched foot. I managed to recover with grace, but it still drew a lot of snickers from the other students. Keeping my eyes in front of me I made my way to the?back left?table, the only empty one in the room.


    It took a bit but eventually, the teacher came in. She was a wrinkly woman with two wide tufts of brown hair and green eyes. She carried a book with her to the podium and brought silence to the classroom with a simple cough before speaking in her almost squeaky voice.


    "All right class. Today we will be learning one of the most distinguishing features of our school. Customized crafting. While other schools would be content to merely keep the crafting classes to?only the crafters, we here at The Diamond academy believe in pushing our students to their absolute best performance in all areas.


    As such everyone in this academy will be expected to craft their items to best serve their users. If generic trash like flaming swords or rock lobbing shields was the?best?we as mages could do, any mage would be fit to knock Beth off her throne at the capital as a master crafter. But making items that take into account the?users?full range of motion, have their enchantments placed where they won''t interfere with each other, as well as a whole other host of issues, is what differentiates master craftsman to the people who flood the magic markets with goods for quick gold."


    The rest of the lecture was spent going over some basic formulas in passing details and drilling some basic tenants into our skulls, ones that I already knew like the back of my hand. Magic or science, there were only so many ways the human arm could?twist?or our necks could turn. And whether the jet of flame was fueled by mana or chemical fuel, the same principles of heat dispersion, structural integrity, and the ways someone could turn it off all still applied here just as they had back in my universe since spirit magic and mind-cyber connections had some very rough similarities.


    But this was all brand new for my academic compatriots. We had all taken some of the basic crafting courses while I worked on making the bags of holding machine. However, while those classes focused on making some of the most basic enchantments, it was still a sore spot for a lot of the students.


    Sure, it wasn''t hard once you got the concepts down. But it wasn''t as visceral or quick as casting, which had you make the same shapes over and?over using?mana only with far fewer considerations. Making the wide circles, inner triangles, and squares for spells in mid-air was far quicker than pushing the spirit magic into the material and the enchantments crafters made weren''t always the same, unlike?caster spells, so you couldn''t practice them consistently.


    Considering the students were mostly children in late teen- early adulthood bodies from having spent their puberty in a state of comatose to allow their bodies to form the mana pathways, it was considered quite a feat to be able to concentrate for such long stretches of time.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It was near the end of the lecture that the most annoying part came up: selecting a team. Because it was the central tenant of this class that you had to design something specially made for someone else.


    "All right. Everyone?form?up and get in groups of three." She finished.


    I looked around and everyone who had looked towards my direction briefly had quickly turned away, but I could see the faint desires in their eyes. Whatever questions people may have about my reputation as a person, my craftsmanship wasn¡¯t in doubt. I looked at the table for a moment when I heard a pair of footsteps come my way.


    Looking up I saw Veronica approaching my table. Behind her I saw the black hair and lean-muscle build of Jeff, his distinctive oceanic eyes looking at me with slight friendliness instead of the typical scorn that so many others had.


    ¡°Heya, would you mind teaming up with us?¡± the blond asked. Nothing in her heart shaped face or blue eyes said she registered the whispers around us. Jeff pulled up two empty chairs from the table to our left.?In spite of?myself, I felt a slight smile steal over my face as they sat opposite of me.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. We talked for a while about various ideas and some idle gossip around the campus. It was all very¡­ mundane but pleasurably so. After an hour of back and forth discussion we agreed to meet up the next class two days from now. After that the day wound down?and I headed back home?in the early afternoon. My home was along the left side of the river bank?further from town so I had to walk farther than I did when I lived by the docks but it was on my trip?through the streets that I had an encounter with a most curious person.


    It was one of the men who had been put into the?carriage during the ¡®mini¡¯ trials after the dock battle. He was the one with short black hair, now slightly longer, but the cut above?his?eyes?was distinctive enough that I would recognize him anywhere. He was dressed in a brown vest and white undershirt with regular brown cloth pants.


    He?was looking over the whole street on an?restaurants outdoor dining area that was raised on a wood platform with a roof. As he scanned over the passing crowd his?green?eyes, for the barest moment in time, lingered on me?for a moment before his eyes turned away and returned to the?slab of pork on his plate.


    It was quite curious, but I guess I was still an odd sight for some one new here.?I made my way back home and spent the rest of the?afternoon?working on?Salamede¡¯s?vine suit.?One more good day of work and it would be done. I was still struggling to?figure out if these suits should be consecrated or not.


    They weren¡¯t technology, or at least they couldn¡¯t ever be a part of?Godulus, so should they be consecrated??The?air piston was almost entirely technology fueled with magic?so I felt that it deserved?it?but magic didn¡¯t exist in my universe.?So,?was?a craft?that was more magical than technological worthy of?such consideration??My brief?overview?of the tech manifests passages provided no?insights,?so I was just winging it.


    I spent a good while in the basement?feeding the vines in the new suit mana from my body. Occasionally the mana would get soaked up by the various pieces of bark?on the table?gradually?shaping the?half-finished?screws, rings, and other assorted pieces they held into the parts I needed to?make another air gun to replace the one I had to give to?Salamede.


    After a good hour I heard a knock on my door through the open hatch?of the basement.?Moving upstairs, I moved across the?dark oak wood floor to open the sturdy door now?reinforced with iron bars. Opening it I found?Tansen?standing at my door?dressed in his typical black kimono?sporting a wave of sapphires across the chest. Looking past?him?I?could see nothing?he brought?even as I took in?the red hue of the sky over his back and the soft green grass?beyond before the rest of the town slightly shrunken from this distance.


    ¡°Ah good to see you lad. I wanted to invite you over?for a spot of relaxation at?the staff facilities?while we discus some of your?school work.?I didn¡¯t want you to start dreading the sound of my?voice?so I figured this was a nice compromise.?I¡¯ve also invited?that Kelton friend of yours, who was?so?eager?to agree, her mother even?came?along.¡± The?black-haired?man said. His?distinctive eyes showed a genuine warmth in their brown shimmer.


    I figured this was as polite and accommodating way of saying ¡®we need to talk¡¯?as he could possibly manage so I nodded and after getting my veil, I followed him back towards the academy.?As I walked beside him,?I saw?Salamede?and her smaller mother, a scrawny thing with two brown horns along the back of her head and brown fur flecked with grey in a simple brown dress, by the academy entrance.?She waved to me with?excitement?but she reigned it in enough to cross into rudeness.


    ¡°Thank you so much for having us over, Academy Head.¡± She said with a light bow as we all crossed?through?the gate entrance.?Tansen?responded with a gracious nod as we walked along the path up towards the central tower?with red tiles.?The smooth circular structure stood front and center, outdoing?the rows of dorm houses that were built into the walls or even the?scions customized houses.


    We made our way through the front door?into the main floor.?The floor was of polished light oak and smooth,?more greyed out than pure white,?walls that slightly jutted upward towards the roof.?It was a plain?circular room with two sets of stairs on both?side?flowing up to a wide double door of dark oak. Below the meeting point of the two staircases was another double set of doors which?Tansen?lead us into?after he pressed a circular?tube against one of the door handles, this worlds version of a key and lock.


    Going through them was?a large staircase with?smooth wooden oak floors?and?cave like walls. But these?walls?were?colored?the same greyed out white inside the main floor and had bits of?water?dripping down them, as it?led?downward further underground.?All of?this water dripped down into two small channels on both sides of the stairs that flowed down towards what looked like a?hallway.


    Coming down to the halls,?the floor and walls were all dark wood?that had?a few?entrances?with?curtains for doors. The signs clearly showed the women were to go to the right while we men were to go to the left.


    Going through the first doorway on the left?was a changing area?made in the same dark wood as the?hall way?but with several stalls of lighter stone for changing.


    ¡°All right,?lets?get changed and start some?our ¡®academic advising session¡¯. Just leave your robes in one of the?stalls?,¡°?Tansen?said as he?went up to a bookshelf to the left that was filled with?some white?unisex skirts?that fastened around the waist with?two?long white cords.


    He?threw one of them towards me and I headed off into one of the stalls.?It had a smooth stone?bench on the far side topped with wood and a hook?on the?inside of the door.?Changing into?my new attire I put my clothes on the hook and?left the changing area to go into the main?area.


    As I moved past the stone?door way?to push the curtain aside, I noticed it was?emitting a?faint wind spell, I couldn¡¯t tell what shape or purpose it had until I pushed through.?The first thing I saw was?a large pool with the?wisps?of steam?that played?off of?some larger rocks in its center?while the steamy moist air?gave?the whole place?a hot sweaty feeling.?The walls seemed to be more cave like and were left in black and grey stone with?rough edges.


    I saw several other staff members lounging about?and some even turned a curious gaze towards me. But before?anyone?said anything to me, I heard?Tansen?off to my left.


    ¡°This way lad,¡± He called to me from a?doorway?to the left that led to another room.?I walked across the slick, uneven stone floor towards the room. It had two long tables for massages, with?Tansen?already?laying?face down on the farther one getting his back worked on by a?woman in white robes.??He looked over at me as I still had my chainmail veil attached to the iron pieces resting on my neck but he simply nodded and turned to ley face first into a soft white pillow.


    I went to lay down on?the closer one and after a minute another woman came in?who started working my back as well.


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯ve worked on planks that were softer and that had fewer knots.¡± The woman said behind me as I lay face down with my head in my arms.?Tansen?chortled?off to my left but I just sighed and enjoyed the down time.


    After a while the massage came to an end and we both went back out into the main pool.?Tansen?directed me?towards?one particular section further off to the left.?It was a different part of the pool wall that had wood?for the lisp of the pool that started and stopped at certain points. As I went into the mineral soaked water,?Tansen?came to sit to my right. After he?pressed?into an indent?in the side of the wood?with his index finger, I noticed?a wall of milling air come up?around??us?in a wide sphere with the wisps of smoke getting cut in half or coming?up?to pool in the top?of the bubble.?Even with it up, I still had an unobstructed view of the rest of the teachers.


    ¡°Now that?we?can talk without?having?someone?hearing confidential information.¡±?Tansen?said as he leaned against the?wooden section.


    We talked?for a while, mostly focusing on my?reluctance to take on more classes and the low score I got in my?tactics class.


    ¡°You know Eli, you may be getting close to the end of your crafter studies, but there is still more to learn. Alchemy in particular is an interesting subject. What makes it?is so interesting is that while magical materials?such as meats and fruits can be used for magical growth, there can be an incredible variety of pseudo spell effects and?abilities from various mixtures and?poultices. That is if you are attentive enough to minimize the dangers¡±?Tansen?said.


    I pondered over it for a bit, but my mind still wandered.?For some reason I was still focusing on that man with a cut above the eyes I saw earlier.?Like there was some itch I couldn¡¯t scratch?whenever I thought about him.?Then I got that pain in my chest again. It was more severe this time and I even had to?dip further?into the water to hide my grimace of pain until the moment passed.


    Well if I have questions about?the?stranger,?I¡¯m sitting beside the man who would be most?likely to know.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?Eli?¡±?Tansen?asked.


    I?got my head fully above the water again?before I cleared my throat?as I worked out a good story if this conversation took the general?route?I thought it?would.


    ¡°I saw a man earlier, black hair wiry build with a cut above his green eyes. You know who I¡¯m talking about?¡± I asked.


    The?ridge running down?the center of his forehead?scrunched up and his eyebrows drew together in a sharp line but?he kept the rest of his features in check.


    ¡°Yes.?I believe so. What do you have to do with him?¡±?Tansen?asked.


    ¡°After the battle of the docks,?I saw him pull a piece of paper out and the judge-¡°


    Tansen?put up his right hand.


    ¡°Woah now.?Let¡¯s?start at the very beginning.¡± He said.


    I decided to start the story?at me taking?Salamede?into the academy.?Tansen?seemed impressed at my battle sense by not just charging into the melee but when I got to the part with¡­ I struggled for the?mages?names,?but?they eventually came to me?and?I already knew the sequence of events I would have to doctor to make the story believable.


    ¡°I saw them torching the?warehouses,?so I used my?lava brick launcher?to kill the bigger guy who had already been stabbed, during which one of them yelled ¡®Ben!¡¯. After that the other?two?were so distracted trying to get me they didn¡¯t notice the?shopkeepers sneak up on them with maces.?Before they?died?they discussed leaving and I heard their names were Dan and Joel¡± I wasn¡¯t sure of what they did with the bodies so I had to make it all roughly fit the wounds of what had actually happened.


    Tansen seemed profoundly irritated at my re-telling. However, whatever the source of his anger was, he kept it in check.


    ¡°Yes. His name¡¯s Noah and I would advise you to stay away from him. He struck me as short tempered when I met him in the past and he¡¯s involved with some pretty troublesome people. As for the papers, they were probably military files that automatically put them into the jurisdiction of the military courts¡± He finished.


    I nodded in agreement, so those people were military members that got caught out in the docks. On an unrelated note, I wanted to know more about the grey clothed mages but there wasn¡¯t any way to really ask him about a group of mages that I shouldn¡¯t know about. After all, I had only ever seen them in the gang territories and I had no reasonable explanation for why I would have been there or associated with anyone would have been there.


    After a few more minutes of lounging we got out and went back into the changing rooms. This time we took some puffy robes from the cabinet and then we went over to another room whose entrance was another curtain door on the far right of the pool area. Inside was a rather cool room with Salamede and her mother already sitting at a wooden table in the cave like room, both had the same puffy robes we had as they looked over the meal displayed before them.


    ¡°Ah bother. We¡¯re short two chairs, I¡¯ll go retrieve them while you guys catch up.¡± Tansen said before heading out the door again.


    After he left through the curtain, I felt the electric sensation of a spirit magic connection.


    ¡°Eli! This has been amazing. Thank you, thank you so much.¡± Salamede said delightedly.


    Her smaller mother looked at her for a moment before Salamede gestured towards me with a nod. Then I felt another connection.


    ¡°My daughter said you¡¯re ok with talking through spirit magic.¡± Her mother said.


    ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s what you find most comfortable then by all means go ahead.¡± I said as I looked over the towels they had above their heads that molded around their horns.


    ¡°I thank you as well. It¡¯s been quite a long time since these bones have felt so good.¡± She said.


    The table had a large metal pot in the middle that was sunk into the wooden piece with a bubbling liquid of a dark red oil with plates of sliced meats and various vegetables scattered around it. We chatted about our day and other small items before Tansen came back and put up the other two chairs.


    ¡°All right we¡¯re all set. This is a communal way of eating back home but the only hard and fast rule is no double dipping.¡± He said as we both took our seats. We feasted for a long period of time and Tansen asked about life by the docks or the tower while we asked him about the academy and the history only the person who had built it could know.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not joking. The dorms were actually brothels. A might ambitious businessman had gambled that the town was going to be a kind of prostitution hub but he overestimated peoples willingness to come so far when the villages local whore would get them by.


    Of course, the only things remaining of the original building is the foundation but that does mean, in a purely technical sense, that they used to be brothels.¡± Tansen finished.


    Salamede and her mother tried to not smile but eventually it got the better of them and we all broke out into a light laugh. Eventually our bellies filled, and our time drew to an end. After everyone came out of the dressing rooms and went back up onto the main floor Tansen saw us out the academy gate with a firm handshake for all of us.


    ¡°Good day, all of you. And Eli? Consider more about the alchemy specialization. It¡¯s dangerous what with all the parasites and foreign animals that can get involved but very much worth it.¡± He said as I was the last one to get out. I looked him in the eyes and shook his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡± Was all I could promise.


    The red and orange splashes over the sky said we had less than an hour of daylight left and the air had the wet chill that told of coming cold.


    ¡°Eli. I had no idea you were so close with the head of the academy¡± Salamede said in a spirit connection as we walked down the path on the left side of town with her mother to her right.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we are. He¡¯s probably just trying to get me out of this ¡®funk¡¯ so that I can go on to be a master crafter.¡± I told her. She stopped at the bend in the stone road that marked where our paths diverged.


    She looked at me for a long moment before she started talking again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say we defeat the bandits. The orcs take over the swamp completely and we get the evidence to clear your name... then what?¡± She asked.


    I looked at her for a long moment pondering over all the implications of what would happen and how we could work through all the possibilities


    ¡°It all depends on what we find. If the transaction was preserved in a ledger or written agreement, we just make it so that it ¡®accidently¡¯ shows up on one of the bandits carts when they flee northward or when word get around that the orcs took out the fort, I¡¯ll bring in a load of documents that I bought off a fleeing bandit who exchanged them for food when I went down to help in the swamps. It¡¯ll be stupid and rash to go down there myself but not too many people will question why I wanted to obtain honor and glory fighting against the green menace.


    But if there is no written record or it gets destroyed in the attack, I¡¯ll just have to beat the names out of the commander. Using that I¡¯ll hunt down the nobles and see what I can do from there. Maybe I¡¯ll just have to be content with ending their lives or maybe its several nobles and one of them will have kept a record of the transaction to use as blackmail against their compatriots.


    The blunt hard truth of how this will all turn out is: I don¡¯t know. That question of a written record is the biggest factor in all of this and the crux upon which all other plots and schemes will turn. Until I know for sure I can only make more weapons and invest as much time and energy as I can into making sure we have the ability to survive what''s coming.¡± I finished.


    She nodded at that and gave me a light hug.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m glad that you know enough to be uncertain.¡± She said before pulling away and heading down towards her house with her mother by her side.


    I watched them go and then turned back towards my house. While it was late, I still put in a little bit of work exuding mana into the vine suit and some into the bark pieces shaping the pieces of my new air gun so they could finish their work faster. After wards, I turned in for the night and fell into the hammock with gusto.

 Chapter 62: Student Potential

    Tansen was dressed in his black kimono with a wave of sapphires across the chest as he sat in the soft leather chair of his main office. The dark oak wood desk he leaned against rested on the plain wood floor as he stared around the room painted with white and blue alternating stripes before he returned his gaze to the metal tester in his lap. The tester had four ridges of metal dividing it into four sections that each held the symbols of water, wind, earth, and fire in them.


    And they were all filled with mana as the soft glows of red, dark blue, green, and brown danced over his face. Sure, the mana in them was the neutral whitish blue but, as an ever-theatrical lot, the tradition among mages was to have the glass tinted to reflect the elements color when it was used for a spell. This light show was the only other illumination in the room aside from the faint glimmer of the candle that clung to life on the left side of his desk.


    A noise came from the opposite side of the room barely registered in Tansen''s ears and it wasn''t until Aki, dressed in the alternating blue and white staff robes, came up to the desk that Tansen registered his presence.


    "Ahem" Aki, the older man with large grey eyebrows said, causing Tansen to jerk up with a start and clutch the tester to his chest with a possessiveness most mothers would struggle to conjure for their own children.


    "Ah, Aki¡­ Good ," Tansen said, looking towards the door to confirm it was closed. After confirming they wouldn''t be seen he sent out a brief wave of mist that soaked into everything in the room.


    "wha-" Aki said as the cool mist disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.


    "Just confirming no one has any wind devices they could use to eavesdrop" Tansen said mollifyingly as he put his priceless treasure on the desk.


    "Who- "Aki started before looking at the tester Tansen had laid down.


    "How''d you manage that?" Aki asked as he glanced over the curiosity.


    Tansen leaned back in his chair as he adjusted his black hair.


    "A while back I ran into some trouble identifying one of the students with the tester. I contacted Boris, head of the Grimlock academy, who had a similar incident. But through our correspondence, I found out it was actually some ploy by a rival house who stopped existing soon after. But Boris did put me on the track towards Despond academy, who had the problem I was now dealing with some years past.


    Through their correspondence, they told me about how one of their students had just gifted enough in a third element to throw off the tester. But through our back and forth I found that those testers were actually older versions that they had yet to replace.


    Bereft of an explanation but being at least given a new possibility that there might be some problem with multiple elements, I went over the designs of the newer versions we carry. Now testers push ambient mana against a persons body and suck it back in. That allows-" Aki huffed with impatience.


    "Tansen, where is this trail leading to?" Aki asked with his hand crossed in front of him.


    "The road is winding and perilous but the prize at the end of the track? Oooh...it is a wonder never before seen by the world that will make this academy go down in the tales of legends for thousands of years. If we survive the contest for it." Tansen''s eyes gleamed in the faint candlelight with raw excitement before he continued.


    "This allows only mana compatible with the mages element to pass through. These new testers help preserve ambient mana by compressing all of the mana into four different mana holding circles that are filled by a larger circle that holds the mana extracted from the person. The mana the smaller circles absorb is sucked in through the skin of monsters who have one of the four elements. Those four are then directly connected by a square on an upper layer. That square, in the interest of uniformity and ease of maintenance, uses the same instructions across all of its implementations.


    ''When pressed, push the two circles with the most mana outward'' which would overload the lines and cause the circles to push their mana into the displays. That makes sure there is a clear distinction between the elements we have and one we have just a bit more compatibility with even if its not enough to actually allow us to use that element as a magician, just in case we produced enough to give even the faintest glow in the darkened glass in the symbols. Now, Aki, I ask you, which circles mana would that square push out if all four circles had the same amount of mana?"


    Akis eyebrows scrunched up for a moment.


    "The most of equals would be none. It wouldn''t push out any of them." Aki said after a moment of consideration.


    "Right. I made some adjustments to this one so it would push out the mana whenever it surpassed a certain amount. Not nearly as efficient as the regular ones but it doesn''t suffer that particular weakness." Tansen finished with a smile on his face as he looked down at his personal bauble as he picked it up from the table. His smile was part pride and part wolf while both looks were lit up with the light of the tester moving around in the palm of his right hand.


    "So, when did you get the other three people to fill that up?" Aki asked inquisitively as he leaned forward to get a closer look. Something Tansen obliged by setting it on the desk.


    "Oh, this toy has only been used on one person." Tansen said as he pushed the tester across the wooden top with a single finger trembling in excitement.


    "I had Eli sit on it with the testing chair earlier today."


    Aki didn''t seem to understand what had just flown out of the academy head''s mouth, instead looking back towards Tansen with a blank face until he looked down at the tester and back again at his young charge.


    "E...Eli. Eli is a-" Aki''s throat clenched as he pulled back and looked at Tansen.


    "Wait.... Wait. Does that mean he has all the dual elements as well? Lightning, metal, plant, and healing?" Aki asked in a shaky voice as a hundred different questions clouded his mind.


    "I would assume so. I had thought that he might merely be a dual element throwing off the testers, but it seems our testing system has suffered a... catastrophic failure far beyond my initial fears." Tansen said with a note of finality in his voice.


    "Merely a dual¡­Testing system? How long has he been a caster?" Aki asked in an irritated voice.


    "At least since the battle at the docks. He took out a member of the rangers who was going to use a water spell on him which is what set me on his trail." Tansen responded mildly.


    "Well why the fuck hasn''t he said anything?" Aki demanded, his cheeks getting a tinge of red as his fists clenched.


    "I pondered over that and I believe I found the answer. When I had Eli and his Kelton woman over for dinner, I noticed a great affection in his eyes for her. I invited him over for a spot of relaxation in the staff sauna with a good feast afterwards and when I told him I invited her over he didn''t seem offended or upset, like her being with him was the most natural thing in the world." Tansen said.


    "His Kelton-" Aki made sure to emphasize the Kelton part before continuing. "-woman? What? He''s willing to go on as a crafter just because he needs a goat woman''s ass and he doesn''t want to deal with the government scalping him for it?" Aki asked incredulously.


    "He would not be the first man who flipped off the mage world over a woman." Tansen said in a plain tone as his eyes grew distant.


    "That was different. This.... What about his kids? Have they shown a similar aptitude?" Aki asked so eagerly he leaned over the desk with his brown eyes shimmering.


    "He doesn''t have any." Tansen said mildly, "Or at least none that the records have shown. Who knows? Maybe... Salamede was her name I believe, maybe Salamede is with his child but there haven''t been any human women who would have had his child."


    Aki''s eyes shot up as his lips puckered.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Oh ancestors, a Kelton woman being the sole mother to a line of quad element mages. Agatha''s going to have the accounting departments hide for that. That''s if the higher ups in the Front don''t have hers first. What a god-damn mess. We need to get him with a few women tomorrow morning at the latest." Tansen put up a hand to stop his friends rant.


    Tansen reached down and pulled out a scroll from a drawer and handed it over to Aki.


    Aki unrolled it and looked it up and down before he turned back towards the academy head with his mouth twisted in disbelief.


    "The rangers are going to conscript him? What on earth are they going to use a crafter for? Do they know what he really is?" Aki almost whispered the last question.


    "No, they don''t. It''s just some scheme to get the help of one of the gang bosses. Fortunately, they sent their sub commander and the leader of their southern forces, Noah, to pick him up. Lad''s a real hot head and I came upon some really juicy information that might let me scrap their plans. But in case it falls through, we need to be prepared for the situation where we need to reveal Eli''s true abilities to keep him alive." Tansen replied but Aki just got a hard face at the last suggestion.


    "Our academy would be finished. Letting Eli slip through our fingers for so long would make us the laughingstock of the Coalition but we could survive it. Letting him go for so long without siring any children for his line? We would be borderline criminals in the eyes of the government and all of the magical organizations." Aki said with no emotion, like he was a thousand miles away from this situation and not one of the men deciding the fate of the thousands of people whose lives depended on the decisions he would help make in the next five minutes.


    "I know. The best way through this would be to convince Eli to stick to the story that he managed to break out of crafter status when he was being shunned by the community, after which he went straight to me. I''ll send out some people to do another round of interviews and ask questions to see if he really is a simple farm boy with some eccentricities and weird birth colorings.


    But more than the truth of his origin, we desperately need Eli to work with us on this if we''re to survive and we only have so much pull with him." Tansen reflected in silence for a few moments before continuing.


    "Going forward we need to be working our way into his woman''s good graces. We probably don''t have anything to offer him that he hasn''t already pushed aside to stay with Salamede, but her whispering sweet words in his ears will go far. I expect a cushy job offer and benefits for her to be ready in the morning." Tansen said, with Aki giving a vigorous nod in approval before Tansen continued.


    "How has the academy-life side of things been for him? We talked about it earlier but he might one of those types who doesn''t air grievances easily" Tansen asked.


    "I haven''t the faintest clue. This expedition for the elf has been taking up all my time with the trips south and the days looking under every rock and bears ass. I''ll start looking into it myself but I''ll have to compensate Dior with a few squads of hired men from the guild. That said, we''re pushing our staff numbers to the limit. A few more personnel heavy issues and we''ll be out of any one to respond to an emergency even with the guilds help." Aki said firmly.


    "Indeed" Tansen took a deep breath which he let out before continuing " We can''t risk alerting Eli to what we know or anyone else to his true nature. At least not before we''ve gotten the story straightened out and all of our facts in order. Ancestors watch over us." Tansen said with a final tired nod.


    Aki just huffed as he turned to leave.


    "It''s about time those old coots got off their asses," Aki said as he went out the door.


    Tansen gave a light smile before calling his secretary in.


    "Yes, sir?" The woman with short black hair, glasses over her brown eyes, and a sharp chin asked.


    "I need a book on Keltons. I want the most up to date book in my room by tomorrow morning." He said as he got up off his chair.


    "Keltons?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, completely mystified.


    "Yes." Tansen re-affirmed as he got up and went out the door.


    He had a quick sleep in his bed and come morning Tansen was up with the sun as he eagerly went over the book back in his office. It was shortly thereafter that a knock was heard.


    "Sir. Two gentlemen are here to see you. They''re rangers." His secretary said. Tansen nodded and motioned for her to let them in as he put the book back in his desk. Now was the time to see if fate and brash idiocy would favor him this day.


    Through the door came the sub-commander, John. He was a darkly tanned man with black hair with a scar along the right side of his jaw. But his skin wasn''t as dark as his eyes which stood out more due to his long face.


    Beside him was the man responsible for overseeing the southern forces, Noah. His green eyes looked at Tansen with an unspoken contempt while the scar above his eyes stayed motionless from his stone hard face. What was odd was that they were both wearing civilian clothes. John had a soft leather vest with a white undershirt and brown pants, while Noah wore a grey cap with a grey shirt and brown pants.


    "What brings two civilians into our prestigious academy?" Tansen asked as they came in, while the room had no windows, the mana crystal in the center glowed bright enough to illuminate the irritated expressions of the two men.


    "We are Rangers as you damn well know." Noah said between gritted teeth as John was content to stick to furrowed eyebrows.


    "Oh?" Tansen said with a raised eyebrow. "I''ve never thought rangers who would keep their membership hidden, well in most situations anyway."


    That drew a questioning gaze from the two men but they let it pass.


    "The orcs... due to an ongoing situation, all male mages have been ordered to retreat to either the Bulwark or here farther away from the swamps. We''re not at liberty to discuss what is happening specifically but I expect an official explanation will be going out in the future." John said as he pulled a letter from his coats front pocket.


    They both came forward and as Tansen took the letter, his curiosity about the ''situation'' was quickly squashed to help him keep his mind on the mission. After looking over the order, Tansen saw that the conscription order was signed off by Marvin, the main leader of the army.


    "Well I can see why Marvin thinks you lot need our help. Our crafters are a cut above and considering how some of the bandits mages get their asses whooped by shop keepers, well I can see why Eli is needed." Tansen said light heartedly. Both the men were clearly angry but John kept it in with a stiffened look of disdain while Noah grew red in the face.


    "How dare you!" Noah said leaning against the table with clenched fists, "We are not the bandit''s mages. We are the mages who make it so you can sleep at night without the green skins bashing in your door."


    Tansen just leaned back with the most insufferably smug expression he could muster.


    "Oh, I doubt that. If you lot can''t even take out a crafter in a three-to-one fight I doubt you''re the only things holding back the orcs." Tansen said in his most dismissive tone.


    Now both men looked openly confused.


    "What are you talking about? What''s all this about shopkeepers?" John asked in a guarded tone, while Noahs face grew several shades redder.


    "I talked with Eli over an incident he ran into a while back. He got into it with three male mages: Ben, a large bear of a man with an earth element." Noahs eyes got a dangerous glint and Tansen knew he was on the right track.


    "Cried like a bitch when Eli had to put him down. As for Dan and Joel they were so-"


    "Eli?! Eli was the one who fucking killed them?!" Noah finally exploded.


    "Come now, Noah. We know Eli is a capable crafter from his trial achievements but taking out three mages? What stunt are you trying to pull with this fantasy, Tansen?" John demanded in a cold voice.


    Noah was still visibly irritated as he considered it, but he kept a level gaze on Tansen the whole time.


    "Yeah, Maybe Eli could have taken out one or even two but doing that while guarding the port? Nah, that''s not happening." Noah said.


    Tansen''s shoulders visibly relaxed as his plan had pulled through for him. He stroked his goatee as he pretended to ponder over the statement.


    "Here''s the thing. Eli hasn''t been taking any quests or even gone anywhere besides the academy or his house as any number of guild clerks and academy staff will attest. Of course, he told me it happened at the docks but how could you have known that?


    More interestingly, when you four rangers gave your report you said it was only you, Arthur, Ethan, and Henry who were there to relax and enjoy the big town. So, unless you want to tell that another group of male mages just happened to be at the docks when the bandits raided, what exactly were you lot doing there?" Tansen asked with an innocently curious expression.


    Noah''s face contorted for a second before he reigned it in but, to Tansen''s great surprise, John was also looking at Noah with a curious expression although his came with a hint of dire danger in his eyes.


    "Yes, Noah. What were you doing there?" John demanded with a voice barely louder than a whisper.


    "It wasn''t supposed... John. We''ve lost too many people. We need Maw''s help to -" John put up a hand.


    "Not another word, Noah. Not another single fucking word," John said in a deliberate tone as he seemed to realize the error in asking that question. But Tansen already had his opening and moved to seize it with both hands.


    "Well I must say, I''m feeling very hurt and confused about this whole thing. Of course, I''ll be putting in a report about this to the government. And furthermore, I can''t help but feel it would be inappropriate to hand over a student to an organization with such questions hanging over it so I must officially challenge this order due to ongoing events"


    John was now getting a bit red faced as well.


    "Now listen here, Tansen. Messing with us is one thing. But going against Marvin is quite another. Are you really willing to draw his ire?" John said with no small amount of confidence as he ran his finger over the signature on the bottom of the letter.


    "An academy head must do everything that he can for his students." Tansen said mildly as he took out a piece of paper from one of his drawers and started writing up his letter of contention to accompany it back towards the local military liaison.


    When Tansen finally finished his work, he handed the letter and the conscription order back to John who took it and read over the letter for a while before turning his dark brown eyes back towards the academy head.


    ''What''s up with this guy? Taking out mages and having the academy head go against Marvin for his sake. That''s an awful lot of trouble and accomplishments for a mere crafter," John asked in a cold tone.


    Tansen got a hard face but Noah just threw up his hands in a dismissive manner.


    "Bah! He''s just protecting his underage lover with fanciful tales. Let''s get out of here," Noah said before he stormed out of the room, with John following after another questioning look at Tansen.


    When the door closed, Tansen let out a long sigh of relief. After preparing another letter to be sent directly towards the capital military headquarters, he went about his day until an hour after lunch. It was at that time that Aki came in with the fruits of his interviews and questionings.


    "It''s bad. The staff have been letting the students run all over Eli in my absence. Nothing that required firing anyone, but some punitive measures helped them see the errors of their ways. This afternoon I''ll get some of the teachers together to help keep an eye on him" Aki said in a hard tone, with Tansen giving a light nod of approval.


    "We''re revisiting all the people we interviewed the first time we looked into him but this time I''m also getting people ready to go northward towards Dunwhich and spread out from there. As for his relationship with Salamede" Aki gave a light cough before he continued, "it would appear that they are very well acquainted. They''ve been buying up nonperishable foods and gone missing in his tower for days on end. If she isn''t pregnant by now, it''s certainly not through a lack of trying." Aki finished with a dry tone. Tansen just gave a light chuckle as a slight smile played across his lips.


    "At least he''s vigorous. What about the job offer?" Tansen asked.


    "It''s a commission gig for helping clean the dorms. I figured it would only aggravate Eli if we gave her a job that got in between him and her loins but with this she can work the job on the side in between their sessions and still make more money that she could ever hope to otherwise." Aki said with a moment of hesitation before he asked a question.


    "Maybe we should at least inform Agatha of this. She would understand the need to keep Eli under wraps since her reputation would go down with ours." Aki asked.


    "If that was the only consideration, sure. But if I wanted the brand of help that she and the Front would offer in this situation, I would be just as well off wrangling a troll out of the woods and slapping a counselor badge on it. This is a delicate situation, and we need to thread this needle perfectly or Eli might not see the need to diverge from his current sexual tastes.


    If it comes to that, everyone else will just drop the hammer on him. Nothing with force since he''s a caster but there''s a whole lot of perfectly legal pressure they could squeeze him with. Worst come to worst, we might be looking at another imperial academy situation" Tansen said with a stiff smile.


    Aki gulped some saliva as his face lost a tinge of its color but he only responded with a nod.


    "Anything else to report?" Tansen asked.


    "Nothing so far, but, again, we still need to send our people out to scour over his tracks," Aki said.


    "Good, Good. Things went very well on my end. With that relief we can at least breath easily for a good two weeks before they start really pushing us." Tansen said. "I haven''t read enough of the Kelton book but I''ll let you know if I find anything.


    In the meantime, try to ask around about the local Kelton community and Salamede in particular. Even if the book doesn''t say anything dangerous about mages siring children with Kelton''s, it would still be a good idea to know as much about the woman''s personal and cultural background as possible." Tansen finished. When Aki gave a light bow and left, Tansen went back to work on the reports laying about his desk.

 Chapter 63: First Contact

    Gula POV


    ______________________________________________


    It was a clear day as we moved through the woods and boulders. The midday sun filtered in through the trees as my group of 12 plus Frojan and I made our way quietly through the woods, trying our best to avoid the occasional large clumping¡¯s of huge stones that dotted this section of the woods. As I had predicted, the higher ups wanted us to perform a few scouting runs to get a better idea of how the humans were reacting to the decimation of the Crypt fort.


    Of course, my bosses would probably also like to have known about a male mage with all the elements running around and I didn¡¯t oblige them that task when I threw my mage report in the fire a few days ago. This was despite the fact that the mission I did deign to accept from them was more dangerous.


    We were moving through a section in the north hugging the mountains known as Griffons pass. It was a good stretch taking up the northern area just south of the northern gang but above the Bulwark where the highest hills became mountains and were littered with even more boulders and rocks from Griffons setting up their nests in the track of land they had claimed as their species own. Which was very troublesome considering this used to be one of the quickest overland routes between the north and south before the dammed beasts started squatting on it.


    Normally we would never risk such things, but we were spotted by a mage scout far from any of the rivers we could easily escape too. As we headed back towards our exit, the mages started patrolling around us. It was a close thing for a while, but they never expected us to go in here. For good reason, I noted as we moved around a boulder and came upon several corpses picked clean of their flesh. I spotted several human skeletons among the piles of deer, rabbit, and bear bones.


    Moving on with not a word spoken, we gradually got to an area where the hills began to rise and fall with gentler slopes and the boulders of griffon nests dissipated. We managed to get within several yards towards a pond nestled in the middle of a grove of trees that we knew connected to the vast network of water filled paths that made up our underground travel network.


    Before we could breath a collective sigh of relief, a sharp, deep cry rang out near the last nest we saw further back. A look passed between all of us before a sigh escaped my lips and we headed back to check it out. If another patrol came out here and we let them die, the local commander might just blame us. At least if we brought back one of them or a body it would demonstrate that we tried to help. It took a minute before we heard a clear stream of shouting and screaming back towards the nest along with the screech of a mighty bird.


    Coming closer I noticed the voices were too deep and masculine to belong to my own kind. We snuck up to a large boulder and I peeked beyond the stone to see what was at the center of all of this ruckus. In the middle of an empty patch of grass between two boulders was a Griffon that had several long cuts and two arrows in its hide as it clawed and bit at the three dwarves with the distinct metallic sting of blood filling the air.


    These smaller people were quite similar to humans but the irises that rested on the otherwise human eyes seemed to be made of gems around the dark center, having the same hard edges and colors of precious jewels. These ones were dressed in red leather with axes that seemed a bit oversized for their users. One with wild red hair was laying in the dirt with a bleeding forehead as his cross bow lay on top of him.


    We had been getting some reports of increased dwarf activity in recent days. Nothing serious, just some scouting parties being spotted near the mountains to the north moving through the pass that connected the Coalition and the Phoenix empire. This time it looks like one of them wasn¡¯t sneaky enough to avoid the natural predators out here. Diplomatically, they weren¡¯t enemies but they weren¡¯t friends either, so our orders were only to observe dwarf activity but not engage them unless they attacked first.


    The other two were around the unconscious dwarf trying to fend the beast off as the black haired dwarves brandished an axe each with a heavy steel handle and solid thick blades embroidered with the rough solid lines of dwarven runes. Despite their skill and armaments, the griffon was clearly getting the better of them as it gradually pushed the bloodied warriors back towards their fallen comrade.


    We all stood still for a moment before Baloo spoke up.


    ¡°You know, one of us could hit it with a spell from here and when it comes up towards us we cut it up with water blades.¡± He said to the rest of the group.


    ¡°Could and should are two different things.¡± I said in a neutral tone.


    ¡°Well, that mage didn¡¯t have to help us either.¡± A younger red skinned Frojan said in the back. He was one of the two Frojan who got healed by our unexpected ally.


    ¡°He had a use for us to get into the prison and probably needs us to help co-ordinate with the other orcs.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°So why heal us after he had gotten into the prison? Letting three of our number die would have made us more dependent on him and it¡¯s not like anyone woulda blamed him or risked upsetting him over it.¡± He responded. I merely responded in my thougts


    ¡®Maybe he didn¡¯t know we were outcasts, maybe he just needs us that that badly, maybe¡­ Bah!¡¯ I thought to myself. It wasn¡¯t the mage or even helping these dwarves that was the problem, it was that damned report I didn¡¯t send.


    I didn¡¯t regret it, but I felt like a tipping point had been reached. That some threshold or line had been crossed that couldn¡¯t just be backtracked over even if I sent out the report now. The concerns of my race and my obligations to my own kind, things that had been the driving force through all of the brutal training and missions, were now more muted and felt like some idle distant thought that held no real importance. Like an old friend who had become distant, only the sense of separation had developed over the course of minutes.


    Thinking it over quickly, the mage did indeed have some reasons to not bother with healing us, but he did. If our sworn enemy was willing to help us, maybe this aid should be returned in kind to another group in need. I sighed and hung my head.


    ¡°That wizard is going get me killed through second-hand good deeds. Get three people each with water staffs to those two boulders to our right and left. We¡¯ll try and get its legs and arms trapped in a water shields while the others cut it to pieces.¡± I said. The rest moved with no argument and took up positions beside two smaller boulders on either side of us.


    As the one who initially suggested this course of action, naturally Baloo was the one who would launch the first attack as I and the rest of the Frojan hid behind the boulders.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The dark-green Frojan summoned a large ball of water that gradually formed into a razor-sharp half moon that zipped out towards the griffon as it ripped an axe from one of the dwarves hands. The water blade cut deep into the hide of the beast who howled in pain before it turned towards Baloo with fury plain in the eyes resting above its beak.


    I heard a hard churning of dirt and the rush of wings as I heard what must have been the beast charging him. Baloo leapt backwards as he shot off another water blade towards the enemy now unseen.


    But it apparently had smelled us because I heard the hard clack of claws working up over the boulder we were behind.


    ¡°Get back!¡± I shouted. The boys took off but the beast was already over the boulder and moving towards us. It clacked its beak in annoyance when two water shields wrapped around its mid-section and stuck it in place. I pulled out a throwing dagger from my side and my aim was only slightly off as the blade took the beast in the chest. It roared in pain and finally struggled free of its restraint, the water shield dissolving into a mist and then into nothingness as the beast charged down the boulder.


    This time it charged around the side of the boulder I was running behind, but two water shields suddenly restrained its two front legs and a flurry of water blades followed along with the dagger I threw a few feet to the left of the previous one. If it had been an elemental griffon or if there had been two of them this tactic would never have worked but after repeating this setup two more times the beast tired and a final blow of three water blades took its bloody head.


    We came out from behind the rocks and I retrieved the three daggers I had lodged in its chest over the course of the fight. The two dwarves looked at us suspiciously, clearly confused at our apparent aid. I walked towards them as I rummaged through the small sack of herbs on the hip of my black leather armor. The two tensed but when I pulled out the green medicine and a bandage their grip on their axes relaxed.


    The two dwarves were dressed in red leather with small wine-red capes and leather straps held all of their equipment on their backs covered up by the leather curtain. A dubious look passed between them but at least they didn¡¯t raise their weapons.


    ¡°You can let him die or you can let me fix up that gash on his forehead.¡± I said plainly when I stopped a few feet from them.


    One of them looked down into his left pouch and I heard the rattle of what sounded like empty bottles. After closing the pouch, he shook his head towards his companion. The other one put his axes handle to the ground and rested his right hand on the back side of the axes flat top.


    ¡°Thanks¡­. Miss.¡± The slightly taller one with the pouch said, his sapphire eyes showing genuine gratitude, while the others bulbous nose and lips twitched at his clear unease with the situation as he kept his ruby eyes on me. I spent a few minutes cleaning the wound with a wineskin filled with water before wrapping the herbs and bandage around his head.


    As I was finishing tying the knot around the unconscious dwarf¡¯s head, I heard the stomp of heavy feet of to my right. Looking up I saw a group of near 20 dwarves all looking at me with some bearing small compact crossbows that were trained on me and the Frojan as they looked down on us atop three large boulders. The rest were on the ground holding axes and small shields coming out behind the boulders. At the front was a grey bearded dwarf who was walking up to us.


    He had a metal shoulder guard on his right side with a gold lined edge and red painted metal shining in the midday sun. His emerald outlined eyes looked over all of us as he took in the injured dwarf and the bloodied remains of the griffon. His mouth got a puckered expression which exasperated the lines in the dwarves aged face. Not that there was much to see aside from the eyes, bulbous nose, and sharp cheek bones in the middle of the full braided beard and grey hair.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I got here before my cross bowmen. They¡¯re a younger lot and probably would have made some rash decisions seeing a bloody dwarf being leaned over by an orc. So, I must thank you for your aid¡­¡± He said politely.


    ¡°Gula,¡± I said with a courteous bow of my head. There wasn¡¯t anything about dwarves in our training and I didn¡¯t have a chance at conducting any kind of official diplomacy, but I gave it my best.


    ¡°Thank you, Gula. May the stone accept you. If you ever find yourself in the dwarven lands, say Gashton Ingrand is a friend and while I can¡¯t guarantee a friendly welcome, I will see you given a room and food.¡± He said with a gracious bow.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind. May the willows whisper your name, Gashton¡± I said with a light bow. I walked back over to my guys and we shuffled out. The time was now slightly past lunch as we munched on some hard crackers and drank from wineskins filled with fruity juice from swamp berries as we trekked back through the woods at a slightly slower pace with so many of our members now slower from the strain of having used so much magic. I took a big swig of the pink liquid as the conversation started back up.


    ¡°I bet that wizard would have killed the griffon and healed the dwarf before we would have had time to blink,¡± One of the younger Frojan said, this time a light blue one with a loose green robe.


    ¡°Yeah, right. There wasn¡¯t any metal on it for him to use. More to the point don¡¯t talk about him so freely unless you want to explain what you were talking about to the local commander¡± I said as we made our way through the trees back towards our patch of watery safety.


    ¡°She¡¯s right on that point, but as far as the wizard goes, I don¡¯t know.¡± Baloo said we came up to the several dozen yards wide and long pool of water as he helped usher the rest into the watery depths. ¡°The metal magic he used was mighty convenient to use against those mages and bandits at the fort, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s any less skilled with the other two elements.¡± He said as another Frojan slipped out of the water and handed him a special helmet.


    This helmet had a wooden frame that enveloped the entire head of the wearer and had several bags of stretchy, elastic substance ringing around the side of it. I didn¡¯t know where the substance came from, or what it was made of but the grey sacks were expanding as they took in the surrounding air.


    As I was putting the helmet on my head, what sounded like a furious digging of soil off to the left in between two trees drew both my gaze and Baloo¡¯s as the rest had already gone ahead to double check the supplies and make sure this section of the tunnel was good. I put down the helmet and drew my sword.


    There was no more noise and as we both went around opposite sides of the two trees, I saw a churned mass of dirt a bit further behind the trees along the downward slope of the hill. But whatever it was, it was long gone.


    We both looked at each other and then back towards the griffon nest we just left.


    ¡°Can they move through dirt like that? Might have been a magically enhanced mole that didn¡¯t like us poking around the water ways.¡± He said hopefully.


    After biting my lip for a second, I decided to go back to the pool as I slid the sword back into the holster.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling those assholes in high command anything more than I have to. If they want him before the dwarves get him, they can come out here and fight the munchkins their damned selves.¡± I said in a sour voice as I made my way back towards the pool.


    I got the wooden helmet on me and the world went black as I felt a band of grey, slick substance around the inside of the helmet expand around my shoulders that created an airtight seal. With practiced ease, I took out a small glass jar from my thigh pocket and smeared blackened grease around my swords holster to protect it from water before Baloo took my hand and guided me through the water as I put the bottle back. After a few seconds I suddenly got a sense of movement as cold water rushed over my body with extreme pressure.


    Occasionally, a Frojan hand would push my head down or up as we moved through the tunnel at a speed that would only be achievable underwater using the wooden boards that the man frogs activated at certain points.


    How long it took to get home varied based on how many people were using the tunnels but it was light traffic today and I only had to wait still with no stimulation but my own thoughts one time while another group was moved ahead of us in the pitch black darkness. Baloo told me they use some magic enchantment system to co-ordinate traffic down here but my training only ever touched on withstanding the tremendous forces on my body using the underwater travel system, not how to use it.


    After a while, I finally arrived back in the swamps. We were in a section of the swamp that was only an hour from home. Baloo continued to guide me near to an island among the muck that was barely big enough to hold all of us. I had to wait under the water until the seal ran out of air and let water into the helmet. Stealing one last breath of air, I pulled off the helmet and made my way to land.


    Breathing in the fresh air, I looked around at the several Frojan who stayed behind to look over me while as the rest scampered around for fresh fish or shrimp. Baloo was sitting on the bank where the land met the water. I got to my feet and wiped the mud off the legs of my armor.


    ¡°All right. The report will be increased movement indicating more supplies being brought to the Vipers main fort and the male mages were all being moved towards that academy and the Bulwark. Same as all the other reports we¡¯ve seen¡± I told Baloo, who responded with a nod as he used magic to create a large popping splash of water in between the large cattails. A fish bobbed to the surface; its neck twisted at an odd angle.


    I made my way home as I moved through the water and jogged over the few odd patches of land. While the wilder parts in the southern neck of the swamps and more eastern side were home to some larger crabs and other predators that would pose great danger to me, the bigger beasts had been driven from here long ago.


    Walking up to my house, I saw a line of smoke from the cooking fire coming out of the window as it drifted up into the red and orange sky of the early afternoon. Going through the rough wood door, I saw mother working the pot to my left. She was wearing a blue skirt and white shirt this time with a white bandana that covered her head, including her three corn rows.


    ¡°Ah, welcome home.¡± She said as she got up off the stool and and got behind me for our ritual. She loosened the black strap around my neck until the belt buckle loosened completely.


    ¡°All right let¡¯s get the bitches neck strap-¡°


    ¡°Grandma¡± I interrupted her, ¡°Grandmas neck strap¡±


    Mothers red eyes looked at me for a moment with a raised eyebrow as she thumbed the black piece of leather.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no point holding it against her now. Even if there was... I¡¯m certainly not in the position to do so.¡± I said lightly as I went to my room to change for dinner.

 Chapter 64: Self Discovery

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

 Chapter 65: Drifter

    Salamede POV


    _________________________________


    It was the morning after the trip south to scout out the forts that I got up and went to my first day at my new job. While the work was nothing I hadn''t done before, there was an element of precision demanded that I had never been held to before. I was in one of the dorm rooms that needed cleaning as I began my first day of practice with Jessica, an older woman with soft red hair and wrinkles that went around her green eyes.


    The walls of the room were all white, smooth stone with an oak wood floor that matched the floor of the hallway. On the right side was a large, luxurious bed with a deep blue blanket and dark wood frame. Right now, the bed, the bookstand beside it and the dresser along the left wall were all a mess with bits of clothing and papers scattered about. The only item spared was the large window looking out over the main academy yard, but even that had dirt smears in the corners.


    The work was a bit more demanding than usual, but the pay was so many more times anything I could have earned even after a years'' time doing my regular side jobs. Eventually I got in the groove with a natural ease that impressed Jessica. That allowed my mind to wonder, even though the last thing I wanted to do was focus on the knot of worry in my stomach.


    Once I finished that room, I went over to Jessica who was working on a room at the opposite end of the hall and asked her a question that had been nagging at me.


    "Excuse me, but I''ve been wondering how much a mana crystal costs." I asked as gently as my rough voice would allow.


    The shorter woman in a white maid outfit raised an eyebrow at that question but answered none the less.


    "That depends on the size. From what I ''ve seen in my years here, a crystal the size of a pebble can run several gold coins, if the supply is good." She said, as I felt a stone drop into my stomach.


    "Why do you ask?" She asked me in turn.


    "Oh, just wondering how much getting one of these mana lights would cost." I said idly as I pointed towards the ceiling at one of the small diamond shaped crystals that was attached to the smooth stone ceiling.


    "Bah, best put such dreams out of your head. Those are only used to impress the parents visiting and furnish the high tuition we charge here. Even the Academy heads tower only got them recently. Folks like us could never afford even one of them." She said dismissively.


    I nodded and went back to earning my pay.


    The day passed and it was an hour after lunch that I decided that I couldn''t put it off anymore and finished working. After taking off the white robe that covered my green dress and placing it in the staff closet, I went over to Eli''s house. I approached the tower with its vine ridden exterior and misshapen bricks with dull grey coloring, which was quite an eyesore to my fashion sense, but I suppose Eli found such an outer appearance¡­ acceptable.


    The lack of female occupants in the place was painfully apparent.


    I knocked on the door and after a few seconds I heard the shuffle of feet approach from inside the squat tower. Then the door opened, and I saw Eli, dressed in a plain white shirt and brown pants, with his curious iron chain mail veil attached to two steel bands around his shoulders. His deep purple eyes that peeked out over the top of the covering got a bit happier when he registered me, something that still made me walk a bit taller and forced me to suppress a slight smile whenever I saw it.


    The knot of worry loosened slightly but I scolded myself and pushed on towards what brought me here.


    "Hello, Eli. Do you mind if we talked for a bit?" I asked him through a spirit connection as I came in. The house was lit up with a single mana crystal lamp in the middle of the ceiling, giving off a glow that played across the solid grey brickwork of the walls.


    "Sure, I was just working on something for Cell. That was the name we eventually came to this morning." Eli said as he walked backwards and went over to the opened hatch made up of dark oak wood that served as the false floor entrance to the basement.


    "Um¡­ this is probably going to be a long talk, could we find somewhere comfortable to sit?" I said in a neutral tone.


    He raised an eyebrow at that but went down into the basement and brought up the chair from his work bench and set it beside the hammock. He went to close the hatch, but he held off for a few seconds until his odd metal familiar came bounding through. It had two odd legs made of wood that it molded around and moved as its sphere dangled in the middle with nothing else but the rest of its blobby body and odd shapes moving across its surface.


    "That''s just so it¡­ eh I''ll just use he, ''it'' feels too impersonal, can move without having to exhaust himself with constant wind spells. It took some doing, but he seems to love it. Once I get another little gadget done, he''ll have a lot more utility." Eli said as he sat down in the hammock.


    I just felt that knot tighten further and decided to sit in the chair. After fidgeting with my dress for a few seconds I looked back up and took a deep breath.


    "Eli, I''ve been helping you with these missions through some pretty dangerous areas. Even so, you''ve done more for me than anyone else in my life besides my own mother. And it''s not like I don''t appreciate the things you''ve done for the Kelton community. Getting those roads was a huge boost-"I realized that I was rambling so I took a deep breath and started again.


    "Eli, those mana crystals you''ve been using to make these devices are worth a lot. I didn''t know exactly how much until I went into the academy and asked about their prices. The crystals you''ve been spending are worth far more than what we got from the troll. Not a lot more as in pay for my annual rent but a lot more as in buying my whole neighborhood and rent it out for free over the course of years kinds of worth.


    Even before that I suspected the exorbitant amount of money involved in making these things, but I kept telling myself that you were just cheap when it came to anything but magical materials and saved stuff up and maybe you found a hidden treasure trove but¡­ Eli, being a scion?


    I could understand having that many mana crystals on hand, someway somehow, but having the resources to become a scion on top of that? Or maybe you were the progeny of some unfathomable coupling of two never before heard of dual element scions who somehow also hit the unfathomable luck of getting both their elements into their child and this ''science'' was just some long-lost art of theirs. I could come up with a thousand different excuses to such questions and ignore this whole business with necromancers if that was all and I really, really pushed aside my doubts as I did so.


    But, not knowing you''re a scion?" I asked with an odd sense of hurt in my voice.


    "That just doesn''t happen. Every child''s most dire dream is to reach that peak before they slink back into the mud of obscurity and you reached it without even knowing it? How¡­ Eli our friendship means the world to me and while I know we aren''t on remotely equal footing; I can''t keep denying what my eyes are telling me. I''ve put myself in danger multiple times to help you and I think I deserve some answers." I finished, biting my lip at the last part, not from regret but from my own nerves.


    Eli sat there for a while looking at me as I saw his mind working on some problem he was trying to crack.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Eli?" I asked.


    "If you had any sort of ulterior motive and were going to betray me it would have been when I was knocked out ''giving birth'' as you called it. You would have had days preparation to set up an ambush and getting helpers to restrain and imprison me would have been child''s play so there''s no reason to hold out anymore. I''m just trying to make this as¡­ digestible as possible." He said and he spent a minute more going over it before continuing.


    "As much as I hate stories that do this, my tale will have to start in the middle as the beginning is lost to me." Eli said with a heavy-set tone.


    I nodded and he continued.


    "Science and technology were developed to help humans overcome our limitations. To help us grow food, travel at high speeds, and produce every other good imaginable. We needed to do that because my home had no magic."


    I struggled to stay silent and not interrupt him with the dozens of questions such an absurd statement demanded. He seemed to notice and his purple eyes showed he was smiling but he continued after the momentary pause.


    "I will take you back to my earliest memory. About ten thousand some odd years ago, I finished my work shift on an expedition to colonize untouched lands. But that shift lasted far longer than it should have. When we¡­ traveled along special routes to get to our destination we were knocked out of the vast lanes that enabled us to go at speeds far faster than we could otherwise. Afterwards the colonists were put in a special kind of sleep that left them needing very little food or water.


    As someone with vast ages of experience, I was elected to keep the ship running along with its¡­ propulsion, farms, sewage facilities, communications-,"


    "Farms? On a ship? "I couldn''t keep it in anymore.


    "It was a big ship." He said mildly and coughed. Then my mind registered how long ago he was talking about. I looked him up and down again, but his visible age was probably misleading considering his magi¡­ wait they didn''t have magic so how-? Eli started talking again so I pushed aside the question.


    "Over the course of the trip I had to work myself very hard to catch whatever spare resources passed us by and keep the ship going. It took far longer for them to recover us than it should have and it was only after getting back that I discovered the cause of the whole mess." At this, Eli grew sour and his eyes showed an anger I hadn''t seen them hold before.


    "Some self-important governor made a play to take over his whole region and secede. He cut off the hyperlinks and tried to fortify his position. Of course, the leaders of the government who paid for my expertise in helping this expedition did not agree with his decision and through a long tale of tragedy and human sacrifice culminating in a betrayal that went down in history as a breeding ground for overly dramatic re-telling, the mess was sorted out and they eventually got around to rescuing us. But the damage had been done," His eyes grew pained and distant at this.


    However, he turned around and moved his hair up as he lowered his shirt to reveal two long cysts in running along his spine.


    "What do you see?" He asked in a distant voice.


    "Two long cysts that are very oddly balanced along your spine." I said honestly.


    He just huffed as he turned back around in his hammock.


    "Those cysts are some of the most advanced technologies in existence. They can¡­ to stick to our subject, I''ll only explain the function that pertains most to my story. The human mind only has so much capacity and when its contents go unused, they get dumped. As I worked to keep the ship going, I had to make sacrifices to keep the people alive and¡­" His voice cracked a bit at the end.


    "I spent centuries on that ship. Keeping the various systems going, using whatever spare resources I could scrounge up from rocks that were within reach. Over time I started to forget things as I tinkered and fiddled in the great expanse of machinery and one of those things was my family" The bitter tone in his speech was summed up in that final word.


    "I loved them. I don''t remember what they looked or sounded like, but I do know that not for a single moment did I stop loving them. But the demands on me were incredible and at some point, without my knowledge or consent, my mind began replacing them with maps of the ship, all the ways to put it all back together from the simplest bolts to the most complex engines and all the thousand other tasks needed to keep the people alive.


    The¡­ A.I. chips, which is what these are, would typically have been able to handle those tasks but all of their computational power had been used up to run the ship to replace what should have been the human crew who had sadly died when we were taken out of the hyper lanes. So, I did the one thing you ought never do and made a third." He said as he ran a hand over his right thigh, and he invited me to do so as well. As I ran my hand over the spot on his pants, I felt the bump of this chip-thing, in much the same shape as the ones I saw along his spine.


    "This chip contains all of the memories of my family that I managed to save." He said in a plain, dead tone.


    "Okay, that''s¡­ wow" I said as I went to sit beside him in the hammock.


    "All right, before we get too deep into it, I have some questions about your home when you''re ready to answer them." I said with a comforting pat on his shoulder.


    He sat there for a minute taking in the floor before he stirred again.


    "Okay, what do you want to know?" He said in an even tone.


    "10 thousand years ago? How did you live that long without magic?" I asked.


    He smiled and seemed to relax as he leaned back and laid down in the hammock while leaving enough room for me to lay on the other end. Relaxed and in a laid back position, he coughed and went on.


    "Cloning is a process whereby a new body that is identical to ours is regrown from the earliest stages of development. The new body starts out the same as our old one but nanites, impossibly small machines, copy our brains patterns and graft it into the mind of the growing body. This allows us to transfer into when it comes of age. Another possibility is similar and cheaper but it''s not as comfortable or easy in day to day life. That involves the nanites essentially cloning parts of your body and replacing the older organs and tissues in a gradual process of grafting and replacement, fiber by fiber."


    I didn''t understand what most of that meant and I didn''t dare try to guess a what all was involved in such a convoluted set up. But I got the general idea. I think.


    "Why do the A¡­.I? things need to be in your body? And why not make more than just one?" I asked.


    "Ahh if only I could have. The top section of the ship had been the property of the company who owned the ship and held their human crew who ran it while the bottom section I had been in was considered the domain of the government who had chartered the vessel. That top section had been torn clean off during the ''accident'' along with everyone else who had the authorization to use the... I guess you could say the tools to create standalone AI chips as well as many other things that could have helped me.


    I could have hacked thorough the higher-grade tools, but once they detected that all the crew had perished, they melted themselves into hot slag to protect the companies'' secrets. But the cloning system and the tools to do basic repair and maintenance functions were considered universal goods. And the cloning system was something I knew just enough about to allow me the third chip." He said but I had to put up my hand.


    "The tools could think?" I asked, completely mystified.


    "In a certain way, but we''re getting sidetracked with minutiae. When we got back, I spent a long time in a mercenary outfit. Trying to get in the most chaotic environment I could think of to cover the tracks of me using the third chip, but when that failed I just¡­ for a while I just drifted in my work, trying to get the money or connections to get back home so I could start what would have been a long and arduous search.


    Unfortunately, the government who employed me collapsed and was replaced in time with a new one. This new group took exception to me wandering about, not putting my considerable talents towards the ''revolution''. I took exception with their exception and made off on my own. It was during my time on the run that a security officer discovered the extra chip. I had a few tricks up my sleeves and more hiding holes than they had brain cells but when it''s you against humanity the odds become long.


    I was caught in due time and for my crimes, burned for the sin of heresy." Eli said. Then he went through explaining his journey through death, the meeting and death of the Druid Lilly, all culminating in his arrival here.


    "Wow" was all I had to say to that. Eli gave a light chortle before responding.


    "It''s been far more exciting than normal as of late," He agreed.


    "I¡­ I hope you don''t take this the wrong way, but you don''t seem like someone who''s lived for untold thousands of years." I said.


    His purple eyes looked at me with a sense of mirth.


    "Why? Should every slash of my tongue weave a hundred tales with a thousand riddles therein, all leading you through a maze in the endless expanses of the mind?" He asked with a lighthearted tone.


    "Well, that''s¡­um" I fumbled.


    "I''ve known people like that. They get past their first millennium and they think God himself put them there to rule over mankind. A lot of snotty shits who hid out in fortresses for centuries scheming and playing word games in business deals get the idea that they''ve reached the pinnacle of existence. Paying no heed to the advice of the ''servant'' who worked with his hands building ships and¡­ homes, they go out working some financial or political scheme. Sometimes these schemes involve taking me out to stop the construction of a new base to improve the prospects of some older one they owned or to replace me with their own construction crew.


    But they never realize the true extent of the ''mundane mechanics'' influence until they brush up against it. I can''t count the number of times someone tried to seize control of a district I was in or take out the station I was at working on only to realize too late that they sent out the order using infrastructure I built all the while using computers whose manufacturers I had bugged centuries before they were even conceived.


    Every time it ends with them in a trash heap hidden in the refuse or floating out to god only knows where.


    What they never seem to realize is that impatience is a virtue all its own, if applied in the right quantities at the right time. I disdain word games and lies outside of the direst necessities. I care not a wit for the subtle word games and manipulations of the young." He said with a pointed look towards me. Despite myself, I couldn''t help but smile.


    "I know my nature. I am, at my heart, a family man who like to build things. I don''t know if I can find the necromancers to get back home or if such a possibility even exists, but I do know that I can rebuild the connector, given enough time and considering the circumstances of how I got here, it may be better if I hold off on getting home for a while" He finished.


    I just sat there for a while trying to take all that in.


    Trying and failing.


    "What did your family look like?" I asked the question I could most easily understand and ask.


    "That''s the strange part, there was no portraits or images of them in any of my quarters or on my person. I can''t begin to imagine why but that''s way, way down the line of things I need to solve. Although I should probably just be grateful it was only the connector that''s missing, if it was the AI chips themselves the task would be orders of magnitude more difficult. Although, if it hadn''t been all the of the AI chip that was lost that would have been better since its auto repair function would have engaged and I would be able to use all the tools available to me" He said in a dry tone.


    I took his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.


    "After everything else you''ve done, I''m sure you won''t let anything else get in your way." I said with a pained heart. I had been hoping¡­ for what exactly? That a quad element mage would deign to sire with a Kelton woman?


    No, it was more than that.


    That maybe I could hold his heart and enjoy his company as a woman with a man, not just as a friend. But if he was already taken¡­ One thing at a time Salamede. I got up from the hammock and gave a light nod.


    "I''m privileged to live in an age where I might get to see your wonders, much less help make them. If you want to talk or need any help, don''t hesitate to come get me." I said with as warm a tone as I could fake. The thought that I had no chance of deceiving him as he was probably older than my entire species occurred to me, but my mother didn''t raise a quitter.


    Leaving his tower after a round of goodbyes, I headed back to my home and tucked in for the night. The dull ache in my heart was still there, but gradually I drifted into the land of dreams.

 Chapter 66: New Visitors

    Eli POV


    ________________


    I was up getting ready for my day of class as I slipped on my robes, looking over the grey bricks of my homes inner wall. It had been four days after my discussion with Salamede and what a productive four days it had been. I had gotten around to scouting out the southern forts and had made a quick visit to the humans in the orc territory, all the while working on a special suit for Cell.


    Having him just hang on to me while we ventured out would be a waste if he could use spirit magic to move a humanoid body of wood and vines. It also meant that I would have a means of delivering a more frontal assault on my foes considering so little of the ¡®body¡¯ would actually hurt him if the six-foot-high suit was attacked. It was also coming along a lot faster this time around as I was no longer growing Cell inside my body, which I supposed was the reason why my mana output had increased significantly.


    But the main concern today that I had was the final session of customized crafting, a course that was supposed to take several weeks, but my work and the advice I gave Jeff and Veronica had so impressed the teacher that my team was able to pass out of the class early. Much to the disdain of everyone else.


    In addition to finishing that course, I was starting an alchemy course that dealt with growing your own magical resources and using them for various effects and all the dangers therein.


    As I was putting on my veil, Cell had the black shimmering liquid of his body, a substance that looked metallic but upon touching it felt almost like a smooth crystal when the odd shapes across the surface died down, hidden under the metal straps along my neck with the sphere of his head sticking between the two wavy looking pieces of metal that held up my chain mail veil.


    That made a piece that looked more like a magical jewel with a shimmering light fashioned after the gaudy embellishments I had seen on some of the mages who visited during Ryan¡¯s ceremony commemorating his bravery at the docks. It wasn¡¯t a one-to-one remake, but Cell had made the impression that he would follow me when I asked him about staying home and this was the best compromise.


    Not that bringing him didn¡¯t have its own merits. Having him on hand to see if there was any precedent for my familiar¡¯s features would be useful, as would having a second¡­ eye?  to look over my shoulder when I was perusing scion related books that I couldn¡¯t easily explain my interest in.


    Another reason was giving him a clear view of the door on the second to last floor to the left side of the stairs exit, which he conveyed he was confident getting past after conducting a few tests when the staff members who were keeping an eye on me were distracted. The large door of cold iron was the barrier to the room that contained the bookcases containing scion spells. All the books I had read about scion magic didn¡¯t lead me to believe anything in there would be as efficient a conversation stopper as a bullet to the skull, but scion level healing and metal spells were a seldom discussed subject and there might be something worth exploring in those barely used pages.


    Besides, his head only barely peaked above the cut in the white undershirt of my academy outfit so no one was likely to get close enough to notice any subtle differences between my ¡®jewel¡¯ and the real thing. And no one did, at least no one human did. Making my way towards the classroom in the early morning after a quick breakfast, I walked down the road in a group of my fellow students.


    Things had significantly changed since my doctor¡¯s visit. The students now all seemed more cowed when they came around me. Apparently, the staff had announced a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and I was now able to walk about freely without any stray passerby giving me grief.


    Sure, the usual suspects, Borin the pudgy man with blond hair and green eyes along with Raymond, the sharp cheeked cur with green eyes and brown bowl haircut, would look sullenly at me but Joey and John were mostly content with the hole I was in and seemed to have moved on from their grudges.


    Coming up the staircase, I made my way to the left off the stairs exit and towards the class room door. As I came through the door, I got a face full of white feathers as Veronicas familiar, a seabird like creature with water mana along its wings and a crown of sharp feathers above its red eyes, as it perched up on my shoulder.


    Veronica came up to me fretting as her blond hair fluttered from her sharp strides.


    ¡°Chattox! Stop harassing that poor man.¡± She said with an apology in her blue eye as she scooped her familiar back onto the shoulder of her suit like dress, a fashion statement that marked her different than any other girl in the academy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not used to it.¡± I said with what I felt was an appropriate amount of dejection.


    It was something I was getting used to, in truth. During one of the crafting sessions, Chattox had deigned to grace us with its magnificence, much to the blushing pride of Veronica. It was during the last hour of our session that the bird had noticed something peculiar with the new piece of jewelry that I had brought along.


    It was during Veronicas struggle to keep it from ripping off my veil that I felt some form of spirit magic pass between Chattox and Cell, a conversation Chattox had initiated from what Cell had impressed upon me. I had hoped it would be a one-off incident since Cell made sure to tell the other familiar the need to not reveal his existence.


    But it seems the white bird of a familiar didn¡¯t think that promise included the other familiars.


    That same day the wine-red monkey from Andrew had dropped down onto me, giving me barely enough time to brace for impact before it landed right on my head. Some fire mana from the stripes on its forehead obscured my vision, having thrown itself from Andrews shoulder on the floor above when I had been studying some of the local maps. It bounced up and down on my head as it looked down at Cell¡¯s sphere with green eyes shimmering in wonder. Later as I was taking a late lunch Ryan¡¯s familiar, an elongated boulder that had stone club arms and legs studded with gems that glowed in brown earth mana, came pounding down the table to sit beside my tray and stare at me, or at least whatever equivalent its mode of visualizing its environment was.


    The familiars were generally allowed to roam free and were considered a treat to interact with, but this singular interest was so odd even I would have noticed it during my reading sessions. I had tried leaving Cell at home and when I came back, I saw the bird flying around my door as the boulder and monkey beat against it. When I opened it, the bird flew in and rested on the crossbow laying in the corner, while the monkey swung back and forth in my hammock. The walking boulder just hugged the grey stone of my walls with affection.


    It was all drawing far too much attention to me.


    A short conversation, made harder by the general vagueness of the terms being relayed to me, had resulted in an agreement. They could come around Cell during school hours or when they wanted to play at night, but they had to not make it obvious they were doing so. Of course, telling their partners or anyone else about me was forbidden as well. That had been established in the earlier promise but I wanted that point solidly established in the agreement with the other familiars as well.


    Which is why Chattox also jumped the three students after me before settling down on Veronicas lap as she sat across from me.


    ¡°Honestly, what am I going to do with you?¡± she fussed as she stroked the birds back. The bird squawked contently with its eyes closed and what I could have sworn was a smile across its beak.


    While the other students struggled with their crafts, we were now officially handing over our items to each other. I gave Veronica a wooden handle with a reservoir of water inside. This craft would mold the water into a number of blades, for either scaling fish, cleaving heavy joints or a regular kitchen knife. Each corresponded to a different button that was covered and spaced in the proper places so that they wouldn¡¯t be accidently pressed.


    It didn¡¯t have the ¡®wow¡¯ factor my previous creations had but the teacher had noticed the subtle curves in the handle, the exact dimensions of the blades, and the spacing of the buttons that allowed me to pass with full marks.


    Jeff got a passing grade with a block of wood that was sculpted into the appearance of several logs in a circle that put out a heavy heat that quickly enveloped the surrounding area, which he gave to me. Veronica gave Jeff a painted pot filled with a series of wooden flowers that spat out a light mist into the air in a wide area, giving the air a clean, distinct feeling like that after a storm.


    While good products on their own, my advice on button placement, adjustable heat and how to get the mist to come out in just the right way that allowed it to spread throughout a whole room helped push them into quality products.


    My task finished for the day; I went back to my hunt for scion related material. All of their books were in a restricted section so other students wouldn¡¯t interfere with the scion¡¯s studies of their unique magics. Even with that limitation, I got some new information when Cell slipped in the previous night when I had a late ¡®study session¡¯: Familiars were like other magical beasts, in that they used magic inside their bodies instead of having to cast them outside their bodies like humans. The mana they showed off wasn¡¯t produced internally like my own ability rather they just stored vast amounts of it that leaked out over time. There were also a few passages about familiars being a conduit for their partners emotions.


    Bereft of any more time, I headed to the place where the alchemy course was being held. It was actually outside on the grass field with several wooden logs erecting garden beds along the back side of the towers facing away from the main entrance road. Along these logs were several helmets and thick leather body suits. Standing in front of the center box was a woman in academy attire but with a leather apron and a hoe in her hand who now interrupted the chatter of the surrounding students.


    ¡°All right sprouts. Listen up.¡± She said with her black hair peeking out beyond the straw cap that helped shield her rather portly figure. Her Blue eyes looked around at the surrounding students with a heavy gaze.


    ¡°I know you lot must think this is peasant work. Peasant work doesn¡¯t involve swarms of ants that spew fire balls at you or slugs that cut you with water blades. This is the quickest path to wealth and the most dangerous. There are entire guilds whose one and only job is to cull and fight parasites that get into mana rich gardens.¡± She said to the assembly.


    The rest of the lesson was spent going over the general dimensions of how to plan the enchantments for the wood of the garden beds and how they worked. You would have circles constantly expelling mana into the soil of the garden, mana that was collected through yards long enchantments on leather strips This created a mana rich environment in the center of a mana dead zone.


    What made the task so dangerous was the parasites that would eat the magically enhanced plants. To make the point, a maggot who had been missed in some of the blue potatoes a woman, sweaty and tired with her protective gear removed to help her with the heat, had been picking. It made its presence known when it launched a block of stone towards the disturbance and broke her jaw.


    Most of the students backed off and were suddenly very reluctant to dig into the soil as the woman was dragged off by the medical team. I worked up a good sweat and while the class had been completed by everyone, anyone who was interested in continuing this specialization signed up for the advancement classes. I signed up for it and was quite interested in the magical slugs. She said they produced a number of odd chemicals and one of the subjects covered in the advanced courses was producing a variety of such parasites on purpose.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Coming back into the building, I sat in a wooden chair in a corner on the third floor of the main tower to sit and read over some more texts involving the orcs. I had finally gotten my scouting done, a task made considerably easier now that Salamede¡¯s suit could travel at the same speed as mine and she had mastered the skills to use it. It looked like the forts would hold just fine as they were wide things equipped with catapults and the magical cannons like those that resembled my shoulder cannon. That, combined with the fact that the soil wasn¡¯t solid enough to allow for underwater tunnels, meant the orcs weren¡¯t going to be taking them with anything short of a full-scale siege, which went very much against their typical tactics.


    More to the point, the human villages, plural, that I had found as I whisked through the none swamp portions of orc territory seemed well treated. Which made sense from a tactical point of view. Whatever their long-term goals, enslaving the humans would have been a monumental task to house, feed, and watch over any significant population beyond the barest handful and it wasn¡¯t like the humans there had anywhere else to go. With the options of the orcs safety or getting killed by the bandits who would know damn well where they came from, the choice would only be a hard one to make for anyone who didn¡¯t actually have to live with the consequences.


    Another benefit for the orcs was that these human villages were the only safe source of breeding stock the orcs wouldn¡¯t have to risk their lives to get. The only demands they seemed to make of the humans in their territory were portions of grain harvests, carefully checked for poisons of course, and the mating with one of a farmer¡¯s sons. A task the boys carried out with a stoic bravery that was no doubt appreciated by the village¡¯s women.


    Which was certainly not something that was going to be found in any of the books I was currently reading. Most of the authors just stuck to how to kill them and the few who did try and flesh out the species history stuck to the same basic story of how Garren produced them, which was quite an odd tale.


    He had been a mage of little fame a few thousand years ago who, after a disappearance, had shown back up in some basically worthless forest land on the southern part of the central continent and dumped the orcs off with no real ceremony or theater in a jungle village. The information about what actually motivated this action or what methods he had used to create them were either unknown or it was covered with speculation that had no grounding in any actual fact. As fascinating as this was, it did nothing to help me.


    Everything was set up for me to help the orcs take the Viper base. Aside from finding that one orc, Gula if I remember correctly, the only other issues would be explaining why exactly I was helping them and making sure I didn¡¯t get into a position where they could kidnap me.


    At least those were the only practical issues.


    Helping the orcs take over the southern section, and that was what it was plain and simple, would result in a lot of soldier¡¯s deaths and untold terror amongst the populace. I recalled the fear Shelby, the older robed woman who I helped defend the barge service, had displayed when talking about them. Was I willing to inflict that kind of emotional suffering on thousands of people just to save my reputation? I went over all the old arguments.


    Running off to another academy would mean I would have to start over. Only then the rumors and slander around me would be the only things I was known for as opposed to the few good deeds I had under my belt here. Another recent aspect was that things were getting slightly better and I couldn¡¯t justify completely disappearing and starting over from nothing, not that I could start over anywhere else as long as my unique features marked me like a beacon.


    Things had settled down somewhat as the nobles behind this mess had apparently crossed a line by accidently raiding the town. That or the recent surge of the orcs in the southern region pulled their resources to defend their holdings as the people who had been following the genius crafter around had been moved elsewhere. My current delay was mostly justified by the obvious benefits of creating a third party member, via Cells doll body, but even that couldn¡¯t push off the inevitable decision but for so long.


    I brooded, pondered, and imagined but the same answer still presented itself.


    Getting up out of my corner after more fruitless deliberation, I went to put my book back when I passed by Raymond and Bosin as well as three of their friends. They shoved past me and I just moved on past them. But when I took two more steps forward, my brain registered my foot crunching against a piece of bark.


    My instincts told me to dodge but I had already stepped on it, and as I did so a few balls of flame shot out of it and took me in the gut, thighs, and right knee. I first registered it wasn¡¯t lethal as I worked through the pain of my flesh searing. I jostled quickly to the right as I knocked into a bookshelf. Something in my ears registered a yell but I was too focused on removing my quickly burning robes.


    Making sure to keep my mind on any further oncoming attacks and not seeing or hearing any, I fought the urge to cast a healing spell as I finally worked myself out of robes. Free of the burning restraints, I threw them towards the stone wall away from the red carpet that was laid out in the main walkway.


    ¡°Bah! Even his pubic hair is white.¡± I heard Raymond snicker to my left as he and the rest of the bunch who laid the trap pointed and laughed openly.


    Down to my underwear, I bared my teeth and tried to approach but the burns on my legs cried out in protest. I kept my eyes on them as I moved away to make sure they didn¡¯t try to finish the job but fortunately a staff member came rushing towards us. I felt a surge of anger emanating from a spirit connection that was being broadcasted from Cell, but I willed him to calm down, which he sort of did.


    ¡°Healing potions! Burns on the third floor.¡± The man with a black beard and green eyes shouted over the railing to the staff below. The group who set the trap didn¡¯t look the least bit repentant as the staff member glared at them and looked me over as a pair of the medical team came down from the top stairs carrying a large pouch, from which they took a healing potion and poured the red liquid down my throat as the man who first came gave me his staff robe to cover myself up.


    A small crowd gathered around us now to observe the scene, but Aki cut through them as he approached from the main staircase like a wolf moving through a herd of rabbits who had learned the cost of obstructing him the last time. His brown eyes took in the bark piece on the floor, my healing skin and the smug looks on my attackers faces.


    ¡°Tansen¡¯s office, NOW!¡± He said as the last word came off like a physical blow as he used magic to turn up its volume far beyond what his lungs could have achieved.


    After a few minutes, I was good enough to walk and was given a new white underrobe and striped blue and white outer robe. We were all escorted by a small troop of eight guards back towards the dorms. Raymond and Borin¡¯s group were nervous as we came down the stairs but as we walked down the road, they seemed to get a second wind and looked around casually, as if this was all no big deal.


    Coming up through the tower we were all eventually brought into the academy heads office. The simple oak desk, wooden floors and alternating colors of blue and white on the walls were all illuminated by the mana crystal lamp firmly attached to the middle of the ceiling with the diamond of crystal giving off a soft orange glow that reflected off of Tansen¡¯s face.


    While he wore the typical black kimono, the wave of sapphires across his chest seemed more like the waves of a storm as opposed to the gentle ocean surf it usually resembled as he walked between the five members of Raymond and Borins group. Their previous confidence evaporated when they each fell under his gaze. A thing so typically filled with either sympathy or light hearted jokes, now looked to be summoning the fire element itself as it burned into each of the now sweating men while I stood over by the wall to the left of the group.


    Eventually, he finished his round of inspections and returned to his desk. Sitting in the chair, he put his hands together as he leaned forward and spoke for the first time since we had come in.


    ¡°Before you¡¯re all expelled, do you have anything to say that could possibly save you?¡± He said in a tone of pure bone chilling ice.


    Borin stepped forward, his pudgy neck had some sweat, but his blond hair was still well kempt, and his green eyes showed resolve.


    ¡°If we are to be punished, should not everyone involved all be punished? After all, we got the help to make this bark craft from another student.¡± He said with some confidence.


    Tansens¡¯ goatee twitched in irritation as he shifted his gaze towards Aki, who had been silently standing to his left.


    ¡°Going over it with the staff it would appear they got help with this from Andrew¡± Aki said with a dissatisfied frown.


    ¡®Ah that¡¯s what they were playing at¡¯ I thought to myself as the groups now smug expressions replaced their fear. Maybe Tansen would get a group of casters in trouble but going after a scion was another matter. Whether or not Andrew was actually guilty mattered little. Upsetting a scion for the sake of a crafter just wasn¡¯t politically wise, no matter how justified.


    Resigning myself to no justice, I started going over all the ways I would have to protect myself in the future when something unexpected happened.


    Tansen¡¯s face got several hard lines as his face showed determination and seemed to resolve himself to a hard course of action as he leaned back into his chair.


    ¡°Aki, get Andrew here now.¡± He said to his favored assistant.


    Instead of objecting, Aki just nodded and went out of the room. Even the guards by the door were shocked at this as everyone¡¯s eye went wide. I raised an eyebrow but there was a small part of my heart that was overjoyed.


    But after a while, it wasn¡¯t Andrew but Agatha who came through the door. Her blue eyes were wild and the bun of blond hair she typically wore had a few stray strands flowing over her black work dress. The reddened tone of her sharp cheek bones and heavy breathing said she had run all the way here.


    ¡°Tansen, what is going on?¡± She asked between gritted teeth.


    ¡°School discipline. I don¡¯t remember asking for your presence.¡± Tansen said in a steely voice.


    ¡°Going after a scion? Have you lost your mind?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°School. Discipline.¡± Tansen said again.


    ¡°We¡¯re already falling below his projected siring rates and you dare think of expelling him? I¡¯m putting a hold on this until an official investigation can be started, I-¡° She was interrupted as the person in question came through the door.


    ¡°Ah Andrew. Just the person we need.¡± Tansen said with a smile as he leaned forward.


    The red heads¡¯ oceanic eyes looked around with a question in his gaze as he took the others in the room. Behind him came Aki. The old man came up to Tansen¡¯s right side and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Ok. I assume Aki told you why you¡¯re here?¡± Tansen asked.


    Andrew nodded as he shot a murderous glance towards the five men. They all looked like they wanted to puke right then and there but their throats were too clenched to allow the vomit to pass from their throat.


    ¡°Come forward and tell us nothing but the truth. If you lie here and now, you will be going back to the capital before this day is out.¡± Tansen said in a firm tone.


    Agatha looked like she wanted to explode at this as her hands curled into fists at her side, but Andrew took it in stride with an even nod.


    ¡°They asked for a fire construct as I was trying a three-ring fire spell on the practice roof. They said they needed it for a school project. Seeing as Raymond and Borin were water element users, I obliged them.¡± Andrew said, explaining everything in one short, concise sentence. Aki gave a light cough as he pushed the conversation forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the staff to get an official testimony from the person overseeing the practice field when this happened. We¡¯ll have a written statement by this time tomorrow.¡± Aki finished.


    ¡°All right then. As for you five, we-¡°Agatha had finally had enough and threw up her hands.


    ¡°Listen Tansen, you may be the academy head, but the Front gets a say as well,¡± She said in a bitter tone.


    Tansen¡¯s face became red at this but he gave us all a passing glance before talking again.


    ¡°Borin, Rayomd, and the rest of you lot. Do not think there will be no consequences for your actions today. Everyone out.¡± He said in a firm tone.


    We all promptly scooted out the door as a heated discussion then started behind the closed door as we walked away. The bullies just took off down the steps, and made their way through the floors looking they were just trying to not throw up before they got outside. A goal only some of them managed to achieve.


    I was walking out of the main gate while taking in what looked like a massive crowd in the distant market to the right and left of the main road leading from the academy gate. The early afternoon sun was shining on this clear day as people from all over made their way to the market in far larger numbers than usual.


    Coming up to me on the road to my left was Salamede. Her green dress had the white undershirt to provide some modesty for her considerably feminine features as she bounced up to me with clear excitement.


    ¡°Eli! Dwarves!¡± She said the moment she came within spirit magic distance.


    ¡°Huh?¡± the poetry flowed from my mouth as I tried to keep up with her while she took my arm and dragged me towards the market.


    ¡°The dwarves! They set up some shops to sell some of their goods. They¡¯re are some of the best smiths and magical craft makers in the world. Come on.¡± She said in a barely coherent stream of enthusiasm as we pushed through the crowd. In the distance I saw some carriages that had the fancy banners and symbols of various noble houses coming across the bridge.


    I even saw some of the dock workers and ship captains among the mess. The dwarf¡¯s stalls were impossible to miss. They were made up of a half-moon comprised of a smooth single table covered with deep green and red silks. The top of their stalls were propped up on steel poles with a dazzling array of purples, deep blues, light green, and blood red tops. Inside each was either a mini forge compacted down to look almost like an oven, but the metal melting heat they spewed and mana they absorbed made the magical nature of these iron boxes undeniable, or a wide array of beakers, mortars and pestles, and other alchemy tools. A few wider stalls of theirs also had various delicacies.


    The stalls were spread out over a wider area between the regular stalls and a few of the dwarves carriages were coming in bringing more goods and more tents. These were almost similar to more modern vehicles but with a large metal golem pulling them along instead of an engine or hover pad. The carriages were multi decker¡¯s with steel- half oval roofs. In between the beams that formed the skeleton for this roof were four windows.


    The golems were large, round bodies with plates of steel and what looked like a complex interweaving of leather and some kind of crystal bones to form pseudo human arms and legs that peeked out below the intricately engraved slabs of metal where the joints moved. On top of the orb-like midsection was a dwarf sitting on a leather pad while moving their hands and feet around in some holes that lead into the construct¡¯s shoulders and main body, giving them the ability to move the giants swaying and stomping beneath them as they moved through the parting crowd.


    We spent the rest of the afternoon perusing their various goods and food stuffs as the heady scent of the deep earth filled the air.


    ¡°I heard the dwarves have always been a seclusive people, yet the rumors say they even visited the Bulwark and a few more towns south to us.¡± Salamede said as we snacked on some stuffed mushrooms. ¡°I wonder what brought this on¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an annual thing they do?¡± I asked, washing my mushroom down with some strong beer that smelled faintly of aged steak.


    ¡°Once a year? This is more of a once in a lifetime thing. But there are no restrictions on trading with them and the guards inspected all the goods before they came here so I intend to enjoy as much as possible.¡± She said with determination, a sentiment Cell echoed to me.


    The rest of the day was spent savoring the various delicacies and admiring the crafts of these semi-mythical people. Those who had been such an integral part of this regions life and history but never presenting themselves now worked openly amongst us and it was an experience every noble in the region seemed determined to use to burnish their prestige by acquiring some dwarven good to use as a family heirloom.


    Whether it was a sword whose metal seemed to come alive in the air, or a piece of jewelry hand crafted with a degree of precision that impressed even my veteran eyes, every noble and student buzzed about to get something to show for their trip here. Even the other vendors were left happy despite the initially worried faces of the stall owners in between the colorful dwarven stands. While they couldn¡¯t get the nobles coin, the carriages and servants also needed maintenance, food and entertainment, things that would be far too expensive to get dwarves to do.


    Order was kept by the guards and the day gradually turned into night. I went back home with a belly full of beer and steak to help me get over my current dilemma with the orcs, while Salamede got a rose crystal clasp that was pinned to her dress¡¯s chest. I waved her goodbye in the late night as I worked my way back into my tower. Taking off my robe and laying it on the chair to the left of my hammock, I went back outside and did a quick brush of my teeth using water magic to blast the bits of my late dinner out from between my teeth into the grass. Going back inside, I laid in the hammock with a sense of contentment as the world turned black with Cell laying on my chest.

 Chapter 67: Turning The Wheels of Government

    Marvin was currently riding in a carriage towards the Coalition HQ, the heart of the Coalition itself, and the seat of his power. The carriage traveled along Embassy street, where several properties owned and maintained from countries around the world set up shop for their diplomatic craft or houses used by prominent noble families inside the Coalition that were of great importance and wanted to be close at hand for matters of government. The rain was pouring down the cobbled street with an overcast sky that occasionally crackled with the lights of nature''s fury.


    A handsome man with a strong jaw and greying hair, Marvin had been something between a brother and a mentor to the current president when they had been training at the imperial academy together, a bond that only deepened on the battlefield. His clean-shaven face was accentuated by the brown vest and green pants/coat that had a dark tint to match his eyes. All these items of clothing were gold inlaid with lines accentuating their incredible craftsmanship for there were few things in this world, non-magical at least, that were beyond the reach of his coin.


    Unfortunately, one of those few items was peace and quiet, a commodity in dire shortage as of late.


    He was looking out the window into the dreary grey sky while taking in the constant string of figures and opinions from Freya, who sat opposite of him. If she was irritated at his seemingly idle manner, the soft blue eyes of the aging woman made no show of it.


    "¡­ and that''s just this week''s casualties. I''d say if we kept up with bandit deaths it would be far worse." She finished with a sweep of her grey cloak to the left as she lifted her leg over the other to relax.


    "Yes, yes. It''s all the same as it''s ever been. Make sure to get the last round of reports in before our meeting with the president. I don''t want any more fuckups" He said moodily. Freya didn''t need to ask what had gotten him so down as she had been there when he got the high priority letter delivered by a wind hawk, a letter that currently soured his mood worse than any rainstorm. Marvin''s face had turned several shades of red when he first read the report that resulted in him throwing his glass across the room of the command center as scared underlings scurried about trying to discover the spell that let them turn invisible.


    A fort, an entire fort, had been found in a smoking ruin by the time the first scout could venture south to verify the ramblings of a few half-dead soldiers who had made it out. The last report on it was coming in tonight but it appears to have been a freak accident combined with an orc invasion if the vague reports from the one or two soldiers who had gotten away was to be believed. Sadly, they had died of their wounds shortly thereafter leaving nothing else but fading physical evidence to go on.


    It was the weakest and newest of them, but it was still a grievous blow to the grand strategy Marvin had based his entire military career on. That and the setback in his plans getting the biggest northern gang involved in the war in the south had left Marvin blind with a fury that had since cooled to a mere simmering rage.


    And Marvin was known for many things, but forgiveness, towards humans or orcs, was not one of them.


    "We''ve got a problem that''s come up with our attempt to get Maw''s supports. After a discussion, I found out that Noah and a group of male mages were actually involved in the bandit raid on the academy town. They tried some backroom deal with Maw and he''s been put on leave with John watching over him." She said with a hint of nervousness.


    "Bah!, He''s a good lad who had a poorly executed idea. We can''t afford to have him twiddle his thumbs all day so I''ll have the local military discipline office send him and his friends a strongly worded letter before seeing what work he can do far from the frontlines." Marvin said with a dismissive tone.


    Coming up to the Giant U shaped building, they both prepared themselves for the coming bath. Moving around the central fountain bearing the slight chin, strong cheek bones, and dashing smile of the president lifting a sword up towards the embassy road. The cobbled road flowed around the bend as the road started using the sand colored stones of the building. The dark greys of the roofs and balconies that dotted the building''s exterior also helped remind the residents of the coastal sense of the city at large. Quickly shuffling out of the carriage, they both made their way through the wide wooden doors with iron bands around them that was being opened by a duo of butlers always happy to ease the burden on the poor souls seeking refuge as Freya zipped past to go .


    ''How much more must I give? I have given so much for this country, went through so many battles and yet ants have done nothing but obstruct me at every turn'' Marvin thought bitterly to himself as he came through the door and handed off his coat to one of the butlers. The main hall had a wide-open area in the back that ran along the entire length of the building while two sets of stairs to the left and right led to the upper floors.


    The walls all stuck to the same sand colored-brick work but with a deep red molding in the various corners or around the mana lamps that dotted the ceiling. Walking over the soft carpet crafted to display waves, deer, birds, flowers and all the other trappings of nature, he made his way up to the top floor through the left side staircase.


    Arriving at his floor, he moved further down the right hallway to the abode just two rooms away from the presidents. Opening the dark, oak wood door he came into his private sanctuary. A gaudy thing with a gold mirror to the left and a fully furbished dining room to the right, complete with fine wood chairs and a central table inlaid with gold, though it was more an antique than anything else as Marvin would never stoop to enduring the peasant slop outside of the most prestigious restaurants in the capital. The only exception was the officer''s hall, which was where he kept his fingers on the pulse of the military''s general mood.


    Walking further past the dining area with a wide window showing the downpour behind the furniture, he opened the door in the left side wall, and sure enough among the plush pillows of red and white that covered up the wide bed in the middle of the room were two beautiful women, a blonde with green eyes and a brunette with coy, teal eyes. An artificial eye color found out here on the shores near the central continent, an attempt by healing mages to provide an imitation of the fire tribes deep oceanic vibrancy.


    As both women began looking at him with heat in their gazes, Marvin walked over and roughly palmed their breasts with not a word spoken or wasted. While Freya did her duty preparing for the meeting, Marvin did his.


    After all, what higher duty could a wind mage have aside from spreading his gift to the world?


    Once he had finished his duty with the women, he spent a little while longer in his room drinking a fruity juice and rum mix that was one of the bearable items from the HQ''s kitchen and prepared an attire suitable for meeting his dear old friend. A dark green coat, almost black, with brown pants and a simple white undershirt. Showing off his wealth too much in front of the president might make it seem like he was trying to upstage his superior, as well as invite questions as to how he had acquired so much wealth, which typically wouldn''t be bad except the president was the one person who Marvin couldn''t afford to have asking such questions.


    Finally, a servant came, and Marvin left his room and made his way to the right walking barely five steps before coming into the conference room. Typically, such meetings would be done in the president''s office but the amount of reports and length of the discussion between three, and in the middle portion, four people made such a set up prohibitive. The conference room was to the direct right of Marvin''s own room but getting there before the president was a grey area as far as etiquette goes, so better stick to what works and let the president summon him there. Going through the dark oak door and coming into the room of sandstone walls and flowing oceanic carpet, he saw a U shaped table with the president sitting in the center, perusing a few papers in front of him.


    The president, Johnson, was 6 plus feet with a sprinkling of grey in his smooth black mane of hair. The most striking feature was his deep green eyes, which was further emphasized by his slight chin and strong cheekbones. While clean-shaven, the most powerful man on the continent was wearing a black coat and slightly blueish undershirt that didn''t quite go with the regular brown pants and brown boots but the undershirt was one of a number of clothing items picked out for him by his late love and woe betide anyone who would besmirch those most sacred of items.


    Sadly, to the left sitting idly and twiddling his thumbs was Alton. The pudgy man had a bulbous nose and short bowl cut of brown hair which flowed slightly over his bloated proportions. His general demeanor and simple robe of green with a white undershirt said he was being idle, but Marvin noticed the keen interest in Altons brown eyes as he surveyed the rest of the room before looking towards the newcomer.


    "Ah, so good of you to join us at long last." Alton said as he looked down his bulbous nose towards Marvin who sat the opposite side of him in a wooden chair.


    "Shall we start?" Marvin said in as cheerful a manner as he could manage as the constant splatter of rain was heard even here.


    "Indeed." Johnson agreed and called for the secretary. She came through the door and offered the three men a small stack of papers each. As the go-to man for congressional approval for the senate and the oft derided chambers, Alton began the first point of contention.


    "First order of business, the transportation department has been running at breakneck speed for months now trying to keep up with the newer forts to the south. I''ve heard reports that the caravans have been worked to the point where talks of strikes have been whispered amongst the taverns frequented by the workers." Alton said in a plain tone that was met with Marvin pounding the table in outrage.


    "Do those ingrates not appreciate the dire need our entire line of defense has for the goods they move? Any whispers of this strike should be met with whippings." Marvin put in between gritted teeth. Alton merely put up his hands in a defensive gesture.


    "Men can only move so fast for so long. I have talked with a noble near the southern region, Duke Cest, who has a good number of caravans and workers from his own businesses who could help carry the workload¡­ but-" Alton said as he pinched his nose with his index and thumb fingers. "But he doesn''t want money. Apparently, one of his carriages was caught moving drugs from the east into the coast. He intimated that getting him out of that bind would lead him to approving his caravans and their employees for transporting government goods, at cost even."


    Marvin looked to Johnson who was now leaning back into his chair, staring at the ceiling. Personally, Marvin would have just said yes without a moment''s hesitation, but Johnson had certain moral hiccups. After a minute, Johnson looked towards his old friend whose eyes shimmered in clear approval.


    "Fine" Johnson finally grumbled. "But keep an eye on any more of this talk of strikes, we can''t afford any further setbacks in our campaign. Especially with this dammed beast running around and the fort lost in a freak accident."


    Apparently, some new beast killed several mages, along with an extensive number of bandits, a while back. Between that and the freak accident at the Crypt fort in the swamps, it was weighing heavily on everyone in the military''s upper echelons. Sensing that Johnson''s statement was as good of a transition as any he was going to get, Marvin moved in.


    "Yes, speaking of which we have a plan we''ve been working on and I had the Rangers left in the capable hands of the sub-commander John so that Freya could give this presentation herself. Freya!" Marvin called towards the door.


    A moment passed but the door remained unmoved.


    "Freya?!" Marvin demanded with another shout, this time getting a response.


    The distinct grey leather armor and grey cape of the rangers came through the door backwards as Freya was motioning some half hysterical woman in similar gear to leave before turning back towards her superiors as she carried several pages under her shoulder.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "S-Sorry sirs. We''ve uh¡­ we''ve come across something very bad in the last round of reports." She said as she strolled towards the center of the table with papers under her right shoulder. Her blue eyes darted around the room briefly before she settled down, but the impression had already been made


    She and Marvin had gone over how to sell this plan, but this wasn''t part of that plan. The play was to give the factual telling of events leading up to the current situation, and then using that to lead into the solution to hand over a crafter to Maw''s gang. Until Tansen screwed that plan up, Marvin could have done it under his own authority but now he needed someone higher up the chain to resolve it, and that only left the president.


    But that didn''t involve her wiping her moist palms across her legs and having beads of sweat roll down her slightly wrinkled forehead as she breathed in and out like a hunted animal. Signs even a civilian like Alton, someone who probably didn''t know which end of a sword he was supposed to hold, picked up on. All three men leaned forward without realizing they had done so.


    "You all saw the report where we lost some mages to an unknown entity. We had thought it was an isolated problem, but new information has come forward that suggests that incident was connected to the destruction of the Crypt base." She said as she handed out the papers. Taking his portion with eagerness and dread, he flipped through it to see the reports as well as several sketches of tracks with what looked like a foot only it was oddly distorted by several holes and what looked like drag marks behind them.


    With a light cough, Freya returned to the center of the three men and gave her findings.


    "Seeing as how orcs don''t really hold territory, Noah, who leads the southern operations for the mages sent a scouting party to ascertain what had happened the day after the bases destruction. They only had an hour, if even that much, to survey the area and while they looked around to find out exactly what happened one of the mages noticed some odd tracks amongst the burnt ruins and bodies but it was left as an insignificant side note until more information could be gathered on them. It wasn''t until two days ago that we could get the scout who found the tracks in the north down south to go over the sketches.


    They were one and the same. With this new information, Noah submitted his theory on the events at the Crypt." She said with a note finality.


    Marvin was furiously going over the reports and the sketches, as was Alton, but in the corner of his eye he saw Johnson had merely skimmed the papers before putting them aside to his left and looked at Freya with a stone cold expression.


    "What theory is that?" Johnson asked her in a neutral tone before she obliged him.


    "He thinks the orcs have developed a new weapon or gotten ahold of some new beast that they''ve tamed and can now use towards their own ends. As such, he''s suggested we only send supplies in groups of several thousand, double patrols everywhere from the Bulwark to the south-western forts and send all the male mages away while replacing them with female mages from other parts of the coalition, not just for three weeks like we originally planned but for months or even years.


    In his letter he emphasized that he now doubted the Viper base or perhaps even the Bulwark itself could be considered safe zones after this new information." Johnsons green eyes went wide while Alton looked like he wanted to throw up. Marvin just sputtered for a second before speech came back to him.


    "Not even the Bulwark is safe? Has he gone mad?!" Marvin demanded.


    Freya looked at the ground this time while she spoke.


    "I''ve gone over the first incident several times, interviewing the stable hands who handed those girls their horses, and worked out the timing of it all. Those women had been in a fight that lasted less than five minutes, if they even lasted that long. That''s how long five veterans lasted against that thing.


    Whatever this thing is, it kills mages like rats.


    The marks on the remains of the Crypts wall show the typical Frojan style of demolition. But before they retreated, the scouts found at least seven different mages that had been cut into chunks and one that had been crushed to a paste. The chunks might be from water blades, but the sheer power needed to cut clean through bone like that is immense. The only ray of hope is the new orc bodies around the fortress seems to indicate that it couldn''t have taken down the entire fort itself." Freya finished.


    ''That ray of hope is dimmer than the sun outside'' Marvin thought as he listened to the crack of lightning and pounding of rain on the roof. But now he thought even that storm couldn''t adequately capture the mood of the room. His throat went dry as nearly twenty years of planning, arm twisting, and sweat was going up in flames.


    "So, what does it look like?" Alton asked.


    Freya sighed before she answered.


    "We don''t know."


    "What element does it have?" Johnson asked in a quiet tone.


    Freya now looked up at the president. Her blue eyes showing some determination.


    "Sir, those papers are the total of all of our intelligence on this thing since the soldiers that got away from the Crypt fort didn''t see it or at least didn''t live long enough to give us the information. A few footprints, statements from surviving bandits who also didn''t see anything, and a hasty scouting report of an area now overrun with orcs. That is all we have." She said in a quiet tone.


    There was a moment of consideration as the three men came to grips with this new information. Alton was the first to break the silence.


    "Moving all the male mages out is not going to happen, at least not soon." Alton said.


    While Johnson leaned over the reports and kept his gaze down as he continued skimming the papers, he offered a sharp reprimand.


    " We can''t afford to have those male mages out there with that thing running about." he said in a severe tone.


    "Well then move them all to the safest location we have. Getting the magic associations or academies to give up mages is like prying a cub from a bear at the best of times. Sending them out where only the rangers were made to go because there''s now something too dangerous even for the roughest lot in the military, no offence" Alton said with a nod towards Freya.


    Freya got a slight smile and smug look in her eyes before Alton continued.


    " They will be even less willing to part with them. It takes a lot of work and money to make mages and I can''t think of a single group I could go to if we needed them this week."


    Marvin got a glint in his eyes, his instincts telling him this was the time to make his move.


    "We don''t need more mages, at least not immediately. What we need is more bodies to patrol the routes and slow down the orcs advance." Marvin said as he nodded towards Freya. She got the hint and went forward with their original proposal.


    "Maw is a gang leader whose territory had previously been untouched by the orc threat. He is willing to lend us his considerable manpower in exchange for the handing over of a crafter" She said.


    "What was the crafters offence that he would go to such lengths?" Johnson asked, the fate of the crafter already clear from the tone of her voice.


    "He killed his uncle and two brothers. The easiest death was the larger brother who merely got a bolt through the head. The younger was burned alive using only his head, I can only imagine how long the poor soul lived through that, while the uncle was shot in the gut and left to slowly die from his wounds. We figured letting such a monster go about amongst the good people of the Coalition would not be wise and moved to have him conscripted into the rangers so he could be handed over to Maw." She said in an even tone with a few notes of disgust in her telling.


    Johnson''s green eyes grew hard at the descriptions, war was one thing but such needless suffering was something he had cracked down on harshly during his years leading the military and it brought back some very unpleasant memories of his day''s leading the troops. Alton looked on skeptically.


    "Bah! What were they doing that merited such treatment?" Alton demanded.


    "Personally, I think they were trying to defend a family from his perverse lust. They were amongst a wrecked carriage and we found two children and their mother who had been raped while their poor father had been forced to watch." Freya said in a grim tone.


    "How do you know that was Eli''s doing and not the bandits relatives?" Alton asked.


    "It fits the pattern of behavior from what we know of him. As far as hard evidence goes, I doubt any amount of evidence would have put him away for those crimes. He has already shown himself quite adept at evading the law even when the evidence is overwhelming." Freya said in a miffed tone.


    Alton and Johnson raised an eyebrow at this, which prompted further explanation from Freya which she was all too willing to give.


    "During our back and forth with Maw, Eli was credibly accused of child molestation, as well as their murder, and orc mating in yet another incident. However, over the course of the trial, a failing in the prosecution''s case caused the whole trial to fall through. He''s been free to roam amongst families and children ever since." Freya finished with a soured expression at the end.


    "I would like to see the court case summary and scouting report myself." Alton said in a hard tone.


    "Agreed." Johnson said.


    Freya got a light smile and did a light bow before heading back out the door to retrieve the documents. The men idled for a bit before she came back and handed over a copy with a stamp of the Legal department showing they were one-to-one copies of the originals. Originals that so happened to be brief enough that they didn''t mention the specifics of the technicality that the dismissal of the case was based on.


    "As you can see, everything I''ve said is factual." Freya said with a tone of finality.


    "It would appear you already tried to implement this plan, but got blocked by the Diamond academy head, Tansen." Johnson said in a neutral tone as he turned towards Marvin.


    Marvin got a sweaty brow but acted as calmly as he could.


    "Deferring certain military operations to my expertise is what got the bandits to work with us." Marvin said defensively.


    Johnson looked him up and down before going back to the reports.


    After a minute of looking over the papers further, Alton still had one more objection while Johnson scanned over the documents in greater depth.


    "I still don''t like this whole bandit employment business; we''re putting too much power in the hands of people who''ve shown they have no right to be having it." Alton said, to which Marvin scoffed.


    "Were you complaining when we managed to push the orcs further back? I seem to remember you were quite happy to stand in front of the crowd when we announced our first solid foothold in territory that had been taken over by the orcs, a feat we hadn''t achieved in decades." Marvin retorted, remembering all too well how eager this snake had been to stand on the shoulders of his achievement when the time came.


    "Except they haven''t been only fighting the orcs." Alton shot back. "We''ve been getting more reports of bandit activity, especially in the north. Now that the gangs feel safer from the orcs, they''ve started siphoning their strength towards their tried and true practices,"


    Marvin merely side stepped the accusation.


    "Have you already forgotten the reports on this new weapon from the orcs? Is this really the time to be fussing when we have a painless way to get more troops?" Marvin demanded with a smug smile. A smile that was quickly flattened when Alton got a self- satisfied look on his face as he reached into his green robe.


    "Painless you say? I don''t think the people at Diamond academy would agree with that assessment." He said as he pulled out a letter and handed it to Johnson.


    Johnson frowned but took the paper and looked it over. His face grew red as he looked it over and his eyes had a murderous look as he tossed the paper over to Marvin.


    "Explain yourself. Now" Johnson said.


    Marvin picked up the paper and saw that it was a copy of Tansen''s full complaint, instead of the single line saying the plan was contended by Tansen in the report he gave them, with a red stamp of a quill on it showing that it was a legitimate copy of the original document. The problematic section discussing Noah''s involvement in the ''not supposed to be'' raid was at the top of the page. Marvin quickly glared at Alton before reigning himself in and working up how to wiggle out of this predicament.


    "This incident is being looked over, mind you this is merely an accusation and not any proof in and of itself. But such a small issue should not get in the way-"


    "My children''s safety is not a small fucking issue'', Marvin!" Johnson growled.


    ''Oh shit. That''s right, his boys are attending the Diamond academy.'' Marvin thought as he mentally sweated.


    "My apologies for my poor word choice. I merely meant that while we will be cracking down on incidents like these in the future, if this incident is indeed true, we should not lose sight of the larger goal." Marvin put in mildly.


    "You couldn''t manage your people if all our lives depended on it. It''s the damned ear program all over again." Alton moaned from across the table with a pound on the dark oak wood.


    "No, it''s not!" Marvin exploded at the accusation. But surprisingly, it was Freya who cut in.


    "If I may, we need a solution and we need it very soon. We''re as tough as they come, but even the rangers are starting to get nervous and look for the door. We''ve had two incidents already where women intentionally got pregnant off a male ranger just to get out of their deployment." She said firmly.


    "It''s not that simple" Johnson put in," More than just math, handing over a citizen to be sacrificed sets a very bad precedent, no matter their appalling reputation. And this incident with the raid throws a shadow over the whole program"


    Marvin knew he was losing the argument, at least with the one person it mattered. Collecting his thoughts, he then struck upon an idea that was conjured from several threads of discussion he heard coming from his contacts in the Front. It would have to be implemented within the day to make sure all the pieces were in order if Alton or Johnson bothered to check after this meeting.


    Fortunately, Johnson had a long meeting involving trade talks with the Rodring kingdom soon, on which he would be spending all of his time preparing for and Alton was going to have to start bartering with the mage associations after this so the timing to pull it off was as good as it was going to get.


    "But what good is a citizen if they''re censored?" Marvin put in.


    This time Johnson and Alton looked towards Marvin with a raised eyebrow. Freya had a moment where she seemed confused, but she was quick enough to wipe the question from her face.


    "What was it this time?" Johnson asked in an exhausted tone.


    "I''m sorry sir, but as you know those are matters that are kept strictly between the involved parties"


    Johnson gave a tired nod and leaned back into his chair,


    "But the Front has had to issue a censure order on him. Those aren''t typically easy for me to get any word on, but the things I was hearing about this one¡­ If what I''ve heard of the incident this time is true, I''d sleep a lot better at night knowing he''s in Maw''s hands" Marvin finished.


    "I don''t suppose Maw''s willing to put up the troops for the sake of patriotism." Alton offered with a hint of sarcasm as he leaned against the table with one hand supporting his fat head. But it was Freya who answered him.


    "No, discovering an unstoppable monster is roaming about has not made him more willing to send men away from his fort. Frankly this is just the deal we have now, if Maw starts getting the idea it''s revenge or his neck, he won''t hesitate to let his dear family go unavenged." Freya finished in a cold tone.


    The president leaned forward and stared at the reports again before making his decision.


    "Alton, get to work finding new female mages to take the place of the male ones with every possible resource we have. Marvin¡­ damn me. All right, I''ll give this scheme clearance depending on how the issue with this censor is resolved. But I swear Marvin, one more incident like that raid and I''m pulling the plug on this whole operation." Johnson said in a hard tone that brokered no disagreement.


    Marvin gave a light bow and got up from his seat.


    "I''m a simple military man and as such I can''t really be of any assistance in the other trade items up for discussion. Permission to be excused?" Marvin asked humbly.


    "Permission granted. Good night and thank the stars you were never cursed with my position." Johnson said with a light smile.


    "Every day before bed and twice before dinner." Marvin shot back jovially as he and Freya left the room.


    Once out in the hallway, they both made their way to Marvin''s room and when they were inside, Freya immediately turned around and looked at Marvin with a question in her blue eyes.


    "Kristan. She''s the head of the eastern branch of the Front and is currently having a fit over some dust-up with Tansen. I''ll swing this idea towards her and see if we can use the innuendo around Tansen''s relationship with his precious crafter student to punish him. Since it''s strictly between Tansen, Eli, me, and the Front, we won''t even need to fabricate evidence this time. But we need to move quickly before Alton or Johnson look into it too closely" Marvin said in a quiet tone.


    Freya''s eyes gleamed in approval.


    "Very cunning, I''m surprised you came up with that so quickly." She said, clearly impressed.


    "That why my ass is in the big chair," He said slyly before going back towards the door and motioning her to leave. She obliged him and gave a light bow before heading out.


    "Damn, Marvin. You''ve done it again. Another victory secured and another celebration in order." He said to the empty room as he looked out the wide window on the opposite side of the main room to see the sun shining out over the pools and wet grass of the now passed storm, the patter of rain and thunder having died out without him noticing over the course of the meeting. Getting on his finest attire, he prepared to go out to his favorite restaurant that served earth or fire element steaks from a variety of animals all served on a sizzling salt slab with a beachside view. A little self-indulgence to commemorate his own cleverness.

 Chapter 68: Censure

    Tansen stroked his goatee as he waited patiently in his office for the arrival of the dwarf¡¯s chief negotiator. The centerpiece of this negotiation was the creation of a special door frame for the main entrances of the dorms and classrooms of the academy. This may not be a big issue for a regular door but the castle-like proportions involved meant this would be a very expensive affair. Worth every copper, and a hundred times again, considering the sheer prestige such a display would garner for the academy. But sadly, Tansen''s¡¯ mind wasn¡¯t on the once in a lifetime opportunity because the once in a thousand years opportunity was walking around with no one but him and Aki knowing.


    At least, no other humans knew.


    Having the whirlwind of innumerable consequences that was Eli walk around with bare minimum supervision grated Tansen¡¯s nerves. It wasn¡¯t so bad at first but for days now, every time someone opened the door to his office, he half expected Agatha to burst through screeching ¡®When were you going to tell me about the quad element caster?¡¯.


    And then some fucking punks who never got the good beating they needed growing up decided to mess with that storm of innumerable fucking consequences right under his very roof. Bringing in Andrew had complicated things, but it was all resolved in the end. His dependence on the Front to supplement his organization had been one of the many compromises made on the way to finishing his academy but it was at times like these that the weight of those compromises came down harsher than any tax or shortage of coin.


    The arrival of the dwarves seemed to be a soothing balm to this irritant when they first arrived three days ago, but they quickly became a rash across the wound. The average person wouldn¡¯t notice it if they didn¡¯t see all of their conversations in a neat report like Tansen had. Over the course of days, the dwarves would visit the local taverns to drink, play games, and more importantly discuss local happenings. The one or two guild members that Tansen had employed would also just ¡®happen¡¯ to be there as well and over the course of their conversations, one subject was brought up: The Human crafter and the Kelton woman. It was just a subject that came up once or twice as the odd couple was perusing their goods earlier that day.


    But two days ago, there was a sudden shift in the direction of the conversations. The odd couple was now a consistent subject in the dwarves gossiping with their human and later even Kelton drinking compatriots. Not enough to take over the conversation, but always hidden in a quick question or a remark off to the side. One of the oddities Tansen noticed when looking over the notes was the amount of interest they showed in a three-day-long stretch where Eli and Salamede had shacked up in their tower around a week and a half ago.


    Afterward, the dwarves began treating Eli and Salamede differently. The couple were now receiving small bits of preferential treatment from the dwarves that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. The best cuts of meats would just so happen to come with their food orders, the dress Salamede got had a bit more effort and embroidery in it than the others, little signs of goodwill and endearment that would have never been noteworthy if you weren¡¯t looking for them. It was all hidden in a dozen coincidences, but the trend was undeniable.


    What made it all so galling was that if Tansen even so much as breathed in the couple¡¯s direction or brought them up in conversation, it would only confirm whatever it was that drew the dwarfs interest. Did Eli have a history with them? Was he actually the result of some kind of experiment using the dwarf¡¯s hidden techniques?


    ¡®Nah, if they had a previous history Eli wouldn¡¯t visit their shops.¡¯ Tansen thought bitterly to himself.


    ¡®To top it all off, Dior was coming by to go over the plans for setting up a new search area. I swear if-¡¯


    A knock at the door jostled Tansen out of his musings.


    ¡°Sir, the dwarf diplomat is here.¡± His secretary called.


    ¡°Good, good. Let him in.¡± Tansen called.


    Through the door came a dwarf with soft red hair in a plush light blue jacket with matching pants all done up with the finest thread work. His emerald green eyes shone brightly between his slightly pudgy cheeks that peeked out beside his bushy lamb chops. The gold rings inlaid with various jewels also helped to show off the considerable wealth his craft had brought him, a trade he now began to ply in earnest.


    ¡°Ah good, good. Names Githoul. I heard you were interested in a special frame for the academy¡¯s entrances?¡± He said, getting straight to the point.


    Tansen appreciated the lack of time being wasted on pleasantries and got right to the point of the meeting. They pushed and pulled on various points and prices for a while but then something odd happened. Dior had arrived in his typical attire of brown vest and pants with a green robe as he moved directly into the room with no announcement, clearly having brushed past the secretary. The blond-haired elf with nominally human skin obviously saw Tansen and the dwarf but instead of saying anything he looked around the room with his deep green eyes, as if trying to find something. His sharp cheek bones showed some lines as he scrunched up his eyes while looking around.


    ¡°Ah Dior, good to see ya,¡± The dwarf negotiator put in as he put out a hand to shake.


    Dior suddenly pulled back with a hand to his chest as mock surprise played across his face.


    ¡°My, I can see the dwarf¡¯s skill at secrecy and subterfuge is as sharp as ever. We elves may be supreme in magic, but even we fall short of such mastery in the arts of hidden games¡± Dior said with a dramatic flair.


    The dwarf burst out laughing.


    ¡°Same insolent cur as always. I heard you were out here¡­ looking for your brother?¡± Githoul said between small chortles.


    Tansen grew a faint smile at the exchange.


    ¡°Yes¡± Dior said with a clicked tongue of disappointment before adopting a lighter tone, ¡°But as mundane as it can be, the woods here have fewer ears and I must admit it is less exhausting than having to deal with fathers court. I will come back to finish on that particular item when you¡¯re done.¡± Dior said with a light bow before heading back out the door to wait.


    The rest of the negotiations concluded a few minutes later. Afterward, Dior came in, this time showing more of the cold, aloofness more typical of the elves. His main focus was setting up the men he was being given to replace Aki with in a more effective manner. It was a short and concise affair with agreements reached that the men would be switched to leather armor and carry more camping supplies for longer journeys. The prospect of running into orcs didn¡¯t seem to phase him at all but Dior promised to be careful in how he used his soldiers.


    When the meeting ended, Tansen was left with nothing but his own thoughts for the rest of the day until the early afternoon when Aki came in with his reports.


    ¡°Is this really all?¡± Tansen asked Aki, his older friend who was standing to his right.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°We still have a few more threads to follow but the trail gets muddy when you get to Dunwich. So far, we know he used the blacksmith''s shop for one-morning session and had some exchange with a magical items salesman. Aside from that, well we¡¯re still teasing out gossips and going over some conversations he had but so far, it¡¯s like he dropped out of nowhere. No history of selling grains or farm animals, no connections to any of the local mines, no jobs spent working the taverns or stables. We¡¯re ¨C¡° A knock at the door interrupted Aki.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Tansen called as he quickly stuffed the reports into the desk.


    A guard opened it to let in the newest addition to the dwarf¡¯s retinue, Gashton. The dwarf had grey hair done up in a long ponytail and a large amount of facial hair that covered his whole face aside from the sharp cheek bones, bulbous nose and his emerald eyes.


    The dwarf was wearing his regular attire of simple leather armor with a white undershirt and an ax slung across his back.


    ¡°¡¯Ello, I desperately need to discuss some matters of security for a wee bit.¡± He started, ¡°Just wanted to know more about the horse regulations of this place. Also, we had a few golems we needed leather for and we were wondering-¡°Another knock at the door interrupted Gashton this time as the secretary came through the door.


    ¡°Sir! Um¡­ the head of the Fronts eastern branch is here with an announcement.¡± The brown-haired woman with glasses squeaked.


    Then the person in question pushed on past the door and moved the secretary obstructing her path with a rude shove. Kristan, if Tansen''s¡¯ memory served him well, was dressed in a black suit top with a white undershirt. Her black skirt flowed below her knees while coming up short of her expensive black leather boots. Her sharp cheeks helped accentuate her amber eyes, which were left unobstructed as the flowing black hair of the mid 30¡¯s woman flowed freely down her backside.


    ¡°Hello, Tansen. I¡¯ve come to personally instruct you in the importance of the magical hierarchy.¡± She said with an aloof air of superiority.


    Aki and Tansen both looked at each other for a brief moment but got hard expressions as they turned back towards this intruder.


    ¡°What exactly are you-¡° Tansen was interrupted by Agatha coming through the door. A piece of paper was covering her face with nothing but her blond bun of hair showing above the item that had captivated her interest.


    ¡°Why has Eli been censured Tan- Oh. I¡¯m so sorry Kristan. I would have prepared ¨C¡°


    Tansen felt his heart pound like a troll was using it for a drum.


    ¡°Wait¡­ What did you say?¡± Tansen asked in a voice so quite it almost came out like a whisper.


    It was Kristan who answered.


    ¡°Your boy toy has been censored with the support of the military head, Marvin.¡± The impossibly stupid bitch said with a smile plastered over a smug face that held not an thimbles worth of brains behind it.


    Gashton stood off to the left, not engaging in the conversation. At least not with his voice. Tansen, however, made sure to catch a quick look at the dwarf when Kristan¡¯s gaze shifted to Aki. The dwarf¡¯s eyes lit up for the barest moment, not in sorrow, surprise, or amusement, but greed.


    ¡®Those conniving midgets! They know. I don¡¯t know how or when, but they know, and he made sure to be here to ¡®discuss¡¯ that meaningless bullshit when she arrived¡¯ Tansen thought as a boulder dropped into his stomach. ¡®Well, no point in keeping this fa?ade up any longer. Hopefully Aki can come up with a quick and dirty story on his trip bringing Eli up here¡¯


    ¡°Aki, get Eli in here,¡± Tansen growled between bared teeth.


    The older man stormed out of the room like his life depended on it.


    Tansen stuck his hand out towards Agatha, who obliged him the paper. He read over the notice that he was sure was being posted around the notice boards and markets even as he read it.


    ¡®A notice of censure by the powers invested by the Front, with the written support of the military, Eli No-Name, is from this day forward censored. Any business found doing business with him aside from those needed for his studies to complete his magic certification will also fall under the censure order and be denied any government aid or contracts. Any individual associating with Eli No-Name, outside of circumstances with the direst need, will also fall under the censure order. Any woman coming to bear his child after the censure order will not qualify for government benefits or recognition as a mages child¡¯ Tansen finished reading as his gut twisted into knots of every description and make.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t even the worst part. There¡¯s no way to- FUCK!¡¯ Tansen internally screamed as the weight of doom invaded his every emotional crevice. Agatha¡¯s voice registered but it felt like she was talking a mile away from the ringing that was currently pounding in Tansens ears.


    ¡°Kristan, when I requested some action be taken, I put down something more along the lines of an official reprimand or fine. Going after another student to get back at Tansen is far too severe and quite unfair.¡± She said in a placating tone.


    Kristan scoffed dismissively.


    ¡°That attitude is probably why you only got one child,¡± Kristan said with venom clear in her voice. But she continued as Agatha only looked at the floor with her face a hard mask. ¡°You¡¯ve let things get to the point where Tansen felt comfortable disrupting a scions breeding environment. A scion, Agatha. I¡¯m here to right this wayward ship.¡±


    ¡°But going after someone not even involved in this is absurd!¡± Tansen yelled, his voice now found as he leaned forward on the desk.


    Agatha jerked up, clearly surprised at such an outburst, while Kristan got a determined face as she stepped forward.


    ¡°Oh please, this is merely an inconvenience for him, once-¡° Aki chose that moment to come back through the door at a mad sprint as his white robe fluttered around him.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone!¡± Aki said as he shoved Kristan aside with an indignant squeak.


    ¡°What?¡± Tansen asked in an emotionless voice as his face drained of color while Aki explained his statement.


    ¡°Eli is gone. According to the staff member who was keeping an eye on the tower where Eli lives and was currently in, Salamede must have seen the notices and ran to Eli. Staying inside for only a few minutes, she came out of the tower and ran back towards town. After little bit, she came go back to the tower while carrying a small amount of food and simple clothes. Then the staff member tried to knock on the door to tell him to go to your office, but the damn guard took her to the side and started arguing about enforcing the censure.


    I found them at that point and explained to the guards that I would cut them in half if they tried to stop me or any other staff member from interacting with him again. But Eli had already gone unwatched for a while by then and when I knocked on his door he didn¡¯t answer. I think he¡¯s gone¡± Aki finished as he took a deep breath.


    A sense of numbness bloomed from Tansen''s gut as it spread through the rest of his body.


    While Agatha and Kristan looked on with a raised eyebrow, Tansen got up so fast his chair slammed down into the floor as he ran out of the room, shoving aside the two women without a word. He went down the staircase to the right of his office door and kept going down until he got to the floor directly below and jumped out of the immediate window to his left. He registered a cry behind him, either from his secretary or one of the Front women. As he fell through the air, he summoned a block of water below him that shot upwards and pushed against his body. It softened the impact as he hit the grass with a solid thud that caused his black kimono to shake its sapphire wave as his equally black hair wildly swung around the ensemble. Running past the guards with not a thought in his head but sheer speed, he felt the electric sensation of a spirit connection as his familiar sensed something was wrong.


    The blue bird with a black beak and silver eyes came out of the woods to his left and stayed up in the air just in eyesight. Tansen¡¯s emotions were aggravating the magic of the water bird and it was causing a large cloud to leak out of the familiar, even going as far as to summon a light drizzle to take place in the middle of the otherwise bright, sunny day.


    He came up to the squat tower and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Eli! I know you have questions and I¡¯m here to help. Just let me in!¡± Tansen yelled as he knocked on the door again.


    The only sound he heard was the faint drizzle falling over his clothes as a sense of rising panic clawed up his throat.


    ¡°Eli, you¡¯ve been through some shit and I know it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to get better, but it will. You just need to trust the people who want to help you.¡± He yelled with another solid thump against the door. Now he heard the footsteps coming up behind him.


    ¡°Eli, if you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯m going to assume you¡¯re in danger and bust down this door,¡± Tansen said with yet another pound on the dark oak door.


    ¡°Honestly so much drama over-¡° Kristan started to say before Tansen summoned a solid square of water and flung it against the door with all the force he could muster. The door was reduced to a shower of splinters and kindling as Tansen stepped forward to see¡­ nothing. The last time he had visited this place he had seen a hammock on the far side and a crossbow in the corner along with several chests along the left wall behind Eli¡¯s back.


    Looking at it all now, there wasn¡¯t anything but the dead grey stonework. No signs of having been lived in or used aside from the lack of weeds in the floor. A ball of black rage curdled in the academy heads'' stomach as the light around him dimmed further. Standing in the doorway, his shoulders shook as his mind tried to come to terms with what he was seeing.


    ¡°Tansen, what is going on?¡± Agatha called from across the lawn of grass with Kristan to her left as Aki came up towards the tower. Tansen turned around and walked towards Agatha with a face that wouldn¡¯t be out of place on a torturer visiting his chamber.


    ¡°PFF! It¡¯s just some personal crap he let-¡° Kristan¡¯s disdainful remark was cut short as Gatra, feeling the tide of emotion from her partner, dived out of the now darkened sky and proceeded to tear into the leader of the Front¡¯s entire eastern branch like an alley rat with a loud screech.


    Agatha pulled back with a hand to her mouth in horror as the furious bird ripped her clothing and cut the skin of its victim. Agatha turned left only to find Tansen looming over her with a few inches between her and the expressionless brown eyes of Tansen''s pallid face. He stared her in the eyes for a second before his voice, cold as death yet still displaying hints of the molten anger beneath, cut through Kristan¡¯s pleas for help.


    ¡°You will send out every. Single. Member. Of the Front who has a functioning pair of eyes to go find him. I will begin coordinating with the guild and I swear, I swear to all the ancestors and all the known and unknown gods, if you dare to obstruct me on this issue you will find out what a messy divorce between the Diamond academy and the Front would look like. Do you fucking understand?¡± He said, never once raising his voice or making a threatening gesture.


    Without waiting for a reply, he walked off with his familiar now taking to the skies as he and Aki made their way back to his office to begin planning for the coming days. To top it all off, when word of this event spread, Tansen¡¯s men noticed some of the dwarves who had been guarding the caravans had up and left after Gashton had dismissed himself from that meeting he had so desperately needed to have. Later it was revealed that Gashton had gotten ahead of Kristan¡¯s carriage because a dwarf carriage started having golem problems along her path into town, a ploy as simple as they come but still so devastatingly effective.


    This sprawling puke of conspiracy and bureaucratic cruelty only added to Tansen¡¯s already crippling headache.

 Chapter 69: The Unseen Enemy

    Eli POV


    ______________________________________


    I was currently in the southern area of Palantia putting the finishing touches on the back end of the quick cave I had made into the artificial mountains crafted by the dwarves. Finally, I finished my task and went out of the hole that was going to be my home for a while. Salamede, who was also wearing her vine suit, was walking past me to go over the cave as I kept watch over the dark forestry facing away from this southern section of the pass¡¯s mountains. Further past the woods I was admiring and out of sight, lay the swamps.


    ¡°Do your legs move well enough, Cell?¡± I asked to my left as the project I had been working on moved with almost doll like jerks and twists. The legs were wood and done in a human shape, but the main body was a thicket of vines that had two pairs of arms jutting out the sides. Where the neck should be was a small wooden pole with a blank wooden mask stuck on the end of it. When I had first started making it the thing resembled a tangled mess of weeds but with work and patience, I managed to ger it to look like something more similar to the musculature of actual flesh.


    Inside the weaves of vines were several bone-like wooden pieces that provided raw strength and helped make the central structure where the lungs should be more durable. Having Cell spread out over the whole body would defeat the safety purposes of the construct so the core was a sphere of solid steel layered in several sheets around the special wooden pieces that held the enchantments which grew and moved the vine limbs through small holes. That part alone took nearly as much time to make as the rest of the body.


    Cell looked at me from the head of the vine doll where his sphere presented a single eye staring out from the featureless mask. I had used a solid round piece of mana crystal as a substitute for a protective sphere of glass around his actual head. It was tougher than stone and a lot clearer than any nominally strong glass I could have made. In his dolls hands he held two large leather bags, in the left one was the general goods floating around in the expanded space of the bag of holding while the other was a plain bag with the copper sphere that fueled those machines still turning inside as it laid in the regular leather sack as the bits of dirt I put around it acted as grounders for the electricity.


    He brought the item inside while I worked on finishing out our new home. I was using earth spells to mold the earth back into its natural shape to provide camouflage for my new home, only this came with hole that zagged through the rock with an upward L shape to provide air and block any of the light that might slip through. As I started closing the outside world off completely, the only light was that from the mana lamp I had taken with me, which now illuminated the whole room high above on the rough ceiling.


    ¡°All right just set up the cooking area and I¡¯ll get dinner ready,¡± Salamede said behind me as I was putting the finishing touches on the rock cover.


    Using some bark pieces, I crafted a sort of campfire that ran on mana. Salamede took a pot out of the bag of holding that stored a variety of household good and started a crude stew made up of vegetables, a rabbit we caught, and some herbs from her own store of foodstuffs. I started working some enchantments into two, thick wooden walking sticks as I went over the last few hours as Cell did some odd movements with his doll body as he tried to master this new toy off to the left.


    I had been in the basement working on finishing out the head of the vine suit when I heard Salamede calling from the door as her voice carried through the open hatch. Coming up and closing the floor panel to allow Cell to continue work on mastering the movement of his new tool, I went to greet Salamede when she burst through the front door.


    ¡°Eli, what did you do?¡± She asked, seemingly hurt and scandalized.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked calmly, clearing my mind of all the small talk I had prepared.


    ¡°They just put up the notices around town. Do¡­ do you not know why?¡± She asked with a confused tone.


    ¡°No. Notices for what?¡± I asked keeping my voice level.


    ¡°Notices for a censure.¡± She said.


    ¡°Which is?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°It means people in the central government have deigned you a threat to society. Businesses are not allowed to sell you goods nor buy from you. No one is allowed to associate with you or they will fall under that same censure.¡± She explained.


    My face contorted in anger as I reached for the questions that needed asking.


    ¡°How would the nobles have gotten that?¡± I asked as I walked up and brought her over to the hammock to sit down.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have. Nobles interfering in the central government, outside of petitions to Congress, was something that was cracked down on a long time ago. Eli, you didn¡¯t do anything to deserve this, right?¡± She asked with a desperation in her voice that carried clear through the spirit connection.


    ¡°No. This is¡­ they¡­.they.¡± I said as the connection hit me.


    ¡°The necromancers,¡± I said out loud with barely any air in my lungs. I took a deep breath and worked the thread my mind was weaving.


    The nobles didn¡¯t rig the legal system against me. The nobles weren¡¯t the ones putting up the huge amounts of money to get the gangs together. It was the necromancers. This previously discarded possibility sent a chill down my spine.


    But how did they find me? Why did they not just ambush¡­ all right just get the questions in order. What is the central question that I need to ask right now?


    Is this the Necromancers doing?


    If someone in the government knew what I was considering with the orcs they would have sent an execution squad after me and that was the only issue this could possibly be about from their perspective. The nobles didn¡¯t have the connections to rig the central government against me like they could have bent the local law. But if the leftovers of the necromancers knew where and what I was, then they would be the only group with the motive and the means to bend such a wide array of organizations to their will.


    There were a thousand possible mixings of necromancer and noble actions, but any amount of necromancer involvement was catastrophic. I thought about what could have motivated such a blunt action if it was the necromancers, but my only guess was to force me into the woods to scavenge for food alone. Then I remembered something.


    A passage from the journal I read when I first came to this world. Something about having my powers lessened when they pulled me here. Unless they had someone to tell them what actually happened, which they didn¡¯t, or if the circumstances of my arrival was a foreseeable event, which was doubtful considering how close the rest of their base was to the summoning chamber, it¡¯s a pretty good bet to say they don¡¯t know I¡¯m a quad element scion. From that perspective getting me alone in the woods and kidnapping me would a simple task.


    But how do they know it was me?


    Looking at it from their perspective, the pieces were there if you were in a position to see the whole picture. The crafter surviving a few too many encounters. The crafter who just so happened to go hiding in his tower from the bullies at school around the time a mysterious new force started wrecking the bandits.


    However, my deception had the fatal but unavoidable dependency on people not knowing there was anything about me beyond being a great crafter and polar opposite organizations not talking to each other, which didn¡¯t work if they had members who secretly cross checked each other¡¯s reports and knew there had to be someone new around who was hiding something.


    And of course, the crafter that showed up around the same time as the disastrous summoning ceremony with no backstory that could be verified and had odd features. That last reason had been there since the beginning, but more than a whole week had passed since I had come to the town by the time of the tournament where I first saw their connection to the elves in the form of that elves crown. Since I had not been kidnapped in the night, I assumed that meant they were currently unaware of my presence and the local guards starting a man hunt to look for me would only draw their attention, an assumption that was no longer a sure thing.


    That was discounting the possibility that it was some type of magical tracking system. Granted, none of the current magical systems I had been introduced to would have been beyond my mana sight. But none of the books I read in the classrooms had covered stealing souls from cosmic horrors beyond the veil of space and time, so it was safe to assume I wasn¡¯t working with all of the magical information known in this world.


    Then why wait so long to move, or even bother moving in the open at all?


    So, if I¡¯m a member of a secret necromancer cult and I know a source of near infinite wealth is walking about undetected but everyone I had to the dirty work for me died in a mysterious accident getting it here. What is the solution?


    Use¡­ some criminal connections to kidnap him. But if that fails then use the powers of my legitimate position to twist my underlings into doing the job for me while leading them astray as to why they¡¯re doing it. Which would take time and a ¡®real¡¯ reason for going after him, things they certainly had now.


    What this all suggested was that the necromancers knew about my presence in the academy from the first day. But lacking manpower and any local support, they¡¯ve been working in the shadows to get criminals to do their job and when that failed, they began to twist and pull the legal system to do their dirty work to get me to a place where they could get their last few minions to ambush me when I have no support from the guards or resources to properly guard myself.


    That was all assuming it was the necromancers.


    As opposed to¡­? Who, exactly?


    No. My mind was made up.


    I¡¯m getting the hell out of here.


    ¡°Salamede, the Necromancers were the only ones with the means and motivation to do this. I have to leave¡± I said in a calm voice as my purpose was made clear.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± She asked as she got up.


    ¡°Where we-¡° I started, but then I considered we were the town''s most known ¡®couple¡¯. The odds the necromancers didn¡¯t know about her were non-existent and not taking her with me would just be more dangerous. Then again, she wasn¡¯t the only person to worry about.


    ¡°What about your mother?¡± I asked her.


    Salamede took a gulp but she responded after a second of consideration and moved to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave her with the weapons you gave me. She¡¯s too old to travel and I think she¡¯ll understand.¡± She said as she went out the door.


    I spent the next few minutes quickly getting everything wasn¡¯t hooked up to a generator I could into the one extra bag of holding I made. Since bags of holding won¡¯t go inside other bags of holding, I had to use a regular leather bag, with a loose collection of dirt to keep bag from getting fried, to hold the ever humming copper sphere I had replaced the water wheel with a few days ago when Cell had shown some trouble using the air gun I made for him.


    Right now, Cell was trying to move around with his new body but getting him to do the elongated jumps wasn¡¯t going to happen without days of practice. I sent impressions of him using the vines to hold on around my waist as we traveled. As I was packing, Salamede came back carrying an assortment of clothes and food.


    ¡°Salamede! They could be watching right now. You basically broadcasted ¡®we¡¯re leaving¡¯ to anyone looking.¡± I said in an even tone as she laid the goods down.


    She gulped as she slapped her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eli. spirits I¡¯m so stupid.¡± She said in a strained voice. It was frustrating but berating her would do no good now.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± I said in a re-assuring tone as I patted her shoulder ¡°They probably don¡¯t know I¡¯m a scion, so I think we still have the advantage. But we need to leave. Right. Now.¡± I finished as I threw on my vine suit and tossed her leather armor and metal shoulder guard into a chest and put that in the bag of holding. Not even getting out of her dress, she threw on her own vine suit and took the bag while I explained the plan to Cell and took the other regular bag.


    Besides some needed household items and the generator, all the construction equipment, the hammock, cross bow, and a few other non-essentials were going to be left in the cave. I didn¡¯t mind leaving the construction equipment behind because it would be too difficult to fit them inside a bag of holding and they were useless without electricity, but the generator itself was too valuable a piece of technology to leave behind and I didn¡¯t know how long I would be out in the wilds where replacing it would be almost impossible. Taking the mana lamp from the middle of the main floor, I stored it away in the bag of holding and we made our way to the basement.


    While they stood around the mana lamp I had installed on the central pillar of my workshop, I used earth magic to fuse the hatch into the surrounding floor, making it just another solid part of the floor. Taking the second mana lamp off the pillar, accompanied with a sad look at the surrounding shop and at the small grotto off to the left that lead into the river, I motioned for us to go down the long tunnel to the right.


    We had already gone over this, so Cell handed over his bag to me and wrapped a long sheet around his head to hide everything but his central eye and moved the boulder out of the way as he clumsily went outdoors. After a few seconds, I followed him out. Seeing the jutting boulders of the abandoned troll nest and surrounding trees as calm and peaceful as they had ever been, I sent out a spirit connection to tell Salamede that it was safe.


    Pushing the boulder back in place, Cell quickly grabbed ahold of my back and all three of us took off into the trees. After a while, it was obvious that no one was currently chasing us as we did the massive jumps that sent us almost flying through the air. Even so, I kept up a brutal pace, stopping only when Salamede needed a breather. It was the late afternoon when we got in the general area of where I wanted to be.


    This was a section of mountain on the southern part of the corridor where the Coalition and the Phoenix empire fought. It was a good bit away from the swamp but still out of the human¡¯s territory. It was here that I would set up a pseudo base of operations until I got a few magical items up and running that would let me set up other such bases with ease as I only felt comfortable camping in the same spot for at most two days, which was what I was working on right now.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Salamede asked as she stared into the pot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about simply making for the central continent, but that¡¯s no guarantee of safety even if we had a clear path. So, we get situated, then we find that one orc we helped at the Crypt and work out how to get at the Viper Base commander. I don¡¯t dare go back to that necromancer base and attacking the central government official who censored me seems like an even worse idea. Since getting all of the gangs to go after me and getting me censored would take an enormous amount of power and influence that wouldn¡¯t make any sense to expend if you weren¡¯t aware of what I truly am, my best bet is to get ahold of the people who made that happen. That means pulling on the last thread in this weave remaining to us: The Viper base commander.


    Whatever their purpose, I didn¡¯t see anything in the summoning chamber that looked like orc clothes, and setting up the contacts to get them involved in the scheme would probably take more effort than any other human, not to mention the friction it could cause amongst their members. Given all that, working with the orcs is our safest option. Not safe, mind you, just the safest of the dangerous options.¡±


    She was silent for a moment with the only sound being the bubbling of the pot and the smacks of Cells doll feet hitting the floor.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure about this?¡± She finally asked after a minute of silence.


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I turned my head to the ceiling.


    ¡°Yes. This isn¡¯t about my reputation anymore. This is about my neck. I¡¯ll try to keep any non-bandits out of the blast zone, but I can¡¯t make any promises¡± I said, simply laying the truth out there as I took in the scent of the freshly carved earth.


    She sat there thinking it over some more before giving her verdict.


    ¡°All right. But promise me, Eli, promise me that we will do enough good after this to make up for it.¡± She said in firm tone.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do enough good to make up for this tenfold. That I solemnly swear. Besides, whatever happens with the orcs after taking the Viper base may not be too hard to undo¡± I said as I turned my head back to look her in the eye¡¯s. She nodded, seemingly satisfied as she reached into the bag of holding and rummaged around.


    ¡°Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, better get some rest,¡± She said as she stirred the pot with a long spoon she pulled from the sack.


    I obliged her as I leaned against the rough wall. After dinner, I used magic to carve some hooks of earth out of the walls so we could set up our vine suit hammocks. After a long night¡¯s sleep, we spent the rest of the day stealthily looking around the northern section of the woods between the Bulwark and Maws gang. Having Cell hang on me for this mission wouldn¡¯t be a good use of our time, so I had him stay in the cave and continue to try and master the special vine suit I had made for him.


    The trip proved to be mostly a waste as we spent a lot of time maneuvering around the caravans and now much larger patrols. While the increased security was a hassle, the large trees and paths around smaller, less watched roads still allowed us access to the northern region. The fact that Salamede was able to use her vine suits full functions significantly cut down on our travel time compared to the last time we visited the orcs territory.


    We followed this pattern for two more days, looking out in the local orc bands and not finding the one we needed. Coming back home, I either spent the rest of the time adding more features onto the doll body for Cell or moving our hideout. On the third day, we finally found our estranged comrade.


    Around late morning, she was heading back towards a river in the section of the woods just south of the Bandits Grove, the northern most tip of humanity¡¯s presence before meeting dwarves and elves. She was stalking through the woods along a bare dirt path that took them through a long hill the sloped on for what seemed like a good mile. But she was being followed by two of those grey cloaked mages, who were both moving through the section of the huge trees below our typical playground where the ancient forestry touched the sky. I considered my options for a moment before deciding that since I was wearing my deer skull helmet, with wood flowing along the jaw to fill the hole and crack, I might as well make an entrance. I relayed my plan to Salamede who nodded.


    As the two mages were a few dozen feet from each other staring at the orc and her band of Frojan a good distance below them, Salamede and I shot them both in the head. The one closer to their prey just limply fell to the ground while the other one farther away didn¡¯t immediately follow.


    As I was already flying towards her when I took my shot, I immediately put my vine encased foot around her head to keep it in place as I put my other foot in her back and rode the body down to the forest floor below. While I fell to the ground, I briefly looked to see Gula pull out her sword and put her back up against her comrades as the group of at least a dozen Frojan expertly pulled back into a formation of three different smaller groups all with their backs to each other as they brandished staffs, blow dart guns, and wooden cudgels. All magically enchanted if memory serves me well.


    I landed with a solid thud and crunch a few yards away from them, even going so far as to use an earth spell to pull up the surrounding dirt to exaggerate the impact of my arrival. They all jerked their heads towards me and while they all seemed defensive, there wasn¡¯t fear in their eyes. Good, good. People act stupid when they¡¯re afraid but merely worried people are a lot more reliable. And I was content to continue that line of reasoning with these future co-workers as well


    ¡°You should be more careful, Gula. The woods have many dangers, seen and unseen, and you won¡¯t always have a protector like me around to safeguard you.¡± I said casually while the dirt continued to fall around me as I used my leg around the crushed head to throw the body further down the hill before turning back towards them.


    She wore her typical black leather armor and had a bit of long, black hair growing over her the side of her right eye, though not enough to obscure her vision in any way. The vertical cut across her left eye, one of the two black spheres with a golden iris matching her right eye, remained unmoved even as the horizontal cut along her nose scrunched up. Her pouty expression, along with her sharp chin, was quite an¡­. amusing sight to me.


    The ballerina figure of the orc showed a certain grace as she put her sword back in holster and walked forward until she was a few feet from me. I had to admit that took a lot of courage even if she had a lot of reasons to not even bother trying to out match me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived and tracked through woods, including ones more dangerous than these pretty gardens you humans laughably call the wilds, almost my whole life. So, I suppose I could find a way to go on without your protection.¡± She said in a strict tone before she relaxed her shoulders and continued.


    ¡°But part of survival is accepting help wherever you can reliably get it. Thank you.¡± She said with a light bow. I nodded in approval as I encased the other body in dirt and sunk it three feet below the surface.


    Odd, last time she seemed almost servile. But looking at her sweaty palms and nervous sway it was clear she was now more wary of me. Perhaps this was just her way of coping. Given that, I decided to keep a slight distance and not make any sudden movements.


    ¡°What do you know about the commander at the Viper base?¡± I asked.


    She drew back a bit before raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Why do you need to know about him?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°We have a long-overdue discussion,¡± I said in a neutral tone.


    ¡°All the reports I have on him say he never leaves the fort or sends out any important documents except through the groups with a lot of mages who occasionally come through, but when we¡¯ve tried to attack them in the past their scouts in the trees get us first. Last we heard he was still in the fort but that was a while ago¡± She said plainly as the other Frojan established a wide line looking in every direction to make sure we didn¡¯t get snuck up on. If we were going to work together effectively, I would need to reveal Salamede and Cell eventually but now wasn¡¯t the right time.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to take the base from the bandits.¡± I said casually as I took in the cawing of a bird in the distance.


    ¡°PFF.¡± Gula scoffed in clear disbelief. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we think of that? It¡¯s not just the bandits that are the problem¡± She said in a serious tone.


    I figured as much.


    ¡°So how much support is the Coalition giving the bandits?¡± I asked her as I looked around the forest in an idle manner. Such a tactic was as old as time, which often ended in much the same way every time.


    ¡°Not so much supporting them as almost making them a part of the army¡± Gula said as she.


    Great¡­ so does that mean¡­


    ¡°These grey cloaked mages, they aren¡¯t some rogue magical organization. They¡¯re the actual military, aren¡¯t they?¡± I half stated and half asked.


    She raised a black eyebrow at that as she stood there, seeming a bit more relaxed.


    ¡°You really are new to this neck of the woods. Yeah, they¡¯re the military and the bandits become more mixed with official soldiers the farther north you get.¡± She said.


    Using a bad tactic was one thing but using it to that degree was like distilling the bad tactic down to its purest essence.


    ¡°Okay then, how many soldiers are there?¡± I asked, hoping this hole I was digging into would have to hit bedrock at some point.


    ¡°The soldiers, or even to a certain extent the mages, aren¡¯t the problem. That base has a line of three smaller forts leading towards the main roads. Not to mention the two older bases, a converted mining site nearer to the mountains and a tunneled out mini fort underground, to send a hawk to for assistance. The weakest of those is the underground one and we¡¯ve never even got past the first floor. Taking out the Crypt base was only so easy, at least compared to the others, because it was a newer fort that didn¡¯t have all of its defenses finished.¡±


    It had seemed odd how desperate the orcs were to take the fort, but this piece of information, combined with the explicit support of the Coalition, provided a new justification for their tactics.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you were so eager to take it. The Coalition is using the fact that you don¡¯t have earth magic to gradually move into your territory one fort at a time. And since you can¡¯t take them in a straight up fight, you can¡¯t create a large mining operation to start digging into or under them, they just need to keep building more and more forts until they kick you out of the mainland completely.¡±


    She got a grim face at that.


    ¡°Sounds like you know your stuff. Yeah, but the bigger question is how that¡¯ll work out in the swamps. Forts need a constant stream of supplies to keep the soldiers sitting around doing nothing well fed and we¡¯ve been giving them a good bloody nose trying to keep the bread and mead flowing but that¡¯s nothing compared to how much we could do out in the swamps.


    However, losing our current lands outside the swamps would still be a big blow and from there it¡¯s just a question of whether or not we can bleed the Coalition enough till they run out of bodies or money and give up building more of these forts.¡± She responded in an almost bored manner, considering she¡¯s a soldier this is a conversation she has probably had hundreds of times already.


    ¡°First things first, what kind of help can we expect?¡± I asked her. It actually took her a moment to respond, but her face said the response was difficult to say, not to formulate.


    ¡°None, we¡¯re the disposable part of the military who mostly do bounties or get called to serve under one of the local commanders to do a job. Undesirables who¡¯ve pissed the wrong people off. Unless we start doing something to get noticed, none of the local commanders will co-ordinate with us no matter what we write in a letter.¡± She said in an emotionless voice.


    ¡°All right. Then let¡¯s prepare for that future filled with friendship. What do I need to do to work peacefully with the other orcs when they do notice us?¡± I asked calmly.


    She huffed and just turned to look down the hill.


    ¡°That will probably be the easiest part. I don¡¯t know if you intentionally did it, but that get up actually resembles an old tale of a swamp demon hybrid. Add some new bits and I¡¯d say you could pass yourself off quite easily. Just make sure no part of you gets exposed that reveals your true species again or they¡¯ll rip your pants off and rape you to death on the spot once they realize you¡¯re a quad element caster.¡± She said with what I assumed was a serious tone at the end.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t?¡± I prodded.


    She moved off a bit as she puckered her lips and scrunched her eyebrows. Gula then walked forward and looked out over the slope, like she was looking for her answer among the grass and trees that soaked up the rising sun.


    ¡°Me and the rest of my species aren¡¯t on speaking terms right now. If you can get us through this war for the Viper base, something that will probably get us enough honors to retire if I¡¯m lucky, enough for a promotion if I¡¯m not, then I will keep your secret. Hell, you¡¯re probably my best bet to getting to the ripe old age of 30 at this rate.¡± She said with a slightly defeated tone.


    I nodded, satisfied at the conditions. Not totally trusting them, but at least a framework for cooperation had been established.


    ¡°Could we go with the story that the swamp demons are pissed at the humans for violating nature or something?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They don¡¯t actually exist so I don¡¯t see how anyone could question you. Although you¡¯re probably going to have to change your voice just to be safe. Even with that mask on, you still sound a bit too human.¡± She said as she continued to scan the woods.


    ¡°Aside from the meet up time, I have two other questions.¡± I said with a mild tone. She turned with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What do the orcs have to bash down the gates to the main base?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve tried damn near everything we can think of. Giant water rams, using the same destructive water magic we use to take down wall while the Frojan are guarded under shields, we even tried using alcohol and flames, but nothing seems quite as effective as running up to it with big axes.¡± She said with a frustrated snort.


    As in nothing that will take down the main Viper base


    ¡°Last, what do I need to look like to disguise myself as this swamp demon?¡± is what I said.


    ¡°That helmet needs to be a lot darker, bones among the vines, something covering your hands aside from leather and I¡¯d say you fit what every mother has told their daughters at night when it comes to Pandegos and leaving the house without permission. The earliest we could do whatever base you want to hit is three days.¡± Gula said.


    ¡°Make it five. When we hit that first base, I want to be ready to move on to the main base after you tell whatever higher up you need to of our success.¡± I replied as I walked up beside her.


    She turned her head away from her reverie to look askance at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Just taking down any one of those bases isn¡¯t going to be enough. We¡¯ve been trying, and failing, to take those mini castles down for over twenty plus years. The underground one and the spruced-up mine provide a clear path for re-enforcements from the Plug while the other three leading up to the main road bring troops from the coast. Just taking down one of them isn¡¯t going to be enough¡± She said in an exasperated tone.


    ¡°The Plug?¡± I asked, confused at the odd phrase.


    She got a light smile, in spite of her apparent efforts to retain stoic.


    ¡°They call it the Bulwark. We call it the Plug because it plugs up the shit coming out of the Phoenix empire and keeps it from getting out of the bowels of the mountains pass.¡± She responded with a mirth ridden tone.


    Dammit. It briefly occurred to me to try and get the commander on my own, but numbers count and I¡¯m not risking my neck in some ill-advised nighttime operation inside a fort swarming with enemies.


    ¡°Lovely. What base should we hit first then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s less activity around the two leading from the Plug and starting there would be better if you intend to kill any of the humans who could give away your presence and want one of the commanders to notice us. The underground one is quite a few miles from the Vipers main fort, so we don¡¯t have to worry about horns giving us away. From the surface it looks like three small mini forts protecting hallways leading into a small hill with a tower between them¡± She finished. I had a vague recollection of where she was talking about from my last foray into these woods.


    ¡°All right, we start five days from now. We need to hit them again and again until your higher-ups will be willing to take on the Viper base. How many of these forts will we have to take down for them to consider that?¡± I asked.


    She was silent as she went over a bunch of figures in her head, which finally resulted in an answer.


    ¡°We¡¯d probably need to destroy all of them if we can¡¯t get a personal demonstration with any of the local big girls. There¡¯re too many problems with getting stabbed in the back as you''re trying to siege a whole castle, a lesson hard-learned from far too many attempts to get at the forts behind the Vipers base. You¡¯d probably get us in in five minutes, but I can¡¯t see any officer putting their entire command in danger based on a largely unknown ally whose performance they know nothing about¡± She finally said.


    Fuck me, all this for one person and a few pieces of paper if I¡¯m lucky.


    ¡°Fine, five days from now we hit the underground fort in the early morning.¡± I said with a hint of tiredness in my voice. The orc nodded and walked off to the left as she whistled and got the Frojan moving again.


    My main point for this trip finished, I headed back towards our base with Salamede. After explaining the plan and my next project, she merely nodded and went about preparing lunch when we got back. I immediately went about collecting large logs and making more bags of holding to store the large slabs of wood as I worked on them. The rest of the day passed with no other incidents aside from me spending my time tinkering on the new project and working with Cell for his tool¡¯s new features.


    But as I went to tuck into bed, it occurred to me that an explosive powder would probably be a good backup in case magic was un-available due to mana issues or Salamede ended up needing to do the demolition. Going over all of the chemical combinations I knew of, I struck upon the right combination. It was old as dirt itself and would require me going through some dung piles, but it would do the job, despite its odd ingredients. That was my last though as I drifted off into sleep.

 Chapter 70: First Strike

    Eli POV


    ________________________


    The cold crisp of the morning was still hanging over the air as I was looking over the underground fort. In the middle of a man-made clearing that scarred the forest stood three entrances into what looked like small hills tucked into small forts. The trees had been cleared for several dozen yards from each of the enclosed walls of dull grey brick that was at twice the height of a man. While not dilapidated, even from this height I could see the sloppy construction that had been hastily employed in the three camps construction. Odd off-ramps from the wall that obstructed anyone trying to leave the tunnel, walls so hastily constructed they had several other layers of bricks added to re-enforce the sagging bits at odd intervals. In front of these walls and the main entrances stood rows of spikes adorned with orc and Frojan heads in varying states of decay.


    Atop the walls were the occasional odd watchmen in dirty leather armor. It seems that this is indeed one of the more neglected forts as the men had no metal armor and the whole assortment of workers was made up entirely of bandits. In the middle of the three wall segments was a tower about four times the size of a man. While the array of men in the sizeable yard in the walls went about their daily chores, I scanned the forest floor for my compatriots as Salamede did the same off to my left.


    It was another five minutes before Cell came back with his spirit connection giving me the impression that he had found her. His doll suit had the same overlay of vines woven to form muscles but in the five days since our meeting with Gula I had made several improvements to the design. He now had a pair of wooden arms peeking out over his shoulders along with a long robe of interwoven grass and vines. The head was now supported with a full musculature made up of thick vines that helped make the head sturdier and more durable as it now resembled a human head instead of a mask on a stick.


    A mask that was now done up with the darkest oak wood I could find. That and a few bones hidden amongst the vines now provided a vision much closer to what Gula described. Likewise, I had put a thick layer of dark wood over the deer skull I used as a helmet and replaced Salamede¡¯s with another wooden helmet done up in the same color scheme, this one also sporting several white branches around her horns to make them less obviously horns and more like wild white branches. All accentuated with a few bones from a variety of animals on the sides of our legs and chest where they would be properly displayed but not get in the way.


    I had Cell get Salamede while I headed over to where Cell was previously stationed. Sure enough, Gula and the band of Frojan were looking at the fort as they hid behind some trees. Deciding that I had made enough of an entrance the last time, I just gently came down a few feet behind them and casually walked up while giving off a light cough.


    They turned around suddenly, and I put up my hands with woven grass gloves in mock surrender.


    Gula just smiled as she put away her sword and strode up to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s much better, I was beginning to think you were just a misunderstood actor who taking revenge for a poor performance review. Got any ideas on how to do this?¡± She said in a lighthearted tone, apparently determined to show she wasn¡¯t under my thumb.


    I just huffed as I walked up to the group and looked on the fortress with them.


    ¡°Some people have no more artistic appreciation than a mouse. But aside from your lack of creative soul, I¡¯d say the biggest issue is what to do when they retreat underground. From your description, I assume you¡¯ve actually managed to take the outer defenses before.¡± I prodded.


    ¡°Plenty of times. We¡¯re the reason those walls are such a patchwork of stone braces. But every time, they retreat into their underground hideaways and just wait for the rest of the army to clobber us or until we give up. We haven¡¯t got a solid grasp on the exact number of defenses but the entire first floor is nothing but murder holes and spike traps littering long hallways. Beyond that, it¡¯s a black void for all we know.¡± She finished.


    I was looking out over the fog as it got sucked in through the hallways leading into the hill as a vent on top of the tower pushed the fog upward, clearly showing where they got and expelled air for the fort.


    ¡°So why not just plug up all the holes and suffocate them?¡± I asked as Gula came up beside me.


    ¡°It takes too long. I don¡¯t know how the humans manage it, but I heard of one attempt where we spent a half an hour trying to smoke them out of that rat hole before having to retreat from the oncoming army. There¡¯s been a few times where the commander has had the Frojan use the water demolition magic but even after a full hour a few creeks is all they can manage¡± Gula said in a miffed tone.


    ¡°They got a bird out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, every hour a messenger comes by to check up on the base to make sure it''s not under siege. That it relies so heavily on other forts to rescue it was probably why they didn¡¯t make any more underground bases.¡± She said.


    I pondered over the set up for a while. I had spent some the past five days going through dung heaps for saltpeter and mined sulfur and charcoal for a crude explosive. This formula wasn¡¯t the most explosive powder I could make but it was the one I most clearly remembered and had the resources to make. So odd, using something as precious as wood, albeit with a few more steps, to make an explosive. The sheer strangeness of the ingredients was fascinating to me, despite, or perhaps because of, charcoal not being readily available on any space station.


    It had taken some testing in another cave that occasionally resounded with the sharp pop and crackle of small explosions but eventually I got the mixture down. Explosive powders that were now resting inside several specially crafted barrels of solid wood.


    That was not to say it was the only thing I worked on. While I waited for my main solution to the Viper base to ¡®cook¡¯ in the crafts molding it with the ambient mana I also condensed several mana stones, a task that had been considerably easier since I had Cell on the outside of me now and presumably no longer taking up mana. All the while, Salamede worked on getting food, cleaning, and doing all of the smaller items that allowed me to focus on the big stuff.


    I had thought to simply blow up the base by using several barrels of the explosives on one of the points that supported the most weight, but it seems the state of the walls had been deceptive as to how well made the whole of the fort was. Since that meant one or two explosives probably wouldn¡¯t do the job, another solution would have to be worked out.


    I nodded up into the trees where Salamede and Cell were. They both jumped through the air and landed with a solid thud a few yards behind us. All the Frojan and Gula turned as she put her hand to her sword.


    After seeing their similar appearance to mine the rest of the group relaxed a bit. Of course, this didn¡¯t stop Gula from growling.


    ¡°Do any of you just say ¡®Hello¡¯?¡± She said after turning back around to look back at the fort.


    I chuckled before making my way over to a fallen tree on my right and ripping off some pieces of bark as Cell and Salamede joined the rest of us.


    ¡°All right, since we can¡¯t burn them out then maybe we can just suck the air out of the base. Crafts typically use less mana than spells so I¡¯m going to make some quick and dirt ones that will cover those entrances in an air manipulation field that sucks out all the air while also covering up the hole on top of the tower to keep any air coming in through there.¡± I said as I went to go sit on the log and started laying down the circles and triangles for the needed tasks. In-between working on them I debated a plan of attack with Salamede and Gula.


    After a while, I got fourteen of them done as our plan was gradually ironed out. Then It was just a waiting game for the messenger to come and get out of range of the fort as the crafts filled up their mana batteries with ambient mana at that point.


    As I sat on the log in the late morning sun that filtered through the trees, Gula leaned against a tree to my left as the rest of the group kept an eye out amongst the woods. Cell had gone with a Frojan, named Baloo I think, to follow the messenger who came through and we were now waiting on Cell to come back with the all clear to go ahead.


    ¡®Watch over us in temptation, in war, and in strife. Guide our hands in craftsmanship as you will in life-¡®


    Gula spat into the underbrush to my right.


    ¡®Push aside grievance and pettiness. See us through to our tasks end.¡¯ I finished my prayer and turned towards the orc.


    ¡°I must say, you orcs aren¡¯t very ladylike for an all-female species.¡± I said in a light-hearted manner.


    She looked down at me with a laugh in her black eyes with golden irises.


    ¡°Well since the boys died out, we¡¯ve had to take on both roles.¡± She said.


    ¡°The boys?¡± I asked. Gula raised a bemused eyebrow.


    ¡°What do you know of us? History wise, at least¡± She asked.


    ¡°Garren came by a small forest village and dumped you guys off with no real explanation or motivation.¡± I said honestly as I turned to fully face her.


    ¡°Ah well, here¡¯s some history you aren¡¯t likely to find in the Coalitions books. We aren¡¯t an all-female species. Maybe we could be considered two species, I don¡¯t know what terms should be used. But we were supposed to be a male species, only there were a few female ones who didn¡¯t take whatever process he put us through in the way they were meant to. To top it all off, whatever the bastard did to us, it locked us into giving birth to the same gender. So, for a while it was mostly male orcs running about with a few scattered female tribes. It was so many thousands of years ago that no one has the whole tale, but it turns out that having the orcs rely on getting to the females of another species to reproduce is a bad idea once they start taking you as a serious threat.


    My mother told me that if an all-male orc tribe failed to take a village the entire clan died out as their current breeding stock couldn¡¯t replace their lost numbers fast enough. But the female tribes didn¡¯t need to take an entire village. Just getting one injured male from a battlefield unnoticed would be enough to keep the whole village with child. And since we could only sire with humans, interbreeding wasn¡¯t even a concern as long as we continued to get just one or two dying men from the chaos of some skirmish or war. After barely a century, the male tribes all died out while we females took over¡±


    I raised an eyebrow beneath my helmet.


    ¡°How do you know you were supposed to be male and that¡¯s not just how the initial gender balance turned out by accident?¡± I asked, now completely taken in with the conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the note said.¡± She replied.


    I stared for a moment before replying.


    ¡°You came with a note?¡± I asked incredulously. Gula gave a light laugh before she continued.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°It¡¯s said the bastard went to talk with the local village chief and during it produced a note for him to reference. An actual, real note that detailed what we were and our purpose. The worst part is it makes using the toilet damn awkward, having to look down and every single time thinking ¡®the guy who made you thought that should be a penis¡¯¡± She finished, to which we both chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re a philosophical people¡± I responded in a light tone.


    ¡°Deeply philosophical. You¡¯d imagine having our creator literally write out the meaning of our existence on paper would help but it seems there are always more damned pesky questions.¡± She agreed in a joking manner at first but got a bit more serious at the last part.


    We relaxed in silence for a few more minutes before Cell finally came back through the woods to tell me the messenger was out of range.


    The time had finally come.


    Salamede moved to the left wall while Cell moved to the right one. I would join up with Gula and the Frojan after the initial volley since they were the ones who would be in any real danger. After a minute, the sharp cracks of the bullets from two guns rang out as Cell simply charged over the small field of stumps as did Gula and the pack of Frojan. I shot another sentry atop the wall and then dropped down to join the charge with Gula once all the men outside abandoned their posts and work to run screaming inside their soon to be tomb. While the gate was reduced to chunks with a quick boulder from me, Cell started ripping the gate on his end apart while Salamede moved off to make sure no patrols randomly came by.


    Moving quickly, the Froan came up and around the hill and activated the bark crafts as the others went to the other mini forts with four to each entrance. I sprinted up to the middle of the three forts that had the tower of solid stone. Using magic to move some of the stone blocks aside, I saw that the tower had an iron core and wasn¡¯t going to be moving without force that I didn¡¯t have the means to deliver in the hour I had to deliver it, at least without some preparation. Digging a bit further down I saw that the core appeared to only be a tube with stonework for support which was a spot of good news.


    There was the sound of tearing wood behind me as Cell ripped open the other fort entrance for the Frojan to enter. Leaping high up into the air and grabbing the lisp of the towers top, I pulled myself up and came towards the metal grate that was currently sucking air into it as the crafts that now surrounded the underground entrances went about their jobs. Placing down the last two pieces of bark, the sucking sound of air stopped as the bark craft began pushing air out of the area around the grate.


    I pulled out a finger sized mana crystal and cracked it with another similar mana crystal as I set them down beside the crafts to use as fuel as the mana gradually leaked out of the light blue glass into the air. This was the part where the plan got risky. I didn¡¯t think for a moment that I could get all the air out of the fortress since the internal vacuum would almost certainly overwhelm the quick and dirty crafts but I made them as strong as I could and would give them as much mana as I had. When the equilibrium point was reached where the crafts couldn¡¯t suck out any more air, but the vacuum wasn¡¯t strong enough to overwhelm them, there would hopefully be so little air that the occupants would suffocate in the mostly vacuum.


    I went around to the other entrances to give the crafts there some extra fuel as well, drawing more than one askance look at my willful use of such priceless treasures from the Frojan. Gula didn¡¯t seem to get what the big deal was about as she patrolled the wall of the fort she had helped take.


    After a few minutes, there was call from the Frojan at entrance Cell had attacked. Jumping up the fort wall where Salamede attacked, I made my way over there. The Frojan had killed one soldier who had barely made it out of the entrance, a man who now laid face down in the rough dirt outside with several holes bleeding out of his still body.


    Satisfied that anyone, or at least enough people, had died in there as to not disrupt the next stage of our plan I whistled for some of the Frojan to come near the central tower.


    I came running up to the tower of stone and saw some of them looking at the metal core I had exposed.


    ¡°Damn, is our plan still going to work?¡± A red frogman with a green robe to my right asked.


    ¡°Even better than before. The surrounding supports all appear to be stone so that means once we weaken that, the metal core will act like a hammer crushing everything beneath it once it stars falling.¡± I said in a cheerful tone. The rest of them nodded and went to work sending tendril of vibrating water into the dirt and stonework surrounding the tower.


    Killing all the bandits inside would be a big blow but our ultimate purpose was to knock out their ability to use this base as a place to safely move troops through and if the structure was left intact, it would have been worse than doing nothing at all. Coming into a fort of dead bodies they would probably put the pieces together on how it happened, or at least a close enough guess. But collapsing the fort not only completed the main point of why I was here, it also made it harder to determine exactly how it had been done. Even one day in delaying them finding out about my presence could make the difference in this war.


    It took almost an hour but eventually a series of ominous cracks was heard.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± I announced as the Frojan quickly left not only the tower but the forts they had taken as well, of course not before making off with some food stuffs and clothing materials from the now abandoned workshops and mess halls. While they did this, A few went about collecting the crafts we used as we would need them for the next base.


    I went up to the top of the tower and took a deep breath as I sucked in all the mana around me and formed the largest spell for summoning a square block of stone that I could, a low tier scion spell that Cell had learned sneaking into the scions book room at night by molding the stone around the door frame. Using wind magic and my suit I launched myself as high into the air as I could. As I came to the top of my jump, I used the earth spell I had prepared and summoned a block of solid stone at least five times my height and almost twice as wide as the tower itself.


    Falling back down to earth, I guided the stone boulder directly onto the top of the tower. The top of the stone parapet crunched like paper as it split from the sheer momentum of the solid mass of stone. Sadly, the metal core bent to the side crushing the stone exterior as a giant hole appeared to its left. The whole thing now looked wobbly but as the stone block evaporated into nothingness the fundamental structure beneath was probably still good.


    Off in the distance I heard a shot and looked across the forest in the darkening sky as clouds began creeping over the sun.


    Dammit! That was Salamede¡¯s signal that someone was coming and too fast for her to get back to us in time.


    I quickly repeated the process, only this time when the boulder fell out of the sky like a one rock avalanche, it smashed the metal core fully into the earth before a loud crack was heard and the earth below started giving way. I didn¡¯t have time to look as I used my air magic again to shoot myself off to the right towards the trees as the rumble of crashing stones and creaking wood went on below me. Making my way up a tree, I turned around to see a giant sinkhole where the fort used to be with three smaller forts surrounding it. One of the pillars on the outer wall of the underground structure teetered and fell into the mass of rubble. Even from here I could see bodies amongst the wooden beams and stones. The strain was already setting in as pain ached throughout my body. It was like a long spiderweb of agony running all throughout my body in razor-thin lines as the mana pathways in my flesh ached from the extreme casting.


    I moved around the woods and towards the opposite side of the clearing towards where we agreed to meet up. Below, I saw a caravan of supplies moving along the road. All the guards and drivers had stopped dead with mouths open at the empty hole where their current destination used to be. Some people from the back moved forward yelling and cursing up a storm as they shoved onlookers aside only to join the mass of standing people staring at the scene of destruction in disbelief as some of the surrounding guards tried to get the rest of the people turned around to head back from whence they came.


    Coming back towards our original spot I saw Salamede and Cell standing off to the left of the group of Frojan who were patting each other on the back and whooping with Gula looking especially self-satisfied.


    ¡°Holy shit, did you see when that floor lifted up into the air?¡± One of them called.


    ¡°We showed those bastards! And not even a scratch on any of us.¡± Another cheered.


    Gula was practically dancing as her voice cut through the small celebration.


    ¡°We did it! After so long and after so many deaths we actually pushed them back.¡± She said with some tears starting to form in her eyes as she was drawn into a group hug.


    As much as I hated to interrupt, we needed to get moving.


    ¡°I understand your excitement, but we must move before mages come to start piecing together what happened to this fort. Meet up at the mine fort tomorrow?¡± I asked her.


    She calmed down somewhat but when she came up to me her golden irises still held a great joy.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s still too close to the Viper base. But they will probably be sending it a lot of reinforcements after we took the base so close to it¡± She said with a light smile on her lips.


    ¡°Possibly. The more important priority for the Coalition is keeping the Viper base up since its now the front line of the battle with the orcs. Keeping the mine base fully staffed would probably only draw strength from the three forts they need to keep the Viper base protected and stocked since sending the supplies this way is no longer a safe option. But we can¡¯t just ignore it since it¡¯s still close enough for them to send mages to attack the siege if they were willing to risk it, which would defeat the ultimate goal of doing this; to capture the Viper commander. Unless you think they¡¯ll deploy some kind of a third option?¡± I asked.


    She merely shrugged with an upward throwing of her hands.


    ¡°What to do after taking a fort was always a theoretical, kind of like what we would do if we all suddenly sprouted wings. This is as unknown as it gets for me, tactics wise.¡± She responded.


    ¡°All right then, if they have re-enforced the base, then we can move on to attacking one of the three intermediate forts since they¡¯re still far enough away from each other to make saving them almost, I repeat ALMOST, impossible if we strike hard and fast enough. At that point we may get enough notice from one of your commanders to help us take out the mine¡± I finished.


    Not being an idiot, I did a thorough scouting of the other bases to get a good idea of their strengths and distances from each other in the five days I had to prepare. The other three were a more typical setup with high walls resembling a box with a tower at each of the four points.


    Gula got a serious look at that and then stood straight, but her eyes still had this kid tasting candy for the first-time aspect to them.


    ¡°Understood. See you tomorrow morning?¡± She asked in a light tone.


    ¡°Mid-day. Casting something that large is hell on the body.¡± I said, as I turned to go with a slight ache in my legs. But I pushed through as rain began to fall. I got as far as I could in the treetops with Salamede and Cell but eventually Salamede saw me struggling and stopped me.


    As I landed on a large branch and my legs nearly gave out, she came up beside me with Cell looking at us a few branches ahead.


    ¡°Eli, you can¡¯t keep going on like this,¡± She said in a firm tone as she rubbed my shoulder as the rain pattered across out suits.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get out of here. This place is going to be swarming with mages and scouts soon.¡± I refuted as sweat covered my face and every fiber of my body was yelling at me in protest as the true cost of my casting started to set in.


    ¡°We will,¡± She said as she supported my weight by moving under my left arm as Cell came forward and took my right. It wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as regular jumping, but we got home around mid-day. The thought occurred to me to work on some more of my projects, but my body sent a pre-emptive strike on such thoughts when we entered the cave and my sides screamed from having to support themselves.


    The rest of the day was spent lying down and trying not to move as Salamede tended to me and the other dozen tasks that needed doing. As I was laying down in the vine hammock, Salamede gradually fed me a bit of deer that she had caught and skinned earlier. Looking at her caring eyes, I was left feeling¡­ feeling like I was home, I felt something I hadn¡¯t felt in any of the stations I had worked on or any of the vast complexes of moon-sized machinery I had help various corporations build. Something that wasn¡¯t found in a schematic, blueprint or a sea of marketing data.


    I felt¡­ truly content. It seems that despite all of my people¡¯s abilities, we still can¡¯t replace some experiences from humanity''s earliest joys. As she fed me another bit of deer steak, Salamede suddenly paused like she was considering something as she sat down with her green dress beside me, plate and fork in hand.


    ¡°Eli, I¡¯ve been wondering how¡­ does combat feel to you?¡± She asked hesitantly in a spirit connection.


    ¡°It depends. Mostly it¡¯s just annoying to me because I always feel like I could have done more to avoid it, either taking the enemy out beforehand or by making sure they knew attacking me was a bad idea. But obviously that hasn¡¯t been much of an option since I got here¡± I answered. I obviously wanted to know what brought the question on, but I felt pressing her on this issue wouldn¡¯t be a good idea.


    She sat there in silent contemplation for a moment before she offered an explanation without prompting.


    ¡°When I shoot someone, I feel this rush and exhilaration. Seeing their heads blow apart and knowing I ended their life with my own hand. I keep getting flashbacks to how powerless I felt during the bandit raid and I feel like I could actually do something about the raid now. I was repulsed by these feelings no matter how powerful it made me feel, but in the back of my mind I just shrugged because the demon side is always there balancing out the good human side.


    But something occurred to me earlier when I shot that sentry on the wall. He was a younger man in a dirty leather jerkin and as the bullet went right through his head of black hair it occurred to me as I watched him fall backwards over the wall that I felt¡­ nothing. Or at least it was far more muted this time. Then I realized that feeling I¡¯ve been having wasn¡¯t the bloodlust of the demon but something from my human side and I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to feel about that. I¡¯ve always thought of my human side as being the good part of me and all of my violent impulses and selfish desires being the part of the demon.¡± She finished as she stared at the plate.


    I got a light smile and held her hand, causing her to look up and into my eyes.


    ¡°The human part isn¡¯t all good. I can personally attest to that.¡± I said with a warm smile as my mind went over just of the few of the countless instances of humans being shitty by themselves and in groups that I had personally witnessed.


    ¡°So, am I only a third good? Or even just a quarter?¡± She asked in a very put out tone as the ears underneath her horns drooped slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re you. The demon, the human, the good and the bad. Over time necessity will make things easier and part of that is making sure to exhaust all of your options before pulling that trigger, which considering we¡¯re fighting bandits is an easy conclusion to make. When you start feeling down about yourself, know that I consider your aid and companionship invaluable and I will always treasure our time together.¡± I finished with my most honest feelings.


    Salamede gave me a big smile at the last part and leaned forward with a bit of deer meat on her fork to continue feeding me.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not just the bandits. We¡¯ll probably be fighting the soldiers eventually.¡± She said as she put in another bit of steak in my mouth.


    ¡°On that account, we¡¯ve already crossed the line when we killed the grey cloak mages.¡± I pointed out as I swallowed the meat.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. We thought they were bandits then but knowing they¡¯re part of the military makes killing them different.¡± She responded uncertainly as she idly rand the fork over the plate.


    ¡°About that. Several of them tried to kill me as they disguised themselves as bandits. Maybe they were just a few who tried to get me for the necromancers, but there were a few others involved who didn¡¯t seem to even know who I was and were probably there for sport¡± I told her.


    She stopped fiddling with the fork and looked at me for a moment.


    ¡°Well that certainly makes things easier. ¡°She finally said with a note of anger.


    ¡°As for the rest of the military, maybe when we take out the two underground bases, one of the orc commanders will be so impressed that we don¡¯t need to take out the other three before they agree to move onto the main base. That way the regular soldiers would be spared.¡± I responded hopefully and truthfully.


    Gula said that wasn¡¯t likely to happen, but it seems she also doubted us taking out any of the bases in the first place so maybe she was underestimating how much sway our actions would have.


    Salamede was still struggling with it as she sat there, so I decided to lift the burden on her scruples.


    ¡°Some actions are inherently good; some actions are inherently bad. Most actions can only be judged by context. The soldiers are here to protect themselves and their people. But when we attack them, we will be doing it to protect ourselves and our people. No, they aren¡¯t involved with the people who threaten us, but they are still in the way of our survival and we have exhausted all other options.


    If it comes to that and you still can¡¯t bring yourself to do it, then I won¡¯t think less of you if you abstain from those fights.¡± I offered.


    She got a firm lip and shook her head in denial.


    ¡°No. If I¡¯m going to enjoy the fruits of you being alive and working wonders then I¡¯m not going to hide from their cost. I just¡­ I just wish I could stop worrying about my mother. She was a tough old goat before I gave her the weapons, but I can¡¯t stop thinking how little she could do against some of the people we¡¯ve been fighting.¡± She said with a hint of angst as she raised the fork with deer meat on the end.


    I kept my face passive as she fed me the last of the deer but on the inside, I felt the numbing ache of shame. These were my problems and my burdens, yet Salamede and her family had been made to bear them as much as I. I was used to dealing with other people¡¯s problems and having them owe me favors before I had died, and this was the first time in untold ages I had let my failings fall on someone else. This was not a feeling I intended to experience again.


    The day passed on with me staying in more or less the same position as I used spirit magic and Cell¡¯s help to try and make some adjustments to our masks to change how our voices sounded. I continued this work in the same position until the very last moment when sleep finally moved in to soothe my aching muscles.

 Chapter 71: Demolition

    Gula POV


    ____________________________


    The rain began to fall all over my body as we made our way towards the pond that we originally came through. As the sky darkened, the light in my chest felt like it could more than makeup for the sun''s retreat. Looking up to the sky with a smile on my face I let the rain fall down my cheeks and clothes as a smile I couldn¡¯t put down mocked the dreary scenery.


    The boys were also quite pleased as well, as they damned well should be. We helped take down a fort. By the bastard¡¯s beard, a whole fort! It still didn¡¯t feel real, like I was just waiting to pull up from my bed and go back to reality. The reality where I spent month after month listening to the gossip and orders where we pulled back again and again. The reality where we just tried to not lose too much as opposed to trying to win.


    Going back into the water tunnels, the traffic was still pretty light. Of course, news didn¡¯t travel instantly, and I made it clear to Baloo that I wanted to make it home as quickly as possible. It was going to be my report that provided the first bit of intelligence the higher-ups got that anything had changed.


    Coming out of the tunnel I quickly threw off the helmet and waved goodbye as I sprinted through the cattails and mucky swampland in the mid to late afternoon. Getting home, I saw mother, dressed in her typical white shirt and brown dress, skinning some fish. She looked up at me with a nod and went back to working on the fish she was cutting in half. Going into the rough wooden house I took out a piece of crude paper and a string from a chest in the back-right side of my home''s main room. Picking out a piece of charcoal from the extinguished cookfire, I wrote out the report detailing the day¡¯s events and the plan for tomorrow. My task finished; I began proofreading the report.


    ¡®I helped take down the underground fort. Urog was wrong when she tried to fail me from the wayfarers regiment. Accomplishing more than any of those miserable cunts who shunned me I-¡®


    Apparently, I was still bitter.


    Scrunching up the paper and starting over, I made sure to pay special attention to what I was actually writing down this time and finally put together a dry, proper report. Taking a whistle off the wall of hooks to the right of my houses entrance, I made my way outside. I gave a good blow into the piece of wood and as the soft whine of the whistle carried off into the distance, I reflected on everything that had happened today. It still seemed surreal, that not only had we pushed back the humans stone monsters, I actually had a role in it.


    Finally, a hawk came out over the treetops and landed on my shoulder. Tying the report around its right leg with the string, I went back inside and changed into my typical casual attire; a white shirt and brown pants with boots.


    I went back into our main room and sat on a stool near mom as she began a fish stew.


    ¡°So, how did it go?¡± She asked casually as she worked a big spoon in the red spicy broth.


    ¡°Eh, it was okay. Got through the tunnels fast enough after we took out the underground fort, but the rain helped washing the blood off me, so the tunnel water wasn¡¯t dirty.¡± I said lightly like it was all no big deal as I leaned back on the stool.


    Moms long twin braids of brown hair stopped as the muscular woman sat still for a moment before they whipped around as she turned to me. Her red irises looked at me with disbelief.


    ¡°You¡­ How?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°The leather was treated to be water proof and since the blood-¡°


    ¡°Not that, you insolent spawn of my womb! How did you take out the fort?¡± she demanded as her thick green lips puckered in irritation around her nose ring of bone.


    I couldn¡¯t keep the smug expression off my face, so I decided to not tease her anymore.


    ¡°The mage and two of his friends, we¡¯re going with the story that they¡¯re Pandegos when we start working with the other orcs, used some odd weapons and a charge to drive the troops under ground, with us pushing in on an entire section ourselves. As the soldiers waited for the messenger to save them, we used some crafts the quad element mage made to suck all the air out. Once that was done, the guy who I assume to be their leader summoned a huge solid block of stone to crush the tower. It bent the large metal core of the central tower but the fort underneath was still solid. Then he did it again, turning the whole thing into a pit of rubble.¡± I finished.


    Mother clapped excitedly as she got up and hugged me.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl! Did what no one else could do.¡± She said as I felt her tears soaking into my shoulder. Blood started rushing to my face as I struggled to deal with this sudden wave of emotions. But then my mother moved back and went back to the pot, her eyes still having a shimmer of tears around them.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say that¡¯s good enough for a promotion.¡± She said after going back to stirring the pot.


    ¡°That all depends on how the next raid goes. The mage wants to hit the old breeding pen mid-day tomorrow.¡± I responded.


    She looked at me dumbstruck for a few moments before collecting her thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s his goal, exactly? ¡°she asked.


    ¡°Apparently, he needs something or some information from the commander at the Viper base and he¡¯s willing to work with us orcs to take it. This is all setting up for us to help him when that time comes.¡± I said. Mother just looked into the stew with a blank expression before she said anything.


    ¡°You know, I almost feel bad for the humans. Decades of work going up in smoke because of one of their own.¡± She finally said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be doing most of the work. He¡¯s just going to be giving us an edge in the few places we need.¡± I said in a defensive tone.


    She just laughed as she put some more herbs in the pot.


    ¡°That ¡®edge¡¯ sounded like a mountain being dropped on the Coalitions head. But if that¡¯s how you want to see it, then fine.¡± She said before focusing on her stew again as she poured some of the spicy liquid into a bowl.


    I accepted my portion of dinner with a grumble. The rest of the afternoon passed in its typical motions. Although I was surprised to see no hawk came back with a response.


    Waking up in the morning, I got a breakfast of porridge and headed out in my regular black armor. Still, no hawk had come by. Annoyed as I was to see how long it takes for any of my reports to be looked at by the people running the intel gathering and dissemination, it at least provided me a means of getting away from any long questioning sessions.


    Making my way to the typical tunnel entrance, I saw my group of Frojan standing on one of the patches of dirt off to the side of the entrance to the underwater tunnels. They sat there waiting as an unusual number of other, more well dressed, Frojan started moving in and out of the water with their orcs dressed in black. My boys were off to the side of the more well-dressed Frojan who made a clear effort to not mix with my Frojan pack


    Coming up to Baloo, the dark green Frogman with a slightly tattered blue robe, I motioned towards the commotion as large numbers of Frojan and orcs moved in and out of what should have been a low traffic area. He merely nodded as he sat on the ground and idly paddled his feet in the churned water.


    ¡°They¡¯re sending out every available scout to find out what has the humans all abuzz. A buddy of mine in the more¡­. respectable squads said the humans have been launching attacks all day and have been burning trees around all the roads that they move supplies through. Can¡¯t imagine what has them so irritated.¡± He said in a light tone as his large amber eyes shimmered in mirth.


    ¡°Yes, quite a mystery indeed.¡± I responded in a serious tone, but I¡¯m sure my eyes gave me away. I still couldn¡¯t suppress that bit of happiness that showed up in my face whenever the subject came up.


    Eventually, the crowd of scouts got through and we were allowed to go to our destination. As we traveled through the dark tunnels, I mentally went over everything we knew of our next target as the cold water pressed on the parts of my body not under the helmet.


    The mine had been abandoned when its vein of copper ran dry and had been converted into a base for the bandits, only later becoming an official station for the Coalitions operations and all the fortifications that come with that. It was more well-fortified on the outside, but it was also more well-known than the underground fort from the few times we got into it.


    As we came up out of a pond and silently went through the bright, sunny forest I mentally went over everything I remembered about the base. It was still a good ways off and there was no evidence the humans were still traveling on these roads, but we still stuck to the woods less travelled paths as we slid and moved around large rocks and trees as the occasional hill obstructed our travel.


    Coming up a hill with a large boulder to the right, my ears barely registered the soft twang of an archer¡¯s bow letting loose an arrow. I was in the middle of the 12 plus group, so I moved behind the water shield a big red Frojan was already getting up with his wooden staff and sure enough a small volley of arrows rattled off against the water the now covered most of the group.


    Sadly, a younger Frojan with blue skin didn¡¯t react fast enough and got pin cushioned, falling down the hill with barely a word as he dropped his wooden club. Our little group quickly huddled together as the grey cloaked mages slowly moved out behind the trees, with swords, spears, and daggers. With no preamble, the near dozen women charged us. The water shields held up fine, at least long enough to get the shield spells up when an air mage gusted a wind spell over us and some of the shields disappeared as their crafts failed.


    But something was odd about them this time. They were typically a lot smarter than this and would have disabled our crafts first. When the melee fighters moved in, I noticed hard sweat running down their faces and the sheer exhaustion that their eyes screamed. The previous figures of impossible power and unyielding confidence that I had seen at the Crypt and on a few other occasions were now mostly gone, with only one or two of the women beating on the shields looking like they had slept well.


    They pushed against us now and occasionally got a good stab with a spear or arrow in. Nothing lethal but it started to add up. As I stabbed between the holes in our defenses even as mages farther off lobbed fire and stone balls at us, I heard a crack over the den and saw one of the mages on the trees drop from her branch as her head got blown in half. She was the farthest back and I quickly saw another one in the trees meet a similar fate.


    ¡°Defense!¡± I screamed.


    The Frojan then packed in more tightly. While the holes in the shields gradually shrunk and disappeared as the layers of water gradually overlapped, the mages started beating against the shields more intensely since we couldn¡¯t hit them back. Typically, that would be a disaster, but we typically didn¡¯t have a quad element mage and two other unknown mages helping us either, so we just had to hold out.


    Through the slightly distorted liquid, I saw some of the mages in the back of the mob looking around in fear as some began to move off. But the shower of blood and stone blades that showed to the left just out of my view said they hadn¡¯t gotten away. One of the women turned to run only to get skewered by the ¡®pandego¡¯ with an orb for an eye and four arms.


    Tossing her to the side, it charged into the melee with abandon as I saw another woman go down from what must have been that strange weapon, although the sound was now too distorted for me to hear the crack of them using it. Our ally bore through the women with brute strength, displaying no real martial skill but the blades and fireballs didn¡¯t seem to hurt it as it tore apart the enemy while the vines of its flesh regrew from physical and magical blows.


    The images were too distorted to make out the fine details and as it barreled over the poor souls who couldn¡¯t get away, a curtain of blood gradually moved from the right to the left as the thing charged through with four bladed arms. We kept still for a bit, standing there in total silence for a few moments as the muffled cries and sounds of crushing bones outside gradually died down to pure silence with nothing to do but watch the gruesome liquid gradually trickle down and off the water shields. I looked around and saw the shimmering water reflecting the mid-day sun over our bodies with the red being mixed among the shimmering lights.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    A knocking sound was heard to the right.


    Baloo looked at me and I nodded.


    ¡°Drop the shields.¡± He called as the one he was sustaining a few feet in front of him shimmered into nothingness.


    Standing there among the blood and severed bits was the other mage that had a pure wooden mask for a face.


    ¡°We need help with the younger one¡± It¡¯s harsh voice had an odd wobble to it and seemed distorted, almost like it was talking in a cave.


    I followed him down to where I saw the quad element mage leaning over the young Frojan, Krell, if I remember correctly. Some of the arrows had been taken out and it seemed like some of the holes in him were closing. The mage just kept his eyes on the blue Frojan as he rand his hands up and down the belly and shoulders of the half dead frogman.


    ¡°Do you have any potions or medicinal herbs? Anything to help him.¡± He said with a strained voice. His voice also had the odd warble that the previous mage had but without the harsh undertone.


    A few of the older Frojan rushed forward and started applying bandages and some of those herbs we got instead of healing draughts but after a few seconds the arrow holes stopped knitting themselves closed and the blue Frojans chest stopped moving. The deer head of the mage had been looking down and his head dipped down further before he retracted his hand and stopped what I assume had been a healing spell.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say he has passed on.¡± He said as he got up and walked towards us.


    ¡°Thank you, for trying.¡± Baloo said, a sentiment that seemed to be reflected by the other Frojan.


    ¡°We need to be quick. Are there any rights or ceremonies that need to be performed?¡± The quad element mage said.


    I raised an eyebrow at the question but an older Frojan who had been administering the bandages simply shook his head.


    ¡°No, a simple farewell consisting of a prayer for his soul and a burial is all when we have the time. When we don¡¯t, a simple prayer is enough¡± Is what he said.


    ¡°Do we have time for that?¡± I asked honestly.


    The deer head turned to me and nodded.


    ¡°Sacred rights need to be observed¡± He said, before turning towards the two mages higher up the hill and I assume sent out a spirit connection because they both took off towards the base after a few seconds.


    The quad element mage used a magical spell to dig into the earth a good five or six feet. While two of the Frojan placed the body of the younger one in the grave, the others stood around the body with a lowered head and eyes closed, as did I. The mage then covered the top of the grave with dirt and used some plant spells to make it look like any other patch of dirt in the woods.


    Our task complete, we all headed towards our main destination while a few of the Frojan stayed behind to quickly look over the dead mages for any potions or other goods we might need. After a few minutes, I heard the Frojan who stayed behind run back up towards our group. The metal weapons would rust to uselessness in short order for us, but the few bottles with bright red sloshing liquid and pouches of sliver were of immense value and was gradually shared amongst our members.


    We didn¡¯t have to use the healing potions immediately since the mage healed us on the way. But as much as we gained, I still felt like something was wrong as I scanned through the woods that had the mid-day sun flowing around them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The warbled voice to my left asked. I turned to see the mage looking at me with the holes in the deer head only barely letting me see the odd purple eyes within.


    ¡°They were very stupid. Attacking us without disabling our crafts first, trying to mob us instead of whittling us down from a distance. I¡¯ve never seen them so careless.¡± I said idly.


    ¡°I think they must have done a straight march from the Bulwark to get here judging from how tired they were. More than that, they were desperate and scared, two of the most well-known antidotes to clear thinking.¡± He said idly as we started making our way up the hill to look towards the base.


    That thought should have been a happy one. I couldn¡¯t count the number of times those mages laughed as they casually slaughtered us from the trees or walls, or delighted mowing us down like grass whenever we tried to face those who were so much more than us in every way. But seeing them brought so low only made me more fearful of what was now stalking their nightmares. He might be on my side now, but that wasn¡¯t guaranteed to always be the case and if it ever came to blows¡­ well, the obliterated chunks of the mages did not speak well of our chances.


    Putting aside the ominous puzzle that was my new ally, I made my way up a slight hill as the Frojan fanned out to look around the surrounding wood as we came up to the field of stumps that announced the presence of a fort. The other two mages covered in vines and bones dropped down beside us. The male quad mage and the one with a wooden face mask started at each other for a few seconds before the deer head turned back towards the fort.


    We orcs had gotten inside a few times, so I knew the general placement of the internal rooms and layouts, at least in the mine itself. Right now all I could see was the tall walls of grey square stones, each the size of a man, with the whole wall running around the flat plain and the surrounding mountain side as the ring encased the entire base in a wall five times the size of a man. Coming out of the big wooden doors was a winding road with the door idly swung open.


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s abandoned.¡± He said in a simple, almost indifferent voice. ¡°We did a lot of scouting earlier. The roads have no one on them. I was concerned they would throw a bunch of mages at us to try and get information on our abilities. The only group we found wasn¡¯t in the typical four person squads and over the course of keeping an eye on them they ran into you.


    Hmmm. All right, what do you know about this place?¡± The deer skull turned towards me.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one entrance, the big gaping hole in the mountainside. In the mine itself, there is a long spine of wooden beams that serve as the spine for the whole base. The staircase between floors runs on two sides of the main entrance. The floors below used to be breeding pens, but I assume they¡¯re used to store goods and house soldiers on the way to better places.¡± I finished.


    ¡°Breeding pens?¡± He seemed to ask.


    ¡°A while back the Coalition had a scheme where the humans turned in orc ears for silver to try and make hunting us more desirable for the local guilds. The problem is that they made the bounties so big that the gangs subverted the scheme by capturing and mating some of us. The bounty was generous enough that they could wait for the kids to get a deeper green skin before killing them for the ears.¡± I said with a sour note that just refused stay out of my voice.


    He looked at me for a moment then turned back towards the fort.


    ¡°They killed their own children¡­ for money? To think we¡¯re the same species¡± He said in a cold tone. ¡°That the Coalition would even consider working with such people is just¡­ At least that makes my decision to undo their plans more palpable.¡±


    I felt my lips curling as my stomach clenched but I before I could stop myself, I asked the question I knew shouldn¡¯t ask. But I did manage to somewhat veil it in some dismissive sarcasm.


    ¡°Pffft. Oh really? If you had mated with an orc, you would consider the results your daughters?¡± I said in an off-handed manner like the question meant nothing even as my eyes looked at him from the side with what I knew was obvious desperation.


    ¡°Of course. They came out of my loins, didn¡¯t they?¡± He responded in a casual manner before looking away towards the ¡®pandego¡¯ with a sphere in the head, who took off towards the fort after a few seconds and was summoning gusts of wind all over the plain of stumps leading up to the wall.


    But I barely paid any attention to that as I just stared at the quad mage who went back to looking at the fort. A rising sense of bitterness came up in my stomach, aggravated by the gnawing voice in the back of my mind.


    Damn him! Coming out of nowhere and casually punching every orcs deepest insecurity right in the gut! That quiet, gnawing question of my father¡¯s acceptance had been in the back of my mind since my earliest days and it was now loudly blasting at full force. I wanted to cry or stab him but my discipline kept my emotions from overtaking me and instead I gripped my sword handle in frustration. The mage who went through the door eventually came back out and put a hand up with a wave to get the others to come over.


    ¡°All clear. Let¡¯s go.¡± The deer skull said.


    Coming up to the road leading in and out of the fort I saw various items strewn along the road. Some broken clay bowls, utensils, shirts, socks and pants. It looked like the bandits who had been guarding this base had lost their nerve and taken everything that wasn¡¯t nailed down. The trail of items lost in the groups haste seemed to go northward.


    I went through the door as the small crowd of Frojan and the other two mages came in just behind me. Coming into the fort proper, I saw a wooden stable covering almost the entire left side of the forts inner wall and to the right I saw an outdoor cooking area, with rows of benches with a large array of pots in the back under a simple roof of ramshackle wood.


    Across the empty field lay more items left behind, and the ground was churned from all the carriages leaving at once. This pattern of debris and abused dirt continued all the way up to the entrance of the mine. I tried to drown out my thoughts with the surrounding noise, but I heard nothing aside from the pall of utter silence hanging over the whole place. Then the footsteps of my fellow party members came up behind me. Baloo stepped forward while his grey robe swayed in the breeze.


    ¡°If memory serves me well, the main support beam is the central wooden skeleton running along the top like a spine with the whole thing resembling the canvas supports in a carriage. But I don¡¯t know how we¡¯d bring it down safely.¡± The deep throated rumble of Baloo¡¯s voice cut in through the silence.


    It was the quad mage who stepped forward and went closer to the mine. He looked over the hole in the mountain side briefly before calling to us.


    ¡°All right, even if this place is abandoned, we need to watch for traps.¡± He said before a huge gust of wind shot out from him and blew into the mine with a loud whoosh.


    ¡°Magical crafts maybe disabled but that doesn¡¯t mean any physical one are. Summon a wave of water and send it as far down the hall as you can. Send two Frojan on the walls to keep an eye out for anyone else coming.¡± He called with clear authority that still showed through the odd warble that was now in his voice. Two large Frojan went back towards the wall and up a staircase to the parapet while the rest went towards the mine entrance and started coordinating for a large magic working.


    After a few minutes, a huge wave of water materialized from several smaller ones that merged to go shooting down the tunnel. I watched the water roll down the sides of the corridor and even flow through some doors on the side until it stopped about halfway to the end of the hallway and seemingly evaporated into the air.


    ¡°Keep your eyes and ears open, but let¡¯s assume it¡¯s safe to go as far as the wave did.¡± The quad element mage called as he reached into his vine suit. ¡°Stay in the entranceway but do as much demolition work on the lower floors stonework that brace against the wood skeleton as you can. If the setup you described is correct, then they put all the load-bearing on the rounded top of the wooden frame.¡± He pulled out a bag and proceeded to hand out wooden blocks about the size of my head. The proportion of the first one was so large I figured he only brought one, but he kept pulling them out until we had six of them stacked on top of each other on the floor.


    I stared in confusion for a moment but the Frojan¡¯s eyes were wide disks of greens, ambers, and blues.


    ¡°A bag of holding.¡± An older blue one said almost breathlessly.


    ¡°You are a lucky man indeed.¡± Baloo said enviously.


    I didn¡¯t know what exactly what that was, but from what I was seeing I couldn¡¯t help but share Baloo¡¯s feelings. The mage just chuckled.


    ¡°In some ways I suppose I am.¡± He said dryly as he took the topmost block of the stack.


    ¡°I need to attach two to each section of the top of the wood frame using earth magic to press them against it. Once I¡¯ve done that, I will activate them which will cause them to explode roughly after one minute of absorbing the ambient mana. I don¡¯t expect to take the whole thing down but making the entrance unusable for even a few weeks will be enough. While I¡¯m doing this, I want those walls coming down¡± He explained as he started walking into the mine entrance.


    My talents weren¡¯t any use here and apparently neither were the other two mages because the three of us went about scouring the camp for any useful items. After the Frojan did their bit in the tunnel, with the odd creak reporting their efforts, they all left to go to the wall and start taking that down as the two who had been on top of it came down to assist. It took nearly half an hour but eventually the Frojan summoned a giant battering ram of water and knocked a huge hole in the left side of the wall that covered the field. As the Frojan started working on the right side of the wall, I heard the footsteps of the mage coming out of the tunnel.


    He looked at the three of us as we pulled back a few more yards and waited. I was by the mage with the molded wooden mask while the one with a sphere in its wooden face stood between me and the deer skull. It took a few seconds but finally I heard the rumble in the back of the tunnel and saw the top of the entrance collapse in on itself.


    But before I could cheer, I felt the ground give out beneath me. My vision whirled as I fell into the collapsing floor and around me, I saw a brief vision of the sky as it was getting overtaken by dirt and stone while I desperately clawed at anything that could support my weight as the deafening cacophony of fall rock and dirt drowned out all other noise.


    A giant beam of wood started falling towards me. But as it moved towards my face, I suddenly jerked to the left. I felt something pressing against my shoulder and saw the mage with a wooden mask had pushed me out of the path of the falling beam. That was all I had time to register as blackness and the rumble of dirt consumed everything as I fell.


    The hard earth finally stopped my fall with a painful thud but as the dirt started to fall on me, it stopped. It was black as death and I couldn¡¯t hear anything but then I felt my leg as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I looked down instinctively but there wasn¡¯t anything for me to see. Just as well, considering the sensations from my leg told me it was broken.


    Then I heard something shifting in the dirt and a soft moan to my left. Ah, the other mage. He must have fallen in here with me. I didn¡¯t know how I had survived or what had caused this, but there was nothing to do now but wait for rescue. It felt like minutes but after what was probably a few seconds I felt a warmth flow through me and wash away the pain in my leg. Then a soft rumble to my¡­ up? Started registering. A second later I heard the soft falling of dirt as a light burst out of the ground above my head.


    ¡°Ah you must be miss Gula.¡± A deep voice said as I scrunched my eyes at the blazing sun. When my vision finally adjusted to the light, I saw a dwarf peeking out of a hole with a light fixed on his steel helmet. His sapphire eyes looked at me with a smile that peeked around his wild black hair as he wormed out of the hole. His attire was black boots with more of that red armor with a small cape, which now flowed behind him as he got out of the hole and stood to his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky this stone wall just happened- By the Stone! What in the world is that?!¡± He said as he suddenly jerked against the wall and got the axe from behind his back as the light from his helmet beamed closer to my feet. I looked down and saw the sphere from that one mage laying at my feet. Only it was surrounded in black liquid that seemed to have odd shapes running across it. The liquid was hovering around my left leg and was also by the other mages head as the sphere bobbed about nervously. That mage was left relatively unhurt, but the mask was broken and with a trickle of blood running down the forehead of the¡­goat? No, I¡¯ve heard of them. They¡¯re some kind of human goat things from the central continent. Only this one had been passing herself off as a human mage. While her goatish features were feminine, her chest that showed a steady breathing rate left no doubt as to her designated sex now that the vines were no longer covering her leather armor beneath.


    I looked around and found that the stone around me seemed oddly straight. The realization that it hadn¡¯t been a natural barrier, a barrier the dwarf apparently hadn¡¯t made, that had saved us left me trusting this odd monster, at least for a lack of options to do otherwise.


    ¡°Wait!. I think it¡¯s friendly.¡± I said with a hand to hold the dwarf back. He looked at me like I was crazy, but he didn¡¯t have his axe in a throwing position anymore. I turned towards the beast.


    ¡°Thank you for saving us¡± I said with as much gratitude as I could muster. ¡°where are you from?¡±


    The sphere of what seemed to be an almost metallic substance held a faint color that constantly shifted and seemed to move like an eye. This light looked down briefly before looking back at us, and as it did an electric sensation came over me and I knew it was using spirit magic. But instead of words I got an odd sense of something. Finally, my mind recognized what it was trying to impress upon me. The deer skulled mage.


    ¡°He¡¯s your home?¡± I asked, not getting it. But apparently the dwarf did as he stumbled back against the wall with a look of pure disbelief on his hefty features.


    ¡°The kings beard. He¡¯s a scion. That quad element caster is a scion and this is his familiar.¡± He said breathlessly.


    A scion.


    Fuck.


    Now I just felt angry. Angry and ashamed as I got up.


    ¡°Is she all right?¡± I asked the familiar. It sent a sense of agreement. The dwarf huffed and sat against the wall.


    ¡°Well, nothing to do but wait now. The cas- the scion was trying to get you guys out with magic but I guess cracking that fortress yesterday pushed even his abilities to the limit. We should have some-¡°He was interrupted by a crack and the sudden sunlight that showered down over us.


    Looking up I saw the deer skull with black wood over it peeking behind the ledge as well as some of the Frojan.


    ¡°Are you both all right?¡± He asked with the warble in his voice not hiding his concern. Dropping down a good dozen feet, he came up to the goat woman who was now stirring awake as her white eyes slowly opened. All the Frojan were looking at the black thing by my foot as I got up, and they all promptly pulled back when the familiar shot up into the air with a burst of wind and off somewhere over the ledge.


    Getting up, I motioned towards the Frojan above me. After a few seconds, two rope-like tendrils of water slithered down towards me and encircled themselves around me before pulling me to the surface. After climbing up the ledge, I turned around as I dusted myself off. To my left was the familiar working his way back into what I now knew to be a glorified doll while further ahead of me was a team of dwarves.


    They all had the same red armor with gold inlays as before but this time they were busy pulling the last bits of stone and dirt out of the entrance with magic. Among the crowd, I saw a familiar face, Gashton. He was looking at the doll body that was slowly re-animating as the quad scions familiar slowly fixed itself inside the hole in the mask.


    I heard a thump to my right and saw the quad element mage carrying the goat woman as he landed on the ground outside of what I now assumed had been a new addition to the mine, a mine that now looked like a depression in the earth as a mini landslide had covered the hall that was previously there. She was now on her feet proper, as the black thing was now back in its suit and walked over. But I ignored everything aside from the quad element mage, who was now setting the goat woman down on her feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re a scion¡± I said as I stood off to the side while keeping completely still.


    It was a simple statement, but it landed like a troll¡¯s fist on everyone. The Frojan¡¯s heads all jerked up while the dwarf¡¯s eyes all went wide as some of them got defensive. The mage stood in silence for a moment before responding.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An electric sensation came over me as a spirit connection was established and the mages voice resounded in my head.


    ¡®It¡¯s going to get hectic with the Coalition now. We need to start meeting up every day to keep informed of what happening. Maybe meeting around mid-day at the old crypt base if it¡¯s- ¡®


    ¡°Yes?!¡± I demanded.¡± Why¡­ how long have you been a scion?¡± I asked, flummoxed at his own indifference, my anger now blossoming in full as I felt the black neck choker squeezing me despite not being any tighter than normal.


    He pulled back, seemingly surprised at my outburst. But he recovered and slightly tilted his head before asking the dumbest question he could in a relaxed casual tone.


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± He said.


    I felt blood rush to my face as my hands clenched. Not being able to respond to such a ridiculous statement, I simply turned around and left the base. Heading back towards the pond we came to this neck of the woods in, I waited for my team to come back and go home so this emotional storm of a day could just come to its end.

 Chapter 72: New and Growing Relationships

    ELI POV


    _____________________


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± I said, that being the most honest response I could think of. If her people knew she was holding out on bringing in a quad element caster they¡¯d certainly kill her. From her perspective, I would have thought getting her head crushed by a boulder wouldn¡¯t be any different from getting it crushed by a mountain.


    But perhaps there was some cultural component to this because contrary to my thinking, Gula¡¯s face got a furious scowl and went a darker shade of green before she spun around and stomped out of the fort, walking over the pile of rubble that used to be this fort''s wall. Mystified as to what the problem could be, I decided to pursue the matter with the Frojan.


    ¡°Is there something I should know about?¡± I asked the large, green frog man to my left.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ personal. She has a tale to tell but it¡¯s not our place to tell it.¡± He said simply.


    I nodded and sent several of the older Frojan a spirit connection.


    ¡®All right, like I told Gula, we should meet up every mid-day at the Crypt so we can quickly react to any opportunities since you lot will have access to the orcs scouting reports.¡¯I said through it as I pretended to ponder over Gula¡¯s reaction. The Frojan didn¡¯t react beyond the occasional cough.


    ¡°Well, good day to you lord wizard.¡± The one I talked to earlier said humbly before he turned around and left with the other frogmen, leaving me with my newest¡­ acquaintances.


    I looked over Salamede again, worry blossoming in my chest before she nodded and waved me off saying she was fine. That finished, I turned towards the collection of dwarves before me. Numbering a good dozen, they wore red metal armor with gold outlines. Their leader had his grey hair in a ponytail with an axe strapped to his back, an axe that swayed as he came forward.


    ¡°A word of advice pup, Staying behind with strangers all alone can be dangerous.¡± He said in a casual tone.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good only my friends are here. But maybe we should take this conversation somewhere where we won¡¯t be interrupted by a platoon of soldiers.¡± I offered smoothly. Just immediately running wouldn¡¯t do anything since they already found us once. Given that, I went for the most disarming approach with people who had already shown a willingness to work together.


    He just grinned before giving a hearty guffaw, his emerald eyes showing a sense of mirth.


    ¡°Hah! You certainly adapted quickly. But no worries, the roads and forests surrounding this place are being watched by my men. We can talk as long as we need to. Names Gashton Ingrand¡± He said before turning to the left and using earth magic to pull a crude stone table and two chairs out of the ground in the middle of the camp with the wooden stables behind the seat he was heading towards and the abandoned kitchen behind me. Instead of struggling to shimmy up his seat, he used magic again to suddenly shoot a pillar of earth out of the ground and launch himself into the chair.


    As I walked over, I maintained a spirit connection with Cell, telling him to watch the dwarves to make sure they didn¡¯t launch any spells or use any weapons. When I sat down, we were now at a roughly equal height for what I was sure was going to be a negotiation of some kind. But I decided to lead the conversation.


    ¡°First I must thank you for the aid. Although, the timeliness and precision of your aid does raise some questions.¡± I said casually.


    ¡°Bah! I¡¯ll leave the pleasantries to the diplomats. If you want to know why we¡¯re here, just ask as much.¡± He said in a dismissive manner.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll only interrupt with a raised hand when I have a question so don¡¯t let me stop you.¡± I said as I leaned against the stone chair. With a rough cough, he began.


    ¡°Before we came to the Coalition to trade in the market, some of my men were attacked by a griffin on our way to do a scouting and intel gathering run in the southern region. They were aided by a most unusual source, those Frojan and the orc you were with. I thought it odd, but only decided to have them tailed as an afterthought. And you can only imagine my surprise when the scout brought back a report of them talking about this great mage who helped them at the fort and how HE had metal magic and could use other elements as well.¡± He stopped when I put up my hand.


    ¡°I thought dwarves were a secluded people, what were you doing down here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Minding one¡¯s own business isn¡¯t the same as being blind. We¡¯ve had too many problems from not watching the Coalition and the Phoenix empire properly in the past. So, when we heard the orcs, someway somehow, took out a fort that they really shouldn¡¯t have been able to destroy, I was sent out to get the full scope of what had happened. Good thing too, else we never would have gotten in contact with you.


    I was recalled to go over the reports with the council so we could puzzle out this odd information. Our¡­ intelligence on the state of the Coalition government didn¡¯t mention mental breakdowns or feral screams from foaming mouths so it was safe to assume they didn¡¯t know about you. The human villages in the orc territory have more Coalition spies than any amount of reason could justify so you being from there was very unlikely. Still, we put a few scouts down by the villages just to be safe.


    Certain people raised a fuss over it, but eventually, we came up with a plan. A massive festival in all the human''s towns in the western region to get some of the local chatter on any people of interest who fit the description we needed, bribing certain members of the Coalitions military to give us the schedules of all the mages who worked in or around the region, and going over all the places the noble families had been over the course of the crypt bases destruction.


    The last two produced nothing, obviously, but on our first day at the Diamond academy, we heard something very odd in nearly every tavern. This peculiar couple, a human crafter and a Kelton woman was the subject of no small amount of gossip. Of particular note was the long stretches they spent inside a tower presumably to consummate their love.


    Quite curious.


    But then the local gossips remarked upon the last stretch where this odd couple stocked up on non-perishable foods for a three-day stretch, so insatiable was their lust for each other.¡±


    I felt heat coming up in my face as I saw Salamede looking down as she fiddled with a vine in the front of her suit, but I didn¡¯t interrupt the dwarf. It wasn¡¯t the innuendo itself but the sheer number of people talking about it that flustered me so. No wonder these people haven¡¯t left their home planet if who is banging who can take up so much of their mental energy.


    ¡°Looking over the timing involved, we found their period of sexual reprieve also took place at the same time that this new magician appeared out of nowhere to help destroy the Crypt base.¡±


    He puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows suggestively before continuing.


    ¡°Most curious.


    I made sure to keep an eye on this couple and from there we began noticing this ¡®mere crafters¡¯ accomplishments. Taking out a troll, stopping troglodytes and performing so well at the tournament. I must say, I think it was your crafts that made the final determination. The humans seem to think just slapping down a few circles, triangles, and squares is all it takes to make magical crafts, but our people take a bit more pride in such things. We know our stuff and your work is almost on our level. It takes a lot of practice to make what you do. A lot more than any number of casters would be willing to give at any workable rate if our conversations with the other students is anything to go by.


    Them censuring you threw a lot of our plans off, but it turns out our scout assigned to keep a watch on the orc and Frojan who first put us on your trail saw them meet with you again. We may have met sooner but that damned tree top swinging makes it impossible to keep track of you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t trust that was the case but I¡¯m sure us moving camp every few days has been a good headache regardless of their efforts. Of course, this was all of small importance until I asked the main question.


    ¡°Why? I could understand wanting to kill me or capture me for ransom but helping me in such a manner is quite odd if you were just looking to put down a future threat.¡± I asked, making sure to harden the vines of my suit against the chair and table in case he tried something. But he merely leaned back into his chair and looked up in the sky for a bit before looking back to me.


    ¡°Indeed. But that discounts your¡­unique abilities. We¡­.hmmm, even I must know the boundaries at some point. All I can say is we have certain needs for someone of your unique affinities. As for capturing you, I will admit the thought merited some consideration in the correspondence with my superiors, as well as my own thinking. But when you dropped two boulders the size of a house on a fort such thoughts merited¡­ less consideration.


    There will be a lot of whining over how I¡¯ve revealed ourselves to you in this manner, but I¡¯ve got a reputation for getting results and I¡¯m sure the council will understand the necessity.¡± Gashton said, but then he looked towards Cells doll body that now stood by Salamede with a heavy air¡± Especially since you¡¯re a scion. A fact that will no doubt make them more reluctant to take on any malicious schemes¡±


    I thought on it a bit and came up with a particular service we needed from them. Leaning back into my chair, I took on a more casual tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like open ended obligations, but there is a favor I need done. It¡¯s not big enough for me to go into a dwarven settlement that I know very little about, but I could pay for it in some other ways.¡± I said as I mentally went over the quantities of mana crystals in my pouch.


    He nodded to continue.


    ¡°We had to leave her mother behind in order to get away from¡­ an unsavory third party. If you would be willing to keep an eye on her I could-¡°He raised a hand to cut me off.


    ¡°We¡¯re already keeping tabs on her. If you wish, we could relay some messages to her.¡± He offered.


    ¡°Sure, I have-¡° He put up his hand again.


    ¡°Nothing has really changed. Let¡¯s just have it be a token of future goodwill between us.¡± He said.


    Salamede came forward and gave a light bow.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Thank you, master dwarf. If you would allow me to write up a message to her?¡± Salamede¡¯s rough voice asked him.


    He nodded to one of the dwarves in his group, who brought forward a piece of paper and what looked like a metal pen. Although the top of it had more of the wide, rough runes along its side and the inside was glass with the sloshing of ink inside the body of it.


    Leaning over the table, she wrote a few lines on the paper before handing it over to Gashton, who took it with a nod and put it in a pocket between his armors thigh and midsection. Then he turned back towards me.


    ¡°I must say you surprised a great many people when you took off like that. May I ask what third party prompted such a quick exit?¡± Gashton asked as he leaned forward while the sun was down on its descent off to his left.


    Ah, now that was tricky.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of people who use the dead to perform magic?¡± I asked. If I just came out and said Necromancers that might give him all the information he needed to know about my abilities, including mana generation, and while I needed as much information on this group as I could get, that didn¡¯t mean I should needlessly give out a potential trump card.


    ¡°No. But I¡¯ll ask some people about it. Why? Was that why you were censored?¡± He asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice as he drew back a bit.


    ¡°I did nothing. However, some people did something to me and weren¡¯t happy with how our interaction went.¡± I said, telling nothing but the truth. Gashton nodded and seemed to relax. Then he turned and got off his chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming the Coalitions involved.¡± He said as he turned to me.


    ¡°In a way¡± I responded.


    ¡°Just make sure the orcs don¡¯t catch on to your real species as you work out this disagreement. We¡¯ll stay out of this slog with the Coalitions operations, but quad element orcs¡± His gaze grew distant for a moment. ¡±Quad element scion orcs¡­ isn¡¯t something even we can afford to have running around and we will intervene to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen. By any means.¡± He said with a note of severe finality. I nodded, now fully understanding the scope of his mission.


    Their task finished, the dwarves all left as they trudged over the churned dirt and rubble. I turned to my two partners after they had left, at least visibly. From now on I had to assume they were always watching me. Mentally going over the past few days, I went over any instances that may have given away the fact that my crafts don¡¯t shut down when hit with spells. I couldn¡¯t think of any, since the only one to really get into it with them was Cell when he charged that group of mages earlier but Gashton would probably dismiss that as the familiars doing.


    Walking up to Salamede, I took out a mana crystal and put it up to her chest and pretended to feed it to her vine suit while I used my internal mana generation to feed the repair functions.


    ¡°Thanks, Eli.¡± She said in a spirit connection.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re safe.¡± I responded honestly back through it.


    ¡°Yep. And I even managed to save someone else this time. A few months ago, I would have frozen in fear and watched as Gula was crushed.¡± She said happily.


    ¡°I know, Cell ¡®told¡¯ me.¡± I responded in a huff ¡°All these centuries, all of my abilities and achievements, and I still can¡¯t protect those I care about just a few feet from me. Sometimes I wonder why I bother making all this junk.¡±


    That last rant was supposed to be left unsaid, but this spirit connection made it hard to keep those kinds of thoughts from going out. Even worse, the stress was getting to me. Constantly having to hide like a rat from the predator just outside my hole, but it seems almost having Salamede die was the breaking point. I was having to expend actual effort to keep my hands from shaking as my mind constantly went over all the things that could have gone wrong just a few minutes ago.


    It took a bit but eventually, her suit was back to brand new. Sadly, it would take time that I didn¡¯t feel comfortable spending here to fix her mask, so we had to take off before any re-enforcements came.


    As we came back to our hideout, this time in a cave right above the river''s outflow coming out of a mountain, I decided to stop using underground bases. Gathering up everything into four bags of holding, two of which were new and held the big pieces of wood I had been working on, we went out into the late afternoon sun. Eventually, we came back to the small hill with trees on top that we spent the night the first time we came here.


    However benevolent his actions towards us so far, I wasn¡¯t going to risk staying underground when I knew we could be found by his men. Gashton might be a good man, but if his leaders start making demands he cannot fulfill his replacement that they send might not be so kind. While this meant I ¡®wasted¡¯ several hours widening out a wooden floor that was hard to differentiate for someone on the ground below, it also meant we were in the section of the trees that no one else could get to.


    Our new home was a wide circle of smooth wood encircling the innermost tree about a dozen yards from its tip, but the sheer size combined with the density of the trees in this patch meant no one would see it from ground height. Our vine suits hammock function also kept me from having to build any beds. Overall, we didn¡¯t need too much room and most of our stuff fit inside a few bags, but we still needed a good dozen feet of floor if we wanted to work or cook and not risk going on the ground.


    I was leaning against the tree with my legs crossed as I chewed on a skewer with crisp pieces of deer meat as the sun went low against the horizon, leaving a dazzling sight of reds and deep oranges splashed across the sky as the trees hid the carnage and death of what was technically a warzone. Salamede, dressed in a blue dress and white undershirt, was a few feet in front of me working a skewer over the flames from some of the bark crafts I made earlier. Cell was looping around the treetops below playfully swinging between the trees after I replaced the mana shell that protected his sphere.


    A grey bird with a brown beak came flitting by to check out the odd encroachment onto its territory. But as I finished my dinner it seemed satisfied with its new neighbors and took off higher towards its nest. Finishing my meal, I got up and walked over to the pseudo campfire. When I put my dish down beside her but as I pulled back, Salamede grabbed my hand.


    ¡°Eli, thank you. It means the world to me that you thought of taking care of my mother¡± She said in a spirit connection. Her voice was like honey and dripped with warmth.


    ¡°Thank me? Why should you be thankful to me? It¡¯s my fault that you¡¯re stuck out here in the woods with predators all around. We all might die out here so far from civilization, enduring cold nights and meager meals. How could you possibly be thankful to me?¡± I demanded of her. My voice was a bit harsh, but she seemed to understand that the target of my anger was not anyone external.


    She stared downward for a bit, her face unmoving. But when she looked back up to me, I saw some pain in her expression that wasn¡¯t hidden even with the plain whites of her eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ growing up was pretty¡­ rough. In our community, marriages are seen as not just the tying of a couple but a thread in the fabric of the community. The wife comes forward stating how many children she intends to bear for the man, while the man brings forward a promise of what he is going to do for the community.


    My father died from a fever before he could get the fish he promised for a necrosis many years back, so mother was spared the shame, unlike me. A lot of the times when I was married, I knew I was letting mom and dad down. A no-good bum of a husband who just dragged me and my family¡¯s reputation through the mud.¡± She said with tears beginning to form in her eyes.


    I sat there, putting a hand on her shoulder. She took it and then gave it a good squeeze before continuing.


    ¡°Divorce is frowned upon by our people but none of them at the communal meeting even batted an eye when I dissolved the marriage. My marriage was a joke mere days after it started with his constant drinking and failure to make the well he promised to build. Maybe if I had given him a child it would have motivated him, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m on the bottom of the people who are the lowest of these lands. Yet you.¡± She said pointing into my chest as she moved closer.


    ¡°You helped me. A mage helped me and even gave me all these abilities and helped push me to heights I never dreamed of. It¡¯s horrible to say, what with the danger to my mother, but if I had to do it again, I¡¯d say it was all worth it. Something that I think my mother would agree with.¡± She finished, now just a few inches from my face as I took in the white stripe along the ridge of her nose.


    I felt her hot breath on my face, and a decision was made.


    Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her closer for those last few inches. Shoving my tongue past her lips, I felt a hot sensation pulse through my body as the stunned woman kept limp for a second until she grabbed the back of my head and shoved me further forward. She tasted lightly of our meal of deer, but the sublime sweetness of her shined through. Then she pulled away from me for a second as I ran my hands over her bum and groped the tantalizing flesh. Salamede looked at me with a sense of hesitation but upon another rough squeeze, she moaned and wrapped her legs around my waist before forcing her tongue fully down my mouth.


    I pushed her down and onto her back as I roughly squeezed her left breast through her blue dress. She gave a small squeal through her lip locked mouth as her body shuddered against my chest and her bicycle handle shaped horns knocked against the smooth wooden floor. Moving to lay on her fully, I pinned her to the floor as I clasped both hands around her two considerable breasts as they cast a shadow in the falling sun. Salamede¡¯s response to my forceful movements was to arch her back forward to push further into my grasping palms.


    Down below, I felt the stretching of my pants. Days of feeling like a hunted animal, weeks of dealing with shitty children who took every chance to make me miserable, and a thousand other little whining problems left me stressed. Looking down at the woman who had helped me through all that, who nursed me to health yesterday, and who was still with me in this worst of times, I felt conflicted with what I was about to do. Sex without marriage always screws with my emotions, a facet of my nature I had come to accept, but my loins and the urges in my body were fully ready to pour every ounce of days long frustration into her body. But as I was considering the lack of contraceptives and the crossing of a line, a line we kind of already crossed, those damn apparitions started back up.


    However, as Salamede shifted between a woman wearing an animal mask on a plush red bed beneath me and drug fountains spewing forth in the background, she looked up at me with concern.


    ¡°Eli?¡± She asked breathlessly as she looked back down at my man hood with clear expectations.


    ¡°Fucking AI chips.¡± I said under my breath as I realized what I was seeing.


    But she still heard it. Her right hand shot forward to reach around my neck as she proceeded to fuss over me.


    ¡°Are you having a heart attack or is it some kind of magical-¡°


    ¡°No, no. I thought it might be some kind of effect from Beth kissing me due to magic or potions she had or perhaps from the fight with the troglodytes. I had a few other instances where I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just magical effects going on or tiredness, but I haven¡¯t eaten anything but dry grains and deer meat and I¡¯m more stressed than tired right now. I¡¯m sorry Salamede.¡± I said as I got off her and went to get up but she grabbed ahold of my shoulders and pulled me to lay at her side.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked me as we lay side by side now, our lips still wet from our mutual penetration.


    ¡°Visions. I¡­ all right, you know about AI chips and them holding memories. But I haven¡¯t told you all about the processes involved in that. When I was executed, one of the indulgences made was to allow me the use of the third chip to revisit the memories of my family in my final moments. This was a matter kept from the public and was only done as a legally questionable token of appreciation for my previous feats¡± Salamede got a curious look as she interrupted me.


    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t have those memories.¡± She asked, her voice still containing a hint of lust.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. The chips had to¡­ prepare the memories for me to re-attach them to my string of current memories. A process they didn¡¯t finish before I died.¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked plainly, now seemingly more into the conversation than my body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know quite what¡¯s going on, but if I had to give an answer, I would say it¡¯s similar to when you look at something that seems familiar but can¡¯t quite put a word to the thing you¡¯re looking at. Only my mind is actively trying to connect that memory wherever it can until it finds a place for it. Apparently, that memory involves a lot of sex because every time I get intimate with a woman it starts acting up.¡± I explained.


    She bit her lip and turned to the side.


    ¡°Yes, your previous life. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t try to sleep with a married man,¡± She said in a pained tone. But I put a finger under her chin and pointed her face to me.


    ¡°Married? Is that how it works in Kelton society? You stay married to someone after they¡¯ve died?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Well¡­I¡± She floundered but I picked the conversation back up.


    ¡°Salamede, I died. I don¡¯t know what that means in this world but in my universe, marriage is not a post-death obligation. While my marriage was dissolved, as all obligations in death are, I¡¯m still determined to finish what I started ten thousand years ago, if only to see how my pups grew up. I know it was probably hard for them being separated from me, but my wife, whoever she was, had no reason to think anyone on the ship survived. Even if she did, she has no reason to still cling to my burnt ashes, if she even knew of my execution.


    Whatever my male ego would like to suggest, I don¡¯t think my loins are of such quality or my bedroom skills could be so excellent that she would never bear to be touched by another man. I intend to see my children, and my ex-wife, but I¡¯m still flesh and blood, and even the loneliest soul needs companionship eventually. I need someone to provide warmth against the coldness of the night and watch my back against predators. To nurse in injury and be nursed by in times of hardship. As all humans have needed since our earliest days.¡± I finished with a desperate note at the end, but she drew closer to me before speaking.


    ¡°I¡­ I suppose it¡¯s just as well. We have no Yook root and that would not be something mom would be happy to find out about. She¡¯d probably say none of this necromancer business was real and it was just our excuse to have sex out in the woods¡± She said in a tone that said she was now more relieved. I just huffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡¯s an unpopular interpretation.¡± I said in a grumpy tone, taking care to forget where my tongue had been five minutes ago.


    Salamede giggled as she drew closer to my chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad you know. Since people started talking about us the other women have been getting snippy over my ¡¯seduction¡¯ of you and even some of the women with sister-wives have started acting jealous.¡± She said light-heartedly.


    I huffed grumpily as she brushed up closer to me.


    ¡°Our relationship should just be our business.¡± I moaned.


    ¡°Ah but I¡¯m a Kelton. And Keltons are always in each other¡¯s business. You¡¯ll just have to get used to it if¡­ What are we exactly?¡± She asked nervously as she bit her lip.


    Dancing around it wouldn¡¯t help so I chose the most honest approach.


    ¡°I thought we were friends, but I think we both want to be more than that.¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°So, what does ¡®more¡¯ entail?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m thinking that once I get this chip situation sorted, I¡¯ll start working on getting back home. But since I died, I guess there¡¯s no point in denying my urges any longer and start making some pups, once we decide if we¡¯re right for each other. It might make things awkward but coming back from the dead is a unique enough circumstance that I think they won¡¯t be too angry with me, especially with all of the resources I know I would have left them¡± I said uncertainly.


    Instead of looking hesitant, she seemed pleased by my insistence.


    ¡°But how large is this new family going to be?¡± She asked coyly.


    ¡°Twelve. I want twelve little pups running around at the minimum¡± I said. My words were forceful, but my tone was more hopeful than demanding.


    ¡°Oh my, Eli¡± She said in mock surprise as she put a hand to her lips. ¡°That is quite the demand to place on a woman.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and put my left hand on her hip.


    ¡°Am I not in a position to make such a demand?¡± I asked suggestively.


    ¡°You absolutely are. You¡¯ll have no problems having it met once this business with the Necromancers is sorted and everyone knows you¡¯re a quad element scion.¡± She said with a tone that soured near the end.


    My eyebrows scrunched together as the hairs on the back of my head prickled with defiance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do absentee fatherhood. At least not intentionally¡± I said with a defeated tone at the later part as all the anger drained out. I felt her soft hand go to my cheek as she turned my head to look at her with love blasting across her features.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did the best you could.¡± She said in a comforting voice.


    A quick gulp and a pained nod were enough to get my thoughts back on track.


    ¡°I know I did. Every damn day. But if you¡¯re willing to help me make this family, if you want to¡­ I¡­ I need these chips in working order before I start making a new family. It¡¯s silly with me living for hundreds of years due to healing spells and my own internal mana, I know that. But I can¡¯t bear the thought of forgetting two families.¡± I said with my voice starting to crack.


    But Salamede took my head in her hands and washed away the agony with a deep kiss, which I heatedly returned. Just happy to be in someone else¡¯s arms this night, we spent the rest of the fading day groping each other¡¯s various parts and dueling tongues until night fell. From that spot we eventually fell asleep in our body¡¯s mutual warmth, still fully clothed.

 Chapter 73: Family Sin

    Gula POV


    ______________________


    I was coming home as I trudged through the swamp in the late day. The fading sun played over the shimmering water of the swamplands as flies and mosquitoes plied their trade on all flesh unfortunate enough to fall within their domain. But I just ignored their stings as I trudged out of the water and up onto dry land as I came within shouting distance of my home.


    There were days that were harsh and bloody, days that were boring, but I can¡¯t remember any days like this one. We lost one of ours killing a dozen-plus mages and taking out a fort, a godlike achievement compared to the dozens we¡¯d regularly sustain just to take out a few mages, if even that. But as great as that achievement was, it couldn¡¯t quell the deep unease within me.


    My anger had since cooled off and was now reduced to a simpering annoyance that I couldn¡¯t blame on anyone. A kind of raw grievance at the unfairness of my birth, both due to my grandmother and my species, had always been there. But that pain could be hidden in jokes and glib remarks, unlike these new doubts in the very foundation of my being. With his true status revealed, the mage had aggravated an old wound I had hoped would at least be painlessly dealt with.


    These thoughts preoccupied me as I came up to my house. Coming through the doorway I was getting ready to call for mother when I saw her sitting in the middle of the main room with three other orcs.


    Mother was off to the left talking with the other three. One was on the floor directly in front of mother having what looked like a good talk. While mother wore her typical white shirt and brown dress, the orc she was talking to was dressed in war gear. The late 30¡¯s orc had thick lips with red eyes peering out over a considerable nose. With a strong jaw and short-cropped black hair, she gave off a sense of physical strength that complimented the big war hammer on her back. That, combined with her well-maintained leather armor covering her whole body, said she was Mor, the general over all the orcs forces and the one person most responsible for keeping things together in these dark times.


    Behind Mor was her two bodyguards, dressed in darker leather armor each carrying a rather wicked looking sword at their hips. One had a long black ponytail, with a sharp chin and cheekbones who was watching the conversation with her golden irises searching for any hostile movement from my mother as she leaned against the back wall. The other had short red hair and a squash face with rather long pointed ears who stood by the door with an easy-going attitude as her red eyes looked around indifferently.


    ¡°Ah, here she is.¡± My mother said, motioning for me to come over.


    I walked over and sat down next to mom as the three orcs looked at me with an intense interest.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who sent out that report to HQ.¡± Mor said in a deep yet neutral voice.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am¡± I responded respectfully. The fact she deigned to visit us in person and talked to mother amicably meant a lot to me, which only made the lies I was coming up with much harder to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure not getting an immediate response to your report was grating but the people who handle such things were overwhelmed. You see, the humans, for no apparent reason, suddenly started flooding the forest with troops. And not the pitiful excuse for soldiers we had been fighting. Real soldiers in heavy metal armor who often had two or even three mages with their groups. After that the humans started burning the whole forest down, section by section but starting along the roads.


    That upset several operations we already had going but it seemed odd. They were kind of sloppy about it and the scouts reported what seemed like panic among the soldiers coming in. They¡¯ve also been flooding in with such numbers that we¡¯ve had a good time attacking the swarms of caravans they have been sending to feed the large camps. It¡¯s a huge expenditure of resources and blood, this new charge. So much so that, while they are pushing us back, it¡¯s costing them far more than could possibly be justified considering the ongoing success of their previous strategy.


    Then something odd came in. One of the scouts reported that the under-ground fort had been destroyed.¡±


    I had managed to keep a straight face for all of her description, but apparently I suck at keeping it down when it comes to the fort because while the two guards got puckered lips looking at me in disapproval, my mother and Mor got an indulgent grin as they appraised me.


    ¡°Child, could you be a little less self-satisfied.¡± My mother lightheartedly chided.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. She has much to be satisfied about.¡± Mor said before she continued.


    ¡°Suffice it to say, I wanted to beat you to death when I got the report so late. But when I looked at the date, I wanted to beat the secretary who finally got around to properly doing her job. But more than anything, I wanted to hear about the ¡®Pandegos¡¯ you mentioned.¡± As she said that word, the guards eye went wide and the red haired one even had her mouth open.


    ¡°Even as much as I want to hear that, I was quite mystified to see that you hadn¡¯t responded to any of the inquiries we sent your way. Which was even more odd when I decided to visit you personally and found that the orc who took out a fort hadn¡¯t bothered to wait for any correspondence before leaving the very next day.¡± She said with a raised eyebrow.


    Looking over to my right I saw a small pile of crunched papers under the left side window, all stacked on top of each other. Coming up with a quick yet unverifiable story, I decided to lead with the events of this morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that. The Pandego¡¯s insisted that we take out the mine fort today and-¡°


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Mor called as the guards had finally found their tongues and quickly lost them under the general¡¯s harsh gaze.


    ¡°Is the fort down?¡± Mor asked with a serious gaze.


    ¡°Yes¡± I said, not able to keep the pride out of my voice even as the turmoil surrounding the event still weighed heavily on me.


    ¡°Guza.¡± Mor said in a quick tone.


    The black-haired guard quickly went out of the house and used a whistle from her pocket to call for a hawk.


    ¡°Start from this morning, please.¡± Mor said, a hint of eagerness cracking the exterior of the veteran.


    ¡°We headed towards the underground fort in the morning but were assailed by a group of a good dozen mages along the way. Fortunately, the pandegos saved us by attacking the mages formation from behind and then we moved to the fort proper. The bandits didn¡¯t show great spine when their sanctuaries no longer protected them and had abandoned the fort. Our job made so much easier, the pandegos used large vines to crumble the mine''s entrance. That also collapsed an extension under the entrance but no one was hurt. Afterward, we agreed to meet up at the crypt base at mid-day to come up with a new plan.¡± I finished.


    Bringing the dwarves and those odd exploding boxes into it would have been messy, so I said the plant demons just used vines to seep into the wooden frame of the shaft and brough it down that way. The red-haired guard and my mother seemed like they wanted to cry for joy but Mor¡¯s face lost some color at the battle with the mages and never seemed to get it back. It was when I had finished that she started speaking again.


    ¡°They killed a good dozen mages almost single handedly?¡± She asked in near disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, the mages were tired and foolish so the Pandegos outmatched them easily. I want to say two of them were there for the battle, while another tended to some other business.¡± I said. Mor just bit her lower lip as she drummed her fingers on the floor.


    ¡°How many are there total?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Just three from what I can tell.¡± I responded honestly.


    Even mom and the red head were looking a bit worried at the thought of them doing so much with so few numbers, but Mor seemed to lose herself in analysis and calmly took in the facts as she asked me more about them.


    ¡°What are their abilities?¡± Mor asked.


    ¡°They have wooden arms with a pair that can extend blades out of them. An odd blow dart gun on the arm that has a range well beyond any long bow. They can use earth magic and while they have vines and bones about their bodies, the sheer speed they can reach is unreal.¡±


    ¡°How unreal are we talking?¡± Mor asked.


    ¡°Crypt base to the mine fort in one, maybe two hours unreal.¡± I said, giving my best approximation based on how fast I had seen the mages move through the treetops when we hit the underground base and how quick I had seen the quad mage move at the Crypt base. Who knows, I may be underestimating their speed.


    Mor put an elbow on the brown cloth pants of her right leg and held her face in her palm as she breathed heavily for a moment before turning back to me with scrunched eyebrows.


    ¡°H¡­ How is that even possible?¡± She finally asked after collecting herself.


    ¡°They move in the treetops. Not among the trees like the mages but on the very top, if what I¡¯ve seen is how they regularly travel.¡± I responded.


    Mor hit the floor as the black-haired guard came back in, making the guard sharply take in the scene before the red head took her aside and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°All right then, how did you meet them?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We were walking through the forest on the way to scout out the human¡¯s movements after the fall of the Crypt base. But as we came upon one of the groups of humans who were cutting down some of the trees for their fortifications, the pandegos moved in and slaughtered the lot of them before we could even react. None of the Frojan knew what they were and the answer that came to me was so absurd that I didn¡¯t bother saying it until one of them dropped down behind us and began talking.


    He, I think it¡¯s a he anyway, said the human¡¯s destruction of the forest had been tolerated for a long time but their patience had met its end.¡± I said, being careful to not step give away unneeded information. ¡°Their main goal is to take out the Viper base, but they showed some willingness to coordinate with us to make that happen. After explaining that taking out the Viper base wasn¡¯t going to happen with the other forts intact, we met up at the underground base which they destroyed.¡±


    ¡°When will you meet them again?¡± Mor asked, the tinge of excitement in her voice couldn¡¯t be suppressed.


    ¡°We agreed to meet at the destroyed Crypt base around mid-day to help keep informed on the current situation.¡± I responded honestly.


    Mor nodded before getting up and dusting herself off.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending my two guards to accompany you in the morning and have the local overseer meet up with your group. I believe you worked with Atub before. She was the commander who took out the Crypt base. Sending them along won¡¯t anger those things, will it?¡± Mor asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± I said, making sure not to let my anger seep through my face or tone. Commanders lead a large group of squads. Overseers lead groups of commanders and that commander got promoted off my hard work. The thought was a bitter one but there was no way I could explain why I was angry at her promotion unless I wanted to blow up all the lies I just told to the general herself.


    Giving a light bow, Mor left with her guards. But before I could say anything, mom came up to me with a big hug.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°You see? Working with that mage was the best thing you could¡¯ve done. You might just have that fucking thing off your neck in no time.¡± She said happily as she crushed my head against her substantial chest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see mom. Nothing is guaranteed yet.¡± I said as I embraced her back.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see what we can scrounge up for dinner.¡± She said pulling out the hug.


    The rest of the day passed in fishing and trap checking in its usual way. Come morning my routine did change since I would have to leave mid-morning if I wanted to get to the Crypt base on time. Our trip was going to be some water travel with the Frojan and then walking on land.


    Speaking of which, the two came back just as I finished putting on the choker. Waiting outside the door, they gave off a sense of disdain as all my kin did. A brisk nod and we were off. But as we travelled, I sensed a bit of fear in them as we trundled through the swamp lands to meet up with my Frojan pack. Coming up to Baloo who was resting on the bank of a small patch of dirt in the flowing rivers, I waved him and the other Frojan lazing about.


    ¡°Ah Baloo, ready to meet up with the pandegos?¡± I said verbally as I used a spirit connection to quickly feed him the story I gave Mor. He stretched lazily as I¡¯m sure he gave the story to the other Frojan.


    The dark green Frogman got up and lazily dusted off his blue robe.


    ¡°Aye. Come on lads! Let¡¯s go meet our saviors.¡± He called as the other Frogmen stirred out of their morning rest. Since we couldn¡¯t use the tunnels, we had to use some of the Frojans spells to move us through the water that maintained a bubble around our heads as they pushed us forward. It was a lot quicker than trudging through the slime and muck on foot but still not nearly as fast as using the underwater travel system in the endless tunnels.


    When we got to the mainland and started walking through the forest, the guards started talking even as their disdain for their present company was obvious in their insistence on maintaining a good distance from us.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t telling the whole truth yesterday.¡± The black-haired orc with a ponytail said as she moved around a tree behind me.


    Suppressing the urge to gulp, I merely looked over my shoulder with a raised eyebrow.


    But it was the red head who responded as she worked through a thicket of bushes further ahead.


    ¡°You said they fought the mages. But we read over the report from the scout verifying your story. The remains of those mages were crushed and sliced to chunks. That was as much of a fight as a rabbit getting its head crushed under Mor¡¯s hammer.¡± She said, as she finally got to the other side of the bushes.


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± I said, silently chiding myself for using the same stupid statement that mage had used. As I pushed through the brambles, I heard the black-haired guard scoff behind me.


    ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side, but some negotiations still need to take place. Trying to hold out against the wishes of a would-be ally is a lot more difficult when they can smear you over the forest floor with no difficulty.¡± She scolded. I silently nodded as I made it past the bushes.


    Coming in through the forest, we all stopped a bit away from the ruins of the Crypt base for a breather and to relieve ourselves. As I went behind a tree to do my business, I felt an electric sensation. Wondering what Baloo wanted to talk about, I almost immediately responded when a feminine voice resounded through the link.


    ¡°Hello, what is this new company?¡± I heard in my mind.


    Ah, her.


    ¡°Guards. They¡¯ve come to negotiate for us orcs and will bring along the local overseer. She was the commander who lead the raid on the pile of rubble. But I need to tell you guys the story of how we met that I had to come up with on the spot¡± I said through the spirit connection. It was a struggle to not look up and search for her but I couldn¡¯t risk the guards looking at me and waste this opportunity to get our story straight, so I kept walking until I was behind a large tree. Tilting my head up, I saw the Kelton mage in a vine suit with a new black mask of molded wood who was standing on a branch directly above me.


    ¡°Thanks for saving me yesterday.¡± I said through the spirit connection.


    She gave a light bow before continuing.


    ¡°We¡¯re all in this together. So, what is our story?¡± She said lightheartedly.


    ¡®There¡¯s a whole lot of this ¡®We¡¯ stuff going around now that people need something from me.¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself before giving her the lie we needed to use. A lie she was satisfied with when I finished explaining.


    ¡°Good, good. Well that explains the small group of orcs we spotted earlier. I¡¯ll tell E¡­ I¡¯ll tell him.¡± She said awkwardly before jumping off towards the ruins. Left with some privacy, I finished my business and met back up with the rest of the group.


    We came up along the same path we used in the raid that made this place the ruin it is today. The hill was the only thing that looked untouched as the grass was now back with a vengeance, having already recovered from the fire, but now even vines moved up and along the bits of stone that was the sprawling mess of the walls corpse. Further beyond lay a few burnt out husks with the odd scorched pillar standing out among the greenery that was now consuming the remains of the buildings like a meal for the hungry plants. Aside from a few bits of bones, all the bodies had been totally consumed or dragged off elsewhere by natures various scavengers. The only thing my senses could pick up was the soft breeze gently flowing over the remains of this dead menace as the refreshing smell of verdant new plant life wafted in the breeze.


    It would be quite beautiful if not for the orc who stood beside the two burnt out bunkers, looking over her achievement with great pride as her face, square jawed and with pronounced cheek bones that had her tusks just below them, beamed with pride. She had a large axe on her back, that and her long black hair told made it clear she was the commander looking over her kill with pride. As she clearly wallowed in her memories of this greatest of prizes, her three guards noticed us and moved to intercept. A quick exchange between them and the two guards I came with ended with us all being let through. But it was Atub, the overseer, who talked first.


    ¡°Ah, so we¡¯re all here. Good, good. I was told I was needed to help negotiate with some new helpers?¡± She said hopefully.


    ¡°Hello, New Ones.¡± A voice with the distinct wobble of the ¡®pandegos¡¯ called out. It was far away but still close enough that we could tell which general direction it came from. Off to the left on one of the larger trees stood the quad mage with his deer skull covered in smooth black wood that stuck out over a menacing mix of vines and bones. He stood still and the other orcs clearly had no idea where to look for him since they probably couldn¡¯t make out his shape from this distance unless they knew what to look for. It took me a moment to realize that he was probably waiting for us to spot him so he could show off his incredible jump. I sighed under my breath before preparing a dramatic inhale of excitement.


    I suddenly pointed to him and said in an exhilarated tone ¡°There! There it is!¡±


    Suddenly they all looked to where I was pointing and within a minute, they all went wide eyed as a few clutched their weapons grip. His condition finally satisfied, the mage prepared a jump and took off from the thick branch with a loud whoosh going through the air as he flew clear across the expanse of grass and enlarged from a far-off figure to a more person sized object. In spite of myself, I had to admit it was an intimidating sight as the mass of vines and bones below a black deer skull came into full view when he came down the arch of his jump with a whoosh of air.


    The others skittered back when he landed a dozen feet from us.


    ¡°Others?¡± His wobbling voice asked as two wooden arms underneath his grass covered hands moved out of the folds of vines and grass.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I said stepping slightly forward. The others calmed a bit as they saw me move forward but still kept their hands on their weapons.


    ¡°Good, much needed.¡± He said as he withdrew the wooden hands.


    ¡°H-Hello. My name is Atub and I-I¡¯m here to negotiate on behalf of the orc people.¡± Atub said as she remained behind her guards.


    ¡°Humans die in vile stone blasphemy, what is to negotiatie?¡± He asked in a cool tone.


    Atub was visibly sweating now as she licked her lips.


    ¡°Well, just¡­ why now? After all this time?¡± She asked.


    The mage started pacing back and forth at the question, which caused some of the guards to flinch.


    ¡°Tolerable, many things. Stone buildings bad, but humans is humans, as orcs is orcs. But now water under fort tells of something vile. The soil of mother speaks of foul rituals in bigger blasphemy. Dew of the morning whispers of some practice that cannot be tolerated and humans in ¡®fort¡¯ thing must be dragged out and questioned by us.¡± He said as he irritably moved in a wide oval in front of our group.


    Atub raised an eyebrow as she asked another question.


    ¡°The Viper gangs main base?¡± She asked.


    The deer skull turned to me, which I nodded back to.


    ¡°Yesssss, if one is stone block with pit of spikes flowing around. Get inside and take alpha humans by us as soon as possible.¡± He said with an eager tone that carried through the odd warble.


    ¡°O-Ok but we can¡¯t do it soon since the humans have summoned an army to burn down the forest along all the paths between their forts.¡± She said.


    ¡°Position, numbers, abilities.¡± He demanded.


    ¡°At least ten thousand that will eventually be separated into several large bands, with a lot more along the way. They are using large barrels of tar and other chemicals to burn sections of the forest that would have been too wet to burn without those tools. These new soldiers aren¡¯t the leather wearing losers we¡¯ve been fighting either. They¡¯re strong soldiers in metal armor with mages in fine crafted armors designed to show off their abilities. The mages and commanders all have crafts, with even some being used by the regular soldiers. Aside from that they seem to have what you¡¯d expect from their set up.¡± Atub finished.


    ¡°Hit them. Hit them we will with you. But in ex-sss-change you help with stone blasphemy. We get top humans and you get pile of stone.¡± He said as he stopped pacing and stepped forward.


    ¡°I am only authorized to give you this information. Our leader, Mor, is the one who can decide terms.¡± She said as she back up a bit.


    The ¡®Pandego¡¯ hmphed irritably but nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Fine, pack meet up will decide term-zz. Meet up tomorrow at¡­¡± He looked at me,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Mor sets up her planning meetings.¡± I said honestly.


    He looked back to Atub, who sweated for a moment before giving an answer.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you the location but meet back here tomorrow and I¡¯ll have an answer as to whether or not I can take you.¡± She said nervously.


    He nodded in satisfaction. Turning around, he did a quick sprint towards the trees before doing another huge leap and landing on the side of a huge oak. From there he did another leap off into the distance as he became invisible amongst the treetops.


    ¡°Shit.¡± One of the Atubs¡¯ guards said before a collective release of air came out of the whole group. Though it came from me and the Frojan more so in gratitude that we managed to fool the others.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working with that thing for days now?¡± The red headed guard asked me.


    ¡°Yes¡± I said, not quite lying.


    But it was Atub who got people moving.


    ¡°All right girls. Same time tomorrow.¡± She said as she whistled for the rest of the group to get moving.


    We all moved out but as we came up to the abandoned road, Mor¡¯s two guards simply left down the road without a word, presumably to go tell Mor of this new ally. Atub headed in the opposite direction towards her own command tent. Having no one else to look after, we headed back towards a local pond that would get us all back home far quicker than when we came here.


    While we walked a path going down a creek towards to pond in question, a rustling of leaves from above drew everyone¡¯s gaze to the left as the mid-day sun hung overhead. The mage with the deer skull helmet was standing in front of a tree.


    ¡°So, how was it?¡± He asked as he came forward.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± I asked him back.


    ¡°Yes. The two guards walked on further down the road and the other group left the area several good minutes ago with none of their number straying. A few scouts ¡®hid¡¯ amongst the trees a few minutes before you lot came and left a bit afterwards. But they met back up with the two orcs who travelled with you. Don¡¯t worry, my friends are out there keeping an eye out while we talk¡± He said.


    I took a light breath of relief before continuing.


    ¡°Yes, they bought it like a fish on a hook.¡± I said confidently.


    Oddly, he seemed to hesitate for a moment before talking again.


    ¡°We need to work together on this is we are to both succeed. I am, of course, unfamiliar with orc customs. If I have offended you, or your people, or if my status as a scion has engendered some new element to consider, I would like to know.¡± He with a surprising amount of humility.


    I raised an eyebrow at the tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised some one given to theatrical performances could show such a humble attitude.¡± I said dryly.


    His tone lightened as he looked around the forest briefly before continuing.


    ¡°If they saw me land out of nowhere, they could have assumed that I was hiding in the ruins or merely snuck up on them. However, when they saw me on the tree their minds would think how I would get down, after comprehending my form. Probably involving dropping to the floor or doing a light glide of some kind then walking up. Letting them see my ability from the start to its finish made them fully aware of my power and helped give me the upper hand. Was it not effective?¡± He asked coyly.


    ¡°Yeah, it was. But maybe you just like putting on a show.¡± I begrudgingly acknowledged before kneecapping the admission.


    ¡°Just because something is enjoyable does not mean it is inefficient.¡± He said in a neutral tone as I got the sense of a smug smile creeping in underneath that mask. I hid a grin at his antics with my most murderous scowl. He looked at me for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone.


    ¡°And few things are as efficient as good teamwork. If I have offended you in some way, I would right this wrong between us.¡± He said in a civil tone.


    A long sigh is all I gave him at first before I motioned for the Frojan to leave. They all understood and promptly shuffled off with a look of sympathy in Baloo¡¯s amber eyes as he passed me by. After they all left, I stood there for a moment until the sound of Frojan half-hops drifted out of ear shot. Like removing a splinter, this was best done quickly to limit the pain.


    ¡°The offense was not done by you but my grandmother, and honestly the anger was more at myself than you¡± I said, taking a deep breath before letting it out. I couldn¡¯t look at him, so I kept my gaze at my feet.


    ¡°Our purpose as orcs is to reproduce off of humans. Human men since the death of the boys. The grand prize for my entire species is a male mage. That is our one driving goal, our purpose. And as such, there is one crime even a species of living malice and rape such as ours finds unforgivable amongst all others and that was the crime my grandmother committed.


    She had an opportunity to catch a male water caster who had been near our swamps. The young fool had been there over some family dispute back when we didn¡¯t control the village. He took off in a carriage when he spotted the band my grandmother had been part of, who just so happened upon him through sheer luck, or for my purpose, misfortune. She was still ahead of him and could have thrown herself in front of the four horses of the carriage allowing her band to catch him. But she chose to keep her own life instead¡± I felt my hands clench in anger at the injustice of it all, but I pushed forward.


    ¡°For this unthinkable act of cowardice, she was tattooed with a black band around her neck as was my mother. Forever known as shamed. This stain will forever pass down to any who bear our blood. Mom says I had an older sibling who had been alive when this happened, but she hanged herself when she was thrown out of the officer position she had worked so hard for, something my grandmother was good enough to do as well. The only kindness I¡¯ve known is that my branding is not tattooed but worn, as this neck collar shows I don¡¯t directly carry her craven blood. And despite the difficulties, mother still insisted on having me so it¡¯s not an official death sentence for my lineage.¡± I said as I did something I never did before, which was idly finger this loathsome piece of black leather around my neck.


    ¡°But the mages all have poison pills. Stopping the carriage wouldn¡¯t have done anything.¡± He said.


    I looked up at him with tears in my eyes that weren¡¯t ready to fall.


    ¡°You think they gave a fuck?! We have one purpose in this dammed world and that bitch chose herself over her entire species. And I hated her for it. Every. Single. Day when I had to put this miserable thing on, I thought on what a horrid cunt she was. How she totally failed everyone around her.¡± My lips quivered for a moment as I breathed in the air of the fresh, pristine forest like it was a poisonous fume.


    ¡°And then I met you. And despite my best efforts, despite all the bullshit I told myself about how much better I was than her, I did the same thing she did. I put myself above the good of my entire species because I wanted to live.¡±


    The mage stood perfectly still as I berated him for my failings.


    ¡°But that apparently wasn¡¯t enough of a failure on my part. You want to know why it fucking matters that you¡¯re a scion? Because all the kids we orcs could get out of you would be scions as well. Quad element scions.


    You were the best way out of that Crypt and if I told them about you, they would kill me for failing to catch you, if not for failing at the Crypt, then later when we met up again. I have totally failed in all of my obligations and responsibilities and I thought I could take it because ¡®if I¡¯m going to bear the label then I might as well live up to it¡¯. But I am so much worse than what they said about me. The woman I spent years cursing and hating is still better than me because at least she didn¡¯t let a scion go. And I¡­I¡± Tears fell down my face in full at that point as I closed my eyes, futilely trying to keep them in.


    After a moment I felt his arms around me to give me a hug. Furious, I shoved him away but somehow that became an embrace as I found myself crying into his right shoulder as my tears fell down over the vines of his suit.


    ¡®By the bastard, I¡¯m so pathetic¡¯ I internally scolded myself as I made no effort to pull away. I let this numbing pain work its way through my body as I felt the comfort of leaning on him help soak some of the ache away.


    It took a bit but eventually my tears dried, and I pulled back to just stand in front of him with no idea what to say. But he picked the conversation back up.


    ¡°You maybe bad at being an orc, but I¡¯m bad at being a human. I¡¯ve talked with an orc. I chose to save an orc and her allies over other humans, hell, other mages. I¡¯ve continued to associate with orcs and Frojan despite the many, many potential consequences to the wider whole of society.


    And I did it, and will continue to do it, because I too want to live.


    Survival is not a crime, Gula. Wanting to live is not cowardice. Yes, we should do our part to better other peoples lives, but other people have no right to expect us to lay down and die for them. Maybe as a soldier you should. But, if I may be so bold, if doesn¡¯t seem like they are living up to the commitment they have to you¡± He said gently, expressing what my mother told me if only in meaning.


    ¡°But what are we, without them? Without our people?¡± I asked as I processed what he was talking about.


    He stood still for a moment, the vine suit and the mid-day sun not giving any indication of any movements. After a moment, he finally gave his answer.


    ¡°We are part of a family. As long as we look out for our families and those close to us, the rest of society is of little importance when the time to decide what to die for comes.¡± He said, in a calm tone.


    I took a moment to think about who would fall into ¡®family¡¯. My mother, and Lokan, were my main family. My Frojan friends fell more in-between family and friends. Was it really that simple? Just focus on the people I care for and everyone else can just wait for when I¡¯m ready. It felt¡­ selfish.


    But was there was something worth considering in such a counter-intuitive thought? I didn¡¯t feel like I could just dismiss it out of hand.


    ¡°Given all that, I¡¯d say we make a good team. Two people working around their common ¡®sin¡¯. So, is there any issue between us?¡± He said in a more lighthearted tone at the end.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem between us. Thanks for¡­ well just thanks.¡± I said in an unsure tone before giving a light bow and turning around to head home, my thoughts feeling as heavy as any load I had carried before.

 Chapter 74: An Evolving Conflict

    Eli POV


    _________________


    Heading back home, I traveled amongst the treetops with Salamede to my left and Cell to my right as I explained the new information I had gotten from the orcs. We came back up towards the little treetop platform I made as our little corner of the world.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Salamede quickly asked as she came to sit down beside me. I was leaning against the tree and was currently working on several wooden pads. I stuck to wearing a light white shirt and some cloth shorts as the sun was still in its early afternoon position shining over a clear blue sky.


    Salamede was wearing her leather armor under her vine suit. While she didn¡¯t seem to be disturbed by the height of our little sanctuary, she still insisted on wearing her vine suit since I told her about the human army attacking the southern woods. Her mask was laying off to the side of the bark crafts which we used to cook our food. The fish bones of our quick lunch before leaving lay somewhere off in the distance near a river. As tempting as it was to just casually throw junk away, too many bones beneath our hidden campsite, especially the wrong kinds of bones, could draw too much interest.


    ¡°It all depends on what the commander wants. The best-case scenario is that we just kill a squad or two and she¡¯ll be more than happy to take the Viper base with us. We¡¯re an unmatched power, so far at least, that the Coalition doesn¡¯t have an answer for. She would most likely want us to take out the whole army and all the forts but I¡¯m hoping the story of a foul ritual should be enough to make her hesitant to let the base go on without any interruption.¡± I said as I went about getting some more wooden pieces shaped into shoulder pads and a frontal shield.


    These would go around Salamede¡¯s front and her shoulders and would summon a shield of water around her. All of the equipment I made out here had the packet-switched technique used on them, so they wouldn¡¯t fail due to any spells from enemy mages. Hopefully, the mages would take that to mean it was a spell and make them more warry of attacking a magic user. Worst comes to worst, they¡¯ll have another mystery to solve but better they have a mysterious item to ponder over rather than a body.


    I was going to make a few for Cell as well, but his body was a fair bit tougher than Salamede¡¯s so he could get by with just one for his back and maybe one or two for his shoulders.


    Salamede nodded and put her hands to her knees to get up but I quickly set aside the pad I was working on and grabbed her shoulders. Pulling her to me, I shoved my tongue down her mouth to fully taste her sweetness.


    After a few seconds, I pulled away to see Salamede looking at me with a mischievous grin on her face as her eyes gradually opened.


    ¡°So, was last night not a one-time event?¡± She asked cloyingly.


    My response was to lean forward and steal her lips again. It wasn¡¯t the most productive use of my time, but I needed to relieve some tension, and her lips provided that in droves. We tussled for a bit as we hugged and kissed but eventually Cell was heard coming up from below. Pulling away from each other, I put the pad back in my lap to start working on it.


    ¡°Huh, so Cell, how are you feeling about the doll body? Any changes you want made?¡± I asked him casually as Salamede sat awkwardly to the side.


    Cell sent a general sense of goodness as the noise finally drew near and his vine sculpted hands pulled the rest of his body onto the ledge. He looked at us both for a moment before putting the mask surrounded with a musculature of vines forward. The almost crystal sphere of his body was pushed ahead to rub against Salamede¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Cell!¡± I growled, remarkably keeping myself from yelling.


    Salamede just giggled as she pushed him away and chided the familiar in a lighthearted tone.


    ¡°Now, now Cell. You shouldn¡¯t do that without a woman¡¯s permission. Besides, my lips are for Eli to use.¡± She said, as she wagged a finger in front of Cell. He nodded and moved off to the left, leaving us alone once again. I went back to work on my craft again even as Salamede sat beside me. It took a minute but eventually, she crossed her arms and pouted at me as she established a spirit connection.


    ¡°Eli? Do you have nothing to say?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°I own your lips,¡± I said looking up as I reached around and gave her bum an appreciative squeeze, which caused her to bite her lower lip. ¡°Believe me, I won¡¯t forget that little statement. But keeping you alive is more important than keeping my tongue in your mouth.¡±


    Seemingly satisfied, she nodded and got up to pick up her mask from beside our magical cooking crafts.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to practice shooting and movement a bit more before the day is out. I¡¯ll probably catch a deer while I¡¯m out¡± She said as her face was covered in the dark oak wood again.


    ¡°Good.¡± I said as I put in the squares for the flow redirection of mana. It took up the rest of the afternoon, but I managed to get the pads for Salamede and Cell done. My dinner passed in its typical motions and a long night¡¯s rest was my reward for the day¡¯s work.


    Come morning, we all got ready and headed out towards the ruins of the Crypt base once our breakfast and preparations were completed. Of course, I didn¡¯t totally trust these new ¡®allies¡¯ so we all agreed that Salamede and Cell would remain in the treetops and I would do all the talking.


    Gliding through the mid-day sun as the last vestiges of the morning fog finally disappeared between the tree trunks below, we came up towards the ruined shell and saw the group from yesterday standing in front of where the wall used to be. A quick perusing of the local area didn¡¯t reveal any other scouts hiding in the underbrush, so I made another simple jump from the treetops towards them. I landed a bit in front of the destroyed bunker further behind them and came up to the now surprised group of orcs.


    ¡°Ah, excellent,¡± Atub said. ¡°Mor has agreed to take you to a meeting spot to discuss our future cooperation.¡± The guards all pulled back a little but didn¡¯t put their hands to their weapons this time.


    I merely nodded as I stepped forward and they led me to this new spot.


    As I walked beside Atub and her guards away from the dead base and up the road, I took in the mid-day sun as a flock of birds flitted over the road.


    A cough to my left told me Atub wanted to talk.


    ¡°We heard that there were two others. May I know if they still count as among the living?¡± She asked tentatively over the heads of the three guards between me and her.


    ¡°Yes, we ¡­ keep eye on woods. Not worry. They near.¡± I said in a light tone, but they all got a little pale just the same.


    When we got along the road to a certain point, we turned left and went through the woods. Traveling through the thick underbrush with the scent of the greenery and it¡¯s tangy excess still playing across my sense as it always did whenever I found myself out of the treetops. I found the occasional hint of something offensive only to come across a corpse around different trees or laying amongst some bushes. They were all in various states of decay and served as an ever-present reminder that as pretty as this place was, it was still very much an active battlefield.


    Finally coming up to a small grotto with a pond, I saw the group that we came to meet. The most prominent orc, with a face of hard ridges and red eyes, stood off to the side of the field and had two of the orcs with Gula from yesterday at her side along with a group of about 15 plus orcs to guard her, all of which stood between her and me.


    ¡°Ah hello, I¡¯m Gusla, a go-between for general Mor.¡± The large orc with a shield and sword across her back and long red hair said. She had black cloth pants and a leather vest that exposed the bulging muscles of her arms and toned legs.


    ¡°Hello, when kill humans?¡± I said in a polite tone.


    She just laughed even as the two guards on both of her sides and the small squad of orcs looked on with apprehension.


    ¡°Soon. Far too soon. But I was led to believe there were more of you. Could we perhaps talk with them as well?¡± She asked casually even as her eyes showed a hint of danger.


    I nodded and whistled with a dramatic hand wave. A loud whooshing sound was heard as all the orcs tensed. From the treetops, Salamede and Cell slammed into the ground. However, it was my turn to be surprised when I saw some burn marks along Cell¡¯s mask and Salamede seemed to have some stone daggers stuck in her vines.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Salamede in a spirit connection.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°There was a group of three mages traveling through the trees who were coming across this little get together and the other band of orcs below that hill behind the red head. Don¡¯t worry, they are dealt with.¡± She said smugly as the stone dagger faded into oblivion and the burns across Cells mask healed.


    I felt a knot of worry in my stomach, but I suppressed it as I turned to the liaison.


    ¡°Human mages came up behind group that wait on hill. Don¡¯t worry, we take care.¡± I said, like I was discussing the weather.


    Gusla¡¯s red eyebrows furrowed as she snapped towards the two guards. They both gave a light head bow and promptly headed towards the downward slope a few yards behind them.


    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± Gusla said with a strained smile but she still did her best to show she wasn¡¯t worried.


    ¡°Happy to. Now, about taking out human stone thing with spikes in pit around it.¡± I said graciously.


    ¡°I have been given authority to dictate terms on Mor¡¯s behalf. We would love to take out the Viper base, but the humans are throwing their weight around now. A big army of about ten thousand properly trained foot soldiers and well-equipped mages is now burning everything between all the forts. It¡¯s far costlier than what they were doing before but they¡¯re still making headway and now have battle-hardened soldiers buffering the bandit ranks.


    Suffice it to say, they won¡¯t allow you to take another fort for free again. The only positive is that your¡­ aid has caught them all off guard and it¡¯ll be a few good weeks before they bury this place proper, but when they do we¡¯re probably looking at an additional fifty to seventy thousand troops swarming over this land¡± She said, sounding impressed despite her best efforts to sound otherwise.


    Sadly, I was playing the part of a nature demon, and all the obligations within. I ultimately didn¡¯t care about them burning the forest, as much as it ached my cultural norms, but a nature spirit thing not caring would be out of character and I was bound to that character.


    ¡°Hmmmm. Hit supplies, poison humans. No army fight needed. But stopping fires is important¡± I said like it was obvious.


    She just raised an eyebrow as she objected.


    ¡°Poisoning a few pots won¡¯t be enough. As for the fires, they are keeping the supplies to fuel them in a fort, but we don¡¯t know which one yet.¡± She said irritably.


    I thought about it for a moment until I hit upon a solution.


    ¡°Do humans have detection in dirt?¡± I asked, frustrated by the grammar I had decided to use.


    She merely looked confused at me as did several of the surrounding orcs.


    ¡°If small thing dug underground and into their forts, would they detect it?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t something I am familiar with.¡± She said with an honest shrug of her shoulders.


    ¡°From where humans come?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The three forts leading from the main road to the Bulwark. About the only place they can come from since you destroyed those two forts¡± She said.


    Well, at least the orcs higher-ups were a bit more professional with their naming decisions.


    The general lay out from what I knew was a straight line. Knowing that the road that led along those forts was going to be under constant attack, the military leaders started burning down the forest to make it harder to ambush the incoming army and the supply caravans. Unfortunately for them, that also meant they couldn¡¯t easily hide from bullets if they were still in range.


    ¡°Where is humans army now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°At the fort close to the main road.¡± She said.


    ¡°We attack caravans along roads, you and us. You prepare poison, lot of poison. Not kill immediately or even kill at all. Causes pain and need attention from healer for days, weeks better. We deliver poison while you help harangue at night. Draw mages forward then hit caravans in back. But while poison is being prepared, we take care of burning water stuff. When humans stretched, we take out Viper base.¡± I offered.


    Gusla scrunched her eyebrows but didn¡¯t say anything for a bit.


    ¡°That could work. I¡¯ll go over it with the boss, but I don¡¯t know if she will go for an attack while the two forts closest to Viper base are still standing.¡± Gusla said. At that point the two guards came back looking kind of pale. The black haired one with sharp features ran up and whispered into Gusla¡¯s ear, who lost a little color herself before giving me a light bow.


    ¡°It appears the rumors of your abilities are not exaggerated.¡± She said in a humble tone.


    I nodded in return before asking a more pertinent question.


    ¡°We need go between for orcs when we away to fight. My friends travel together. They want Gula for company.¡± I said. We needed someone who knew the area intimately, the Coalitions tactics, and could talk with the other orcs. Having anyone beside Gula accompanying Salamede and Cell was just asking to get our secrets exposed. Gusla raised an eyebrow at the suggestion.


    ¡°Are you sure? We have many other-¡°


    I raised a hand to silence her.


    ¡°Pandego slow to difference. Having orc we started out with better.¡± I said emphatically.


    Gusla didn¡¯t argue and merely bowed her head in agreement.


    ¡°As you wish. But the details matter and I¡¯ll need to go over this plan with Mor before we commit to any course of action.¡± She said.


    ¡°Meet here. Tomorrow morning.¡± I responded.


    She nodded in agreement and I turned to leave. Jumping up into the treetops, I headed out towards the area where the three forts were stationed. The soft crack of leaves and whooshing of air behind me said Cell and Salamede were following my lead. Going along the roads I noticed few patrols until I went past the Viper base. From there smoke was everywhere as bodies, both impatiently moving elsewhere and dead, clogged the roads.


    As the orcs said, the forest surrounding the roads was a burnt husk in the places where it wasn¡¯t currently burning as the sting of smoke filled the air, some even reaching up to our lofty heights. The perimeter of destruction was far enough from the road that any orc who wanted to plink arrows at the soldiers would have to come out of the forest and into line of sight of the army patrols that now swarmed over the roads.


    Of the patrols comprising a good dozen plus soldiers, they would also have a member who was a bandit to act as a scout or guide for the patrol. Grimy men in ragged leather armor were now mostly concentrated in the Viper base as men with shining steel breastplates, shin guards, and well-maintained swords, spears, and maces now took up their patrols along the roads.


    Salamede and Cell came up beside me on the trees to my right and left.


    ¡°Think you can hit a carriage all the way out there?¡± I asked Salamede as I looked out over the charred landscape.


    ¡°Easily¡± She said confidently in a spirit connection.


    ¡°Good. Just make sure to move after each shot. I may not be with you through all of this, so get used to working with Cell and Gula.¡± I said idly as I tried to look for some mages, but it appears the new ones don¡¯t travel along with the soldiers.


    We looked around a bit more to make sure the area they were burning maintained a similar dimension to what we had seen so far. Thankfully, the Coalition wasn¡¯t going crazy with it and the roads, even where they burned the most forest, were still within range to be hit.


    Of course, it sure as hell wasn¡¯t cheap to do this at the scale they were. This area may not have been proper swamp land, but it was still wetter than the northern woods and the army was having to use chemicals and fire starters to properly crisp the trees and underbrush. But their entire civilization depended on it, so still worth it.


    Along the way we saw an orc band try to ambush one of the patrols by moving archers behind some of the burned tree husks. They weren¡¯t terribly effective, only injuring one of the dozen plus soldiers in the shoulder before they turned their cross bows on them. A few orcs were pin cushioned, but the rest got away when the soldiers moved off the road with loud curses to pursue them.


    Despite that poor initial showing, the other battles showed the orcs doing far more damage than what I had first seen. A few carriage husks filled with burned goods, the orcs ambushing the soldiers when they tried to burn the forest and killing quite a lot of the men. It all looked like they were winning a lot of the individual engagements, but sadly for the orcs they were winning by skillfully moving dirt with a shovel as the avalanche fell on them. The orcs were being driven further and further back as the tide of metal strapped men swamped forward through what had previously been contested territory.


    We didn¡¯t see any mages on our journey, but the grey cloaks seemed to be performing as well as they always had if the after math of a few battles with trees blow apart from boulders and shredded bodies were anything to go by.


    Coming up to the fort closest to the main road, I saw the giant stone box laying in a huge field where even the stumps had been removed. The field was packed with tents, men moving supplies and troops who were too injured to fight or troops that were fresh and looking for a fight. Amid the small sea of leather tent tops and people, I saw more than a few men go to shake hands and jovially pat some friend on the back while some had this dazed, almost empty gaze that told of raw fear and anxiety. Here the Coalition also had the largest ring of burnt forestry as carriages moved between the lines of tents.


    ¡°H-How are we going to stop this?¡± Salamede asked nervously on a branch to my left as Cell hung back to my right. The field of tents when on for a good mile as thousands of troops milled about with their armor glistening in the sun. A few of the carriages moved along the roads, burdened with every trapping of civilization.


    But then I noticed something odd.


    The banners by the forts front entrance. They were a spiral of green and orange. It occurred to me then that I hadn¡¯t seen any flags or regalia or any other national symbols during my time at the academy or any of the surrounding towns. Not that the poorer villages I¡¯ve spent most of my time at would be inclined to spend money on such displays.


    ¡°Salamede. Why is this the first time I¡¯m seeing the Coalitions flag?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Mages are a tricky lot to deal with for the government from what I¡¯ve been told. Some of the traders who visit from the central continent say it¡¯s the same there too. Sorry, I don¡¯t really know.¡± She said with an apologetic shrug.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine. All right I think I know what we need to do. I need to get some stuff ready for our meeting tomorrow, so let¡¯s head home.¡± I said, but as I turned to go, I noticed one group moving down the road towards the fort.


    They were easy to spot as the surrounding men gave the women on horseback or in carriages a wide berth. Clad in fine pants, leather jerkins, or all-encompassing robes, an assortment of every kind of weapon helped show off the finery of such exquisite clothing. The caravan of a dozen different groups of women moved along the road with grace less like a beautiful bird and more like a predator on the prowl. On their shoulders, chests, and carriage roofs were varying symbols showing what I assumed was the mark of magical associations, with various mountains, dragons breathing fire, water droplets, and hurricane symbols stitched and painted wherever they could go on the horse drawn boxes.


    ¡°Well, at least we know who the mages are when we see them.¡± I said dryly as I finished turning and launched myself into the treetops.


    When we got back home, I started collecting vines and attaching them to wooden balls by drilling them into the center. Using them as a sort of wire, I put down a line that connected to a wood button at the other end of the vine. Once pressed, it would send mana down the line and cause water blades to shoot out the end. I quickly dismissed the thought of using my packet-switched technique since it that wasn¡¯t the sort of thing I wanted to be handing over to the orcs.


    Even if the orcs couldn¡¯t use magic, they would probably know enough to guess what a game changer crafts that don¡¯t fail due to spells hitting them would be. To say nothing of the Frojan.


    The vibrant undergrowth provided more than enough vines for me to work on and the wooden balls weren¡¯t too hard to form since I didn¡¯t need to grow them or make them move since I was just moving the woods fibers around once. By the time late afternoon came, I had a good dozen of these long cables with wooden balls on the end of them. With a length of several dozen yards each, they would allow ambushing patrols far enough away to be safe.


    But the point of these weapons wasn¡¯t to kill, at least not their main point.


    Crafts like these would be disabled by a mage if they used enough force. But if we made enough of these and deployed them along the front lines, the army would be forced to put all of its water, earth, and air mages on the patrols to disable them. These crafts would actually be easy enough for the water element Frojan to make, but none of them had the earth element which is what the weapon needed to make it work. Putting another enchantment on the back of the ball and a special smaller button below the main trigger button, this put a thin shell of compacted dirt around the ball that would easily crack from the water blades.


    It would take a bit to set up, but since crafts have lower mana demands than spells, we could keep doing this for a lot longer and easier than the mages could. I was hoping that I could get the Frojan to help make the water portions of these crafts and I¡¯ll make the earth section. This shell of hard dirt meant that the mages would have to summon large gusts of wind or waves of water far beyond what they would have to otherwise to get rid of the traps. Maybe they would even have to deploy earth mages but that was far more expensive mana wise.


    I thought about another application and then grinned. Making another long vine craft with a single piece of wood at the end in a U shape, I got it down to where it would summon a shell identical to the real crafts protective shell. Putting up a lot of these, it would leave a trail of almost mushroom like bumps along the roads that would force the mages to constantly stop and break all of them from a distance with spells. Sure, they could use more mundane weapons but that took a lot of time that would let the orcs set up ambushes or attack their supply lines, which was the tactic I generally favored.


    Putting this craft out there meant the Coalition would know the orcs had someone that had the earth element, but that time of secrecy was quickly passing. If we didn¡¯t want to have to kill all ten thousand plus of these soldiers, we needed to cut off the supplies to starve them out and make it too dangerous for them to send more mages before the army entrenched at the Viper base. I thought briefly on the craft I made to knock down the Viper base. Looking down, I saw the mana in the air being drawn into the patch of bushes that hid the item in question as Cell practiced using it in the small cave I made for him to try it out in.


    Nah, better to save that for the main show.


    As I set up a few more, Salamede informed me that dinner was ready. After another meal of seared deer, I spent the rest of the remaining daylight exuding mana into crystals. After I put out a few more good-sized crystals, Salamede and I settled in for the night as Cell seemed content to sit off to the left side of the fire as he stared at the stars. This time we were not as vigorous towards each other, settling for a mere kiss before sleeping in each other¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 75: First Battle

    Salamede POV


    _____________________


    I woke up to the warmth of Eli¡¯s embrace. The sun was coming up in the early morning sky as it played over the trees. I got up and went about preparing the days breakfast while I left him to sleep in. As I was preparing a pot of oats, I heard him stir again as he stretched and got up off the wood floor. When he got out of the blanket, I saw his silver hair was a mess as he got up and went to get a shower with his water bark crafts.


    As the oats and the filtered river water came to a boil, I felt his hand on my shoulder.


    Turning around, I looked at him and felt the heady taste of him as he kissed me. It lasted only a second, but it meant a lot to me as I turned back to the foggy forest below. What I wouldn¡¯t give to have our relationship reach this state of intimacy back at the town. Or at least not have a war hanging over everything. A sip to my right and Eli started talking.


    ¡°I got my stuff done. Once we meet back up with the orcs, we¡¯ll probably spend a while setting up traps and attacking soldiers. The details will all be up in the air, but I¡¯m hoping we can all stay together as a group of three.¡± He said hopefully as I got a bowl of oats ready for him.


    ¡°Same set up with me shooting in the back?¡± I asked as I handed him the bowl as a breeze blew through our little spot in the trees.


    ¡°Preferably not but if we have to, then sure.¡± He said as he blew on the bowl and used the spoon to mix the steaming breakfast. ¡°Keeping them guessing is one of our best advantages. Long ranged firepower like that is something we should try to keep hidden until we start taking out the caravans. But, we will probably have to stick around the orcs for what may well be a week¡¯s long affair or longer. Things can change in a minute and it does us no good if the orcs get destroyed in an hour due to some unforeseen event.¡±


    I nodded and went back to finishing up the little chores and the packing that needed doing before our mid-day meetup so Eli could focus on the tasks only he could do. Getting into my leather armor and the vine suit, the time to head out had come. Eli got into his vine suit and Cell came onto the platform in his vine doll body.


    Heading out towards the Crypt base, we adjusted course to go towards our last meeting site.


    Surprisingly, the orc Gusla was already there, pacing nervously in the grove with a small squad looking around with equal trpidation. Eli looked at them for a moment and then dropped down to the ground floor while waving for us to follow, which we promptly did.


    The soft thud caused all the orcs to jerk their heads towards us, but they calmed down when they saw us emerge from behind the tree line. Gusla came forward, the muscular red haired orc seemed relieved as she strode forward in her leather jerkin and brown pants.


    ¡°Ah, good to see you! Mor is willing to acquiesce to your plan, with some concerns.¡± She said quickly as bits of sweat dripped down her forehead.


    ¡°What wrong?¡± Eli asked in a calm tone.


    Gusla took a deep breath and closed her eyes before continuing.


    ¡°The humans are relentless. We¡¯re giving them a bloody nose but they¡¯re pushing us back. Mor thinks a few more days and they¡¯ll have set us far enough back to potentially kick us off the mainland when the main army arrives. It¡¯d be long, bloody and very expensive, but we¡¯re looking at the total loss of all of our main land territory in a week or two.¡± She said, with a hint of obvious desperation in her voice.


    ¡°Since time is of the essence, we start-¡° Eli began but Gusla put up her hand to interrupt him.


    ¡°Mor has decided that I will take you directly to her. We don¡¯t have enough time to keep going back and forth once a day to make a decision.¡± Gusla said.


    Eli waited a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Then go.¡± He said.


    It took almost an hour, but eventually the orcs led us to a small campsite under a boulder in a hill somewhere between the ruined crypt base and the Viper main base. Coming up to it, I saw Gula and her band of Frojan off to the far left with other groups of misfits as Frojan and orcs milled about the place. A table with stacks of papers and a map lay dead center in the alcove under the boulder. The back of the mini cave had bushels of arrows and packs filled with some goods all put along the wall. Off in the distance, I could see some orc bands moving through the trees along with their Frojan allies.


    ¡°Ah, here at last.¡± One muscular orc said as she moved from behind the table. She had short black hair and muscular arms showing from a leather jerkin over her brown cloth pants. Her physique was brutish with a strong square jaw, thick lips and short black hair, but she carried herself in a calm manner. She came forward with two guards behind her, a red head with a squat face and another with a black ponytail to go with a sharp chin. This big orc, Mor if the deference the other orcs were showing her was anything to go by, had a large war hammer strapped across her back that swayed as she maneuvered around a few of the other orcs gathered around the table.


    ¡°You¡¯ve come at a most dire time. I won¡¯t bore you with the details but suffice it to say, we¡¯re losing. It¡¯ll be far bloodier and more expensive than what they were doing, but it¡¯s looking like the humans will be kicking us off the mainland before Necrosis sets in.¡± Mor said as her red irises appraised all three of us.


    ¡°Move quick then¡± Eli said as he lifted his arm and let out the vine crafts he had stored in the bag of holding that we had previously used to store all of our goods while making it look like the vines were coming out of his body.


    ¡°What are those?¡± One particularly well dressed Frojan at the far side of the table said in an astonished tone. He had a black robe with some silver outline to his large green hide.


    ¡°Traps¡± Eli said casually as some of the surrounding orcs backed off a little. Eli just chuckled as he pulled one out of the big pile.


    ¡°Not finished, connect line from bottom button to top one. Sends out water blades from wood ball.¡± He said as he came forward and placed it on the bare bit of table at the end as Mor came up behind him.


    ¡°That could work if they didn¡¯t have mages.¡± The Frojan in black said, his wide green eyes showing irritation.


    ¡°Ah¡± Eli said in a quick, raspy tone that showed through the wobble in the voice changing craft. ¡°Not meant to kill all.¡± He said as he ran his finger along the line between the two buttons on the end of the vine with no ball.


    A moment later he pressed the smaller low end one and a shell of hard dirt formed around it, attaching it to the dark oak wood of the table.


    ¡°Mages come take out traps. Spend lot of effort to take out balls of dirt. Then we hit from behind. Take out horse pullers and poison foods stuffs-zz.¡± Eli finished.


    The large Frojan, who must have been a general or other high ranking official if he wasn¡¯t immediately kowtowing to this unknowable beast, just huffed.


    ¡°That would work for a while. But eventually we¡¯ll absorb all the local mana and they¡¯d just swarm us with soldiers.¡± He said dismissively in a deep rumbling voice.


    Eli¡¯s response was to casually drop 5 finger sized crystals on the table like rocks. Their eyes all went wide at that, as even the orcs knew of the value such treasures conferred to their owners.


    ¡°Mother provides what we need. Ritual must be stopped. Stone blasphemy with spike pit around must be destroyed.¡± Eli said, his resolve clear to all.


    The leading Frojan looked at the treasures for a moment then nodded.


    ¡°This is crazy. But it¡¯s all we got. We¡¯ll need one of you to stay behind to help us make more.¡± He finally said.


    ¡°Make a lot today, rest afternoon. When night falls set up traps. Mages come here to destroy traps. When mages have been pulled to the front, we will attack burning water then attack supplies from back. When supplies cut off from traps and troops distracted, we will poison food. Got poison chosen and ready?¡± He asked, turning to Mor.


    She moved back to the right side of the table and looked at Eli for a moment as she went over some figures in her head before responding.


    ¡°We have prepared some Bells Gong, but we will need a few more days to make any considerable quantity of it. It¡¯s derived from a special plant that causes diarrhea and fever. The main potency is that it can take one or even two weeks to get through the guts and its cure is far more expensive than just letting it run its course. But killing them would do far more for us long term.¡± She said in a miffed tone as she raised an eyebrow at Eli.


    ¡°If ritual is performed, orc no need to think about future. Mother does not say what is, but bad. Very bad. Better to make humans care for sick.¡± Eli replied coldly.


    The orc general closed her eyes for a moment then opened them back up.


    ¡°Fine. I suppose your intervention helped make things better for us long term. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to push further into the swamps for decades after all the manpower and money they¡¯ve expended in this panicked mayhem, even if they kick us off the mainland totally.¡± Mor finally said.


    Eli nodded in agreement, before taking charge.


    ¡°Get mage Frojan here to help make more vine traps. Wait until nighttime, then we set up traps.¡± Eli said. But as he said that I felt a spirit connection come from him.


    ¡®Go scout for a bit and get some rest. Reliable rest time is going to be a precious commodity going forward. ¡®He said through the connection.


    Cell and I then proceeded to take off into the treetops and head out to keep an eye on the local area, since Eli didn¡¯t totally trust the orcs and the Frojan to do it. Not that it was totally their fault when they couldn¡¯t get the birds eye view we had.


    The rest of the day passed in much the same leisurely manner it had started until sundown came and went. When that time came, I headed back to the command post with Cell as the night started taking over. When we got there, I saw a big pile of vines the size of a man, with odd U shaped pieces of wood and balls of wood sticking out in odd places on the pile.


    It took a moment, but I saw the black deer horns of Eli as he was putting the finishing touches on one of the last vine crafts by the cave entrance. Even when I knew it was him and he would do me no harm, there was a primal sort of fear looking at the odd skull and vines with bits of bones around the hips and arms as the flickering torchlight played across him.


    The good distance all the other Frojan and orcs paid him said they were feeling this same fear.


    Dropping down beside him, the surrounding guards gave a jump but didn¡¯t comment when they saw it was us.


    ¡°All right.¡± Eli called to the mob of orcs and Frojan that were outside the cave entrance. All the people who were meandering about or sitting chatting suddenly stopped to look at Eli as he moved to the front of the pile. ¡°We knows what to do. Do it.¡± He said with no preamble or theater. Mor backed him up as she came out of the back of the cave.


    ¡°Come on girls. We¡¯ve got a surprise party to set up.¡± She called as the orcs started taking their crafts from the pile. As they did so, Eli came back to me and Cell as he started a spirit connection.


    ¡®It¡¯s worse than I thought. We can stop the flow of troops along the road to the Viper base, but if we don¡¯t stop the fires the orcs will have no means of holding any territory or keeping the Coalition back when we aren¡¯t around. That¡¯s going to be the top of tomorrow¡¯s list.


    The orcs will set up the traps while the Frojan and the ¡®pandego¡¯s¡¯ keep watch. I¡¯ll warn you, I¡¯m pretty tired from my work so you¡¯ll have to take the lead when it comes to melee fighting since we don¡¯t have the time for me to rest.¡± He said, showing no false bravado, acknowledging only the cold hard math that his way demanded.


    ¡®Understood. What should we try to hide, ability wise?¡± I asked as a tendril of energy ran up my spine in anticipation for the coming battle.


    He took a moment but finally came back with an answer.


    ¡°After looking over their reports, nothing except any items that might give away spells don¡¯t cause our items to fail. The orcs are only just holding this area, if you¡¯re feeling generous in describing how it¡¯s going. This plan falls through and the main army will be at the Viper base in three, maybe even two days and have the forewarning to come up with a counter offensive. If that happens, we¡¯re looking at having to cause tens of thousands of deaths just to get back into the base. We need to disrupt the supply lines from the main road and make traveling to Viper base almost impossible.


    Another issue is if the Viper commander gets too scared, he may try to escape in a big caravan or slink out and just in case you ever spot him, according to what the orcs know, he¡¯s a dark-skinned man with a cut across the eye. The commanders a grey cloaked mage who has a subordinate with short black hair who oversees the mages while he works getting the military, bandits and mages all working together. If the roads are still open there is a good possibility he will get away and at that point our odds of figuring out who was involved in prompting the bandit attacks on me goes down to almost zero.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    We¡¯ve kept unseen so far, but that time has passed. Realistically, it¡¯s going to be us and the Frojan mages against their mages while the orcs slug it out with the soldiers.¡± He finished as I felt my stomach clench.


    ¡°Us against all those thousands of soldiers? I¡­ I¡¯m not optimistic about that.¡± I said uncertainly. The deer skull nodded before continuing in a casual manner.


    ¡°If they all bum rushed us, sure. But the soldiers will get butchered without the mages, and the mages can¡¯t attack us on mass without absorbing all the local mana and having no magic to fight with. In such a situation, our crafts would give us a huge advantage. This campaign for the orcs is going to be hundreds of small fights with the mages as the tide of steel consolidates their gains. Which is why we need to draw as much blood as we can in this first series of engagements and make them too afraid or too understaffed to properly guard the supply lines or even make them pull back.¡± Eli said like he was discussing the weather.


    ¡®One, two, three, four, five¡¯ I calmed down around twelve and went to lean against the cave wall as the orcs finished dividing up the vine traps amongst themselves.


    After a few more minutes, the orcs had finished, and the tide of green flesh moved out through the dark night. As I had come to expect, Gula¡¯s group was put off to the side and was relegated to the most dangerous job: Stopping any patrols that would come upon the orcs and Frojan setting up the traps. I followed her group in the treetops above her with Cell staying down below on the ground level. After a few minutes, the silent tide of orcs came near the road between the Viper base and the third box fort.


    Off to the right were another group of Frojan dressed in poor clothing and a few more orcs with black neck bands or tattoos. This group headed off to the side of the road near the Viper base while I, Cell, and Gula¡¯s group guarded the side that the army was coming from as Eli helped set up the traps along the road. For a while, the cool night air idly wafted through as the rustling of dirt and ashes resounded in the air as the orcs went about making the small dirt mounds using the U shaped wood crafts and covering the vines that led up to the actual traps.


    I followed Gula¡¯s group off to the left and made my way further up the trees to keep watch on my side of the road and the darks shadows of the surrounding woods. It was a good half hour of silent watching later when I saw the faintest flicker of torchlight come down the road. After thinking about it, I dropped down in the middle of Gula¡¯s group.


    They seemed to have gotten used to my entrance by now since they just turned their heads towards me and showed no surprise beyond that as they continued to lean against and sit on various trees.


    ¡°Get ready, some one¡¯s coming down the road. Attack after I take out the mages¡± I said, the small enchantment on my mask slightly hiding the roughness of my voice with an odd wobble. They all stood up straight and got closer to the road at my announcement. Cell moved forward with them while I got back into the treetops and scouted out the coming group.


    Looking at them, I only saw the metal armor glinting in the fire light with the hard faces of the men showing in the helmets. As I took note of the eight archers in the middle of the pack, I finally saw what I was looking for. In the middle of the group of two dozen plus men was the grey cloak of a mage. Scouring over the group I didn¡¯t see any of the other mages.


    The mage had blond hair that stuck out of her cloaks head cover and her movements were too erratic due to the men in front of her slowing to peer into the darkness every now and then, so I decided to go for a body shot. I lifted my right arm and looked down the scope above the long metal barrel on the side of my arm. They were just a bit to the left of Gula¡¯s group when the humans stopped to look into the darkness again.


    Down below Gula and her Frojan were in position behind the large burned trunk of trees along the path, clutching wooden clubs, staff, and spears as the men started moving again. This was as good of an opportunity as I was going to get.


    I used my spirit magic to activate the air pump thing. When it finished, I held my breath and pulled the trigger. The stone bullet blew out of the metal barrel with a sharp crack, that caused the humans to stand dead still for a brief moment. The mage did this as well, and then cried out in pain as her shoulder now sported a bloody hole.


    That was all the time they had to react when Gula¡¯s group charged. I activated the air pump again as the men clumped in a loose wall with shields and swords at hand. The Frojan and Gula then came into the torchlight just below the slope of the road. An older soldier with taut, tanned skin and a greying beard stood tall and proud as he shouted orders and wrestled a horn from his side as it was caught up in the sword holster at his hip.


    ¡°Form up lads! Protect the mage and-¡° His voice died when Cell came bounding up the slope. They all shrunk back for a moment and that¡¯s when I took my next shot. It took the mage in her gut, causing her to fall to the ground as she clutched at the wound. That was when Cell charged forward. Just like the fight with the mages, Cell did not follow his scions nature as he just recklessly charged forward into the melee as his two hands resting above his shoulders sprouted blades. Lopping off heads and striking shields with such force the men holding them were flung over the road, Cell totally broke the meager line of shields.


    Then Gula¡¯s group charged into the disoriented men. With the mid-section of their shield wall destroyed, the men broke completely as the Frojan slashed into them with water blades and spears. I saw Gula drive her sword through the throat of one of the retreating archers, but I kept my eyes towards the road where the doomed men had set out from. Five of the men made it out of the mayhem and sprinted towards salvation, with one of them being farther out then the others.


    Another whirl of the air pump and another held breath leaning against the guns barrel, and it was four as the sharp crack rang out. These last few men were farther back and met much the same fate the first soldiers had at the start of the fight. I checked on the mage that was still laying in the dirt only to see she had been trampled to death by the soldiers.


    ¡°Clean this up before more come.¡± I called down below trying to sound casual, but my hands were shaking and I was having to make an effort to unclench my throat.


    The Frojan and Cell got to work, moving the bodies off the road and using water to wash away the blood as I kept in the trees to keep an eye out. When they finished, the road looked unblemished from the carnage wrought just a few minutes ago. Our task finished, we went back to keeping watch over the road.


    After a while, I was struggling to keep awake as the rush of adrenaline from the battle faded. Rather than risk falling asleep I came down and walked over to Cell, who was laying on a log taking a nap.


    ¡°Cell?¡± I said through a spirit connection. His wooden mask moved, and the shifting lights of his spherical head turned to me. ¡°I need some rest. Would you keep watch?¡±


    He nodded and got up before launching himself into the trees. Not wasting any time, I promptly fell asleep as soon as I leaned against the log. While my sleep was haunted by dying men, I still welcomed the blackness.


    ¡°Hey, they¡¯ve come back. We need to meet up with the others¡± A voice called. After what felt like a few hours or so.


    Jerking upwards, I saw Gula standing in front of me with some of the Frojan standing around behind her. Looking up, I saw the barest hint of day light creeping out into the nights sky.


    ¡°Who? Where?¡± I asked her as I went to lift my mask to rub my eyes. Fortunately, I stopped myself and looked around more carefully. Nope, no one but Gula and her group. I lifted the mask slightly then rubbed my eyes before I got up and re-adjusted my mask.


    ¡°Down the road. Looks to be around a hundred and fifty of them this time with at least nine mages. Looking for the lost patrol if I was a betting woman¡± She said as she nervously looked to the left towards the road.


    ¡°Who¡¯s coming to help us?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I sent one of the boys to ask if we should attack. We¡¯re waiting for him to get back.¡± Gula said as she continued her nervous gaze towards the road.


    I strained my ears to hear the coming footsteps but didn¡¯t register anything. It struck me then that with Cell up in the tree tops he probably saw them before they could be heard. The fact that mere height seemed to confer a whole new world and sense of distance was something my simple upbringing was still struggling to come to terms with.


    At that point one of the blue Frojan wearing loose brown pants and a flowing green robe came bounding through the woods as he took a moment to gulp air.


    ¡°They¡¯re finished. They want us to allow them to pass and close in on them from behind when our main force attacks. The quad mage said to¡­ have her line up her shots so that they go off when a trap is sprung. That way it will make them think it¡¯s the traps doing it. He said it in a spirit connection of course.¡± The Frojan said in a deep rumbling tone as he leaned against the tree.


    Gula nodded and looked to me.


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯ll need to move a bit further to the main playground. Unless you could shoot them from here?¡± She asked, sounding completely serious.


    I raised an eyebrow under my mask towards her.


    ¡°No. They wouldn¡¯t even be in eyesight if we were in an empty field.¡± I responded.


    Gula huffed before turning around.


    ¡°Well, at least you lot have some limitations.¡± She said noncommittally before the rest of the group headed out. I felt a prick of irritation at the tone she used but pushed it aside.


    Cell walked along with them while I swooped up into the treetops. It felt so agonizingly slow to wait for the group to get far enough that I had to move. Having done this for weeks now, it didn¡¯t hit me just how slow walking was from this perspective until I saw the near snail¡¯s pace their light jog was. Where I could make a single jump to one tree in a few seconds, it took them an entire minute or more to cover that same distance. And that was with me having to throttle back due to being in amongst the trees.


    But it did give me enough time to keep an eye out among the trees below me and brood at the same time. The grey cloaked mages favorite tactic was to clumsily use wind magic to hide amongst the trees and they were still amongst our foes here. What made it worse was I was starting to struggle with my purpose here and boredom is great for dwelling on things you can¡¯t do anything about.


    Scanning the still woods, now getting slightly lighter from the sun lazily rising off in the distance, the thought that kept creeping in was how many orphans and widows I had created back there. How many more I was going to make before the day was out?


    I decided to take Eli¡¯s advice and think over the alternatives when I had to stop and wait for the group to catch up. Sure enough, no alternatives presented themselves by the time we came closer to the main attack site. We stopped a few dozen yards before getting towards the main group and waited for the humans to arrive.


    After discussing it with Cell, we decided he would stay in the trees with me to help hide our presence as long as possible. It took a bit, but finally the sound of massed footsteps came within earshot. As I was considering who to target first, I saw several of the grey cloaked mages zip through the lower section of the trees.


    There were three of them moving along the branches, cautiously jumping among the trees as they kept an eye out on the surrounding woods. Not fighters, scouts then. They were coming close to Gula¡¯s idle group and stopped just a few dozen feet from their position amongst the bushes and trees. Two were slinking behind a tree to the left while the third was off by herself to the right on another branch.


    ¡®Cell¡¯ I said to the familiar on my left in a spirit connection. ¡®I don¡¯t think I should risk taking a shot. Do it like we did last time?¡¯


    He sent a sense of agreement.


    We launched ourselves through the air and Cell sent out his two shoulder arms with blades. The three mages showed a slight reaction to the whistling air behind them, but not fast enough, not nearly fast enough. Cell¡¯s blades skewered the two mages through their mid-section as he took them down to the forest floor below with him. I rushed through the air at the same time and wrapped my vines around the mages body and head as I took her to the forest floor below as well.


    Cell used his two main hands and I used my vines to cover their mouths as we plummeted to the ground below. I tilted the woman downward headfirst as I felt her struggle against my constraints. But she had fractions of a second when she needed at least two or three seconds to use any spells at our relatively low height. All three landed with a hard crunch and died instantly when they met the ground. The vines helped deaden the impact on my body while Cell had no such concerns.


    Gula¡¯s group clutched their weapons, but just stared when we disentangled ourselves from the corpses.


    ¡°Scouts¡± I said, like it was no big deal. But on the inside my stomach was doing flips. The surge of adrenaline and terror of the coming battle were the only things keeping the contents of my stomach in my gut.


    Gula was behind a tree facing the road with the scorched surroundings and merely nodded before turning around. The stomping was getting louder, and I quickly made my way back up the huge, ancient trees.


    Now the footsteps of what sounded like a mini army came pounding down the road. Back in the treetops with the early morning sun now splashing oranges and reds across the sky, I quickly looked over the road to see two long columns of steel plated men marching down the road. The inner column was a long line of archers and in the middle with several other soldiers guarding them was the nine mages. These mages were more like the ones we saw arriving yesterday, confident, immaculately dressed and decked out in the finest weapons.


    Looking a bit further down the road, I saw where Eli¡¯s traps had been laid down. The odd earth spheres looked like engorged mushroom caps when I had seen them at ground level, but from this height it looked like goosebumps running along the roads worn earth. The column of humans was now getting closer.


    In this area there was a bend in the road, and as they turned right into that bend, the column suddenly stopped several yards before coming up to the line of erratic bumps in the dirt. A small group of five men went forward and threw a rock at one of the bumps.


    Nothing happened and the men took a few more rocks from the road and tossed them at the odd bumps. Then one of them got unlucky and hit one with a trap. With the wood ball exposed, it sent out a wave of water blades and accompanying it was a sharp crack of Eli shooting one of the men. Two of the men were cut to pieces by the water blades and a third dropped dead from the traps ¡®mysterious¡¯ unseen attack.


    The other two fell back immediately.


    Surprisingly, it took a bit for a decision to be made by the humans. In the middle of the column was a tall blond haired mage, dressed in a blue, fine silk robe, pointing at what I assume was the commander of the men. He had a green and orange cloth draped over his right shoulder along with the big white feather on his helm that matched the white mustache and beard. I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying from this distance, but I couldn¡¯t miss their animated movements.


    Finally, the commander pointed back home towards safety with a large swing of his hand. The woman just backhanded him and pointed towards the traps. He stood still for a moment before nodding and motioned his right arm further down the road.


    Poor fools.


    The men started moving forward as a mage stepped ahead of the cloumn along with her guard. She had long flowing black hair and a very expensive brown leather armor. The metal breastplate had gold outlines and gold laced thread could be seen along the shirt underneath. The long sword at her back remained holstered as she stepped forward and started moving her hands in circular patterns.


    When she came within spitting distance of the odd trail, she stopped. Then a small wave rippled through the earth and as it came up to the small bumps in the road, one of the traps was upended and set off. The mage seemed to assum she was safe due to being behind eight different men. This proved to be wrong.


    It shot out a slew of water blades, but the men had their shields properly up this time and only one of them took a cut in the shoulder. As the water blades splattered across the shields, another sharp crack rang out and the black-haired mage clutched at her leg as blood now dripped down her side. I decided to activate the air pump and get a shot ready.


    When she realized what happened, the leading mage in the middle of the column went wild and gestured towards the wounded mage as she seemed to yell at the commander. He promptly motioned twenty men forward, who quickly surrounded the injured woman who was now limping her way back towards ¡®safety¡¯ with the help of two soldiers supporting her. It seems the blond mage didn¡¯t mind the soldiers dying, but one of her own getting hurt was unacceptable. Turning around, it was clear the group was going to leave.


    But then another shot rang out. I looked back to the traps but none of them had activated. Turning back to the center of the column, I saw the blond mage laying face first in the dirt as blood from the back of her head ruined the fine silk of her attire. Everyone stood still for a moment until I took my own shot at the commander. I didn¡¯t get him in the head, but that moment of shock allowed my bullet to pierce him in the throat.


    Apparently, everyone understood what that meant, or Eli gave an order as a swarm of orcs and Frojan came scampering out of the woods towards the soldiers. Below I heard the rumble of Gula¡¯s group moving out as well. Even as the mob moved in, the soldiers discipline prevented them from breaking and they all moved to close in around the mages as a second in command took charge, this one only having a cloth sash around his shoulder. The new leadership did not last long as another harsh crack from across the road sounded out and he fell on the road, dead as his superior.


    Still, the men did not break, and the mages kept their nerve. The water and earth mages began setting up small half bubbles around themselves to provide cover against the unknown attack. The fire and wind mages had no ability to protect themselves from our bullets and tried to make their way behind the mages who could. They could have made it too, if they hadn¡¯t been so spread out. I shot one water mage as she was getting her water shield up and another fire mage who tried making a smoke screen as she moved towards a mage setting up a water bubble. While I did that, I saw Eli getting three himself, leaving only three mages left behind a water bubble and one was too injured to be of any use.


    The men bravely charged forward while the women were given a guard of ten men to help them escape. The front line of the battle was a warzone, with the Frojan spells decimating the men who now had no mages to contest the water blades and spears. Somewhere in the melee, a horn blew. Loud and deep, I had no doubt it carried for miles. Turning towards the source, I saw it was a younger soldier who had wrestled the horn from the original commander¡¯s body.


    I noticed Eli was keeping his shots on the bubble to wear it down, so I did so as well since the horn was already blown. The mage seemed to struggle every time a bullet shot into the bubble and she was forced to slowly walk as the strain of the shield demanded all of her energy. I added to her burden, but they made it to the edge of the quickly disintegrating column and it looked like they might get away.


    Then Cell popped up out of the burnt underbrush on our side of the road. There was a brief moment where everything on the battlefield just stopped as the muscular mass of vines sprinted across the field towards the mages. Five of the men tried to get between Cell and the mages, but he simply jumped over them and landed on the water shield. He drew back all four of his hands and used them to punch a single point in the bubble. The water reverberated for a moment before it broke and dissipated into nothingness.


    The three mages drew back, and the soldiers tried to cover them, but Cell just beheaded the two men in his way with his arm blades. He then did a sideways chop on the water mages neck, twisting it and killing her, doing the same with his leg to the injured earth mage who had been knocked back in the confusion.


    The last mage, a blond with flowing green and white pants and a flowery shirt, dashed off towards safety and another sharp crack sounded out. It took her in the shoulder, but she kept going. I saw the dust whirl around her as she prepared a wind spell. Another held breath and a squeeze of the trigger with my sweaty hand. and my bullet took her in the side. That stopped her as she fell to the ground and started to feebly crawl on the ground. Another shot from Eli and she laid still for good.


    The biggest obstacle overcome, I decided to go further down the road and keep an eye out for re-enforcements. Maybe I should have stayed behind, but from my back I heard the screams and pleas of dying men. Men who I helped kill.


    I was coming down onto a branch overlooking the road when the shakes hit. I had been running on adrenaline since we started. Killing the mages, killing the soldiers, that had all been suppressed by my mind locked in combat mode. But the feeling of the mages crunch when they hit the ground, seeing them crawl on the ground dying, the screams of men as they were cut to pieces by water blades was now rising to the front of my mind. I felt bile rise up in my throat and I decided to not fight it. Lifting up my mask, I emptied yesterday¡¯s meal onto the ground floor.


    ¡°Focus, Salamede¡± I said shakily to myself as I pulled the mask back over my face. ¡°You¡¯re not out of trouble yet¡±


    ¡°Hey! Are you all right?¡± I heard Gula call down below.


    I looked down to see Gula walking up to my spot from behind me, bloody with a cut across her side. She was looking up at me with a question in her gaze.


    ¡®Dammit. She must have seen me puke.¡¯ I thought miserably to myself


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I said unconvincingly. It occurred to me then that the sounds of fighting had died down completely sometime during my panic attack.


    She looked at me for a moment with no expression on her face as even the vertical scar across her left eye remained still. But after a few moments, she sighed and closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and calling back up to me.


    ¡°Try to just breathe. I find exercise helps but we¡¯re not out of this thing yet.¡± She said with a tone of sympathy.


    I just nodded and turned back to look out over the forest. Keeping my mind blank was tough for a bit but after a few more minutes, the sound of men marching came down from the road. I looked around the woods quickly and flew back towards the battle.


    Well what had been a battle. It occurred to me as I came back was that there was only the occasional yell of pain. Coming onto the¡­ massacre, I saw a few Frojan and orcs laying in the dirt or on the road in pain. But all the humans were now corpses in various states of wholeness. I saw Eli in the middle of the battlefield, administering healing by making his spell look like it was the work of some random herbs he was rubbing across the long gash along the sternum of a larger orc sitting on the dirt road.


    When I dropped down near him, he didn¡¯t make any indication that he registered my presence. But I felt his spirit connection shortly after.


    ¡®How are you doing?¡¯ He asked, his voice radiating concern. That provided a bloom of warmth in my chest despite the awful time I was having.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be better when we are home. Re-enforcements are coming.¡¯ I said quickly.


    He then picked up the orc off the ground, who gave a surprised yelp as the blond haired, green skinned woman no longer had a long blade wound across her belly.


    ¡°More is coming. Move!¡± He called to the surrounding orcs and Frojan. Our first fight finished, we all headed out and back towards safety as the drum of marching footsteps now came within earshot.

 Chapter 76: Poor Storage

    ELI POV


    ________________________


    All the orcs and Frojan were now moving out and were off the road completely. The morning sun was now in the sky as the footsteps of the Coalition¡¯s reinforcements could now be heard pounding down the road. The battlefield had a swarm of vultures and scavengers moving in from the forest as the fresh bodies on the outskirts were already being picked over. Our job finished, I headed back towards the woods. Bounding over the bodies, I made my way into the trees and went as high as I could, coming to rest on a large branch. Cell and Salamede were lower than me as the tide of green skin and Frogmen below flowed through the woods.


    Behind me I started to hear shouts as the humans came upon the sight of the battle. The orcs and Frojan who had stayed up with me to help set up and make the traps left as they were replaced with fresh troops. The edges of tiredness crept all through my body, but I pushed on.


    This time the column of soldiers seemed to be more wisely managed. When they came upon the destruction, they almost immediately started heading back. In the cold morning light, I looked out over the column of metal clad men and saw this group had only three mages in the middle. I thought it over as I strummed my fingers on the wood for a second but decided not to push it. Giving away the fact we could hit them in the middle of the road wasn¡¯t worth only possibly killing three mages, especially when we¡¯ll need that surprise to take out the supply lines.


    ¡°Salamede and Cell, it looks like we¡¯ll need to start cutting off the roads closer to the main road. They will know whatever has been destroying the forts is now at the Viper base and the box fort closer to it. I¡¯ll try to take out their tar and chemicals today with Cell to stop them from burning too much of the forest.¡° I told them.


    Salamede was on a branch below me and stood still for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°Will I be needed for anything else today? I-I don¡¯t think I can go on much more.¡± She said, her voice pained and exhausted.


    I came down closer and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze.


    ¡°Take as much of the day off as you need. But this is a war and unless we want to have to slaughter all ten thousand plus men, we need to make their supply situation untenable. These attacks we¡¯re doing needs to hit just hard enough. Too hard and the orcs will try to slaughter them wholesale, too timid and the Coalition will tighten its hold even more, and we¡¯ll lose the chance to access our last thread on the necromancers. After that we¡¯d probably have to live the rest of our lives in the swamps scratching out a meager existence. If even that.¡± I said sadly.


    ¡°Would that be so bad? The necromancers probably wouldn¡¯t find us.¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t sound bad. You, me, and Cell and a few dozen pups after a decade or more of scrounging the materials to fix my chip. Sounds nice. But they found me once and they¡¯ll find me again. Who knows, they may have some magical tracking device embedded in me when they brought me to this world. There are too many unknowns with what we¡¯re dealing with for me to just give up on the only potential link I have to them.¡± I said as I leaned against the tree.


    ¡°A ¡®few¡¯ dozen pups? I though you only wanted twelve?¡± Salamede asked coyly with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°A simple expression.¡± I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. ¡°Are you comfortable travelling with Cell and working with Gula more if it comes to that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have some questions for her, and I think some more feminine company could do me good.¡± Salamede said.


    I chuckled and nodded towards her.


    ¡°Ok. Keep a watch and I¡¯ll yell ¡®Partner¡¯ when I get back. I¡¯m going to their command post and see what our next move is.¡± I said. They both nodded and leapt from the trees out into the rest of the woods beyond. The morning sun was now low in the sky as I made my way further south, following the rough mental map I had of the area.


    Eventually, I hopped through the trees long enough that I came upon the small campsite with the big boulder over the commanders table. The air had a much more festive mood as orcs around the table clapped and hugged each other as did the Frojan. Even Mor seemed quite pleased as she looked over the table and looked between two different reports. The Larger Frojan with a silvery back and green skin idly snacked on a hard cracker as he looked over a report of his own with a light smile across his frog like mouth.


    I dropped down from the trees with a thud. Some of the orcs and Frojan jerked back, but they seemed more relaxed around me now. Striding up to the table, the black robed Frojan and Mor put down their reports to look at me.


    ¡°Any information?¡± I asked.


    It was Mor who answered after giving a light cough.


    ¡°It¡¯s too soon for them to react, but if I was a guessing woman, I would say they will start more aggressively burning down the surrounding forest in the coming days. Unless they somehow saw you fighting, they still haven¡¯t a clue who or what¡¯s kicking their ass and the surrounding woods is the only real means we have of ambushing them. That or send out a swarm of mages, but they¡¯re a rare resource and can¡¯t be wasted like the common soldiers. They¡¯ll deplete their supplies sooner, but money is no problem for them right now.¡± She finished.


    ¡°Money not matter at all if supplies cannot reach.¡± I said as I idly strummed my fingers on the table.


    If the Coalition burned down too much of the forest, we¡¯d be forced to meet them on the open field, which would put my temporary allies at too great a risk. They were only just holding their own now, but if things got so bad that they gave up holding any land here, an attack on Viper base was going to stay a pipe dream. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure the character I was playing would have prioritized stopping the fires. A nature demon spirit not fixating on humans burning down the forest would probably draw suspicion.


    ¡°We will attack caravans at fort near huge scar humans move a lot of supplies over. We will attack burning things inside camp or fort first. Where is sticky burning stuff kept?¡± I asked her. Mor searched through a pile of papers to her left before pulling out the one she needed.


    ¡°Of the three forts leading to the Viper base, they seem to be using the middle one to hold all the alcohol and chemical barrels. No idea where inside though. They typically arrive in a caravan away from the others with a special carriage of solid wood around nighttime.¡± Mor finished.


    I continued strumming my fingers on the table as I thought over what to do. Sending Cell to sneak in was too dangerous, even if he knew exactly what to look for and where to hide. I could wait until they bring in a shipment of the stuff and do coordinated jumps in the air to see where they store it with Cell and Salamede. Once we know where they put it, I could summon a massive fire ball through the entrance to whatever warehouse they are using.


    But I was a nature spirit plant demon thing. If I started using fire magic it would raise far too many questions about what a ¡®Pandego¡¯s¡¯ nature really was. Besides, it raised the possibility of the watchmen seeing us as we did our jumps and sending out a team to sneak around us. The only real option was to dig underneath.


    ¡°What humans has to detect digging into fort?¡± I asked the table and the array of personages around it.


    Mor just looked towards the Frojan with the black robe. He leaned against the wall with his big eyes closed and arms crossed as he contemplated. Finally, he leaned forward and sighed.


    ¡°They only did it once and never since then. The method I know of is to dig into the ground and bury strips of long leather in the dirt and craft an enchantment that explodes with a mixture of stone and fire summoning when a certain line along it is cut or moved. The line siphons magic off from the mana battery circle and stops it from getting enough mana to activate.


    But that was in a desperate situation where we were digging into a cave the mages were boxed in. It¡¯s expensive and constantly getting set off by moles, worms, and other miserable curs of nature unless you can afford the expense of dousing it in poison. To say nothing of how dangerous it is to make. Maybe they would consider it if we had the earth element, but we¡¯ve never been able to do any serious digs.¡± He said.


    I drew in a deep breath and nodded with a dramatic flurry of my hand.


    ¡°Good. We will dig under fort.¡± I said. But as I turned to go, Mor gave another loud cough.


    ¡°So soon? We¡¯ve already done a lot today. It¡¯ll be a few hours before we get enough new people in to properly cover for the ones who were up all night and the ones still out there laying traps.¡± She asked. The Frojan leader didn¡¯t say anything but I got the impression he agreed with her.


    ¡°Need no one. Better alone considering orcs and Frojan can¡¯t use earth magic.¡± I pushed back.


    Mor closed her eyes and thought on it for a bit before responding.


    ¡°All right just give us until nightfall to get a few groups in place ambush the people currently burning the forest near the Viper base. I want to make sure we make the most of your attack while we can.¡± She said.


    As much as I wanted to just get this all over with, I felt the lag in my reflexes and a sluggishness in my thoughts from the long night. I turned around and made my way to the left towards the trees. Back up in the tree¡¯s, I headed back towards the original ambush site. Coming back to last night¡¯s attack sight, the carrion birds were making quick work of the battlefield, as the fattened vultures and crows contested amongst themselves for the preferred bits from the buffet of flesh. Off to the far side opposite of me, I saw some wild dogs drag off a body, human or orc it was too far to tell. Man, orc, Frojan. Magical or mundane. All were treated without bias by the scavengers of the woods.


    ¡°Partner!¡± I called into the surrounding woods. After a minute, the dark wood mask of Salamede came bounding through the treetops to my right. Finally, she came forward into full view and stood beside me.


    ¡°Do you know where Cell is?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°He should be off on the opposite side of the road helping me keep a watch.¡± She said.


    This is too time consuming.


    After mentally adding radio communications to my to do list, I motioned for her to follow me past the burnt side of the road. Once on the other side, we went into the treetops. After a minute of searching through the dense leaves, I found Cell squatting on a large branch. He was idly moving his vine hands around in a back and forth motion as his face kept his eye on the hillside and empty forest below.


    When we gathered together, I took out three pieces of bark from the tree we were on and molded them into three wood coins, whose size was between a thumb and an index finger with a dent in the middle. A quick and dirty enchantment laid down into it, I used my spirit magic to create a temporary connection that sent of a high whirring sound. A few adjustments to the two wind enchantments, and I got it down to where it was loud, distinct and wouldn¡¯t pain the ears when used.


    ¡°Use these to find each other in the future.¡± I said after I finished making the other three and handed them to my three other companions.


    ¡°First things first. We need to get some rest. Mor wants to attack the teams currently burning the forest when we move to take out the Coalitions chemical stores and will be ready in several hours. Let¡¯s set up a small camp in the trees, get some food in our belly¡¯s and wash up. While we wash up and prepare, Cell needs to stay behind with Gula¡¯s group to make sure the Coalition doesn¡¯t kill the orcs off with a surprise attack¡± I said. Salamede didn¡¯t say anything to that statement but it made her stand a little straighter.


    We headed back further south. A mile or so from the command post was a good patch of older trees that had survived the wars and natural disasters for a great many ages. It wasn¡¯t as comfortable as our regular base, but it was better than nothing. Magic had its faults, but it was a life saver when you needed something quick with few to no resources at hand.


    A few manipulated branches and some reinforced vine patches for flooring and I had a private sanctuary in the trees that, while slightly smaller than a family sized van that you could stand in, still provided a little corner of the world for us to relax in. I got our vine suits into hammocks and fashioned a quick shower head that shot out warm water from a larger piece of bark that I attached on the left side corner in a private little room with a leaf curtain.


    Salamede showered first and as she did so I used the time to create a few bark crafts to gradually mold more balls and U shaped pieces of wood with the ambient mana. I finished four of them when my turn under the shower came. I took a minute under that warm flow of water to relax.


    But time was of the essence and while I relaxed under the water, I used my mana generation to create a thumb sized mana crystal that I threw on the pile of clothes just outside the shower. Not that I had all that much energy to begin with.


    All the typical post battle aches were there. The sadness at the loss of human potential, all the moments where it all could have gone horribly wrong and how. The warm water helped wash some of those worries away but I still felt that tension in my muscles, like an ache that had no single point that I could rub to make it better. My shower finished, I decided to go to the one person who could help me.


    Salamede was in a corner laying on the small vine floor opposite of the shower dressed in a long white underdress with a v cut across her chest. The light of the late morning sun filtered through the leaves of our little makeshift homes roof and danced across her face as she snacked on a hard granola bar.


    I walked over and stood over her, which caused her to immediately stop eating and gaze up at me, with her ivory bicycle handle horns now leaning against the vines of the wall. I looked at her white stripe across the muzzle that was the same milky hue of her eyes, then to her questioning face. Her goatish features presented no problems for me as her company during this time was more valuable than any conventionally good looks.


    ¡®What¡¯s up, Eli?¡¯ She asked me with a note of concern through a spirit connection.


    ¡®At first, I was just admiring the view, but I need comfort and I remembered from a reliable source that I own your lips. I¡¯m too tired for such activities but I was wondering if other parts of you are available for my personal use.¡¯ I said in heated tone as I sat myself down beside her, making sure to never break eye contact with her. A smile played across her mouth before she responded.


    ¡®Oh? What parts were you referring too?¡¯ She asked coyly.


    I wasted no time and promptly grabbed her shoulders to push her fully on the floor. Laying her down, I laid my head across her chest and rested on her pillows. It took a few adjustments, but I found a good position where I was laying fully on her breasts through the white undershirt but could keep an eye on the crafts waiting for them to finish.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®Eli¡­ Would you want to relieve stress¡­ down below as well?¡¯ She asked in a breathless heated tone, lifting up her dress with her left hand to expose her thigh. This time she couldn¡¯t look me in the eyes as she kept her gaze on the ceiling.


    ¡®Absolutely. For now. But later, that would just leave me more stressed. These games of tongue and groping are one thing, but I do not give out my seed lightly. If there was any possibility of you being pregnant, I would not send you out on missions even when the situation demands it.


    And above all I know myself. Sex without the commitment of marriage scrambles my emotions and I get way, way too attached in a very immediate manner.¡¯ I told her. In spite of this self-knowledge, I had apparently indulged in such things in the past if the visions were anything to go by. Thankfully these relaxation sessions didn¡¯t seem to trigger them, so I had at least this respite.


    ¡®Do¡­ you¡­ consider us to be marriage material?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®Yes. If we find that we are right for each other.¡¯ I said.


    Seemingly pleased with the answer, she leaned back fully and stroked my hair as we basked in our mutual embrace and the glow of the sun from above. It was hard to tell how much time had passed when the crafts finally finished but we were both too tired and stressed from last night to stay fully alert as we lazily appreciated the appetizing bits of each other¡¯s bodies. We lay in each other¡¯s arms for a long while, our various parts feeling very well massaged from all the squeezing but in the corner opposite the shower I saw the trap pieces were now almost finished.


    Salamede seemed to be content as she held my head in her hands before following my gaze.


    ¡®Ah, yes. The war. I guess we shouldn¡¯t spend all our time ¡®relaxing¡¯.¡¯ She said mischievously through the spirit connection.


    ¡®If the war was decided in the next hour sure¡¯ I said with a hard squeeze of her left breast through the white underdress. She bit her lip and lifted her head back with an unrestrained moan as I continued. ¡®But having mental breakdowns isn¡¯t healthy and we still need to wait on Mor to get ready.¡¯ I said as I leaned up and attacked her exposed neck with kisses. Her fur got in the way some but each kiss I landed on her skin rewarded me with a sharp intake of air above my head as Salamede started heavily breathing from the contact.


    A few more minutes and we finished as did the wood pieces. The time to focus more on work had come. I spent the rest of the day making mana crystals. Molding the wood didn¡¯t take anywhere near as long as metal for the crafts or the vine suits considering they didn¡¯t need to move at all, but four of them so close to each other was still a considerable drain on the ambient mana so I cracked the mana crystal I made earlier and placed it between the four large pieces of bark with gradually shifting pieces of new wood on them. Off to the left was their previous pieces just waiting for the vines to finish them out.


    As I attended to my various tasks, I had to also balance how much of my physical energy I was using. Spend too much on making traps and I¡¯ll be too weak to help throw back a Coalition raid on the orcs when their horns blow, rendering all of this work totally pointless when the orcs no longer have access to the roads these crafts are meant to booby trap. This continued for the rest of the day, with a long nap somewhere in between, until the sun started the last leg of its descent with the tell-tale signs of red and orange starting to spray across the clouds. Having made as many trap pieces as I could, I got back into my vine suit, as did Salamede. Heading back towards the command post, the place was a buzz with activity. Mor was in her usual position, wearing her usual leather armor and warhammer across her back, at the table with the Frojan with a black cloak gone.


    The buff orc with short cropped black hair, and a strong jaw was looking over various reports when we dropped down.


    She merely looked up as the orcs and Frojan around our landing site shirked back.


    ¡°Ah, good. We need just an hour more before we get our people in position. They¡¯re pushing further into the forest in the southern section now and fortunately they¡¯ve been taking so many barrels of tar, alcohol and other chemicals out of the storage area in the middle fort that we managed to get a glimpse through the opened gates when they were moving them to and from.


    The barrels are being stored in an underground warehouse in between the stable close to the gate and the mess area, I¡¯ve already sent the scout who saw it to wait for you at the fort¡± She finished.


    ¡°What about frogs men¡¯s support?¡± I asked as I looked around, with my mask giving off its usual wobbly tone.


    ¡°He is off giving the report of our recent success to the higher ups. But don¡¯t worry, the Frojan will obey my orders in his absence.¡± Mor said, the dissatisfied looks of some of the Frojan around the table confirming her story.


    I started a spirit connection with Salamede.


    ¡®After this attack, we¡¯ll probably need to head out with Cell to take out the Coalitions Caravans which will almost certainly be another fight. For right now, stay here and keep watch with Gula since this will probably demand magic and get rest whenever you can¡¯ I told her.


    Salamede didn¡¯t show any physical reaction but responded with a simple ¡®yes¡¯.


    ¡°We heads towards human stone blasphemy. We take out burning, foul water. More traps, already have earth parts working¡± I said to Mor as I dropped the small pile of balls and U shaped pieces of wood on the ground. I took off into the woods towards the main road with a loud whoosh as my air jump function engaged.


    Halfway there, I used the wooden coin to signal for Cell. But it took us until we got near the site of the attack on the road before his coin was heard off in the distance. Coming onto the road, it now had the bumps of earth all along its length and farther still if my eyes could see through the trees. This section of the road was now more or less impassable for the Coalition without mages willing to weather the ambushes and exhaustive casting.


    Off to the left, Gula¡¯s group came through the woods as the late day sun filtered through the treetops. It was Gula who started the conversation as she stood below us with Cell to her left and the Frojan to her right.


    ¡°I heard you guys were attacking the middle fort.¡± She said hopefully.


    ¡°Taking out fort is not purpose but getting rid of burning water is reason for attack. Alpha orc tells us to meet up with orc scout who saw where burning water is kept.¡± I said, using the typical Pandego grammar.


    She just raised an eyebrow briefly before giving a light bow. Cell got the que and launched himself up towards us. I waved Gula goodbye as Salamede joined her group to patrol the area. Then I took off with my familiar towards the middle fort.


    When we got there, it was a proper mess from our view in the treetops. The various caravans that were meant to go towards the Vipers base were now stuck in limbo with the roads blocked off. But unlike the fort near the Coalitions main territory, this place wasn¡¯t ready to host a swarm of people as the caravans and their workers took up every patch of dirt that wasn¡¯t a puddle or burnt tree stump. Squads of troops were burning down parts of the forest to provide more safe space but they were clearly unprepared as I saw a few men being carried away on stretchers and tended to by nurses as various accidents getting the barrels of tar, cheap alcohol, and an odd clear liquid of light brown to burn the forest took their toll.


    A few more minutes, and we found the small band of orcs in the trees on the right side of the fort camp. Among the typically well-armed orcs was a skinny brown haired one with leather pants and a white undershirt that was only armed with a dagger and a bow that just screamed ¡®the scout¡¯.


    We dropped in behind them, causing them to clutch their various weapons but they all relaxed when they saw me, their black eyes with varying red and gold irises now seemed more hopeful than afraid.


    ¡°Ah, Mor said you¡¯d be coming.¡± The scout said. Her wide face, ears and button nose doing nothing to hide a rather feral grin. She turned back around as her golden eyes shined with raw greed.


    I walked up beside her. We were on the slightest of inclines and could barely see over the sea of carriage tops and disheveled tents, but the huge box of grey stone was impossible to miss. Like the other three, the fort had a tower at each point with a square parapet at the top of each along with a ballista to round out the long-range defenses. The scouts rough voice then intruded upon my observation.


    ¡°Several yards past the gate is where I saw it. A large dual door of wood and thick iron bars. It was definitely the place as I saw them bringing out a few more of them barrels like they is using on the forest over there. Oddest thing, I saw a little girl with a blanket by a vent near the doors before the caravan got inside and they shut it again.¡± She said in an excited tone, her rough accent shining through.


    I nodded and looked around until I found a reasonably straight stick.


    ¡°Get on knees and place stick exactly where hole storage is when looking at big box¡± I said as I handed it to her.


    She nodded excitedly as her wild brown hair flopped about. After a minute of placing it a few times, she finally decided on a place to put the stick as she laid behind it with her tongue out in concentration.


    ¡°There. Right there.¡± She finally said with a beaming grin.


    ¡°Good. Keep watch, we has work to do.¡± I said as the real work began.


    It took well into the night. Me and Cell had to dig into the earth low enough that we got to a layer that wouldn¡¯t collapse on us and keep track of where we were digging. Fortunately, when Cell was going through the topsoil, he could leave his vine suit and dig a very small hole to the surface to get his bearings. It would have gone faster if we didn¡¯t have to make it wide enough for me to scooch forward with my helmet, but no way, no how I was going to risk being seen without it.


    One time a man screamed when a black sphere suddenly popped out of the ground and bumped up against his previously sleeping head. Fortunately, his companions seemed to dismiss him as a drunk and promptly bid him good night, a fact the man grumpily accepted when he went to sleep in one of the carriages. At least that¡¯s the impression I got from Cell when he came back to tell me the tale.


    Another factor was having to stop whenever the air got stale and suck some in through a top hole and blow some out the tunnel but the mana crystals I had saved up came in handy, and before long our slightly zig-zagging tunnel barely big enough to allow me and Cell to pass through had hit a wall of stone brickwork in the earth.


    ¡°Here we go.¡± I said to myself. The magic based digging meant I was actually pretty clean so far except for the dirt around my feet. Another magic spell and I thinned out a hole in the brick. Peering in, I saw a large room with a central stone pillar peering above a railing. The room had mana lamps in the corners giving off a faint orange glow along the grey brick work of the few bits of wall I could see. Looking down I knew I was nearly right on top of the floor. A few seconds and I couldn¡¯t hear anything, so now was the time to move.


    I quietly moved several of the bricks away and placed them behind the barrels as I carefully peered around. The whole room was one large open space with an immense central pillar of solid stone. The middle of the room was an open space around the pillar with floors of wood with railing, each of which contained row after row of barrels. We seemed to be near the middle section and before I could think of what to do, I heard a door open from above.


    ¡°Damn it. The mess hall has been packed. Took me damn near an hour to get my lunch.¡± A rough voice called from above.


    ¡°Better waiting than dead. Be grateful you ain¡¯t one of those sods who has to work the caravans.¡± Another responded as the clear sound of a wheelbarrow moving a heavy load reverberated across the room.


    ¡°Is we any safer? The fine and mighty officers put on a good face, but I hunted back on my pa¡¯s farm and I know a cornered animal when I see one. Whatever¡¯s going on, they¡¯re all scared shitless even when they¡¯re in these walls.¡± The rougher voice responded as the grunts of heavy moving was heard.


    Apparently, his companion had no rebuttal because no more words passed between them before I heard the closing of the door again. Then it was dead silence.


    ¡®All right Cell. Let¡¯s get this done.¡¯ I said in a spirit connection to my familiar.


    We went through the barrels and got a few with the tar and some filled with the brown, nearly clear liquid and dumped them down the central chamber onto the hard floor below. That took less than a minute but before we finished putting down the first barrel, a hard-sucking sound was heard from above. The air began whirling towards the top floor and a loud whoosh was heard from the tunnel we came here in.


    Ah, they were using a wind enchantment to preemptively suffocate any potential fires. I didn¡¯t know how much air they would suck out before it became a vacuum, but it was probably enough to suffocate us, not to mention the racket it would be making on the other side of the tunnel.


    I dropped my barrel to the side and motioned for Cell to continue as I jumped up the railing to the top floor just two levels above my previous position. When I came up and stood behind the railing, I saw to my left was a large double wooden door, but these looked more like the finely molded wooden objects I made with large iron bands around it. I saw the dust in the air going through two grates several feet in front of the door. Despite the magic involved, the rough metal work and sloppy mismatch of certain bricks told me this was a rush job.


    Judging from the tight seal around the doors, I would say the system sucked air into a reservoir and expelled it through another exit that was also tightly sealed so they wouldn¡¯t have to keep expending the ambient mana to keep the enchantments running. But as interesting as this system was, it was currently in my way.


    A quick wind spell sent along the breeze shut down the whole thing and the sucking sound stopped.


    Looking back over the railing, I saw Cell had finished dumping two other barrels of brown liquid and tar down the pit at the bottom where the pillar met the ground. Satisfied, I made a quick and dirty fire enchantment out of a piece of broken barrel wood laying on the ground. It would have about 30 seconds to activate, but just for safety¡¯s sake, I went forward to mold the door into a solid piece along its seem in the middle.


    These people weren¡¯t my enemies and killing them without them presenting any obstacle to my survival wasn¡¯t justifiable in my eyes. But as I went to mold the wood, the door suddenly opened.


    ¡°Why did the thing sto-¡°Looking down, I saw a little girl with flowing brown hair, and a button nose with a plain blue blanket over her right shoulder as she leaned against the now slightly open door. She wore a simple dress of brown middling quality cloth and her eyes were a green that was hard to see when they went wide as disks as she looked up and saw the black wood of my deer skull and the vine and bone covered mass of my body.


    She didn¡¯t scream or yell, just wordlessly scrambled back with a pale face.


    Without a moment to spare, I molded the door into a semi-solid single piece. Running back towards the main pillar, I jumped over the railing and down through the soft glow of the open-air center, around the main pillar, and back towards the hole we came through. The second I finished the square to start the craft, I pressed it and promptly dived through the hole as I threw the quick and dirty craft over my shoulder with Cell coming in shortly behind me. We scrambled through the tunnel barely large enough to allow my helmet through. It took a few minutes, but an odd creak was heard¡­ above? Yes, it was coming through the holes in the top of the tunnel we used for air.


    That wasn¡¯t good. I looked behind me briefly and sure enough beyond the vacuum Cell was maintaining to block at least some of the heat, the soil was steaming and the roots that reached down here promptly crisped in the red hot oven behind us. I wasted no more time and quickly shuffled out at breakneck speed. Light was eventually spotted in the dark tunnel and I threw myself out of it and onto the dirt. I saw Cell coming out right behind me and the orcs on the slight incline. They moved closer to us but the sudden blast of heat coming out of the tunnel made them pull back.


    I stayed on the ground and looked up at them.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The wall¡± The brown-haired scout said in delight.


    The blood drained from my face and I quickly made my way up the slope, making sure to avoid the furnace heat currently blasting out of the tunnel. Cell was now up in the treetops when I got on top of the hill. Looking out over the darkened sky, I saw the fortress, seemingly same as ever but this time every person in the camp was looking at it. Men in nighttime pajamas peering from carriages, guardsman, soldiers on the road who had been leaving or coming, they were all staring at the wall for some reason but then it happened.


    The wall section connecting to the corner tower swayed. A loud groan, same as I had heard before, resounded as a small pillar of smoke gradually wafted up behind it. The men closest to the tower just scrambled back but my eyes were transfixed on the sight.


    No. Please God tell me that wasn¡¯t a load bearing pillar.


    The wall swayed again, this time leaning outward as the stone at its bottom sagged from the heat below it. That heat combined with the momentum it already had was enough to finish it.


    The orcs were going to kill all of these people. There wasn¡¯t enough time to move all of the caravans and soldiers out, and their safe haven was no longer safe. Which also meant more of them would be heading to Viper bases adjacent fort, exactly the direction I didn¡¯t want them going. Thinking quickly, I decided to rely on the lie I had used for the Viper base. As more than half the wall tumbled down, the tower it leaned against swayed slightly, but it stood firm for now.


    This was the point where things would spin out of control or not. If I can maneuver this right, we¡¯ll knee the Coalition in the groin hard enough to leave the Viper base isolated. Do it wrong and the orcs would ask the wrong questions and blow up my whole ¡®foul ritual¡¯ story. The orcs did a silent cheer and jumped for joy, but I clutched my shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The brown-haired scout asked me as she stopped to look at me. That stopped the cheering and the rest of the orcs now stood back slightly, worry clear on their features even as the mayhem and cacophony of noise was reaching its peak out in the field in front of us.


    ¡°Foul ritual. Kills non-humans. Not safe for us. Humans get sick but not die. Not like us if stay here.¡± I said as I moved limply to get down the slope.


    The orcs got a pale face at that and promptly followed behind my hobbling form as Cell lazily dropped from the trees and cautiously moved to support me, like I was a wounded brother on the battlefield.


    ¡°Get to Mor. She¡¯ll give those humans a good bloody nose.¡± The scout said behind me as the sound of footsteps told me the orcs were closely following.


    I sent a spirit connection to my familiar.


    ¡®Carry me. Try to make sure the people have an hour to get away as you carry me back and then I¡¯ll convince Mor to let us carry out our poison plans.¡¯ I said to Cell as he lifted me up.


    ¡°We gets back as fast as can. But this is time to strike. Need poi- HUAGGH!¡± I gave a dramatic heave to emphasize my struggle. ¡°Poison. Get humans too sick and we finish our journey.¡± I said to the orcs, turning my head over Cell¡¯s vine shoulder. ¡°Stay and keep eye out. Will take word to orc alpha.¡±


    The orcs all nodded at that and promptly scurried through the darkened underbrush. I couldn¡¯t risk any inconsistencies in my story being reported by an unseen scout so I ¡®limped¡¯ back towards the command tent on the last few miles to the command post south of the Viper base.


    It took us more than an hour to get back to the command post and we had to stop just short as I mentally went over my story again and all the elements that were needed to give me the most desirable outcome.


    The place was buzzing with activity as scouts rushed back and forth and as I came around the side of the small cave with a boulder on top, I saw Mor and the black robed Frojan Going over papers and furiously scanning the contents as they came and went under the torchlight. A few of the orcs squeaked as Cell and I pushed by. Off to the left, I saw Gula¡¯s group. Her gaze towards me showed concern but she kept still as she tried to stay out of the way of the people coming and going.


    Mor raised her head towards us as we approached the table. Her face grew pale when she saw my ¡®condition¡¯ as I propped myself against the table. Even the Frojan with a silvery back and green skin looked worried as he used his black robe to wipe away a few crumbs of a hastily eaten cracker from his jaw.


    ¡°Burning water is burned for good. But ritual was at fort as well. Not send any orcs. They die while humans only get sick.¡± I said like I was out of breath. The surrounding orcs all went wide eyed at my proclamation.


    Mor¡¯s eyes shot up and she quickly pushed aside her reports as she knocked on the table in an idle manner.


    ¡°Good, good. But we¡¯ve gotten a lot of odd reports of huge numbers of humans flooding the roads with most heading towards the fort closer to the human¡¯s main territory. I wouldn¡¯t have thought burning those supplies would cause such a commotion.¡±


    ¡°Fort is fucked. Humans put burning supplies around pillar holding up fort wall-¡° I gave a moment to heave a great cough but it was mostly to hide my annoyance at their stupidity. ¡°And now fort wall is down. Humans probably abandoned it.¡± I finished.


    The faces at the table were all in various states of elation. I saw the green faces of the orcs smiling in the torchlight as the eyes of the Fojan all lit up with the flickering torchlight.


    A solid cheer burst through the crowd as shoulders were patted and whoops were heard. Mor actually seemed to get a little misty eyed at the announcement. She looked over the crowd and moved her left hand for someone to come forward.


    From behind me, Gula came forward. Her face showing a repressed smile but there was fear in her gaze as she approached. Mor turned to her with watery eyes.


    ¡°Tell me, Gula. Is this how it felt? When you helped take down that first fortress.¡± She said in a cracking voice.


    ¡°No Ma¡¯m. I know it can happen now but when it happened the first time¡­ I didn¡¯t believe¡­ Seeing it happen now is great, but I was up in the clouds for hours after that first time. The first time I thought we might actually have a chance.¡± She said, making sure to look at me with an appreciative nod.


    Mor gave her a big hug and a burst of joy erupted around the whole camp, with more than one mug being raised in the air. But Mor quickly moved back, straightening her leather jacket as she did so.


    ¡°All right girls. That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ve missed the opportunity to attack them leaving the forts. But they¡¯ve probably left a lot behind. Will anything be safe to scavenge?¡± She asked, turning to me.


    ¡°Safe by morning. But since they used ritual in fort, probably well along in Main stone blasphemy. Hit two days at most.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Can you tell us anything about this ritual or what exactly it does?¡± The black robed Frojan asked as he finished drinking from a tankard.


    ¡°Uses dead people. Makes nonhumans very sick and then dead, humans slightly sick after long time. Mother not give all details, only know what is needed. Stone scar on land. Ritual. Mass death if fail.


    Now that burning water is destroyed, we must poison humans in home near main stone blasphemy so cannot help when we take stone base and discuss with alpha humans. We go stop carriages along dirt scar tomorrow with orcs who set up traps while you get poison for humans¡¯ ready.¡± I said, making sure to make a few movements like my shoulder was still hurt as I did so.


    Mor puckered her lips in thought for a moment.


    ¡°And afterwards?¡± She asked with a hint of hope in her voice.


    ¡°We rest. Long, long time.¡± I said.


    The faces around the table became deflated, with some looking dejected at the prospect of us leaving. Mor, however, decided not to push the issue.


    ¡°Understood. Thank you. Whatever happens, you¡¯ve given us a better chance than I ever thought we had.¡± She said. Gula nodded as she drifted off to the side of the cave wall, seemingly just happy to be in with the main group now.


    We spent a few more minutes going over some details about the state of the poison, how fast we could transport some of it, and other small items. Finally, the details were ironed out and I was free to head back to my little piece of home. Once I got back into the trees, I used the wooden coin. The sharp whine resounded out, causing some of the orcs to look up at me but off to the left, Salamede came out from the trees.


    A mere nod and we were both off. Back at the temporary hideaway, I got in through the shallow roof past midnight and promptly flopped down on the floor as I used my vine suit to create a quick and dirty bed. Before I fell asleep, I felt Salamede curl up beside my back as we drifted off together.

 Chapter 77: Reports of Bad Tidings

    Noah, the mage that had short black hair and a strong chin with a scar above his right green eye, was good few miles from the Coalitions capital in a large square stone building of dull grey brickwork. The building was three stories tall and 250 yards long with a width of five houses. The logistics of securing such a large building was difficult but a wide wall and three smaller compounds around the perimeter provided ample safekeeping for the building where the most sensitive matters of national security were discussed.


    He waited in the plain hall with a fine wood floor, stone walls and ceiling as he stood in a line of other military officers and personages outside the dark oak door that sectioned off Marvin¡¯s office. He was put there to give another firsthand report on activities before the appearance of this new orc weapon when that report came in.


    For no other report was worth mentioning on that wretched day.


    A letter boy rushed past the line of men and women waiting to see to their various tasks that demanded the overseer of the military¡¯s attention. A few men scowled at the young teen rudely barging past and the man within was of a similar mind.


    ¡°Boy. You better have-¡° Marvin¡¯s voice sounded beyond the now open door.


    ¡°Priority one, sir!¡± The letter boy squeaked, his voice cracking midway.


    The sound of ruffling paper and a moment of dread silence followed as everyone in the hall stood perfectly still.


    ¡°Get-¡° Marvin¡¯s voice strained for a moment. ¡° Everyone. Get everyone in here NOW!¡± Marvin¡¯s secretary promptly ran out of the room with the boy. The people in the hallway could do nothing but wait as none wanted to be the idiot that drew Marvin¡¯s attention at this time.


    Eventually, a general came past in fine green clothes with an embroidered sword at his hip. Then another. Finally, the third came by, an older man with long grey hair and wide brown eyes.


    ¡°Sir. What¡¯s the status?¡± One of the men in line asked.


    ¡°Go rest. That¡¯s your status.¡± The general responded in a heated tone.


    Another objection came from the crowd.


    ¡°Sir, this report I have to-¡°


    ¡°Does it have priority one?¡± The general asked in a tight voice.


    ¡°No, sir¡± The feminine voice said from somewhere behind.


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter. Dismissed, All of you.¡± He said, looking over the crowd looking for any sign of defiance. There was none and the crowd promptly dispersed.


    As afternoon fell, Noah was in the mess hall when the news broke out. He was sitting on a long bench eating a sandwich and sipping a mug of water when an interesting tidbit was heard across the table that made his head shoot up.


    ¡°Fort? What about a fort?¡± He asked the rough man with black lambchops and leathery, tan skin who was sitting across from him as his blue jacket lay open with the white shirt beneath exposed.


    ¡°Apparently that failed experiment got crushed. No one knows how but word is more of those tracks were seen around the sight.¡± The man said in a low tone. Information concerning the orcs was not kept a secret unless it involved troop movements or any other facet of military operations so the ¡®tracks¡¯ and the thing leaving them behind were an open item of discussion for all. To do otherwise would violate a precedent laid down ages past where the containment of the orcs was a concern to all nations.


    The men around the table went pale at the gossip and started chittering amongst themselves. Noah sat still and continued his meal in contemplative silence. The rest of the day passed with him twiddling his thumbs and practicing archery since Freya was called to provide magical counseling almost all night long.


    The night spent doing his duty with a woman provided by the Front had done nothing to quell Noah¡¯s quivering stomach, for even in the middle of a military compound a male mage was still expected to sire more mages for ¡®humanity and country¡¯. Although the phrase that the locals used had oddly been changed to ¡®for humanity¡¯.


    After breakfast, Noah spent a good while doing more pointless martial practice but around late afternoon, a messenger got him and said Freya was ready to meet. Freya¡¯s office was on the floor below Marvin¡¯s with the hall and office door being the same set up but the dead silence when he came in was far too out of place. The room reflected the rough and tough lifestyle of the rangers, with a bookcase to the left and a simple wooden desk in the back center. In it sat Freya, with her head down in her arms. Her hood was pulled back and her black hair with bits of grey lay freely about her head. To her right lay a piece of paper with the marking of an official report.


    As Noah walked up to her, she jerked out of her stupor.


    ¡°Ah, Noah.¡± She told him in a voice laden with exhaustion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem ma¡¯am?¡± Noah asked. Freya¡¯s blue eyes sparkled for a moment as alight smile crept across her face.


    ¡°Pff. You must have some understanding of how bad things are for you to be calling me ma¡¯am.¡± She said in a kidding manner. ¡°You know, we maybe the lower end of the magical world. Oh, don¡¯t fret. You lot are like my own children and I care for each and every one of you, but the facts are the facts.¡± She chided, having picked up on the slight frown the tugged at the corners of Noah¡¯s mouth before continuing.


    ¡°But I thought¡­ I thought just being a mage counted for something. That it meant we were a people above the peasantry. Farmers sons and whores spawn could die in ditches by the hundreds but we¡­ we would die from only the grandest of battles that would inspire bard¡¯s tales and tavern rumors wherever we visited. A fanciful notion but one I thought worth indulging. But, this¡­ this new thing from the orcs. I think maybe some higher power brought it here to drive mages into the mud and teach us all humility.¡±


    Noah just raised an eyebrow.


    Freya took the report to her right. She looked it over like it was her own death certificate before giving a light cough.


    ¡°I got a report from a special delivery bird. Several hours after the hole in the dirt was reduced to a real hole in the dirt, the bandits who were stationed at the mine got wind of what was happening and abandoned their posts. The morning after, one of the local mage commanders took it upon herself to send her and her squad to try and hold the fort down or scout the area, it¡¯s not clear which. What is clear is the fourteen mages that set out are all dead. Not just dead. The scout said they were cut and pulverized like a starving bear ripping into a cow. That is what all those endless hours of training, gold, and sweat got them.¡±


    Noah just stood there, dumbstruck. Fry used the moment of silence to push forward.


    ¡°Marvin has called upon all of our resources to deal with this. Troops are being pulled from the frontlines with the birds and all the idle posts in every camp we have, accounts are being set up to pay for the expenses in acquiring barrels of fire starters and sustainers, and even the magic associations are now putting in considerable numbers of mages.¡±


    Noah raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°They are? I thought they fancied themselves above such concerns.¡± He said skeptically.


    ¡°Bah, they were reluctant at first. But Marvin handed the heads of every mage guild, association, and fraternity a signed copy of all of these events. Along with each package, a letter summarizing his estimation that we will lose this war in a matter of weeks if things continue as they are. ¡®Help us deal with this new problem¡¯ is quite a different proposition from ¡®help us or we will lose this fight¡¯.


    We mock the Rodring kingdom for its failure to contain the orcs, but the mages can all see that we are now on the losing end of our fight with that scourge. National pride may not be an issue for most of them but letting the orcs officially win a war is not a humiliation they intend to suffer along with our mainland cousins. I received word that they will be supplying dozens of mages for the upcoming fight.¡±


    ¡°We can finally put this mess down. Great.¡± He said with an air of relief.


    Freya raised an eyebrow at his enthusiasm.


    ¡°Noah, we may be on the lower end of the magical world but it¡¯s not that dramatic of a difference. This will not be the end of our war.¡± She finished, seemingly getting older by the vowel.


    Noah struggled for a moment as he started up his spirit connection before finally getting it out towards Freya.


    ¡®What order do you-¡®


    ¡®None. Now is not the time to be taking up room on supply caravans to deliver a few papers to the Viper base.¡¯ She responded.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why you insist on having all of the orders from Marvin copied, signed, and stored so far away.¡¯ He responded in a miffed tone.


    ¡®Kid, you¡¯ve got skill and that¡¯s what got you this far. Politics, however, is a skill you and everyone else needs to master once you get too important. We all stretch the rules, but Marvin is high enough that he could throw me under the bus at any time. Having these copied orders helps ensure that if we ever run into legal trouble, Marvin will have to work us both through it rather than let me take the sword to the gut.¡¯


    Noah nodded then audibly said ¡°If that¡¯s all ma¡¯am, I will return to doing nothing in the Academy town¡±


    ¡°One item. You and John. I know he wanted to strangle you after finding out you went behind his back with the bandit raid. How are things between you now?¡± She asked with her hands holding up her head.


    Noah actually smiled back. ¡°We¡¯re friends again. He wouldn¡¯t even look in my direction for day¡¯s afterwards but that seems to have passed now that all of our life¡¯s work is dying right before our very eyes.


    ¡°Good, a nice little story for these dark times. Suffice it to say, Marvin no longer has time for a in person review of your reports. You are officially dismissed and can return to your post.¡± She said with a nod before returning to the report. He responded by promptly turning around and leaving.


    After a few hours, Noah was travelling towards midpoint base in a caravan with the other troops, as he typically didn¡¯t like to needlessly spend money for a private carriage, even if the money wasn¡¯t his. The base was right in the middle of the Coalition where the main highway met the southern lands and was the last stop until the carriages got to the line of forts leading a road to the hell of the swamps. Pushing aside the canvas right next to his seat, the mage looked out to see the rest of the carriages pulling in behind him.


    Things were quiet now, an unusual thing for a military brigade but the storm over the Coalition was currently being felt by everyone, from the bottom foot soldier to Marvin himself to even other nations if the rumors from embassy row were to be believed.


    Pulling back to lean into his seat, Noah briefly looked around at the faces in the carriage. Some talked in hushed voices to their travelling companions while others just stared down like they were looking at their own corpses. Their faces were bad, at least as bad when the first report about the current status of the southern region was getting put together for an official release.


    Noah already knew about it and had time to adjust, but it was a fresh wound for most.


    The night came and the military patrol had to stop for the night and set up camp. The local soldiers were quite appreciative when Noah made a few quick and dirty crafts to turn the cold night air mildly warmer for the men, praise Noah took in his typical quiet stride. A military man since his earliest days, certain habits and attitudes were hard to cast aside no matter how high he had come in the world.


    Clogged roads were a constant on the highways leading to and from the coast even on the best of days as huge shipments of grains, livestock, and vegetables made their way towards the central continent. That regular traffic combined with increased security and troop deployments meant that it took three days to get to the midpoint base instead of the regular two even with the military priority they were given at certain checkpoints. If it was bad on the roads, coming into the Hub proper was a nightmare. The compound was a wide series of tall bunkhouses and a central fort with warehouses sprinkled throughout the minitaure city. A city that held to higher standards than most since even in the mid-day sun the smell of sewage was absent.


    Noah got out of the carriage with a wave towards his former travelling companions before making his way to the other side of the base. Along the way he came upon a big crowd of soldiers with their belongings laying about the front of one of the bunkhouses. His curiosity demanding an answer, Noah walked up to one of the soldiers idly smoking a cigar as the grizzled veteran sat on a large trunk amongst the pile of other goods.


    ¡°I would have thought the officers could have juggled the new troops well enough. Bad paperwork or did a rat infestation drive you out of your bunk house?¡± Noah asked idly.


    ¡°The officers can do a lot but when a whole fort bites it, there is only so many places you can store troops.¡± The soldier responded in a rough voice.


    Noah raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°They¡¯re still trying to find room for the people from the underground base?¡± He asked, perplexed at the failure in bureaucracy.


    The greying eyebrows of them soldier perked up as his brown eyes looked at Noah with pity.


    ¡°Damn kid. You don¡¯t know, do you?¡± The veteran said in a quite voice. ¡°The mid-way fort got its wall cooked last night. Whole place had to be abandoned.¡±


    Noah lost the color in his face as he stood there for a second before asking the first and most important question.


    ¡°Was it that orc weapon or monster?¡± he asked.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Near as we can tell, it was an accident. One of the pillars supporting the wall had its surroundings dug out when it was made but never got filled back in since they used it to store supplies to finish the fort and it never lost that purpose. Then when the carriages of supplies to burn the forest came, we had nowhere else to put it and well¡­ I¡¯m sure you can imagine the rest of it.¡± The grizzled veteran leaned back slightly and took another deep puff on his cigar.


    Noah just respectfully nodded and turned around. Something felt off about those events. The commander of the fort was a man named Cren, a good acquaintance of Noah¡¯s who was a strict by the book man. Having an accident like that under his command stretched believability. On the other hand, a few caravans of flammable materials needing to be stored with little to no forewarning would test even the most solid leadership and mistakes were not incomprehensible in such circumstances.


    Coming up to the grey stone box that was the fort, Noah came through the front gate after presenting his credentials to the door guard.


    Walking past the yard in between the wall and the fort proper, he came through the tall double doors of iron banded wood that served as the main entrance and out onto the open space of the first floor. It was in a state of pandemonium as secretaries and officers jostled about to get to their various destinations. The floor was hard oak and the walls were grey brickwork with a dual set of stairs on the opposite side leading up to the three other floors above, with doors to rooms on the left wall and the wide entrance to the canteen on the right. Making his way up the stairs to the top floor, He came out of the staircase onto the wide hall leading left or right.


    The shouts coming from the right at the end of the hall drew his gaze. Two guards stood ready with swords in hand at the entrance of a closed dark oak double door.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! You can¡¯t just put aside-¡°


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter?! How can you-¡°


    This back and forth of yelling and aggrievement went on behind the two guards but Noah tuned it out.


    What drew Noah¡¯s eye was the small girl on a bench to the left. She clutched a blue blanket and her green eyes were red from crying.


    Noah walked up to the little girl and kneeled before her. The little girl¡¯s button nose and freckles with brown hair seemed somewhat familiar to Noah. Then it occurred to him that she matched the description of the fort commander¡¯s daughter, but military families shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near here.


    He took a moment to spin up a ring of fire that shot off sparkles as he sent it three feet into the air, making the little girl giggle and her eyes light up in wonder.


    ¡°You a mage mister?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°I am little lady. You are the fort commander¡¯s daughter. Jess, correct?¡± He asked back.


    She got a down cast face at that as she turned to look at her feet.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s been yelling at father. I tried to tell pop about the thing, but he was too busy.¡± Jess said.


    ¡°How did you get down here?¡± Noah asked idly, trying to comfort the girl.


    She actually seemed a little proud of the story when she started to tell it.


    ¡°Dad was going back to run the fort, but I wanted to help. Mom and dad said no so I hid in carriage luggage and ate some of the food they kept there. When we arrived dad was real mad, but then something happened, and he couldn¡¯t send me back. Good thing I came though. Else no one would know.¡± She said, looking over at the door in bitter resentment.


    Processing her talking about seeing a thing and what she just said made a tingle of excitement run up Noah¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Jess. What did you see?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°A big plant thing. It had bones and vines all over its body with bits of grass inside. The head was like a deer but with dark wood all over-¡° Noah put up a hand as he leaned forward and put a hand on the little girls shoulder.


    ¡°All right. Just wait¡­ Start from the very beginning.¡± Noah said. His throat was dry as he struggled to not yell at the girl.


    ¡°I was over a hole with metal bars above it that shot out wind when it sucked the air out of the underground place. Some mages came by and made it for daddy a few days before and it was real fun going up into the air with my blanket. But after Boris and Joe put in more of those sticky barrels, the thing stopped. When I opened the door to see what did it¡­ The thing was there. Just standing in front of the door, staring at me.


    I ran away to tell dad but before I could get to him, that big fire started, and we all had to leave.¡± She finished.


    Noah took in a deep breath and grabbed the girl¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Well let¡¯s go talk to daddy right now.¡± Noah said, which seemed to cheer up the girl as her plain brown dress and shoes flopped as she got off the bench.


    Noah walked towards the double doors with the little girl still holding his left hand. The guards moved to intercept him but thought better of it when he conjured a tongue of flame to wiggle in front of him. Opening the door, he came into a wide room with a long bench of three older higher ups on the opposite end, all dressed in fine green cotton and in the middle sat three men. The floor here was a finer, lighter wood and the walls had some curtains of red with the Coalitions symbolic alternating twirl of green and orange in between them.


    The three men in the middle were not of a mind to admire such finery. Two of the men, a scrawny man and a heavy-set man with a scar across his left cheek sat behind the man at the center. A grizzled man with brown hair and freckles, the only difference his line tolerated in his daughter was the nose, which for him was a curved thing. However, Cran was getting chewed out by the men at the table right now as he wore a plain white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°Absolute travesty. I had expected better than this.¡± A grey-haired man on the left of the table said.


    ¡°With all due respect, sir, we have years of requisition orders asking to fill in the hole and build us a proper warehouse. But any resources we had always went towards the new forts. I was left with no options to safely store the hundreds of barrels of flammable material, a task I was given only a single day to prepare for.¡± Cran responded in an even tone.


    ¡°That is beside¡­ Yes, master wizard?¡± The man with a long grey beard in the middle said as he noticed with a look of annoyance in his green eyes and wrinkled bald forehead. Noah coming out of the door.


    Noah walked forward and Cran looked back at him with no expression until he saw Noah bringing his daughter along. A mix of outrage and bewilderment crossed Cran¡¯s face as Noah came between him and the table of people who looked like they wanted to flay Cran alive.


    ¡°Good sirs, I came by to get information on last night¡¯s tragedy but-¡°The middle man interrupted him with a raised hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to waste your time, but that was an unfortunate accident due to oversights on part of the commander.¡± He said. Cran got a sour face and Jess looked peeved but Noah merely nodded.


    ¡°Well sir, it appears I know more about the situation than you do.¡± Noah said dismissively, to which the older men at the table got looks of indignation.


    ¡°Cran, have you talked with your daughter since last night?¡± Noah asked as he turned around to the man in question.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the time. I know it¡¯s hard on her but she¡¯s tough as nails and-¡°


    ¡°Cran. You really need to talk to your daughter.¡± Noah said with some urgency as he leaned closer to the fort commander, his short black hair hiding nothing of the strained smile or the pulling on the cut above his eye.


    The little girl was done being silent as she shuffled forward. Her coming speech was squeaked out as quickly as the little girl could manage.


    ¡°I was out using my blanket to fly on the vent when the thing that pushes out the air shut down after the men loading it left.¡± She said with a meaningful look at the two men behind Cran. ¡°When I went to see why it stopped, I saw a big thing made up of vines and bones with a dark deer skull for a head. It was standing behind the door and I ran back to tell you but before I could the thing blew up the barrels.¡± She finished, breathing heavily from her exertion.


    Everyone stood still for a moment, totally unmoving. Then an older man on the right of the bench with glasses and a skinny complexion excitedly spoke up.


    ¡°Is¡­ is it that thing?¡± He said breathlessly.


    ¡°I would believe so. But we have no way of knowing if it has the plant element or if it¡¯s just a disguise.¡± Noah said.


    ¡°The door.¡± Cran said absent mindedly. ¡°When we looked over the wreckage for the cause in the few minutes we had, I noticed the door was a solid piece. I thought it was the iron bands melted together, but could that thing have molded it together?¡± Cran looked to Noah with desperation in his brown eyes.


    Noah thought on it for a moment.


    ¡°The enchantment that sucked out the air, was it directly in the room or did it have a bend leading up to it?¡± Noah asked.


    Cran nodded.


    ¡°It had a bend and the wood they placed it on was behind another grate over a big hole to hold rainwater. Why?¡± He asked.


    ¡°That means it must have the water element to send a spray out, since sand wouldn¡¯t reach that far without falling into the hole. Unless it has air.¡± Noah concluded.


    ¡°Nah.¡± The skinny general with a over comb of white hair said. ¡°It has the earth element and since two¡¯s the limit, it must be a plant type.¡±


    Noah shook his head.


    ¡°A good assumption given it was in the underground warehouse, but we shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. Not when so much is riding on us. The door may have well fused together from the melting of the iron bars if the plant mages made it strong enough.¡±


    The general raised an eyebrow, but it was the larger one with a full grey beard who spoke up.


    ¡°The road to the Viper base had almost been completely shut down. Traps with water blades and earth shells have made the road almost impassable.¡±


    Noah just stood there with a fuming smile that seemed more sour than sweet before turning around.


    ¡°Guards!¡± The men by the door snapped to attention at the mage call.


    ¡°Take this young girl and get her the finest sweets we have.¡± He said as he led Jess up to the armored men.


    ¡°Mah says no sweets.¡± She said in only halfhearted protest as she licked her lips in anticipation.


    ¡°Tell your mother a big scary mage said you had to eat the sweets, or he would turn you into a chicken.¡± Noah replied lightheartedly as he pushed her towards the guard.


    She giggled as she was led through the door.


    Looking back to the table, a secretary was drawing up the report with the three higher ups and Cran, who was now around the table looking over the papers being drawn up.


    ¡°What I don¡¯t get is how a mass of vines moves around fast enough to hit multiple bases and take out mages like that.¡± Said one of the generals.


    Noah thought on that. His time spent in the field was a fast fading memory, but he still remembered enough to get a general idea of how the mages travelled. The monsters being on the ground was the most likely answer but how would such a thing move?


    They all pondered over this new information when they finished the report and sent it out on a green and white bird, originally a hawk but fed enough magical resources to become something else; A special delivery animal that was only used for information of the highest level of national concern.


    Naturally, a copy of the report was sent to each of the local mage bands who were stationed at the base as well. It was around early afternoon that another report was received. Noah was still in that same room munching on a ham sandwich when a messenger quickly ran in, his black hair flopped with sweat and his brown eyes wild in his thin frame.


    ¡°Attack! The roads are under assault!¡± He said as he ran up to the men assembled at the table. Noah promptly left the table to go outside while the rest of the men started doling out orders and Cran left to get his armor and weapon.


    Making his way out of the building, Noah came back out into the open air to see to his left a huge clog of carriages, with some of the drivers running around with a panicked air. A local officer was out trying to restore order as the open road was a mess of carriages and screaming men.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Noah shouted over the din of noise, drawing a moment of silence as the crowd shirked back from the mage as he walked up to the officer in charge. The mans brown hair dripped with sweat as he gulped and spat out his report.


    ¡°Lord mage, we were getting ready to send out the next detachment of soldiers when the caravan we previously sent came back on foot. I don¡¯t have to whole story.¡± He said.


    Behind Noah came more footsteps, he turned to see a gaggle of three finely clothed women. Each bore a symbol across her chest, the left a water wave with an icy blue robe, the middle a mountain emblazoned across stout leather armor with metal shoulder guards, and the right a symbol of rushing air painted into a tight white shirt and brown leather jeans, showing off her petite form and red pigtails. All, of course, inlaid with gold and no small number of jewels.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± The brunette in the blue robe demanded, her green eyes drawing severe irritation.


    ¡°More importantly, what is a male mage doing out and about?¡± The earth mage asked, her tan skin and black hair shimmering in the late day sun. Her near black eyes looking at Noah in particular annoyance.


    ¡°Exalted mages, I was just getting the reports in-¡°Another soldier came running up to the officer, whispering in his ear.


    ¡°Ah¡± The officer said as he turned to the mages with fear clearly in his brown eyes. ¡°The caravans that were heading towards the southern bases have had their horses killed, apparently. The drivers reported their heads suffering a wound with a sharp crack in the air. It started with the back ones then worked its way forward until the horses were all killed. The men promptly abandoned their position and ran back here. Although they strangely seem unharmed.¡±


    The petite red head scoffed.


    ¡°Why would the enemy waste resources on them? Non mages aren¡¯t worth shit in this fight.¡± She said casually, the faces of the surrounding men showing little to no emotion at the jab lest they draw the women¡¯s ire.


    The brunette merely sighed.


    ¡°Seems we¡¯ll get to see how these vine monstrosities fight. To think I was so close to acquiring a troll liver just a few days ago. I¡¯ll get my people moving¡± She said mournfully.


    The officer raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°The monster that¡¯s been walloping the rangers.¡± The brunette replied with a bored huff as she turned to head back to her groups station.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the same. Get out of here stud, can¡¯t be watching your ass to make sure the orcs don¡¯t get in your pants¡± The earth mage said before turning around with no other words, the petite red head doing the same but sending Noah a lustful gaze before turning back.


    Irked at the jabs, Noah returned to the main fort. Coming to the main room, none of the men had left and waited for his return. The tale he had to tell was as grim as any other. Then he got to the part where the mages were going to head out and fight it themselves.


    ¡°Is that wise? Fighting so late into the day on the enemy¡¯s home turf.¡± The bearded general said with a pale face.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°Those mages don¡¯t work with anyone but themselves. I don¡¯t think they really even work amongst themselves. Maybe¡­ Hopefully we rangers are just terrible at our job and they win easily.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll send some troops with them.¡± The skinny general with a combover said. ¡°They¡¯ll almost certainly die but we need information on this thing, no matter the cost.¡±


    The other four men looked dubious at that statement but could offer no reasonable objection. His task at the Hub finished, Noah made his way to the dark oak double doors. But when he opened the door, a woman in a black work dress with green eyes was standing there. She had a grey pair of pants underneath and her hands covered with black gloves. Her face bore faint lines across her pale skin with a mole on her right cheek as her blond hair was put in a bun.


    ¡°I know it is hard for you to stay out of the fight, if the penchant for action stated in your profile is anything to go by.¡± She said. ¡°But we all have our duties and as the representative for the Front here I must make sure you see to yours. I have several good, fertile young girls from the kitchen staff picked out or even better yet among the mages there are-¡°


    Noah thought about it as she droned on. As a male mage he should probably vacate the area but leaving so soon after that earth mages reprimand would be construed as obedience, and that was not a precedent he wanted to set. He leaned against the woman and caught her lips. Her green eye went wide for a moment before she returned the kiss.


    Sometime later, the sun was now totally down as Noah looked out the fort window of the bedroom he was in. He was sitting on the bed of red blankets and white sheets as the Front woman lay beside him, her breath still having a hard rhythm to it.


    ¡°You seemed prepared for that.¡± Noah said to her as he looked over the sweat drenched body of the naked woman. She gave a lazy stretch and turned on her side to admire his body.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some talk about how you prefer to just do the Front woman rather than go through the process of finding one for them to offer you.¡± She said coyly as her left hand went to her pummeled sex, wet and sore from a long contest ¡°And I must admit the prospect was not one I could afford to turn down at my age.¡±


    Noah nodded and leaned in to kiss her before he left to wash himself with a magical shower head in a designated room in the back and got decent for the trip ahead.


    As he came out through the main door of the fort, a commotion came from the left. It was from the same road that had seen the mayhem yesterday, but it now had some of the mages coming down the road as they moved through the trees and into the base proper. Some other mages were coming out of their bunkhouses, designated with a flag embellishing their groups symbols.


    Some of the women coming out of the woods had blood on them but most looked fine. Fighting the impulse to find out how the operation went; Noah made his way towards the last carriage making its way out towards the north where he was regularly stationed. This time it took only a night and a day to get to his destination as the roads were mostly clear going in his direction and the slender carriage was made more for speed rather than luxury or cargo size.


    It was late in the day when he was dropped off, rubbing his sore bottom as he waved goodbye to the driver. Walking through the academy town with the huge white walls in the distance, he came onto the main hostel he had been staying at with his friend. The large rectangular building was pretty well maintained but was still below the standards he had been used to.


    As he came in through the main door, the left side had a lively bar. And in his typical corner, sat Johnson. The dark tan man drank from a mug sullenly in the small table illuminated in the candlelight on the chandelier of the dark room. His grey cloak and leather armor was displayed proudly even as the black hair coming out of the side of the hood showed a sway to his movements.


    ¡°Heya, buddy. How¡¯s it going?¡± Noah said as he made his came close to the table, taking his seat across from his friend.


    The man looked up with his dark eyes showing clear misery. Johnson¡¯s jaw had a scar along the right side that became distorted as he puckered his lips.


    ¡°Did you get the latest report?¡± He asked of Noah.


    ¡°Better than, I was there when I got the little girl to give us some details.¡± Noah said with some pride as he flagged down a passing waitress for a mug of beer.


    ¡°I heard. But I was talking about the report of the battle with the vine monsters. They sent one out to all the local stations with the academy¡¯s and mage associations getting priority one birds.¡± He said, his voice carrying the slightly uneven wobble of ale.


    ¡°No. I saw the women who came back, and they seemed fine, a little blood here and there but not that much worse for wear.¡± He said idly as he took the mug from the waitress coming by with an appreciative nod.


    John looked at him with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Did you see how many went out versus how many came back?¡± John asked him.


    ¡°No.¡± Noah replied as his throat went dry.


    ¡°Twenty, and a fair few regular soldiers besides. That¡¯s how many we lost.¡± John replied before taking another swig of his ale.


    ¡°T-Twenty!¡± Noah demanded breathlessly. Thinking back over what he saw, there couldn¡¯t have been more than a dozen returning mages.


    John merely nodded sagely.


    ¡°Yep. The roads are all booby trapped now with some odd dirt mounds that occasionally spout water blades. When the mages went out, they said they lost a good fifteen people before they even understood what was happening. Those things. They hide way, way up in the trees and have some kind of weapon that kills with a sharp crack of noise. The one with a deer skull was there.


    They can move faster than us through the treetops and drop down to kill and main with metal bladed arms. The main squad of mages testified that they saw one take out three mages with its bare hands in an ambush before running off. The second in command says they didn¡¯t know just how many they had lost until they all met up to go over a plan¡± Johnson finished as he stared into his mug with sorrow in his eyes.


    Noah took a deep swig of his mug as he tried to comfort his companion.


    ¡°Hey, it was a loss, but we at least have some information on this menace. Now that we know what they are and what they can do, we just need to keep our eyes up to get a chance to kill one.¡± He said encouragingly.


    Johnson shot him a severe glare but then leaned back and pinched his nose with his right hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much that matters at this point. Come this Necrosis, we won¡¯t have the money or the manpower to push through to regain our territory. Even if, if, we kill those things and hunt them too extinction, it¡¯ll be years before we get back to where we were. It will be decades before we fully recover from these losses in troops and money. So much damn money.¡± He said as he took another swig.


    The men continued their back and forth. Cursing the mage associations for not getting involved sooner, the orcs, and the world at large with their words becoming increasingly slurred.


    ¡°You.*Hyuck* You know the darndest thing¡± John said as he unsteadily pointed a wobbly finger at Noah.


    ¡°N-No¡± Noah said before giving out a loud burp as his red tinged cheeks were accentuated with the flickering candlelight.


    ¡°Maw, that fucker. He sees now that his fort won¡¯t *Burp* won¡¯t do shit but he still won¡¯t give up on getting that boy what killed his brothers and uncle. Tried to explain no one knows where the silver punk is since he ran off, but no, bastards¡¯ pride is mixed up in this now and he thinks he can hold out with the mage guilds getting up in there. I hope those vine things get wrapped around his spiteful neck before this is all through.¡± Johnson said with another swig of his ale.


    ¡°Ma-Maybe we can fix that.¡± Noah said with another unsteady gulp of liquid confidence.


    John raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°I heard that shit was fucking a goat thing. Saw them together and everyone knows where the goat woman¡¯s house is. We *hic* should ask her mother where they scampered off to.¡± Noah said with a squint in his eyes.


    John smacked the table and got up with a wobble as he moved.


    ¡°Sure as¡­Shit, we should.¡± He said as he stumbled to get out of the room.


    Noah¡¯s vision spun for a moment as he got up to follow his friend. Going out of the tavern and into the street, the two men drunkenly moved through the occasional passerby as they faltered towards the right side of town with uneven steps. Noah didn¡¯t know where he was going exactly but eventually John stopped at one of the homes with thick wooden beams and a plain oak door.


    The ranger banged on the door with an uneven rhythm as Noah stood right behind his longtime friend.


    A few minutes later, a small Kelton woman scooted out into the doorway. She had brown fur with a grey dress and was a good foot shorter than the two men. Noah¡¯s alcohol addled mind registered a wooden half circle over her right hand and a leather armbrace around her left arm.


    There was some loud noise coming from ahead as his eyes traced a very interesting pattern in the wood above the door frame.


    ¡°Shoosh!¡± He said to the yelling ahead of him as he barely registered hand movements from his friend.


    Suddenly a burst of heat came from somewhere as John fell back with flames writhing over his body.


    ¡°John, you¡¯re on fire!¡± Noah said indignantly as his motor skills still possessed the aptitude to summon a basic ring for a stream of uncontrolled fire. He turned towards the small Kelton woman but the stream of flame coming out of his hand was knocked upwards by some shimmering shield of water as it bashed into his gut, basting the front of the house in fire.


    He landed on the solid stone of the street headfirst. The blackness of the void closed in as he heard yelling in the distance and the flickering orange of flame petered out over his failing vision before sleep took him.

 Chapter 78: Nearing the End

    Eli Pov


    ___________________________________________________


    I was up in the trees where I could see this night¡¯s foray. It was late night or very early morning when the carriages first started coming down the road, their torches providing a faint spark in the gloom of the late night. As the carriages came down into the line of fire, I lifted up the barrel of my air gun and took aim at the horses in the back. After a few more seconds of palpable tension, I pulled the trigger. My bullet took one of the horses in the back straight through the eye, killing the beast instantly.


    Further ahead, some horses started going down as well from Salamede¡¯s shots further below me.


    The drivers promptly jumped off their wagons and ran back to where they came from, with only a few bothering to get their swords or maces before taking off.


    When all the horses had been dropped, I nodded in satisfaction. I looked down below at my temporary comrades, then fell through the crisp night air and landed among some of the orcs and Frojan below.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we let them go.¡± I heard some orc growl behind me.


    ¡°Better let go. Humans will send big pack. Traps will make many dead. Now, get traps set up for road, will check on traps in woods.¡± I said, not even looking behind me as I took off.


    Coming through the treetops, I eventually came to the spot where the real battle would happen. Off too my right I saw Salamede coming through the trees as well. Below was a group of Frojan setting off random water spells. After a few more minutes, they couldn¡¯t use their spells anymore as the ambient mana depleted. These were just one of the teams I had stationed around the forest actively depleting the mana.


    I was betting on them coming through the forest since the roads would be a killing field for them out in the open, not to mention we would have the roadside traps all set up by now. Normally, mages would only be sent out in small teams by themselves but apparently the Coalition thought sacrificing large numbers of soldiers to accompany them was worth the price.


    That roadside battle had been extremely bloody, and I was trying to avoid repeating it. They knew this was probably going to be the only time they would be sufficiently well manned to get information on us and would hit us with every mage they could scrounge up. After nearly half an hour lounging about in the treetops with Cell off to my right helping keep watch, the orc scout came back with the first report. I made my way to the forest floor and took in all the figures. A good 30 or so mages were among the group two hundred soldiers.


    ¡°Perfect¡± I said. ¡°Ready, make.¡± Was all I said as the surrounding orcs and Frojan got into their positions.


    The mana dead zones were done in a large wave along the forest. In these dead zones, we placed a few physical traps; large swinging logs, magically hardened earth and wood spikes placed along certain paths to slow them down. I went over this all with Cell and Salamede earlier and they all got into our spots, Salamede high up in the trees while Cell waited among the shrubbery of a fork in the forest. Both were given give mana crystals to make sure they could keep their crafts working if they went into the dead ones.


    After giving some quick orders on where to put the remaining stakes, I left to go watch the road. After a while, an orc scout came back to my position in the trees and informed me that the humans took the forest paths. I was hoping to get a few free shots in before I dragged them through the forest, but it appears they aren¡¯t total fools.


    By the time I got back the fight was already in full swing. The mages and the soldiers had been herded along several paths in the forest ravine. Salamede was to my left getting off potshots at the mages whose gilded clothing marked them for death. In the starlight I saw three squads of mages form a loose group while six or seven others splintered off from the main group to fight the orcs getting quick arrows in behind boulders or trees.


    There was screaming everywhere but it wasn¡¯t nearly as bloody this time around. The positions of the orcs were all mana drained, which meant the Frojan couldn¡¯t use their spells while the occasional blast of wind knocked the orcs arrows off course.


    Bounding out of the underbrush below me, Cell¡¯s doll body jumped clear over the heads of a group of soldiers and landed right on the three mages in their center. He caved one blue robed woman¡¯s head in with a chop of his hand while the metal blades of his shoulder arms decapitated her two compatriots before he took off again into the trees.


    Less bloody for the soldiers.


    The position of the other mages bodies, riddled with bullter holes, told me they had tried for the orcs position but found out too late why no water blades were assailing them. To my right, the forest had a good number of soldiers clumped around trees forming a meat wall in between the mages and the orcs who were content to pepper their position with arrows. In the middle of the mob of soldiers were group of mages, the most prominent being a trio giving orders.


    The trio were well dressed in brown, white, and blue painted armor with the look and composure of veterans but they didn¡¯t seem aware of the fact that they were still in range of my gun.


    Good, that means Salamede only attacked the mages when they came up to the orcs.


    Our true range wasn¡¯t a card I wanted to play immediately. But I wanted to end this as quickly as possible. Off to the trios left a mage in a frilly green skirt and leather pants with leather chest piece came down from a tree. A few quick words passed between them and the girl took off again.


    Ah, this might be my chance.


    The woman¡¯s short blond hair showed no movement as she glided through the cold night air. Eventually, she stopped by another detachment of mages. This wing had no mana dead zones to contend with but the Frojan mages were more concentrated here and only engaged in delaying tactics. A shout from the black-haired commander in a metal chest piece showed her frustration.


    Wasting no time, I galloped through the trees towards the front line of the fight, as poorly defined as that tended to be in this world when just throwing hundreds of bodies at each other wasn¡¯t an option. Coming up to a long line of mage squads, the air was a orchestra of water blades and flying earth spikes, fire balls, and wind blades punctuated only by the occasional cry as one or more projectiles found their target.


    The mages were two or four to a group and they were dispersed enough that it took a birds eye view to know were exactly the battle lines had been drawn. Moving over to the Frojan side, I looked around until I found the man¡­ frog in charge. He was a large red thing with a leather cap, spear, and a green robe with brown cloth pants.


    ¡°Frogss men.¡± I called.


    The commander clutched his spear and looked up, only to relax when he registered who was talking to him.


    ¡°Ah, the pandego.¡± He said in the deep rumbling voice typical to his kind. ¡°Come to help us out?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Will kill mages left side, then you move men through to hit mages from two sides.¡± I said. The red Frojan nodded as his surrounding retinue looked excited. Taking off through the trees, I went to the left most edge of the line of mage groups and got to work.


    I summoned a large slab of stone for a group of three mages who were hanging around the back side of a particularly large tree. The slab was summoned mid air and gave off a light whistle as the block nearly twice the size of a man soared through the air. It landed right on the mages, crushing them instantly with a loud crunch. I didn¡¯t wait to see the result and moved further down the line. Two air mages were travelling through the trees to investigate but a bullet in the chest of the left one sent her falling to the ground below. Her companion immediately ducked behind the tree when she landed.


    I jumped through the air to her left and sailed past her. She turned to look at me and there was a flash of fear in her eye before my bullet took her between the eyes. The cacophony of spells going off all over the place meant only the group directly ahead of me heard the noise and looked over to investigate. What they saw was a tide of Frojan flanking them as the frog men moved through the trees and took up positions.


    The first mage who pulled back got a bullet in the throat. The other three decided to hunker down with a few stone walls being summoned but they couldn¡¯t summon them fast enough when I got another in the back. The Frojan closed in on the last two panicking mages and I moved on as the cutting whirr of water blades sounded off behind me.


    I repeated this for a good while until the last fifteen or so finally understood what was happening and tried to leave. Jumping through the trees, my shots rang out from different directions as the small mob tried to pull back. Coming up to the commander, the group of about nine mages were all that was left.


    Sadly, the Frojan hadn¡¯t caught up with me and I was reluctant to push my luck with a fight against nine mages with no back up, so I decided to hang back when the commander with caramel skin started looking green and took off with her people towards the main group.


    After considering it for a moment as the mages scurried off, I dropped down amongst the Frojan coming up behind the tree I was in.


    ¡°Stop. Heal wounded and go re-enforce orcs.¡± I told them.


    The leading Frojan came up through the crowd of bewildered frog men.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± He asked. I could tell he was furious but his fear of me kept it out of his voice.


    ¡°Orc position may not hold. Better to get them to leave now. Will be useless since mana is absorbed in fight and may make them leave. Be happy with gains¡± I said in a calm even tone that showed through the wobble of my voice when it traveled through the air enchantment on my mask that disguised my human voice.


    The red Frojan leader looked at the retreating mages then back to me.


    ¡°Aye, a shrimp in the mouth is more than ten in the river¡± He said before he turned and started barking orders to his subordinates.


    Satisfied, I leapt back into the air and went through the dark trees. Oddly, along the way in the rising morning sun, I saw bits of the tree¡¯s branches curling. It varied by specimen but the twirl at the end was impossible to miss.


    Necrosis was officially setting in.


    Then I scolded myself for getting distracted and went at full speed. Coming up to the battlefield, I could see the crowd of men with shields gradually moving back as the mages apparently decided they had had enough. However, as they pulled back, several orcs sprinted forward to shoot arrows at them.


    One of whom was Gula.


    A volley of stone shards was the mages response as they all pulled back from the forest.


    They mostly missed but I saw Gula take one along her right arm and near her wrist.


    Dropping down, I landed to Gula¡¯s left.


    ¡°See to wounded¡± I called before a cheer could go up amongst the orcs and few Frojan. I then turned to Gula. The question I was going to ask her died on my tongue when I felt a spirit connection coming from her.


    ¡®We need to talk. Alone.¡¯ Her voice sounded in my head.


    ¡°Comes, we see if any humans around elsewhere.¡± I said. The rest of the orcs started milling about gathering arrows, checking the relatively few dead for anything useful, and get scouting. After ten minutes we were out of sight of the others, even so, I had been doing small healing spells on Gula to help with the two wounds until I could use a full healing spell.


    ¡°I told you, wait for them to fall in the mana dead zone then shoot them with arrows.¡± I chided her as I finished healing the open wound on her left wrist.


    ¡°You know, I thought fighting with you after we first met would be some kind of adventure. But sometimes it feels more like putting in a door. Besides, I had a chance to take out a mage when they retreated¡± Gula huffed back at me with a raised eyebrow of black hair over the scar over her left eye.


    ¡°So? Let her go. I know mages are important but putting yourself in needless danger only makes things harder in the long run.¡± I reprimanded as I moved on to healing her right arm.


    Gula grumbled beside me as she puckered her light green lips and stuck out her sharp chin in a pouty face.


    ¡°Easy for you to say. They¡¯ve been dropping like flies since you arrived but once you leave it¡¯s going to go back to the good old days where dozens of orcs would die to get a single mage. More importantly, I don¡¯t know why you insisted on letting the drivers go. Everyone was too nervous with being this far out, but I bet Gusla will complain to Mor later.¡± She fumed in a sour tone as she rubbed the smooth skin on her arm and the cut it left in her black leather armor.


    ¡°Letting them go prompted the mages to respond immediately under circumstances more favorable to us, as opposed to sending out a small scouting party to tell them what happened. It also came with the added bait of getting invaluable intel on the new threat.


    Either way we would have done what we came here to do. But now they don¡¯t have anywhere near as many mages to deal with the problem, which means the orcs manning the traps aren¡¯t in as much danger now, and they are wasting time pondering over information regarding a threat that will be gone in a few days.¡± I responded in a casual manner with my hand behind my back as I moved around a boulder. ¡°But I am curious what it is you wanted to talk about now that it isn¡¯t about your wound.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, by the way.¡± She responded in a cool tone as she looked off to the left.


    ¡°No problem, but time is of the essence. Is there a problem?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Nope,¡± She said as she took a letter from her knapsack ¡°letter for your lady. The dwarves dropped it off when I was on a patrol when you were out burning that fort, but this was the earliest I could get it to you.¡± She said as she handed the plain white envelope over.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± I said as I reached into the vines and pulled out the wooden coin, sending out a low screech that prompted two others ¡®pandego¡¯s to come out of the trees. They dropped down beside me, with the interested party landing to my left.


    ¡°Here. Letter from your mother, a courtesy from the dwarves and Gula¡± I said as I handed it to her.


    Salamede rushed forward and enveloped Gula in a hug.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Salamede said before she pulled back and took the letter from me. Gula merely rolled her eyes and sighed as she waved goodbye with her Frojan in tow.


    After that we headed back to our temporary home, Salamede immediately ripping open the envelope and reading the letter within upon our arrival. She sat in the corner for a bit, wearing the vine suit as she read over the contents in the morning sun filtering down through the roof. As usual, Cell was somewhere below on patrol.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked Salamede as I sat near the shower curtain pushing out mana from my body.


    ¡°Good, good. I can tell she¡¯s worried but the letter I sent her was a great source of comfort for her.¡± Salamede¡¯s rough voice responded.


    ¡°Good.¡± I replied in kind.


    I spent a while making more mana crystals as Salamede made a good lunch of fish again. After a quick meal and a long nap, it was time get to work on poisoning the fort closest to the Viper base. As we moved through the treetops in the mid-day sun, I was working out the details on my delivery system when we came upon the command post for the orcs and Frojans operations. Orcs still patrolled the surrounding area with Frojan dispersed throughout but they all seemed a bit more relaxed than usual.


    When we dropped down, there was only a slight turning of heads and a few approving smiles. Mor was in her usual rightward spot by the table under the boulder with the big green, silver backed Frojan opposite of her on the left, each with their usual entourages of assistants and guards.


    ¡°Ah, the heroes of the hour. What are going to be today¡¯s miracles?¡± Mor called with a happy tone.


    ¡°None but what we said we would¡± I responded as I came towards the table as Cell and Salamede stood beside me. ¡°Poison humans, need orcs to help us watch backs while working. Gula come with.¡± I said in a hurried tone. We were so close to the end of this thing I could almost taste it.


    Mor got a more somber look across her hard features, but she nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I know the Viper base is your main goal, but I must warn you we have not the means to take it.¡± She warned me.


    ¡°Is fine. We have means.¡± I reassured her. ¡°Is Poison ready?¡±


    Mor got a dubious look with her square jaw showing puckered lips with an obvious question in her red eyes, but her short black hair didn¡¯t move as she nodded and moved to the back of the cave with a hand wave for us to follow her.


    In the back were eight large barrels front in center of the rest of the supplies that Mor pointed to. I popped one¡¯s lid and saw the faintly purple liquid inside slosh from the motion as the torch light played off its surface.


    ¡°A few drops of that and they¡¯ll be crapping their guts out for a good week.¡± Mor said with a nasty grin.


    ¡°Good, good. Start delivering the rest to fort while we make way to deliver in fort.¡± I said with a nod to Cell, who came forward and picked up the barrel before he slung it under one muscular vine arm. I turned around and went back to the entrance of the cave. It was now my turn to do the leg work as I left with Salamede and Cell.


    We went up into the trees and travelled to the fort closest to Viper base. Like its two siblings, it was a large box of grey stone and its corners had ballistae¡¯s, but unlike the other two it¡¯s surrounding woodlands were almost untouched with only a few scorched patches around the small field of stumps hugging the walls.


    After looking around, we found that Gula was already here, waiting in the woodlands on the left side of the grounds with a good view of the fort and the road. We made our way down a bit more slowly this time since Cell had to be careful with his cargo, which he daintily set beside a tree.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Gula asked as she walked over to look over the barrel. The rest of her team was looking around the woods and over the road. This was a moment of rest that I couldn¡¯t afford to waste so I plopped down on a log to my left.


    ¡°We tinker and we plan. But we need to do it somewhere safe. Anywhere close by?¡± I asked her.


    She turned upward with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Hmmm. A bit further south is a grove that lays between several popular paths for our troops. But it is far enough away that the scouts won¡¯t bother us. If mages do come, they would have to pass several patrols undetected. Even without that, I don¡¯t know if they have enough mages left to do patrols. None of the scout¡¯s reports indicate they¡¯re keeping up their regular watches.¡± She said.


    I strummed my fingers on my impromptu seat before coming to a decision.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably just saving their strength and hunkering down until the reinforcements arrive. Which will be a few good days yet. Still, no reason to trip up on the last dash of our journey. Let¡¯s head out to the grove and get our plan sorted out.¡± I said. Gula nodded and the rest of the Frojan headed out to lead us to our destination.


    It took almost half an hour, but when we got there I was left with a small open patch in the forest with grass and a small pond to work around. Then I crafted a crude board about seven feet wide and three feet tall. On it were several circular indents that I was slowly working an enchantment around. I was going to use some magical water bubbles to float the poison in the air and over the fortress. Timed right, the enchantment would have them hopefully pop their payload in a small mist.


    The first order of business was seeing if I could make bubbles out of the poison. A few minutes in, and I had set up working. Soon a small tower of purplish bubbles was floating in the air above the board as the poison was dispensed in the small circular impressions and had its water molded into a small flowing bubble line. It took a bit, but the bubbles would deform into droplets after leaving the manipulation field. Given wind and other factors they would probably pop before making it over the fort¡¯s walls. But a light concentrated spray might have the momentum to make the distance.


    While I was working on an enchantment that would put out something more like a very light drizzle, I heard Gula huff to my right as she looked out over the pond.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked as I made the air constructs that I would put in the triangles for the enchantment.


    ¡°More door placement. We¡¯re currently poisoning an entire fort and I¡¯m getting flashbacks to when I had to put a window in my home.¡± She said irritably.


    I could only laugh at her incredulity.


    ¡°When combat is boring, that¡¯s when you¡¯re doing it right. Exciting combat is when you don¡¯t know exactly how it will turn out. And I have no intentions of not knowing how this will all play out.¡± I instructed. The orc turned to me as the mid-day sun was shining over her black armor and reflected off the soft waves in the pond in front of her.


    ¡°It sounds like you didn¡¯t know what that pillar was going to do when you lit up those barrels. Or were you just looking to spice things up?¡± Gula asked with a raised eyebrow, her left eye showing the vertical scar stretch as her right eye had the long bit of hair from her black bowl cut swaying just barely out of her view.


    I puckered my lips under the deer skull helmet and looked to my two companions. Salamede was on my left up in the trees keeping watch over my back, but when I turned to my right towards Cell, his spherical head in the featureless mask turned away with my heads motion. I stared at him for a moment even as he refused to look at me, instead displaying a great interest in the small rock by the pond he currently had his head facing towards.


    ¡°That¡± I took a deep breath as I returned to my work, ¡°Was an unforeseen complication but now we only have to get some poison into the air over the fort and we¡¯ll be good to move towards the Viper base. ¡°


    It took a few more tries, but I eventually got the dimensions and power down. It would spray a long haze of hundreds of minute droplets in a long arch that would go right over the walls. This method also meant I could use wind and manipulation enchantments so it would have the momentum to keep going after it left the initial manipulation field.


    Once activated, the board put out thousands of droplets that shot far into the air and came back down as a slight mist.


    ¡°All right, I thinker we¡¯re good. Let¡¯s give this thing a live fire exercise.¡± I said to the surrounding group. They all perked up at that and excitedly moved to go towards the fortress.


    This time I walked along side Gula and her Frojan since I needed to get some figures on the poison¡¯s effects as we made our way over a particularly large fallen tree that presented an almost horizontal wall across the forest floor. A tree I had pretty effortlessly jumped to the top of.


    ¡°How familiar are you with this Bells Drop poison?¡± I asked below to Gula as she made her way up to me, holding and jumping on various branches and footholds in the rotting mass of plant matter.


    The line of a scar across her nose scrunched up more in displeasure than effort.


    ¡°Tastes like a drop of honey mixed with the faintest whiff of fish. Takes a few hours to take effect but I guess that depends on how much you take.¡± She said as she pulled on a branch.


    I put out a hand and helped her to the top, a gesture she accepted.


    ¡°And how would you know the taste? Accident or part of the training?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Neither¡± She said when she stabilized beside me. ¡°The other trainees thought it would be funny to slip some in my meal one day.¡± She then looked past the log and over the forest floor looking how to get down. A task the Frojan found easy as they launched themselves off the tree with the typical grace of their less intelligent cousins.


    I could offer no comment or condemnation that I thought she would accept so I put out my hands in a lifting motion to take her down myself. She glared at me but looked back down over the log and rolled her gold eyes with a sigh before walking over to me. I scooped her up in a single motion and brought her down princess style with a whoosh of air as I took off, taking special care to brace her neck before I stuck the landing of my jump.


    She got down without a word, but at least gave a respectful nod before heading off to catch up with the Frojan. I followed behind them until we got to our destination. The forest surrounding this fort was still a field of stumps, but the field was only a few yards and the uneven troughs and peaks in the field meant we could just dig under the ground and aim the board after a few tries if we had too. In the little spot where we met the first time, there was now also several orcs with the rest of the poison barrels.


    ¡°Ah, there you are. We were told you would be here already?¡± a muscular orc with blond hair and a square jaw asked/accused.


    ¡°Testing thing. Thing is done. Now we try to poison human.¡± I responded as I strode forward with Cell landing beside me, carrying the barrel and board with his two over the shoulder arms.


    We used the barrel we brought with us to test the board and its enchantments out. It took a few tries, but it shot out the droplets with enough speed that I just needed to worry about the angles I would have to use. A half hour of more practice and I felt confident that I could get the trajectories right.


    The rest of the afternoon was spent doing the more laborious task, digging a few small tunnels just outside the wall and setting up good places to place the board while it did its work. The later task was mostly done by Cell since his head was small enough not to be noticed when it protruded from the ground to get out bearings. It was late afternoon when we finished.


    But we still had to wait for the night before risking our attack. Fortunately, the orcs intel seemed good since we saw no patrols on the roads or any humans aside from those that patrolled the top of the walls with bows leaving me with a good opportunity to get some rest. The sun set over the treetops as the stars finally pushed it back and took over the sky.


    ¡®Do you think enough people will be out for this to have any effect?¡¯ Salamede asked as she stood to my left as I rested against a log.


    ¡®They doubled the night watch according to the orcs. Even if we just get a few dozen men, it¡¯ll take a lot of extra manpower to tend to them and give them water from the diarrhea.¡¯ I responded as I roused myself from my nap.


    I got up from the log I had been leaning against and stretched before walking up to the tunnel in the ground we made and taking the plunge into the darkness below with the board swaddled in my left arm. A small flame in my right hand helped guide me through the tunnel with roots hanging down from the ceiling as I scooted along the tunnel floor. The small holes leading to the surface helped provide air and I felt the movement of wind increase when I came up to the larger hole I needed to use for the board.


    Below each larger hole was a barrel of poison and this first one came with a mug. I heard Cell coming up behind me. The vine doll squatted still as he waited for my instructions. Going over our plan, Cell stuck his mask and head out of the hole as I handed him the board. Cell would send me general impressions of where the poison was hitting after I handed him a mug of the liquid and he set it off. A few adjustments and he told me we were sending the droplets into the fort between the torches on the wall. I had shared Salamede¡¯s concern that there wouldn¡¯t be enough people out to have any effect but the sounds coming out of the fort told me a considerable number of craftsman were up seeing to the horses, house maintenance and we saw that they had doubled their night watch since they stopped their patrols.


    We repeated several more times at different locations with the only sign of us being there was an extinguished torch that accidently got a full blast of the poisonous droplets. After what felt like a few hours, we were finished. Coming back up and out of the hole, we came back into the trees with the orcs, Frojan, and Salamede eagerly waiting around me.


    ¡°Finished. We are tonight.¡± I said to the surrounding crowd.


    A silent cheer went through the orcs and Frojan, who mostly padded each other on the back and pumped their fists in the air.


    ¡°Go. Rest. Tomorrow morning, we take stone blasphemy. Tell Mor be ready¡± I proclaimed to the group. Another round of silent cheering went out before the groups turned and rushed through the underbrush and woods to give their reports.


    Finally, they all left except for my three people and Gula with her Frojan.


    ¡°So¡± Gula asked as she strode forward in the starlight that filtered in between the trees ¡°I guess you¡¯ll be finished soon.¡± Her face held a pained hesitation.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re near the end now. Thank you. For everything.¡± I said as I put a hand out.


    ¡°Thanks? I should be thanking you. You¡¯ve done more for me than anyone else ever has¡­I... Mor was talking with me earlier and it looks like I¡¯ll be getting this collar off in the next few days.¡± She said with a hint of trepidation as she took my hand.


    Gula was an orc. As such she was my sworn enemy as a human, but at this time, in this moment, I felt a profound sense of happiness for her.


    ¡°Excellent. It looks like we¡¯ll all be getting what we want.¡± I said as I shook her hand. She nodded with unshed tears of joy in her eyes and a smile that showed off the whites of her teeth even in the faint starlight.


    After that we all parted ways. Heading back to our original home with the craft to break down the fort¡¯s walls, I spent the night in a blissful sleep snuggled up against Salamede. The early morning came and after a hasty breakfast of oats, I was down on the foggy forest floor going over some instructions with Cell as he used the craft to break the Viper base walls while Salamede packed up our supplies. One way or another, we¡¯d have to leave after today. Either we got the information we needed and went out to get the people who started this whole mess, or we would be left in ignorance and move deep into the swamps or the mountains, where my pursuers would hopefully never dare follow.


    ¡®Remember Cell, put the mana crystals in the pouch in the side for the-¡® A sharp crack of breaking branches to my right drew my attention. I prepared my air gun, but the bushes rustled to reveal a rather sweaty dwarf.


    ¡°Ah, master mage.¡± The short black-haired dwarf with dreadlocks and sapphire blue eyes said. His red armor, edged with gold, had some dirt on it as did his small cape and the axe on his back. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking all over for you but miss Gula gave us the general direction you¡¯ve been coming from and we¡¯ve sent scouts all over. I come bearing dire news. This concerns your lady.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow behind my deer skull helmet but used the wooden coin to summon my friends. After a minute, Cell came out of the hole in between the bushes and Salamede came down from the tree tops, both dressed in their typical attire.


    ¡°Go on¡±. I told the dwarf as Cell stood to my right and Salamede my left.


    ¡°The lady¡¯s mother. There was an incident last night. Two mages came to her house and there was a fire. Our watcher can¡¯t be constantly present to oversee the house and didn¡¯t see what happened. All we know is that the house¡¯s front was set ablaze and all three were put too cells while the local law gets testimony and verifies accounts.¡± He said as quickly as he could.


    A sharp gasp to my right from Salamede made my heart ache.


    ¡°M-Mother?! We¡­ I need to go-¡°


    ¡°No. You-¡° I started.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving mother at the hands of some death cult!¡± Salamede said as she rounded on me in anger.


    The odds all said this was the necromancers doing and we didn¡¯t need any particular discussion to reach that conclusion. But we did need to discuss who to send to go deal with the problem. Cell was out of the question since he was the only one who could use the craft to bust down the Viper base door to let us in. Salamede would be at too big of a disadvantage since she had no magic and barely any battle experience.


    God damn.


    I¡¯m so close. I¡¯m so god damn close and then this happens. Just one more day and¡­


    No, no sulking.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to wait. The men in the fort adjacent to the Viper base will be crapping their guts out by now and the officers have probably guessed they or the Viper base is going to be attacked. If the Coalition leaders haven¡¯t already gotten the raven saying as much, they soon will. I¡¯ll go bust her out of the prison and bring her back here. You¡¯ll need to lead our part with the ¡®pandegos¡¯. Cell, bash down the front gate and do everything you can to keep Salamede safe, even if it means losing the commander.¡± I said with a firm tone.


    Salamede said nothing for a moment before coming forward and getting me in a hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Eli.¡± She said in a shaky voice before releasing me.


    ¡°And thank you, master dwarf. I will not forget the aid your people have rendered me.¡± I said with a light bow.


    ¡°I will tell Gashton of your gratitude.¡± He said before turning back around, taking a quick look at the hole in the bushes before leaving.


    I went back up to our platform and got my regular equipment from the pile of goods Salamede put together. Going in as a vine monster would draw too much attention and the water jet was actually better for cutting someone out of a prison cell. I stashed the tube over my back in the vines and put the armbraces and leather armor in a bag that I slung over my shoulder.


    As I was getting up, Salamede came up to the platform. She lifted up her mask and walked up to me, taking off my deer skull helmet. A deep kiss of exhilarating sweetness and a squeeze of her breasts lasted for a few seconds.


    ¡°Come back safe, Eli.¡± She said when she pulled away.


    ¡°You stay safe. And¡­ if it comes down to you or the commander. Get to safety.¡± I said as I put my helmet back on. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. I looked at her for a moment before looking out over the sun rising over the trees as the fog perished beneath its beams.


    What a beautiful start to a miserable day.


    I took off into the trees and headed north.

 Chapter 79: Chasing Ghosts

    Eli Pov


    _________________________________


    It was nightfall when I finally got the chance to move in on the jail.


    I was in the treetops by Holstead, the town designated for the families of the workers. From my position I could see the wooden palisade surrounding the town. The road leading up to it was totally empty and the streets were almost abandoned with the occasional patrolmen on horseback meandering the streets. Both gates to the town were open and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, the inns seemed to have more carriages than any of the times I had previously visited.


    The night acted as a cloak over everything while I struggled on whether or not to go in with my ¡®regular¡¯ gear or go in as my pandego persona. Thinking it over for a bit, I decided that having my more normal equipment could at least let me pass as one of the few random passerby that was seeing to one task or another, but having the deer skull and vine suit would draw every eye that ran across it. Leaving my suit high up in a tree, I then sat on the branch as I put on the leather booster pants with back piece, the tube, and the arm brace with the water jet.


    I made sure to wear a darker brown shirt and black pants, these clothes at least made sure I looked more like the local Guild members and wouldn¡¯t be as visible in the night as my typical white shirt. Shuffling down the tree, I came onto the forest floor and ran up to the section of the palisade wall closest to the jail, near the back end of the town on the right side. My feet crushed the dew laden grass as the starlight barely peeked out behind the clouds. If there had been a tower overlooking the field they would have spotted me immediately, but I was coming in from the woods away from any lights sources and the guards seemed more bored than anything else as they stood by the towns two main entrances.


    Coming up to the palisade, I did a quick mental calculation and jumped up to the top of the wooden wall. This wall was just a line of huge spike in the ground and had no platform behind it, which meant I had to grab the portion at the top that was between the meeting point of two of the logs. Getting on top I looked around and saw the street behind the long one-story block of a building that was the prison was empty. Using a wind spell to come back down, I landed with a mute thump and skulked up to the back of the building¡¯s grey stonework.


    Fortunately, this jail was a low-end holder and not meant to hold criminal masterminds or high profile inmates with the stringent security that came with such high profile tenants. Along the wall was a series of barred windows with iron bars in each that was too high for me to peek into and forced me to use small boosted jumps to quietly grab onto the iron bars and peek in on the occupants.


    Looking over the long rows of cells and the one opposite of them, I found a few local miscreants and one cell with a duo of grey cloaks who were both laying on the bench in their cell with nothing but their backs showing. These were obviously the two mages involved in the attack, but they weren¡¯t going anywhere right now and I needed to focus on finding Salamede¡¯s mother. It was the least that I owed her.


    When I got to the last cell and looked across the empty aisle to see nothing in the cell opposite of this room, I felt a stone drop in my stomach. Before deciding to potentially wake the whole town up with a mage brawl, I turned to go to Salamede¡¯s house to see if her mother was home. I went back over the palisade and donned my vine suit. Moving through the treetops, I eventually came back into the academy town. Staring out over the academy town with its now stone roads, huge white wall around the academy dorms and guards posted at various choke points, I decided that going through the main bridge wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    Coming around the bend of the river on what was from my perspective the right side, but had always been the left side as the world had been oriented on the academy outward, I used my vine suits enhanced jump to go out over the river and land behind my squat grey tower with vines around the exterior. Carefully hiding my vine suit among the ruins of the wooden tower behind my house, I strapped my regular suit with the tube, leather boosters and water jet back on with the helmet that had leather strips running down the eyes for the sound attack. The streets were mostly empty and a few times I ducked into alleys as guards moved past. Eventually I made it to my destination.


    The front of the house had the bare woodwork getting replaced with a tarp of cloth and several large boards used to replace the fronts burned shingling. Coming towards the front of the house, I saw a candlelight in the window towards the back of the first floor. In front of it was Salamede¡¯s mother going over several papers at the kitchen table.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be stressed out, more irritated than anything else. Since there didn¡¯t seem to be any immediate danger, I knocked on the door as I prepared several spells to go off at a moment notice. She saw me through the window and quickly got up and away from the kitchen table. Opening the door, she wasted no time as she held out the candle on a metal plate with a handle.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my daughter?¡± The small Kelton woman demanded, her white eyes showing irritation in her expression as her brown dress moved with a tapping foot below.


    ¡°In¡­ Are you safe? I was told you were attacked.¡± I responded, determined to keep this conversation quick and to the point.


    ¡°Bah! A couple of drunk idiots. Mages or not, ale makes fools out of all men. Those weapons my girl gave me came in handy though and the government is going to cover all the repairs and compensation for the suffering of a poor frightened old woman. I- Don¡¯t look at me like that¡±


    My eyes must have given away what I thought of the ¡®poor frightened old woman¡¯ bit through the holes in the iron shell.


    ¡°I will be fine but how is my daughter?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°In a dangerous situation. I will return to her as quickly as I can, but what were some random mages doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I thought that they might be connected to those people you were running from because they came here asking about you. When he started slurring his words and I noticed that the one in the back was staring at the door frame, I realized they were just idiots who knew you and promptly evicted them from my doorstep. Then one of them sprouted a tongue of flame and sprayed it over the front of the house. As nice as it is to talk about kicking two mages butts, what kind of danger is my daughter in?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°It would be safer for you to not know. What did the mages look like?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Two stooges. One with short black hair and a scar above his eye and the other was darker tanned with a scar along his jaw. Name was John.¡± She said.


    My breath stopped for a moment. Could she be talking¡­


    ¡°Thanks for your assistance. I promise to bring your daughter safe and sound¡± I said as I turned around and went out back into the street with the closing of the door behind me.


    Those two mages in the cell. I didn¡¯t want to risk getting caught interrogating them, but if one of them was who I thought they were... Losing no more time, I kept my mind on getting back to Holstead. When I put my vine suit on, it was particularly frustrating to have to spend so much time on getting the helmet right and the bits of regular clothing under the vines. Leaping over the river, I went back through the treetops. I ripped holes in canopy¡¯s and sent the occasional branch falling to the ground this time as I went full speed with no concern to the local trees.


    Coming back upon the town, I felt the sudden impulse to just jump straight into the jail with my full suit. Reason won out in the end and I took off the helmet with impatience coursing through every movement of my fingers. When I finally got back into my full ensemble with a dark brown and pants with the tube, water jet, and the booster with the leather pieces along my back, I headed down the tree and followed the same path I did less than an hour ago.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Peering inside, I saw the two laying on their hammocks, now laying face up. And sure enough, in the bed to the left lay the fort commander and in the right was the mage from the dock trials. I got down and I used a wind spell to deaden the noise of me cutting into the stonework. When I leaned over to start cutting int the wall, I felt a sharp prick in my back.


    ¡°Whoah there, you must be mighty eager to talk with my friends. Not often a fellow air mage is seen around these parts.¡± A female voice said behind me.


    I made a metal spell through my skin and pushed it at the point as I stood completely still. Not taking the risk, I immediately activated the spell.


    ¡°Uaghh!¡± A cry resounded behind me as the cracking of bone told me she didn¡¯t let go of the knife before I shoved it back with the spell. Whipping around I saw two female mages around the one nursing a broken wrist.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the blond to my left asked.


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. The knife just-¡° The rough looking brunette clutched at her hand for a moment before turning her brown eyes towards me.


    ¡°You! You¡¯re that fucker who killed Joren!¡± She said as scowls plastered the faces of the red head to my right and the blond to the left.


    They were going to the knives and swords at their sides as the possibility of a peaceful resolution closed.


    I threw up my right hand and cut the arm off the brunette as the hair thin line of water sliced through her arm like butter.


    ¡°Uaghh!¡± She cried as she fell back clutching at her stump.


    The right redhead conjured up an earth spell with her good arm as the blond summoned a fire spell while pulling out her sword. I dodged backwards while preparing to fire the lava tube at the blond. But before I could fire, the redheads earth spell went off. The soft rumble behind me told me she used her spell to bring the poorly made wall of the jail down on me.


    I tried to do an elongated jump sideways, but I couldn¡¯t move fast enough as the rough bricks fell on top of me in a thunderous crash. The sharp pain of stone falling on my back and head was the only thing that registered as I was forced to the ground. I covered my head as I was buried under a layer of brick and continually used a healing spell on myself.


    Looking around, all I saw was the crumbled stones with bits of the stars above me with flames peering out around some of the stones. As I processed the fact that I was being cooked to death in an oven, what stood out to me was the distinct pain of broken bone in my shoulder. Pushing through the pain, I started absorbing mana from the environment but halfway through healing the broken bones and summoning a few water constructs, the flames stopped.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Came the muffled cry from somewhere to my right.


    A sudden woosh of air caused all the flames to die out as the oxygen was sucked out around me. I saw a small gathering of leather boots and metal chainmail to my right as I took a last desperate gulp of the fleeting air and started the most useful spell I could think of. There was no sound now as the mages sucked out almost all of the air, but they needed mana to keep it going.


    Three water circles above my back indiscriminately sprayed water all over the surrounding stones as the water sizzled on the grey stones with none of their usual pops. The air I gulped down was running out even as the leather feet to my right pushed forward. Eventually, pinned under the several layers of stone and no way to stop their spells, I started gasping for air, but none would come to fill my lungs. I tried using my internal mana generation for a wind spell but before I could use it, the mana got sucked up into the mages spell through the stone.


    My lungs burned as the sensation of the heated stoned scorched my skin, my mind couldn¡¯t decide which agony it wanted to focus on as my limbs struggled against the stone coffin. There was a light popping sound that faintly registered as my vision faded and some noise that I couldn¡¯t process before it all faded to black.


    ¡°Stay and guard him!¡± A shout somewhere off to the right by the stones almost yelled. No, not the stones, the stone wall. Bolting awake, I felt faint pain all over my body and looked down to see I was wrapped in white bandages in a plain stone room on a regular wooden bed. The beams of light filtering in through the window just behind me said it was early morning as the gold beams of light played across the light oak floor. My first instinct to move was stopped when I found my hands strapped to the bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s fucking ass! Disembowel those mages if they try anything.¡± The voice, now registering as Tansen¡¯s, was coming from behind the closed oak door to the right.


    ¡°Ye-Yes sir!¡± A scared soldier responded.


    Then the door opened and Tansen walked through. His goatee and usually immaculate black hair showed a few nights of lost sleep even as his brown eyes displayed a strength of will that resembled either a demon or a determined saint. He now wore a white kimono with gold inlaid vines along the arms and his eyebrows shot up around the ridge running down his forehead.


    ¡°Ah, good. Nice to see you¡¯re awake Eli.¡± He said as he moved forwards and came to stand right by my bed.


    I had my face covered with some cloth bandages, but I made no attempt to keep the question out of my eyes, not just at my situation but the metal disk with four ridges that was in his right hand.


    Tansen took a deep breath before looking me in the eyes.


    ¡°The guards were given specific instructions to keep an eye out for you. When they came upon a smoldering pile of bricks, they managed to talk the mages back and get you to safety.¡± He said as he fingered the tester in an excited circle.


    ¡°Thank you, Tansen.¡± I said through the wraps around my jaw. What little skin I could see between the wraps said my body was pretty crisp. I wondered at the lack of pain but the dull movements of my head and general sense of numbness told me they must have used some kind of anesthetic.


    Tansen then walked out the door and quickly returned with a chair. But he stopped at the door to look to his left.


    ¡°Anyone tries to interrupt me aside from Aki, kill them.¡± Tansen said in a casual voice as he then moved forward, closing the door behind him before the sputtering guard could articulate his objection. Tansen walked forward, his goatee and sharp eyes showing no outward emotion as he placed the chair in front of my bed. But as he sat down in the chair, his gaze suddenly seemed to hold a heavy weight.


    ¡°Eli, do you know how these testers work?¡± He asked casually as he put it forward in his palm.


    ¡°No.¡± I said honestly. I had idly wondered at the item in question but staying alive took precedence over solving little nothing mysteries.


    ¡°They take in the ambient magic and force it into the mana pathways of the subject. This mana is then fed through a bit of monster skin that blocks the mana if the person whose body held that mana doesn¡¯t have its element.¡± He said like this was just another school lecture. A lecture on a subject I couldn¡¯t give any less of a shit about.


    ¡°Sure. Tansen, why-¡°


    ¡°Do you know why you, someone with all four affinities, were mistaken as a crafter?¡± Tansen said, his eyes betraying no emotion.


    Shit, he didn¡¯t hold back with that one. I prepared a few earth, fire and electric spells and held off using them even as the web of pain from spell overuse started aching. Tansen, however, seemed very casual as I took in the ambient mana.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re preparing a spell. My, my. Using so much ambient mana so quickly. You¡¯ll be a mighty force to be reckoned with.¡± Tansen said non-chalantly as he leaned back into his chair. Contrary to my expectations, he just continued talking.


    ¡°That battle at the docks. Men say a lot just before they die. Not in words but in their faces. And when you cut into Jorens neck when he was about to attack you with a water spell, his face said one word: How. It took me a while¡­ got led down a wrong path, but¡­¡± He then leaned forward and put the tester against an exposed section of my leg as it sucked in mana. After a few seconds, all four of the tester''s symbols filled with mana.


    I looked up to him with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°It took some digging, but I eventually figured out the problem. The regular testers, they check for the two circles with the most mana in them.¡± He took out another tester from the chest of his robe and put it against the same spot on my leg. It sucked in some mana but remained a dull tester with no sign of mana in its symbols. ¡°When you have all four elements, the two circles with the most mana is none. This was a mechanical error I had fixed.¡± He finished with a happy little smile as he showed off the two testers to me, the one brimming with mana in his right hand and the dead one in his left. But then he took a deep breath and looked at me with a stern gaze.


    ¡°Suffice it to say, it was quite a surprise when you ran off like that. May I ask what prompted you to ditch town like that?¡± He asked. Tansen sounded peaceful but his furrowed eyes said he would have loved to strangle me.


    ¡°I had enough.¡± I offered. Not a lie, but not the total truth.


    Tansen closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. He took a deep breath as the morning sun shined down from the window over him. He released his breath before he started talking again.


    ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter too much at this point since we can¡¯t¡­ Suffice it to say things are going to get very interesting around here. If you would stick to the story that you became a caster on your little escapade, that would help me immensely. And right now I¡¯m the only one whose going to be in your corner when it comes to Salamede.¡±


    Her name sent a stab of guilt through me. She was still out there fighting the good fight against my enemies while I laid in bed. The fact I could do nothing to help her only made that guilt more agonizing. Tansens voice interrupted my thoughts before I could wallow in my self-pity for too long.


    ¡°Things will be getting very interesting and we need to work out the details of our story once you¡¯re at full strength. Oh and in case you go back to your tower, I had to bust down the door when I was looking for you. But don''t worry, I had it replaced.¡± He said as he got up. Tansen then picked up the chair and walked out the door, leaving me to my thoughts.

 Chapter 80: Shadows Unmasked

    Salamede POV


    I watched as Eli took off into the woods as the early morning sun beat back the fog. Standing there for a moment, I snapped out of it and walked over the hole between the bushes. Cell came up behind me, his single magical eye betraying no emotion but his light pat on my left shoulder let me know he was worried about me.


    ¡°All right.¡± I said as I straightened my back. ¡°Time to get going. Eli is going to do all he can, and we should too.¡± Cell removed his hand and made his way over to the hole before dropping down into it. A faint rumbling and rhythmic stomping started as the ground shook. It stopped as a moment of pure silence hung over the woods, then with a thunderous crash, roots flew into the air as the dirt churned. Eventually, the wooden fingers of the golem lifted up through the dirt and into the air as the rest of the body came into view.


    The legs were two long logs each with several roots around the base to provide balance. Around the joints of the arms and legs were thick layers of interwoven vines that all had bits of Cells doll body attached to it for him to use it. While the arms were long tree trunks with thick fingers of oak, the main body was shaped more like a reverse rainfrop, not unlike the dwarf¡¯s golems. But the major differences were the head at the center that held the blank mask on the upper section while Cells actual head was on the lower section hidden amongst the joint vine structure for the legs, the metal core of his suit being hidden elsewhere in the body around the store of mana crystals used to power it when the ambient mana was absorbed. The other major difference was the sheer size of the thing as it lumbered over me.


    Eli spent a long time feeding it the mana to make it mobile, the mana requirement for making vines move was apparently far less than making it purely from wooden joints. Even with that, we needed to only move it sparingly as it was more than three times the size of a man and would quickly burn through the surrounding mana unlike its more efficient, man sized cousins. Cell started maneuvering the big thing through the trees as I went up above it with a huge thump announcing each landing of its feet.


    The patrols, both of soldiers and mages, had stopped but I wasn¡¯t about to take the chance. Eventually, we ran into a group of orcs who were coming by to see what the constant slamming was. The new ¡®body¡¯ for cell was about the size of my two-story house and almost as wide. As such, Eli made no attempt to make it stealthy and let the racket of huge stomping go off uninhibited. Some of the orcs coming around the trees went pale when they saw it but stopped drawing their bows when I came below near the top of the golem.


    A few quick nods and they scurried back.


    Eventually we made it to the camp. We got some stares from the Frojan as we came into the clearing, but oddly the orcs would switch their stares between us and an orc in the middle of the crowd of green skin to the left. At the center, was a tall orc with red flowing robes, a white underdress and beautiful blond hair had been looking at us as we cleared the trees and came into the clearing. Her sharp cheek bones and golden eyes were almost royal looking as the surrounding orcs watched her with rapt attention.


    ¡°Ah, our new allies.¡± This new orc called as she moved through the crowd of reverent faces. None so reverent, I noted, as Gula¡¯s. Her face was one of abject worship as she stood off to the left away from the group and promptly looked to the ground and scurried back as the blond orc came forward.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, you don¡¯t match the descriptions I was given.¡± The blond orc said with a hesitant look towards the lumbering behemoth behind me.


    ¡°Other is gone. We bring finish to joberzz¡± I fumblingly said as I tried to imitate the Pandego tongue.


    ¡°Ah,¡± The blond orc said in return before turning around towards the cave. ¡°Mor! How long until we can set out?¡±


    The muscular orc came from the table under the slab of stone and bowed before this new orc.


    ¡°We need at least twenty minutes before the next rotation of Frojan come in, Lady Borba.¡± The general said servilely.


    ¡°Good.¡± Borba said before walking off back towards the cave with the general. I moved a little bit closer to Gula and started a spirit connection with her as the crowd of orcs moved off with the object of their adoration.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked. Gula gave a slight start but didn¡¯t react afterwards.


    ¡°Borba!¡± She said excitedly.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me anything Gula.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. She¡¯s was a local legend. Sired from a fire mage from the phoenix empire whose mother was of such charm and temptation she got the child from him willingly.¡± A burst of flame to my right drew my gaze. Borba had sent a ball of fire over the boulder of the cave she was entering and hit a bird that fell to earth. Another orc scampered forward to retrieve her meal as I turned back towards my conversation. Gula¡¯s gold irises in her black spheres shined with fresh devotion.


    ¡°Great.¡± I moaned as I resisted the urge to rub my head.


    It took a while, but as I laid on top of the wooden golem, the group of Frojan finally arrived just before mid-day.


    ¡°Humans alpha.¡± I shouted as the group came into the clearing. ¡°We get.¡±


    Mor and Borba nodded in satisfaction.


    Our preparations complete, our mini army headed out. I travelled through the trees, the noise of untold footsteps getting louder and louder as the bands of orcs came scurrying in from their patrols or previous positions. But through all that noise, it was overwhelmed with each concussive step of the wooden golem. The plodding mountain of wooden power was given a wide berth by the Frojan and orcs, either from fear of getting stepped on or because the sound became an almost physical blow when right next to it.


    The Viper base came into view through the forest as I stopped on a tree with the main entrance directly ahead. The men at the top of the walls were preparing burning oil barrels and the archers all had their bows to hand, the stomping of the golem having long since warned them of our arrival. Still, the shouts and screams along the walls said they still weren¡¯t prepared when the lumbering golem moved out into the small clearing. Even the immense size of the golem was dwarfed by the walls of grey brick work with only the simple tower in the middle peering out above the rest of what must have been a small towns worth of people. It rested on a slightly raised bit of land with a moat of spike running around the perimeter. The only way in was the drawbridge, now lifted up with its dark oak and thick iron bands having some dents and scratches from the orcs previous efforts.


    The rest of our army now filtered out of the trees, but Cell waited for no one as the giant lumbering form gave a mighty step, then another until it built up a heavy run. It put out its hand as the arrows from the panicked defenders pelted it. On the section of the moat leading up to the gate, a faint rumbling and pulling of the earth was seen as the hard-packed dirt shifted from the familiar¡¯s spell even as his pace increased. Earth folded and twisted like something between sludge and water as the land gradually shifted into a bridge that lead up to the gate.


    The defenders screamed and yelled but their arrows did no good. These were the last of the bandit forces here and their lack of training became obvious as the cauldron on the left side tipped too early, pointlessly spilling onto the ground just as Cell came up to the gate. His momentum maintained, he kept up the sprint right into the gate and sailed through it with a deafening crack and wail as the iron bands twisted and buckled under his weight.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going.¡± Mor yelled somewhere below on my left as the pounding and screaming beyond the ruined gate carried even this far.


    ¡®Idiot!¡¯ I scolded myself, having just idly sat in the treetops while Cell did all the work.


    A wave of green skin, arrows, and water blades rushed over the field. I took aim at the men working the remaining cauldron, its top showing smoke from the heated tar within. I took the man working the winch to tip it in the shoulder. He fell down with a scream that didn¡¯t carry over the loud clanging, whooping, and stomping as the orcs and Frojan approached the fort. Even that cacophony of noise was overruled by the loud crashing and thumps coming inside the fort from Cell fighting on in the golem.


    I took a few more shots at the men trying to work the cauldron, which succeeded when they all dropped their tools and ran from the black iron bowl. Now relatively unopposed, the orcs and Frojan surged forward into the breach. Dropping down from my tree, I slammed into the ground as my leather boots deadened the impact and sprinted off towards the battle.


    Eli¡¯s high speed on the ground wasn¡¯t something I had quite mastered, but I still came into the fray at the speed of a galloping horse amongst the orcs and Frojan who now surrounded me as I zipped past them. The maelstrom of noise blotted out all distinct sound as the endless screams, shouts, and clang of metal drowned out even my own thoughts when I came over the earthen bridge and into the fort proper. There were two warehouses in the middle by the tower and long rows of crude barracks buildings around the perimeter of the walls with a few bunkhouses in-between.


    On my right and left were two wide stone staircases leading up to the wall. But they were both blocked off with a sea of green flesh as the Frojan mages stayed on the rough dirt floor, flinging spells at the men and the few grey cloaked mages dispersed throughout the battle. Looking away at the occasional bandit or orc who fell off the walls, near the center was the wide wooden golem with scorch marks and stone spears sprayed all over its back like hair. A large wooden hand crashed through the second story of a crude bunkhouse with the mangled corpse of a mage coming out of the flying wreckage.


    Jolting out of my stupor, I ran past and over dying orcs, Frojan, and men towards a group of three mages who were attacking the golems backside with fire and stone blades. Before I could line up a shot, two large fireballs shot out to my left and crisped two of the mages into burnt husks without any chance to even scream. The third, a black haired woman who had been preparing a stone spear, took my bullet in the gut. Her pain ended when the keeled over woman was stepped on by the golem with a sickening crunch. Borba had a look of triumph on her almost royal features, with a few wisps of smoke flowing from her two hands. She stood there with the wind flowing over her red robes as a moment of silence cut through the madness. After a few seconds, the humans finally realized what they were looking at and went beserk. All the mages abandoned their positions on the walls and buildings to charge her at the center in blind fury at this blasphemy against their species.


    The tide of angry mages sent a tendril of panic up my spine. My survival instincts kicking in, retreated to the safety of the mob of Frojan and orcs. The mass of grey cloaks pushed forward, with only a few staying behind to contend with the large wooden monster. A flight of arrows from the archers on the wall was blocked with walls of water as the contest reached a fever pitch. I hung back in the crowd being jostled as orcs and Frojan rushed forward to replace their fallen fellows. The surrounding sea of bloody faces and screams made the world whirl as I got in shots in between the water shields.


    I was faintly aware of a loud crashing as the wooden mountain that was Cells golem crushed a mage underfoot and took a lance of flame in the side. It was pandemonium as the humans rushed headlong at Borba and Cell made it impossible for a solid battle line to form as he ran and stomped about. A storm of stone spikes, fireballs and water blades pummeled our position as orcs raised small shields and Frojan summoned more water barriers in front of us.


    ¡®I¡¯m a maid, I have no business being here!¡¯ I thought to myself as I continued shooting into the mob of human mages, taking them wherever I could land the hit without shooting my own side. The smell of blood choked my nostrils as the sense of being squeezed on the crowd threatened to overwhelm my thoughts. It was only when I took a retreating mage in the back that some primal instinct told me victory was near. This feeling was also felt in those around me as the Frojan and orcs got looks of renewed confidence.


    The crowd rushed forward in a messy melee, overrunning the human¡¯s positions on the wall and chasing them to the back end of the fort. It was all a bloody mess as I tried to reorient myself. I was in the back near the gate entrance with the crowd thinning as my ¡®allies¡¯ surged forward. Leaning into the wall, I looked down to catch my breath.


    ¡®The commander!¡¯ I cursed to myself. The frenzied need to survive was wearing off as I remembered why I came here. Pushing through the crowd, I came up to the golem now laying face down as its body had chunks blown out of it with large scorch marks peppered everywhere. Down below its front, the vines started moving and shifting as Cells vine body detached itself from the spent wreckage. His movements seemed sluggish as his body reformed, like the body had no energy- the mana. The ambient mana must be just about gone.


    ¡°Stay here, I¡¯m going to get with Mor¡± I told him. He offered no resistance and sat his vine butt down as he shifted the metal core into place beneath the green muscles. I started walking past him only to look down and see blood splattered along my vines. A quick moment passed before I pushed down my revulsion and moved forward again.


    There were bodies of all three species scattered about, with the injured being tended too, or put down. I turned the corner on one of the Bunkhouses and to my left was the back end of the fort. There the humans made their last stand in a bunk house built up against the wall. Borba was launching fireballs at the building with a look of vicious blood lust on her face and in every swing of her arm.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I called. The orcs and Frojan all pulled back as I came forward and I saw a few bandit faces peering out from the bunk house windows.


    Borba was breathing heavily and her golden irises seethed with blood lust but she took a deep breath and crossed her two arms into her sleeves as I came up to her.


    ¡°Where is the commander?¡± I demanded.


    Her blond eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°Damn, I forgot about the curse. Mor! Find the commander.¡± She barked off behind her. The Frojan launched water balls at the burning building as Mor sent out people to interrogate survivors. It took a few minutes, but eventually Mor¡¯s people came back with an answer.


    ¡°Dead! How- was humans alpha killed?¡± I demanded, remembering the grammar I was supposed to be using at the last second.


    ¡°Got caught up in the melee when the giant Pandego crashed through the gate.¡± Mor said placatingly.


    Shit. I stood there for a moment trying to think of something. Eli was doing his part and I needed to deliver on mine, even if it was his familiar who delivered the killing blow.


    ¡°Where is humans alpha¡¯s den?¡± I asked Mor.


    The brawny orc with short black hair looked up at the tower.


    ¡°The prisoners told me her office was at the top. It¡¯s been cleared but I¡¯ll send someone with you just in case.¡± Mor said scanning over the crowd.


    ¡°I will go with them¡± A voice to my far left said. I recognized Gula standing in the field amongst some other bloody orcs and Frojan. She was bloody but how much of it was hers and how much was her enemies was hard to tell.


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Borba said as she strode towards Gula. The orc in black leather armor bowed her head and kept her face down as Borba approached.


    ¡°You did well, shamed. Or should I say, former shamed.¡± Borba lifted Gula¡¯s head up with a single finger around the choker and summoned a small bar of flame through it. Gula¡¯s golden eyes went wide, her vertical scar across the left eye and horizontal scar across the nose stretching as the black leather band fell to the churned mud. Her jaw trembled as her golden eyes held back tears.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I..uh thank¡­ um¡± Gula stammered.


    ¡°You know Borba¡± Mor said as the muscular orc strode forward. ¡°There was a procedure for doing that.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± Borba waved away the objection like a fly ¡°You¡¯d think the world turned on their papers with how the old coots go on and on about procedure. So, what should we do now, Pandego?¡±


    ¡°Finish the rest of the bandit holdouts while den izz searched. Then leave so I can get rid of ritual sight.¡± I said as I turned towards the tower. Gula was star struck but she did her duty and left the object of her worship to accompany me. Moving towards the central tower, two orcs were guarding the wooden door with iron bands but to their left was Cell, the ambient mana apparently recovered enough to allow him to move, even if his movements were a little janky.


    Going through the door, I came into a welcoming area with plain wooden floors and bare grey stone walls. To my left was the staircase, which I walked up. Coming through various floors that stored arrows, food, armors, and towards the upper floors, tables with various reports and papers strewn about. On every floor was bodies, orc or human, typically in small piles at the choke points of the stair entrances or in places where the occupants had tried to hide.


    Finally reaching the top floor, the staircase ended with the splintered remains of what had been a door. The room was actually well furnished with a plush red carpet, a comfy looking couch to the left, a good oak desk directly ahead that was facing the stairs. Looking around, there was no trace of blood or struggle and as I turned to the right, I saw another door that was smashed in that lead to what looked like a bedroom.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Gula called behind me. She moved forward and drew her sword.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, my ears perking up in the mask.


    ¡°There¡¯s a very small chord in front of the do-¡° The hard twang of a cross bow going off to my left interrupted her. I felt a sharp cut in my side as I turned towards the desk. A bandit was throwing away the cross bow and pulled out a sword as he came from behind the desk. He ran up to me as I staggered back but Gula got in between us. I started the healing function as I tried working the bolt out of my side. Fortunately, the bolt head wasn¡¯t barbed and came out with little effort as my flesh reformed over the wound.


    Cell was trying to move through the door frame, but the bandit took a wild swing at Gula, who responded with a quick jab through the chest. When he pulled back and clutched at the wound, Gula took off his head with a clean swipe of her blade.


    We all stood there breathing heavily for a moment as Cell moved up to the desk.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I told Gula.


    ¡°Well I guess we¡¯re even now.¡± Gula said casually.


    ¡°How do we test this trap? I assume he reset it after the orcs left but I don¡¯t know what it will do.¡± I asked my two companions. After a moment, Cell went over to the window and stuck his head out for a moment. Then he disappeared as I heard him move along the wall outside, this continued in a constant beat until I faintly heard him along the outside wall of the room and then louder when he went through what I guessed was a window on the rooms right.


    After another long moment, there was a crunching sound after which Cell stepped through the door frame and over the now slack string. In his vine hands was a board and a hinge that would have made it fall on the intruder.


    ¡°Not the deadliest trap.¡± Gula remarked as she walked beside the rooms frame to peer inside.


    Cell held the board out the window and pressed on a small indent that would have touched the hinge. A whirl wind of stone blades and flame shout out along the board for a solid second before the enchantment spent all of its mana.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Was Gula¡¯s reply, her green face now a bit paler.


    ¡®All right¡¯ I told my two companions in a spirit connection. ¡®I need¡­ something. Some piece of paper, a report, or a map. Just anything that might give us an idea of who ordered a raid on the academy town several weeks back.¡¯


    Gula raised an eyebrow at the instructions but dutifully went to her task.


    We spent what felt like hours browsing the drawers of the desk, the stacks of reports in the main room and all of their contents for any trace of what I was looking for, having had to stop for a lunch sometime during the mad search. Eventually I felt that I was running out of places to inspect so I sent Cell and Gula to look over the secretary rooms below. After another hour or two, I checked the last few papers in the last drawer in the desk and was going to head down the staircase to look for any reports on the order to kidnap Eli that I needed when one last desperate thought occurred to me. Walking over to the plush green bed against the far wall of the bedroom, I looked under it and nearly pulled away after a brief look.


    But while the various shoes were the only thing I registered at first, my eyes made out a small chest near the middle. Pulling it out and onto the bed, I opened it and was greeted with letters and things that had the clean precision of official documents. I read over some but then I got to one with Eli¡¯s name near the top. Excited I read over the order, but a stone dropped into my stomach as I read further. Bile came into my throat as the words washed over me, but I pushed on, forcing myself to take in the deluge of information.


    A sense of fury over came me, not at the Coalition, not at the orcs, but at Eli. I slammed the chest shut and picked it up as I tucked it into my vines.


    Coming down the stairs, I saw Cell and Gula looking through some desks.


    ¡°I found it.¡± I announced.


    Their heads perked up.


    ¡°Good.¡± Gula said. She walked up to me and over the papers scattered around the floor. ¡°So, is this goodbye?¡± She asked, a note of trepidation.


    I took a moment to make sure none of the anger came out into my voice.


    ¡°Yes. I hope we¡¯ve left your life better than when we met.¡± I said.


    ¡°Better? I got my collar off. That loathsome piece of leather is gone. And it was Borba who removed it.¡± Gula said with an affectionate rubbing of her neck. Her eyes glazed over, clearly reliving that moment again before she snapped out of it.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve made my life so much better¡± Gula said, her voice cracking at the end.


    ¡°Good, good. I¡¯m glad we made someone¡¯s life better. Tell Mor to wait an hour and the ¡®curse¡¯ should be gone.¡± I said as I motioned Cell to follow. We made our way down and out the door. Without another word, we sprinted out of the ruins as teams of Frojan had started taking down the left side wall. The sun had now nearly fully set and there was no way I was going to risk moving all of our stuff in the pitch black of the night.


    After a while, we arrived back at our little corner of the world and settled down for the night, a fitful, uneasy thing as my stomach churned with images of dead soldiers and oceans of blood. Come morning with a quick breakfast of granola, we gathered up all our things, both from the vine mini house and the wooden platform and headed home. Cell seemed to sense my anger and meekly followed me along as we moved through the woods with several bags of holding and the regular bag holding the copper sphere in tow. As the sun reached its mid-day height, we came up to the stone troll nest and moved the boulder out of the way to allow us into the tunnel. Back in familiar territory, I got into in my green dress and had Cell keep himself hidden under my dress after he unsealed the hatch leading into the main floor.


    Coming out of the tower, I jogged towards my home and saw the front of the building taken off with a few makeshift boards taking the place of the sturdier thick oak beams that had been there previously. Knocking on the door, I eventually heard footsteps behind the dark oak door. The sound of a latch being pulled back and the door opened to reveal my mother in a plain brown dress


    ¡°Sal-¡°


    I rushed forward and hugged the small Kelton woman.


    We stood in the doorway for a moment just taking in each other¡¯s presence. Finally, she pulled back and looked me up and down.


    ¡®Been a long time, stranger.¡¯ She said in a spirit connection as I moved through the doorway.


    ¡®Has Eli been here?¡¯ I asked as I took in the old place with newfound appreciation.


    ¡®Yeah, but he¡¯s at the academy hospital right now.¡¯ She said casually as she made her way towards the kitchen table and sat down in a chair.


    ¡®What?!¡¯ I squeaked.


    I sat down across from her as she proceeded to explain Eli¡¯s arrival, him running off to get the original fort commander john who was apparently here now, and how she saw that he had been rushed into the hospital late last night.


    ¡®What about his suit?¡¯ I asked her, feeling like I wanted to throw up as I dreaded the coming answer.


    ¡®Suit? He had a few burned rags on, nothing more.¡¯ she responded.


    If he didn¡¯t have the deer skull on, then he must have stashed it somewhere to get into the jail.


    ¡®Can I see Eli?¡¯ I asked mother desperately.


    ¡®Yes. You should be able to, if what the receptionist told me was true.¡® Mother responded while she leaned against the table.


    I started a connection with Cell.


    ¡®You need to get into the vine suit again and look around the forest between here and Holstead. We cannot, under any circumstances, let them find that suit. If you¡¯re found out they¡¯ll think the pandegos are here, but if they find that suit it¡¯ll be too easy to put together Eli¡¯s arrival with its appearance. To say nothing of any number of other problems it could cause. I¡¯ll talk to Eli then come find you.¡¯ I half mind screamed at the familiar.


    ¡®Mother, I need to go. I¡¯ll be right back.¡¯ I said as I practically jumped up from the chair and ran out the door. Once I was back in the rough stone room of the tower basement, Cell took off down my dress. The sound of rustling vines behind me said he was getting the vine body ready to go. Not wasting any time, I rummaged through the bags of holding around the central pillar with the mana lamp re-installed. Eventually, I found the small chest and took out the choice pieces of paper. The anger I got from the contents of these pieces of paper felt like a physical heat against my body as I put them in my dresses pocket.


    Cell went off down the darkened tunnel as I made my way up the steps. Closing the hatch behind me, I went over to the academy. I took the path leading along the sheer face of the white wall of seamless stone and came through the front entrance, only faintly registering the fine embroidery of leafy gold and fine white textures that could only be of dwarven craft. Going through the crowd of white and blue striped student robes and scurrying workers tending to horses or packages of goods, I went to the left towards the hospital with the stair entrance by the stable of carriages. It was similar to the dorms in that it was a sturdy wooden structure put up right against the wall. The long line of windows on the second and third floors were filled with concerned families, little children peering out, or open to the air.


    As I went up the grey stone of the stairs and through the oak doors, several nurses raised an eyebrow at me but made no comment. Walking across the smooth oak floor, I came up to the wide reception desk and bothered one of the unoccupied receptionists. She directed me down the hall to the left and up a staircase to the second story with guards in front of the room. Following her directions, often times jostling between doctors and visiting loved ones in the crowded hall, I turned right and stopped when I saw the room with two guards in front of it.


    Walking up to the guards, I made sure to keep an even tone when I spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m Salamede, here to visit Eli.¡±


    ¡°Do you know a Salamede?¡± The guard to the right called into the room.


    ¡°Yes, let her in.¡± Eli¡¯s voice called from inside. The guard fully opened the door and ushered me in. The window directly across from the entrance was open but my gaze immediately went to the man on the bed to my right. He was a mess of bandages that had the occasional bit of burned skin exposed around the restraints that kept him perfectly still on the bed. The mix of anger and concern the image prompted left me still long enough for Eli to react first. His head lifted up, and his purple eyes looked at me with a question but I was determined to start the conversation.


    ¡®Where is your vine suit? I sent Cell to look for it. And what happened to you?¡¯ I asked him in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Mages saw me breaking into the jail and we had a disagreement. What about you? Did you get the commander?¡¯ He asked eagerly.


    ¡®No.¡¯ I said bitterly as I took the letters out of my dress pocket and shoved the contents in his face. ¡®But I found this.¡¯


    His eyes scanned the pages, his eyebrows beneath the bandages furrowing further and further as he read the order detailing the Coalitions efforts to hand him off in a raid to Maw, and the other showing further efforts to conscript him to hand him over to the gang leader. The final paper was a rough note saying the censure was a scheme to help along this plan.


    ¡®They sold me out.¡¯ Eli said with a surprisingly calm whisper. ¡®Those fuckers sold me out for some quick and easy deal with a drug lord.¡¯


    ¡®They¡­ What about those soldiers, Eli! What¡­ what did we kill all of those people for?¡¯ I demanded.


    ¡®Fuck them!¡¯ He snarled back before adopting a more reserved tone. ¡®I had every reason to fear for my life. The fact that their little scheme came back to bite them is no one¡¯s fault but their own.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, is that what we¡¯ll tell their widows and orphans?¡¯ I snapped at him. ¡®How very touching! That will help me sleep better tonight.¡¯ Tears that I didn¡¯t realize were there started rolling down my eyes as the horror of the past few days came back, made all the sharper by the complete pointlessness of it all.


    ¡®What did you make me do?!¡¯ I screamed at him through the connection before I turned and stormed off towards the door. But when I turned, I saw three grey cloaked mages in front of the guards staring at them with equal parts contempt and menace.


    ¡°Move, mundanes! We have business with that man.¡± The brunette said, her rough squat face showing clear irritation in her green eyes as she rubbed her right arm done up in bandages.


    ¡°Ma-Ma¡¯m we have orders from the academy head. No one besides friends and the academy head or his personal assistant.¡± The guard to the left said, with sweat running down his face and brown mustache.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t asking.¡± A red head to the right said, looking nonchalant as she fingered the dagger at her hip.


    Coming through the door, I pushed past the three women.


    ¡°Watch it, goat.¡± The brunette snarled as I moved between her and the guard to leave.


    ¡°Watch it yourself, ugly crone!¡± I retorted, instantly regretting the words as they left my mouth. Maybe it was my emotional exhaustion or maybe it was the fact I had killed so many of her kind that left me less cautious than I should have been.


    The brunette¡¯s green eyes went wide for a moment before I saw something snap in her. As I tried to back off down the hall, she tripped me up and drew her dagger up to my neck.


    ¡°Bell!¡± The blond snapped.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The brunette screamed as she turned us around towards her companions in front of the doorway with the surrounding crowd pulling back. ¡°First that crafter takes off my arm now a goat woman shits on me. I didn¡¯t go through all that training just so-¡° A shadow fell over us as I felt her hand pull away. I scurried forward and looked back to see the bandaged Eli standing over the woman, his skin now fully healed. He held her arms in place as the mid-day sun faintly shined through the window over them. Eli looked her in the eyes with an expression not unlike a snake meeting a chick in its nest as he held her in place. But before anyone could say anything, a red glow engulfed the woman where she touched Eli.


    Her eyes went wide as she struggled against him, but she seemed weaker now as her tan skin grew taught and her muscles seemed to wane. The surrounding crowd yelped in panic while the two guards tightened their grips on their swords even as they also scooted back.


    ¡°Stop. Please.¡± She pleaded as her knees wobbled, and her skin began to get bloody cracks.


    The blond drew her dagger and threw it at Eli. It stopped midair and wobbled around before it turned back towards its owner.


    ¡°Eli!¡± I pleaded. He turned to me with a sense of¡­ something in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t make out what his exact emotions were but the fact he stopped meant he was still open to listening to me.


    ¡°Please. Enough.¡± I said with a tremble in my voice. He took a deep breath then released it as the dagger fell to the ground while the red glow of what must have been a malicious healing spell dissipated. Everyone in the hallway, the doctors who had stopped dead in the middle of their visits, the nurses holding bloody blankets and medicinal supplies, and the visiting families all stopped in mid motion to look at Eli.


    ¡°Please, let her go. Have we not done enough?¡± I said in a low tone.


    He nodded and released her, throwing the weakened woman into the arms of her two companions.


    ¡°Bother me again, and I will not be so forgiving.¡± He said coldly before turning to me. He did a light bow before he spun around and went back into the room with a slam of the door. There was no audible noise for a long moment until the red headed mage spoke up again, her green eyes wide as saucers and skin going paler by the second.


    ¡°Metal¡­ and healing? That¡­ that all four. Wha-¡°


    ¡°Come on,¡± The blond mage said as she started moving her friend and supported her weakened comrade along the hallway. ¡°We need to get out of here.¡±


    A chorus of whispers rose up as I turned back and went down the hallway to leave. Going out the front of the academy, I went back to Eli¡¯s tower and went through the door. I was faintly aware that it was a darker oak than before, but I paid no attention to that niggling thought as I went back into the basement. I got my vine suit back on and, after some effort wiggling the boulder out of place, I was back up in the trees as the mid-day sun still hung high in the sky.


    Looking back and forth between Holstead and the academy. I eventually heard a cracking sound off to my left as I leapt through the trees. Some branches were curling now as Necrosis began to set in, but the branches were all still thick and protruding enough to support my weight as I immediately changed direction towards what sounded like carnage. Coming through the trees, it took only a few minutes before I heard the cracking of tree and what sounded like thunder.


    I came upon a path of toppled, burnt, and cut trees. The ground around them was twisted like the earth thought it was water at some point but resumed its natural hardness. Just ahead was the source of the carnage, a pile of vines shaped into muscles as it frantically hit the now empty ground around it. Cell¡¯s vine body was getting ripped apart as waves of stone blades emanated from every blow in the earth from his hunched over form. There were alternating waves of embers and mists coming from his actual body that got blasted out further from gusts of wind.


    I got closer and noticed the iron core was now mishappen and had badly distorted into bits of metal along the mid-section of the body.  Sending out a spirit connection, I connected with the familiar. A wave of pure rage surged through the connection. Taken aback by the sudden surge of emotions, I pushed through the tide of fury even as it sent the fur on the back of my neck raised straight up and tried to consul him.


    ¡®Cell! Calm down! This racket is going to draw attention!¡¯ I yelled through the connection, hoping to pierce through this bramble of emotions. I felt a change in the emotions as it drew down to a simmer while the vine body stood up


    ¡®Cell. We can¡¯t take any risks at this point. We¡¯ll just have to trust that Eli hid the vine suit well enough. I-¡® Cell sent me some images through the connection. A splinted deer skull beneath him with the vines of Eli suit around it. Nestled in the dirt was the mechanical portion of the suit with some distortions in the copper sphere and air gun. An involuntary sigh of relief escaped my lips as I looked down from my perch to the ground below.


    ¡®All right, take it and go through the river and back towards the tower.¡¯ I said encouragingly, like he was a small child. A moment passed as the vine mass started moving off further ahead towards the river. I did the same, going over the river at a point where two large trees touched. Coming back into the tower through the troll¡¯s nest, I waited until Cell came back through the grotto entrance in the river. After just a few minutes, the boulder amongst the sharp jutting slabs of stone shifted and I came forward into the stone passage.


    As I arrived at the basement pillar, I put my regular dress back on and laid my vine suit across the cold stone floor. It occurred to me that I may not ever come back down here. The anger at Eli was still there, but that was no reason to take it out on Cell. I looked over towards the small pile of vines that was Cell as he finished pulling Eli¡¯s ruined vine suit out of the grotto and looked over my way. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°We¡¯re safe now, Cell. I¡¯m not sure where we will stand after today but know that I care for you. No matter what happens between me and your partner.¡± I said.


    Cell gave a sad nod as I turned to leave the tower.

 Chapter 81: The End and The Beginning

    Eli POV


    I sat back down in the bed as the mid-day sun filtered over the floor from the window?with the sound of the retreating mages still coming through the?hallway. All I could think about was the pain, struggle, and exhaustion I had put?myself and Salamede?through. Then regret. My feelings on the people we had killed was a bit more nuanced than what I had told Salamede.


    Salamede.


    Few things in this world hurt as much as seeing those we care for cry. One of them is knowing you made them cry.


    ¡®Focus¡¯ I told myself, pushing aside my feelings?and getting up off the bed.?This wasn¡¯t the necromancers doing, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can just?go on like they couldn¡¯t still out?there,?and?I had somewhere I needed to be if I wanted to put this menace to rest. Looking under the bed, I saw a fair white shirt and brown pants with a crude pair of leather shoes.


    Strumming my fingers on the bed, I decided that?I¡¯ll keep my internal mana generation a secret going forward. That was too good of a card to give away right now.


    I picked up the clothes and several gold and silver coins spilled out. Money. It had been so long since I had been concerned with such an ordinary thing. Scooping up my forgotten wealth,?I took out a sheet from the bed and cut out a piece?with a stone shard?into a bandanna, which I wrapped around my face. Heading out the door, the two guards looked my way for a brief moment?but quickly?turned?away as I made my way out of the room. A few frightened doctors and nurses in white gowns pulled back as I moved through the hallway down to the bottom floor as people tried their best to not get in my way. As I came into the main entrance, the crowd obstructed me again as people who hadn¡¯t seen my performance in the hallway paid me no attention.


    ¡°Oh, mister Eli. What¡­¡± A confused nurse by the reception desk looked me up and down. She was a?brown-haired?woman with pudgy features who had tended to me during my recovery period, her brown eyes not quite believing what they were seeing.


    ¡°I healed myself.¡± I responded in a bored tone as I walked out the front door. The coming and going of various peasants, nobles, and medical staff now clogged the stair way as people with bite marks and scratches came in. Paying them no mind, I headed down to the marketplace with the dwarves, the only people who could do business with me.


    Going up to the largest forge tent with more subdued reds and purples, I?saw?multiple furnaces in the back smoking away?as?their caretakers?put?in various ores and?took?out red hot bars?below a canopy of hammers, pincers, and gloves. The proprietor of the establishment came forward?with a quizzical look in his face of emerald eyes and long greying beard.


    ¡°What can I get you this fine day?¡± He asked as he wiped some sweat from his brow and rubbed it across his leather apron.


    ¡°Bars of iron, copper, aluminum, and steel.?Oh, and a few leather bags.?I can provide payment upon arrival to my house and may come back for more depending on how many you give me.¡± I?finished.


    He looked at me for a moment and?then?around?at the rest of the empty wooden table that served as the?tent¡¯s?reception area. We were entirely alone as the mid-day rush was more for the tents with meals and confections, items still in heavy demand from the local nobles and rich merchants.


    ¡°Steel I can probably get for you late tomorrow. Shall we be molding them into some shapes for you, sir c-rafter?¡± He said meekly.?His?green eyes gave him away though, as did the slight hitch in the last word.


    ¡°No. I will be using my own metal magic.¡± I responded in a casual tone.


    The?dwarf¡¯s?hardy features portrayed no emotion aside from the slight raising of the right eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s time then?¡± He asked in a simple quiet tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± I tried to respond in a casual tone, but the feral grin on my face that no doubt showed in my eyes gave away the excitement.


    ¡°As you command, grand caster.¡± He responded with a bow and walked off to the back and started barking orders.?I left and went to get some cotton from another dwarven merchant and paid with some silver.


    Heading out of the marketplace, I headed back towards my tower. Along the way I noticed that my typical minders hadn¡¯t bothered continuing stalking me.


    All the better. A man needs some privacy now and then.


    Coming up to my home, the squat ugly thing looked dilapidated, but I knew it had the bones for something greater. I?went through the door Tansen had replaced and down into the basement. Inside the small cavern of rough stone, was Cell¡¯s vine body above the remains of my vine suit?and the air piston table to?his?right. The deer skull was smashed beyond recognition and the copper sphere had no whirring sound as the dents and rips in it showed?the signs of a harsh battle.


    Cell¡¯s vine body was looking down at the remains in the soft glow of the mana lamp around the workshops central pillar. I walked a few steps down and Cell finally looked up at me.?We looked at each other for a moment until I felt a spirit connection?coming from my familiar. He sent the image of Salamede through and the feeling of sadness.


    I walked forward and patted his shoulder.


    ¡®She needs some space. But we need to see if the necromancers are still out there.?Now, get to work repairing the copper sphere and any ripped bags of holding. We have work to do.¡±


    For the next hour, I was putting together crafts from pieces of bark gathered outside the?troll¡¯s?nest.?I fashioned a bark craft that made wide stone slabs and went outside to place them around the tower. They were quickly placed and had some odd corners, but the eight-foot-tall?blocks?of grey stone provided a crude defense against a frontal assault.


    When the dwarves came by with the goods I needed, I handed them a few gold coins, which they took greedily. Once I had?the?goods?resting on the main floor, I?finished?the final slab of stone and had Cell?down in the basement replacing the bags of holdings in the copper sphere?while I made the components?for the new suit. I made several crafts to?mold?the parts for an electric actuator and copper wires. These were more delicate, precise pieces rather than the big hulking parts of the air pistons or copper spheres, which meant they weren¡¯t as mana intensive.?After retrieving?and re-attaching its copper sphere from its leather bag,?I used the air piston finish a?few plates of armor.


    It took near into the afternoon, but the first major piece¡¯s finally came together.


    The trees were retreating back into the earth and hiding in the?treetops?wasn¡¯t going to be an option soon enough. Changing my crafts to match the coming?battlefield, I?used the air piston to make?a crude?armor?of what looked like wide metal pants?with interlocking metal plates for the upper back. After working through a few issues with the plates grinding against each other, the finished product had a look similar to a beefier regular knights?lower section?but with?magically hardened?upper torso of wood armor. The joint work with metal was too extensive to reshape afterwards and this wood was almost as good as low-end iron. It was finished out with a few metal plates on the back?and a simple iron helmet that covered the whole head save for a few holes dotted around the face portion.


    Aside from the wide legs that would house the wheels, the biggest distinction was?the?bigger back portion. It had a few extra layers of iron plates around what would house the two copper spheres, mine and one salvaged from Salamede¡¯s suit. I was looking inside the hunched back of the suit?and layering the cotton around thin copper wires?on?the?main floor when I noticed something.


    ¡°The voltage from the spheres is somewhere between¡­ wait¡± Looking around, I noticed almost all the ambient mana was gone. Sighing, I went to the hatch and opened it, making sure not to disturb any of the pieces of metal?on the floor?being quietly molded by the piece of bark beneath them. Even with my reckless intake of ambient mana, doing so much so quickly was taking its toll on the mana supply. Heading down into the basement, I rummaged through the bag of holding that held all of our goods.


    After getting a quick granola bar and munching on it, I fished?out?the last two mana crystals. I looked at the?glass like substances the size of a thumb?in my palm. These were not going to be enough, not nearly enough.


    Going back to the main floor I went up to the?new?suit and the sphere in its chest. More specifically, Cell¡¯s sphere. My familiar was currently getting used to the metal body and housing as he stayed in the hollow chest portion.


    ¡®Cell¡¯ I said in a spirit connection, the shimmering color in the crystal turned to me. ¡®Go?outside?and absorb as much?ambient?mana as you can from the nest and release it in here. We¡¯re almost done.¡¯?A slight nod and he was out of the suit and flew downstairs with a burst of wind. I cracked my two last mana crystals and put them between the pieces of bark as the mana leaked out of them. There were two?metal pieces?I needed done right now and fed?it?mana directly from my body?before taking the finished product out of it bark cradle.


    I followed?Cell down into the workshop?and did a few electric spells on the magnet making table opposite of the basement entrance as I heard Cell going off down the tunnel to my right.?My task finished, I headed back?upstairs?to?finish out the electric motor and wheels. The hardest part was making the alternating wire design to make the central threaded shaft turn properly, but once I got that down, I had an electric actuator that would extend and retract the wheels below my feet. A large spring around the central shaft?with?some bracing and it would survive a good drop without sending the central shaft skewering through the metal frame.


    Having an electric motor to turn the wheels would be too heavy?with?the weight of the thin iron plates already pushing the acceptable weight burden. The solution was crude magical thrusters?sticking out of the back. My design was six wooden tubes encased in iron with alternating fire and air summoning enchantments along the wooden inside. Having six along the back side, two below the shoulders, two in the hip section, and two in between, provided some stability and the triangles of manipulation allowed the super-heated air from one thruster to tilt the suit forward slightly even as it was anchored to the floor and the crude wood mannequin within showed no stress or strain.


    That part?finished;?I went onto completing the wheels. Being the least intensive?part to make, I went out and crafted it in the troll¡¯s nest as Cell passed me by with a fresh load of?mana to unload onto the greedy bark pieces scatted along the main floor.?Going out into the woods proper, I took a moment to wipe the sweat from my brown with my white bandanna. Burning out the needed pieces from a few hard oaks and?pine?trees, I brought them back into my shop as the early afternoon sun shined up above.


    The general design was a harder oak core to make a two-inch-thick wheel with an?outer ring of softer wood. Using?mana?to?grow?plants could change their physical properties and one such change was in pine trees durability. When?fed enough?mana, its predestined change was to make it more like a hard rubber. But I had to be careful since feeding it too much mana would make it sprout bristles that?would shoot out and cut deep into unprotected flesh.


    In the middle of this wheel I put an iron stake that connected to the actuator shaft above.?A light press didn¡¯t push the wheel up and when I?lifted?the suit?off?of the mannequin, it only pressed the wheel down an?inch?when I put it on.?Not willing to crush my skull on a stone wall, I took it outside while I bid Cell to make two tubes like the one that?I made with my regular?armaments.


    Standing out in the middle of the woods, I activated the spirit connection to make the strand of cotton over a copper tab around the lower end of my spine contract. A soft whir and the wheels?came down and lifted me up. I?said?a silent prayer then activated the two boosters on the lower end of my back. The surrounding trees in the early afternoon sun gently came forward as I took on the pace of something between walking and crawling.


    Activating the boosters around the midsection brought that up to a speed above a sprint as the trees around me went in and out of my vision quickly with the wind blowing across my face. Looking around, I went towards a relatively straight path. Activating all the thrusters sped me forward so fast I nearly crashed into the dirt with only a quick recovery at the last second saving me from eating dirt. Satisfied, I went back inside to the basement.


    Cell was there working on the two tubes and pieces of vines that would allow him to aim the?shoulder mounted cannons. I went back to get my cross bow, the thing hadn¡¯t seen much use?recently,?but it was effective and more importantly, it was available right now. Taking out the metal core from its wooden frame, I slapped it on the right arm of the suit and attached the end pulley to another actuator. After attaching the right wires to the actuator just below it and covering the?copper strands?in cotton insulation, I tested it out. Sure enough, it shot out the bolt and the soft whirr of the actuator was heard as it pulled the inner spring back into place allowing for another shot in less than a second. The shoulder strap with metal tipped arrows just above meant I could almost replace the ammo almost as quickly as it fired.


    While I typically espoused melee, I was almost certainly going to be going up against the undead in the coming fight?and between limited bolts and ambient mana, some up and close options were in?order. I crafted a crude iron hammer that came up to chest level. The simple wooden shaft was fitted with an iron bottom square and a big metal top with bracers?around the mana hardened wood. I thought about adding shrubbery for stealth, but it was going to be?dark?when I?arrived,?and the appearance would too similar to a?pandego, which was not a connection I wanted any potential passerby to make.


    On the main floor my creation was now reaching its completion as Cell placed vines below the two long tubes of iron coated wood on the shoulders. The vines were placed in between the shoulder blades and attached to the bottom to allow Cell to aim them. The legs were finished with smooth interlocking iron plates while the?hard-oak?top maintained a similar armor aesthetic even as its dark color stood out as wood. Several plates of iron along the back housed the soft?whirring?of the two copper spheres that powered the electric components.


    After shutting my door and sealing it with stone, I got the suit ready with Cell?in the middle chest section. I slung?a bag of holding with food,?wine skins filled with water, and that map I first got from the Front patrol?over my shoulder?as I headed back out towards the place where this all started. It took a lot longer this time around, but looking up in the trees as I zoomed through the?forest,?I could see severe curling along the trees branches?with some resembling wheels more than lines?and the trees themselves got odd?twisting spirals running around?their?mid-sections. And if I was a betting man, I¡¯d say they were shorter than before too.


    I stopped in a cave to rest for the night around midnight and woke to a plain breakfast of nuts and water. As he sat on my lap in the morning fog, Cell seemed to enjoy the bland meal more for the experience of eating rather than the taste of it as the nuts went into his black mass with faint crushing sounds.?Before heading back into the forest, we took a few minutes to practice the cannons aim?under the grey cast of a cloudy sky.


    After blasting hot slag into a large stone boulder to the left of the cave for a few minutes, we headed back out onto the trail. As I blew a hole through the morning fog along the back woods trail north, following several prominent boulders and roadways that I had noted on my previous visit north, I finally came upon the undead.


    Unfortunately, I was a?good?hour away from the?necromancer¡¯s?den?when I met them.


    The shambling dead meandered through the woods in between the trees in sparse few numbers. When they spotted me zipping through the tree line, several changed their plodding steps to intercept me. I swerved to the right of a big tree where a single corpse was walking towards me, a rotted woman with a missing jaw.


    ¡®Cell, try out the cannons.¡¯ I told my familiar.


    There was a shifting weight on my shoulders as the tubes swiveled in place. A loud whoosh of super-heated air and two large pieces of red hot slag shot out towards the woman. One missed and hit a patch of grass beside her while the other smacked her dead center and did¡­ nothing.


    No. Worse than nothing.


    Her body seemed to absorb the hot slag, dissipating the material and as it reverted to mana, the cloud of light blue particles absorbed into her rotten flesh. In the early morning?sun,?I could see the pale?waxy skin refold itself over cuts and gashes and even partially?restore?her jaw. More importantly, it seemed to rejuvenate?her as she then sprinted towards me.


    Suppressing a curse, I hefted the metal hammer and zoomed to her right as I took her head off with a single blow. Moving past the corpse, I saw more coming down the hill to my right. Looking further up the trail ahead, I saw a dip in the woods that had none of the undead in it but the path was quickly getting closed off by a swarm of rotting flesh. Activating the third booster, I took off like a proper vehicle. The wind got almost painful as the trees and approaching corpses blurred in the sides of my eyes. Getting past the undead, I slowed down just as went into the dip. Even so, I got a falling sensation as I went a good foot off the ground and landed back down with a thud.


    Going through the forest further, it got both better and worse. The dead seemed to be moving out like a wave, which meant there were even fewer left behind once I had gotten past that mass. But what they left behind were freshly picked bones. I saw a few bears between trees and a few stags at the bottom?of steep drops, all picked clean of flesh. As were the few woodsman I came across. Valiant fights were put up by both man and beast, but the dead¡¯s sheer numbers rendered valor down to foolishness.


    Occasionally stopping to consult the map and my memory, it took until mid-morning before I came up the creek I had previously followed down. Down and met Lilly. Pushing aside the bad memory, I trekked further up the woods, making sure to go slow enough not to create any noise as I moved through the rapidly retreating trees. Going around the bend I came upon a giant hole in the ground. It was a long scar in the earth with an upturned tree on the opposite side and as I looked inside, I saw the hard stone of a familiar cavern. That and the churned mud of thousands of feet coming out the front of it told me what this hole was.


    Going a bit further ahead, I saw further rends in the earth, both near and far as deep gouges were seen scattered around the forest with no real end point. Using an air spell to deaden the noise of my approach, I stalked up the creek, eventually arriving at the underground entrance. Peering behind a tree, I saw a carriage in the front of the opened door beneath a small hill with its cover of vines and bushes pulled back. By the left of the door, was a large pile of black robes and to its right was a pile of bones. Two large horse corpses remained tied to the carriage and several bodies were strewn about with only a few tattered ribbons of flesh about the bones.


    The carriage canopy had its grey canopy torn to shreds with blood all over the wooden bed. Dead silence hung over the otherwise beautiful glade as I waited for a solid minute before turning back. Further down to the left was another rend in the earth leading into the cavern.


    ¡®Cell, scout ahead.¡¯ I told my familiar. His black sphere squirmed out of the center of my wooden chest and flew into the dark rend. He clung to the ceiling and scooted along its surface as he gripped the uneven stone. After going out of my sight for a solid minute, he returned with a general impression of safety. Lowering myself into the darkness, I headed further ahead with soft steps. Going along the grey stone wall with the shafts of light from the still morning sun coming through in random places along the ceiling, the only thing that calmed my nerve was the total silence as I moved with the air spell blocking the noise of my approach towards the necromancer base.


    The wide iron doors still had that rend in the right side from my previous visit but when I pushed against them, they remained firmly in place. Using an earth spell to dig a small hole under the doors, All I got for my effort was some stones and dirt falling into the hole I dug.


    ¡°They collapsed it.¡± I said to the empty air. Strumming my fingers along the stone wall, I decided to check out the carriage. Going back out through the hole and up to the site of the massacre, I saw there was nothing but another shredded corpse in it with a few bits of torn clothing. Down to my last option, I just hoped these people were emptying the place and set off a trap somehow. Shifting through the pile of black robes, I found various toys, weapons, and other small assorted goods. Then I came upon the one with a silver crown above it. Looking at it in the clear mid-day sun, I noticed the robe below it had a few silver strands around the headdress and the material was of far finer silk compared to the regular cloth of the others. Inside its robe pocket was another journal, a fine thing of greyish green with fine gold embroidery. Wasting no time, I opened it.


    ¡®Three days in this hole. Three days of helping dig dirt because these blasted weaklings can¡¯t build in stone. Half blind is what I call humans, not even able to make out a bird in the trees near a mountain or lift a boulder but these are what I¡¯m cursed to work with if the quests reward is to be mine and mine alone. Once finished, our family will no longer have to bear having that stain around. Father has talked at length about how to get rid of him and the prospect of having the resources to be rid of that deformity may dull his anger¡¯


    The next few pages went over the construction period and all the kidnapping and rituals. The actual magic used in the rituals was something that was apparently given in a separate journal already sent and this portion was just on the timing involved in sacrificing the ¡®fuel¡¯. But it was not all lost as it was near the later portion that some critical information came through.


    ¡®The altar provided by the package is starting to wear and my affairs at court have been as trying as ever but now that I have brief reprieve from my obligations, I can finally start overseeing the rituals personally. I have kept these doing all in the strictest confidence and will be unknown to anyone not here. Anyone but you my dear. When the ritual is started, dear Abina, I will send this journal to you in case anything should happen.


    I fear nothing but the lack of greatness my love, as you well know. But the new help is skittish and prone to taking shortcuts if what I¡¯ve seen of him is any indication. If the worst should come to pass, this journal, along with the other I sent you, will guide you to completing¡¯


    the word ¡®my¡¯ was scribbled out.


    ¡®should I say ¡®our¡¯ work. Be well my love.¡¯


    I sat there just breathing for a moment. Sure, there were questions, but more than anything there was this feeling of a weight falling off of my shoulders.


    No one knew.


    Anyone who knew about the ritual was dead, anyone who could track what had happened was dead and I was free.


    I tasted that air, as sweet and fresh as the day it first assaulted my senses. No, better than.


    ¡°All, right.¡± I said after the relief faded. ¡°Time to head back¡±


    Putting the journal in my pack for further study and throwing away the crown, I zipped back towards home. My elated mood soured when I saw the tattered remains of a woodsman that had been wondering about laying against a tree. The path forward was paved in grueling work, but the path was finally clear of that loathsome bramble. It took a few hours but when I met back up with the wave of undead, they were a bit more scattered this time around as the wave became thinner from the undead chasing after something else.


    Their innate detection meant they knew I was coming but it did them no good as I had gotten comfortable using the three boosters and zipped by the rotting mass with a slight swerve being the only toll paid. When I had travelled a bit further, I saw what had drawn the dead away from the forest. In the early afternoon sun, I saw a line of carriages blocked along the road by a small squad of the undead who had gotten ahead of the main pack and blocked these fleeing unfortunates. Men were trying to shove them off the road, but they were a group of farmers with hoes, shovels and any other farming tools that the poor residents had on hand.


    They needed help and I needed to run a few tests.


    I went through the underbrush on the side of the road with a loud wrenching of wood. The scared women and children on the carriages gasped and cried as the lumbering form with metal legs and wooden torso came out of the woods but before the men could properly react to my presence, my wheels had taken me across the road and into the thick of it. The sheer momentum behind my hammers swing sent two of the undead careening over the other side of the forest, with one being cut fully in half.


    With the men pulling back, I was now allowed to conduct my tests. I lifted my hammer with a metal spell and brought it down on a shambler close to the front carriages horse. The spell broke apart, but the momentum of the hammer remained and crushed the rotting skull in. Then I used a spell to mold some of the surrounding dirt around the hammers bottom and used another earth spell to lift the hammer. It wobbled and swayed as I ran it into the corpse currently walking up to me. The hammer knocked it down but the spell holding the dirt bottom stayed intact until the undead corpse touched it as it wobbled against it, and the earth spell holding it up disappeared with the hammer landing with a solid thud.


    Quickly picking up the hammer and bashing its skull, I looked around while Cell used his own spells to remove the dirt case and saw two more undead approaching the caravan from the front. Zipping forward, I reduced them to paste when I hit them at full speed. A cry resounded from the back, so I left the staring villagers and headed to the source. A woman had been fending off one corpse who had come up the back but it had knocked her down. I raised my bolt and shot the thing laying over the woman but as the bolt carried it off her, I saw it had taken a chunk out of her neck.


    Moving quickly and ignoring the cries of her children in the carriage, I put my hand to the wound as the woman¡¯s brown hair was laying in the mud and her now pale face of freckles looked at me with a plea. I used a healing spell and gradually the wound healed. Looking up I saw the horse to her carriage had a few bite marks and scratches as the wounded animal skittishly looked around. Walking up to the animal, the small boy and girl who had been crying in the carriage went over to cry around their mother as she got up from the dirt.


    The men were coming down along the caravan now. One particularly panicked man came running down the line of wagons to come meet his family sitting in the dirt, paying no attention to the straw hat that fell from his head.


    ¡°Bess! What were you thinking?¡± He reprimanded as he hugged the woman with unshed tears in his eyes.


    ¡°I had to, Paul! If they killed the horse, we¡¯ve died just the same.¡± She said with tears in her own eyes.


    ¡°I hate to interrupt.¡± I said, drawing the gazes of everyone around, including those in the carriages. ¡°but you still might if you don¡¯t get moving. Anyone else back there left to save?¡± I said with a thumb pointed back towards the coming mass of rotting flesh.


    ¡°I think the Gesh family-¡°


    ¡°No, they spent too long trying to save their silverware. Saw them getting munched on as we pulled out along the road.¡± The father said sadly.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Any other villages out here we need to be worried about?¡± I asked. It was a portly man in the carriage further ahead who answered with his brown mustache dripped in sweat.


    ¡°Creeks End was the closest to wherever those things came from, but the messenger said they had all made it too Dunwhich. We¡¯re the first village close enough to the academy to head there, which I suspect everyone will be soon enough. It came real early this year but it¡¯s close enough that we wasn¡¯t totally unprepared.¡±


    ¡°Papa, I thought the undead come after the trees go into the ground?¡± The little freckled girl in a plain brown dress asked her hugging father.


    ¡°A question for another day, but we need to make good on the time this gentleman has given us.¡± The father said.


    That got everyone moving with renewed vigor. After the peasants got back into their carriages, the caravan started going down the road again. Deciding to see the task through to its end, I accompanied them along their journey. Along the way we saw other caravans going down the road and some roadside inns being emptied of their goods as owners packed up and left in a mad hustle.


    The dead weren¡¯t especially dangerous to a determined force, but I was certain that when the healing magic flooded the earth, they would wear down all but the sturdiest defenses. To say nothing of the problems their innate sense of where people were could cause. It took us until late afternoon before we got back to the academy town with the faint orange tinge in the sky as the stars started peering over the heavens.


    I started to move as we came onto a crowded section to hide away in the woods, but it was at that moment of sheer habit, when I was considering how I would go around the river and get to the trolls nest to hide the identity of the ¡®helpful suit of armor¡¯, that I remembered that I didn¡¯t need to keep in the shadows. The feeling of not needing to hide anymore was exnihilating as I moved back onto the road.


    When I had travelled further down, a line of guards worked the carriage canopy¡¯s clogging the road as the line leading up to and over the bridge brought all other traffic to a halt, aside from the line of people walking alongside the edge of the bridge. The water under the bridge flowed peacefully as I looked over the shoddy woodwork of the houses and the towering white wall of the academy with its central tower adorned with red tile.


    A king does not skulk in the shadows when he enters his domain and I no longer had any need to lower myself when going into my castle. Besides, while this gave away that I had a secret exit out of the tower if anyone was paying attention to me, the tunnel to the troll nest was going to have to be filled once enough eyes fell on my little corner of the world anyway. Strengthening my position was going to be more important in the coming days than keeping that weakness in place to use as an escape route.


    Coming up to the bridge proper, I went on ahead as the peasants I had helped waved and cheered me goodbye. A few panicked shrieks and scurrying followed in my wake as people moved out of my way. The line of guards raised their swords and shields but as I came up and removed my helmet, they all got curious expressions mixed with confusion. The captain of the guard with a thick black beard and a white feather in his helm came forward.


    ¡°Those eyes. Eli, if I¡¯m not mistaken? You were the crafter Tansen sent us to find for nearly a week.¡± He said, looking me up and down with his brown eyes and tan crinkly skin showing in between the steel plates of his blue and white striped uniform.


    ¡°Correct, Captain.¡± I responded in a light tone.


    ¡°Well, we can let you through, but I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s enough room to let you pass in the walking lane of the bridge.¡± He said casually.


    ¡°Ah, no problem captain.¡± I said, turning to the right and down the slope leading into the churning water of the river. I summoned a thick floor of stone jutting out from the side of the bridge. Leaving the stone behind me to disappear, I had to go across with my regular walking pace as the people to my left whispered and started at the hulking form walking ¡®beside¡¯ them. As I came down the opposite side of the bridge, I lowered the wheels and sped up. All the carriages were heading down to the left side of the town with its larger warehouses while the right side had less traffic as workers focused more on the heavier harbor side.


    Maneuvering around the occasional pedestrian, the fading sun filtered over the rooftops as I moved through the stone streets. Moving around the bend in the road that hugged around the academy¡¯s outer wall, I pushed all three boosters to full throttle. The white of the academy wall quickly flew out of my left eyes vision as the few houses behind this side of the academy flew by. With the thick slabs of stone surrounding my home, it took me a good minute to actually get into my home as I used a spell to knock the slab down.


    Walking over that slab, I felt my earlier notion of a king coming into his castle was an inappropriate comparison to make. Surely, no king or queen could have felt as regal nor as free. Opening the door, I got out of the suit and put it back over the mannequin and bid Cell to start filling the tunnel while I started cleaning and making some improvements to the suit while going over future plans in my head.


    I fell into a kind of reverie as molded iron, calculations of voltages, and the molding of technology to supplement the human form took shape. As it always has and always will. But this symphony of the workshop was interrupted by a knock on the door. Pulling away from the actuator I was adjusting in the leg of the suit, I opened the door to see Salamede¡¯s mother in a plain grey dress as the sky above was mostly stars and bits of orange from the retreating day.


    ¡°Hey lad. I¡¯m here on account of my daughter.¡± She said.


    I gulped as I leaned forward with expectation and dread in my gut.


    ¡°I saw you coming down the road with bits of the undead on your suit, so I don¡¯t think I need to tell you about that. What I do l have to tell you about is that my daughter went off to help one of the three Kelton villages between here and Holstead.¡±


    ¡°Why? The people I was with said that everyone had gotten out¡± I asked as my stomach twisted into knots.


    ¡°The humans got out, the Keltons are still trying to get everything together. The three villages contain the food and animals we need to make it through necrosis. Typically, dangerous stuff like fighting the undead is seen as men¡¯s work, but she just grabbed a wooden hammer and ran off to help.¡± She grumbled.


    ¡°What are they doing now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The men went out to try and slow down the coming horde while we women have been tending to the wounded and getting things ready. I was so busy putting up a pen she was long gone before I realized the foolish girl had left. Not that I can totally blame her. Right now, the general consensus is more about how much we will have to starve come winter rather than how much we will feast.¡¯ She said in a bitter resigned tone.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see what I can do. Where am I headed?¡±


    ¡°The first road to the left on the main road with two villages on two opposite small paths pulling off the main road. The one in most danger, the one that has the cheaper land to hold our community¡¯s animals is further down that path. Thanks. You know, you¡¯re not so bad kid.¡± She said before turning around.


    ¡®I hope Salamede can come to agree with that¡¯ I thought to myself as I turned back into my home.


    The iron pants of the suit had been slightly buffed to proper plates of fitted armor and the wood I had gotten into the sides now resembled proper plate armor. The mid-section was more flexible than before and I could lean, swerve, and duck with the full upper range of motion even as the legs were a little stiff. I removed the shoulder cannons because they would be dead weight in this fight and instead took several iron bars and crudely folded them into a shaft as I put the suit back on.


    I didn¡¯t have a lot of time to shape the long iron pieces into a solid piece so when Cell came out of the basement, I told him what was happening. He responded with his usual excitement when it came to fights and used a wind spell to shoot himself into the suit¡¯s chest. After donning the helm again, I moved out the door and slung the hammer over my shoulder. Cell continued the work of molding the iron bricks into a solid crude bar. Simple strength would do better against this enemy since it was immune to magic and there were only so many bolts that I could make.


    Zooming down the road towards the bridge, I noticed a group of staff members arguing with some of the guards as torches now provided light on the toll booth and in some of the guard¡¯s hands. When one of the guards pointed towards me, the group of white robes turned as I zipped past them. I heard a few vague yelps, but the toll master had left the bar blocking access up due to the influx of refugees and I slipped through with no hassle. Maneuvering around the long line of carriages, I followed the instructions and eventually came up to the two points where the two roads split off from the main offshoot. The way was clogged with carts as Kelton women herded children or held torches to drive back the blackness of the approaching night, young boys lifted sacks, and carts were pulled by those too old to fight but still had just enough energy for this task.


    They made way for me as I moved through the packed road. Some children in carts shrunk back into the pile of goods being pulled or stood taller to stare at the odd suit zipping by on wheels under its feet. Coming out of the crowd, I increased my speed and in a few minutes with running all three boosters, I heard shouting and screaming ahead of the night draped woods.


    An open field revealed itself as a shapeless mass of foul-smelling flesh moved in and around the dark woods to fall upon the crowd of torch carrying goat men to my right. The men were trying to hold back the tide of flesh with pitchfork, hoe, and shovel. Behind them was a wide array of pigs, chickens, horses, and goats all hiding in terror among the stables and away from the fences that had already been knocked to the ground. I couldn¡¯t see if anyone had died but I could make out several indistinct forms among the starlight making their way towards me.


    Wasting no time, I fired up my boosters as I bashed three of the forms approaching me with a wide swing of the hammer. The sickening crunch of breaking bone and ripping flesh sounded out but just bashing them wasn¡¯t going to work with numbers like these. I used an earth spell to summon a big wave of stone magic that gripped the dirt under the topsoil and made a wave of shifting earth high above my head before the spell dissipated due to touching the undead.


    That got the dead¡¯s attention, but I did it again as rotten bodies went flying through the air. Putting two wide walls in their path, the onslaught stalled then resumed in a trickle as the undead had to maneuver the two S shaped walls while jostling with their fellows before getting to the sweet flesh beyond. There was still a fair number attacking the Kelton farmers, but the interruption in their numbers and the mauling of my hammer provided a moment of respite as the last had its head run through with the pitchfork of a larger muscular Kelton man with black fur, curling ram horns over his white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°Hello, odd one¡± The mans rough audible voice sounded out as I backed up into the group, the rotten bits of flesh and bone on my wooden chest now showing a ghastly visage in the torchlight.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Kelton woman. Are there any here?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°In the carriage.¡± He said with a hand pointing towards the back. ¡°She¡¯s hurt but should make it. We were thinking of moving the injured out, but the road was blocked.¡±


    ¡°Get the carriage moving then get the animals out. I will throw up some more walls to slow them down as we retreat.¡± I instructed as I hefted my hammer to smash one of the shambling corpses who had gotten ahead of his pack.


    ¡°The families may not be out yet.¡± A voice behind me objected.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to be there to warn them than to be eaten and let them find out when they¡¯re getting their faces torn off.¡± I yelled back when the shapes in the darkness started fully moving over and around the stone slopes.


    It took a moment, but I heard the stomping of feet and opening of stable doors behind me as the carriage took off, it¡¯s open bed still too dark to allow me to see its passengers. I used my speed to zoom in front of the coming horde and take any of them that I could with a swing of my hammer or crude iron bar. As the animals started a mad stampede down the road, dogs barked around the herd to get them to go into the right direction with the horde changing its direction towards this buffet of flesh. I had Cell create the spell for the sloping dirt wall this time as I tried to pace my spell usage. The surrounding men pushed panicked pigs and horses down the road even as some of them formed a line to safeguard the retreat.


    I had to weave and smash for nearly ten minutes, often only getting a brief flash of torchlight to properly see my enemies, when the last few carriages of chickens and pregnant cows made off down the road. My arms burned and my lungs gulped for air greedily whenever I got back from a swerve at the mass of indistinct limbs and occasional faces. Whatever my efforts, we were losing this fight as the enemy pressed ever onward, taking the field inch by inch and only giving it back for a few seconds when I slammed into them with swinging iron.


    ¡°Champion!¡± An older Kelton with a dirty leather jacket, pants and straw hat called from the line of men who were pulling back. ¡°The families are done. We got some trees blocking the way which will give the animals enough time. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    I nodded with a tired sigh and went down the road with the men who kept up a light jog. Eventually, we came up to a tree in the road and I saw several more felled trees along the forest. The last of which was being felled by a duo of strong Kelton men with axes. As one last bit of insurance, I used an earth spell to mold a quick and dirty wall in the middle of the road to force the dead into going around it and stumble around the woods through the choke points in between the trees.


    I used my first two boosters to keep a bit ahead of the Kelton men, but when it was clear none of them needed my help keeping up, I went full speed ahead.


    When I got past the animals, it took a few more seconds until I got to the cart carrying the injured. Coming up the left side, I went down to two boosters before I called the people laying about the floor and seats.


    ¡°Hello, is Salamede in here?¡± I called causing a slight stir among the men.


    ¡®Eli!¡¯ A spirit connection said.


    Looking around, I found Salamede looking at me from across the carriage on its right side as she leaned against the bench. I fell back slightly then sped up as I went around the back of the carriage to go to her side. Her blue dress was torn, and I saw several gashes along her shoulder and what looked like a really nasty bite wound that took out a bit of her thigh.


    ¡®Eli, I¡¯m sorry. I-¡®


    ¡®You¡¯re hurt.¡¯ I responded as I had Cell use a healing spell on her


    She took my hand like it was a lifeline.


    ¡®When the undead had me pinned, all I could think about was the last time I screamed at you.¡¯ Salamede said, sounding hysterical.


    ¡®Salamede¡¯ I said as I took her face in my hand. Looking around the carriage, I decided we needed more privacy. Lifting her out of the carriage, I zoomed forward with the driver not saying a word to me as he pushed the horses further on. Salamede was pressed up against my chest and while the breastplate was too thick to feel her, my arms felt her shaking.


    Going on further ahead, I waited until we were just around the bend to the academy town to change direction. As I went off the road and behind a few trees, I looked Salamede up and down to inspect her now healed wounds. When we finally got to a good spot, Salamede got down but she immediately hugged me even as the bits of the undead clung to us both.


    We stood there for a while, savoring each other¡¯s presence and ignoring our noses until Salamede established another spirit connection.


    ¡®Eli, thank you.¡¯ She said.


    ¡®I would have helped if you had asked.¡¯ I said chidingly.


    ¡®Would you? You would help someone who had been such an uncaring ass?¡¯ She said as she turned her head up towards me. The failing light provided little illumination, but the general outline was enough to give me a mental picture of her white eyes, gentle snout with white stripe, and soft feminine curves.


    ¡®You were not. I put you through hell, and for no reason whatsoever. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice you twisting from nightmares the night after our first huge battle.¡¯ I said as the painful lance of what I had put this poor woman through reignited itself.


    ¡®Eli¡­ we need to talk about what happened. But right now, I just want to feel you being here with me.¡¯ She said as she stopped shaking but hugged me tighter. We stood in silence for a few more minutes, just comforting and being comforted by each other before some unspoken agreement was reached and we pulled away. Another moment of looking at each other and we turned around and walked back onto the road and into town.


    The bridge was now cluttered with animals and Kelton carts as the previous human refugees had since moved to their destinations. Along the front of the road was an expanding wall of grey stone. Scattered about the place were various soldiers using wooden tools to twist and pull the earth into a solid fort as the manipulated earth began to form moats around the front of the quickly establishing wall that hugged the head of the bridge and some of the water front under the stone arch.


    Eventually, the crowd of women and children were on the safer side of the bridge while the herd of farm animals was cajoled and pulled to the other side under the rows of torches lining the bridges sides. Waving and bidding Salamede to go ahead, I went off towards the center of the rising entrenchment with the captain from earlier directing work crews and supplies. He raised an eyebrow at me but didn¡¯t seem so confident in his position as to dismiss me out right.


    ¡°Lord mage, please get to a safer location. There are a lot of people who would get upset at us for letting a caster get into such dangerous circumstances.¡± He said with his brown eyes looking back over the bridge towards the academy with trepidation even as sweat slicked his mustache and forehead in the torchlight of the passing workmen.


    ¡°¡®They¡¯ did not show any such concern when I was a crafter so ¡®They¡¯ can go cry into a pillow about it.¡± His eyes shot up in shock as his throat showed a gulping of saliva but I pressed on past whatever objection he was preparing ¡°I went out to protect a fair maiden and by god I¡¯m going to make sure she is still safe being here.¡± He looked over to the leaving back side of Salamede with a raised eyebrow as I looked over past the new wall and saw a few men along the bridges side in poor bandages splotched with blood. They looked exhausted from the fighting and their light gear suggested they were a part of a delaying party sent to hold up the coming hoard. Striding up to them, I used a healing spell on each of them, ignoring bruises and other light injuries that might mark them fit for duty if healed, and instead focused on bits of exposed ribs or gnarled hands that might not have been salvageable otherwise.


    Most sputtered in bewilderment at the generosity while others simply kept their heads down and uttered small thanks with tears in their eyes. Looking at some of the carriages coming down the bridge to my side, I saw long carts of spikes and long metal strips that looked like half disks designed to cut off the fingers of any of the corpses that tried to pull themselves over the wall.


    The captain was off to my left barking more orders, even as I saw his eyes catch glimpses of me now and then. He then paid full attention to me as I finished healing the men and walked up to him.


    ¡°Captain,¡± My voice reverberated in the metal helm covering my face. ¡°You¡¯re going to put wooden spikes in the moat and ring the wall with those metal strips, correct?¡±


    He nodded with the feather in his cap swaying from the motion.


    ¡°Well, leave digging the spikes holes to me. My magic can get the spikes in the ground far faster than digging and filling a hole out with shovels will.¡± I stated, not offered, stated as I went over to the arriving carriage and took out some spikes.


    ¡°Lord mage. I must insist that-¡° A group of men came down the road with a few splashes of blood and wounds about their bodies.


    ¡°Joel¡¯s group.¡± The captain said quietly ¡°I sent them out not a half an hour ago¡±. He wiped his sweating brow with an armored hand. He turned his worried gaze towards me before stepping towards the approaching group.


    ¡°Report!¡± He barked.


    ¡°The villages have been cleared captain,¡± The leading soldier said, ¡°But the dead are closer than we thought.¡±


    The captain nodded and bid the men to get back inside.


    ¡°It would appear I¡¯m not in a position to refuse your aid. Do what you can.¡± He said with a tired sigh then went over to supervise the construction of the new sections of wall, now around midway through covering the bridge entrance.


    ¡®Cell, I¡¯m pretty beat so if you wouldn¡¯t mind doing the spell work while making it look like it was coming through my hands.¡¯ I told my familiar in a spirit connection. I worked around some of the men in plain jeans and bare chests who were using wide plates of wood with handles on the sides to summon stone blocks that other men would have to center in place or cover with dirt. For my part, I dug out small circular holes and filled them when the spike was in place. A process that took less than half a minute compared to the near several minutes the men with shovels could pull off.


    When the first shambling corpse was spotted down the road, we were putting in the finishing touches on the long lines of metal strips along the top of the walls as the men used wooden blocks with enchantments to mold stone around the strips of metal to hold them in place. A few soldiers went out to slow down the coming tide of putrid flesh with spears and shields. Another minute went by before the last magical stone was summoned and fixed in place with magical stonework.


    I was standing on top of the middle of the wall with a set of stairs behind me as the soldiers who went out to slow down the horde came back through the door below me. The undead ran headlong into the pit of spikes in front of the wall and kept coming until the corpses had filled it enough to allow the ones in the back to come forward and crawl over their comrades to slam against the proper wall.


    Long spears came down off the walls in wide swings, taking the undead in the head as a small cheer went up. The captain to my left started barking out more orders to the assembled men behind the gate.


    ¡°All right lads, the dangerous part is over, but the hard part isn¡¯t. Get some wood and get a fire going. We have to have these body¡¯s burned to ash before daybreak at the latest.¡± He yelled down below. Then he turned towards me with a sense of reverence in his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Caster Eli. We may have had to send more men out if you weren¡¯t around to speed things up. It¡¯s always bloody and dangerous, but still better than not having the wall up.¡± He said with the night¡¯s exhaustion plain in his tone and face.


    ¡°Is anyone else out there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Aye but they¡¯re either dead now or they headed down to the military base between here and the main highway. There are problems but don¡¯t trouble yourself over these things. You¡¯ve done more than enough and if you die from a bite or exhaustion the mages will hang me., your previous objections doing me no good when they string me up with the noose.¡± He said with gratitude plain in his brown eyes.


    A simple nod and I headed off down to the ground and around men who were bringing in large piles of wood around a bonfire at the end of the bridge. Moving around the incoming men, I went towards the point where the bridge was closest to the river and had Cell pull some water to me. After washing myself off in the stream of pulled water, I used small flame spells to burn away the bits of flesh that had gotten in between the joints of my metal legs or wooden torso.


    My task finished and left smelling more like a fireplace than a rotten slab of meat, I left the fort area and went across the bridge. The view of the camp was blocked by the bridge and as I came up its slope the rest of the town came into view. The main road went straight ahead towards the academy with dwarven and regular shops along both sides. Some students stood in and around the porches of shops to look over the river or at the men moving goods over the bridge while the peasants skittered about with worried whispering among the crowd on the ground level in front of the bridge.


    I was content to pass through the mass of humanity without a word, but along the way a plump peasant woman in a plain brown dress waved me down, her hair hidden in a bonnet and her brown eyes showed a frenzied worry.


    ¡°Sir! What¡¯s the word? Is we safe?¡± She asked with the other people looking at me with trepidation.


    ¡°We¡¯re safe. The wall is up and they¡¯re making a fire for the corpses.¡± I said as I pushed further ahead. The whispering broke into outright loud discussion but over the crowd of heads I saw the blond hair and heart shaped face of Veronica on one of the porches with the other students. She looked at me with a question in her blue eyes but from the dismissive looks from the other students, the fact I was a quad mage was not a widely known, or accepted fact among my classmates.


    Fuck them. They¡¯ll all know soon enough and¡­ I don¡¯t care.


    Looking over the white and blue striped robes of the students, aside from Veronica, I couldn¡¯t see a single person who hadn¡¯t spat at me, mocked me, or otherwise made me miserable during my time as a student. I had thought to rub my magical status in their faces later on. When the extent of my abilities became known I had wanted to repay their kindness in turn but, looking at them now, I realized that I just didn¡¯t care. I have Salamede, Cell, and maybe a light friendship with Veronica and Jeff. The simmering resentment I had felt for the rest of them had cooled down to simple indifference.


    I walked further down the right side of the road, with a lot of the Kelton¡¯s also staying around the right side of the town. They were going into houses with small packages and clothes from the carts they had brought. The occasional torch provided the only light as the farm animals were put in pens in large yards behind the clusters of homes.


    ¡°Champion!¡± someone called from the left.


    I gave a light nod and the men who I had help save started clapping, as did their grateful families.


    ¡°Champion! Come drink and rest¡± Said someone to my right. Some tables were set up on the small harbor in this side of town and on one of them was the older Kelton man with a straw hat and the Kelton with a black fur head and buff body. A candle was at each table with plates of bread and mugs of what I assumed to be beer.


    When I came over at sat down at the right corner of the table, it was the buff Kelton who started the conversation with his rough voice no doubt being heard by the surrounding tables.


    ¡°Thank you again, sir mage. I would ask why you helped us, but my mother¡¯s paddle smacked enough manners into me to not appear ungrateful for unexpected help.¡± He said with a swig from his mug. The surrounding goat faces around the table, illuminated in the candlelight, showed varying degrees of outright or quite agreement.


    ¡°My good friend was very upset at the turn of events and decided to intervene herself. I had helped the humans coming through earlier and thought the worst was over, and it was her mother who brought your plight to my attention¡± I responded mildly as a Kelton woman came by with a tray of beers and bread, which she set a pair of before me.


    ¡°What human woman would care about us?¡± The Kelton maid said as she laid down another plate of bread, her soft brown fur showing a raised eyebrow below curved ivory horns. However, it was a portlier Kelton man with a blue suit jacket, white undershirt, and brown pants who answered. He had a pair of brown horns along the back of his head and brown fur around his sharp chin and pronounced cheek bones.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a matter of gossip here in the town. You lot in the sticks wouldn¡¯t know it but¡­ well, let¡¯s say one of our ladies seems to have landed quite a catch.¡± He said as he sat down on the left end of the table.


    A chorus of hmms and oohs went through the younger men at the table while the older men, even those at other tables, raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°She is quite a woman.¡± I said plainly. This seemed to only make their interest more intense, while the buff Kelton man got a look of comprehension. But before more questions could be asked, a small crowd of women came from the houses. The Kelton women filtered through the tables until they found their husbands or male interests from the younger men. There was a lot of whooping, raising of mugs and tears as the women sat in laps or gave massages to their men.


    But even this happy reunion got sidetracked when Salamede came through the women and sat across from me. She wore her typical green dress that was left untouched from the previous rot of the undead she had on her earlier. Salamede sat there for a long moment before she audibly spoke, which surprised me as I thought Kelton¡¯s preferred Spirit magic connections.


    ¡°How have you been holding up? No bad injuries that I didn¡¯t see or anything?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nah, I did well enough back there and the most I¡¯ve got to deal with is exhaustion.¡± I said mildly.


    ¡°Well?!¡± The older Kelton said with his straw hat thumbed up to show the disbelief on his face. ¡°If he only did well then there¡¯s no hope for any of us losers, is there?¡± The rest of the men pounded their tables or whooped as they raised their mugs in agreement. On a lot their laps rested a Kelton woman, or even two, whispering in their ears or adding to the agreement.


    ¡®Are you sure this isn¡¯t something we should talk about privately?¡¯ I asked Salamede in a spirit connection.


    ¡®This is a matter of debt. Debts are seen as corrosive to good relations and are to be paid as soon as possible. And since you saved our lives and livestock this involves a debt from the whole Kelton community.¡¯ She responded quickly. The portly Kelton started talking again as he got up from the table


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much¡± He said. ¡°but we don¡¯t let debts go unpaid. Is there any service or good we have that you would want? If it is within my ability as patriarch to deliver, I will have it provided.¡±


    I strummed my fingers in thought. Metal and food would probably be better logically, but they had precious little of that and what I really wanted wasn¡¯t very logical. I stopped strumming my fingers and turned towards Salamede.


    ¡°I want what any man in the world wants. A kiss from a beautiful maiden.¡± I said with a meaningful look at Salamede. A wave of excited ooh¡¯s gushed from all the women as the men nodded with wise looks. Salamede¡¯s grey fur rustled around her puckered lips as she raised her eyebrows with a sassy turn of her head. She didn¡¯t seem displeased, no matter how she tried to get a scolding look on her face.


    Getting up and around the table, she went through the candlelight on the side of the table and came back up to me. I turned my legs out from under the table and sat back as I made sure to have a face with clear expectations as I removed my iron helmet. With a sigh, she came down on top of me with her left leg resting on my right thigh as she put her hands around my face. Her snout came closer before she pulled me forward and planted a kiss on my lips.


    Her sweetness played across my tongue, but I wanted more. Putting my right hand behind her head, I pushed her closer to taste her more fully. She gave a contented sigh as a round of clapping resounded around us. Finally, I came up for air as I let her go.


    The adults were talking happily while the younger boys and girls just stared in fascination as we sat there just staring at each other.


    ¡°Ooh! A true Kelton woman. Fights the undead then comes back home to sate her man.¡± One of the housewives coyly said at a table to my left.


    Deciding that we needed some privacy, I lifted Salamede up from the table and took her hand as I led her off further down the road. Leaving the crowd behind, I went down to where the town met the river and sat on the edge of the stone retaining wall overlooking the mass of moving water. Across the river were some of the undead shambling around, with the few getting in the water being immediately dragged under the frothing river.


    Salamede stood for a moment before sitting down on top of me. For a while nothing but the sound of rushing water and the semi-party behind us was heard until I decided to start talking in a spirit connection.


    ¡®It seems like things are going pretty well for a wave of the undead swarming all over the place.¡¯ I offered.


    ¡®We¡¯ll see. No one¡¯s died as far as we can tell but the supply situation is something else if what I¡¯ve seen is all we got out.¡¯ She said.


    ¡®As big of a deal the horde of murderous corpses is, it¡¯s not the big issue right now. Our problem is what happened down in the southern lands.¡¯ I responded.


    ¡®Yeah. I¡¯m so sorry that I went after you like that. I had no right to just dump that on you out of nowhere and then get upset at your reaction. I¡¯d like to blame the demons temper in me, but I don¡¯t know if I can.¡¯ She said apologetically but said nothing else for a long moment afterwards. Since I was probably going to have to do most of the explaining anyway, I initiated the conversation.


    ¡®All right. Let me start with my perspective on our actions¡¯ I said. ¡®Those soldiers we killed weren¡¯t guilty. But they weren¡¯t innocent either.¡¯


    ¡®How so? They had no involvement in that scheme. The people who tried to hand you over to Maw and carried it out were way above their pay grade¡¯ Salamede said.


    ¡®Exactly. They made themselves a part of those people¡¯s power and put themselves under their authority.¡¯ I countered.


    ¡®They probably joined to protect their people or stop the orcs, not kidnap citizens.¡¯ Salamede responded with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®Tell me, when they praise the military for fighting off the orcs, are the people who directly fought the orcs the only one attributed with the glory or is the whole military?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®The whole military. They were all a part of that effort.¡¯ She answered, not really getting where I was going with this.


    ¡®And if the military and only some of its members carried out a plan to target a civilian in some malicious scheme, who is to blame?¡¯ I prodded.


    ¡®Those leaders and the few who helped them.¡¯ Salamede confidently stated.


    ¡®So why is it that when, as a part of an organization, the praise is spread out to all members but when the organization does something bad, it¡¯s just a few bad people and no one is to blame but those few?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®Because they didn¡¯t know. The reports showed only a few people on top knew about it.¡¯ She said, now turning to me with her hands in her lap.


    ¡®I think that¡¯s a very convenient way of looking at things. Everyone is a part of the good stuff but when it gets bad it¡¯s just a few rotten people who no one could really do anything about.¡¯ I gave a tired sigh and rubbed my eyes before continuing. ¡®Those leaders didn¡¯t phase out of the ether of existence or randomly form out of clumps of meat and just came to power by chance. They were promoted, got positions of power, and given authority because the people on the bottom decided they were worthy of those positions. When you join an organization, you join the whole of it, the good and the bad together.


    You get the credit when it achieves something but when an organization runs amuck, the whole organization is to blame, not just the few who made the bad decisions. You aren¡¯t as guilty as the people who made those decisions, but you aren¡¯t totally innocent nor are you entitled to having no consequences for being a part of that organization.¡¯ I finished. A pall of dead silence hung over us both until Salamede spoke again.


    ¡®Eli, people are doing what they can with what they have, and they don¡¯t have magic or thousands of years of experience to help them. Joining organizations like the military or government is the only real chance they have at improving the world. Those leaders live in posh apartments and sip on the finest meals in the most luxurious clothes while the rest of us are just getting by¡¯ She said in a conflicted tone.


    ¡®So where are they, Salamede? Where are all those good people when the accounts to bribe officials were set up? Where are those pure, altruistic messenger boys when the orders were being delivered or upstanding scribes when these orders were being copied? You can have as many good people as you want, but when all the people who actually run things are so rotten that they¡¯ll rundown an innocent passerby for their own convenience, the innocence of the masses is questionable at best.


    And you saw that with your own eyes as well. They let the bandits run wild on the poor people of this region because it was cheaper for them then deploying soldiers. Those soldiers they did deploy worked alongside those bandits in the south. This government, filled with so many wonderful, well meaning people, had an entire system set up to allow them to go around due process and destroy people in the court of the mob and it was the average people running the supplies, sat in the juries, and training the bandits who allowed it to happen.


    Yes, the people on the bottom were the ones who paid the price and were the least guilty, but I have seen no evidence, not in the courts, the reports, or in any other interaction I¡¯ve had with the Coalition, that any one of them would have not done what this Marvin cunt did. I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you, I¡¯m sorry that their families will forever lose their loved ones, and I am sorry for the pain my actions are still causing, but I am not sorry for what I did.


    I had every reason to believe it was them or me and I have no reason to believe that the people who make the decisions, the people who will actually decide what does and does not happen, would not run me down again if it was convenient for them. The only difference is I had the ability and the power to pound their skulls into the dirt in a far more direct and effective manner.¡¯ I finished with a heated tone, but I managed to not yell at any point, which I considered an achievement. Salamede didn¡¯t say anything for another long moment before she hugged me.


    ¡®Eli, I think you have a lot of love to give and people with a lot of love can be the harshest people around when hit wrong. I don¡¯t agree with your viewpoint, but I can understand it.¡± She said but then she closed her eyes and then opened them with a serious look in her eyes. ¡°Tell me, the undead across the river. People were talking about the villagers you helped bring back earlier and I know that those villages were near that place where you were summoned to our world. Do¡­¡¯ She struggled to ask the obvious question, so I spared her the effort.


    ¡®They¡¯re from the underground complex where I was summoned. The necromancer¡¯s associates blew it up, probably on accident if the corpses by the entrance were anything to go by,¡¯ I quickly responded. ¡®That happened before I had even gotten out of the hospital if those people with bite marks who passed me by as I left are anything to go by. What was odd was how these undead absorbed spells. I wonder how the necromancers managed that.¡¯ She raised an eyebrow at me in the faint starlight.


    ¡®I¡¯m still caught off guard by what you don¡¯t know. You make all of these amazing things then something like this eludes you. That¡¯s not a necromancer thing, Eli. That¡¯s a general undead thing. It¡¯s why the academy is built like a fort in spite of not being near any dangerous borders or creatures. The mages are almost as powerless as peasants when facing large enough numbers of them.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm.¡¯ I said idly as I just took in her warmth along with her words.


    ¡®Eli, we¡¯re going to starve or die of cold well before winter is out. All the grain and firewood was left behind and getting anything out of those villages is going to be far too expensive to fully retrieve on our own. Guild members have to accompany the wagons with horses plated in armor pulling the equally armored carriages which means food prices are going to at least double. The patriarch and a few Kelton merchants are going to see what kind of deals we can get but I have a good idea of how expensive those services are and we¡¯ll be lucky to afford more than two if we all give every last copper we have.¡¯


    ¡®Is there no merchant on the rivers who would be willing to sell such goods?¡¯ I asked.


    She shook her head and rubbed her forehead.


    ¡®The human peasants are in the same situation that we are. With their added competition for food and the fact that they¡¯re closer to the main docks, combined with the guards needing firewood to burn the bodies, the prices will be ridiculous even when there is any left for us to buy. Grain prices alone will probably bankrupt us.¡¯


    ¡®But not rent?¡¯ I asked.


    She waved the concern away.


    ¡®These houses are Kelton owned and operated. They let them stay for free in exchange for some grain, meat, milk or cotton from their animals.¡¯ She lifted her head skyward with a palm to her head. ¡®Which we are going to have feed as well so that¡¯s even more grain that we have to buy.¡¯


    After another tired sigh, she looked down to me with a serious look in her eyes.


    ¡®Since you had nothing to do with the necromancers den and we will starve or die from cold without your help, we can repay the blood debt we incurred as pandegos. Help us and the human peasants get the grain and firewood we need to survive, and I will consider the lives we took under your direction to be paid back in full.¡¯ She offered.


    ¡®And then?¡¯ I asked expectantly.


    ¡®Then, I suppose we¡¯ll have to get back to what we were doing before.¡¯ She said suggestively. If her tone wasn¡¯t enough, then her moving her hand around the joint of the breastplate to rub my chest was.


    I nodded with an excited release of breath.


    ¡®Agreed, when should we head out?¡¯ I asked as I squeezed her bottom affectionately. Salamede put her arms back around my neck and rubbed my shoulder affectionately.


    ¡®You must have the strength of a horse to be able to keep moving after today¡¯ She said with a playful wonder.


    Putting my legs out over the water, I activated the actuators to push the wheels out. Salamede looked down with raised eyebrows as the wheels went in and out of the metal legs. Feeling rather smug, I explained the new suits functions.


    ¡®The wheels allow me to move like a carriage while those tubes on my back blast me forward. The hardest part was swinging the bar and hammer for ten minutes straight.¡¯


    ¡®You never seem to run out of ideas, Eli. As endearing as your ability is, everyone is too tired and tomorrow we will still need to empty the communal warehouse so we have somewhere to store the goods. I¡¯d say we need to wait until the day after tomorrow before anyone is ready to head out¡¯ She said, looking at me with a distinct look of lust.


    Wasting no more time, I captured her lips again. She responded with equal enthusiasm as she slipped her left hand down to grope my manhood. With the moon playing over the river, I spent a few more minutes indulging in her taste before the night demanded I retire to bed. Getting off each other, I waved her goodbye as I headed towards my tower.


    Coming up to my home, I got up over the slab and walked up to what had been my door. Looking inside, nothing was obviously missing and a quick look around by Cell told me no one was waiting in ambush.


    ¡°Tansen¡± I said under my breath. After reforming the wood for the door, I got out of my suit and went to sleep in my hammock.

 Chapter 82: Magical Talent Revealed

    ¡°Things will be getting very interesting and we need to work out the details of our story once you¡¯re at full strength.¡± Tansen said as he got up. After so long, so many hours working the guild and staff to the bone, Eli had finally come back. After briefing Aki about the event, Tansen went back to the day to day tasks of a typical academy head until the afternoon came around and Tansen had three staff members in his office to start keeping an eye on Eli.


    ¡°What do you mean, no?¡± Tansen demanded as he strummed his fingers along the oak desk.


    The thin woman with light blond hair and green eyes got a light sweat but gulped and pushed through as her white and blue striped robe matched her two companions and the walls.


    ¡°Sir, with all respect, I can¡¯t risk my career and children¡¯s future by possibly getting censured for watching a crafter all day.¡± She said, to which the portly man to her left and the thin red head to her right nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Following him is not socializing or interacting with him.¡± Tansen said with a sour smile plastered across his face that distorted his goatee and ridged forehead.


    ¡°Then get the legal experts in here and tell us as much.¡± The portly man demanded.


    Of course, Tansen couldn¡¯t do that because he knew that doing so would require giving a solid explanation for why the crafter needed to be watched.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Tansen said between gritted teeth. ¡°Get out¡±


    The three scurried across the wood floor and out of the room. Aki was away at the classroom towers but Tansen needed some more time to get the story worked out and keep an eye on Eli. Not having any other options, he put out the order that the toll worker should send Eli back to him if he should try to leave. But by the end of the day it appears the re-appearance of the quad element caster was to be but a foot note when the first bird came in before lunch.


    A huge mob of the undead had come from somewhere and was shambling through the woods in the north as it worked its way south. That had sent the offices of Tansen, the guild, and the Front into a frenzy. Invoices for emergency firewood orders, orders for guild teams, and dealing with panicked noble families obsessing over the same thousand safety concerns they always had overwhelmed the bureaucratic systems of everyone in a matter of hours. Tansen swore that they all forgot the last years necrosis right before the start of the next one and while these undead weren¡¯t naturally occurring, they didn¡¯t present any problems for the well to do.


    That wasn¡¯t true for the poorer peasants but Tansen¡¯s job was looking after the good of the academy and he left the greater good to the local and central governments.


    After a whole day of mad frenzy, overworked secretaries, and hysterical merchants, Tansen finally got to the end of the mayhem and dragged his worn-out body into the bed without a thought given to changing out of his white, gold embroidered robe as sleep took him. A quick breakfast, freshening up and Tansen was back up in the office. The day passed in a hectic stream of going over course changes, student accommodations, and hiring additional guards in a nonstop stream of paperwork. Aki came back into the office as the window behind the open door showed a darkened night sky. Aki¡¯s frazzled grey hair and irritated lip chewing showed a lack of patience long earned.


    The older man walked up to the desk with his younger charge enjoying a mug of water and a sandwich in his mouth serving as a quick dinner that he consumed around the piles of letters from various parents and merchants.


    ¡°Aki,¡± Tansen said, swallowing his hasty meal. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s the annual end of the world?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for something more important than the end of the world; Our academy¡¯s reputation. Have you been keeping an eye on Eli?!¡± Aki demanded as he leaned over the desk as Tansen stared up at him.


    ¡°Sort of. The staff won¡¯t risk stalking him because of the censure but I had the toll worker send him to me if he went missing.¡± Tansen said quietly.


    ¡°Yesterday, around noon, the mages picked another fight with him. During it Eli used healing and metal magic, a little gem working its way through the gossip merchants pretty slowly because, who could believe such a ludicrous thing? He then left and went to his tower. Afterwards, some mages swore they could see the ambient mana being sucked in the towers direction.¡± Aki said.


    Tansen rubbed his forehead in irritation. ¡°We need to know what he was working on. But since-¡°


    ¡°We know what he was working on. It was a very impressive suit of armor with a wooden torso and metal legs with a rather normal looking helmet.¡± Aki responded with a half-crazed smile that was neither jolly or lighthearted.


    ¡°How do-¡°


    ¡°We know that was he was working on because he came back with a caravan of human peasants covered in the remains of crushed corpses this past hour.¡±


    Tansen took a moment to put his head in his hands.


    ¡°He was fighting with the undead.¡± Tansen said breathlessly.


    ¡°Aye. He sported a good metal hammer as he moved through the crowd. Everyone was also quite surprised when he used some earth spells to get across the bridge.¡± Aki said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to talk with our little miracle caster.¡± Tansen said as he got up from the desk and out the door.


    ¡°Sir,¡± the secretary squeaked from behind her desk with her brown hair frazzled from exhaustion. ¡°The guild is asking about carriage-¡°


    ¡°Give them whatever will shut them up!¡± Tansen barked as he stormed out the door and down the stairs in a whirl wind of black robe and sapphires waves.


    The night had set in as he stormed over the academy lawn as Tansen and Aki moved through the now ever-present crowd of personages and parents. A few tried to stop him to complain about some whiny item or another that didn¡¯t matter.


    Going around the academy wall and towards the tower, Tansen came up to the stone slabs that now surrounded the dilapidated structure. Shimmying up and over the slab that blocked the entrance, Tansen knocked on the door again.


    ¡°My throat is too damn soar from yelling at idiots all day, so open this door in the next minute or I¡¯m destroying it again.¡± Tansen yelled at the door he had replaced after his last visit. The minute passed in the darkness of the night as no noise aside from the song of crickets played.


    ¡°You did this, Eli! Not me¡± Tansen called as he summoned the water cube and slammed it into the door. Looking inside, it was as empty as the last time but now the floor was littered with bark pieces and bits of metal, both in bars and in smaller pieces strewn about the floor and the boulder that served as a crude chair in the middle of the room.


    With a heavy sigh and a feeling of nostalgia, Tansen went back towards the academy to organize a search. But on the way back, overlooking the path to the tower, Tansen saw Eli waving goodbye to his Kelton woman, Salamede.


    Tansen felt the approach of his familiar, the normally solitary blue bird with a black beak landed on his shoulder. A simple exchange and the prideful familiar flew off again towards the tower and landed in a tree off to its left. The day, long and hard, had taken everything Tansen could give it and he decided that Eli had given as much or even more then he had and decided to leave the boy a single night of rest before the storm was brought into his personal life.


    Another long night of rest passed too soon. Tansen was in his office going over a hasty report from the captain manning the defenses. Eli had left in the night to help some Keltons that were still stuck out in the horde. It made Tansen¡¯s palms sweat just imagining such an invaluable treasure risking life and limb, but Eli had apparently made it back just fine. Tansen then started preparing a few stories in his head, trying to fit the pieces of discovering the failure in the testers and Eli¡¯s arrival back in town when the door opposite his desk opened, with Agatha in the doorway. The window far behind her showed the early morning sky, with the armored men who were usually guarding the entrance sent out to restore some semblance of order on the campgrounds.


    Her blond hair, done up in her typical bun, had frayed strands and some bags under her blue eyes and over her sharp cheek bones. The black work dress and cloth gloves had wrinkles which showed that not even the maids had been spared in this time of agony.


    ¡°Tansen, here is the report on the Front soldiers ready to defend the students. I¡¯ll also support keeping the classes going once we have enough men. But we need to work over the details at the meeting tonight.¡± She said with a tired look as she handed over the papers. Tansen accepted with a grateful nod and took the parcel. As he began flipping through them, Agatha turned around and went out the door.


    ¡°Oh, I feel silly for even asking but as the most senior member of the Front here, I am obligated to ask this ridiculous question. I¡¯ve heard some rumors from the peasants and medical staff.¡± Agatha said as she stuck her head out from behind the wooden door. ¡°Does Eli have metal and healing magic?¡±


    ¡°Why would you ask?¡± Tansen asked idly as he kept his gaze on the papers under the soft glow of the mana light on the ceiling, its shine seemingly hotter and more overbearing compared to its typical soft touch.


    ¡°Duty and obligations. Gotta make sure everything is accounted for, all the paperwork checked, every corner and hole inspected even when it¡¯s nonsense. You know, the usual junk we deal with.¡± She said in a bored manner.


    ¡°Oh. Well, yes, he does.¡± Tansen said lightly. The door began creaking to a close.


    ¡°Good, Just askin-¡° The door swung open with Agatha standing still as her face held a very unamused expression.


    ¡°What?¡± She demanded with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Eli is a caster.¡± Tansen mused in an idle tone, making sure to now keep his eyes on the papers he was flipping through. ¡°He has air, earth, fire and water. We haven¡¯t tested it yet, but he apparently has all four of the dual elements as well.¡±


    The soft clack of shoes across the floor was all Tansen heard before the papers were yanked out of his hands and he looked up. Agatha had an irritated expression on her face but kept an even breath as she slammed the papers to the desk.


    ¡°Tansen, I have had a constant stream of hen pecking from headquarters. It is hard enough to keep tabs on everything and corral all of these people running around like chickens with a cat in the pen. I do not have time for stupid games.


    Tansen, as head of the diamond academy, what do you say, as an official response, to the inquiry into Eli¡¯s magical abilities?¡± She demanded with a stuck-out chin. He sat back with his hands resting over his belly of sapphire waves.


    ¡°Not only do I not deny these rumors, I confirm them. I, as head of this academy, am saying that Eli is a caster and has an affinity with all four base elements and by implication, all four dual elements.¡± Tansen intoned with a voice of steel.


    ¡°What are¡­ Fine, Tansen. Let¡¯s get a tester and settle this.¡± Agatha growled in irritation with a puckering of her lips.


    ¡°They won¡¯t work. The square pushes out the mana of the two circles with the most mana. When you have all four elements, they won¡¯t show anything.¡± Tansen said casually.


    ¡°How very convenient.¡± Agatha shot back sarcastically with a roll of her eyes as she pulled back and crossed her arms.


    ¡°How very inconvenient. I¡¯ll have a table set out on the dorm lawn with a plant pot, metal fork, and we¡¯ll get someone out of the infirmary to test healing.¡± Tansen said as he got up and went around the table. Agatha shook her head and huffed but went down the tower to get some other official witnesses for this test. Tansen gave the order to his secretary and told her to send for Aki to return to the dorms.


    As he moved out of the academy, Tansen went over the story he had worked out in his spare time. He felt his familiar still in the tree off to the left but what drew his gaze was the rush of light blue mana being sucked into the direction of the small, squat tower by the river. It occurred to Tansen, at that moment walking down the path, that Eli had made weapons capable of putting a regular man on par with scions when he was still, presumably, a crafter. What would such a crafter achieve as a caster with all four elements?


    Tansen¡¯s mouth went dry when he considered all the damage such a person could do if stung.


    In front of the tower, the slab blocking the door was pushed to the side and in its place was the commander of the guards in the academy town, Holstead, and a few others. The man had a steel shoulder guard and two white feathers in his metal helmet. The door closed and the man turned around. His helmet was open face, which showed off the tan skin, pronounced cheek bones, brown mustache, and green eyes. Rand, the man responsible for law enforcement in the entire region, began walking down the path towards Tansen with some dust on his brown pants.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Tansen demanded.


    Rand put up a leather covered hand over his steel breast plate.


    ¡°Listen now, I¡¯m just following and enforcing the law, which is the reason the good people of this region pay me. Eli has been censured and as such, he can attend patrols, help with the undead and getting supplies but parties, even with Keltons, is a big no-no. I gave him a warning but if he does that again those people will have to be censured as well.¡±


    ¡°Shit¡± Tansen said as he rubbed his eyes in frustration.


    ¡°Hey, with how well he¡¯s doing, I¡¯m sure the censure will be worked out soon enough.¡± Rand offered lightheartedly.


    Tansen nodded as a ball of acid ate into his stomach.


    Bidding Rand goodbye, he went up to the now reformed door. There was a loud clanking and screeching of metal being twisted, pounded, and molded. A deep breath and Tansen knocked on the smooth, single piece of wood. The clanking stopped but that soft screeching kept going. The door opened and Eli looked out. His purple eyes showed above a steel mask with a feral grin over where his teeth would be.


    The mask had a long plate of steel that had a bit of cotton around where it rested along the neck. The smooth melding of the steel and attention to detail in the lifelike teeth showcased a hand of magnificent craftsmanship. Tansen was so taken in with the ever-deepening details in the mask he forgot what he was here for before Eli¡¯s voice brought him back to his senses.


    ¡°So, you can knock.¡± Eli said sarcastically.


    Tansen, in spite of himself, couldn¡¯t help but give a light laugh.


    ¡°If the person on the other side of the door is there when he is supposed to be, you¡¯ll find I am quite familiar with their use. Eli, Agatha is asking after you and wants a test for your affinities.¡± The academy head said with note of finality.


    Those purple eyes went hard, but Eli didn¡¯t shout, yell or beat his chest in defiance.


    ¡°I am ready. You said you¡¯d be in my corner when it comes to Salamede. Are you still on my side?¡± He asked in a neutral tone.


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve got a story I want us to stick too. I¡¯ll explain it on the way.¡± Tansen said. Eli nodded and leaned over to get his student robes. Eli was a bit taller than the academy head, but they still kept close on the way to the dorms.


    ¡°Ok, Eli. You¡¯re the progeny of some backwoods poacher, like you said earlier,¡± Tansen said with a heavy gaze towards his student, letting him know well and good that he knew Eli was lying. ¡°When the censure came down, you couldn¡¯t take it anymore, especially after that travesty called a trial. When you left you hunted for some magical beasts around the west to relive your fathers work, you got some horned rabbit or fire lizard or whatever to get into the caster status. Afterwards you came back to me, but I¡¯ve only recently worked out what was wrong with the testers.¡± Tansen said as they walked around the academy wall. After a moment of consideration, Eli countered with a point of his own.


    ¡°No. I was going to stay out in the woods, but I took Salamede with me and after becoming a caster she insisted I come back to the academy to realize my full potential.¡± Eli said.


    ¡°Good, that will help with them going after Salamede.¡± Tansen said as they swerved around some workers moving wooden tools to help set up a wall along the other side of the academy, similar to the one around the bridge entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s also the most honest part of the whole story.¡± Eli said idly.


    Tansen tripped up for a second but had the grace to keep moving.


    The entrance to the academy dorm was crowded but people made way for the academy head, and by proxy the student at his side. The late morning sun shined down over the grass as students and workers looked on in curiosity at the table several feet from the tower¡¯s main door. To the left of it was Agatha and two other women in black work dresses, one a pudgy grey-haired woman with bored green eyes and one with brown ponytails, freckles, and glasses over her brown eyes and squat face. On the table was a pot with a fern and a fork.


    ¡°Thank you for coming Eli.¡± Agatha said with a tone of irritation and exhaustion. ¡°Tansen says you are a caster with all four elements. What do you say to this?¡± Agatha asked, causing a wave of whispers and snorts of disbelief among the students who assembled around to take in this distraction from the horrors beyond the bridge.


    ¡°I confirm that I am a caster with all four elements.¡± Eli said in an almost bored tone.


    Agatha and the two Front women got dead pan faces while the surrounding students snickered.


    ¡°Then we can-¡°


    ¡°Enough!¡± The pudgy woman yelled as she walked forward and pulled on Eli¡¯s right arm. Slamming the disk with four ridges against his skin, ambient mana was sucked in and the tester remained lifeless.


    ¡°Bah!¡± The pudgy woman snorted. ¡°To waste our time with this nonsense lie.¡± But it was Agatha who interrupted as she stood beside the table.


    ¡°Now, now Betsy. Tansen said there was¡­ something wrong with the testers.¡±


    The brunette got a dubious look as did the surrounding students, who huffed and snickered again. Tansen stepped forward with a scowl and gritted teeth.


    ¡°The tester checks for two of the elements by measuring the mana in the- ¡°


    A hard crack in the air stopped his explanation. A wave of heat washed over Tansen¡¯s back as everyone else present pulled back with shock across their faces. Turning around, Tansen saw a wild display of the elements right out of some fever dream painting.


    Eli had pulled the dirt beneath himself up into a stand while a circle of fire around his midsection sent waves of shimmering heat everywhere. Above him balls of lightning, water, and rushing air spun a good foot above his head. The dirt stand shimmered in waves as the grass grew and flexed against those waves, showing off the magic that moved them. Eli put out his hand and the fork flew into his waiting palm. A screech split over the dorm lawn as the fork molded into a simple circle, which Eli put above his head to spin in place between the balls and his head as the short silver hair beneath whipped around.


    Then, without any warning, the spells stopped. No great proclamation or euphoric climax was given or even attempted. The fire, lightning, water simply dissipated into nothingness as the grass stopped moving. The dirt stand was then forced down into a flat surface, even as the elongated grass left no doubt as to where the stand had been.


    Eli stepped over the now lengthened grass with purple eyes that saw nothing of any interest as he swung the metal ring around his right index finger.


    ¡°Are we done? I have many items I need to tend to.¡± Eli said idly as he stood in front of Tansen with no smug look in his eyes, no arrogant turn to his step, or any other personal indications that he had just rendered the whole lawn speechless.


    Tansen took a moment to try and decide what would be the smuggest expression he could use. Satisfied smiles, smirks, or a certain arrogance in his steps were all fine contenders, but he finally decided no artificial expression could possibly capture the essence of his self-satisfaction at this moment and just doing what he felt like doing would produce the best outcome.


    ¡°Come now, Eli. We have to go through the process. I know it¡¯s tiresome, but I will send for a meal to be delivered to your home as compensation. A nice juicy steak with our finest beer.¡± Eli¡¯s purple eyes looked at him for a long moment, but he eventually went towards the table.


    When Tansen turned around, the sea of slack jaws from the students provided little gratification for the academy head but the members of the Front were where the true depths of satisfaction were found. Betsy stood off to the left like she had been stung while the two women by the table were perfectly still. Agatha¡¯s jaw was wide open as was the brunettes. As Agatha¡¯s blue eyes turned to Tansen, her face twisted in disbelief. Then her dark lips puckered, and her blond eyebrows scrunched together as her skin turned red with anger.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡®I was right, doing what comes naturally was the best choice.¡¯ Tansen thought to himself as he savored the moment of Eli walking up to the table with every eye on the field trained on him. For the next few minutes, Eli used spells of every element. For the healing element, an injured guild member was brought out and healed by Eli. The student did well but sweat was starting to form around his brow when the scars along the patient¡¯s backside were molded away.


    Over the course of the demonstration, casters with the required elements would observe the formation of the spell constructs and signed sworn statements testifying to Eli¡¯s ability. Of course, those dual elements were so rare that there were no official mages to give a sworn statement, but the presence of their base elements left no doubt as to his ability. At some point Aki came back and went up to Tansen¡¯s office when Eli was summoning a triangle of lightning.


    ¡°All right lad,¡± Tansen said with a caring pat on Eli¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ll have the meal sent to you for lunch. Your part is done but if you need to relax, I¡¯ll make sure you get an education enhancing respite in the sauna.¡± Tansen said with a sly wink. Eli nodded and turned around from the table and walked out of the front entrance. Not once when he was performing these miracles of magic did his eyes betray any emotion nor did he even deign to look at his former tormentors even as they fell away from him in awe and, Tansen noted, some in terror.


    His task finished, Tansen left to go back up the tower to his office. The students were all still standing around whispering or just kept perfectly still, not totally believing what their eyes had told them. Betsy was among this group while Agatha and the brunette stood around the table whispering to each other while only occasionally being truly quiet.


    Tansen went up the stairs and finally arrived at the top. Going past the secretary, Tansen opened the door and saw Aki by the right of his desk. Acknowledging his friend, Tansen moved forward and closed the door behind him. Aki had his hand behind his back with a white undershirt and blue-white striped outer robe. Spending a few moments tugging his long grey beard and mustache, Aki waited until Tansen sat down to start talking. In spite of the bushy eyebrows, Aki¡¯s brown eyes had a playfulness to them.


    ¡°I saw the little show down there, but I figured spending my time going over all of our protection was a better use of my time. I also got Eli¡¯s student file¡± He said as he produced one of many, many copies of an official objection to Eli¡¯s censure from his robe pocket and nodded to the small stack of files.


    Tansen leaned back in the chair and lifted his arms in an elongated stretch.


    ¡°Well now that the word is out, we-¡° The slamming of a door off beyond his offices closed entry interrupted him.


    ¡°Hmm. I may have teased her a bit too much¡± Tansen said with dread as he leaned forward and braced himself for the coming fight. Running footsteps resounded near the secretary¡¯s desk right before the door flew open. Agatha slammed the wooden obstruction open with her eyes resembling a hawk hunting a mouse as strands of blond hair flowed out of her bun and over her sharp cheek bones and heaving chest.


    ¡°You!¡± She pointed a finger at Tansen like she caught her child in a jar of sweets. ¡°You!¡± She said again, now properly angry.


    ¡°Yes! Me!¡± Tansen growled back. ¡°Congratulations on knowing who I am.¡±


    ¡°Silence, you fucking wretch! You¡­ you knew about Eli.¡±


    ¡°Of course. He came to me after his escape into the wild and-¡°


    ¡°No! You knew before then.¡± She said as she stalked up to the desk and looked like she wanted to strangle the man sitting across from her. ¡°That reaction when Eli vanished. You knew what was leaving. That¡¯s why you freaked out and put us all on that long slog to look for him. I didn¡¯t understand why you were spending so many resources on one student, one censured crafter student, but now. Oh, it makes perfect sense now.¡±


    If looks could kill, Tansen¡¯s children across the continents would have perished along with their sire.


    ¡°Feng Sho Pao.¡± Tansen replied serenely as he leaned back into his chair with his hands in his robe¡¯s arms. ¡°It is a far shores principle that states the teacher¡¯s wellbeing is that of his students. I doubt your Coalition mentality could comprehend such a profound philosophy.¡± Aki gave a sage nod in agreement.


    Agatha¡¯s right eye twitched as she gripped the desk. Taking in a deep breath, she leaned back and adjusted her gloves. Closing her eyes and calming down, she spoke again.


    ¡°That meeting we were going to have this afternoon is happening now. I will send for the guild master to go over his time working with any of their members and have Rand attend for getting rid of the censure. I¡¯m also bringing in a legal expert and the highest-ranking local military officer. But make no mistake Tansen, I will get to the bottom of this.¡± She finished with a threatening tone. Then her expression turned to bewilderment as Tansen¡¯s face lost its fighting edge and turned to something akin to pity.


    ¡°Agatha¡± Tansen said with a tired sigh. ¡°If life was only so simple. Eli will be working in his tower for a while and I only ask that you consider my advice before doing anything rash.¡±


    Agatha looked confused at the sudden shift in tone, which seemed to disarm some of her anger if only because she couldn¡¯t orient herself to the change. A light cough and she began to speak in a tone that approached something civil.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. But more importantly, we need to waive the punishments for teachers having sex with students.¡± Agatha said, sounding totally serious.


    ¡°What?¡± Tansen asked.


    ¡°The female teachers are going to ride Eli like his loins shoot eternal life and endless riches, consequences to their careers be damned. If we punish them, we stand to lose more than half our workforce, to say nothing of how stopping him from siring will be perceived regardless of the propriety.¡± Agatha put a black gloved hand to her forehead in concentration as she continued talking, seemingly more to herself than Tansen.


    ¡°The government will probably offer a special breeding stipend just for women who lay with him. I¡¯ll see how soon we can get enough oysters, fire lizard tails, and anything else that will increase his semen production. The cooks are going to have to find some way of making an appetizing diet out of nothing but those ingredients for Eli.¡± She said like it was all perfectly obvious and just another day running civilization.


    ¡°We still have to get Eli back on track for his classes and he seemed pretty taken in with his workings in the tower. The staff may not have any time to be with him.¡± Tansen replied to Agatha, making no attempt to deny the truth of her statements. She pursed her lips and tapped her foot beneath the black dress as she processed the absurd statement.


    ¡°The only work Eli is going to be doing will be in the dorms and it won¡¯t involve tools, crafts, or pants.¡± Agatha responded with a hard tone.


    Tansen gave a light sigh as he looked to the ceiling.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s going to be so simple? Just snapping your fingers and he¡¯ll hop to it?¡± Tansen asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a man. Worst comes to worst, Veronica will at least bear his children while we work through the issue¡± Agatha said with a raised chin.


    ¡°Veronica?¡± Tansen asked with a raised eyebrow. Agatha blinked once before she realized her mistake.


    ¡°Pff, how silly of me. I think I¡¯m getting too old for this job.¡± Agatha said in a dismissive tone.


    ¡°But maybe not old enough to prevent getting pregnant yourself?¡± Tansen prodded with what he had intended to be a light tease.


    ¡°The mother of a quad mage¡¯s child.¡± Agatha put a hand to her belly at the thought before she shook herself. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll bring his student file to the meeting and we¡¯ll sort it out then.¡± She said before walking out the door.


    When the door was closed, Aki waited until the footsteps faded before he moaned.


    ¡°By the spirits, even Agatha wants a piece of him! I don¡¯t know if we have the guards to protect him if the women decide to take him right there in the market.¡±


    Tansen just huffed and dismissed the concern.


    ¡°That will have to wait. Depending on how this business with the censure works out, we won¡¯t have to protect him at all.¡± Tansen said, looking over Eli¡¯s file.


    The rest of the day was more or less put on hold as the leaders of every major faction in the north who could attend the meeting gathered at the Academy¡¯s classroom towers. Tansen was in the carriage with Aki as the mid-day sun played over the clouds in the sky. Moving along the bare road with trees, twisted and curled as they retreated into the ground, gave way to the open field of the twin towers.


    The undead were sprinkled about the woods but the constant patrol of the guards made sure none of them came anywhere near the students. Tansen got out of the carriage as the guards on top of it got down and the horses shod in iron armor pulled the carriage further off behind the towers to get out of the way of the entrance.


    The academy heads ears were assaulted with a swirl of rumors and chatter. Some about the undead, some about the gathering of such important people all getting together on such short notice. But most were about some ¡®blithering nonsense¡¯ involving a quad element caster. Most scoffed at the idiocy. Such a thing had never happened before.


    Of course, most of these kids had never suffered the consequences of their actions before and there was a choice few in the crowd that were in for another unprecedented event.


    Going through the tall wooden doors of the white tower, the crowd made way for Tansen and Aki. Taking a hard right, he went up to one of the opened doors along the wall with the brunette Front woman before going over some papers. Walking over the plush red carpet and up to the woman, Tansen gave a light cough to get the woman¡¯s attention. She jerked up, which caused her glasses to tilt.


    ¡°Sorry to startle you, miss¡± Tansen said casually as he looked inside the room. ¡°Where is Agatha? I would have thought she would be here by now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she was telling the secretaries to make a copy of Eli¡¯s current siring lineage. She¡¯ll be down shortly.¡±


    ¡®How long does it take to copy down a blank piece of paper?¡¯ Tansen thought to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know¡± The Front woman continued ¡°She had to also get several reports from other sources since you took Eli¡¯s main file.¡± Tansen strummed the packet of papers in his robe pocket with a smug smile.


    ¡°Being first isn¡¯t a crime. Besides, I did have more¡­ forewarning than she did.¡± Tansen said impishly.


    She raised a severe eyebrow and pouted with her thick brown lips before turning her gaze to the papers. Tansen left her to her fiddling and went into the room. It was a simple room with a long table and two mana lamps above. Around the table were several chairs with a slightly bigger one at the end. Surrounded by soft wood walls and a plush red-carpet floor, the two air enchantments on wooden blocks at the sides of the door helped provide total protection against snoopers outside.


    Tansen sat idly at the end of the table with Aki standing to his left as the personages that Agatha had summoned trickled in. First was Rand with two regular guards, who seemed content to stand behind him as he took a seat to Tansen¡¯s left. He was quickly followed by a man in a green set of leather armor with metal shoulder guards that stood out from what looked like a rather civilian brown pants and white undershirt. He had a sharp chin and brown eyes to go with a strong youthful face as he sat down on the right end of the table.


    Agatha finally arrived, beside her was a skinny man with a long nose and comb over of light brown hair. His slimming black robes accentuated his dark eyes behind his glasses as he held a small leather-bound book to his chest.


    ¡°Like I said once the censure is seen to, I want some possible reparations- Ah!¡± Agatha stopped as she took in the room. ¡°Good, you all made it. I invited the mayor and the guild master since they had some interactions with Eli and this involves everyone in the region, but I don¡¯t suspect they¡¯ll add much beyond some character witness.¡±


    ¡°I could hardly ignore the summons you sent. A quad element mage. Is there really such a person in this very academy?¡± The military man asked as he rubbed the smooth, unblemished skin of his chin in anticipation.


    ¡°Indeed, Agatha is a reliable as it gets and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s done her due diligence¡± Rand said as he sat down to Tansen¡¯s left. ¡°Although my people are certainly interested in this development, I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯re involved.¡± Agatha gave a light cough as she and the new man sat down at the left end of the table.


    ¡°That will be discussed when the last two members arrive.¡± Agatha said.


    It was a few minutes more when the last two guests came in.


    The portly mayor with brown overalls and a plain white shirt with grey jacket came in first. He had no hair on top of his head aside from thick brown eyebrows and brown lamb chops. Walking beside him was the guild master, Mason, a taller, more fit man with black hair flecked with grey. The guild master stuck to his typical array of wands on a sling over his front and twin daggers at his hips of plain brown pants and leather jerkin exposing muscular ribs beneath. While their appearances could not be further apart, their lamb chops and similar soft cheek bones made their connection to be one of brothers. When the duo sat down on the right side of the table, it was the joyful bellowing of the mayor that started the meeting.


    ¡°Ah sorry. Between the mess with the undead coming early and catching up, we took a while going over various items.¡± The mayor apologized as he sat down beside the military officer while Mason took a seat to Tansen¡¯s right.


    ¡°Quite alright. Let¡¯s get into the matter at hand.¡± Agatha said as she looked around the those seated. ¡°Yes, we have found a quad element mage on campus.¡±


    The intake of breath from everyone present was all that followed the statement, but Agatha pushed on as she handed out a piece of paper.


    ¡°We have sworn testimony from several official mages saying that they witnessed the tests and saw that he formed and used the spell constructs for the four base elements and witnessed him use all four dual elements with no other crafts on him. Not that he could afford to make so many crafts from so many mages with dual elements.¡±


    When the piece of paper was passed around, there was always a pair of raised eyebrows followed by a look of excitement. The word of a Front report was one thing, but the sworn testimony of a mage brought more legitimacy than a hundred regular witnesses. Testimony from several mages was not something a mundane would ever think to question.


    ¡°And it¡¯s a male. How the fortunes have favored us.¡± The military officer said with brown eyes shimmering in wonder.


    Tansen, someway somehow, managed to not huff at the statement. It was when the mayor got the paper that a different reaction occurred. His thick brown eyebrows scrunched together, as his lips formed a soundless whistle while those surrounding him chatted excitedly.


    ¡®Ah, he must have gotten to the name of the mage. Someone has an idea of how this meeting is going to end.¡¯ Tansen thought ruefully. A quick look from the mayor to the academy head confirmed his suspicions. This also happened when Rand went over the paper, but instead of looking at Tansen he just started sweating and his face said he was trying to keep his lunch down.


    When the paper was finally passed around to everyone present, Tansen decided to at least get the productive part of this gathering done before the tears started flying.


    ¡°First things first, what are the military implications of this. I will defer to your expertise.¡± Tansen said with a nod towards the military officer.


    ¡°I¡­um.¡± The man drew a blank as his brown eyes wandered the room for the answer. ¡°The application of dual elements can be a lot trickier to put to paper than the base elements. Three of them depend on what is within the mages reach. But with the healing magic he could¡­ no since he has metal magic no one could really get close enough in a combat situation to...¡± He took a deep breath before he looked apologetically at those around the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That is a question that is far above my level, but I¡¯ll have an official report done up about it by people with far more expertise than me.¡±


    ¡°We all have our limits.¡± Agatha said sympathetically.


    ¡°Only some of us do, apparently.¡± Mason huffed as he leaned back with crossed arms. ¡°All four elements. To think I almost had him in my guild after the trial.¡±


    This drew confused looks from those present.


    ¡°Trial?¡± The slender man in a black robe asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°He went through some legal trouble and applied to my guild. I had to turn him away because all the senior members didn¡¯t want his reputation brought into our guild. They also bristled at the idea that the most loathsome mage still qualified for our membership.¡± Mason replied with an irritated growl at the last part. ¡°If there was ever a time I wanted to go in the past and punch myself, it would be now.¡±


    ¡°This mage is already someone who has gotten attention? Before he even became a caster?¡± The officer asked.


    ¡°Yes¡± Rand answered uncomfortably. ¡°He has been censured. But¡­um.¡±


    ¡°But that will be resolved in short order.¡± Agatha cut in as she headed off the panicked faces of the legal expert and officer not familiar with Eli. ¡°I was privy to the circumstances surrounding the censure and it will be resolved shortly.¡± A few nods went around the table, even as the implications sank in.


    ¡°That means he hasn¡¯t been siring for that period of time. I would not want to have my name on that order.¡± The lawyer said. That prompted a wave of agreement from everyone present, with even Rand¡¯s guards nodding at the prospect of such misfortune. Agatha took a deep breath before she continued the conversation.


    ¡°Speaking of resolving the censure, we need to get in touch with any of his progeny or heck even his parents or siblings. I expect a special breeding program will be set up to encourage them to have more children as well. They may even extend it to his distant relatives if¡­¡± Agatha stopped as her blue eyes went between the mayor and Tansen. Narrowing her eyes into slits, she crossed her arms over her black work dress.


    ¡°You two have been looking at each other a lot and I don¡¯t think I like the expressions you¡¯ve been using.¡± Agatha demanded as everyone turned towards the two men.


    One last silent conversation passed between them before Tansen gave a light cough.


    ¡°That item may not be something to spend our time on considering the fact that he has no children.¡± Tansen said idly as he circled a finger over the table. Not even the mayor was fully prepared for that blow, as indignant cries and sputtered objections sounded out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuss at me, fuss at the file.¡± Tansen scolded as he took the pertinent papers out and tossed them across the table. Agatha struck out like a whip and quickly scoured their contents. After a minute, she sat up and ran out the door with a barely heard ¡°Excuse me¡±.


    When she came back, her face was slightly pale and her hands were squeezed into fists as she sat back down between Rand and the lawyer.


    ¡°I sent some secretaries to get the papers going over the children he has sired. It was taking a while to find so I started the meeting hoping it would turn up afterwards. It would indeed appear that he has sired no children.¡± This caused an uproar that was thankfully blocked to the outside world by the air enchantments around the door.


    ¡°None?¡± The officer said, baffled at such an ridiculous statement.


    ¡°My cousins a no-talent crafter and he¡¯s managed to get four women with child. Does his dick have venom tipped fangs?¡± The lawyer demanded in disbelief.


    A light chuckle from the mayor stopped the noise as all eyes turned towards him.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re simple folk here. And simple folk, why, we love to gossip. And if the gossip I¡¯ve heard is true, there is one woman who would have his child¡± The mayor said with a smirk.


    Agatha leaned forward hopefully, as did the legal expert while the rest waited with bated breath.


    ¡°There¡¯s a little lass he¡¯s been quite fond of. Been taking her out to meals and even drags her into his little tower for days long sessions together. His insistence on nonperishable foods makes you think that their activities were ones he didn¡¯t want interrupted for anything, not even a hot meal.¡± The mayor said with a suggestive tone as he wiggled his eyebrows.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get in contact with this girl¡¯s family and her parents. A quick stay in our best accommodations will at least-¡± The mayor put up his hand to interrupt Agatha.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many high coin establishments would be willing to put up a goat woman as their esteemed guest.¡± He finished.


    A void of any sound, thought, or motion swept through the room until the officer swore as he pounded the hard-oak table.


    ¡°Are you fucking joking?¡± He demanded as the rest of those present stared at the mayor while he thumbed the straps across his belly.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Tansen shouted, overriding the officer¡¯s objection. ¡°There¡¯s other problems we need to get too besides his choices in company.¡±


    ¡°Other problems?¡± Mason asked with an incredulous face. ¡°The first woman to bear Eli¡¯s child is going to be a Kelton woman, and there are other problems?¡±


    But it was the guard to Rand¡¯s left who interrupted with a surprised squeak. Everyone turned to him, including Rand. The poor fellow had sweat falling down his brow as his brown eyes shifted between the people present who were looking him over.


    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± The officer demanded.


    ¡°He is¡­ um you said the mage was called Eli?¡± The guard asked nervously, now training his gaze on the officer.


    ¡°Yes, what of it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably the mage who went out fighting the wave of the undead with them Kelton¡¯s. I was with the local captain setting up the defenses when Eli healed the wounded and helped set up the spikes. Must have gotten into the thick of the combat because he had bits of undead smeared across the shoulders and legs of that weird suit of his¡±


    That little nugget of wisdom was digested by an already exasperated audience, who were now mostly content to strum fingers or clench fists in anger.


    ¡°When?¡± Agatha asked between clenched teeth.


    ¡°Last night miss.¡± The guard said respectfully. Rand chose that moment to deliver more bad news.


    ¡°And I was going over the terms of his censure before this meeting. Apparently, he intends to take several more trips out there to help get supplies.¡± He said with sweat running down his mustache and tan skin.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s not happening¡± Agatha shot back with a snarling mouth.


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t dissuade him from doing it. The rules are I can explain what he is or is not allowed to do, but I can¡¯t have a nice little chat about whether he should do a legally allowed action. ¡®Any individual associating with the censured, outside of circumstances with the direst need, will also fall under the censure order¡¯¡± Rand intoned from memory.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to that portion of our fun little meeting.¡± Agatha replied with strained sweetness.


    ¡®And here we go.¡¯ Tansen thought to himself.


    The legal expert pushed his glasses up and took a deep breath before talking.


    ¡°Once the censure is done, I would advise everyone here and at the academy get some legal representation. This incident will be gone over with an attention to detail never before seen.¡±


    A round of nods went around those at the table. But it was at this moment where Tansen decided to drop this boulder on their heads.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s not going to be a problem for a few weeks or even months depending on how long the courts take.¡± Tansen said idly as he reached into his robe.


    ¡°What?¡± The legal expert asked, clearly confused.


    ¡°Tell me, my good man, what are the two ways, the only two ways for a non-government entity, to end a censure?¡± Tansen asked as he laid the rest of Eli¡¯s file down in front of him.


    The man in a slim black robe pushed up his glasses and gave a light cough as the recited the passages.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s plea, where the mage can have their children, or the other parent of those children make a case for their reinstatement into society. The other is by having his backer¡¯s plea a case in the courts for him. The main point being the mage has to have done enough for society that others have benefitted from his existence.¡±


    Tansen gave a light popping sound from his lips as he leaned forward and clapped his hands together. A long moment of closing his eyes passed before he opened them and delivered the killing blow.


    ¡°After an extensive search and questioning, our understanding of Eli¡¯s background is this; He is the product of a long and esteemed lineage of nameless backwoods nobodies who got enough magical resources for him to make crafter from poaching from the lands to the west. All the current facts suggest that Eli has no backers of any kind and no children to plead his case and it is after great painstaking work we have found no plausible means to quickly end the censure.¡± Tansen finished with a placating opening of his hands as he leaned back into his chair.


    That twisted monster of words just sat in the middle of the group with no one making a single sound. After nearly a solid minute, Mason spoke up with a whisper.


    ¡°This academy is finished.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I disagree.¡± Tansen countered as Aki took out a piece of paper from his robe pocket and handed it to Tansen.


    ¡°This is a signed objection made by this academy, and I will note that Agatha¡¯s objections to the censure were included, to contest the censuring of Eli. Suffice it to say, I don¡¯t think this dragon will be mauling the Diamond academy.¡±


    ¡°T-this¡± Agatha sputtered ¡°This is not about blame! The first quad element caster has no children and is going on adventures against the undead and your first thought is about who will be getting blamed?!¡± she demanded in outrage.


    ¡°Do you think I had my people staring at dogs wagging their tails this whole time? We¡¯ve gone over everything we can do. And yes, assigning blame will be very important when the magical association¡¯s start shopping for heads to bash in when word of this gets out.¡±


    Heavy breathing took over the room as the sheer scope of what was being talked about started to reveal itself.


    ¡°Is he right?¡± The mayor demanded of the lawyer, who was now sweating and wiping his forehead down with a handkerchief.


    ¡°Well¡­ there are acts of the senate and the chamber which would then have to be signed off by the president or the high courts could do something but this deals with the censure and it may very well take weeks to sort out.¡± He offered with a wobbly voice.


    ¡°Weeks?¡± The officer balked, which seemed to only rile the lawyer.


    ¡°Yes, weeks! Censuring someone takes massive coordination with the craftsman, merchants, guilds, transport services, and everything else you need to run society. It takes strict orders being given to every guard employed in every town where they reside or live near. Censuring someone is not just some shirt you put on or piece of furniture you move whenever you feel like it. Mage related laws are always a bitch to change, even when it¡¯s a matter of grammar or minor footnote in the breeding stipends. Going against a censure order? Yes, it may very well take weeks, maybe even months!¡± He snarled back with sweat coming down harder and harder as he recounted the difficulties that lay ahead.


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± The mayor asked the room.


    ¡°Send out the report immediately and pray the higherups have someone there to maul for this mess.¡± The lawyer said with a note of finality.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about passing the blame off to someone else!¡± Agatha shouted as she stood up from the table in outrage. ¡°The opportunity of an age is going to get his face bitten off before he has the chance to spread his seed.¡±


    Tansen gave a light cough as all faces turned to him.


    ¡°I know, but we¡¯ve exhausted all our options. The important thing is making sure we will survive to help make the correct decisions.¡± Tansen said with a hard tone.


    Agatha thought it over for a moment. Eventually she got a deflated look before nodding and going over to the door. Calling for the other Front woman, the report was eventually written up with a summation of the situation and the sworn testimony of everyone present, even as their hands shook while they signed what could very well be the death warrant of their careers.


    Satisfied with the events, such as could be reasonably expected, Tansen called the meeting to a close. As the pale, wobbly legged attendants shuffled out with the pomp and energy of a crypt, Tansen retired to his office to oversee a few more items. It was in the late afternoon, when the sun was just making its last stand with the night, that the start of the coming disaster trickled in. On the legs of a hawk, fed magical mice and worms to give it speed beyond its mundane kin, arrived a letter of inquiry into some rumors an association of healer mages had heard.


    Tansen followed protocol, walking down the tower and delivering the letter to the head of the Front. Opening the oak door, Tansen arrived into an office with a back window overlooking a plain green carpet and dark wood desk. At this desk sat a tired and worn out Agatha going over papers with the brunette with glasses from earlier and a Front guardsman veteran who, if memory of the course schedules served Tansen well, had given Eli¡¯s survival courses.


    ¡°Yes Tansen? I¡¯m quite busy with this ball of blades you dropped in my lap.¡± She said irritably.


    Tansen simply walked forward and put the small letter forward, like it was a snake he was trying to get off himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± He said with a look of pity towards the letter¡¯s victim.


    A long sigh with a downward look was all she offered him as she took the letter. The first of what would be many, many letters.

 Chapter 83: Wedding Day (R 18+)

    Eli?Pov


    I woke up from my hammock with a skip in my step.?The cloud over my life was gone and my relationship with?Salamede?was on the mend. The morning after my test at the academy, I was getting up before the rising of the early sun gorging on granola, water and the raw energy of my happiness. Humming around the main tower floor, I inspected the steel struts the I had driven into the four corners of my towers main room.


    My general plan was to get the bones for a much larger tower ready and have the?final tower put together?in one night. Having the ¡®guts¡¯ of my tower on display when it was being made proper was too much of a security risk so while I was working on the suits actuators and overall design, Cell was in the basement, gradually using earth magic to replace the dirt in and around my tower to the point that the first several yards out from the front door was now smooth, sand-colored stone instead of grass and a crude dirt path.


    The only other major external difference was the massive intake and outtake pipes?sticking through the right side of the room and out the ceiling, which?created airflow?to the steel furnace I was almost done setting up. I was getting low on gold and pulling?mana?crystals from no where was out of the question, but with my identity as a quad mage now out in the open, I did have a ready explanation for the bags of holding I had.


    The?dwarf smiths¡¯?emerald eyes nearly popped out of his skull when I offered him one as payment for more iron, copper, and some steel. When the exchange was done, he promised me several tons of whatever it was I could possibly need?as long as the supply trains kept coming in.?The first thing I made was a massive furnace. The huge?cylinder?with hooks on the side was?made of graphite?and below it was?my?specially made?furnace of thick?shafts that would be?filled with massive heating coils. It would take a while to make all the spheres needed to power?the unfinished?forge,?but Cell was familiar enough with the process that I felt I could trust him to make the spheres?on his own.


    In order to maximize my time, I had several bark pieces?that would soak in?and condense the ambient?mana?into a large glass sphere. Using a balance that would roughly take in the?mana?as quickly as it was replenished, I was only really sacrificing a few hours at most for these expeditions to help the peasants considering most of the work needed was held back due to?mana?shortages. And those few hours were well worth the peace of mind it would bring?Salamede.


    My suit was now up to my relative standard of acceptability. While diamond pressured plates were a few days off, the mix of chemicals for carbon fiber were not in the dwarf blacksmiths stock and had to be special ordered. That was?to say nothing of the?chemical reactor for the acrylonitrile powder and?the?plastics I would need. Before that I would need to craft an infrared thermometer to use¡­ hmm the burden of bringing science to the world.


    Bringing my mind back to what was in front of me, the suit now had steel plates with wood mixed throughout, instead of a crude cut off in the torso and legs. The wooden parts were now more pine wood made to act more like rubber in between the plates and strands of steel.?It was these bits of wood that would stop rust with the water enchantments projecting a repulsion?field just above the metal. The helmet was now?a smooth circular top with two long smooth plates covering my face that had a resemblance to wings, the general aesthetic being complimented with the helmet being tipped with what looked like a beak at the end near the face.


    Along the neck down to the torso were inter woven steel plates with bits of the rubbery wood below them. These steel plates flowed around the steel shoulder guards that had small spikes?rivetted?in them to resemble feathers as they?flowed in lines along the shoulders to the arms. At certain points, the?modified motors for the actuators made the arms stick out a little but the weight was well within the acceptable limits.


    The ranged option of the cross bow was still available, my metal magic now letting me make the more compact assembly on my right arm more lightweight and nearly as powerful as before, but I felt I needed a ranged option that didn¡¯t have an ammo limit. Iron balls the size of my fist with handles that would attach to cables at the bottom fit the bill, even if I had to carry the balls in a special hip compartment near the leg actuators. These would also be easier to re-engage with the new arm actuators pulling the steel cable back around a small pole.


    As a safety measure, the balls would only be pulled back until they were a good foot away from my hand so they didn¡¯t rip a big hole in the arm armor, even if it meant I still had to watch the momentum.?A little practice with the motions and whiplash involved gave me an option that allowed me to keep distance with the enemy but not run out of ammo like I would with the crossbow, whose ammo of small steel bolts I had to keep in a quiver on my right shoulder.


    The actuators around the legs still had the same functions but I added another set of wheels to each so the effect would be more like a proper vehicle and less like roller-skating.?After being placed with more finesse and some additional care in the legs, the motors now fit near the knees with less space while additional bracing around the top and a set of several suspension springs around the shaft in front of my lower legs helped make the wheels handles jumps far better.?These were powered with the two copper spheres above my bottom, their protection being steel caps woven into the?overall?design.


    But more than the functions, this was perhaps my first item where aesthetics, aside from camouflage, were?paid?some attention. The steel was given a smooth surface that showed some craftsmanship in?its shine?and the wood was colored to give off a deeper red color while the avian motif was continued with the lines of feathers?running?along the plates and wood pieces?that stuck out below the steel joints. The hands also had the points of claws while the feet had some wings flowing from the tip around to the back.?The boosters, now eight for a total of four in a line on each side of the back for more subtle control, had shiny steel exteriors with cones on their holes to give more concentrated thrust and send a proper stream of fire out.


    A long spear, with the diamond shaped tip having?willowy?white plant fibers below the blade to absorb blood and leather straps over the steel body, was off to the left.?Its?length?was similar to that?of my body and was the final addition to my new ensemble?with a carry strap around the back. The hammer was nice to swing but it lacked the precision?I typically liked when it came to my personal weapons. Learning from my lesson in the night battle, I put in two?mana?lamps on the shoulders that would illuminate the whole area around me with the fire spell within or serve as an emergency?mana?supply in a pinch.


    My meal finished, I opened the straps on the sides of the suit and shuffled in. At the center of the chest piece was a single plate with the appearance of an eagle flying forward. I?thought about making a spot to put Cell in, but I decided to keep him in a pouch at my side when we travelled together. My familiar was doing some work here and there but I got the impression that he wanted to catch up with his familiar?friends,?so I gave him the day off as?I retrieved two mid-sized chests.


    Heading out the door into the wide world, the sky was overcast with grey miserable clouds and the lingering morning fog still held sway over large parts of the land. As merry whistle reverberated in the steel suit and I walked down past the few trees covering the direct line of sight from my home to the academy, I noticed a large number of students and staff watching the path to my house. They all gawked when my steel and wood frame came into view, but I paid them no more attention than anything else underfoot.


    Going down into the now distinctly Kelton part of town, I came upon the carriage we would be using. The frame was thicker than most and instead of a canopy, it had thick iron?plater?wrapped around the sides with a sturdy door in the back. The horses were likewise armored with thinner sheets and now?numbered?four to a single cart as opposed to the typical two. At the driver seat was a man in simple leather armor and a spear across the back of his bench.


    The small crowd of Kelton men?that?surrounded?the carriage?came?with spears, wooden hammers, and some crude bits of armor?sprinkled throughout?the motley mob.?Off to the right of this carriage was the Kelton women bidding their men goodbye while the Kelton Patriarch in a larger green suit dolled out several silver coins to a muscular man in proper iron plate armor sitting next to the driver.


    ¡°Ah, just who I wanted to see.¡± A voice to my right called. Turning to my right, I saw Rand coming down between some houses with a small squad of about twelve guards. Oddly, I saw Veronica¡¯s mother coming along behind him, looking at me like I was a glass family heirloom precariously placed on a tables edge.


    ¡°I have not fraternized with the men after your warning¡± I said evenly.


    ¡°I know lad, but you might.¡± Rand said sympathetically. ¡°And I need to make sure that you don¡¯t so I¡¯m assigning a few men to keep an eye on you. Just to make sure you don¡¯t needlessly talk to anyone.¡± The surrounding guards nodded and moved forward to stay by the side of the carriage.


    I had a flash of irritation but the relieved looks of the Kelton women looking at my minders who would now accompany us stayed my tongue.


    ¡°I am allowed to discuss things pertinent to the mission, correct?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, just no socializing.¡±


    ¡°All right, here¡¯s the solution to the storage problems¡± I called to the Patriarch as I hefted the chests onto the back of the carriage and strapped them into the racks.


    ¡°Um¡­ I appreciate the thought,¡± The pudgy Kelton man said as he rubbed his brown fur in thought. ¡°But I think we¡¯ll need something a tad bigger if we¡¯re to fill out our warehouse in just two trips.¡±


    I took the one chest I hadn¡¯t yet strapped in, a wide brown thing with plain iron bands, and handed it too him. He opened it and his pure white eyes looked inside with a curious look. Lifting it over his head, his curved ram horns just barely got past the wooden entrance when he gently let the box down. And down. And down.


    It was when he held the box to his thigh that he finally stopped; a big brown box hefted by two hands over a pair of brown pants?was all that could be seen of him. Everyone, from the guards to the Kelton¡¯s, to Veronicas mother and Rand, went slack jawed as they stood still as statues.


    ¡°They¡¯re?fucking?boxes of holding?¡± The driver swore explosively, as the surrounding mothers put hands to their children¡¯s ears too late.


    The box was then lifted up as the Patriarch?came back into view and?handed the chest back over to me with shaky hands.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that should be enough space.¡± He said in a dazed tone.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯re wasting time.¡± I said to the crowd as I strapped the chest in?and took my spear from the other sand colored one. Most?of the crowd?just shambled about while the driver took a moment to whistle for the horses to start moving. As the men bid their farewells, I noticed more than one was now taking a moment to rub these?mythical boxes of holding?that I got?Salamede?to buy from a poor back alley dealer.


    Our preparations finished, the now expanded entourage headed out over the bridge and through the door of the main gate. I kept pace to the carriages left?with my now nominally vehicular movements?as the men took turns stabbing some corpse that was shambling about. I would have thought that they would have all charged at the defenses in one big wave and that would be the end of them, but it appears that the undead, while not intelligent, avoided areas where a lot of their kin died and stuck to meandering about the woods.


    Moving through the fog that clung to the road and?spilled from the forest, I noticed that the trees were near the end of their time above ground. Their tops had the branches all woven into balls or on the sides as the tree¡¯s height was now only two or three times the height of a man. Eventually we came back to the split in the road where the two roads to the Kelton villages met and we took the left path.


    The village had a few homes in the center with several farms on the outskirts. Our main point of interest, the round three story silo, was put in the middle of the town. I would have thought putting on the outskirts would have been?better,?but the surrounding wooden wall and few weapons scattered about it told me this building was placed here to protect it from thieves or bandits. But the big mob of corpses to the left of the building?had been content to leave it untouched as the grain inside was of no interest to the carnivores.


    ¡°All right.¡± The armored man to the drivers right?called to the group with his brown eyes looking at everyone and his long brown hair swinging below his iron helm?¡°There¡¯s a mob to the left but I typically don¡¯t like concentrating on one area. Five men to each of the four sides to keep an eye out. I don¡¯t suppose you guards would fan out?¡±


    The leading man with a white stripe on his shoulder came forward.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to monitor Eli, nothing else.¡± He said plainly.


    ¡°Ok. Eli please take the mob to the left and if the people monitoring you would deign to help, why that would be swell.¡± He said. The guard captain tried to sputter some?objection,?but I just took off down the center of the town. Not waiting for anyone else, I lifted the spear and took off the heads of a few of the undead while the rest worked their way to the granary.


    A mass of rotten flesh surged forward as we moved but the few odd corners in the houses meant they bumped and slammed into each other and couldn¡¯t mob us all at once. Compared to the fight at the animal pens, this was pretty easy. At least until the healing magic started coming out of the earth, then this fight would be another proposition all together.


    While the town guards held back the mob with their iron shields just fine, one of the Kelton men?to the road on my right screamed. Turning around, I saw he?got a big chunk bit out of him when?seven of the undead came down the northern road. I threw my spear through the undead that had ganged up on him and pushed his compatriots back.


    Zipping towards the dog pile of undead, I let loose a few bolts into the ones trying to get for his head while I attached the balls of iron to the cable on top of my hands. Several wide twirls with the iron balls at the end of the cables and bits of rotting flesh and the crunch of knees and bones filled the air.


    What lay before me was a barely alive man with huge chunks taken out of his chest and legs as his life¡¯s blood spilled out into the dirt. Wasting no time, I used a healing spell on him even as he still screamed and twisted on the ground. The men surrounded me and a few of the town guards even made it over. Apparently, the guard¡¯s leader started using his brain and sent the rest of the men to help watch the other sides.


    It took a while, but I eventually healed most of him. He?was still covered in?nasty bite marks?and didn¡¯t have the remaining muscle to walk on his own, but the puddle of blood on the ground stopped spreading outward and he could be moved. The dead were now thinned out to just one or two making their way down the roads, so I helped walk him down to the wagon.


    ¡®Thank you. Oh fuck that was...¡¯ He puked off to his right while I patted the still shaking man.


    ¡®The worst is over now¡¯ I said in the spirit connection as we moved past the men in front of the granary shoveling grain into the brown chest. Getting him to sit back down?on the wagon?bench beside the driver, I used a piece of wood from a discarded barrel to fashion a crude healing item from the brown plank.


    ¡°Here, place it against your body.¡±


    His grey goat head nodded as his bite marks healed at a much slower pace, with the driver staring in fascination. From there it was?just a half an hour before all the grain had been stored in the two chests with a little room left over?and I had fished my spear back from the pile of undead I had slain by chucking it.


    This was the central granary for both villages, which meant we had gotten all of the food but the men had come from this village and went through the houses getting a few iron tools from the blacksmith, thread and needles from the tailor, as well as other household goods that the wagon now had the unexpected space for.


    There were cheers and pats on the back as we made our way home. I saw the sun fighting for its purchase in the mid-day sky but, sadly, the day belonged to the clouds as the brief flashes of sunlight died and a light drizzle came down as we came back to the town.?We passed through without incident?as traffic was pretty much nonexistent on the main road now.?However, as we went through the road to the Kelton section, it seemed like a giant beehive of agitated activity with some carts smashed and people running about.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The driver called to a passing guard.


    ¡°A mob of women came by, talking about some Kelton woman taking the quad mages seed. Beat one Kelton woman pretty bad but then a water mage got involved and their both in the academy hospital right now. It¡¯s a mess, please go on ahead, sir.¡± The guard said in a tired tone as he went back to taking an upturned stall owners report.


    My heart leapt up into my throat as I looked towards the jutting white walls of the academy.


    ¡°Put the grain in the warehouse and put the boxes on the cart for the next trip¡± I said absentmindedly to anyone who could hear as I laid my spear down by the warehouse and took off down the cowded road.?Going through the academy¡¯s main entrance and up to the wooden building leaning against the academy¡¯s left wall, I ran up the stone steps while the people in my way made sure not to impede me. As I went through the oak double doors, the first person I saw was?Tansen in his typical black robe with a wave of sapphires across the chest. He gave me a knowing look and motioned behind him to the stairs on the left side.


    I followed him up the stairs until we got to the third floor. This section was noticeably nicer than the other floors with white marbles flooring and what looked like gold embellishments in the doors. It was also less crowded with purely artistic pieces like the ceiling being painted a flowing river with scenes of deer, bears, and huntsman throughout.


    We came up to a door on the right and opened it. Inside was a fine room with two plush beds, an embellished window in the front center, and a luxurious red carpet. To the left was Veronica with a bloody lip and bruises along her arms as her mother looked over her with a devastated demeanor?even as she was clearly struggling to keep it in, on my right was?Salamede. She lay in the silk sheets with only a few bruises.?The?women seemed to be rather lighthearted as their conversation stopped as we opened the door.


    ¡°Ah, Eli.¡±?Salamede?said with eagerness in her rough voice. I rushed forward and kissed her, which she returned eagerly.


    After a few moments savoring her, I pulled back and took her head in my hand.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    She struggled for a moment?but finally responded.


    ¡°They made the official announcement about you this morning after you left.?I was going?about my work buying some tools and nails we needed for the various carpenters working on the warehouses, when out of nowhere a mob of the women students and some others?surrounded me. They um¡­ Well Veronica?helped me as the mob pelted me with stones and-¡°


    The door opened again as a nurse came through with two glass vials?filled with red liquid?on a silver tray.


    ¡°More potions for the ladies, I must say-¡° She stopped dead when she noticed the mass of steel and wood looking at her. From her my gaze shifted to Veronica then to?Salamede?and back to the potions as Tansen bid the woman to leave.


    ¡°Tansen, how did she look before the healing potions covered up the damage?¡± I asked with gritted teeth as I turned towards the academy head.


    ¡®Eli! Don¡¯t get angry. We can¡¯t afford Cell going crazy. It wasn¡¯t actually that bad, but Tansen insisted we get the best treatment possible¡¯?Salamede?soothingly said in a spirit connection. I felt?Salamede?squeezing my fingers, so I took a deep breath and counted for a long moment.


    ¡°Do not worry yourself about those women, Eli¡± Veronica said. ¡°From the way mother has been sending out orders since she got here, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be much left for you to take from those women.¡±


    ¡°And you agree with that,?Salamede?¡± I asked. She gave a nod as did Veronica. Since they were the ones who were actually hurt, it would be inappropriate for me to hunt down the perpetrators on their behalf.


    It was at this moment?that?Tansen?broke in.


    ¡°Indeed. From what I¡¯ve heard, Veronica was checking out another?Dwarf stall nearby and used a water shield to help?Salamede. Hard to believe such a great woman?could blossom from such a poisonous vine like?Agatha.¡± He finished with a sage nod.


    ¡°Tansen, unless you want my foot lodged up the recesses of your?ass, keep your snide comments to yourself.¡± Agatha shot back with a stern look even?as Veronica looked on with a mischievous grin, ruining the seriousness of the moment.


    ¡°Well we¡¯re all in this together, aren¡¯t we?¡± Veronica said, her heart shaped face and blue eyes projecting cheer even as her blond hair was scattered about her white robe.?She took a moment to look at?my hand wrapped around?Salamede¡¯s, a flash of what looked like jealousy flared up in her eyes for a moment so fleeting I thought I could have been mistaken as to whether it even existed.


    ¡°To a certain extent.¡± I half agreed as I took in the ambient?mana?and cast a healing spell from both hands towards both of the women. Far more potent than the wisps of healing magic found in the red potions, the bruises and injury melted away until the two women were spotless.


    ¡°Veronica¡± I said with a deep bow as the woman in question looked over her hands and felt her face in wonder.?¡°You?came to the defense of someone?I love?when I could not. I owe you a great debt and?if there is any service or item I could render you, say it and it will be yours.¡±


    Everyone looked on with expectant looks at the young girl as she bit her lip in thought.


    ¡°You have every element, right?¡± She asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Then you can make bags of holding, correct?¡± She said with an eager hint in her eyes. Agatha interrupted with a light cough.


    ¡°Dear, even with those elements present, the mental concentration demanded of one person doing that would be-¡°


    ¡°Yes.¡± I responded without hesitation.


    While?Salamede?looked on calmly,?Tansen?and Agatha looked at me with disbelief plain in their faces?even as?Veronica gave a happy little clap.


    ¡°Thank you! I have a special little bag-¡° She reached down?under the bed into a box with other personal items and took out this special bag. It was?a bit larger than a?book?with red scales and a silk thread running interwoven at the top to allow it to be closed with a knot or tied around something else.


    ¡°Dragon hide¡± Veronica explained, ¡°With the treated web of a magical spider that should be around the size of a horse if what I know of the breed is anything to go by.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the dwarves were selling anything like that.¡±?Tansen?said?with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°They don¡¯t. This was a gift from my dad.¡± Veronica said, her face getting a slight shadow cast over it. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I¡¯ve ever gotten from him. You know scions are so few and he has so many others around. He¡­ um yeah,?this one, if you please.¡±


    As she handed me the bag, I noticed?Tansen?took a few steps back closer to the door as Agatha just rubbed her shoulders in support. When I took a deep breath and sucked in as much?mana?as I could,?Tansen?came forward again as the rest of the group looked?on?eagerly at the creation of this legendary item.


    This was a gift to repay a priceless deed, not some part in a machine I could replace with no thought. Combined with its sentimental value, I meant to go far beyond what I had done for any of the other bags of holding I had made. Getting out of my combat suit and donning?a cloth to wrap around my face, I got to work as I put the entrance of the bag into what would be the empty center.


    As I put out the wide construct of various elements circles, squares, and triangles, I noticed?Tansen¡¯s?eyes looking over at the water section, his eyes taken in with the seemingly incomplete spell construct while Agatha looked like she couldn¡¯t believe the sheer amount of?mana?I was using.?I had made larger spaces with the?grain?chests, but the relatively small hole of?the entrance to the bag made it far harder to expand the space with less spirit magic to send through the hole.


    After nearly half an hour, sweat started going down my back and forehead as I forced the spirit magic and my magical ability to its absolute limit before I finished setting up the expanded space in the bag.?A?rush of air into the bag was heard as the spell was?finally?cast. The handbag?had an external size on the smaller side to fit comfortably around the?waist?or arm,?while the inner size?now had the storage capacity of smaller wardrobe.


    I handed it off to Veronica, who took the bag with?newfound?reverence. She looked at it in wonder and stuck her arm through the?entrance?as?she?waved her other hand in front of it like a child with a new toy.?Tansen?gave a light whistle as Agatha just looked at me with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°That was incredible, Eli.¡± Agatha said hesitantly. ¡°Taking in?mana?like most people take in air. To take in?mana?continually while using spirit magic is something most take years to perfect. Or?naturally if they¡¯re?scions.¡± She said with a final suggestive tone.


    I was putting my helmet back on and managed to keep the motion going with no hiccup.


    ¡°Oh yeah.?The test?for being a scion is something that¡¯s?supposed to be?done when you¡¯re first given the title of caster¡±?Tansen?said as he strode forward. ¡°This may be?uncomfortable,?so I apologize beforehand.¡± Then I felt his spirit magic run through me. We could have communicated but he kept silent as he worked his way to my core and expanding outward. After a few more seconds he pulled back.


    ¡°Nope, no egg.¡±?Tansen?finally proclaimed. I thought back to my first time using spirit magic and realized he must have been talking about that void I?couldn¡¯t?penetrate in my chest before I had Cell. Agatha tutted with disappointment.


    ¡°I guess that would have been too much to ask for. Still, you must be awfully close. Another item for the higher-ups to cry over.¡± She said sadly.


    ¡°What are you-¡° The door opened to reveal Rand. He put his thumbs in his brown pants under his steel breastplate even as his green eyes looked like a man stepping into a viper pit with seat running down his brown mustache.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to butt in, but as the highest local authority of law enforcement, I have to remind you that this is not a dire circumstance.?Please do not interfere with the censured when he vacates the building.?I am authorized to give one warning,?any further incidents will be met with?sharing his censure sentence¡± He said with a pointed look towards me,?seemingly?more to avoid the murderous looks of Agatha and?Tansen.


    ¡°What do you define as dire?¡±?Tansen?said as he walked up to the man.


    ¡°People will die if it isn¡¯t done is the general rule. This also extends to gatherings to coordinate in emergencies.¡± Rand countered with a slight pull back.


    ¡°Does not the siring of a quad element mage also qualify?¡± Agatha asked.


    ¡°Him siring has a whole line devoted to it?in the order. You know that¡± He said with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°But finding his children. Protecting the line of a priceless mage. Are these not items of dire need?¡± Agatha said, moving forward to crowd the man with?Tansen.


    After a moment of consideration, Rand nodded.


    ¡°Yes, working to protect previously sired children is a precedent?that has been accepted as dire.¡± He said.


    Agatha then turned around and walked up to?me.


    ¡°Eli, is there?no woman?who might be carrying your child?¡± She said as she leaned closer. ¡°A?farmers daughter who showed you the upper loft of her?father¡¯s?barn?or?bakers¡¯ wife?who decided she might like to try for a crafter¡¯s child? It''s?not an uncommon occurrence I assure you and while some stubborn sorts would be uncomfortable publicly revealing this fact, I promise you, they would be compensated as such that the husband would never think to complain.¡± She took a step closer.


    ¡°In fact, it is not unheard of for the daughters to ask for a chance once such circumstances have been revealed.?Is there not a single back alley whore you took on any night in any village we might contact?¡± the desperation came clear through at the end as she?now stood?within a hair¡¯s breadth of my helmets nose.


    ¡°No, I am sorry to disappoint you but-¡°


    Remembering?the local rumors, I made sure to steal a look to?Salamede?to give the correct impression. Agatha followed my gaze and gave a tired sigh when she found the woman she had been looking for.


    ¡°If you find yourself with child, please come to this hospital immediately and my people will be in contact.¡± Agatha said with a bow before turning around and heading out the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think being censured means no school.¡±?Tansen?said with an appearance of mock sternness. ¡°Mid-day tomorrow, come up to my office and we will go over the few remaining requirements for you to become a recognized mage.¡± Looking at Salamede, she seemed to be positively buzzing with excitement at the statement even as the others kept their eyes on me. With a light bow to the two remaining women, he also turned around and left.?Rand gave a light bow to the retreating academy head then turned his gaze to me.


    ¡°Ok lad. I commend your efforts but now you need to-¡°


    ¡°Actually, he¡¯ll be?with me. Associating with me.¡±?Salamede?said. Even I drew an askance look at the goat woman sitting up from the bed.


    ¡®You sure?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Yes. I- we¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk about it soon. But?yes,?I¡¯m sure.¡¯ She said as she took my armored hand.


    Rand took a long moment where he was clearly trying to find some way out of doing what he just threatened to do a few minutes ago. When he had apparently exhausted all of his options, he nodded with a defeated look and went out the door with a ¡°I¡¯ll get the paperwork in order¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess when your mother is here to give you your dress-¡°?Salamede?silenced me with a?pulling down of the helmet and a?kiss?that flooded my mouth with her sweet tang.


    ¡°No need,¡± She said in her rough voice when she pulled back. Leaning down, she picked up a small box from under the bed and took out a rather beautiful dress. It was a lighter green than her typical favorite with white embroidery around the edges and special stitching around the chest and thighs showing a custom make designed to fit her, and her alone.


    ¡°The dwarves dropped it off earlier.¡±?Salamede?said idly even as a jealous look from Veronica remained open with?no?attempts to hide it from us. ¡°Eli, lets meet up for lunch and?we can discuss how we¡¯re going to help the human peasants.¡±


    A simple kiss from me was all I could say. My heart racing and my?mood bright enough to pierce the overcast sky, I?put the rest of my suit on and?left the?room as Eska and Mia came through the door. I gave the two a passing nod as I left the room. Going through the wall with fine marble floors and oak walls, I went down the empty staircase and as I did so a family came up unaccompanied to meet someone on this floor of the hospital.


    A female student with?red pigtails, blue eyes and plush cheeks, her mother who looked like an older version of the girl with thicker eyebrows?and a black and green dress, and?the father?who was an average looking man with a dark brown beard and brown vest with green pants.


    As I passed them, the daughter squeaked and twirled her white and blue student robes.


    ¡°Eek! Are¡­ Are you the quad mage?¡±?She said excitedly.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m censored as you well know. Goodb-¡°


    She thrust her body against my steel and wood suit. I was now keenly aware of my lack of groin guard as she grinded her hips against mine. Her freckled face looked up at me with naked lust in her roguish grin.


    ¡°Please, they won¡¯t deny our children¡¯s lineage once all that stupid paperwork is sorted out. Now-¡° She moved to try and work my pants before her father pulled her back.


    ¡°Jess! Show some restraint! We can¡¯t afford the talk of you getting his child when he¡¯s still under censure.¡± He said in an?angry tone, stopping only to shoot me a mean, surly look.


    ¡°Quite right.¡± The mother said with pursed lips. ¡°Go,?let¡¯s get to the room before the guards smack us with a censure order of our own.¡±? The husband huffed in agreement as he dragged his daughter away by her right arm.


    But when I went to go down the steps, the mother quickly stepped to the side and pulled my helmet down for a kiss. As the taste of spicy wine filled my mouth, she put her hands down my pants to grip my balls.?I considered knocking her away, but her tongue played in my mouth for only a moment longer before she pulled back with a lick of her dark lips?and a whisper?in my ear.


    ¡°Mrs. Stone, or Jessica at the Dryad¡¯s Whistle.¡± She said in a heated tone, making sure to massage my manhood?and send a tingle up my spine?at every word. ¡°He¡¯ll be gone around mid-day to see to his venture in the river merchants.¡±


    ¡°Honey?¡± Her husband¡¯s voice called above.


    ¡°It¡¯s the shoe again, dear¡± She called sweetly before giving one last squeeze around my privates and moving away to go up the stairs.


    My blood hot and the item of a chastity belt added to my to-do list, I?went back towards the Kelton quarter to get on with the tasks at hand.?The two chests were still in front of the warehouse by the dock that the?Keltons?used as a communal storage for their goods. An assembled crowd took turns sticking their hands through them and otherwise testing their?odd characteristics?as I came up to them.


    ¡°When are we heading out for the rest of the firewood?¡± I asked as I took in the warehouse with full barrels and sacks of grain.


    ¡°As soon as the humans get back from their trip. I heard it¡¯s going to be a while¡± One of the Kelton women to my left said. Nodding to her, I picked up my chests and headed back?to the market?with the spear swinging behind me. The time was hard to tell with my early rise and the grey sky delivering a light drizzle over everything, but my stomach said it was lunchtime.


    None of the human stands could feed me but the dwarves were a legal grey area and Rand had told me on his visit that they fell under a foreign relation. The Coalition had never censored a group like the dwarves before and wasn¡¯t likely to take the diplomatic risk to do so.?I sat down at a wide-open stall with a long flowing bar?in front of a stove?and ordered the typical steak and beer. While I waited,?Salamede?finally joined me.


    ¡®Hey,¡¯ She said in a spirit connection, ¡®I¡¯ve gotten a few items I needed and will get my things from mom¡¯s place. A few dozen silver will take care of any expenses she has.¡¯ She waved down the cook and ordered some thick mushrooms glazed with?spices and honey?and a water glass?to wash it down.


    ¡®It appears I¡¯ll need to make you a suit as well, or at least some concealable weapons. If you don¡¯t mind since this all happened to you because of me¡¯ I said ruefully.


    Salamede stared at the wooden bar for a bit before she spoke in the spirit connection again.


    ¡®Eli, I know what we did was wrong in the southern lands, but I can¡¯t stop myself from feeling like I discovered something very important down there. I got into?it?with the mages because I cursed them out. In the past I would not even dare to look them in the eye. Helping out with the undead at the animal farm? I would have left that to the men and been content with it. When those women came at me, I threw the first punch instead of running away.¡¯ She took a deep breath despite our conversation carrying no sound.


    ¡®I flew through the trees and killed mages by the handful. The orcs and?Frojan?looked at me with fear then relief knowing such a powerful being was on their side. I didn¡¯t realize how important that was to me until I had to go back to being what I was before I met you and how much I hate it. Eli, I don¡¯t want to go back to being a powerless peasant woman who just tries to?get away and I would not mind it in the least if you made some weapons for me.¡¯ She said with desperation in her voice. I took a moment as our meals were deposited in front of us to rub her leg affectionately.


    ¡®Good. I¡¯m glad something good came of all that work I did.¡¯ I said. ¡®Cell is working?on the tower, but we should have enough steel and parts left over to make another suit. Besides, it will be safer in the long run for both of us if I give you some equipment. I¡¯ll head down to the tower and we¡¯ll see about getting you fitted for a suit.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you, Eli¡¯ she said in excited anticipation. ¡®I¡¯ll meet you there I just need to see to some business while I¡¯m still uncensored.¡¯ After devouring our meals, we split up and got to work. I went into the tower and finished out a rough suit. I was familiar with her body but not to the point where I could make the joint?and most of the front?sections without her being there to measure. As I was on the main floor working with that small forest of bark pieces, Cell was downstairs working on the aluminum coils. The metal was delivered while I was gone, and Cell was molding them into the coil design I had laid out for the furnace.


    ¡®How was your time with the other familiars yesterday?¡¯ I asked him through the open hatch. He sent me a wave of happiness and a mental picture of them?travelling through the woods attacking a troglodyte who had strayed from his pack.


    ¡®Lovely¡¯ I said dryly, taking a moment to lower my head and close my eyes. Then I got back to work and fastened the actuators to the inside of the suit legs. Eventually it came together but while I was working on the arm crossbow section, a knock at the door got me up. Closing the floor hatch and walking over to open the door, a very smug?Salamede?with two bags in hand stood in the doorway.


    ¡®It¡¯s official. They put out the notice a few minutes ago. Mother was surprised but she seemed to be understanding.¡¯ She said with a smile that scrunched up the white stripe along her nose ridge.


    ¡®On my end I¡¯m almost done with the suit.¡¯ I said as I opened the door fully to let her in.


    ¡®What are your plans for this place?¡¯ She asked as she set her bags down?and?walked up to the new suit with wonder.


    ¡®Getting the forge up is the first priority. Once that¡¯s done, the metal magic I¡¯ve been using will be able to mold the liquid steel with far less?mana?than when it¡¯s cold. After that, long beams of steel will be set at four points in the stone base and serve as?pins to hold the upper floors in place. Then there¡¯s the metal for the connections. I¡¯ve got a lot of experience in construction but with no tools beyond my eyes I¡¯m going to be absurdly generous with bracing and foundation strength.?I¡¯m thinking a three upper story affair with one or two more levels below?all given a spider web of steel rebar through the floors and walls.¡¯


    She seemed content with?that,?but she took my hand and brought me over to the stone block in the middle of the room. Pushing me to sit down on it, she then took her position on my lap.


    ¡®You¡¯ve got plans for the building but what about the people in it?¡¯ She asked coyly.


    ¡®I seem to remember us talking about a dozen children.¡¯ I replied in equal playfulness.


    Her ears went down as she bit her lip and her horns swayed with her idle movement.


    ¡®Eli, we both know my garden isn¡¯t the only soil you¡¯ll?be planting?your seed in.¡¯ She said seriously.


    My eyebrows furrowed as the hair stood?up?on the back of my?neck.


    ¡®I?ain¡¯t?fucking those whores.¡¯ I said with as calm a tone as I could manage.?She huffed with mock indignation.


    ¡®And here I was trying to keep this conversation proper.¡¯ She said as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. ¡®Eli. I can¡¯t be the only woman you get with child. I know you want to wait until?you fix your AI chips but, even if you let them in on that little secret, you losing your memory of these new children will take how many centuries? Besides, I assume you¡¯ll keep them alive with your healing magic.¡¯


    ¡®Of course!¡¯ I shot back indignantly.


    ¡®Of course.¡¯ She said with her hand raised in mock surrender. ¡®What I¡¯m trying to say is that even?if they were made ¡­fully aware of the situation, they would still insist on you spreading your seed.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. I got a taste of that when I left the hospital and a daughter and her mother tried work me over right there in the stairway.¡¯ I said ruefully.


    ¡®That¡¯s only the start Eli. You have the ability to make the poorest peasant woman go down in legends for generations to come with just a few minutes together. Or a good hour if you want to enjoy the experience.¡¯


    I sat there for a long moment before I responded.


    ¡®I understand. But the big issue is that I need to get my AI chips finished before I go making any big definite plans. I still want to get back to the family I left behind in my universe.¡¯


    She patted my head sympathetically.


    ¡®I know. But what happens if you not siring gets in the way of getting the AI chips fixed?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®I don¡¯t see how it could. The dwarves are providing all the raw materials I need,?and?I can probably have one of them cut into my head to re-attach the connector when the time comes. So, I don¡¯t think I need?the magical worlds?approval in any real capacity¡¯ I responded.


    ¡®Do you really only have eyes for me?¡¯?Salamede?asked in exasperation. ¡®Is there not one other woman in this whole town you wanted to?take to bed? What about Veronica? She¡¯s a nice person?and you get along well.¡¯??I scrunched up my nose in disgust.


    ¡®Ew, don¡¯t even joke about that?Salamede. When I look at her, every fiber of my being screams ¡®daughter¡¯, besides?the fact?she¡¯s infertile. As for the other women, no. They were all horrid to me, either directly or encouraging the men to be asses to me for them.¡¯ I said as I ignored the painful memories.


    ¡®We can work with that¡¯?Salamede?said with raised eyebrows. ¡®The students were awful to you. Everyone knows what kind of relationship you have with the rest of the pupils so why not make bedding their mothers and giving them some siblings a part of that relationship?¡¯


    I stared at?Salamede?but her bit lips and mischievous expression made it hard to know how serious she was about that.


    ¡®I told you how I feel about sex outside of marriage.¡¯ I responded firmly.


    She got a serious look as she took a deep breath.


    ¡®But what if the woman needs your seed in order to survive?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®Pff, that¡¯s a mighty odd disease.¡¯ I scoffed back.


    ¡®It¡¯s not just diseases. If a woman gets put on death row unjustly, but we can¡¯t prove it, the only way to keep the noose off her would be to get her with child. Or if a low noble women¡¯s husband ruined her families honor. She could lose everything and have her children thrown out into the streets where they would almost certainly starve.


    The bags of holding are a good source of money, but one-time lump sums can be stolen or taken due to previous debts. However, money for breeding stipends is different. If a poor noble woman has no income aside from a breeding stipend, anyone who tried to collect that as repayment would get a beating in the town square from the local guard. A woman getting a quad mage sired child? There are too many ways getting such a child would be a life saving grace for me to think of them all.¡¯


    Thinking it over for a moment, I sighed before I looked her straight in the eyes as I stopped my little game of squeezing and groping.


    ¡®Salamede, even with all that¡­ If such a circumstance arose and I still did not give her child, would you think less of me?¡¯ I asked with a bit lip.


    Those pure white eyes stared at me for a moment before she answered.


    ¡®Having a spread of mage children leads to more guards to keep the women safe and subsequently merchants for the local people. There have been entire villages who were saved from starvation with a quick stop from a single male mage. I understand it was probably different in your world, but here a male mages generosity is defined more by their willingness to push through and sire as often as they can, even as their other achievements add to that generosity.


    You refusing to sire will be met with bewilderment and anger, since it will mean lost opportunities for so many people. While I certainly don¡¯t think less of you for not rutting every woman in sight with wild abandon, I rather like that bit of discretion, I hope you will not be upset when I say that I would think less of you if you let a woman die or family starve because you were uncomfortable with siring. I know that¡¯s not totally fair to you, but certain attitudes and beliefs are hard to let go of¡¯


    ¡®This dick of mine is getting me in trouble, and I haven¡¯t even been using it.¡¯ I said tiredly.


    That got a light laugh out of Salamede before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck


    ¡®I know¡­ but what about multiple wives?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®What??Pff. No. I wouldn¡¯t-¡®?Salamede?took that moment to grind against my loins.?She took a long stroke with her back as she rubbed what was now a full erection with her groin.


    ¡®Tsk, tsk. Eli, you need to be more honest. He was getting stiff when we started talking about making children and immediately withered when the rest of society came into the picture. But that talk of multiple wives perked him right back up.¡¯ She purred seductively as she made sure to look me in the eyes as the soft glow of the?mana?lamp above showed her lustful gaze.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡®What do you want me to say?¡¯ I said before I took a moment to bite my lips as she did a particularly long stroke. ¡®The prospect of being surrounded by multiple wives who love me and will give me a whole school¡¯s worth of children has no appeal? That it holds no interest for me whatsoever?¡¯


    ¡®Of course not. Kelton men often have multiple wives. Those women often took no small amount of pleasure in reminding me that my previous husband couldn¡¯t find any other women who would touch him.¡¯ She said as her face came to within kissing distance. I closed the?gap,?but she kept talking through the spirit connection as our tongues waged their long battle.


    ¡®I?believe?human women typically don¡¯t like such arrangements, even if they tolerate some indiscretion on the side. But for us?Keltons, the man having more wives only means others have approved of our choice.¡¯ She gave one long last kiss before pulling away with a loud pop as our lips separated. I swallowed before speaking again.


    ¡®Really? You wouldn¡¯t mind if more wives came along?¡¯ I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®You¡¯re assuming I won¡¯t be actively looking out for more women for you to take. I think the biggest black mark on our relationship will be everyone thinking you¡¯ve already bedded me before we got married.?The older women reprimanded me a few times for being so ¡®free¡¯ with my body but now that your abilities are being displayed, they?were?giving me tips on how to properly sate a man?when I was cleaning up.¡¯?Salamede?was now moaning with her strokes against my manhood even as she leaned forward and bit my left ear playfully.


    ¡®Oh, did they now? I¡¯ll have to see just how their advice panned out. But how would our marriage happen with us censored?¡¯ I asked with heat in my words like the heat in my cheeks and pants.


    ¡®There are multiple ways to do it and the patriarch found one that will fit our unique needs. For us, there will be a circle of rope with the pieces of paper tied at both end with our two promises written on them. We need to step in the middle of the circle of rope and once he?proclaims us married, the rope is hung on our doorstep.?But that will have to wait until we get back from our run with the firewood.¡¯ She said with an excited breath as I squeezed her bottom.


    ¡®It sounds like a quick ceremony, are you sure we need to wait?¡¯ I asked impatiently.


    ¡®Two problems: Marriages are seen as something to bind the wider community together and putting our wedding above something the community¡¯s needs will taint the marriage. The other problem is that you have not proposed to me. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s done by your people but that¡¯s typically- eek!¡¯ She yelped as I lifted her up and placed her on the rough rock I was sitting on. Shoving my tongue down her throat and pushing my leg between her thighs, I made my proposal as our oral duel continued.


    ¡®Marry me! Marry me?and bear my children,?you beautiful woman.¡¯ I demanded as I pushed against her, fully pinning her to the rock.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ She said breathlessly as she pulled me closer with her legs and took my head in her hands.?We spent a few more minutes savoring each other before we had to get up and get to work if we wanted to be of any use during the firewood run.


    ¡®It looks good, husband.¡¯ She said as she slid along my side to take in the suit. It had the same steel plates with the wooden under plates and some artwork with feather overlay.


    ¡®Thanks, but I need you to get in it so I can finish up the joint sections.¡¯


    Salamede?jumped off me and worked her way into the suit with a few movements of her arms and legs. The portions around the shoulders and thighs were left bare while the arm, leg, back, and chest portions were finished. Then I got to work?doing the fine?molding?of?the steel plates and the wood beneath?around her shoulders, stopping only when it pinched her arm once.?Once that was done, I put in the last few pieces needed on the lower section.


    ¡®You seem pretty skilled on that portion¡¯?Salamede?commented coyly as I worked around her thighs.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to be getting even better on working this section later tonight.¡¯ I shot back.


    Surprisingly, she just bit her lip and looked at me like I was something delectable that?was?put on her plate. I gave a light cough as I finished up the last few plates.


    ¡®All right, we¡¯re finished.¡¯ I said, looking her up and down. Her helmet was similar to mine with the face of a hawk going down the front of her?head?with padded shoulders and small blades running down the sides as steel and wood moved with her body.?Her horns had two special holes for them and a hawks beak nose running down over her snout. It also had the?general curves of the suit accentuate the more feminine?aspects of it occupant with slimmer legs and more attention to detail on the slickness?of the overall surface.


    The weight was heavier than the vine suit, but she still seemed capable of moving around with minimal restraint. Going outside, she got a few swings and jabs in with the spear. We didn¡¯t have time to install the actuators for the swinging iron balls,?but this wasn¡¯t going to be a particularly dangerous run. She took off with the four boosters I installed along the suits back. While she did?actually trip and fall once, she eventually got it down to where she could go at a?horse¡¯s?gallop without much difficulty.


    Now that?the state of her suit up to working order, we headed down to the Kelton quarter?with a chest slung over each of our backs. As we moved down the path with our wheels down and the boosters in the back giving a light shimmer from their heat, now coming with multiple degrees of thrust in each, I noticed some of the students going along the path towards the classroom tower.?The men looked on with?expressions?of wonder?or jealousy?while the women?had gazes?of open hatred and contempt?for?the distinctly female form of?Salamede?beside me and I wondered if any of them had been involved in the attack on my soon to be wife.


    Going through the houses, we had to slow to a regular walk as the crowd of Kelton¡¯s clogged the street. Women and men were moving portions of grain to the pens of animals and into houses while younger ones assisted skilled craftsman with various mending, carpenter, and blacksmith tasks. They all made way for us though, as even in the grey cast sky our armor had a shine to it that?only accentuated the slight height advantage we now held over them.


    When we came to where we met up with the guild carriage from last time, I saw the carriage from before?getting put in order as the men assembled around it?with their typical collection of?poor armor and ¡®weapons¡¯. The prospect of sending them out in the future when the dead would benefit from the?healing magic would basically be a death sentence and?they would eventually have to be given proper weapons and armor or the new couple on the block would have to do any?future?runs solo.?By the carriage with jutting sides of iron sheets and a sharp sloped roof were the usual?party?of women and children bidding their men goodbye and the driver and the guild minder in the driver¡¯s seat.


    What was different?was the patriarch in the blue suit running up to us with his portly frame?of brown fur?showing some sweat?as he moved through the crowd.


    ¡°Good, good. There¡¯s not a lot of time to explain. We¡¯ll be ready in fifteen or so minutes, but the guild needs this carriage back?within an hour.¡± He said irritably.


    ¡°An hour?¡±?Salamede?exploded?as she set her chest down?¡°That¡¯s almost half our time in travel?alone. Are we that short of coin?that we could resort to such a terrible deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. We had the funds for a full trip, but the local government will be commandeering them?after?an?hour,?so the guild is letting us use this one at fraction of the original price in compensation.¡±?He said with arms raised?placatingly.


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked irritably?as I set my chest down.


    ¡°The military base the more southern villagers went to, the one between here and the Hub at the highway, is overcrowded and strapped for resources.?With the mayhem in the south all the?supplies?there got put somewhere else and they were?already?full up on a back log of displaced soldiers. With all that,?the local Duke of the region has been instructed by the Central government to move the civilians here.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡±?Salamede?said?in disbelief.?¡°There¡¯s no room, the river is almost a running sewer as is, and food is scarce enough.¡± The Kelton man?ran his hands down the horns along the back?of his head and I could see?that just because he was behind?the?walls, that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t being worked to the bone?as well.


    ¡°Yes, here.?The decision has been made and the leg work is already in motion. We will just have to?deal with this fact.¡± He said solemnly.


    ¡°Housing¡± I said as I handed my chest off to?Salamede. ¡°A bunch of homeless starving people running around isn¡¯t going to be good for our community.?Since I don¡¯t see any work crews moving bricks and boards, I¡¯m assuming they haven¡¯t started on that part yet.¡±


    He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The local office has already put aside a plot of land to the left side of town towards the back, but no, they haven¡¯t started work yet.¡± I nodded and looked towards the academy?before explaining my plan.


    ¡°Ryan owes me a favor. He¡¯ll start?laying the needed foundations and doing the brick work while we run for firewood as quickly as we can.¡±?I explained.


    ¡°A scion? Doing housing work for refugees?¡± The patriarch asked?skeptically,?with even some of the surrounding listeners looking dubious.


    ¡°He¡¯ll do it. If he tries to go back on his word, I¡¯ll flay him alive.¡± I said as?turned towards the academy, not even staying to take in the shocked and sputtering faces.?Salamede?then led the people back towards the carriage?as the crowd moved aside for me.


    Going down the main road and past the wide arch of the dorms main entrance, I?zipped right with my wheels to get past the curious bystanders until I got to the three houses that made up the?scion¡¯s?houses to the right of the main entrance.?Going through the wrought iron gate and up to the cave like overhang of Ryan¡¯s home entrance, I walked up the stone steps, past the thick wooden beams and up to the immaculate?oak door. A loud knock and it was less than a minute before a maid came to the door to answer. A few more minutes and she had successfully retrieved Ryan. The man¡¯s green eyes looked at me with new found wonder.?While he wore his typical blue and white striped student robes, he?had very?high-quality?leather gloves and some sturdy steel toe boots?for his feet.


    ¡°Hey, Eli. I was wondering¡­ I¡¯ve heard some rumors and there was the announcement with the papers put on the board but it¡¯s so absurd. Do you really-¡°


    A small tunnel of wind, stone, fire, and water sprung up between my two?hands in front of him. Those green eyes went wide as saucers as his?jaw slacked. The strands of his black hair fell over his sharp cheek bones with no resistance or attempt to put them back.


    ¡°Yes, and all the dual elements aside.¡±?I said casually. ¡°But I am still only one person and right now I need to be in two places at once. You remember that favor I asked for?¡±


    It took a?moment,?but he finally?snapped out of the daze.


    ¡°I¡­ Yeah, of course.¡±?He said in a stunned tone.


    ¡°On the left side of town, they are making some housing for a new batch of people?coming in. I need you to help make the foundations and brick work to help it along.¡± I said.


    The dazed expression passed and in its place was?a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Peasant housing?¡± He asked incredulously.


    ¡°Yes¡± I responded swiftly. He strummed?his finger on the door frame for a moment taking in that single word.


    ¡°Um¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll get down there.¡± He said. I gave a light nod with the helmet obstructing his face for a moment.


    Heading back down towards the Kelton quarter, I noticed?Salamede?standing on the street corner by herself with the two chests and no cart around.?Pushing through the crowd, she turned to me when I came into view.


    ¡°Ah, Eli!¡± She called as I approached. ¡°The guild representative and the patriarch were?getting ready to leave when one of the senior guild members came by. The military base needs the civilians out now. In exchange, they agreed to let us use one of the carriages and its guard on the way back for the rest of the day if we need to at no charge. They¡¯re leaving now but?I didn¡¯t feel comfortable answering for you.¡±


    I gave a light nod as I squeezed her side affectionately?before picking up my chest and?heading towards the bridge entrance with her beside me.


    ¡°I understand.?Let¡¯s see how quickly we can get this over with.¡± I said.?When we came to the main road, there was a long line of iron plated carriages along the bridge. Moving to the front, we got the occasional odd look from?a swordsman, archer, and adventurer who made up the typical teams deployed by the guild. When we came up to the end of the bridge, I saw?the patriarch, guild head Mason, and the captain who oversaw the men currently manning the wall and burning corpses in a pyre off to the left.?All three were talking back and forth until they saw us approach.


    ¡°Ah, sir caster.¡± The captain called ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll be heading out then?¡±


    ¡°Aye. No entourage to watch me to make sure I don¡¯t associate with anyone?¡± I asked casually


    ¡°Nah. Miss Agatha was the one who heckled him into doing that and we¡¯re stretched too thin to be giving you a whole squad right now. She¡¯ll just have to be content with the protections as is.¡± The captain said with a grimace showing through his thick black beard.


    ¡°All right, lad. Our previous trips have pretty much cleared the dead from the main road from here to about a mile out¡±?The guild master said, his grimace showing between his two mostly black lamb chops. ¡°We have a carriage in the middle for you. The roads are pretty clear right now but so many people moving all at once tends to attract the?dead¡¯s?attention when?they think they can get at them.¡±


    ¡°The dead can think?¡± I asked.


    A simple shrug that moved his sash of wands?was all he could give me before the captain answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell.¡± The captain said. ¡°They attack in a mindless wave at towns first but if that?fails,?they hang back and meander around. Sometimes they even display an almost animal?like intelligence?and sometimes they walk into spikes right in front of them. It seems to mostly depend on how much magic they¡¯ve had to bolster them and it¡¯s not always so obvious how much that is.¡±


    My curiosity sated, I headed?back towards the middle of the caravan.?As the river underneath the bridge, ever increasing its foul smell from the already cramped quarters of the warehouses upstream, rolled on beneath us we?eventually came up to the?carriage?with no one inside it and hopped in through the back.


    I left my hammer on the opposite carriage bench with?Salamede?putting her smooth steel spear beside it. We lay against the rough wood of the bench?as the crude window cut into the metal wall to our left showed a grey sky. Despite how heated we got back?home,?we were both content to merely lean on each other as we waited for the caravan to get moving.?It took only a few more minutes before a loud call was heard from guild master Mason. With a sudden jerk forward, we were off as the passing pyre of firewood and burning bodies flashed by for a brief?moment of red flame and heat. After that was a flash of stone wall and the spike pits on either side of the mini drawbridge as the green countryside opened up.


    The trees were making fast progress into the ground now as the tallest of them was only twice the height of a man, leaving the air heavier with the stench of the undead than it should have been.?Occasionally, a carriage further ahead would pull off to the side to deal with some of the undead coming out of the quickly shrinking woods. All of the carriages ahead of us were eventually pulled to the side and it was our turn to meet the opponent.


    We met the small squad of five shambling corpses a few yards from the carriage as the driver behind us gripped the sword at his hip even as the horses, immaculately trained, stood still with no panic in the eyes that showed below their armor. I zipped forward and took out three of the enemy with a single swing as the boosters took me far past the group. Salamede lacked the hesitation she first had on our first few ventures together and stabbed one the remaining ones through the head before stepping back and swiping the legs out from beneath the other. Another quick stab and the threat was over.


    Looking to my right as I faced the carriage, I saw the other carriages behind us having some trouble. A few of the undead packs were closer to seven or ten strong that kept pushing the regular guild members back but the higher up members, put at every other carriage to help those ahead and behind them, dispatched their enemies pretty easily. No one seemed to be on the verge of death as the combatants weren¡¯t scared farmers with pitchforks and crude spears this time, but it was still taking time to put the undead down one at a time and time was not a resource I had the means to waste.


    ¡°Salamede, let¡¯s see if we can speed up the other groups work. I want to be back in town by mid-afternoon at the latest.¡± I said. She nodded and followed me back to our carriage before I talked with the driver.


    ¡°Good sir, we want to help the other carriages, but I assume you still need us here to protect you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much so.¡± He said with a bead of sweat running down his tan skin and now nervous brown eyes.


    ¡°All right.¡± I said, walking away from the carriage while keeping my eyes on Salamede. ¡°Stay here and protect him while I see if I can get the rest of the carriages moving.¡±


    She nodded as I activated all of the boosters. The small trees and grass zipped by as a whistle was heard from the steel and wood moving like a diving hawk over the land, the original motif that inspired the design. The first group was on the other side of the carriage with three teens using spears and swords to keep a group of eight at bay until another more experienced member came by.


    As I zipped past the carriage horse, it wasn¡¯t until I was nearly on top of them that the first rotting head turned to me and that was all the reaction four of them got before I slammed into them with the iron hammer. The sickening crunch of bone and flying bodies sent the younger teens shirking back, two men and a young brunette, but before they could say anything, I moved on to the next problem area. The carriage behind this one had a particularly bad pack of eleven undead against a team of four with one being an elite member, a swordsman wearing full plate armor with iron sword and shield, who was trying to keep the three teens from panicking while they wrapped bandages around a pretty chewed up member by the carriage.


    Looking to the ditch on my left, I saw a particularly large rock the size of a chest. Using a basic earth spell, I lifted it out of the air and launched it at the small crowd of undead. The faint whistle as it sailed through the air drew all the eyes present, but it was already landing amongst the undead before the first head could turn. Three corpses got their hips and legs destroyed as the menace turned towards me. Unfortunately, they were still too close to the armored man for me to do a booster powered swing so I had the wheels pulled up and did some more manual back and forth.


    When the five undead started shambling and crawling up to me, I used the iron balls attached to chains above my arms to attack the left most one¡¯s ability to walk. Sending its leg flying, the thing landed on the ground with a thud and was forced to crawl on the ground with its other friend as the two other crawlers pulled themselves towards the guild members with another walker. The others were brought low as I slowly moved back and took out their legs one wet crunch at a time.


    As I bashed their heads in, the last one on the right had its head stabbed through with the guild member having seen to his opponents. That task finished, I put my wheels back down and quickly moved to help the injured member by the carriage as the iron balls spun back into a mere foot of outstretched cable. These lower members had at most a metal chest or shoulder piece with the rest of the body being protected with leather armor. The swords and daggers they typically favored meant the spears they were provided were swung and jabbed with little to no accuracy or skill. The one guild member laying on the ground by the carriage had his leather armor chewed on and the iron shoulder guard was pretty much the only part of him that didn¡¯t have a bite or scratch on it.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised they let people as young as you out here.¡± I said as I applied a healing spell to the young man with blood covering his leather armor and the white shirt beneath it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The younger blond woman to my right squeaked indignantly. ¡°You¡¯re barely two or three years older than us.¡±


    ¡°Age isn¡¯t all in the bones, missy.¡± I replied mockingly as the wounds on the man began healing. She huffed, but as the other man was heading over to the man in plate armor, she put her hands around my shoulders.


    ¡°Everyone at the guild has been talking about some quad element mage. There was a board posting about it and you have the purple eyes of the person described. Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Keep him on light duty, I can heal the body, but he may not be mentally ready to get back in it for a while.¡± I responded as I got back up and looked further down the small line of carriages. The ones ahead were pulling off now and the last two behind this one were close to finishing their opponents. As I turned to head back to my carriage, the blond got in my way, her green eyes screaming ¡®fuck me¡¯ louder than if she had yelled the words.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t let you go just yet. You saved our lives you did. Perhaps I could come back to your carriage and thank you properly.¡± She said with blushing tan skin over her white undershirt and her spear swayed with the turning of her hips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it up with my fianc¨¦.¡± I said as I moved past her.


    ¡°F¡­fianc¨¦?¡± She squeaked behind me as I took off towards my own carriage.


    The grey overcast sky was the only thing that seemed unchanged as I zipped forward towards my carriage stay on the left side of the road. Off to the left were a few more corpses on the ground than there had been before as Salamede stood by the horse helping watch the left side as the driver scanned the right side.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯re good to go,¡± I called ahead. Salamede nodded went through the back of the armored carriage with me stopping to get the wheels up before moving in. She sat on the left bench while I sat on the right across from her as I used flame magic to burn away bits of rotting flesh that stuck in-between the plates of our armor and on the corners of our weapons.


    ¡°Well, you were right about it only being the start. The last group had a blond in it who asked to come back to my carriage when I told her I was a quad mage. She was practically quivering when she asked.¡± I said dryly as I burned out one chunk of smelly skin from between Salamede¡¯s left knee plate.


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s in the guild and that place is where all the people too poor to be merchants or nobles go if they don¡¯t want to barely scrape by as peasants. Getting a child from you would set her on a path towards riches and comfort only typically afforded to nobles. Probably more if the government sets up a special stipend for women who bear your children¡± Salamede said like a woman who didn¡¯t just hear some other female tried to bed her future husband.


    ¡°Maybe if they invested more in roads and industry instead of trying to stud the mage men, things would be better.¡± I grumbled sourly as I pulled back and looked out the crude window to the receding trees zooming past.


    ¡°One province tried that in the south western region. It was some harbor or heavy fishing area hit upon by a bad harvest from what I heard. Didn¡¯t cut them totally just reduced the local benefits but a day or two after the shipping companies pulled out completely. They helped ferry mages and magical resources from and to the central continent. They moved their operations to a northern neighbor before the week was out.¡±


    ¡°And then the smiths packed up because of skyrocketing bar stock prices, which caused the farmers to lose money from more expensive farming equipment, and on and on it went. Am I right?¡± I said sourly.


    ¡°Aye. The travelling merchant said they never fully recovered from that even years later.¡± Salamede said with a look downwards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn what their incentives or justifications are, I don¡¯t do absentee fatherhood.¡± I said with crossed arms as I looked out the carriages back end toward the carriage a little bit behind us. The clack of metal across the wood floor turned my head towards Salamede, who was already crossing her legs around my waist and pulling up our helmets.


    ¡®Eli, if you wanted me to kiss you, just say so.¡¯ She said in a spirit connection, the heat in her voice unmistakable. I made no objections as our helmets were placed to the left and right. We spent the rest of the trip doing oral inspection until either a few minutes or an hour passed, and the carriage came to a stop.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± The driver called.


    We pulled away from each other with one last loud pop of our mouths. It took a long moment of looking at each other before we got our helmets on and went out the back of the carriage. Further up the road was a wall of grey stone in a wide circle, in the middle of which was a raised palisade to let traffic in from the main road. On both sides of the road were the rest of the carriages with their passengers disembarking and going through the main entrance while some stayed behind to keep watch for the carriages, the necessity of which was obvious from the small pile of rotting corpses around certain points of the outer wall.


    Making our way through the crowd, we eventually came into the base as a line of guards vetted everyone coming through.


    ¡°Any ID¡¯s or papers?¡± One bored guard asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± Guild master Mason called before I could say anything. The guard took a moment to recognize him before he stepped aside and let us pass as the other guild members produced various papers for inspection.


    Going into the base proper, if felt like something between a proper camp and a refugee hovel. The bunkhouses ringing the wall and wooden towers at both entrances were made of sturdy enough wood beams and stone slabs, but in every corner in between them were masses of peasants. Most had decent clothes, but the lack of sanitation and food was obvious from the state of the small scattered camps and hungry faces.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work people!¡± Mason yelled from the porch of the officer¡¯s cabin on the right side of the base. We spent what felt like an hour moving pregnant women and the elderly into the carriages along with whatever meager possessions they managed to bring with them. It was near the tail end of helping move the peasant¡¯s belongings as we maneuvered around patrols of steel plated men that a new thorn appeared.


    Out of the officer¡¯s cabin came two mage women. One was a raven-haired woman with a tall, thin frame beneath her blue robe, laced in gold and with white splashes showing waves. Her face was a bit wide with a button nose. To her right was a shorter blond woman with red painted leather, all of the finest make with gold inlay. The freckles on her face, thicker nose and more defined body provided a stark contrast to her companion. The only common feature between the two was the look of disgust at the peasants they were giving from the small house¡¯s porch.


    From their right came a tired looking Mason who walked down the steps and towards us with a look of bearing bad news.


    ¡°Well, lads. We got some extra visitors and the base is short on the needed extra accommodations. They will be accompanying us back but¡­ they¡¯re not going to ride in a carriage with peasants.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± one of the male guild members said off to the left. ¡°We barely have enough room as is.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Mason said, with his downward look only stopping as he put a hand to his forehead. ¡°Some of the peasants are going to have to walk back.¡±


    I bit my lip to keep my suggestion of just knocking them out and laying them over the carriage chests from being spoken. It would be well into the night before we got back even if we made no detour to get the firewood and I did not feel like coming out here a third time.


    ¡°What is this base short on, carriages or horses?¡± I asked. This drew a surprised look from Mason, who took a moment to caress his lamb chops.


    ¡°Horses. They¡¯ve been using them for messengers, and a few died from their wounds leaving some carriages with no means to pull them.¡± He finally said.


    ¡°Then me and my wife can pull one of them. Going at full speed, we should actually be faster than the horses.¡± I said. Mason got a little pale at the announcement, but whether it was from my offer or calling Salamede my wife, it wasn¡¯t clear.


    ¡°Um¡­ Sure. The local commander should hand it over no problem considering how low on room they already are. We¡¯ll load it down with goods and have the Keltons put with you for protection when you leave the main group.¡±


    An audible sigh of relief went through the crowd as most of them got moving again. Although I noticed a few of the women looking sullenly at Salamede now.


    It was another half hour before the empty carriage was brought out and loaded with a few goods and the Keltons who came along. The carriage in question was a bit longer than ours only it came without the metal sheeting. Loaded up with five of the Kelton men and an assortment of chests and bags, Salamede and I were waiting in a line of carriages to get going when the two mages finally walked past. With Salamede on the left and me on the right, we were in between the two protruding pieces of wood getting ready to pull it forward when they turned their gazes on us.


    While merely content to roll their eyes at me dismissively, they seemed to be amused by Salamede being ready to pull the cart.


    ¡°A beast of burden in face and purpose.¡± The raven haired one said as they both started walking by.


    Using a quick earth spell, I shifted the dirt beneath her next step. The sudden shift caused her foot to slip out below her and landed her face first into the dirt. Even though she said nothing, I saw a look of amusement on the blond¡¯s face before she walked forward, followed shortly by the cursing water mage wiping the dirt of the off her ornate blue robe. I felt Salamede swat my arm but when I looked over to her, there was a smile playing across her mouth.


    Eventually, the carriages were all put in order and we took off. It took all eight boosters from both of us, but we eventually passed the line of carriages and zipped on ahead with some of the Kelton men giving one exclamation or curse. As we passed the carriage at the front, Mason was in the driver seat and nodded to us as we left the main group.


    The universe seemed content to inflict no more misfortune on us, at least for the rest of the trip. While a light drizzle resumed, the undead had been reduced to just one or two scattered about and since the village we were visiting was mostly for firewood, there hadn¡¯t been as many bodies to attract scavengers as there had been in the other two. The main warehouse in the center of the village was actually of caked mud with a tile roof. Salamede and I stood watch as the men offloaded the wood into the two boxes of holding.


    It was during this time that I happened to look back and saw the wood they were offloading.


    ¡°Salamede, why does the wood look¡­waxy?¡± I asked across the line of men.


    ¡°Kissen sap. The wood is soaked in a certain weeds pulp that makes it last longer and stay drier. Doesn¡¯t smell nice by any nose but between that and freezing to death, we decided it was worth the extra steps.¡± She said casually as she took the knees out beneath one shambling corpse. It took only a half hour more before it was all loaded up and we headed out of the village. The tension bled away as we pulled out and it was then that I properly took in the dead silence of the place, not a bird, dogs bark, or yell for what was between a village and a small town.


    Nothing but the soft wind playing over the roofs of empty houses and the growing patter of drizzling rain from the darkening overcast sky.


    Our task, so delayed with bullshit and tedious human failings, was finally at an end. Pulling up to the bridges wall, the previous carriages had passed through and we made our way past the drawbridge with no fuss. Turning down to the right side of the road, we eventually got the cart down to the local harbor area. After we unloaded the two chests of holding with the men, I looked around in the street until I saw the Patriarch.


    ¡°Ah, caster sir.¡± He called with a coat over his head as he came forward. ¡°Good, good. No blood or bodies. I¡¯m guessing the trip went fine then?¡± He asked as his green suit still got some drops of water along his shoulders.


    ¡°As could be hoped for or expected. Is that item ready?¡± I asked casually as I took my position back at the carriage.


    ¡°Um¡­ to what are you referring?¡± He asked, his brown fur showing a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The piece of rope that¡¯s going to make Salamede my wife.¡± I said with the drizzle starting to form a proper rain as the droplets hovered and fell off the projection field just above my suit.


    ¡°Oh, of course. Rand was here earlier going over the legality of it. As long as you don¡¯t talk to anyone during the ceremony, you haven¡¯t technically associated with anyone. He had to go discuss it with a legal expert but for now, for right now, he can¡¯t stop you from doing it if he isn¡¯t sure what the limits are.¡± He finished with one last look to the men getting out of the carriage.


    Salamede gave a happy little clap and we quickly moved off to deliver the carriage to the new peasant housing on the left side of the academy. The main road was more clogged than usual but off in the distance I could make out several three-story houses like a wide apartment building a few dozen yards to the left of the academy wall. The structures were more stone in the walls than their compatriots and looking at them I saw Ryan working a wooden board enchanted to summon stone. It put in the top story walls on the last of the row of five houses, the only cover being a wide piece of rough cloth strung along the top to keep the rain out.


    We pushed our way through the crowd of people, now a greater mix of hungry people looking over the food vendors with worried expressions as they vied for the food that would quickly be put out of their financial means to acquire if the rising prices I saw were anything to go by. As the rain fell on the huddle masses of hungry peasants and vendors, our odd carriage drew many raised eyebrows but most of the people used to us merely nodded and stepped aside while the newcomers couldn¡¯t seem to decide if they wanted to look at us or at the semi-mythical dwarves.


    The traffic lessened as we got closer to the academy area where an odd deadland of traffic lay, the spot between the two worlds where anyone rich enough to be involved in the academy wouldn¡¯t be going out in this rain for the poorer items of the town but the people poor enough to have to go out and get their food or cloth couldn¡¯t afford anything that the academy offered, leading to this near empty section of road where the two places touched. From there it took only a few more minutes before we got to the new houses and the line of carts in front of them. Men and women moved their goods back and forth as children either played or looked out shuttered windows. I went up to the back of the line and called for one of the guards.


    ¡°These are goods from the peasants, make sure they get to where they need to go.¡± I said as I moved away from the carriage with Salamede. ¡°I¡¯ll check on Ryan and come back to the Kelton quarter.¡± She nodded but stopped for a moment to pull my helmet down and give me a kiss. Pulling away, she then took off down the road without a word. I could only ogle the soft curves of her armor with a smile as she made her way over the empty section of road and back through the crowd.


    Turning away, I made my way to the front of the carriage line and looked up the house to Ryan. He was putting the finishing touches on the wall of stone he had summoned and was molding sections of it to allow the men to put in the thick wooden beams that would support the roof.


    ¡°Ryan!¡± I called above.


    He turned around and looked at me with a confused expression. The moment passed and when he realized he who he was looking at, he got a big smile.


    ¡°Well, well. It looks like that trip went a lot faster than I thought it would. I assume it¡¯s because of the association representatives.¡± He called down like this was just another idle chat.


    ¡°Is that who they are? Well, the trip went fast more in spite of them rather than because of them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I guess no one needed to ask what they had come for.¡± Ryan said as he stroked his chin. His green eyes and suggestive face with sharp cheek bones left no doubt as to what he was referencing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the apples here are of a wonderous quality.¡± I responded with a strained smile. Ryan merely snorted in response before looking over the roof again.


    ¡°A few more minutes and I¡¯ll be done.¡± He said. I nodded and we both bid goodbye.


    Making my way through the crowd, I headed back to the Kelton quarter.


    When I made my way around the bend and towards the usual meeting spot, I saw Salamede and the patriarch on a porch in front of the large houses. Even with a large crowd of Keltons in front of me and despite the fact she was standing a bit off to his left, Salamede instantly spotted me coming out of the back-alley way and then every head turned to look at me. As I came up the wooden steps, I saw Salamede standing in the middle of a large band of rope and in her hands was a quill with an ink jar on the porch. Recalling the details of the ceremony, I went to take the quill and paper from her. She looked at me with love so clear in her face, not even the helmet obstructing her nose and cheeks could block it.


    ¡®Honestly¡¯ The patriarch pouted in a spirit connection. ¡®I feel bad about marrying you two off like this. A mage, a quad element mage, marrying into the Kelton community should be something that has an entire day dedicated to it. Even more so for a mage who has already done so much for us.¡¯


    ¡®Bah! A marriage is defined by how it is lived, not how it starts.¡¯ I dismissed his concerns through the spirit connection. I stared at the paper then looked out at the crowd. Strumming my steel covered fingers on the rail, I saw several men and a few women with scars along their snouts or about their arms, some new and some a few days old. Deciding on my contribution, I wrote it down on the paper.


    ¡°We gather here to recognize the tying of two souls together.¡± The patriarch said as he turned to the crowd with a dramatic wave of his green suits right arm. ¡°For this union to serve our community, any man that just so happens to step into the rope circle with Miss Salamede will now be considered for a union.¡±


    Salamede had written hers down first and dropped it on the floor. He picked it up and began speaking on our behalf.


    ¡°I promise to bear him twelve children, to raise them for each other and all of us.¡± He read from the paper with an impressed nod as looks of approval went through the crowd. I then just happened to drop my paper on the floor in front of him and he picked it up to read from it.


    ¡°I swear to provide five wooden beds for the community, each enchanted with healing magic. They will provide physical restoration far greater than a healing elixir and as long as the ambient mana is maintained, will require no expense for their use.¡±


    This caused a wave of excited whispering and oohs amongst the crowd. I noticed quite a few who were sporting bandages on arms or on their faces seemed particularly excited. When I turned around Salamede was squirming in delight while the pudgy form of the Patriarch was content to look down with his left hand across his chest.


    ¡°You are truly a blessing¡± He whispered in a humbled tone before turning up and towards the crowd. ¡°We have heard a proposition for the random couple who just happened to step into the rope circle. Are there any objections on the basis of health, ability or disposition? Let them come forward and be pelted with stones here and now¡±


    That little breach of tradition sent a wave of laughter through the crowd. Down to the left I saw the small brown furred Kelton woman that was Salamede¡¯s mother looking on with a handkerchief wiping her white eyes.


    ¡°All conditions have been satisfied. Let the new couple go forward as husband and wife.¡±


    I followed Salamede¡¯s lead and picked up the rope and held it above our heads. The rain fell down on us and the crowd, but I paid it no mind as my heart fluttered with excitement. Looking at Salamede, I could see her face breaking apart with the happiest smile I had ever seen on it. Her face was streaked with rain and tears in between the helmet and I was just glad I had made her cry for a good reason this time. The stab of guilt at the memory was quickly repressed and we walked past the clapping crowd as we made our way towards the tower.


    It was near the end of the crowd that Rand showed up.


    ¡°Ah, Eli good.¡± He said with a wave to his right. Beside him was a thin man in a black robe being covered with a canopy carried by two other men.


    ¡°Eli No-Name.¡± The man said. ¡°I am a man of the law concerning censorship and I must applaud you for your innovative spirit. You did not talk to anyone during this ceremony nor was your name given during any of the vows.¡±


    He took a long moment of tapping his foot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide for now.¡±


    That produced a small cheer from the surrounding crowd.


    ¡°But¡­But. This will have to still be examined. Anything concerning you will be gone over to the smallest detail. I cannot promise that the marriage is valid, only that it cannot be immediately denied. Good day.¡± He said before turning around with the rest of the guards. I gave a happy sigh and kept walking with my now wife.


    ¡°Oh, Tansen came by earlier. Told us about a big meeting tomorrow with all the major groups to figure out what to do.¡± Salamede said as we moved across the stone road and onto the dirt path a little more quickly to get inside my tower.


    ¡°Does he know about us getting married?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep. Wished us well, in a spirit connection obviously. There¡¯s going to be a constant watch on us both from now on.¡± She said in a put-out manner.


    ¡°They better not be watching for what I have planned.¡± I said mischievously. She got a grin at that as we shuffled inside the door and onto the dark oak floor of my tower. The bits of bark were still scattered about but I immediately moved towards the hatch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a shower going so we can get the sweat off us then we can consummate this marriage.¡± I said as I gave her steel bum a light swat. She giggled but looked at me with a raised eyebrow as I opened the hatch into the lower workshop. Going down the steps I saw the near finished forge on my right.


    The deep graphite bowl was in a dip in the long plate of iron and in the near future, below it would be the shafts with heating coils. On the back side was to be the rack of copper spheres and wires that would power the thing but despite the constant whirring from the sphere powering the air piston and the few already in place for the forge, there was no other movement in the wide room. That was until Cell came from behind the far-left leg of the forge. His crystal head looked at me with anticipation and he jumped up towards me, sending me a wave of happiness as he rubbed against my cheek with his black mass of ever moving shapes flowing around the armor.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it been Cell?¡± I asked him. I got general impressions of wires and the large heating coils being put in place. He seemed happy to see me, but he sensed the lust in my body and looked upwards at the hatch. He then sent me a few pictures of the other familiars and them going in the woods. Grateful for the time alone, I rubbed the sphere with shimmering lights in appreciation.


    He headed to the left and up to the slab of stone in the wall that used to be the tunnel to the troll nest. Making a small hole upward for himself, he sent me one last wave of happiness in goodbye before I headed towards my main task. Down here was the tubes I had previously used for the shoulder cannons but those were useless now.


    I took one and replaced the sections with the earth enchantments with water ones, taking off my armor and stripping down to the plain white shirt and brown pants beneath while I did so. Molding it into the stone wall around the grotto to the left of the stairs, I crafted a crude makeshift shower head out of it. As I was testing the water temperature, trying for that ever-elusive middle ground between cold and skin melting, I heard the hatch open behind me.


    ¡°Eli?¡± Salamede called down.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done. That perfect balance is within sight.¡± I responded as the sound of footsteps came up behind me.


    ¡°Sala-¡° I felt her body press against my back. But through the fabric I could feel her lack of clothing as she moved her hands around my sides. I suppressed the impulse to turn around as I continued working on the metal tube sticking out of the wall above the small pond of water that served as the entrance from the river.


    ¡°Salamede.¡± I chided. ¡°Did you unwrap my present before I could?¡±


    There was a chuckle in my left ear as she pressed her considerable bust against my back again and did a little nibble on my lobe.


    ¡®I¡¯ve waited too damn long. I want you now¡¯ She said coyly in a spirit connection.


    ¡®We are close my dear. This is a meal I intend to savor and I want us both to be well washed for it.¡¯ I said even as the tightness in my pants suggested otherwise. She seemed to notice and ran her hands over my member sending a shiver up my spine.


    ¡®Are you sure?¡¯ She asked in a heated tone.


    ¡®Yes. We will have all the time in the world once I finish this shower head. Get the soap ready and we can shower together.¡¯


    She gave a needy pout that made my blood boil with lust, but I held it in when she removed her hands from my groin, and I heard footsteps going upstairs. It took a few more agonizing minutes, but I eventually got the water and fire enchantments down to where they would put out a shower of hot water that suited my intended purpose.


    Going back up the stairs, I opened the hatch to see Salamede dressed in a white under dress as she sat on the central boulder couch chewing on a long piece of Yook root, the yellow celery vegetable that prevented pregnancy in women. Her snout had a bit of the vegetable in front of it and the white stripe that ran up from her nose ridge.


    ¡°Is it ready?¡± She asked impatiently. I practically ran forward as I stopped resisting the heat in my body and gave in to my urges. Getting on top of her as she swallowed the last of the vegetable, I took her head in my hand and kissed her. For a long moment our tongues dueled before I pulled her up and hoisted her onto my chest as I walked down to the shower.


    Her hands ran all over my body, taking particular care to undo the knot of my pants. I struggled to hold her and my pants up but once we were down in the small pond, I just pinned her to the wall as I fiddled with the tube. Once I hit the button, a shower of steamy water came out of the tubes¡¯ end and I felt Salamede jump as the sudden heat hit her.


    ¡°It¡¯s like Tansen¡¯s underground pool. So warm¡± She said excitedly. I took her lips for a moment as the water washed over us both.


    ¡®That¡¯s why we needed to get married.¡¯ I teased in a spirit connection. ¡®Else using this hot water craft would be far too inefficient to use for one person at a time.¡¯


    She puckered her lips and tried to slap me. But as she tried to get a hit in on my ribs or head, I looked down to her body. Her white underdress left nothing to the imagination with the water making it cling to her body like a second skin. While her grey fur ran down to the collar bone, the big orbs of her breasts stood out as distinctly human with the hard, brown nipples showing through the fabric. Salamede noticed I had stopped dodging to stare and put her hands to her hips.


    ¡®Like what you see?¡¯ She teased as she swung her chest back and forth. ¡®if so, I- eek!¡¯


    My blood was red hot and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore as I pulled at the legs of her dress. She tried to get up on one foot to help me remove her garment, but as we both desperately pulled at the cloth it kept getting stuck on either her horns or her standing foot. A few more seconds of struggling and the end of patience came. I got back up and grabbed her under dress by the open V of her chest and pulled it apart with a loud rip.


    ¡°Eli! My dress.¡± Salamede squeaked, although not unhappily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you another, I¡¯ll buy you a dozen, just give me your body right now!¡± I growled as I finished ripping the offending cloth in two. It fell into the water to reveal the beauty beneath.


    Her body wasn¡¯t hard like a warrior, instead coming with bits of fat around the hips and belly. But that wouldn¡¯t have fit her anyway as the big pale orbs of her breasts would have been entirely impractical for such a lifestyle. I had felt them through cloth before but now saw them free. They were big enough to more than fill each of my palms, with hard brown nipples erect in excitement. Under the left breast and along her right hip were two moles each. Looking further down was the small bush of grey hair that was her vagina.


    She had a body for making children and holding them on her hips.


    And it was all mine for the taking.


    ¡°Eli, I kind of want to see what goods I¡¯ve purchased as well.¡± She said with an impatient tone as she blushed from my attention.


    I huffed and took off my shirt and threw it behind me. I started working my pants but Salamede took my hands as she moved up to me through the hot water enveloping us.


    ¡°Now, now Eli. You got to unwrap your present now I get to unwrap mine.¡± She reprimanded as she pulled my hands to the side.


    Her hands worked the cord around my waist and let the brown pants fall down to reveal the tented white underwear. I kicked the pants down fully and as I did so Salamede started lowering herself. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she landed a kiss on my lips, then a light bite on my chin, then a kiss on my neck, then a small bite on my collar bone. She stopped for a moment to appreciate the small moans she was drawing out of me before continuing. Then her lips kissed above my left peck which was followed by a small bite on my nipple, not hard enough to hurt but it still sent a shiver up my spine. She kissed my abs and then bit my lower belly. When she finally got to above my pubes, she hooked a single finger around my underwear and worked them down until she had it just above my erection.


    ¡°Eli. Thank you.¡± She said before she did one final pull. My erection swung out in front of her face and she took a moment to stare at it, taking in every ridge, vein, and curve like it was a painting she wanted to remember for the rest of her life. I kicked the unneeded shorts and pants away so that we both stood as clothed as any animal of the forest.


    Her white eyes looked up at me and appreciation was plastered across her face as she moved her legs beneath her and got on both her knees, causing a hypnotic swing of her breasts.


    ¡°Eli¡± She said as she grabbed both of my ass cheeks and pulled me forward. ¡°Thank you for getting us the grain we needed to survive.¡± Once that last word left her mouth, she put her head forward in a deliberate bob. Her tongue, a soft wetness that rubbed like a hot sponge, started at the left side of my stem and slowly worked its way up. My whole body tingled as the bolt of ecstasy she was sending through my loins methodically worked its way up to the head.


    Raw need flooded my body as that softness felt like a fine silk working its way around the nerves in my dick. But Salamede never quickened her pace even as a smug look in her eyes told me she knew exactly what she was doing to me. Her tongue eventually got to the head and ended the long lick just before touching the mushroom at the end of my stem.


    ¡°Eli¡± She said again. ¡°Thank you for saving us from the cold by getting us the firewood we would never have been able to retrieve without your gifts.¡± She repeated the lick along the right side of my dick, drawing a hard growl and biting lip from me as she languorously worked her way up the side and making sure to look me in the eyes with that smug expression the whole time.


    ¡°Eli¡± She said, her breath now heated and coming in short bursts. ¡°Thank you for offering such a wonderous gift for our community. One of such value that we can¡¯t and could never repay.¡± Her tongue then did another long journey up the middle of my dick and I had had enough. My arms jerked forward to wrap around her head almost of their own will but Salamede seemed to have anticipated the move. Her hands caught mine and pulled them further back, making me bend my hips forward to maintain balance.


    She took the opportunity to take even longer this time, slowly running her tongue along the underside of my loins and making sure to keep looking at the red, needy face I was no doubt making. When she finally stopped the lick, she kept me bent over backwards to keep my dick right in her face. I stood there for a moment taking in the hot shower water coming down on both of us as I felt her breath across my manhood.


    ¡°And, finally.¡± She said with a smug tone of victory. ¡°Thank you for helping a worthless Kelton woman stuck in the mud.¡± Her mouth lazily opened as she moved above my dick and slowly took the entire length in her mouth. A small gasp escaped my lips as the wet heat slowly enveloped my manhood. When she had gotten down to my balls, she let my hands go to grab ahold of my hips.


    Immediately correcting my stance, I leaned forward and put my hands around her head to fully push her down. But she needed no encouragement as her tongue did light pats and swipes across my mushroom making my stem go from iron hardness to diamond. She seemed content to leave the main length of my stem to her lips and cheeks as she kept her tongue dancing across the tip. My body now intended to reach its release as my hips moved back and forth with wild abandonment as I slid my dick in and out of her mouth with increasingly desperate thrusts.


    Her horns knocked against my chest, but I paid no attention to the occasional poke or slap as I put my hands around the back of her head and neck and thrust with no thought in my head beyond that wet heat enveloping my dick. A few minutes or an hour later, I couldn¡¯t distinguish the flow of time as the electric pulse surged through my body, I had reached the precipice of my climax.


    ¡°Salamede.¡± I growled with a look down at my wife, still working my dick like its balls held diamonds if she could only get to the bottom of the two tanks. ¡°Unless you want to taste the inside of my balls as well, pull away.¡±


    I used the last vestiges of my self-control to let her head go. Instead of pulling away, she squeezed my thighs harder and attacked anew with a moan of pleasure as she proceeded to run her tongue up and down my stem in raw need for what it was going to deliver.


    Given the all clear, I grabbed her head around her horns and put my hips into overdrive. With the animal part of my brain demanding to be sated, it took only a few more seconds before I felt the electric surge in my loins work its way through my whole body. The world went white as I felt the heat surging through my dick and I cried a guttural scream of pure ecstasy. When that white vision had passed, I started falling back down to earth. When I began feeling my muscles, hot from the shower and activity, another feeling that came through was the sensation of soft, wet heat around my spent man hood.


    I was staring at the ceiling and when I looked down, I saw my wife still had my dick in her mouth and was dutifully swallowing its payload. I stood there, spell bound, until the last gulp was heard. But the damned woman still would not let my dick out of her mouth, instead deciding to run her tongue up and down it to clean any seed from its outside. After a few more moments, she then let it slide out with a wet pop from her mouth.


    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Was all I could say as she wiped her lips and looked up at me with self-satisfaction.


    ¡°Was that pleasing, dear husband?¡± She said coyly.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡± I offered in a biting example of wit as my frontal lobe struggled to re-engage.


    ¡°Pff. A quad mage rendered speechless. That¡¯s as good as any praise a woman could ask for.¡± She said happily as she got back up to stand just a few inches from me.


    I pulled her forward by the waist and felt her up and down. My only regret was the blowjob didn¡¯t leave me a lot of time to admire this beautiful body before me, something I now intended to address. My left hand took her left ass cheek while the right hand took a full palm of her breast. I was the hero of her community and I wanted to leverage that for all the groping and kissing I could. Lifting her up, I caught her right breasts nipple in my mouth, running my tongue over the hard dark marshmallow to a stream of cooing sounds.


    ¡°Geez, Eli. It¡¯s like I have a baby already.¡± She said in a sultry tone. I got a large smile as I looked her in the eyes and let her down.


    ¡°Such wonderful sounds coming out of you, dear wife. I would definitely recommend everyone get a wife if they are as delicious as you.¡±


    She got a happy little smile at that as she put her hands down below to grasp my now recovered manhood.


    ¡°My oh my, he¡¯s already recovered. Keeping him down is going to be a full-time project I see.¡± A light squeeze punctuated her last word.


    ¡°Please, honey, I am not so horrible a man as to demand all of the work be done by you.¡± I said as I traced a kiss down her collar bone and put a hand to her soaked vagina.


    She got a pursed lip but stopped after a moment.


    ¡°Actually, there is something I want you to do.¡± She said as she turned around. Getting just up against the wall, she went down on her knees and hands as she lifted her ass in the air like a prize. The image my mind closely associated was a cat in heat presenting herself for mounting by her male suitor.


    ¡°Is this giving you any ideas about what I want, Eli?¡± She asked coyly.


    With no need to ask twice, I walked forward and grabbed ahold of her magnificent ass cheeks. As I did so, I made sure to line up my erection with the quivering hole that was her womanhood. One massaging roll of my palm and I asked the question I need the answer to.


    ¡°Ok Salamede. But first, gentle or rough? How do you want it?¡±


    She looked back at me and I could see she was going to tell me to do whatever I wanted. A squeeze of her ass and a raised eyebrow silenced that meaningless prattle. She bit her lip before she finally spit out what she wanted.


    ¡°Eli, I want you to fuck me like a horny huntsman meeting a five-copper whore in an abandoned forest.¡± She demanded in a heated tone. A moment passed where I was taken aback at the colorful metaphor, but I dutifully slammed forward, getting my tip into her.


    She gave a surprised squeal, but I grabbed her right arm and forced it behind her back. Holding her there for a moment, I gave her bum a hard smack. She let out a yelp as I used that moment to force myself deeper into her. That soft velvet of her channel squeezed me like a vice and I took a moment to savor the sensation. Pulling Salamede fully back, I used my free hand to give her left breast as hard a grope as I could manage as I bit her fur covered neck.


    Her body reacted to all of this by vibrating with excitement. She looked back at me with lust in her eyes as her breasts swung back and forth from each thrust. A few more minutes of alternating between smacks and thrusts and I decided to see just how far she would let me go.


    I made sure to constrict and contort her body against mine to project a sense of absolute dominance as I used my hips to force her against the wall, my arms to pull her torso in whatever position I wanted it, and my legs to overpower any attempts she made to get up. To provide some variation, I grabbed the back of her neck and forced her head against the wall as I pinched her nipples. When she gave a delightful little coo of wonder, I started doing harder and harder twists and squeezes to her ever-increasing delight.


    I was using her body like a cheap sex doll and she was loving every minute of it. It was a while before she said anything but the sudden surge in warm liquid from her pussy and the shaking told me she had her first orgasm of the night. It was after calming down a little that she finally talked.


    ¡°Eli, I¡­OOOH! Eli, my horns¡± She said in a dreary tone that said she was barely lucid.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My horns! Grab them!¡± She demanded in a heated tone.


    Taking a moment to go over the logistics of the request, I fully swept the legs out from under my wife. She squealed in delight as I held her in the air and lay her down on the floor. I pulled back and rubbed my hands together before seeing to the assigned quest. I was still inside her channel so when I leaned forward, it forced a bend in her back that finally stopped when I took ahold of her two ivory horns atop her head.


    Grasping them, Salamede didn¡¯t react at first. But when I used this newfound leverage to move her head down, her breath came in short bursts as her womanhood shook. It took a few tries to get a good rhythm going but once I did, Salamede was a quivering pile of bliss. With each slam of my hips, I would pull her head back to meet the charge. When I lifted her up, she would use her free hands to grasp at my ass to make my dick go in her as deeply as possible.


    It took only a few more minutes of my quivering wife¡¯s coos and wet heat from her pussy before I was ready to explode again. Taking the initiative, I forced her head down over the side of the small grotto puddle as I pressed my body fully against hers. It wasn¡¯t as intense this time, but the wave of release as I unfurled my seed into my wife was still incredible. I pressed our flesh together as hard as I could, I willed my orgasm to go on as long as I could, and Salamede constricted her pussy as hard as she could while this moment of life affirming ecstasy passed between husband and wife.


    Sadly, the moment passed, leaving behind two sweaty, shaking bodies. I lay on top of her as the hot shower water continued falling down my back, panting as I took in her scent, touch and taste while making sure to feel every bit of flesh beneath me.


    ¡°Eli, you¡¯re a big fellow.¡± Salamede said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, sorry.¡± I said as I got off her. But I took a long moment to pull out of her to enjoy the sensation before I laid back down to rest beside my wife.


    She instantly snuggled up to me and pressed her breasts against my chest. I took one of her big orbs with the nipple still hard and did another suck on it. A slight moan above me told me the action was not unwelcome.


    ¡°Really?¡± She said with an exhausted and dramatic raise of her head even as her hand went to caress my cheek. I let her tit fall from my mouth before I leaned back up and kissed her.


    ¡°I needed to do a thorough inspection. Those are going to be feeding my children some day and I had to make sure they were up to the task.¡±


    She swatted my arm with an indignant snort, but we were both too breathless to continue the banter. We took a moment just laying there as we gobbled down the air and love in each other¡¯s eyes. Salamede put her arms around my waist and chest before speaking again.


    ¡°I forgot the soap.¡±


    I laughed as I concentrated on just how good her body felt against my skin. Her nipples against the taught skin of my chest providing a particularly great pleasure as they rubbed back and forth with each breath.


    ¡°That was amazing, Eli. But we have to get ready for tomorrow.¡± She said with a tone that wasn¡¯t fully convinced herself. I took the moment to kiss her.


    ¡°Indeed, my wife. We have a lot to do tomorrow.¡± I said as we both reluctantly got up. She went upstairs to get the soap and returned after a few moments. A good half hour passed, filled with more kissing and rubbing of various parts, before we were fully washed and the water craft was finally turned off.


    Our legs shaky and our energy well spent, we fumbled together some clothes to form a rough bed on the main floor behind the central boulder. Satisfied and drained, we drifted off to sleep without a single word spoken.

 Chapter 84: Communal Gathering

    ¡°That was my fucking daughter!¡± Agatha half yelled in Tansen¡¯s office as the academy head spectated the event from his chair, wearing his typical black and sapphire kimono. She was to the left of his desk with the object of her rage in the middle of the room accompanied by her two pudgier parents in fine brown clothes; A petite blond with defiant green eyes in blue and white striped student robes that matched the rooms walls.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get her with a rock. I was aiming for that goat woman. At least we were doing something while you lot let a Kelton take the quad mage from us.¡± She growled back. The pudgy mother and father behind her nodded.


    Agatha took in a deep breath before crossing the distance and taking the students head in her black gloved hand.


    ¡°Little girl, it is not up for you to decide what happens in regard to that mage.¡± Agatha was now a hairs breadth from the girls now sweating face. But there was still a bit of gusto in the girl as she scrunched her eyebrows.


    ¡°Well maybe if we had succeeded in sending the message, we wouldn¡¯t have woken up to that little bit of news this morning.¡± She pouted with puckered lips.


    This actually produced a moment of hesitation in Agatha, but she quickly quashed it. Her child had been hurt and Tansen could see the mama bear breakthrough in the end.


    ¡°What could have or would have happened is for the almighty universe to decide, not you. Five lashes and time doing kitchen pot scrubbing.¡± Agatha let her cheeks go and went to stand by the desk. The only sound was the sputtering parent who now worked up the courage to object.


    ¡°Lashes? Have you gone mad? Cleaning pots? She is a caster mage.¡± The mother spat in a storm of bile and outrage.


    ¡°And my daughter is a scion.¡± Agatha said with pure ice in her voice. Her piercing blue eyes stilling the three. ¡°You can take this punishment, or we can see just how harshly an attack on a scion will be punished in the courts.¡±


    A hard moment of resolve passed on the girls face but she looked back and saw she would fight alone if she pushed forward. After accepting defeat with a down cast look, the trio shuffled out of the door.


    ¡°I need some orders for the local discipline section of the Front.¡± Tansen called through the open door.


    A moment passed before the short haired brunette with glasses that was his secretary came through the door, her brown eyes and sharp chin sowing some irritation.


    ¡°What severity?¡± She asked, her tone not having the usual deference. Tansen sat there with his black eyebrows and forehead ridge molding into surprised look.


    ¡°Mild. Just five lashings and a stint in the kitchen scrubbing pots.¡± He said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± The secretary said quickly before shutting the door more harshly than was needed.


    ¡°Was something put in the women¡¯s side of the dorms or an outbreak of pins being put in bras?¡± Tansen asked with a look towards Agatha. It was the morning after Eli went on the expedition to get the peasants from the military base and since getting up and enjoying a quick breakfast from one of the dorm restaurants, Tansen noticed that all the women were highly irritable. From the staff to the students and teachers, every woman on the campus seemed to be in a foul mood.


    ¡°Pff. As if you don¡¯t know.¡± Agatha scolded.


    When she saw Tansen¡¯s unmoving goatee and uncomprehending brown eyes, she snorted in derision and put a hand to her hip.


    ¡°That little accidental wedding last night¡± She said like it was the most obvious thing imaginable.


    This light provided no illumination for Tansen¡¯s ignorance. Rand had been in this office late afternoon while Eli had been out. Agatha spent his visit pacing around the room with every nervous tick imaginable as Rand explained that as long they didn¡¯t directly communicate and the ceremony was conducted with them ¡®accidently¡¯ dropping the pieces of paper, they weren¡¯t really associating. A precedent established when a previous censured mage gave a speech at a friend¡¯s funeral.


    While not a clean comparison, the fundamental reasoning of the judge was that as long as they said they were just talking to themselves and didn¡¯t carry out any of the traditions personally, it did not qualify as association. An observer was keeping an eye on the couple and said they did not say anything to the crowd and they ¡®accidently¡¯ dropped the paper then picked up the discarded rope. Agatha had a fit over it but at the end of the day Rand¡¯s hand was tied until a more qualified legal expert was consulted and he could only reprimand Ryan.


    ¡°And?¡± Tansen asked vacantly.


    ¡°And?!¡± Agatha demanded with a scowl. ¡°We give the men children day in and day out. We deal with the babies¡¯ poop and piss and crying. We are the ones having to juggle being parents while the men just fuck their way through all the women is sight. And then? We do it all over again when the next baby comes along. Do we get any dates or nights that don¡¯t involve sex with their fathers after that? No.


    But that Kelton woman does. She hasn¡¯t had to juggle a career and being a parent. She hasn¡¯t had to put herself through dressing up to catch the men¡¯s eyes, constant pressure to have kids and hunt for magical resources, nights alone with no one but a baby to keep them company. But she did get a ring. She hasn¡¯t even produced a single heir for him, and she got a fucking ring. So, don¡¯t bring this up with any of the other women or they may just condense their answer to a slap or guttural scream.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Tansen said as he finally understood. ¡°But, all of the women? Do they all have to be jealous of Salamede?¡±


    A prompt slap across the face was the answer he got before Agatha stormed out of the room in a rage.


    Sighing at the pettiness of it all, Tansen got back to work while he waited for the two big problems of the day to walk through the door. A big meeting was being set up for every group in the region and Tansen had a list of items he needed to see to before his mid-day meeting with Eli. An hour or two before lunch, a minder for Eli came in with a message about him working some healing wonder in the Kelton quarter. Staring at the piles of paperwork, Tansen made the very un-adult decision to blow off his work for a bit and see something interesting.


    Going down the tower and out onto the streets with pools of rainwater being evaporated by the shining sun, he took a left turn and went down the street until he came upon a small crowd. The Kelton community owned a warehouse and the surrounding houses, in between this warehouse and the house to its left was a stone platform with two wooden beds. The pieces of wood further along in a neat row showed the frames of three more beds with canopies of cloth over them. Along the sides of the completed beds were two armrests fastened into the frame and they had the rails removed at the bottom and tops of the beds. It was at the third of the five beds that Eli was putting in the armrests for another of these creations.


    On the two finished beds were a Kelton man and woman. The man had long scratch marks across his face and the woman had several deep bite wounds that were slowly being mended into new flesh. The crowd around them just passed an idle eye at this marvel when they looked at it but seemed mostly intrigued with Eli, wearing an almost offensively plain white shirt and brown pants. When the man got up with a brand-new face, another man with a right arm that seemed to be barely held together with bandages sat down in his place. He took the arm rest for his right arm and took the top out. It was attached with some piece of leather through the thick molded holder and placed it against his chest before resting his left arm on the other. The mangled arm began reforming with the missing bits slowly shifting and expanding the arm beneath the bandages.


    There were a lot of other students here as well, but they only had eyes for the man making the beds. Tearing his eyes away from the injured Kelton, Tansen looked further down the rows of beds and could see why the crowd was so preoccupied with the person making them and not the items themselves. Eli was working on the armrests, fastening the leather strips with glue, setting the wooden arm rests against the bed and fastening them in with screws. When he finished that portion, he set about making the healing enchantments which it could be easily surmised was being placed in the arm rests top. Running his gaze down the leather line, it could be assumed that he was setting up the lines for a mana battery.


    This all would not be so impressive if not for the sheer skill and smoothness with which Eli carried out his task; no hesitation when aligning the nails with one or two blows at the most to fix the arm rest holder into the frame or messy application of the heated glue that somehow always had just enough to go right beneath the leather pad that connected the strip.


    As a mage, though, the most impressive part was making the enchantments themselves, a task he couldn¡¯t see but would know when it was done wrong. The arm rests were not made uniformly and had some uneven dimensions, but Eli worked over them without a single moment of hesitation. As the craftsman did his immaculate work, Tansen kept waiting for him to have to stop and go back over his craft due to a stray thought or bad path along the leather or wood messing him up but that moment never came as he set up the last arm rest and smacked it to make sure it was sturdy enough for the needed task.


    With a nod he left the bed to start on the third. The crowd of mages started chittering amongst themselves and it was when Eli was in the middle of laying down a new enchantment for the right arm rest of the third bed that Tansen realized that he had been just standing there being sucked in by Eli¡¯s masterful craftsmanship.


    ¡°Damn, so that Kelton woman gets to watch this every day?¡± One skinny brunette student sulked to his left.


    ¡°Please. With hands as good as those, she probably can¡¯t get out of bed in the morning to watch him work.¡± A muscular blond beside her pouted.


    Squashing the rising feeling of inadequacy, Tansen turned to leave but coming down the road was Rand with a small squad of guards.


    ¡°Ah, Tansen. It¡¯s good you¡¯re here.¡± Rand called as the crowd parted and Eli stood up from his work. Rand then turned towards Eli. ¡°The weddings was allowed to go through because you didn¡¯t interact with anyone who wasn¡¯t censored and didn¡¯t really participate in the ceremony. But going through with what you wrote on the pieces of paper would qualify as having participated.¡±


    Eli took a deep breath and closed his eye above the steel mask before looking Rand in the eye again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fulfilling the promise written on the piece of paper. The limits are I can co-ordinate when matters of life and death are in play. Well¡±


    Eli threw his hands towards the three injured Kelton¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯d say this very much qualifies.¡±


    ¡°You wrote down you¡¯d make healing beds, then just happened to decide later to make them in a completely unrelated circumstance?¡± Rand said with a brown raised eyebrow and disbelieving green eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t go for that, Eli. Making the beds and allowing them to be used would qualify as helping in a dire circumstance but tying them to the marriage makes the Kelton community complicit in what was supposed to be an ¡®accident¡¯.¡±


    Tansen looked around to the human women whose faces all got a jolt of hope, hope that Tansen would sadly have to destroy.


    ¡°But what if it wasn¡¯t just in the Kelton quarter?¡± Tansen asked as he stepped forward. ¡°Would making healing beds for the guard post and the academy mean what was written down isn¡¯t being followed? I know there are strict regulations on using healing crafts, but these circumstances certainly qualify for their use.¡±


    Rand strummed his fingers on his metal plate in thought for a long moment before sighing and nodding.


    ¡°Yes. That would go beyond what was written down.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Tansen said with a happy little clap as his black robes swished from the movement. ¡°Eli, we need to talk about your schooling. To save us both the time, I will assist you in this matter while we go over the coursework.¡±


    Eli¡¯s silver eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly squashed it before giving a light bow.


    ¡°Thank you, academy master. I appreciate the help.¡±


    Rand nodded towards Tansen before turning around and heading off.


    After a few minutes of explanation, Tansen got to work cutting blocks of wood into shape with water blades. It took only a few minutes for the ambient Mana to start thinning so they had to move their work to a station closer to the main bridge. Over the course of cutting various wood pieces and installing them on the beds very eagerly brought over by guardsman, Tansen discussed the work Eli still needed to do. Once he finished a live demonstration of his ability to perform in a mana rich environment like the western region, a thorough demonstration of his magical talents would need to be conducted by a qualified panel of judges to officially certify him into mage-hood.


    Fortunately, after the healing magic flooded the ground a huge caravan would go out to the western region to get the now more abundant magical pelts, meats, and other resources. If Eli was going to graduate in as safe a manner as possible, going on that trip would be the best opportunity for him, to say nothing of the potential connections he could make. Normally Tansen would advise a student to get an advanced mastery in one branch of magical study or ability before graduating as well but Eli obviously had no need for that even if he still wanted to take the advanced alchemy course.


    The mid-day sun was shining bright over the town, although it now had a population closer to a city. Tansen was overlooking Eli put in the last mana battery for the last bed as the guards eagerly waited for the prize to be moved towards the wall at the front of the bridge. With a final nod, Eli gave the all clear to move the bed.


    ¡°There is going to be a big meeting on the academy grounds later today. I hope you will attend.¡± Tansen said as he put his hand out to shake his student¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Salamede was talking about the meeting but she knows how much work I have to do and hasn¡¯t insisted I go.¡± Eli said with an idle look towards the direction of his tower.


    ¡°Eli, the plain fact of the matter is that even in the middle of situations such as these, you¡¯re still going to be the main subject at the meeting even if it doesn¡¯t take up the most time. Representatives from two of the most powerful mage associations got in with the last group and I¡¯m not sure what their reaction to¡­ your present circumstance will be. If they decide to go after the Kelton community, your absence will leave them vulnerable.¡± Tansen stated plainly.


    Eli¡¯s eyes above the smiling metal mask became irritated with a deep furrow of those silver eyebrows above purple irises.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll need to be there to explain my solutions to the current crisis anyway. Oh, and Salamede said she wanted to talk to you after the meeting.¡± Eli finally said.


    Tansen raised an eyebrow but decided not to press his student on the details.


    His main task for the day finished, Tansen walked down the side road of the Kelton quarter with Eli by his side. Rand had apparently run out of guards to tail Eli all day and allowed the two men breathing room. The lack of local guard personnel became apparent when a scream was heard. Running further ahead, Tansen and Eli came upon a small alley corner where a Kelton stall worker was having his clothing goods tossed in the mud as three thugs beat the prostrate man with clubs.


    Looking on was a buff man with smooth black hair and a brown vest with grey pants. He seemed like a typical high-class thug and was currently giving out a swat with his spear to any passerby trying to intervene.


    ¡°Back you glorified farm animals. The Sesh family is laying down some new rules while we¡¯re stuck in this shit hole.¡± He snarled with his strong jaw showing a smile while his green eyes showed nothing but contempt.


    ¡°Eli, if we-¡°


    Before Tansen could finish the sentence, three long spears of stone shot out from behind him and impaled the three lower class thugs. Pinned to the wall, they could do nothing but scream like pigs as the leader looked behind him in confusion.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Eli shot forward and used a long thin blade of fire cut into the thugs from a yard away. But his skill didn¡¯t mean he did it quickly. The first man along the wall he simply disemboweled and left to clutch at his spilled innards before he went through cutting the heads off the middle one. The high-class thug looked on in outrage.


    ¡°Hey! Do you know who we are? You just-¡° A thick brick shot out from Eli¡¯s hand and took the idiot out at the knee while he removed the head of the last victim and the cries of the first man died out. Tansen and the crowd pulled back at the sheer brutality of it. Tansen had known the heat of battle, of long roads filled with the cruel pettiness of thugs.


    But this.


    There was a cold glee in Eli¡¯s every move and slash that set even his seasoned nerves on edge. Eli eyes showed plain joy as he walked toward the now crippled man as the blade of flame danced up and down with a sinister eagerness.


    ¡°You, you hit me! We¡¯re in the middle of the street and you killed my men AAH!¡± Eli¡¯s long twisting blade of flame flew through the air and cut off his arms, spurting blood in a wide pool as the man shook like a worm writhing in rising pool. But the spout of blood stopped as Eli used a healing spell on him. The man meekly held his head up as he repeatedly tried and failed to stand with no arms.


    A stone shackle was summoned around the gangsters uncrushed leg and Eli used another magic spell to pull the shackle as the doomed man struggled to keep his face up. Eli passed Tansen with a nod.


    ¡°See you later, Tansen.¡± Eli said with a skip in his step as the crowd parted way and Eli dragged his victim along the road to his tower.


    Tansen and the rest of the crowd stood around awkwardly as they processed the fact that they had just witnessed three murders and a kidnapping in broad daylight while the accosted stall owner rushed about getting his goods. It took several more minutes before the local captain came by with three men. His brown eyes had bags under them, and his thick black beard was tangled. The metal helm with a white feather and leather armor were the only items on his person that seemed to be doing well.


    ¡°Tansen.¡± He said tiredly as he looked over the bodies and splattered blood. ¡°When I ask what happened here, you¡¯re going to say Eli did not just murder three men and brutally disfigure another in front of a huge crowd of people. All right. So, Tansen, what happened here?¡±


    ¡°Eli dispensed justice to four men in front of a considerable gathering of people.¡± Tansen said casually.


    The captain sucked in his lips as he stared at the academy head in exasperation.


    ¡°What am I supposed to¡­ Oh¡± The captain looked towards the bodies. Then he turned towards the small group of guards he brought and motioned towards the bodies.


    ¡°Sesh family¡± He said as he used his foot to overturn a severed arm. The elongated S of a gang tattoo running along its middle. The other bodies had it on them as well as they were dragged to the pyre in front of the bridge. ¡°Well, they were warned.¡±


    Tansen raised an eyebrow to the man.


    ¡°A family of thugs out from the woods who think bullying a few peasants makes them a force to be reckoned with. We¡¯ve had to take a lot of the woodland gangs in and a truce was agreed upon. They would stick to a few warehouses if they don¡¯t make trouble and we would not try to run them in for past crimes, much to the bristling of the locals. Mighty awkward considering a lot of them have bounties, including the whole Sesh family, but they came in with the mad rush and reducing the town to a warzone helps no one.


    Most of them have stuck to the agreement but one thug came by earlier to try and work over a Kelton shop keeper. Eli¡­ well. I¡¯m sure you can imagine how he took that.¡± The captain said with a meaningful look to the bodies being lifted up. ¡°I had a few people in the area at the time who prevented him from killing the man but apparently his people don¡¯t learn. I¡¯ll write a report, but they were told the next time it happens it will be treated as a case of self-defense.¡±


    The captain walked off leaving Tansen and the crowd to go about their day.


    The sun rose to its peak and fell as the meandering activities of the academy took all of the academy heads time until a few hours before the big meeting saw the arrival of a white, magically enhanced hawk. The bird had two long feathers along its brow and had a size more comparable to a dog as it landed on the secretary¡¯s desk and dropped off its letter. When delivered to Tansen, he read it over with a sense of annoyance.


    ¡®The copiers office is inquiring into a report sent from this academy. As head of the Diamond academy, do you confirm or deny the presence of a male quad element caster mage name Eli?¡¯


    Tansen just clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in exasperation.


    ¡®Good old central government. Still stretching underneath the bed sheets while everyone else is getting out the front door.¡¯ Tansen thought to himself irritably as he wrote out a piece of paper explaining Eli¡¯s abilities, got yet another copy of the previous report and testimony as well as another sheet of paper to explain Eli¡¯s more recent escapades. Leaving his office, he went up to his secretary¡¯s desk and tied the papers around the hawks near arm thick leg. A piece of beef and a pat on the head from the secretary and the bird flew out the far window.


    During all that time, the magic association representatives did not show up. They didn¡¯t barge through his front door or start tearing into the staff even though he was sure they had more than enough time to become fully apprised of the situation with Eli, the only item that could possibly prompt them to make such a perilous journey. It made Tansen skin crawl as their silence was heard around the academy louder than any scream.


    It was near dinnertime with a sky of clouds bathed in orange that the big event of the day finally started. Tansen was in front of the refreshments table overlooking the various personages and people coming in through the main dorm entrance. A wooden platform, like the one used to parade Ryan through the streets, was on the left side of the lawn with a long row of tables in front of the blocked off section for the scion houses. These tables were piled high with various breads, meats, drinks, soups, and other assorted goodies that Tansen was perusing.


    Spending so much food for a meeting may strain the academy larder, but they were stocked well in advance and were filled to last well past Necrosis or even into the next year if need be. Having such a lavish display of food also helped set people¡¯s minds at ease since it showed how prepared the academy was, for to do otherwise would invite questions as to how they themselves would survive if even a bedrock of their society was so ill prepared for this disaster that it had to skimp on food for such an important gathering.


    The first people in were the heads of the docks. Big men with leather vests and tan skin who coordinated the work of the ships and their cargo. One fellow, a bear of a man with a grey shirt, brown pants with a simple black cap, looked at Tansen with a nod of his thick eyebrows, brown eyes, and strong chin marking him the harbor master Lucius. But he did not approach and after a while the reason became obvious. As the rest of the interested parties came in, they eventually moved toward Tansen together.


    The matron of the merchants guild, a stout, tan, red haired woman with a white apron and a green dress underneath, and the head of the craftsman guild who combined the tanners, blacksmiths, and carpenters into one tent, a man of average build with a green suit, black pants and combover of dark brown hair eventually joined the harbor master as a trio who then approached Tansen as he was at the table enjoying a cool glass of wine with a slab of seasoned chicken.


    ¡°Ah, academy head Tansen. So glad we could catch up with you.¡± The matron said with amber eyes of desperation as the other two were in much the same state of need. The government had devoted every last resource to stemming the rising orc tide in the south and its new menace, a situation Tansen had made sure to keep informed on as much as needed. What was out there and if it was close to his academy were the two items he kept up on and he left the other details to the military people.


    One of the details that he hadn¡¯t kept up on but had made itself known to him was the strain on the supply chain the chaos had, now aggravated by the early wave of undead. Space on the boats, the last cost-effective means of moving goods, was now at a premium as every last inch of every hull, deck and nook was being fought over by all the merchants, mages, and nobles who needed the supplies they carried. An accompanying spike in prices had given even the academy¡¯s generous finances a bruising, to say nothing of the pockets of the standard peasantry.


    ¡°We were hoping to negotiate some portion of the standard food and cloth shipments with you. I was hoping to get some more iron and coal in.¡± The craftsman guild master, Panco if Tansen remembered correctly, asked desperately with green eyes that shifted back and forth nervously.


    ¡°And the goods from the south.¡± The matron cut in with a scowl. ¡°I have several shop keeps in desperate need of needles and thread that would do wonders for the coming cold.¡±


    Panco turned on her with a cold smile. ¡°Surely you would agree, dear Gloria, that keeping weapons in our soldier¡¯s hands and armor on their arms and legs is more important than some dresses and hats.¡±


    Her amber eyes returned the coldness in equal measure, but her voice was one of intense sweetness.


    ¡°And surely you would agree, esteemed Panco, that arming men in cold metal makes no sense when they will die from the snow and cold shortly thereafter.¡±


    ¡°You would probably want to talk to the local captain.¡± Tansen cut through the icy exchange. ¡°The healing beds that got installed have lessened the need for bandages and healing elixirs so he may be willing to let go of a few spots.¡±


    Panco and Gloria looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but Lucius bit his lip and pushed forward between the two.


    ¡°It¡¯s true then? The quad mage set up a bunch of healing beds for the guardsman and the academy?¡± He asked desperately.


    ¡°And the Kelton quarter.¡± Tansen confirmed with a nod as he took a swig of the sweet wine.


    The harbormaster gave a silent thank you to the sky.


    ¡°Oh, what a relief! I have a younger brother who recently joined the guard and I¡¯ve been worried sick that he would die from some undead out there but unless he really messes up, he should see this necrosis through just fine even with the worst injuries.¡±


    But Gloria pushed forward to look at Tansen with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The Kelton quarter? Would that mean the rumors are true?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°The rumors about his marriage to a Kelton woman are true.¡± Tansen said, trying his best to maintain a neutral tone.


    She got a pouty lip at that, looking more like a delinquent teen than a seasoned merchant.


    ¡°And just what is the academy doing to remedy this situation?¡± Gloria demanded.


    Tansen merely put up his hands in surrender.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the academy¡¯s place to decide matters of marriage. The law may decide there is no situation to remedy.¡±


    Her button nose and tan skin crinkled in disdain. ¡°If the law doesn¡¯t prevent things like that then what good is it?¡±


    Tansen was content to look at her with a blank expression before returning to his meal. The trio, now given a new target for their haggling, headed off back into the growing crowd.


    The next major group was a rather brutal group. While their clothes were decently kept and their bodies well washed, the group of men and one older woman had the strut of gangsters with equally uncaring eyes as some of the men followed a few as bodyguards as the leaders in question ate Tansen¡¯s food with gusto or pinched a serving maids bum.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As Irate as Tansen felt at their presence, it was an open meeting and he could throw them out if space became an issue. From there the rest of the major groups came in, the mayor in his white shirt with brown pants accompanied by three guards, guild master Mason with a buff man carrying a large sword and a woman in slimming leather armor with a bow and daggers, the Kelton patriarch as well as a few of their kinds prominent merchants and land owners. Four of which carried a large wooden chest though their contents were looked over by the guards and no alarm was raised so Tansen decided not to indulge his curiosity. Then came the newest arrivals to the academy.


    The tall thin woman in a blue robe with white waves, Pisko, came through, her raven hair flowing over the sunlight. Beside her was Gertrude, a shorter, freckled woman with blond hair, thicker nose and well-defined body covered in red leather, was the representative of Ember, the most powerful fire mage association. From the blond¡¯s freckles to Piskos smooth porcelain skin, to the water mages button nose, the only common feature between these two was a look of simmering rage in their brown eyes directed at the small Kelton group by the buffet table.


    Whatever they wanted or were going to say, they were apparently willing to wait until later to say it. It took a good while, far too long, before Rand and, oddly, a contingent of extra guards showed up. They looked like they were ready to murder the rough members who showed up but kept on the opposite side of the gathering. After the mayor came in to sample some of the goods at the table, the last and largest group trickled in, an assortment of local and high ranking nobles. All dressed in fine clothes and accompanied by varying numbers of servants with the local duke, Beck, even coming with a small train of maids and butlers following him and his wife though Tansen could not make out their looks as they were swarmed with sycophants. Once the needed number of chairs and drinks had been brought out, Tansen considered waiting a bit longer but it was at the last possible moment before propriety would be breached that the main show entered the arena.


    Eli came in his full armor of steel and wood. The hawk look and height would have seen him stand out in a crowd of armored soldiers even if the maiden at his side hadn¡¯t drawn any eyes. The Kelton woman, with a human-ish head of grey fur with a snout and a white stripe running down the nose ridge, was wearing a purple dress with red vines running up and down it as the piece clung to her considerable bosom.


    With bits of white embroidery and gold inlay, combined with the fine attention to detail, there was no doubt as to the dwarven origin of the garment. If Tansen remembered correctly, such custom jobs were among the most coveted of the dwarf¡¯s goods and even the highest ranks of the nobility struggled to get even one such item for their personal effects. The surrounding women were staring red hot murder at her, with even Agatha by the wooden stand getting a brief look of irritation before cooling herself to impassivity.


    The worst of them was the two mage representatives and the now visible duke¡¯s wife holding her husband¡¯s arms by the front of the stage. She had a large bun of brown hair with a light green dress and a long trail of the dress behind her. The deep V of her chest showed the white embroidery of her dress. By the look of red heat in her smooth cheek bones and fiery green eyes, it was clear she knew the inferior make of her garb.


    Some of the students were out talking with their parents but when Tansen made his way up onto the wood platform in front of the large square of chairs, they scurried off, totally uninterested in the ¡®mundane¡¯ work. Behind this large arrangement of chairs was a crowd of regular peasants and Keltons or low-level merchants, not important enough to merit a chair on their own but still interested in the proceedings.


    ¡°Dear ladies and gentlemen, we have many challenges ahead of us today. But I¡¯m sure we will rise to meet the monsters we face.¡± Tansen called over the crowd below as Agatha came up the stairs to the right to stand by him. A loud clap went out amongst the attendees.


    Tansen pulled out a piece of paper and began reading the first item.


    ¡°The scarce space for the delivery of goods on the ships-¡°


    ¡°No!¡± A voice called.


    Looking up from the paper, Tansen saw it was the raven-haired mage with her blond companion who spoke up. They were both in the front of the rows of chairs with the duke and his entourage and now stood up to look back over the crowd. Towards the back of the rows with the Kelton¡¯s and four chests, their eyes fell on the human and Kelton couple.


    ¡°There is only one item worth talking about.¡± The blond mage said with a scowl.


    ¡°We are not the first item on the docket.¡± Eli yelled back as the metal hawk stood tall from his seat. ¡°Wait your turn like everyone else¡±


    The three engaged in a staring contest for a long moment.


    ¡°My esteemed guests.¡± Tansen said in his most respectful tone. ¡°You can wait until we get to the item on the list to discuss it as was agreed upon or I will adjourn this meeting to then reconvene it with your item stricken out¡±


    The two representatives looked outraged, but Tansen had the home turf advantage and the academy head was not known for making idle threats. With clenched jaws, they sat back down in their seats.


    ¡°Now¡± Tansen gave a light cough before continuing. ¡°The roads are going to be impassable in the next few days except by the heaviest of guard, if they aren¡¯t already. Space on the boats is limited. As always, food, medicine and firewood is given priority, but society cannot survive on just those things alone.¡±


    Rand gave a loud cough and raised a hand.


    ¡°Rand.¡± Tansen said with a nod towards the right middle side of the gathering.


    ¡°With the installation of the healing beds, our orders of bandages and healing elixirs have been cut by more than half. After some discussion, the merchant guild will take up the pre-assigned space that has been vacated.¡±


    A smug looking Gloria and a sour Panco near the middle confirmed Rands assertion.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Tansen said with a smug smile showing through the goatee.


    ¡°How did you get healing beds?¡± Gertrude asked.


    ¡°We have a healing caster here. I know all about the regulations of such items, but we will have all the paperwork sorted out soon enough.¡± Tansen said matter-of-factly. Healing crafts were a highly controversial item as prolonged use of such items led to vast mana dead zones from just a handful of them being used to reverse aging. Selling them also undercut the easy flow of cash from marketing healing potions but no one was going to send out a legal team to fuss about it under such circumstances.


    ¡°Really?¡± Pisko said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I thought all healing mages were snatched up by the associations on the coast or mainland in short order.¡±


    ¡°Well, he is also a metal mage, lightning mage, and a plant mage so they don¡¯t have as clear of a hold on him as other healers.¡±


    Her smooth skin twisted with a sour expression while Gertrude got puckered lips but neither said anything to that.


    ¡°My good man.¡± Duke Beck called to their right with a nod to Rand. He was a man somewhere between chubby and average with sandy hair and a suit of black with grey pants, all of fine make with bits of gold in the wrists and shoulders to extoll his wealth. ¡°My men got a bit scratched up on the way here, would you be willing to let us use them for a bit?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course, sir.¡± Rand said, confused at the duke¡¯s concern for his own men. Tansen had heard the duke was typical of the nobility and used his underlings like cattle but the meeting had too many important issues to dwell on oddities. The harbor master spoke up beside Panco.


    ¡°All well and good, but the circumstances of this necrosis have pushed us to use every last bit of space on the boats this year. Especially with several warehouses unexpectedly taken up¡± He said with a meaningful look to the small gathering of gangsters off to the left side of the main group. ¡°None of the other towns on the river did very well with the sudden rush of the undead that came by and the mess in the south is absorbing every last resource the central government can spare. Frankly, we¡¯re on our own as far as the coast is concerned.¡± That prompted a wave of nods and agreement from the seated crowd. ¡°Wheat and barley alone have doubled in price while metal bars and charcoal has nearly tripled. Even if the river merchants could buy more ships, there are few people with the skills to man them that we could employ on such short notice or entice away from the inflated government contracts.¡±


    Murmurs of worry went through the crowd until Eli sat up near the back.


    ¡°I have the solution. Rather I have four of the solutions.¡± He yelled as he moved on the left side of the gathering with three Kelton men behind him, all four carrying a chest each. They came forward and placed the chests on the wooden platform.


    The crowd looked confused but Tansen and Agatha got relieved looks.


    ¡°Ah, excellent.¡± Tansen said. ¡°How much could they fit in them?¡±


    Eli looked up at the nearly black sky for a moment before he gave the figures.


    ¡°The two on the left have a 25-foot by 20-foot capacity while the two on the right have only 15-foot by 18-foot in space. It depends on how the items fit together, of course, but for grains it should almost double the capacity of a mid-sized ship.¡± He said casually.


    ¡°Boxes of Holding?¡± Gertrude called in surprise, her brown eyes going wide. The two mage representatives got up and went to caress the chests with covetous lust.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Agatha replied. ¡°Caster Eli has the ability to use the space expansion spell by himself, a feat I have been a personal witness to.¡±


    The two representatives¡¯ eyebrows shot up with a guarded look towards the student who was now walking back towards his seat. Their faces showed the dawning comprehension that Eli was close to being a scion, a fact that only made them shoot a murderous glance at his wife before they sat down.


    ¡°I¡­uh.¡± Lucius said, clearly dumbstruck as he looked at the legendary items. An expression being worn by everyone else present. ¡°That would fix a lot of the space problems but¡­um. How much is master Eli going to charge for their use? Not to mention the security for using such items is going to have to be extensive.¡±


    Eli stopped before he got to his seat.


    ¡°The deal is going to be this: The two smaller ones on the right will be used free of charge in exchange for the two on the left being dedicated to Kelton orders, which will be transported at cost.¡±


    Lucius put a hand over his mouth in thought as he tapped his foot.


    ¡°A deal better than any could imagine. While the river merchants may come to blows over who gets to accept the proposal, security will be an issue. I can¡¯t begin to imagine what some people would do to get their hands on such items.¡± Lucius said carefully, clearly humbled by Eli¡¯s generosity but trying to dance around the problems caused by it.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to solve.¡± Duke Beck called. ¡°I¡¯ll have the ship given my coat of arms showing it¡¯s under my protection.¡± A wave of nods went through the crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯ll provide a few bodies to stiffen the guard as well¡± Mason called from the back right, his lamb chops of black flecked with grey moving with his nod. ¡°In exchange for some space to allocate our leather and food shipments.¡±


    Lucius gave a nod to both men and promptly sat down. Servants moved to install torch stands around the gathered seats and dining table, which was still being assaulted by servants getting snacks and drinks for their masters.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Tansen said with a cleared throat. ¡°How much would it cost to have another chest commissioned for the academy to transport its goods?¡±


    The helmet with a hawk face turned up from the seat and the purple eyes shined as the first torch was set up behind him.


    ¡°You have been good to me and my wife, so I¡¯d say you have earned one. I¡¯ll make one at the academy classroom towers.¡± He said with a casual, off handed tone.


    ¡®Ah¡¯ Tansen thought to himself. ¡®That¡¯s one way to warn anyone who¡¯s thinking about going after Salamede.¡¯


    Looking out over the crowd, the faces of the women were like stone statues, with the representatives getting snarls that they forced down with a brief struggle. Tansen decided it was time to move on before the women made their displeasure known.


    ¡°The next item is the sewage situation. With our population now approaching a small city, the river has become almost unusable for fishing and the streets weren¡¯t the cleanest before the new occupants.¡±


    A light cough from the back drew gazes and they stayed turned as Eli once again stood up and gave his proposal.


    ¡°There are many solutions to this problem, using a space expansion spell on large tubs to serve as removable containers for sewage is one.¡±


    Everyone present, from those on the stage, to the crowd of seats, and the servants all over the lawn got a sour expression. Even Tansen sucked his lips to stop him from voicing the obvious objection with Salamede likewise trying to grab her husband¡¯s arm.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t do that.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped the academy heads lips as the sea of faces softened and Salamede leaned back.


    ¡°That would be far too inefficient. As such, a means of transporting the sewage past the town section of the river with an artificial channel would do be far more effective in meeting this challenge.¡±


    ¡®By the spirits, Eli!¡¯ Tansen internally screamed. ¡®Even if my academy survives you, my nerves may yet fail the journey.¡¯


    The mayor stood up from his seat in the middle.


    ¡°We¡¯ve not had the funds and the means to make a public latrine with the river water. The warehouses all take as much space as they can and even if we had the space for such a large-scale construction before, we certainly don¡¯t have it now.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Eli countered ¡°But that was with using the power of the river alone to move it along stone channels. I have the means of using a small pipe with water that will shoot out the sewage along a stone channel below a line of outhouses.¡±


    A local noble with a wiry build and thick black hair called from the front of the crowd.


    ¡°But how does that work? The river doesn¡¯t move nearly fast enough to shoot the water out of the pipe when you put the bottom in the river.¡±


    ¡°A pump.¡± Eli replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. ¡°I will demonstrate it later, but it uses a special force called electricity to add pressure to the water that will make it shoot the sewage along the channel. I will, of course, need to get with the mayor to go over placements and dimensions.¡± A light nod from the mayor affirmed his agreement.


    As looks of intrigue spread throughout the assembled gathering, Eli sat back down. Tansen gave a light cough to draw the attention back to the stage.


    ¡°While there are certainly many more details that need to be worked out, can we consider this item settled?¡±


    With the wave of nods, Tansen then moved onto the second to last item in the docket.


    ¡°There has been an increase of crime recently. I know that the local guard has been pushed to the breaking point so perhaps some of the local nobility might be willing to put forward the manpower to bolster their numbers?¡± Tansen said with an expectant look towards the front rows. The numbers involved had all been agreed to before hand in order to not make the nobles seem ungenerous when negotiating, so this was a mere formal recognition of that agreement.


    While a number of nobles started putting forward their numbers, the group of rough gangsters stood up from their seats. Tansen gave light sigh and regretted giving into their demands for a special section of seats but Rand, oddly enough, encouraged it. The small square of seats was a bit away from the main group, but the action still drew everyone¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Big talk about crime when we¡¯ve been wronged right in front of the ¡®good¡¯ people of this town.¡± A man with a strong jaw, grey streaked hair with black frills. His grey suit and pants had a fine cut but the scar along his left cheek said he did not start life in luxury, as did the other collection of well-dressed gangsters.


    ¡°I was there. They were accosting a street vendor and attacking some of the passerby trying to stop them.¡± Tansen said coldly.


    ¡°Aye.¡± One of the nobles near the front yelled. ¡°Gods know I¡¯ve lost enough taxes from my peasantry to your ¡®activities¡¯ over the years.¡±


    A wave of agreement went through the crowd but an older woman from among the criminals spat in their direction. She had a frame on the thinner side with her green leather armor done up with throwing knives on the shoulders. Her green eyes showed contempt as she dismissed the charge.


    ¡°And a lot of you were more than happy to employ our services when you wanted a rival¡¯s stores burned or merchants robbed.¡± She said with a pointed look to some of the nobles in the crowd, all of whom were experienced enough to not even flinch at the accusation.


    ¡°We aint here to talk about this dumb shit.¡± The buff man who started the conversation butted in ¡°We¡¯re stuck in this shit hole because we didn¡¯t have time to hole up in our regular fort. The agreement with the stiffs was we settle down and not make noise. My boy was out having a little fun, rough as always, but you know how kids are. And that-¡° He turned towards Eli with a dramatic gesture.


    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Eli¡¯s seat was empty. Back further beyond the chairs was where the man in steel stood. He was placed between the gangster¡¯s chairs and the academy exit. The purple eyes showed sheer delight in the flickering torchlight as any servants or peasants between him and what now looked to be his prey scurried out of the way.


    The worried looks on the gangsters faces only worsened as guards moved to surround the collection of chairs and, more importantly, provide a wall of bodies around the nobles as Rand took up position beside Eli.


    ¡°Heh.¡± The buff gangster grumbled. ¡°Rand. You must have gotten a little too friendly with the wine, old buddy. You¡± His face grew red and he puffed out his chest as he reached into his suit and pulled out a dagger from his suit pocket. Then he raised the pointed end towards Rand with a menacing scowl ¡°Fucking forgot who we are. We got the boys to wreck this pretty little town and you¡¯ll honor the agreement.¡±


    Rand tutted with his lips as he wagged a finger at him like an errant child.


    ¡°And you forgot the terms of the agreement. Mind you own business and we won¡¯t try to bring you in. You violated those terms and now that agreement is void.¡± The line of guards moved forward with raised shields. Off to their side, Eli summoned a small wall of raised dirt to block the civilians behind them.


    ¡°Woah now.¡± The older woman called. ¡°Burning an agreement over a scuffle involving a vendor? Seems like a bit much, don¡¯t you think?¡± Sweat ran down her tan skin, as it did most of the other men beside her. Rand got puckered lips as he looked at the group in contempt before he shattered their hopes.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t why we¡¯re voiding the agreement. We¡¯re voiding it because of the tunnels we found under the warehouses we loaned you. Couldn¡¯t be content, could you? Had to start working an angle and try to start a kidnapping ring. Tsk, tsk. I¡¯d ask if you will ever learn but you¡¯re not going to have that chance now.¡±


    Sweat started running down the faces of the men now.


    ¡°Those disloyal dogs! How many of our men sold us out to you?¡± One of the gangsters in the back yelled.


    ¡°None. They¡¯re all dead. Eli used a massive air spell to suck all the air out of the warehouses and suffocate the inhabitants, one by one.¡±


    The nobles and peasantry kept their eyes on the gangsters, but all the mages looked towards Eli with impressed looks. Even using crafts, that had to be a difficult task. The mundane didn¡¯t understand the details involved in doing something like that but those with the knowledge to comprehend what would have to go into it got a good measure of respect for Eli¡¯s already considerable abilities.


    ¡°I gotta say, I never would have thought you¡¯d have the balls to do something like this just on a hunch.¡± The buff gangster said with a raised eyebrow. Rand just snorted


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a hunch. Eli got the information from your son and used earth magic to expose the tunnel in your warehouse. From there, well, I have a lot of legal leeway when it comes to crises during necrosis and I wasn¡¯t feeling too generous when I saw what looked like future pens in that tunnel.¡±


    While his surrounding compatriots got murderous looks at him, the buff father just got a disbelieving face.


    ¡°My boy? No way. He wasn¡¯t the type to have loose lips, even with red hot pliers.¡±


    Rand whistled towards the academy entrance. Through the wide arch came a duo of men carrying between them a bloody wooden table with slabs of meat and wood on it. They moved forward and placed the table a few feet in front of Eli and Rand before pulling back.


    No.


    Looking at it closer in the torch light, Tansen could make out a human shape to the bones and wood. The skin was gone and, in the joints and muscle, were pieces of wood. Some were simple stakes while others were long half circles. It was an appalling display with the eyes sown shut on the scalped head and the arms missing.


    ¡°My¡­My boy. You killed my boy!¡± The gangster screamed with a red face of tears while everyone just looked on with queasy expressions.


    ¡°He killed himself when he attacked a citizen.¡± Rand shot back as he made every effort to not look at the body. ¡°This is all-¡°


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± Eli said, his first words during the exchange.


    Rand turned on his helper with a raised eyebrow as everyone else looked at the body then back to Eli in disbelief. Eli just huffed before he stepped forward and took out one of the stakes near the back shoulder. For a moment everyone looked on in confusion but then a piercing wail split the nights air. From the lipless jaws of the thing came an animal scream. It was hard to compare to anything for the notes of sheer agony contained in that blistering cry coming from the table struck something in the deepest wells of the soul. Everyone present shirked back in fear, even those far away and surrounded by guards.


    Eli¡¯s eyes seemed to get a bit of joy in them but after a few more seconds of that unholy racket he shoved the stake back into the shoulder with a wet squish and the noise died. He then moved back to Rand, who now regarded him with a pale face and took a step away. Looking at it now, Tansen could just barely make out a faint rise and fall of the skinned mans chest when he strained his eyes.


    ¡°Healing enchantments are put into the pieces of wood and have mana batteries, meaning they can run even when the ambient mana runs dry. So,¡± Eli said with a tone as casual as one might discuss the days weather. ¡°You can surrender now, or I will have you.¡±


    Rand took a deep breath before he stood beside his helper again.


    ¡°What?¡± The old lady said in a panicked squeak.


    ¡°You will surrender to Rand or¡­ you will be delivered into my hands.¡± Eli said with a gleeful tone towards the end.


    Rand gave a quivering nod, his face saying he was having second thoughts about letting Eli have free reign to deal with them. They were a plague on society but¡­ that¡­ thing on the table was bit much, even for ones such as these.


    The group of gangsters immediately dropped their weapons and got on their knees. Even the father took only a moment to make a decision before he put the knees of his fine grey pants into the grass. Guards moved forward to tie rope around their hands and lead them off as Eli merely made his way back to his seat. Salamede took his right arm and wiped some dust off his shoulder while the bloody table and the now trespassing guests were taken to prison.


    Along his way back to the seat, Eli pushed down the earth wall he had formed to protect the crowd. Tansen gave a slight cough after a long moment to get to the most important article of the night.


    ¡°The next item for discussion,¡± Tansen said with a wavering tone ¡°is the matter of the quad mage in our esteemed academy.¡±


    As the unholy scream started to fade from immediate memory, the faces of the representatives regained their color and stood up from their seats.


    ¡°What discussion?¡± Pisko said with a wave of her long raven hair. ¡°The joke marriage will be dissolved, and he will start siring immediately.¡±


    ¡°I think he should start with us, to help us give a thorough report of his abilities.¡± Gertrude said with a lustful look back towards the steel plated mage, seemingly unperturbed by the previous display.


    A loud cough from the right drew everyone¡¯s eyes towards Rand. He stood up even as sweat ran down his brown mustache.


    ¡°The Censor would mean that any children sired would-¡°


    ¡°You think we give a FUCK what a bunch of line on maps and paper say?¡± Gertrude growled. ¡°The Coalition tries to undermine his lineage and the Coalition will be relegated to the trash heap.¡±


    That drew a long silence as the stunned crowd processed what she said.


    ¡°Now, now Gertrude.¡± Agatha said placatingly. ¡°Such hasty statements will only make this process more difficult.¡±


    The blond bit her lip for a moment before Pisko retold her associate¡¯s statements.


    ¡°Rand, here is a bit of reality. If you think the Coalition government can impede these proceedings, then you are delusional. Even if the government doesn¡¯t recognize his children, the associations will. The central continent associations will. I think putting together enough funds to supplement the government¡¯s failure will be the least of our efforts.


    We aren¡¯t telling you how to do your job. We¡¯re telling you your higher ups better be willing to censor all of the magical associations.¡±


    Tansen gave a light sigh as sweat started running down Rands face. But Rand turned towards Eli as he spoke.


    ¡°Him siring is not the item on the docket, the marriage is.¡± Rand said with a nervous tremor.


    Pisko just huffed in derision.


    ¡°What is there to discuss? It will be annulled, and he will go to the dorms to spread his seed.¡±


    Eli just sat in the back with a blank expression in his eyes as Salamede was content to thread her arm through his.


    Rand whispered to one of his guards, who then immediately ran off towards the academy entrance. He came back with a black robed man who carried a book and several pages. The skinny legal expert from earlier had a brown haired combover and pushed up his glasses as every eye settled on him.


    ¡°Evening, good people.¡± He said to the crowd. ¡°After an extensive look at previous cases, I don¡¯t think Rand has sufficient precedent to render a judgement with the censor. As such, this case will be taken up by a lower panel of judges who-¡°


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Gertrude exploded. ¡°Censored or not, the quad mage cannot have a barn animal for a wife.¡± Her brown eyes turned a hard scowl towards Salamede.


    It was at this time that Eli stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting a bit chilly.¡± He said in an almost bored tone. After a few seconds, a sudden blast of heated air pushed back the chill night air. Around the edges of the gathering were faint ember¡¯s going in and out of existence. Tansen couldn¡¯t see the spell Eli used, but it must have been very impressive from the slack jaw of Gertrude as the toned blond stood there staring in disbelief above Eli¡¯s head.


    ¡°Now, as someone only peripherally involved in these discussions.¡± Eli said sarcastically. ¡°Let me give YOU a bit of reality. Salamede and I are married. Some court order isn¡¯t going to change that. Screeching about how I can¡¯t marry a barn animal will not change that.


    You can accept this reality and do something productive with your time.


    Or you can try to rip up a piece of paper. You can try and annul a marriage through some dumb court order. A marriage¡± Eli puffed out his chest. ¡°that has already been consummated. Thoroughly.¡±


    A wave claps went through the Keltons, both in the seats and the crowd of peasants in the back. Looking over the crowd, Tansen even saw some of the human men clapping, seemingly out of principle.


    ¡°Really? All the things he¡¯s done tonight and that¡¯s what gets the applause?¡± Agatha grumbled with a sour face. A face shared by most of the women, be they mage, noble, or peasant.


    A swat on Eli¡¯s thigh from a blushing Salamede got him talking again.


    ¡°and accomplish nothing. We can discuss this like adults or you can try to undermine my marriage, achieving nothing aside from the fact that I will remember the attempt.¡±


    A hard moment passed as Eli and the two representatives stared at each other. The flickering embers stopped, and it took but a few moments before the cold of the night fought its way back in, though it was not as cold as the looks the women were giving Salamede. A cough from Tansen drew everyone¡¯s eyes back to the stage.


    ¡°We are here for the item on the docket. Rand, what is the legal status of the marriage?¡±


    Rand nodded to the legal expert who finished out the last item of the night.


    ¡°A panel of lower court judges will have to decide on the matter at a later date.¡± He said in a meek tone.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Tansen said with a happy little clap as he folded up his paper. ¡°Thank you all for attending. Hopefully, in the next few days we will resolve these challenges and not only continue with our lives but also do even better than before.¡± A few odd claps and nods was the response, which was good enough for Tansen as he did a light bow and went to the right to walk off the platform. Oddly, Ryan was by the check-in talking with Rand as Andrew stood off to their right. Agatha looked on with a curious expression as well and they both walked through the torchlight to the three men.


    By the time they got close, Rand was walking off and the two students in white and blue striped robes were looking at the approaching Agatha and Tansen in the bright star light.


    ¡°He was warning you about talking with Eli?¡± Tansen only half asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I explained that I owed him a favor, but Rand made it clear that it did not matter.¡± Ryan said ruefully.


    ¡°What are you boys doing out here?¡± Agatha said in a tired tone. ¡°We¡¯ve already got one problem male student; this is not the time for you two to start stealing from the check-in kiosks.¡±


    Andrew huffed in indignation.


    ¡°We were just curious about the meeting. I heard some of the staff complaining about the prices in the market and wanted to know what¡¯s being done about it.¡± He said casually, even as the red heads tone made it clear he was worried about something else.


    ¡°I told you, Andrew, with the breeding stipends our mothers will be fine. Even without Eli¡¯s intervention.¡± Ryan said chidingly.


    Agatha raised an eyebrow at the statement.


    ¡°How so?¡± She asked coldly.


    Ryan furrowed his black eyebrows as his green eyes above sharp cheek bones showed some confusion. Agatha crossed her arms and looked between both of the students.


    ¡°Boys, the stipend gives the mothers and children money.¡±


    ¡°and food and housing, right?¡± Andrew asked with a worried expression.


    ¡°No, just money. An absurdly generous amount of money, but if food and housing prices rise fast enough, that money will not be enough.¡±


    Andrew got puckered lips as Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. After a moment of processing those words, Andrew took a step forward.


    ¡°Woah. What do you mean ¡®not enough¡¯? Andrew asked in a pissed off tone.


    ¡°What do you think that means?¡± Agatha asked.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the agreement.¡± Ryan said with a scowl as he also stepped forward. ¡°We get the women pregnant and the women and our child get to live in luxury till the day they die. That was what we agreed upon.¡± Ryan now had an accusing finger pointed towards the Front woman, who actually regarded the two with a smile. After a moment, she took the two in a hug before pulling back.


    ¡°Boys, it¡¯s real sweet how worked up you are about this. But I would like to think I know more about these matters than you do.¡± She said placatingly.


    ¡°Look at it this way.¡± Tansen said with a wave of his hands ¡°If they go hungry on the amount of money they get, everyone else in this town will have long starved to death.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem to comfort them. After a few seconds of processing the never before considered possibility that their children might go hungry, Andrew looked towards the retreating back of Eli as Salamede held back by the kiosks waiting for a meeting with Tansen. It took but a moment before he took off for the leaving quad mage, with Ryan right behind him.


    Tansen chuckled as he and Agatha walked back towards the tower. After a moment, Tansen made a decision.


    ¡°I will put out the word that the academy will be keeping tabs on mage sired children and open the larder to them if they can¡¯t get sufficient food.¡± He said with a look upwards towards the star-studded sky.


    ¡°Good.¡± Agatha said. ¡°But the big item is Eli¡¯s soon to be children.¡± Tansen shook his head in disagreement.


    ¡°The central government is just now confirming his existence. We have to figure out how we¡¯re going to maneuver through this storm.¡±


    Agatha turned to him with a quizzical look.


    ¡°What do you mean? Eli will put out; the real issue is making sure this censure doesn¡¯t further damage relations between the associations and the government.¡±


    Tansen regarded her with a raised eyebrow for a long moment.


    ¡°You seem awfully certain about Eli¡¯s inclinations.¡± Tansen said with a suspicious tone.


    ¡°He is a man. Get a beautiful woman in front of him and he¡¯ll hop to it. The biggest trouble spot will be that Kelton woman. If she continues to induce him away from the mage associations, that attack won¡¯t be a onetime thing.¡± She said dismissively.


    Tansen thought on that statement as he opened the main tower door. There was something that felt¡­wrong. Of course, Tansen only knew that Eli loved that goat woman enough to not come out as a quad mage. Maybe she was a malicious influence on him, tying him around her finger in his moment of weakness, but that didn¡¯t feel right. Tansen had seen too many little signs of what seemed to be genuine care and affection between the two and Eli¡¯s indifference to those around him was completely genuine. The academy head would stake his position on the latter, which he absolutely was if he played this wrong.


    ¡°Agatha. We need to coordinate on this. Everyone is going to drop the hammer on him, and we need to be there to make sure things don¡¯t get too crazy.¡± Tansen said sincerely as he held the door open.


    She stood there in her black work dress with an impassive face for a long moment before speaking again with crossed arms.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll play along if you tell me what actually happened before Eli took off and why you seem so concerned that a man won¡¯t rut like you do, like every other male mage does.¡±


    Tansen ignored the sting as he stood there in silence. Confirming he knew Eli was a quad mage and told no one would be a death sentence for his career but that was also why he and Aki knew what Eli was going to choose if forced between the mage world and Salamede since he had already made that decision. A long moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them before Agatha sighed.


    ¡°Good night, Tansen.¡± She said as she walked through the open door as Salamede broke through the crowd and came up to them.


    ¡°Good night, Agatha.¡± Tansen said as he went up to his office. Salamede followed in behind him, which prompted a tight look from Agatha, but the two women moved past each other without a word. Tansen silently walked up the tower staircase until he moved past his secretary¡¯s area and went into his office. Sitting down and starting the mana lamp on the middle of the ceiling, Tansen sat in his seat as Salamede stood in front of his desk.


    ¡°Eli said you wanted to talk to me.¡± Tansen said as he leaned forward against his desk.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her rough voice responded. ¡°As we talked about his situation, Eli said that he would not be spreading his seed outside of his marriage.¡±


    Tansen gulped and pinched his nose in exasperation before he proceeded to respond in the most respectful tone he could manage.


    ¡°If you have told me the grain stores were devoured by rats and all our walls were undone with magically gifted moles, that may yet be better news.¡± He said, unable to keep the last bit of pouty sarcasm out of his voice.


    ¡°I know.¡± She said sympathetically, ¡°But he is open to expanding the marriage to other women. Also, while I¡¯m not 100 percent certain on this, I would bet he would be willing to get a woman with child if it was what kept her alive or her family from starving.¡±


    ¡°Well, that should be easy. There are plenty of peasant women who would do well with the stipends the government would provide them as mothers to a casters child, that¡¯s even if they don¡¯t make a special stipend for his progeny.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Salamede put up a finger. ¡°But that¡¯s only if the money from selling a bag of holding would be blocked or unallowed somehow.¡±


    Tansen leaned back into his chair, causing a ripple in the wave of sapphires on his chest as he crossed his arms.


    ¡°Nothing can just be easy with him, can it?¡± Tansen said irritably.


    Salamede furrowed her eyebrows and put her hands to her hips.


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine it would be far easier if people hadn¡¯t branded him a child molester and scorned him for daring to be a successful crafter.¡±


    Tansen looked at her for a moment with a raised eyebrow. Being branded a child molester was a great stain but being an orc mater was generally seen as the greater offense. One was a pervert against decency and everything good, but the other stood against all of that and the very existence of humanity itself. One student at the diamond academy had been caught amongst such dregs of moral depravity and his station had not nor would ever recover. That crafter John had been basically written off by all of the associations and him passing as an official mage made no difference to his prospects.


    The academy head just put her not mentioning the orc mating offense down to her being a Kelton and not really getting the importance of such matters.


    He closed his eyes and turned his head up at the ceiling for a long moment before giving a tired sigh and agreeing.


    ¡°Yes, that certainly didn¡¯t help matters.¡±


    ¡°What is it like on your end? With the other mages?¡± Salamede asked with a sense of trepidation.


    ¡°Not good. They seem to think that either you¡¯re the reason he¡¯s not spreading his seed or that it¡¯s just some problem that¡¯s going to solve itself. Or both.¡± Tansen said as he turned his eyes down to the Kelton woman in front of him. ¡°We need to mend this rift soon or it may linger in any of the mage associations he goes on to join.¡±


    ¡°Or he may not join any of them.¡± Salamede said worriedly.


    Tansen nodded with a grave face.


    ¡°Yes. If it comes to that, it won¡¯t be him that they lash out at.¡± Tansen said with coldness.


    She got a light smile and gave a bow.


    ¡°Then we shall not let things come to that. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for any opportunities when I¡¯m not working. Good night, sir.¡±


    Tansen returned the gesture with a nod and she left his office, with him following soon after to go to sleep.

 Chapter 85: Stopping The Wheels of Government

    Marvin was in his office at the U-shaped building that was Coalition HQ. The man¡¯s greying black hair seemed more grey than black these days and the strong, typically well shaven jaw had the beginnings of a rough beard. The room had a window in the back and the table and chair was of the finest oak to match the floors. While the sand colored stone walls lent the whole structure a beach side flair, there was nothing happy or lighthearted in this room or anywhere else in the building.


    He had seen it all so clearly. The Viper base, alone and vulnerable, was obviously going to be the next target but the speed of this new menace was unheard of. It typically took days before the orcs could even set up a proper siege of a castle, much less take one down. Taking out whole castles in a single day? Not in any scenario or military drill had such an impossibility been accounted for. The troops couldn¡¯t be deployed fast enough to make any real difference even if the roads were open.


    It had been mid-day when the long-dreaded letter arrived, and this time, it came with even more bad news. An orc mage. A living breathing orc mage is what the surviving air mage who got away from the battle wrote down. Marvin could practically hear the frothing screams from all the magical associations the world over. Of course, sending troops and mages to get her would be a bad idea with Necrosis setting in as all of the surrounding footholds were being lost.


    But war was political and political suicide would be what awaited anyone who objected to any operation to kill this breathing insult to humanity. The loss of troops and mages running deep operations into the woods would be costly, a cost partially mitigated with the associations support. This strained an already stretched military, but no one was going to refuse these operations no matter their price.


    As Marvin was going over some more paperwork, the head of the copier department came in. A thin man with bits of grey hair over a wide, wrinkly face. His dark green robe and white undershirt dragged across the plush red carpet as he walked closer to Marvin¡¯s desk. The copier¡¯s face was casual even as his eyes had a feral, manic look to them.


    ¡°Marvin, I was going over some of our papers and I wanted to discuss some new font choices for our scribes.¡± He said casually.


    ¡°Fonts?¡± Marvin said with a crinkled nose as he rolled his dark green eyes ¡°I don¡¯t have time-


    ¡®MARVIN! PICK UP THE FUCKING PAPER!¡¯ The copier head screamed in a spirit connection.


    After taking a brief swallow and deeply sighing, Marvin recovered.


    ¡°Fine, a brief look couldn¡¯t hurt.¡± He said in a bored tone. As he skimmed the various words scrawled on it, the copiers voice came through the spirit connection.


    ¡®A half an hour ago a hawk with a special report came in. A quad element mage, with all four base affinities and all four dual elements, has been discovered at the Diamond academy. After a quick look at the report, I sent back a missive to affirm the report.¡¯


    ¡®Why?¡¯ Marvin asked with a thrill running up his spine from the mere mention of such an existence.


    ¡®Because that mage has been censored.¡¯


    Marvin gave a rough cough in surprise.


    ¡®That is going to be an interesting case then, but stopping our entire governments response is-¡®


    ¡®Marvin. Your name is on that censure order.¡¯


    Marvin¡¯s breath caught as he went cold.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    The copiers eyes went wide as he disguised a sigh in his robes sleeve as a sneeze.


    ¡®What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? Do you have not have any idea what papers your signature has laid with? Listen Marvin, you need to figure out what you¡¯re going to do. This is already working its way through the lower ranks in whispers and gossip amongst the mages. Once this thing hits proper¡­ you¡¯ve done right by my department so that¡¯s why I took the risk I did but don¡¯t think I will be going down with you. Whatever you¡¯re going to do, do it quickly.¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡± Marvin said audibly as he pointed towards the paper with a shaking finger. ¡°I think this middle left one will do nicely¡±


    As he handed the paper to the copier head, Marvin used the spirit connection for one last question.


    ¡®The mage, what was her name?¡¯


    ¡®Pff. No such luck, Marvin. It¡¯s male and his name is Eli. Just Eli, with no last name. Here¡¯s his file from the first bird¡¯ The copier head said with a firm pull on the paper before he put a small file on the table. Then he turned around and shuffled out the door.


    But Marvin just went pale as he sat there staring at the door dumbstruck. Picking up the file, it was as he feared. The impossible meeting of bad luck and ire of the universe had conspired to bring him down. This new wonder of an age was the very one he tried to drag in for a quick and dirty deal in exchange for some worthless bandit gang members. Fuck the censure, when that little gem came out a quick hanging may be the merciful end to it.


    ¡®No¡¯ Marvin said to himself. ¡®I will survive. I didn¡¯t go through all that hell in the south for those years just to lose it all from some simple mistake when I finally reached the top.¡¯


    He gave a whistle and through the door came a messenger boy.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± The young lad with sandy hair in a dark green suit asked.


    ¡°Get the heads of intelligence in here. I have word of a disinformation campaign from the Phoenix empire intent on undermining confidence in our institutions.¡±


    The kid¡¯s eyes went wide before he shot off down the left towards his destinations. From there, Marvin began working his connections, authority, and intimate knowledge of the government¡¯s inner mechanisms. Two mage associations had already sent out representatives and more were on the way when the government was only just now absorbing the reality of this new quad mage. Marvin gummed up the works and slowed down the departments for as long as he could so that his plan could be carried out and all the loose ends tied up. All done through various unofficial back channels and loyal minions seeded throughout the system, meaning these actions would be put to regular bureaucratic foibles when the reckoning came down.


    And one sunny day, it did.


    Marvin was called back to the meeting room. The U shaped table and sand colored stone walls were much the same as before. The sunlight from the back window filtered in over the ocean colored floor At the bend of the table sat Johnson, clothed with a simple white shirt and brown pants. Despite the near peasant clothing, his strong cheek bones, slight chin, and 6 plus foot height left no doubt as to him being President Johnson. To his left was Alton in a brown robe with purple lines, the bulbous body and nose making him look like a sweating pig with the bowl of brown hair swaying when he turned his brown eyes towards Marvin.


    ¡°Ah, Good. We can get started.¡± The Snake said with a wave towards Johnson.


    Johnson¡¯s deep green eyes turned towards Marvin with a child¡¯s glee as he leaned back in his chair in a very undignified manner.


    ¡°Marvin! Excellent. Sit down and join us for a most wonderful bit of news.¡±


    Marvin walked across his seat to Johnsons left as he sat opposite of Alton.


    ¡°What has you so spry?¡± Marvin asked curiously.


    ¡°Those rumors. The one about a mage with all base and dual elements?¡± Johnson said gleefully.


    Marvin huffed as he opened the file at his seat. It was a simple report on current Rodring military positions as well as a history section from a pre-Rodring war.


    ¡°I thought we paid well for people who wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to indulge in such drivel, is my opinion on that wayward lunch gossip.¡± Marvin said tiredly.


    Johnson clicked his tongue in disappointment.


    ¡°Come now, Marvin. Where is your sense of adventure, of intrigue?¡± Johnson pouted as he flipped through his own copy of the report. ¡°Especially now, with all that horror going on near the swamps. Indulging in a bit of uplifting news can be good for the soul, you joyless old mare.¡±


    ¡°John, this joyless old mare is why we survived the ambush from that cave. Remember? Remember that picky old curmudgeon who insisted we sleep out in the rain instead of going into that small cave and ended up saving our hides when a squad of orcs poured out of it when we moved away?¡± Marvin demanded in mock outrage.


    Johnson put up his hands in defeat.


    ¡°Fine. But at least indulge the possibility while we work through the implications of this report. Alton, you have some information related to this I believe.¡±


    The pudgy man coughed into his fist before speaking.


    ¡°The ambassador from the Rodring kingdom talked with me about this issue. Whatever Marvin¡¯s doubts about the rumors, the Rodring spies seem far more certain of them. The ambassador started talking all this rot about magic potential exceeding borders and how we need to discuss letting male mages travel between countries more easily. The real meaning behind it was obvious; the queen herself has given orders that he is to try and secure this mage, or the king but he is typically on the western part of their kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Well the ugly bitch isn¡¯t going to have him.¡± Johnson said firmly as he went over the brief file on Rodring positions.


    ¡°Be that as it may,¡± Marvin cut in ¡°if they¡¯re using overt diplomatic talks, then their covert operations are probably going on full blast. We¡¯ve caught more of their spies in the past week than the past several months, but I just put it down to a run of bad luck on their part.¡±


    Marvin strummed his fingers on the table for a long moment before he continued.


    ¡°Well, I guess there is something to these rumors.¡±


    Johnson shot him a smug smile before sitting straight and getting more serious as Marvin continued.


    ¡°What are the implications of such a mages ability? A caster fire mage loses to a caster water mage, and every other element tends to lose and win over another. Obviously, his caster children could take on any caster in a one on one fight, maybe even two on one, but that¡¯s not the major issue. He¡¯s valuable enough to risk a covert snatch and grab, but is he enough of a prize to risk all-out war?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the big question.¡± Johnson said ¡°They will try for any children he has but that¡¯s not as reliable as the stud himself. We¡¯ve only got a bare piece of paper stating the mages ability but some of the other papers in the package were lost in the usual shuffle. A copy of his file will be arriving tomorrow and from there we will decide on where to put his current progeny.¡±


    Marvin got a look of irritation even as relief slacked his shoulders.


    ¡®It worked.¡¯ He thought, but what he said was ¡°Of all the times for the paper pushers to fuck it up.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡± Alton said ruefully before Johnson cut in.


    ¡°We will convene at mid-day tomorrow to talk more about this mages situation, but I¡¯ve heard the local heads of mage associations are already asking around about this new mage. I¡¯ve roped in some of them to lend us their expertise in determining how this mage stacks up.¡± Johnson said with excitement in his voice.


    Alton gave a cough before speaking.


    ¡°I had the bit of history included because there was a pre-Rodring kingdom who claimed to have a quad element mage and a war started over it. Not sure what we could get from it, but I thought it worth including.¡±


    Marvin shook his head at the comparison.


    ¡°Different people in a different time. The people of the Rodring kingdom before it was the Rodring kingdom would go to war just because it was that time of the month. We have the stores of grains they need to not starve. Also, we have muscle that those squabbling territories didn¡¯t. So, they won¡¯t swamp us immediately, but at first we¡¯ll have to make him available or they¡¯ll take him by force. They¡¯ll probably take him by force eventually no matter our concessions, but the other countries will be watching closely enough that they will have to at least act civil at the start,¡± Marvin said confidently.


    The other countries probably think they can take one of Eli¡¯s children and get his line into their stock, postponing open conflict for him until everyone gets a better idea of how exactly his line stacks up against other mage types. But Marvin knew from the ¡®lost¡¯ report that, against all odds, this male mage hasn¡¯t been spreading his seed into the human breeding pool. Since the Coalition would stand to be the new superpower from his line in just a few generations, the other players on the board could very well knock the Coalition out of its future glory if they managed to get ahold of him since there was no other children to further enrich the Coalition with his abilities.


    The only possible hiccup to open war was that the country¡¯s close enough to really get within strike range of the Coalition were the Rodring kingdom and the Phoenix empire, at least, close enough without running afoul of the Rodring kingdom or risking a trip through the Lost lands east of the Phoenix empire. The former was in the middle of a bad rebellion, bordering on civil war in some respects, and it would be a grievous blow to shut off trade with its meat and bread provider while the latter enemy was already guarded against as well as could be.


    Even with all that, magical resources were the first and last word in international politics, and mage breeding stock was a magical resource all its own. At the end of the day, the long-term math said any number of starving peasants was worth this unprecedented prize. The only internal resistance would probably be the fuss the magical associations in the Rodring kingdom would raise about endangering such an invaluable mage. As far as Marvin was concerned, the uncertain variables were when all these facts would come into play, in what order they would come in, and what affect Eli having no children would have on their willingness to go to war. These three considerations would lead to various twists before the final conclusion was reached, war for Eli. How long the preparations to carry out that conclusion would take was the only uncertainty Marvin had.


    It was a few more minutes before the head of the Ember association came through, as did the leader of Floods Wrath. The Ember leader was a mid-30¡¯s woman with a red robe, plain in embellishments if not for the gold sash at her hips. Her short black hair with a gold band around her forehead accentuated an almost royal air with her good looks and strong cheek bones. The Leader of Floods Wrath was an attractive woman with a sharp chin. She was wearing a blue shirt and pants with gold cuffs and circular earrings that accentuated the blond hair spilling about her fine shirt.


    ¡°Ah, miss Koal and Victoria.¡± Johnson said warmly as the pair came through the door, seemingly in competition for who could come through first.


    The leader of Ember turned her light green eyes on the president with a blank stare while the younger, about low 20¡¯s, woman got a scowl but her porcelain skin reflected no wrinkles from the moving of her lips nor her blue eyes getting an irritated expression.


    ¡°How dare you address me as merely Victoria. I am-¡°


    The leader of the Embers cut her off with a wave.


    ¡°Young one, if you had held your station for more than a year, you would not be so insecure in your position as to be riled by such small things.¡± Her smile stretched two small moles along her left jaw as she looked at her rival with the sweetness of a mother. Victoria¡¯s blue eyes twitched in irritation, but she kept her eyes straight forward.


    ¡°Ladies, my apologies.¡± Johnson said, in just the right tone to make it uncertain as to whether he meant it. ¡°We are here to discuss the implications of the quad element mage.¡±


    That stopped any potential bickering between the two as they stood straight and looked at Johnson with rapt gazes.


    ¡°It¡¯s true then?¡± Koal asked. ¡°I sent a representative out when I first heard the rumor-¡°


    ¡°So did I.¡± Victoria interrupted as Koal shot her an irritated scowl. ¡°Since the undead are swarming that region in what was probably a necromancer attack, the gossip has been rather muddled. Some say she was a new caster who made magical tools that could beat a scion when she was still a mere crafter.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Koal asked with a raised brown eyebrow. ¡°I heard she had been involved in some scuff with the local law and had gone on some long journey to get away from everyone.¡±


    Johnson put up his hand for silence. The women, so combative just a few seconds ago, stood still with eyes eager in anticipation.


    ¡°We have only the first few bits of information available but here is the official information coming from the Diamond academy, backed up from several mages eyewitness accounts. This new mage is called Eli, no last name oddly enou-¡°


    A sharp squeak from the two women stopped him.


    ¡°Eli? As in a male mage?¡± Koal asked breathlessly.


    Victoria moved forward and leaned over towards the president with naked greed shimmering in her blue eyes. ¡°So, is it a male?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Johnson said, seemingly taken aback at the sudden aggression. Koal just stood still as her chest rose and fell soundlessly, her light green eyes looking out the window in wonder. A look that quickly turned vicious when Victoria spoke.


    ¡°He will be brought to the Flood¡¯s Wrath compound immediately. I will dispatch several of our members to accompany him along his journey here to ¨C¡°


    A blast of heat came off Koal as the older woman moved forward with a fire in her eyes that was almost as real as the heat coming off her body. When she got closer, the source of the heat made itself known. A snake familiar, hidden around the folds of the robe¡¯s shoulders, suddenly leaned out in a striking pose through the robes neck. It had slick red scales of an almost blood color with a lighter orange underbelly. The amber slits in its eyes showed anger as a flicking tongue shot out between the occasional hiss. While not thicker than an ordinary rope, the line of fire shooting out along its eyebrows more than made up for the average size.


    ¡°Victoria Belrose Fullguard, if you have any pretensions of being the first in his bed let me dispel them here and now.¡± The furnace like heat became almost unbearable as the red robed woman got right in the blond¡¯s face. ¡°He will first be brought into my daughters chambers where he will see to my four daughters then me. After, and only after, he has gotten us with child will he be allowed to impregnate the rest of the mages.¡±


    Victoria bared her teeth and stuck her chin out even as the sweat on her face compromised the seemingly invincible confidence.


    ¡°Really, Koal? You think the other association heads are going to let you and your brood drain him dry while we get no portions of his seed? That sounds like a declaration of war if there ever was one.¡±


    A cough from Johnson interrupted the two, who promptly turned on the poor man.


    ¡°Ladies, that is precisely what we are worried about and why he will not be coming here.¡± Johnson said firmly. ¡°The Rodring royal navy would smash our fleet and do a land raid to catch him. So, while it is far more hostile in that region right now, him staying behind their no doubt sturdy walls and plowing the peasant and mage women will be far safer than risking him in some all-out war with the Rodring kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Koal scoffed in a derisive tone. ¡°Lines on a map always making trouble. Fine. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t come to him. I am a scion and it is my right as such to demand the best. The best clothes, the best houses, and¡­ the best men for both me and my daughters.¡± She stopped to stick a finger in Victoria¡¯s face. ¡°Do not get in my way or you will know the displeasure of a scion. I will see about setting up the needed arrangements in my absence.¡±


    The two promptly moved in a near run out of the room, saying not a word to anyone else.


    ¡°Well my peasant self has certainly been enlightened about Eli¡¯s matchups against other mages.¡± Alton said dryly.


    A wry chuckle from the other two men brought the meeting to a close.


    It was the day after when Marvin was in his office that a messenger came for him. The morning sun was coming in through the windows as he walked down the lower floor of the Coalition HQ in a green overcoat, white undershirt and brown pants. He looked down at the floor with a flowing river and other nature scenes as he mentally went over all of the details he would shortly need. The passing personages from other parts of the Coalition scampered about as the messenger finally brought him to a double wide door in the sand colored stone wall at the left end of the U-shaped building.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Going through the doors, he came into a massive armory. This was the place that held the weapons and armor for the local guard and as such the massive open room had grey stone and mana lights lined up along its ceiling a good 25 feet above ground level. Amongst the rows and rows of swords, spears, shields, and bows lined up on stands and the patrols moving in and out of the building was Johnson. He was in a special spot by the right corner that had been set aside for his exercises with a table off to the left stacked with refreshments and papers.


    Rows of weapons were attached up and down the walls on fine wooden cases that provided quick access to every weapon imaginable via small ladders. Below them was Johnson in a plain white shirt and brown pants. Sweat was running down his head with a wet stain along his chest showing the exertions from practicing his sword forms alone even as the wet mop of his black hair swung around. The most prominent aspect of him was the look of anger in his deep green eyes when he saw Marvin approach.


    ¡°You called for me?¡± Marvin asked worriedly.


    Johnson merely pointed to the table.


    Marvin raised an eyebrow as he went over to the table. Beside a pitcher of water was a copy of the full report from the Diamond academy. On top of the stack of papers was the page concerning the mages censure. Off to the left was several other papers from the Front office, confirming the censure. He gave a low whistle that drew his friends gaze as he spoke jovially.


    ¡°Censured, eh? Must have been before he was a caster. But what-¡°


    ¡°The names, Marvin! Look at the bottom of the censure order.¡± Johnson snarled.


    Marvin dutifully put his head down and stood silent as he looked at his signature in the original order. Marvin took a deep breath as his plan was now going to be put to its test, as would his entire career.


    ¡°Well, Marvin? Have you nothing to say?¡± Johnson said irritably.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Marvin replied firmly as he turned to his friend. He wasn¡¯t worried about his acting skills, but he was worried about Johnson putting the sword in his right hand in its sheath. If he didn¡¯t have it out, that was a sign Johnson was afraid he¡¯d use it in a moment of rage.


    Johnson then walked forward and looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Say that again.¡± Johnson said plainly, clearly trying to not yell.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Marvin said with a stiff chin and looking him straight in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve put my supporting signature to a few censures but not for some years.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need to find out where that came from.¡± Johnson said as he took a towel from the table and wiped himself down. ¡°I¡¯ve changed the meeting to happen now. We need to go over all of this before we find out how your signature ended up on¡­¡± Johnson got a dazed look for a moment before he finally spat out the word ¡°Censure. On the censure. Dear god, Marvin. Even if your signature wasn¡¯t on this thing it¡¯s still a political volcano. I put Alton and the rest of the government on this issue, damn everything else currently on their plates. But that won¡¯t make much difference at this point, I can practically hear the crazed screaming from the mage association compounds.¡±


    ¡®Oh, my dear friend,¡¯ Marvin thought to himself. ¡®You brought me here without going over the rest of the report, didn¡¯t you? This isn¡¯t even the worst thing in the report. Between him having no children and trying to hand him off for some bandits, I wonder what they will demand blood for first.¡¯


    ¡°I will have some of my most trusted people look into this, but we do need to get a handle on the full scope of this mages dealings before the associations start in on us.¡± Marvin said with an agreeing nod. The men then left the armory and went back up to their regular meeting room, where Altons secretary was already waiting outside the doors left side. Two more copies of the student file were placed at the seats of the U shaped desk along with a single piece of paper to their right. Alton, dressed in a grey robe with a darker scarf, was already standing by his usual spot looking rather cross with his fat rolls creased into a scowl as he tried to lay into the two approaching men.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what pushing off the fishing regulations will mean for-¡°


    ¡°Read the file, Alton.¡± Johnson said, with enough uncharacteristic anger that the Snake actually shut up, sat down, and read the file.


    It took less than a minute before his head shot up from the first page and looked at Marvin with wide eyes.


    ¡°Oh fuck, Marvin!¡± He yelled.


    ¡°That is a false signature. Probably part of the Phoenix empires disinformation campaign. That will be dealt with, but we have to get a full understanding of this mages circumstances.¡± Marvin said. He already knew the circumstances, of course, but he had to play along.


    For the next few minutes, the three men read over their papers. Marvin made sure to raise his eyebrows at the appropriate sentences in Eli¡¯s student file and finished after Alton but before Johnson.


    Alton just stared at the two men for a moment before getting off his seat. Heading out the door, he spoke to the unseen secretary.


    ¡°Tell Ashton the fishing negotiations are cancelled. Yes, I¡­ we need to¡­ I DON¡¯T GIVE A FUCK! JUST DO IT!¡± Alton came back in with a red face. Marvin was going to comment on his appearance but one look at Johnson stayed his tongue. The president looked like he wanted to puke as he kept rereading a few choice sections.


    Marvin just put his eyes back on the pages. It was all information he had skimmed through the first time. When he first read it, it had been in a mad rush to save his skin but now that he had some time to really ponder the words he was reading, the tragedy of it all came through. So much potential being completely unused. Just five or six children from him could single handedly turn one of the Coalitions poorest, least important regions into one of the world¡¯s most prosperous and valuable almost overnight.


    It was when he finished reading the main file that he read the new additional piece of paper. As he read it his emotions were now genuine.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Marvin audibly said.


    This drew looks from the other men, but Marvin kept his eyes on the paper. Eli was close to being a scion and could use the space expansion spell all by himself. When his brain registered the bit about him being married to a goat woman he just sat there, staring at the offending page in a dazed stupor. Mage men getting married wasn¡¯t unheard of but¡­ this.


    ¡°No children and he¡¯s married a goat woman?¡± Marvin asked nobody in a breathless tone.


    ¡°What?¡± Alton asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The rest of the file isn¡¯t terribly interesting.¡± Marvin said shakily. ¡°No backers or children, blah blah blah. But this smaller paper says he¡¯s married a Kelton woman and¡­ is fighting THE UNDEAD?!¡± Marvin screamed the last portions and shot up out of his chair with a bead of sweat falling down his forehead.


    The two men promptly abandoned the larger stack of papers and read of the single piece of paper. It took only a moment before Alton¡¯s voice, heavy with confusion and exasperation, rang out as Marvin sat back down.


    ¡°I thought magic didn¡¯t have any affect the undead? That¡¯s what every story and nursery rhyme always says.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡± Johnson said in a steady voice, even if the nervous tapping of his fingers showed he was clearly shaken by what he was reading.


    ¡°So¡­ So why are they using such an invaluable asset as a regular foot soldier?¡± Alton asked in bewildered tone. A cough from Marvin, someone usually so dismissive and demeaning towards the mundane, now grew timid and nervous.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t. The last sentence says that he insists on going and they could only provide guards from the local guard or guild.¡± Marvin almost whispered. A look from Johnson carried a heavy meaning, something between admiration and annoyance.


    As a mage, Marvin couldn¡¯t help but agree with Johnsons sentiment. Fighting great battles against trolls, dragons, or other worthy mages was typically how mages left this world with an esteemed few dying in their great positions of power surrounded by luxury and privilege. As all mages should, aside from a few stuck at the schools who were too afraid to actually fight the good fight and resigned themselves to teaching the next generation.


    The pride of a mages position in life was a prickly thing and there was no greater thorn in that pride than the undead.


    No blaze of glorious flames, tidal wave of magical water, or thrown mountains awaited that end. Just a bunch of munching and ripping covered in filth, probably surrounded by dying sons of whores. Such deaths were things set aside for the mere mundane, not these esteemed people of magic. If mages the world over, as wide ranging, diverse, wild, and irrepressible as their kind were, could be said to have any similar personality trait, it would be that singular insecurity.


    This wasn¡¯t something that was obvious to the mundane or even mages in training. It was only after spending a few years practicing spell constructs, training day in and day out, and working themselves to the bone only to run into an enemy that rendered all that effort as so much dust in the wind was this seed of self-doubt finally planted. Metal and plant mages only barely did better than the other elements in this regard, and even then, not by much.


    Something bloomed in Marvin, a feeling that he had never had for any other mage and it was embodied with a single word; Jealousy. Marvin had several conversations in his time with lower ranking officers who always were so puzzled when he got irritable issuing orders concerning the undead or were confused when he refused to help fight them even as every last man was needed to fend them off. Reading how Eli, not only didn¡¯t refuse to fight them, but actively sought them out was like red hot needles being driven into the deepest insecurity he ever had, that every mage not named Eli had ever had.


    And it was in that moment that Marvin felt a particular disdain for the quad mage.


    ¡°But this marriage business.¡± Johnson fussed. ¡°Him, of all people, marrying a non-human. This is unacceptable.¡±


    Marvin raised an eyebrow at his old friend as he chided him.


    ¡°Really, Johnson? You, ¡®of all people¡¯, are going to complain about someone have a troublesome engagement?¡±


    Johnson tried to look outraged, but the small smile betrayed the seriousness he was attempting.


    ¡°She was still human.¡± Johnson offered weakly.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know that from the way your mother was raving when you brought her back, swollen belly and all.¡± Marvin prodded.


    ¡°Be that as it may,¡± Johnson dismissed ¡°We are dealing with this mage now. The associations are going to be out for blood when this all gets out.¡±


    ¡°That Censure will be down in a week or two, at the latest, if we basically shut everything else down in the chambers and courts.¡± Alton said.


    ¡°Basically?¡± Johnson asked as he rested his head in his hand. ¡°There¡¯s nothing basic about shutting down an entire government.¡±


    Alton just shrugged as he removed his dark scarf for what would be a long talk.


    ¡°The white-hot fury of the mage associations will expedite things considerably.¡± Alton meekly offered.


    Marvin coughed to get the attention of the two other men.


    ¡°While that¡¯s going on, let¡¯s send a letter about law enforcement priorities to the local overseer. Tell them to prioritize enforcing the censure alongside prostitution charges and housing size regulations.¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t enforce it at all?¡± Alton said with crossed arms.


    ¡°Precisely. We still need to get rid of the censure for future fights over his children but once he starts siring the associations won¡¯t have anything to complain about¡± Marvin said with a wide smile of white teeth.


    The three men nodded and then they started talking about the process of running over the judicial and legislative system for a government of several million people. Every member of congress would have to be called back, some from far away regions on vacation. Agendas would be shoved aside, tears of advocates would be shed, and the heads of industries and noble families would be left with sleepless nights and may the gods damn every last one of them.


    For the concerns of magic took precedent over the welfare of all men.


    It was in the late afternoon that someone in the chain of delivering the report finally cracked and the rumors of the mage¡¯s circumstances started circulating. Aggravated by the sudden announcement of emergency sessions and the pushing aside of several initiatives, the rumors flew through the halls and dining tables with every breath taken and released by the staff and officials. In order to mitigate the coming damage, the three men worked out a plan that would help soothe the mage associations anger, or at least help them direct the anger at each other.


    This plan was carried out in the late afternoon as the mages Koal and Victoria were brought back into the meeting room in the middle of the U shaped table. While they were dressed in the same clothes as earlier, the squeezing palms and gritted teeth said their mood had changed considerably.


    ¡°We-¡° Victoria stumbled for a moment as she ordered her thoughts but not even Koal seemed certain enough to interrupt her. ¡°We heard some rumors about the new mage.¡±


    ¡°What rumors specifically?¡± Johnson asked carefully.


    ¡°That this new mage hasn¡¯t sired any children and has been censored.¡± She said in a curious tone. But it was Koal who spoke next.


    ¡°Really? I heard that he married a goat woman and was fighting the undead. Not indirectly but in melee, even.¡± Koal¡¯s tone made it obvious what she thought of such ridiculous non-sense.


    A long moment of silence passed as no words were spoken on either side. The men awkwardly sat in their chairs, struggling to maintain eye contact until Koal raised a brown eyebrow and tapped her expensive red leather shoes on the wood floor.


    ¡°Well?¡± She demanded in a cool tone.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Johnson said with determination.


    Koal¡¯s and the blond¡¯s eyes shot up.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Victoria asked quietly.


    ¡°As in?¡± Koal demanded.


    ¡°The answer is yes.¡± Marvin said.


    A sharp intake of breath from both women was the only sound before Koal asked in a near whisper.


    ¡°To which of the rumors?¡± Her voice was ice even as her shoulder showed a rattling movement from her snake familiar and an accompanying spike in heat.


    ¡°All¡­ of them.¡± Alton falteringly spat out even as speech nearly failed him.


    The women stood there dumbstruck for a moment.


    ¡°D¡­ Do you have any idea¡­¡± Victoria asked, her reddening face showing her rising anger as speech began to fail her.


    ¡°None?¡± Koal demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve met so many loser crafters in my time who managed to sucker a few peasants into taking their seed and this mage hasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°And the censure?¡± Victoria demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s being seen to.¡± Marvin assured her.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Koal yelled with a raised finger in accusation towards Johnson. ¡°That censure can be ignored but this matter of the marriage and not having any previous children is a travesty against humanity itself.¡±


    Johnson nodded as he leaned forward.


    ¡°We are not in total disagreement. That is why we are authorizing a special representative to look into this matter personally with the governments blessing and a certain amount of authority to correct the situation. We don¡¯t feel it would be wise to dictate such a monumental task to the associations, so you will have to decide amongst yourselves who will be the one to visit the Diamond academy.¡±


    Koal got a look of comprehension as she figured out what their play was, but the realization did her no good as her hot-headed companion ran back out the door. A quick scowl towards the men and she too left to rally her people to contest for this position. After the door closed, a round of relieved sighs came from the men.


    ¡°All right.¡± Alton said with a relieved look to the rest of the men. ¡°I¡¯ll get congress in order and Marvin will investigate the mysterious case of the unsigned signature.¡±


    Marvin gritted his teeth at the jab but kept his tone civil.


    ¡°How witty of you. But your, no doubt deep, concern is unwarranted as we already have the situation sorted out. I¡¯ll be giving you all the details tomorrow.¡±


    Alton leaned back unimpressed but was clearly too tired from the day¡¯s events to duel wits with his foe and merely nodded before getting up and leaving.


    ¡°Good,¡± Johnson said with a meaningful look to Marvin, his deep green eyes holding a seriousness that was as close to demanding as it had ever been.


    ¡°It is, dear fellow. A few details ironed out but the full report on this sordid affair, as well as some bits involving the Phoenix empire, will be on your desk early tomorrow.¡± Marvin said with a gracious nod, even as a bead of sweat ran down his strong jaw.


    Johnson nodded and got up off his seat leaving Marvin alone with his thoughts.


    After heading back to his office, Marvin stayed awake until the sun was near setting. As he sat at his desk going over some papers, one of his trusted officers came in. Muscular with dark brown eyes, strong jaw, and totally shaven, he was the unquestioning, yet still capable sort of minion Marvin found so invaluable at times like these.


    Straightening his green military jacket and brown pants, this man delivered a most interesting piece of news.


    ¡°Freya¡­ She¡¯s insisting on seeing you.¡±


    Marvin huffed, but didn¡¯t immediately respond. A few more of his men were standing by the railway of the hall across from his door to keep an eye out as a well-practiced system of communication began. Marvin started a spirit connection with his minion.


    ¡®What is it Freya?¡¯ Marvin asked when the minion used his hands to guide Marvin to the spot where Freya¡¯s invisible spirit magic was.


    ¡®So. That¡¯s how it is, huh?¡¯ She said.


    ¡®Yes.¡¯ Marvin said coldly. It wasn¡¯t fair, what he was doing to her, but fairness was one of those funny little things that came up less and less as they both rose through the ranks over the years. When you were responsible for only a dozen people, certain compromises seemed unthinkable. Going to a few hundred people whose families would never see them again if you screwed up, a certain amount of flexibility was needed.


    The lives of tens or hundreds of thousands of people was a weight few if any could understand. Waking up in the middle of the night, wondering if you did everything right, going over all the needed details, these were things that anyone who has not been saddled with the yoke of leadership couldn¡¯t hope to understand. A hundred thousand souls riding on every decision left no room for such a petty concept such as fairness and it had not been a part of their conversations for a very, very long time.


    ¡®You got it all wrapped up nicely, I see¡¯ Freya said as Marvin turned his head back towards his papers.


    ¡®Honestly, Freya. I¡¯m a little hurt that you thought you could employ a copier to make duplicates of my orders and I wouldn¡¯t know about it. Makes me wonder what kind of a fool you took me for and how long you thought of me as such.¡¯ Marvin said plainly.


    ¡®Hmph. I guess I was a little too certain. But I¡¯m not going to give you the satisfaction of hearing me beg. I bring dire news.¡¯ Freya said in an exhausted tone.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ Marvin said with a raised eyebrow, genuinely intrigued.


    For a long moment, nothing came through the spirit connection and it wasn¡¯t until he turned his head up that she finally spoke.


    ¡®That ¡®new¡¯ quad mage, named Eli? The one who we tried to trade for a quick deal with Maw? He¡¯s a scion. Noah and John saw one of those plant monsters up in the academy woods going crazy, spewing lightning, fire, water, and rocks everywhere. They had never seen anything like it and were about to inform the local guard but three of their companions told them about Eli. That bastard.


    He used metal and healing magic in front of them and that monster must have been his familiar.


    He is behind the monster attacks on our forces in the south.¡¯


    Marvin sat there silent for a long moment, before he chuckled as he looked to the ceiling with a dramatic roll of his eyes.


    ¡®Freya. Out of respect, I won¡¯t flat out mock you and just explain just some of the many, many ways that doesn¡¯t make sense or matter.


    Eli has no idea it was us. Those orders you copied got taken out in the fall of the Viper base and he had no reason to suspect the military was involved in his problems before that. Plant magic takes a large amount of mana to make vines flexible like those that were described in the briefings. The report says he takes a lot of the local mana from his crafts from, but the entire academy town would be a mana dead zone for a few good weeks for him to make three such suits.


    If Eli was one of those monstrous men who sided with the orcs, the best option would have been to remove his pants and work his way through all the orcs in some unknown patch in the swamps. A few years and his power would be almost unfathomable. But more importantly, this accusation will never be believed.


    When people find out what you did, dragging that pure, divine man through the mud just because you wanted a few bandits that wouldn¡¯t have helped anything, aiding and abetting Phoenix espionage operations along the way, these accusations will be dismissed by association. No one, not me, not the president or the heads of the associations, will have any possible stomach for such slander. Eli could fuck three orcs in the academy town square in front of hundreds of people and it would take weeks before any court or law enforcement official would be willing to touch it.


    Coming out with this ¡®scouting report¡¯ just days after this all came out would be a so laughably transparent attempt to cover your hide that no one would believe it.¡¯


    A long moment passed. It was after nearly a solid minute that Freya responded.


    ¡®He gets away with it then? Kills dozens of mages and throws several decades of my life¡¯s work into the trash heap and he gets to be the hero?¡¯


    Marvin just sighed before responding in a sympathetic tone.


    ¡®It was more my life¡¯s work than yours, Freya. But, yes, even if, if, I believed you I would just be thrown to the wolves along with you. Eli is as immune to such accusations as any man could ever be.¡¯


    Nothing came through the connection for another long moment. Then Freya started talking again, this time in a more business-like tone.


    ¡®All right, but I need some time to find a replacement for John as he gets bumped up to work here when I¡¯m¡­gone.¡¯ Her voiced cracked at the last word.


    ¡®No.¡¯ Marvin responded firmly.


    ¡®No? Marvin, Noah is a hot head on the good days and now thinks that Eli killed a lot of his friends and people he considered to be his family. He¡¯s good at on the ground tactical thinking but there are good reasons I made John and Tina in line for succession. With her death at the Viper base, I need time to find someone to run things with the proper temperament.¡¯ The desperation came through clear at the end, but Marvin held his ground.


    ¡®Then you should have done better about having more backups. The report on your activities is already circulating and there is no way, no possible set of arguments or reasons, that would compel me to throw myself into that rapidly heating fire. Besides, Noah seemed like a good lad and high command changes people, sometimes for the better.¡¯


    The men by the railing moved forward when footsteps told Marvin Freya was attempting to come into the room. The larger man shut the door behind him as he left to help assist his fellows in escorting Freya away as the sounds of a struggle faded with the closing of the door.


    Come morning, the news hit proper.


    The reports on the mage came out and all hell broke loose. An entire government of several thousand people had a slow-motion mental breakdown as the present members of congress yelled and shifted blame to the courts, the courts blamed the enforcers, and the enforcers blamed congress for making the censure laws. The chambers of the legislature were treated to several fights between factions looking to use this for one end or another.


    The Front got the worst of it, but the mage associations only sent one or two people to harass and bully various officials on this matter as most of their energy was spent vying for the new position to get firsthand accounts of the quad mages situation and, in the typical unspoken manner, bear a child from him while doing so. Even so, their simmering rage was an ever-present cloud over everyone.


    Ground to a halt, the government started looking for someone to finally foist this failure onto. When Marvin¡¯s findings that Freya falsified his signature and helped Kristen censure him over a petty dispute came out, the guilty party had been found. When the news broke that Freya tried to trade him for a bunch of no-name bandits, the military instantly fired her and removed all honors and commendations previously bestowed. The crowd had been whipped into a blood frenzy that was quickly sated when Kristen, rather than be fired, was found swinging from the balcony of her office. The suicide seemed to sate the frenzy as tempers cooled and the grueling work to correct past mistakes began in earnest.


    The mage associations considered this to be of little consequence and knew that any official who tried to deny the legitimacy of Eli¡¯s children would only be securing his own demise and focused their efforts on contesting with each other, as the three heads of the government had hoped they would. It was late afternoon when the three men met back up in the conference room, the sand-colored stone walls and flowing ocean colored floor provided the only sense of warmth in the whole building.


    ¡°So, what is the current status?¡± Johnson asked. He wore a plain white shirt and brown pants with his deep green eyes having bags under them.


    ¡°As bad as we expected. The brawl in the chambers stopped things for a bit while accounts of who threw the first punch were taken, but it¡¯s all moving along just the same.¡± Alton said. His brown bowl cut looking frazzled along with his brown robe. He looked to Marvin, dressed in a plain green shirt and brown pants. Both men had the same bags under their eyes Johnson did and clever wordplay was something neither man had the energy for.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not all bad.¡± Marvin said with a weak smile. ¡°Our reports from the Rodring kingdom say they aren¡¯t marshaling the navy just yet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve been content to whine through the diplomatic channels while flooding spies in. Their efforts have been pretty easy to stop since there are so few ways to get to the town during Necrosis, but I¡¯m worried about what happens when the undead go back to being fully dead. I wonder how long this peace is going to hold before they just try to take him by military force.¡± Johnson mused openly.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell. I think him not having children throws a lot of their plans off. Right now, he has no kids to kidnap and bring into their population. The Rodring leaders may take that as an opportunity to snatch him up before we have the chance to spread his line in our country, but that may also mean they are reluctant to openly take him for fear of being the only source of his line and in reach of other, more powerful countries like the City or the Bodding kingdom.


    Distance from them is a saving grace we have that they don¡¯t. While I believe open war is inevitable, how quickly it comes and how fiercely will depend on how bad their rebellion actually is and, more importantly, how powerful Eli is.¡± Marvin concluded.


    ¡°And how powerful is that?¡± Alton asked. ¡°I read the dossier they dropped off, but I can¡¯t distinguish the dragon''s head from the tail of that mess of words.¡±


    Marvin and Johnson grimaced, and for once it was not in mockery of their common foe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised since it was ¡®We don¡¯t know¡¯ strung out to seven pages,¡± Johnson said grimly. ¡°He¡¯s worth more than any scion or caster. Any number of crafters and peasants certainly, but is he worth a dozen dual-element scions? Can his line take on five other casters at once or three? Three scions or two?¡± Marvin nodded before giving his assessment.


    ¡°Until we do a lot of tests and get several children from him to account for personal ability, everyone is just walking around the treasure chest without knowing exactly what¡¯s in it. The handles are rubies strapped in metal bands of the purest gold and the wood has the fine silky texture of the Sea Tree, but its contents are not yet fully known. When we get some idea of what his line is precisely worth, we¡¯ll know more about what the other countries would be willing to risk getting at him.¡± Marvin said. With nothing left to say, the meeting was adjourned.


    Later that afternoon, the announcement was put out that Koal had won the position to look into the failings surrounding the Diamond academy and the wonder of an age. A task she set out on immediately.

 Chapter 86: A New First Day of School

    ELI POV


    It was the day after the town meeting that I was up with the sun in the expanded underground workshop. I had made a wider area further to the right along the path to the now blocked off trolls¡¯ nest. Wide buttresses provided enough space for the testing of the crafts to form the seamless grey stone blocks that would become my towers floors.


    Making the oxidization and refining facilities for steel would be too space and time consuming, even without the heating problems it would cause. The dwarves were providing raw steel bars but the furnace in the adjacent room meant I could easily melt them down and use metal crafts to reform them into whatever shape I wanted with a mere fraction of the mana cost that it had before.


    I balanced on the three long boards placed in grooves along the blocks walls to hold the hollow square of boards. This was enchanted to summon the surrounding block of smooth grey stone. In the tower core piece corners were little receded spaces to allow for the insertion of the long steel beams and two pipes on opposite ends for the furnace air intake/outtake. Lining up the blocks won¡¯t be too hard with Cell going through the holes and checking to make sure they were flush on the inside.


    ¡°All right. Are we good?¡± I called to Cell. My familiar came out of a hole to my left and nodded his cystal sphere head. His shimmering light then turned down below and he summoned an air spell to fly over to me. From there we got the enchanted square of boards down and started dismantling our work. When we had cleared out the top block, my wife came through the far-left door leading from the main room. Oddly, she was dressed in her steel and wood armor. The steel plates molded around her form and horns as the feathery embellishments and hawk beaked helm showed of the avian motif.


    ¡°Is that going to be the final design?¡± Salamede asked, looking at the blocks with a bit lip.


    That was wife code for ¡®are you really going to make the tower that ugly?¡¯, I¡¯d bet my life on it.


    I gave her a light smile as I pushed some of the crushed stone bits out to the center of the large workspace.


    ¡°No, honey. That is going to be the main inner structure. I¡¯ll go over some tile and panel coloring plans with you once the core of the tower is up.¡± I said cheerfully.


    She smiled and walked up to me and planted a light kiss on my lips.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be heading out to help clear out more of the undead. We have one, maybe two more days if we¡¯re lucky, before the healing magic starts flooding the deep earth. The guard put out flyers for any help retrieving and burning bodies before the job gets a lot harder.¡±


    I nodded, now comprehending why she donned her armor.


    ¡°All right. Let me fashion you two healing bark crafts for you to use on yourself and any other inured people out there.¡±


    She gave me a tight hug and rubbed her chin on my shoulder as she practically purred with joy.


    ¡°My man. Thanks Eli.¡± She said before she let me go.


    We both headed into the lower room that had the stairs to the main floor. When I had laid down the enchantments on two spare bark pieces and showed her where to press them, she took them and placed them in a pack that she proceeded to sling over her shoulder.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go slay some undead and you go slay some woman¡¯s hearts.¡± She said playfully. I huffed at her banter and swatted her steel plated bum.


    ¡°I¡¯ll slay their textbooks. That advanced alchemy course could help me set up the magical slugs needed to make a few items I¡¯ve been wanting.¡± I said seriously. I went up the stairs as the crash behind me said Cell was having fun demolishing the last block.


    Salamede looked at me with love in her eyes but her bit lip told of words unspoken. I knew what it was, but we had gone as far as we could in that conversation.


    ¡°Before I head out to school, I need to check on the channel Ryan will be working on.¡± I said with a meaningful look to the back-right corner of the main floor. In a pile were several pistons, large chambers and an electric motor. Ryan and Andrew had come by the previous night to talk about what we could all do to help. Some digging had revealed they were worried about the children they had sired and the women they had them with.


    Ryan could get to work on housing and construction projects but Andrew¡¯s fire element would only be useful in the space expansion spell. After checking in for my advanced alchemy course, we were going to meet up at the classroom towers and make a few more chests to help transport goods for the academy and the general public. I donned my student robes and the smiling iron mask with cotton below the metal and attaching neck piece to keep it in place. Salamede was chewing on a granola bar while I was content to get a quick breakfast from the academy canteen.


    Another quick smooch and we were both out the door. The trip was different this time as the small woodlands to my right had now properly disappeared. The flat land stretched on with scars of bark dotting the light slopes of the landscape where the bushes weren¡¯t present. I could even faintly make out the dual towers off in the distance above the left side of the grey stone wall erected to protect the back end of the town. Off to the right was the line of workers building the walls for this right back section of the town, using planks of wood to summon large grey blocks and a squad of men to guard them. We walked beside each other for a few minutes in the rising morning sun before our paths diverged with a sad little look between us.


    While she worked her way through the crowd to the front gates, I headed over to the main dock area on the other side of the academy town. It took a few minutes but when I got there, the mayor was talking to a man in a worker¡¯s white shirt and dirty brown pants, a stark contrast to his fine white shirt and clean brown overalls.


    ¡°Ah, sir mage. Surprised to see you up so early.¡± George said with a disarming smile that touched his lamb chops.


    ¡°So much to do and so little time. How is the planning going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Better than I thought it would. The sudden¡­ vacancy¡¯s in some of the warehouses left us with a lot more room to work with. Once we get the main channel done, we can get you and Ryan to help set up the main chamber for this thing you¡¯ll be installing.¡± He said with a curious note at the last part.


    ¡°A pump.¡± I said eagerly. ¡°Not the most awe-inspiring thing in the world but try to go without them once you¡¯ve gotten used to them and it¡¯s like losing everything.¡±


    He nodded, clearly intrigued, but I had to get to school and couldn¡¯t stay behind to chat.


    I was still a student at the Diamond academy, and as such I was still legally required to finish my schooling. My familiarity with math had greatly pushed me along in my schoolwork and since most of the curriculum was focused on magical teachings, my affinities allowed me to test my crafts with far greater ease than the actual crafters. I walked through the crowd of peasants and noted the relieved faces of those around the food stalls. With my proposition of using chests of holding, the coming food shortage and expected rationing was forestalled as one of the stalls had its prices for a bag of grain fall a copper. An insignificant data point in the grand scheme of things, but the relieved smiles of the mothers carrying their children with now full bags of food was not insignificant in my eyes.


    Going up to the white academy walls, I leaned by the entrance in my usual spot. But unlike my usual pace, the surrounding students looked at me with a sense of eagerness or fear. The latter because they were ones who took special care to heckle me for the amusement of the crowd. Some of those hecklers were also women who were looking at me like I was the best thing to ever grace their eyes. All of the women looked my way with blushes in their skin or bit lips while most of the men looked sullenly at me at my apparent hogging of the girl¡¯s attention.


    The chittering of the ants went on until the guards came to escort us to the dual white towers in the distance.


    As we walked down the road, we eventually got past the main dual doors of the gate, attached to the finished section of left side wall and the right side still being worked on, and out onto the main road. The morning sun washed over the land with no obstruction as the trees had now fully sunken into the ground. With their retreat, the smell was now less of vegetation and verdant life and more of decay from the undead both in piles by the gates and from the wind blowing over the grass. The undead were still present but off in the distance I only saw few moving weakly over the small shifting hills.


    ¡°Lad, would you mind moving more towards the front.¡± One of the guards respectfully asked me.


    Looking back to my fellow students, I realized the women were drifting closer to me on purpose. I had been so used to hanging in the back away from the main group that I was moving away from them even as they slowed down, bringing the group to a near halt. Sighing in frustration, I moved around the right side and towards the front of the group.


    When we moved a bit further ahead, the sound of screaming was faintly heard.


    Great, more delays to an already busy day.


    A burst of wind magic helped propel me forward with elongated jumps even as the rest of the group shirked backward. The yells of the guards became indistinct as three ran for me, far too slowly to stop me. A few more seconds and the screams became close and around a bend in the road was a regular wooden carriage and a metal shod carriage under assault by the undead. A small squad of steel plated men were guarding the wooden carriage carrying a coat of arms with a sword in the middle with a unicorn on the left and a lion on the right.


    The men were facing a small wave of shambling corpses and being stretched thin trying to cover both sides. Making a quick earth spell construct to raise the soil just underneath the top layer, a jutting wall suddenly blocked the undead on the carriages right side. The men looked surprised at my intervention but one man with a feather in his metal helm called the men on the right side to cover the two corners of the new wall.


    I was restricted to just using earth spells since there was no weapons on the ground for me to manipulate and plant spells weren¡¯t the greatest when the only plants to manipulate were the grass and some far-off shrubs. I used another earth spell to rip a boulder from the ditch and chuck it at the mass of undead. It sailed through the air with a whistle and crashed through the rotting horde, cutting a large swathe through them. Their numbers lessened, the undead stopped pushing against the men as most turned to me.


    Keeping aware of what was behind me, I launched an occasional rock at the undead to help stagger them out so the soldiers could concentrate on the few attacking them before moving on to the rest. It was a few more minutes before they took out the last of them, the last of which fell to a spear through the right eye.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± A feminine voice called from the carriage.


    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± The leading guard said.


    The door opened to show the dukes pretty wife. She had smooth cheekbones, pale white skin and was wearing a blue dress with a covered V in the in chest. Her green eyes scanned the field but when she turned to look towards the noise of the coming guards and group of students, her eyes went to me and stayed there.


    ¡°Oh, you must be the quad mage.¡± She said with a smile as she took out her fan and placed it over her face as she walked over to me, her bun of brown hair swaying with her movements. ¡°I must thank you for your timely intervention, Eli.¡± She gave a light bow at the last word.


    ¡°I would have thought your estate was farther south. Why were you heading towards the classroom towers?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°An idle inspection, I¡¯m afraid. Nothing grand or a world-shaking adventure. Seeing things with your own eyes helps in a lot of ways.¡± She said with a quick look to the approaching group. The guards regarded me with a mix of anger and respect while the students looked at me with wonder as I used another earth spell to flatten the wall I made.


    ¡°Eli, I¡¯m Susan. Susan Decksworth¡± The duke¡¯s wife said. ¡°Would you mind accompanying me in my carriage? I¡¯m afraid my nerves were quite shaken with that attack.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m already committed to walking with the students. Besides, it would be safer for them if I-¡°


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine¡± One of the guards said. ¡°The safety of the duke¡¯s wife is also a matter of grave concern and since we can¡¯t keep up with you, you might as well stay with the faster group. I¡¯m sure Rand won¡¯t fuss about it since it¡¯s a safety issue¡±


    Ah, so I guess that¡¯s my punishment for rushing ahead.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I said, prompting angry, deflated looks of the female students.


    Susan shot forward and took my arm as pulled me towards her carriage with a slight tug.


    ¡°Excellent! Come, Eli. I would so love to hear about your wonderful adventures.¡± She said as she lowered her fan. When we got closer to the wooden carriage, her contingent of guards shuffled back into theirs. I opened the door for her, to which she gave me a happy smile as she went through the door. The inside was both plain and ornate at the same time. It had a simple wood floor and two benches, but the woodwork was ornately carved with roses and various woodland critters, emblazoned with gold at the edges.


    ¡°So, I heard two other scions were talking to you after the meeting.¡± Susan said as she took the bench on the right and I took the one on the left. She was leaning backwards with a leg crossed over another and the white cover of her dress had been pulled away to have the deep V in her chest reveal the slope of her bosom with two moles on the left side and one on the right breast.


    ¡°Yes. They were worried about their children and the women they got pregnant. We¡¯re going to work on the sewer lines later today and Andrew is going to help me make some more space expansion spells to let the grain and food shipments in more easily.¡± I said as the carriage jerked forward when the horses took off.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Susan said. ¡°That¡¯s quite good. Mage men showing such concern for their children is commendable. But are the rumors surrounding your own brood true? You have no children here?¡±


    ¡°No, I have no children at all.¡± I said simply.


    She went wide eyed and uncrossed her legs as she fixed me with a pensive frown. Even as the carriage shifted from a dip in the road, she got up from her side of the carriage and came to sit beside me.


    ¡°Eli!¡± She scolded with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°That is unacceptable. How many women were you with this morning?¡±


    ¡°I feel that is a personal matter.¡± I said firmly.


    She puckered her lips before dipping her head in apology.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Usually men are quite open and free in discussing such affairs. But I suppose someone of your unique position shouldn¡¯t be held to the same expectations.¡±


    She looked back up at me with a smile before continuing. ¡°That issue aside, tell me what the academy town is like. The peace of the grand estate has its merits but with Necrosis setting in, Beck is having us stay in the town proper and I would like some forewarning about my new homes dangers.¡± She said placatingly.


    Susan was quite clear in her aims on me, or more precisely, my manhood, but she at least had the sense to not immediately strip and throw herself at me, so I indulged her in conversation. Also, she seemed genuinely interested in the local situation, which I told starting with my first impressions and going on from there until I stopped at the meeting yesterday.


    ¡°So you were the one responsible for the stone roads. I must say that was quite a nice little surprise when we came into town. I visited the capital in my formative years and riding over smooth roads for any amount of time spoils you.¡± She said with an appreciative smile.


    ¡°Indeed, but I find my life uninteresting.¡±


    At least the parts I can tell you.


    ¡°So, tell me Susan. What is it like being the wife of a duke?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow at me, but a smug smile said she was quite happy to tell me about her life.


    ¡°Waking up in the morning, I don¡¯t have any menial chores. No worries over food or clothing for myself, but that is replaced with the need to oversee food and clothing for tens of thousands of people in our lands. I¡¯m from a wealthy merchant family and am quite familiar with such things, so I¡¯m at least kept busy when I¡¯m not dealing with my three boy¡¯s antics.¡±


    ¡°Are they here at the academy?¡± I asked, now actually interested in the conversation.


    She put a hand to her mouth in a light laugh as the sun shined over the barren grass hills in the window behind her.


    ¡°The two older ones are far too bull headed for academia. I consider it one of my life¡¯s achievements that I kept them in the chairs long enough to learn a passable amount of mathematics. No, the call of the coast¡¯s prestige and luxury lured them in the moment they could move out. Even so, they always seem to have some bit of money or favor they send for every month or two.


    The third¡­ Well, we will see. He¡¯s only seven months old and is the son of an air caster but,¡± Her green eyes had a pained look as she stared at the floor. ¡°He has no magical ability.¡±


    ¡°Does¡­ Considering Beck might have found out that maybe for the best.¡± I said uncertainly, totally unprepared for her to drop such an explosive secret out of nowhere like that.


    She turned to me with a raised eyebrow and just laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s no matter of clandestine shame, Eli. I assure you; such arrangements are commonplace. Becks whole house survived a big dispute several decades back because his grandmother took with an earth mage while her husband was off losing a battle against his rival. It¡¯s also the quickest way to ensure security for your house. That or aligning with a house whose membership includes a mage, scions especially.¡± Her voice got a sour note at the end.


    ¡°It sounds like the last part is something you know from experience.¡± I prodded, now remembering Agatha talk about only stubborn types objecting to having their wives impregnated by mages.


    She just huffed as she crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling.


    ¡°Promise me, Eli. Promise me not a word of what I¡¯m about to say leaves this carriage.¡± She said, sounding at once playful and serious as she fixed me with a mischievous grin.


    I nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ve aligned with the Stone ¡®family¡¯. Although calling it a family is a bit of a stretch since it¡¯s just Leeroy and his son Ryan. The son seems fine, a bit snobbish when it comes to peasant matters, but not a total degenerate. His father¡­ well let¡¯s say he¡¯s been giving the local bars and brothels a steady income with our coin.


    Beck says it¡¯s all worth it. Not wrong, mind you. Being allied with a scions house is a boon unlike almost any other but the debts are piling up and they¡¯ve become a bit too central to our houses wellbeing for my tastes.¡±


    Susan was now showing off her more merchant side, and more importantly, wasn¡¯t making sure I got a full view of her chest with every move.


    ¡°From the way they treat the mages here, I¡¯m sure Scions like Ryan will be invaluable going forward.¡± I offered.


    ¡°Pff. But not you, everyone noticed.¡± She said with a slap against my thigh. ¡°Using chests of holding to move sewage, even as an idle thought. If my mother had been around to hear that, she would have bear tackled you all the way from the front row.¡±


    ¡°When you have all the elements, those crafts aren¡¯t as important as what you can actually do with them.¡± I said dismissively as I looked out the window and saw the quickly approaching towers of the classrooms.


    Susan huffed again.


    ¡°I guess when you have such incredible power, the luster would wear off.¡± She put a finger to my face with a motherly scowl across her dark thick lips. ¡°But don¡¯t let me hear you speak of them like that again. Some of us are still mortal and my poor heart couldn¡¯t take another shock like that.¡±


    I put my hands up in defense as the carriage turned to the left as we came up to the wide double doors.


    ¡°I promise nothing.¡± I said as I opened the door and made my way out.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Susan called to me. She got out of the carriage and the driver closed the door behind her. Her dress had the white cover over the deep V now and she came forward with a light bow.


    ¡°Thank you again, quad caster Eli. Me and my men may have died without your aid.¡± She said grandly, much to the irritation of the surrounding women, be they staff or students.


    I nodded and went through the wooden double doors that were nearly three times the size of a man. The grey stone interior and red carpet with rows after rows of bookshelves was the same as it always had been. What had changed was how the open ceiling showing the floors edges now displayed nearly every face stopping to look at me, with even some stopping in the staircase around the central pillar or its lanes towards the rest of the floor. Those who didn¡¯t stop shortly did so to see what everyone was looking at.


    Ignoring them, I worked my way to the left of the open main floor to get a quick breakfast. It passed in the usual manner but as I sat down to my eggs and pancakes, the previously empty table filled up with a flurry of female students moving to sit beside me as the blue and white whirlwind blew around me. Occasionally, I felt an errant hand caress my back or thigh. I made a distinct effort not to look at the gropers since it was clear the women here were desperate for any attention I would give them.


    Gulping down my meal with a mug of milk, I quickly vacated the cafeteria, to a wave of disappointed sighs and tuts, and went out to the main floor to head to find some needed information. Bess found me before I even took five steps. The plain brown-haired woman with green eyes practically sprinted up to me and locked me in a hug.


    ¡°Oh, Eli! It¡¯s great to see you again.¡± She said with her sharp chin resting on my shoulder, before she pulled back with some unshed tears in her eyes. ¡°So, a quad element caster huh?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± I said plainly with a light smile underneath my steel mask.


    ¡°Well first things first, let¡¯s get you a proper pin.¡± She said as she rifled through her blue and white striped robes. She then took out a pin of gold. It had a big X of gold dividing it into four sections. The pin had a small jewel with a brown mountain, red fire, blue raindrop, and green air symbols in each of the sections. She put her hands over my left peck and worked the regular metal pin with no symbol off before putting this new one in its place.


    ¡°To think you were such a talented crafter and now this. The sky truly is the limit for you, Eli.¡± She said with another happy hug.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± A voice called to my left. It was a pretty, blond teacher with glasses and a sharp chin as well as two brunettes each looking at me with lust in their eyes, the blonde¡¯s green eyes looking particularly heated.


    ¡°Yes, Eli. If you need any study sessions or help relaxing just say so. As teachers, it is our job to make sure you have the best work and study environment.¡± The brunette to the left said with a suggestive bite of her pink lips.


    I was tempted to tell them to piss off, but Bess seemed less peeved at them then I was at their interruption, so I let it be with a non-committal nod. But I turned to Bess again for a question.


    ¡°I need to sign up for an advanced alchemy class. Besides that, where would I go to find cases on disputes involving mages and siring?¡±


    Bess raised a suggestive eyebrow.


    ¡°Got a little miss with a dumpling in her bowl and not sure who made it?¡± She asked sincerely.


    ¡°Nah, I have a feeling I¡¯m going to get a lot of crap for not making children and I want to know all of the legal issues that might go with it.¡±


    That got a lot of sour looks from the other three teachers and the eavesdropping students. One smaller redhead even scowled at me from a table to my left. The blond teacher even spoke up.


    ¡°Eli, a male mages greatest obligation is-¡°


    ¡°Of course, Eli.¡± Bess interrupted, drawing looks that were far more open in their hostility as she grabbed my arm to lead me to my destination.


    ¡°Thanks, Bess. You don¡¯t seem too outraged, not that I¡¯m upset about that.¡± I said appreciatively.


    ¡°Male casters need to readily provide their bodies to bring in the next generation of mages.¡± Bess said in a neutral tone. ¡°But we also need to help them, be it financially, physically, or emotionally. It¡¯s quite a scandalous opinion, but I feel like after everything that happened, that arrangement was not upheld and you not holding up your end isn¡¯t a failing on your part.¡±


    She led me along the huge staircase and to the training towers main legal area here at the Classrooms. It was a floor with several tables, racks of books, and a central circle of a wooden desk with several receptionists. We walked over the red carpeted floor as the grey stone ceiling had several mana lamps giving off a light orange glow that reflected off the white and blue robes of the students and staff members present.


    We walked up to the reception desk and the brown-haired woman, thin with brown eyes and a sharp chin, looked at us with mild interest. When she saw my pin, she got a face splitting grin and her shoulder length hair swayed as she stood up.


    ¡°Ooh! Are you here to register a siring attempt?¡± She asked eagerly.


    ¡°No, Eli wants to look into legal cases regarding siring and it¡¯s legal implications.¡± Bess said sweetly.


    ¡°Oh, those are at the shelf along the left wall. Row five of bookshelf three. But surely the proper precautions were taken when he did the deed?¡± She asked. I shook my head before responding.


    ¡°This is more about the legal consequences from me not siring. Thank you for your help.¡± I said as I gave a light bow to Bess and the now scowling receptionist.


    ¡°Goodbye Eli. Oh, signing up for the advanced alchemy courses is done like the others at the book checkout by the entrance.¡± Bess said happily. As I turned and walked off, I caught a bit of the conversation I left in my wake.


    ¡°What does he mean ¡®not siring¡¯? Bess don¡¯t you fucking dare help him-¡° A look back and I saw Bess walking away with an upturned nose even as the rest of the women present glared at her.


    Walking up to the right bookshelf, I perused the books for a bit until I got to the book I needed. Taking it and heading to an empty corner table, I went over previous cases where there had been impediments to siring children for mages and the court rulings. Going over all the legal back and forth, the quick and simple explanation was that there were no legal requirements for casters aside from 3 attempts a week. But that was easy enough to get around considering it didn¡¯t require that I ¡®try¡¯ with three different women.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Unfortunately, that led into the male scion-oriented section. There was no legal requirement that they sire but there was another nasty way of making it happen. Scions could be declared national assets. Once that was done, they were basically conscripted into the military and to fight with the soldiers.


    ¡®Fight¡¯.


    The real purpose was putting them in a place where the mages could pressure them through comradery or the stress of training to produce the needed progeny. Not rape but dropping them into the middle of a high stress situation with the understanding that it would stop when they put out wasn¡¯t a consent-oriented way to get them to reproduce. Being a national asset also meant you were effectively state property. The associations could use the male scion as a stud, no questions of consent asked. They could also be rented out to other foreign parties for the use of their ¡®services¡¯.


    There were also instances where the mage associations used their connections to pressure the errant soul in a variety of less morally questionable ways, and this was all for single or dual element scions. I had thought about revealing myself as a scion, it was a good card to have hidden in a fight but right now combat strength wasn¡¯t what I needed. Revealing my true status now would create too many problems and provide me no political power.


    Sorry, Cell, you¡¯re going to have to wait a good long while before you can peruse the streets freely.


    But as I worked through the implications of this, the hair on the back of my head started to stand up. It was virtually impossible for me to keep Cell hidden for decades on end. The likelihood that he could stay unseen for a few years was slim, but it still might be achievable. But, even under the most optimistic assumptions, I was still under a time limit for when my status as a scion would be revealed even if Cell wasn¡¯t discovered.


    I was a caster and while it would be incredibly expensive, the Coalition is certainly going to do everything in its power to raise me to the status of scion. It might take months, years, or decades, but, sooner or later, they would be bound to notice that no matter how many magical steaks they shoved in my mouth, I still wouldn¡¯t become a scion. Once someone becomes a scion, feeding them magical resources increases their stamina and physical abilities and when that was noticed there would be no hiding my status. That was also assuming there wasn¡¯t some obscure method of deducing someone¡¯s magical level that I had no way of knowing about before they used it on me. Which would be increasingly likely when the central continent nations started sticking their noses in my business.


    My options, for right now, were to either give them what they wanted or faking my own death. I had gotten a lot of practice on the gangster when it comes to changing appearances, but my end game was fixing my AI chips, not living as a no-name peasant. I needed someone to work the scalpel to cut into my head to establish the connection and a lot of people working to help get me to the point where I had anything to connect to it. To say nothing of the fact that I was living in one of the more forgiving nations in this world when it comes to such matters. From the books concerning this issue, apparently age of consent laws don¡¯t even exist for young mage men in the central continent.


    Maybe if I got multiple wives, say seven or eight that might be¡­ No. No, I was not going to marry anyone just because of political bullshit.


    I felt the clock counting down over my head. Over the course of time, there was certainly going to be some circumstance or set of events where I was going to have the full range of my abilities or some method of detecting scions and ultimate mages was going to find its way to me. The censure and my status as a caster provide some stalling against the coming conclusion, but that conclusion was coming all the same. There was no amount of influence with merchants, politicians, or associations that would shield me when that time came.


    What I needed was a third option. Something that would protect Salamede and not cripple me with guilt by having thirty kids with thirty women who I have no chance of being a real father to. I brooded, pondered, and stewed but the answer never came.


    I put the book back up and went to meet with Andrew at the practice rooftop to make some chests with expanded spaces. Making my way up the stairs, I came up through the crowd of resting casters. They laid about on benches or sipping cool mugs of water as their stripped-down inner robes were drenched in sweat. Again, all eyes turned to me as I scooted past the lines of benches and went up to the roof.


    The bright sun played out over the roof with its metal skeletal frame of a mushroom over the top and the central square of brown tiles in the middle that marked where the students were supposed to be practicing. While the usual table with a staff member was off to the left, the three chests with Andrew were off to my right.


    I walked over to him, the red head looking up from digging through one of the boxes to smile at me with his strong cheek bones being emphasized by the action. My presence also drew the gazes of the practicing mages, causing the usual circus of red, blue, green, and brown mana to fizzle out.


    ¡°All right Andrew, are you ready?¡± I called.


    His oceanic eyes looked eager and from the left chest sprung his monkey familiar. The red furred little guy was looking a bit bigger than before and his bright green eyes showed joy as he took to slamming the chest open and close.


    ¡°Yep¡± He said.


    Andrew did his due diligence and he supplemented the fire portion of the expansion spell. The wide array of spell constructs sent off a wave of oohs from the spectators, even though they could only see the smallest portions of it. Each time that sucking of air was heard over the yard, another wave of whispers sounded off from the crowd. It took until mid-day until we got the chests done. The task would have not taken very long but I had to ¡®rest¡¯ for a while after each chest since performing far beyond Andrews ease of using magic would have been too suspicious.


    ¡°Damn, Eli.¡± Andrew said as he sat in a chair to my right as I sat on the ground ¡®exhausted¡¯. ¡°Not too many people can say they¡¯ve helped make three space expanded chests. Think this will be enough?¡± His unkempt red hair played over his strong cheek bones as he looked over the three now space expanded chests.


    ¡°It¡¯ll have to be¡­We¡¯re providing more space on just one leg of the goods journey here. The bottle necks in the distribution centers will prevent more space from getting fully used and there are too many security problems with handing them out to that many people. Even without that, I have too many projects that need my attention to make enough to lift the whole supply chain up.¡± I said, trying to sound tired. A staff member handed me a cool mug of water, which I promptly chugged and got up to head downstairs.


    As I made my way to the main tower and came down the main staircase, the girls continued looking at me with fascination and some of the men as well. When I got to the main floor of grey stone and plush red carpet, I noticed two pairs of parents and one student each coming up to me. One was a pudgy brown-haired man and a woman both in brown clothes of low nobles¡¯ quality with the woman wearing a generous green top. They had the smooth brown hair of their child, John. Beside them was Joey and his mother, Beth, and his Father, Mack.


    Joey had his typical thick glasses over his sharp nose. His green eyes showed fear when he spotted me through his long brown hair. A fear that was reflected in every movement of his scrawny frame. While john had deep brown eyes and a body that was polar opposite to Joey¡¯s, his reaction was much the same.


    ¡°Ah, the man everyone has been talking about.¡± The man who I assumed to be John¡¯s father. His small patch of brown hair showed a combover while the mother had a large cascade of hair going down to her hips.


    I noticed Beth looking at me with particular hunger. Her purple eyes looked over every inch of my body and her thick pink lips even had her tongue run over them and the mole above the right side of her lips. Her wavy brown hair flowed over a good green dress with a V down the chest that went nearly to her stomach. Mack, an older, more muscular version of Joey, didn¡¯t seem to notice as he put a hand forward.


    ¡°Yes, indeed he is. Don¡¯t worry, Eli, this is school business, so Rand won¡¯t be giving you any grief over this meeting.¡± He said amiably as I took his hand. Behind him Beth¡¯s small sharp nose twitched in anticipation.


    ¡°Dear Eli.¡± Beth said, forgoing any handshake and instead enveloping me in a hug. The orbs of her bust had no bra, a fact made plain from the way she was molding herself against my chest as the relatively tall woman looked up to me. ¡°It¡¯s been far too long my darling.¡±


    I kept a straight face even as the surrounding women stared sullenly at Beth with Mack and joey seemingly unperturbed by her actions.


    ¡°Busy days, as always. Tell me, what school business do I have with you lot?¡± I asked evenly as Beth pulled back to stand by Mack and behind Joey as her husband coughed and spoke for the group.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been talking with our boy¡¯s and with the fleeing of Borin and some other fellow you had come to a disagreement with, we wanted to make sure our boys were as well behaved as they should be.¡±


    Oh, so the two casters who gave me grief have fled in fear. Swift and wise, but unneeded. I walked towards the two boys and put a hand on each of their shoulders


    ¡°Joey, are we done? No more haranguing me with a gang of scoundrels.¡± I asked with a meaningful raise of my eyebrow towards Joey. He nodded his head in earnest agreement. Behind him Mack and Beth went a little red. I turned towards his pudgier companion.


    ¡°John, are we done? No more mocking, no more trips where you try to kill me?¡± I asked plainly. My tone was one of a parent talking to a child caught stealing sweets from the kitchen counter. His parents, however, went ghost pale and just bit their lips to keep from screaming.


    ¡°I. I never-¡° I stopped John¡¯s sputtering by taking my hand off Joey¡¯s shoulder and holding it up.


    ¡°John. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? That I¡¯m so blind I couldn¡¯t see you trying to block our minders vision of my tent with yours?¡± I asked plainly.


    ¡°N-No. Sorry.¡± Sweat was running down his pudgy features as he stared at the floor.


    ¡°Good. I consider this matter settled. A good day to both of you.¡± I said cheerfully with a light shake on their shoulders before I moved off.


    The future lay in the merchant associations, smithies, and tradesman. The petty tangle of magician¡¯s lives and feuds was something I now considered myself above participating in.


    The two boys gave an audible sigh of relief with their parents, even though Johns parents were clearly shaken by what I had said, the mother in particular. She was a heavier set woman with long brown hair, smooth cheek bones, a sharp triangle nose, and dark brown eyes below her thin eyebrows. Her brown dress had an expansive green top that now had a few drops of sweat on it as her husband hurriedly grabbed their sons left arm and dragged him away.


    The kiosk to the side of the entrance was a long row of sheltered desks with stacks of books. I spent a few minutes with the receptionist going over some slots available for the advanced alchemy classes. It also stated it would be taking place on the academy classroom grounds, but I thought it odd considering how troublesome travel is going to be soon. Once I had gotten my preferred time down, I headed out the main entrance and into the now late mid-day sun. The carriage of the duke¡¯s wife was to my right coming out of the building.


    Behind me, I saw John being dragged by his father towards the left side of the tower out of the main path of traffic. I was content to lean against the wall for a bit when the sound of shouting from John and his father¡¯s direction could be faintly heard. Not enough to distinguish what was being said but the general note of anger was clear.


    There was nothing to do but wait for the next group to head out. As I did so, I noticed some of the soldiers escorting various staff members around while the mages used crafts to shape the earth with various moats and stone blocks with what I assume would be a full ring of protections around the class room towers. A smell of decay still hung over everything as the small dips and waves in the hills showed wind blowing over the rolling grass. While I waited for the next group to go through, the duke¡¯s wife Susan came through the main door. Her blue dress showed a few more wrinkles than earlier but like always, her green eyes shot straight to me through the small crowd of passing students. She then immediately made her way over to me.


    ¡°Ah, Eli. Good. We were heading back to town and I thought it would be safer if we travelled together.¡± She said as her personal two guards nodded and went on ahead to their separate carriage to leave us alone.


    Having no real reason to refuse, I nodded and headed towards her carriage. When I had gotten near the carriage with Susan right behind me, two good reasons started calling in the towers main entrance. Beth and John¡¯s mother started moving as quickly towards me as they could without sprinting.


    ¡°Eli! Leaving so soon?¡± Beth said indignantly with a heave of her chest as she took deep breaths, though I suspected she wasn¡¯t actually that tired. She then pointed towards John¡¯s mother ¡°I don¡¯t know about her, but my husband is quite busy with work here and I was wondering if I could travel back to town with Mrs. Decksworth¡±


    John¡¯s mother was content to merely thin her pink lips in a forced smile before giving a light bow towards me and explaining herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I only have business with Eli. If he wants to meet with me behind the tower, our business could be concluded while you two go on ahead.¡± She ¡®offered¡¯ in a humble tone. The two other wives got strained smiles and Beth¡¯s left eye even twitched.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Susan said sweetly. ¡°His time is too valuable to spend moving to conversations rather than having them. We can all go in the carriage if that is convenient to you¡± Her voice had a venomous undertone even as she moved to cover her mouth with her fan.


    Johns mother then moved forward and hooked her arm through mine, making sure to press her bust against my arm as she did so.


    ¡°Quite right. Julia, by the way.¡± She said, her brown eyes looking at me with joy as she pulled me to the carriage. When I was looked back, I could see Susan¡¯s green eyes screaming she wanted to murder the woman right then and there. We were close enough to the carriage that I was already moving to hold open the door for Julia before the other women could object.


    Julia nodded to me with a sweet smile as she went through the door, taking special care to swing her butt into my view before moving into the carriage. Susan followed suit with a strain in her eyes, followed by Beth. While Julia and Susan were on the right side, Beth was leaning over the floor doing something with her shoe. I sat down on the left side and when my butt was planted on the soft leather of the seat, Beth immediately got up and sat on my lap.


    The carriage jerked forward making Julia¡¯s attempt to stand up fail as she was forced back into her seat. Beth ran a soft hand over my face to move the silver hair out of the way as she stared lustfully into my eyes. She seemed to go numb to the rest of the world as her face said she was looking at some great treasure.


    ¡°What is with them still using the classroom towers?¡± I asked the other two passengers. ¡°I signed up for an alchemy course, but I assumed it would be happening at the main academy town, well I guess more like a city now.¡± Susan kept the fan in front of her face, but her voice didn¡¯t seem too frustrated.


    ¡°Having a higher concentration of people causes more of the undead to focus on that area. The base towards the west, classrooms, and the dorms were all spaced out to help deal with this fact. If it was all put in one building, it would save time, money, and it would be easier to maintain, but you run the risk of having so many undead condensed into one area that you can¡¯t get to the bodies to burn them to ash.


    Besides, this way they get to kill them in small packs along established and well patrolled routes as opposed to having to sending out random parties who may not have anyone come along to check on them. It¡¯s the least dangerous of the many dangerous ways of dealing with the undead.¡± She said.


    I turned to look at her with a question, but Beth¡¯s gentle hand took my jaw and in a very measured, steady movement, forced my head back to look at her. She made sure to further press her chest into my side as her green dress now almost totally covered my white and blue striped robes.


    ¡°Really Beth?¡± Julia said in an exasperated tone. ¡°Must you be so possessive of him?¡±


    ¡°Not possessive.¡± Beth responded in a floaty voice. ¡°Remembering good times. Our last rendezvous was quite enjoyable, and I must admit the sense of nostalgia it brings is quite strong.¡±


    ¡°Rendezvous?!¡± Julia squeaked.


    ¡°Yes. Before he became this god among men, he and I had a tussle in my carriage. Bit of tongue and cheek play. After risking his life to save me from a troglodyte, while my worthless husband hid on the opposite side of a river, I showed him my appreciation.¡± Beth said with a suggestive tone as she ran her right hand into my robe to caress my left shoulder.


    I felt my face get some heat and tried to find some way of gently getting her off my lap. The jealous looks of the two other women only prompted her to continue her tale.


    ¡°I told him that he was good, but I needed him to be a caster before I would take his child. And did he ever follow through on that demand.¡± That made Susan¡¯s and Julia¡¯s eyebrows shoot up, with Julia getting a slack jaw.


    Ah. So that was why I didn¡¯t just throw her in the floor. She did have an interest in me when I was still a ¡®crafter¡¯ and I guess my heart said to give her a bit more leeway than the other cloying shits. My feelings clarified; I gave a light cough before deciding to let her have that bit of self-indulgence.


    ¡°I am married, Beth.¡± I said firmly as I lifted her up and sat her beside me. Beth bit her lip in glee from the contact as my hand gripped her legs and lower back for leverage.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Oh, what I wouldn¡¯t give to have that woman¡¯s place. Lucky gal that one.¡± Beth said with a slight pout. My respect for Beth rose a good bit at her calling Salamede a woman and not a barn animal or some other insult.


    ¡°All well and good.¡± Julia said irritably. ¡°But I have personal business to discuss with Eli.¡±


    ¡°What may that be?¡± I asked as I looked out the window to my right. The plains were mostly empty now with a group of men on the side of the coming road getting the bodies of the undead into wagons from the fight earlier.


    I heard footsteps and turned to see Julia kneeling between my two legs with a bite on her thin pink lips. Her green top doing nothing to stop the back and forth swinging of her breasts from the motion of the carriage. She put a single hand on my right knee before she spoke again.


    ¡°Eli, my son has done a terrible wrong by you. I am ready to do whatever is needed to correct his mistake.¡± She said with a meaningful look between my legs.


    ¡°What mistake?¡± Susan asked.


    Julia hesitated for a moment before Beth spoke for her.


    ¡°Her good for nothing waste of flesh son tried to kill Eli when he was still a crafter.¡± Beth said with a scowl in disgust.


    ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Susan asked with a clack of her fan being placed down by her side to reveal a curious face.


    Julia looked down in shame while Beth looked at the prostrate woman.


    ¡°The trials. Some business with my tools winning.¡± I said simply, wishing now that I had just kept my speech to Joey and John a simple ¡®I forgive you¡¯.


    ¡°It was that green skinned cunt.¡± Julia whimpered.


    The two women sat there still as statues for a long moment.


    ¡°What?¡± Beth asked in a voice colder than the breeze outside. Knowing how people in this world go nuts when discussing orcs, I tried to tamper down the coming screaming.


    ¡°John got his heart twisted on some orc woman and it was my weapons that did her in. A man¡¯s heart is a fragile thing and violence is typically how it processes the worst grief.¡± I said in a sympathetic tone. Julia looked up at me with appreciation in her eyes, but Beth¡¯s usually full pink lips went thin as she sucked in her mouth and looked wide eyed at Julia. Susan, however, was pure fury. Her pale skin was red hot as she got up from her bench and stomped over to Julia with her blue dress fluttering like a bird of prey.


    Susan¡¯s immaculately tended left hand grabbed a knot of Julia¡¯s hair and hoisted the woman back with a feral bearing of her teeth, most unlike a noble woman.


    ¡°Your fucking shithead of a son tried to kill Eli over his perverse lust?¡± Susan said with a voice as cold as ice. Julia¡¯s lip started quivering and a tear rolled down her left eye, but she still nodded. Susan took a deep breath and I could see she was about to do something in a fit of anger, so I leaned forward and grabbed her hand. Both the women turned to me and stood near still as the carriage rocked back and forth.


    ¡°Susan, you¡¯re hurting her.¡± I said in a firm tone.


    The hand let go but Susan looked at me with the anger still coming clear through.


    ¡°You are far too good for this world, Eli.¡± Was all she said as she left to sit down on the bench again. Julia looked at me like I was a lifeline and she needed to cling to me as tightly as she could.


    ¡°Eli. We are on our last bit of coin. We invested everything we had into John¡¯s education.¡± Julia said with desperation. She got up off the floor and pushed herself into my lap while putting my head in between her breasts. The scent of sweat was heavy on her as she ground on my thighs with her body. ¡°If that useless cur was born a woman, he could at least make up for it by bearing your child but now we are without money or standing.¡±


    I was distracted with the John being a woman part long enough that Julia got her hands around the smiling masks clasp holding the steel strap to my neck and pulled it off.


    ¡°Whatever deformity is under this mask is nothing compared- Ooh!¡± Julia stopped; tears left unshed as she looked at my bare face with lust in her eyes.


    ¡°Quite a looker, isn¡¯t he?¡± Beth said with a smug puckering of her lips and arms crossed under her chest.


    I heard Susan getting up as I struggled to put the mask back on.


    ¡°Eli!¡± Susan squeaked in a scandalized tone as her head peeked out behind Julia¡¯s shoulder. She was looking at me with open lust in her green eyes. ¡°Covering up this face is a crime.¡±


    She and Julia started moving their hands over to my body but a flash of shadow and a quick look out the window showed we were through the gate at the wall. Julia reluctantly got off me and Susan went back to her chair. When we got a bit further ahead, the carriage pulled to the right side of the road and came to a full stop. As I was about to put my mask back on, Beth shot forward and caught my mouth in a full kiss. Her taste of honey invaded my mouth before she pulled away with a smug smile. A smile that got even more smug when she got up and gave a light bow to the strained smiles of the other two passengers.


    ¡°I will consider your proposal with my wife, Julia.¡± I said, Beth¡¯s taste still on my tongue as I got up from my seat. ¡°Good day to you both.¡± Going out the door, I made a mad rush to the main dock area. I didn¡¯t care for these people, but spending all day having women shooting lustful faces at me, being groped, and finally kissed still riled my primal needs. The recent re-awakening of my sex drive with my marriage did nothing to quell the heat in my blood. Once I got the pumps installed, I hope Salamede is ready for to take all of that need.


    When I moved through the crowd of peasants in the mid-day sun, the heat had yet to make any real difference in the temperature. Not cold enough for ice on the roads but enough that most now wore coats or extra shirts. Once I got to the harbor district, I immediately spotted the mayor waving at me on the shoreline of one of the smaller docks farther up the river. Walking up to him I saw several yellow streaks along a dotted line towards the main market from the hole where the remains of a now removed ramp laid.


    ¡°Excellent, boy.¡± The mayor said with a jovial nod that ruffled his lambchops. ¡°Ryan was here earlier and was getting one of the old ramps out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said with an appreciative look around. ¡°I need some men to help me move the pump parts.¡±


    He turned his brown eyes towards a group of scruffy work men and nodded to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Ryan while we¡¯re waiting.¡± He said as I led the men to my home. I had Cell move the parts to the left side on the main entrance and leave the two spheres needed to power it off to the right side of the door, so this task was one of raw muscle. Once I opened the door, Salamede was inside cleaning off gunk from her metal suit, now stuck up on a manequin.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She called as I directed the men to take the various pistons and large barrels. ¡°How was your day Honey?¡± She said as she walked forward in a white shirt and brown pair of pants, a combination she stole from my personal effects. A fact that was made plain by the stretching of the shirt against her chest.


    ¡°Good, good dear.¡± I said sweetly as I took her in a hug, but I let the raw heated need in my voice come out in a new spirit connection. ¡®Those skanks have been putting their hands all over me today and I need someone who can take the loving I need to dish out.¡¯ I bit her left ear to emphasize the point. ¡®Know anyone who would be willing to have a hot pounding session with a quad element scion?¡¯


    She giggled at first before tightening her hug around me.


    ¡®I might know someone, but I thought you needed to work on the pump?¡¯ She said eagerly.


    ¡®After. After finishing that out.¡¯ I said teasingly.


    ¡®It¡¯s a date. I¡¯ll have something quick and easy ready for our dinner.¡¯ She said in anticipation.


    My main task for the day now starting, I headed out with the men who were staring at the pieces of metal dubiously but went about their job moving them while I carried the chest sized spheres that was going to power the whole contraption in a big leather bag filled with dirt. By the time we got back, Ryan was there looking over his precious work. His black hair came downward as he leaned over the piers edge to look over the hole he had made where it touched the water.


    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s get this done before night comes.¡± I called to the surrounding group.


    From there we went to work. The first thing we did was create a smooth stone surface along the water¡¯s edge with a ring of wood around a hole letting water in from the river. As a cover we used earth enchantments on the wood ring to create a wall of fine stone strands that would block all but the smallest of debris. These strands of fine stone created an interwoven weave pattern in the stone leading to the main chamber. This held a single large cannister with a thick wooden tube attached to the back and an outflow pipe that snaked to a special hole a little higher up.


    This would shoot pressurized water down the hole and through a channel below several planned outhouses. Putting in the channel was less labor intensive with two people able to work the soil and summon stone, but it was still a chore to work around the large stone slabs on the road and traffic. Also, the fact that it needed so much custom work meant crafts were rarely if ever used making the work more labor intensive and, on a less important note, mana demanding. It was only around a hard point in the mid-section where we were in the middle of heavy traffic and had to constantly adjust for more stone and more bracing that we ran into mana problems.


    Making the holes and tubes for the spots for outhouses was a task less arduous since we just cut through the stone and made the holes in the ground with no need to work around new patches of soil. It was late afternoon when Salamede came by in her blue dress carrying a large basket filled with warm breads stuffed with meats and cheeses. All washed down with some good beer from the dwarf stalls.


    Near nighttime, when the sun was falling in the sky sending a wave of orange over the sky, we finally finished the main tube. The outflow pipe was placed a good way past my tower with a circular stone pipe sticking out of the muddy side of the river. Dripping with sweat and exhausted, a cheer rang out as the spell for the tube finished and Ryan threw up his hands in triumph.


    The hardest part finished, we headed back to the pump to complete our main task. I made two stone spheres to hold the copper generators around the top of the pump chamber and insulated them in a crude rubber while fusing two copper wires to the electric motor. With a silent prayer, I made the last connection. The piston head shot up and went down with the spinning of the U-shaped metal pole it was attached to. As it did so with had a slight turn and swivel, it immediately produced the sound of rushing water in the outflow pipe into the channel.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± George the mayor called. ¡°How does that work?¡±


    I spent a few minutes talking about weight negation and electricity. While I don¡¯t think a lot of it got through, George at least seemed mildly interested.


    ¡°Interesting. Well, lad, thanks for your help. We¡¯ll have some carpenters come by later to slap together some appropriate buildings for the holes, but I think we¡¯re done.¡± George gave one final clap at his last word. One final whoop went up from the crowd of workers, Ryan, and curious bystanders. I left the harbor district, taking in the coming of the early night. My limbs were sweaty, and it was only the ever-colder air that prevented me from being drenched head to toe.


    Walking over the flat grey stone of my tower¡¯s lawn, I came through the door and saw Salamede lounging on the central boulder chair. What drew my eyes was the large white bra and underwear that peeked out between her thin, open white robe.


    ¡°Hello, dear husband. You seem quite exhausted.¡± She said seductively as she got up from the boulder and walked to me.


    ¡°Yes. Sorry baby but I don¡¯t think I have the energy to follow through on my earlier request.¡± I said with apologetic look as I closed the door behind me.  After I worked off my mask and laid it on the floor, I walked up to her and wrapped my wife in my arms.


    ¡°I suspected as much when I delivered dinner.¡± She said before planting a kiss on my lips. Her sweetness played on my tongue for a long moment before she pulled away. ¡°Go downstairs and get a shower.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯m¡± I said like a soldier taking an order.


    I promptly did so, throwing off my student robes and using the heated watercraft to wash away the day¡¯s sweat. Once scrubbed down with soap and dressed in my typical white shirt and brown pants, I headed back up to the main floor and went over to the bed on the left side of the room. The white feather filled mattress was a laughable attempt at luxury compared to the custom heating and vibrating gel nets back ¡®home¡¯, but it was where I woke up with Salamede by my side and I felt that made up for it.


    Salamede was off to the right going over some pieces of paper while she sat on the boulder. A paper she quickly put down before walking over to me with the white outer robe still hiding nothing of her form, a task barely seen to by her two pieces of underwear. I don¡¯t know if she was doing it intentionally, but the sway of her body in it was particularly appealing. One step from me she established a spirit connection.


    ¡®Lay face down.¡¯ She commanded with a soft rub on my left shoulder as she sat down beside me. I obeyed and moved to lay face first into the mattress. A moment later I felt Salamede¡¯s smooth skin rub against my sides as she sat over my bum and proceeded to massage my back.


    ¡®How was your first day as the quad mage in school?¡¯ Salamede asked excitedly as she did a deep rub into my back.


    ¡®I preferred their scorn.¡¯ I said before a deep moan escaped my lips. ¡®No moment alone to study with the women following me everywhere, so I can forget about getting to study anything involving scions or necromancers. The teachers trying to get ¡®study¡¯ sessions with me and no real care about who hears the proposition. Nobles wives trying to get me in-between their legs. Nobles wives trying to get in-between my legs in groups¡¯


    Salamede just huffed as she lifted my right arm and massaged it.


    ¡®As well they should. You are the strongest, most capable, and most powerful male they could ever hope to have. They and their families should be grateful for even the slightest chance to have your line intersect with theirs.¡¯ Salamede said with a final kiss placed on my neck as she let my right arm go.


    ¡®Speaking of which, one of those women had a proposition for me.¡¯ I said hesitantly.


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Salamede asked curiously as she worked on my thighs.


    From there I explained my history with John, the meeting and my willingness to move past misdeeds. The whole time Salamede just patiently worked the tired muscles in my back but she stopped for a moment when I got to the part of John¡¯s mother getting into the carriage with me, Susan, and Beth. When I finished, Salamede pushed her body fully against mine as she turned my head to the right and kissed me.


    ¡®A good woman with an ill-be-gotten spawn. When is the deed going to be done?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®Hopefully never. I¡¯ll see what-¡® Salamede reached her hands down my backside and grasped my balls with a rough squeeze.


    ¡®It¡¯s quite odd.¡¯ She said casually as I bit my lip while she sent shivers up my spine from the massage. ¡®I know using these is a great privilege. That having their contents is something only to be earned by a woman with the upmost ability and yet, the thought of women the world over needing them excites me. The great conflict of my Kelton heritage and the prestige of your unprecedented position. Do you really intend to be so stingy with them?¡¯


    ¡®No. At least not with the beautiful woman I have back home.¡¯ I finished with a long kiss along her lips and a quick grab around her neck. From there I pulled her fully under me as I worked her bra off and she stirred with lust in her every movement from her quivering snout, shaking ears, and wide white eyes. I guess having a young body with a fast recovery time is good for a lot of things.


    A knock at the door shook me awake. The memories of sweaty bodies, heat, and final release flooded my head as a naked Salamede stirred awake beneath me. The knock at the door sounded off again as I gave Salamede a good morning kiss and worked my robes on. Another knock at the door and Salamede was decent with a quick green dress hastily thrown on.


    I opened it to see a sweaty guard gulping down air.


    ¡°Sir mage! There has been a disaster along the road, and we don¡¯t have enough of those healing beds or elixirs to deal with the injured.¡± He said in a breathless voice as the heavy morning fog obscured much of the usual scenery from the town.


    I ran out the door with Salamede close behind, not even taking the time to get my shoes on as I used air magic to propel myself forward. The wide grey wall and its occupants came into view with the morning fog obstructing most of it with a grey overcast sky preventing the fog¡¯s dissipation to the sun. What I could see was lines of stretchers being moved into several quick and crude stone houses on the left side of the road leading through the gate.


    A quick look inside showed they were where the healing beds were stored but a line of several men were laying on the ground on bloody patches of grass and soil as their blood stained through their tourniquet¡¯s cloth. Quickly getting to work I used a healing spell on the closest two men until the bleeding stopped. Salamede quickly came up behind me, using the healing craft I gave her for her excursion earlier to help another man further down the line.


    On close inspection, I could see these men were dressed in plain leather armor and their flesh had been torn by what looked like bites and long claw marks. Working through the men it was when I was near the middle of the line, a spot that moved back and forth as men were put in the house to heal on the beds or pulled off since they had left the land of the living and were taken to a pyre that was set up on the right side of the road, that the last man was brought in. I was sweaty and tired from a near hour of work as the local captain came through the fog from the direction of the town. Despite what must have been the early hour, he looked as exhausted as any man near the end of a long days shift.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked him as he overlooked the long lines of moaning men on stretchers.


    ¡°Necrosis. Happens every year. Some hot-headed merchant thinks he can get one last cargo load in, some farmer group tries to move one last grain silo out, any number of numbskulls still trying to skirt the edge to make a quick copper. But it¡¯s not usually this bad.


    As often as I feel like I¡¯m repeating myself, thanks again Eli. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re kept informed on the current situation.¡± He said amiably before he turned to the crowd of soldiers and spotted one in particular, he was set on. ¡°Oscar! Good thinking on getting the mage. We¡¯ll discuss a suitable reward later.¡±


    Tired from a long day¡¯s work before it even really began, I merely nodded and turned back to the general direction of where I thought my tower was. The next time I needed to visit the classrooms was tomorrow so I was determined to spend the rest of the day building a proper domain, a task I headed back home for with Salamede holding my arm for comfort as we pushed through the cold grey fog. In small strips along certain patches of grass and in rough holes in the mud, I saw the faint glow of gold mana, the color of healing magic. It whirled in faint wisps along the blades of grass and in the whirl of the fog as we moved through it.

 Chapter 87: Married Life

    ELI POV


    It was a few minutes after seeing to the injured men that we got back to the tower. It was an intense morning filled with blood and screaming men, but Salamede was a bit tougher from our adventures. Once we got back home, Salamede stopped to appreciatively rub the piece of rope over the door frame before walking in. I had buffed out a good stone floor to make it a bit sturdier foundation for the coming additions.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I asked Salamede with a concerned rub on her shoulders.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her rough voice said confidently. ¡°I¡¯ll make us some oatmeal before heading out.¡±


    I nodded and headed downstairs to go over the coming plans with Cell, who had left his place on the main floor to give us some privacy last night. The heavy fog provided a good cover to get the tower up without having to resort to large cloth covers or magic mists. Firing up the forge, I got to work moving all of our stuff onto the lawn before taking down everything but the floor of my home. Of course, taking special care to keep the rope above my doorway spotless as I did so. As I was moving the last piece of furniture out, Salamede came with a steaming bowl of oatmeal. A quick breakfast and Salamede got on her suit as she headed out to help with the towns defense.


    The hatch wasn¡¯t nearly big enough to get the steel beams and rebar through, forcing me to open a hole in the lawn to bring the steel components through once they had cooled. Once I had several steel beams cooling on stone racks with metal crafts making sure they didn¡¯t deform, I went about making the stone towers outer shell. Three stories of grey stone blocks with cut corners and 10 feet tall with a wide stone floor extending outward over to the lawn.


    It took a while, but we eventually got two of the floors made with the big block of wood boards on struts in between the shells floors. From there we moved the now cooled steel beams out and arduously lifted them over the two blocks and fitted them in the corner¡¯s holes. With that done we worked on the inner portion of the walls. This required some custom work, so I used an earth spell to mold stone around the steel beams to hold them in place while Cell used his body to inform me when the beams tilted. Once that was done, we used another set of enchantments on the wooden cube to create the inner shell.


    This used an inner square with multiple layers of stone. The first was a single solid piece and the rest used an earth enchantment that summoned stone around the X shaped pieces of steel mesh that ran around the ring of the tower section while leaving some open space between the wall sections to allow Cell to travel quickly between floors and access the traps I would be placing in the future.


    Once we finished that, I felt it was sturdy enough for my purposes and finished out the third and final ring. The ceiling, floors, and stairs were the last items needed but the last two would be finished when I had another shipment of steel in for the inner floors. Stone was a good load bearing material but putting out a foot-thick floor of the stuff wasn¡¯t stable enough for my tastes, so I used the last of my steel shipment for the roof.


    Layering a large plate of steel over the top, I molded a large amount of the smooth grey stone over it. This plain flat surface was going to be a crude landing pad for my future air ship, a subject I pondered over as I repaired the hole I made in the lawn to get the steel out. Not a plane, too many things that could go wrong with the calculations and a runway was too space intensive, a simple dirigible design was the safest and quickest design to use. I mused over the dimensions and materials involved as I summoned the stone.


    It felt like mid-day when Salamede came back as I was putting the last of the furniture back. Cell was off playing with Ryan¡¯s familiar in the now barren flatlands since the two other familiars were made of flesh and would take the risk of being a tasty snack for the undead. I was in the middle of the cavernous expanse on the ground floor putting in the last few mana lamps on the bottom floor as the rest shined along the upper walls when she came scurrying through the door.


    ¡°Eli! The- oh!¡± She said with a look upward. While her stunned reaction was gratifying, I noticed the occasional dent on her breast and arm plates.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I said as I put down the final mana crystal I was going to use as a lamp.


    ¡°It was something about the undead, but is the tower really going to be a wide-open space?¡± She said idly as she walked closer to the wall to look straight up the line of mana lamps.


    ¡°No, I just need to wait until the next steel shipment comes in and we¡¯ll have three floors.¡±


    I heard a nearly suppressed sigh of relief from her before she turned to me with a hug.


    ¡°All right, but I want to go out to a local marble merchant since the dwarves have reduced their presence in the main market to a smithy, few food stalls, and a tailor. If the local suppliers can¡¯t meet our demand, do you think you could convince the dwarves to provide the needed goods?¡± She asked before planting a tired kiss on my cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. What was this about the undead?¡± I asked idly as I rested my hands on her steel hips.


    ¡°They¡¯re fierce beasts. It¡¯s mostly dead forest animals now with only a few humans moving amongst the packs. Leather armor is basically dead weight now and even my stuff isn¡¯t getting out unscathed.¡± She said in a tired tone with a meaningful look to the dents along her armor.


    ¡°But it will be fine?¡± I asked, my worry coming clear through.


    She visibly perked up behind the hawk nose obstructing her snout.


    ¡°Yes. The rising healing mana isn¡¯t enough to treat serious injuries for a lot of people in a confined area and in the past, they had to get by on elixirs, herbs, and rest. The blacksmiths will be working night and day to try and keep up with all the repairs but it¡¯s nothing they haven¡¯t had to do before.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I said. ¡°Get a shower while I buff out the suit. Then we¡¯ll have a nice little trip to get some marble and decorative pieces for the tower.¡±


    Salamede promptly worked herself out of the steel and wood suit. When she placed the last piece on the floor, I made sure to catch a peek at her bum as she went to the hatch to get a shower. Sitting down on the central boulder chair, I used metal magic to slowly undo the dents in the steel outer portion and was done in time for Salamede to get back into her favorite green dress.


    I nodded to her, prompting her to follow me to the towers exit as I picked up the mask from the floor. When we got there, she stood near the door and looked at me in my white shirt and brown pants with her arms crossed as I held it open for her.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Eli. You¡¯re the most important person in this town. You need some clothes that don¡¯t look like I just picked you up from a labor camp.¡±


    I just huffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly content with my current clothing.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not.¡± She said before leaning forward and planting a deep kiss on my lips. She kept at it for a long moment before pulling away, leaving behind the taste of sweetness and my racing heart.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I said as I got the smiling mask on, ¡°But first I need some lunch.¡±


    She nodded and took my arm.


    The fog was still heavy as the wisps of gold mana fluttered about the ground. Even so, the noise and racket of the main town came through the fog as houses came into view. We walked through the streets and stopped at one of the dwarf¡¯s food stalls and ate some beef stew together on the typical long wood bar while we sat on stools.


    ¡°Any plans for what you want the tower to look like?¡± I asked Salamede before chugging some beer.


    ¡°I like deeper blacks and some light sand colors. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a form over function kind of guy outside of some indulgences.¡±


    She turned away from her soup to look at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Really? You have no preferences?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think converting the sides of the tower in a nude painting of you would be quite a project, but it might-¡°


    My shoulder wobbled as Salamede landed a solid punch on it. Her white eyes showing mirth even as a half-hearted scowl covered her face. I laughed, which only made her knock me off the stool with a headbutt from her horns. It only made me laugh harder.


    Once our meal was finished, we headed to the dwarf tailor. While it was always busy, they made an exception for us. Almost all of the customers were women and spent too much time ogling me or scowling at Salamede to object as the dwarf seamstress tailored a deep red sleeveless coat and fine black belt with golden buckles. Afterwards, we headed to the local marble merchant.


    Typically a dealer with nobles or even esteemed with the academy¡¯s business, the large shop was more like an open market under a single proprietor with wood floors, well maintained roofing, and a servant to escort prospective customers. The sound of the slow moving river was off the left as this shop was located in the wealthier harbor district between the academy and the rows of noble houses along the riverside.


    ¡°What about the darker ones? That could look nice with the grey of the walls.¡± Salamede said as she ran a hand over one slab of near black marble.


    ¡°Nah.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking wood with lighter sand colored marble. Maybe shiny metal for the staircase railing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡± Salamede said with a thumb to her lips as she was lost in thought.


    The conversation continued in a plain back and forth, like so many other husbands and wives going through the ordinary paces of everyday life. Eventually we decided on an overall aesthetic and headed back to our house. As we walked back to our house, the fog thinned enough that I could make out the rest of the Kelton street. Strung out over streets and on house porches were small paper squares of various colors and candles being readied with large tables being set out near the emptier riverside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Salamede.


    She just looked at the gathering with a stoic expression before speaking in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Necrosis festival. It was supposed to happen when the trees were halfway into the ground to commemorate a year well lived before Necrosis, but obviously that couldn¡¯t happen this year so they¡¯re doing it later today. There¡¯s food, drinking, singing, music and a final dance.¡¯


    ¡®What do the humans do for the occasion?¡¯ I asked interestedly.


    ¡®Before we came? Nothing. But they took the meaning of the festival, approaching hardship, and plastered it over with an excuse to drink in public. Still, it¡¯s a very important thing in the Kelton community.¡¯


    I looked at her with a stab of guilt. It was obvious it meant a lot for her and marrying me was a prize that she paid for by not getting to attend the festival. Well, I would just have to fix that.


    We headed home and while Salamede went over some of the designs for our inner homes looks, I headed back to the Kelton street. We couldn¡¯t participate in most of the festival, but I was confident we could pseudo participate in the final dance. It took until night fall when the time came and I went to fetch my wife.


    ¡°Salamede, get that fine dwarven dress on and come with me.¡± I called through the tower door to Salamede who was sitting on the central boulder looking at various pieces of wood and smaller pieces of marble samples we took from the store.


    She turned in the soft glow of the mana lamps to me and didn¡¯t say anything for a moment before she went downstairs. I waited outside in my white shirt, brown pants and fine deep red sleeveless coat and black belt. In a few minutes, she came out in the deep purple dress with red vines and gold inlay.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re thinking of taking me to the festival, but I will not put my people in danger of getting censured.¡± She said firmly, even if the hint of uncertainty came through.


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t, and neither would I. Come on.¡± I said mysteriously as I took her hand and led her to the town. The fog had almost totally dissipated now but it only made the darkness of the night weirder when the soft glow of gold mana was playing over the field, accentuating soft bumps and dips in the landscape of otherwise black vegetation.


    As we walked, I saw the soft multicolored glow of the Necrosis festival and the song of flutes, drums, and guitars in an odd floaty melody that glided through the air. But it was when we turned the corner around a house and saw the party properly that Salamede gasped.


    Off to the side of the Kelton street was a raised stone platform the height of a man. It had a staircase leading up to it as the multicolored lights played across the grey stone surface. It was close enough to be on the dance floor but being so high, I figured it would count as not participating for the dance, which pairs were quickly forming to start as the music came to a halt.


    ¡°Come on, Honey. They¡¯re getting ready to begin.¡± I said as I moved her forward. Salamede bit her quivering lip as she held even tighter to my arm. As we walked through the crowd and up the stone stairs, a few stopped to look up at us but Salamede didn¡¯t notice as she leaned against my shoulder. When we got to the top, I turned on the enchantments on two patches of leather I had glued to the floor. The biting wind and cold faded with a growing heat that would be typical to a warm home.


    Once we got in position, the music started up again. I twirled Salamede in my arms, taking in the ecstatic smile plastered over her face and unshed tears of joy. She didn¡¯t say anything as we pushed and pulled away from each other on the stone stage, but the way she possessively gripped me whenever we came together was enough to tell me how happy she was.


    It was on a long, almost mournful, play of flutes that the dance finally came to an end. The final note was followed by loud clapping and whooping from the crowd as faint tendrils of gold mana whirled about the crowd¡¯s lower feet. Salamede also clapped excitedly, but she quickly stopped to pull me into a deep kiss. After a moment of savoring her, I pulled back with a loud pop of our mouths. A moment longer of staring at each other and we moved back down the platform.


    ¡®Was it a good Necrosis festival?¡¯ I asked her as we got back onto the main street.


    ¡®The best I¡¯ve ever had!¡¯ She squealed in delight as she clung to my side.


    ¡®Good. I need to bring this down so it doesn¡¯t block the street.¡¯


    I spent a few minutes using earth spells to move the stone back into the river from where I had molded it. The whole time, Salamede clung to my back practically purring in delight and I was worried she wasn¡¯t going to stop there from how she was gripping my inner thigh in clear suggestion. After that was done, we took off. I noticed Salamede giving a teary wave over the crowd to her mother nodding to her from her houses staircase as we made our way through the crowd.


    Stopping for a few quick skewers from a dwarven stand, we made our way back home.


    ¡°So, your people celebrate the coming of necrosis. Seems like you would want to celebrate after the hardship has passed.¡±


    She huffed as her arm rubbed against my left shoulder.


    ¡°That would make sense if you were guaranteed to see the celebration. Out on the snow-laden wastes, the snails can provide a few tasteless meals if they don¡¯t kill you first. As could the spiraling hard vegetables found along the deep inland shores. While starvation is not guaranteed, not being the top predator always is.


    Out there in the magical wilds, we had no towering walls. The wildlife picks at any attempt to set up a mana dead zone if you could even stay in one place long enough to set them up. The few defensible spots are fiercely contested and most are handed down inside families. Once you¡¯re born in the rocky lands or snowy drifts, you die in them.¡±


    Hmm. A tough life.


    As we rounded the corner and made our way towards the tower, another question occurred to me.


    ¡°Salamede, what history do your people have? I know you said you probably came from a failed demon conversion, but when or how did such a thing occur?¡±


    That dampened her mood a bit as her ears drooped a bit.


    ¡°That question has been repeated more than any other. I¡¯ve heard it said we came from the Lost Lands. But the words are often many times removed from their source and we left the icy plains a long time ago due to the destruction of our home.¡±


    ¡°Attack by creatures of the wilds?¡± I asked.


    Her bit lip and flared snout told me a lot about the subject before she had even spoken.


    ¡°Now that is a well-remembered bit of history. Our clan had the misfortune of gathering a rather large trove of magical resources. The patriarch at the time wanted to start making Kelton mages of greater caliber but we were in no position to hold off the squad of casters who burst through our home in a blaze of death and mayhem. They took everything of any value and slaughtered every man, woman, and child in reach, for sport or idle boredom. We would have survived, if not for our vulturous neighbors who swooped in to take whatever was left and expand their holds.¡±


    Looking out over the empty yard with flowing gold mana, two unpleasant thoughts occurred to me.


    ¡°How quickly did the neighbors move in?¡±


    There was painful silence as we walked over the barren landscape until Salamede found the words.


    ¡°We know. It was all quite obvious from the start.¡±


    That bit of history now addressed, I moved onto the question more relevant to me.


    ¡°Your people aren¡¯t going to try and relive lost glory through me or our children are they?¡±


    Salamede immediately put a hand to my face and pulled down the mask to kiss me.


    ¡°If they¡¯ve had those thoughts, they¡¯ve kept such speculations out of earshot. Truth be told, mother said the first generation that braved the seas to get here had nothing but revenge in their hearts. However, no matter how rough you may think things are here, it''s far better for us than what we had in the central continent.


    Going out into the woods and being able to relax was quite a big deal. Good weather, plentiful food, and neighbors who were more interested in cheap labor and keeping us at arm''s length did what hundreds of years of bitter cold could not, it cooled our violent nature. Wisdom prevailed and the first generation decided to toss aside almost all of our old customs and attire so that future generations would fully integrate into our new home.¡±


    As we came close to the tower, Salamede suddenly gripped my shoulders and her white eyes narrowed.


    ¡°But it did not quench all of our fiery passions. Eli, prepare yourself. You have riled a Kelton woman and do not think you will escape the consequences of your charity to myself and my people¡±


    It was a long night, but come morning my sore back, hips, and tongue had made enough of a recovery to get ready for class. After a breakfast of oatmeal and a particularly heated kiss, we went back to our usual routine as I headed out for class and Salamede went to go help hold off the undead at the gates.


    I was walking down the road again as the wall around the back end of the town obstructed my view of everything beyond as I walked up to the regular waiting point by the gate. What was different this time was the line of carriages, big boxes of metal with four horses each. The typical crowd of white and blue robed students milled about but I noticed tinges of anger in a some of the gazes mixed in with the typical sulking of the men and naked lust of the women.


    After a while, soldiers from the previous group came through the gates and there was no dents or blood on them or their armor.


    ¡°No attacks this trip. Thank the powers that be¡± One of the soldiers coming through the gate shouted. The local guards gave a light cheer and fist bump. From there, the students started filing into the metal carriages, with soldiers getting into every other one. As I walked up to a carriage near the back, several women who were ¡®undecided¡¯ about which carriage to take suddenly crowded into mine. I quickly moved towards the back so those coming in couldn¡¯t get a free grope in when passing me.


    With a mana lamp in the middle of the cieling, the soft glow showed some luxuries afforded here the carriages used to retrieve the refugees did not. Leather padded benches, soft red carpet, and the craftsmanship on the metal made it look more like a single solid piece rather than iron sheets quickly put together. The small open rectangles in the top were the only interruptions along the relatively smooth surface and provided the only means to let air in. I guessed that this was meant to act like a vault that would hold off any beating the monsters could dish out if the guards died.


    The luxury and safety was totally ignored by the now full carriage of women who only had eyes for me.


    After a few more seconds, the grinding of the gate opening was heard and the carriage jerked forward as the horses neighed. It was a long trip as the carriages moved slowly over the barren landscape, a journey filled with accidental touches and girls constantly making noises or having to move closer to me in a ploy to get my attention. Never letting me think on the inner designs for my home, I was content to just stare at the ceiling when one of the girls finally spoke.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in the tower?¡± A feminine voice called, vaguely familiar. Turning around, I saw it was Jessica from the hospital. The pigtailed red head got up off the bench in the front right of the carriage and moved towards me, her small button nose and sharp chin showing moving shadows from the mana lamp above. Her blue eyes with thick black eyelashes below thin red eyebrows displayed raw lust as she moved between the legs of the other students.


    The others seemed stunned at her sudden breaking of the censure, but she just grinned happily. She leaned down to grab the bottom of her robe to reveal red and white striped long socks that ran up to her thighs and some blue wrist bands with white embroidery on the sides. And nothing else.


    Petite with small pink nipples on breasts that wouldn¡¯t fill my hand, her exposed body had freckles running down from her cheeks to the tuft of red pubes above the thick lips of her womanhood. Wasting no time after pulling her robes fully off, she immediately threw herself at me. I put out my hand and stopped her by pushing against her stomach, but she only got more excited from the contact as she sucked in her lower lip and hearts practically shot out of her eyes.


    Before I could prepare an earth spell to hold her back, she slouched down and onto my leg. Grabbing her right thigh and lifting her off my leg, her breasts seemed to jiggle more with her heavy breathing than the movement of the carriage.


    ¡°Jessica!¡± A blond down the line of students squeaked, though it was mixed more with a tone of lighthearted encouragement than condemnation.


    ¡°Oh stop acting like sheep.¡± Jessica scolded the surrounding women with a look to her fellows before turning a roguish grin back to me. ¡°There¡¯s no way his children will be denied benefits. The censure doesn¡¯t matter. Besides, if you could feel these hands¡­ ¡±


    Some of the surrounding women got thoughtful looks at that. Deciding to intervene before they made that realization, I pushed against Jessica. Sadly, the carriage came to a quick stop, causing her skinny frame to slip from my grasp. It was an opportunity she took for all it was worth as she pressed her body fully against me and grinded her groin against mine. It was only when the roars of beasts and the thumping of steel boots came through the holes overhead that everyone¡¯s attention turned away from sex.


    It continued for a few seconds, with Jessica clinging closer to me, now seemingly more out of fear than lust. The occasional scream from a beast or man sounded out as the wet squish of flesh being cut followed or preceded a cry


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± A buff brunette near the middle said. ¡°This carriage could stand up to even a trolls blows so we¡¯re-¡° A particularly hard knock against the carriage, followed by the sound of a snap, stopped her for a moment before she got a smug smile.


    ¡°See? Nothing to-¡°


    A light creaking sound stopped her dead as every face present turned to the source at the entrance of the carriage. The women all stared in abject terror as the door squeaked open with a slow, scraping swing letting in the sunlight and a cold breeze. I readied a quick metal spell to close it but alas the undead were not as hesitant as their living counter parts.


    A mass of waxy grey skin rushed through the opening. It was the rough form of a wolf, but with muscles bulging along its skin and no fur to speak of. The lifeless eyes moved around, taking in the occupants before its head shot forward to take a bite out of the nearest woman. I was already up and had tossed Jessica onto the woman opposite of me when the metal spell dissipated from contact with the undead.


    The monster had its jaw around the bleeding leg of a skinny brunette by the time I got to the front while the rest of the women shirked back from the wail of terror from the struggling and crying woman. I swiftly kicked the waxy, muscular head of the beast but that didn¡¯t dislodge it as it held onto the screaming student¡¯s leg. I used another metal spell to pull out a long, crude and sharp edge in the door frame before giving the beast another good kick. Its neck was cut nearly halfway through and as it released the woman to try and bite me, I pulled on the door handle as hard as I could.


    The undead wolfs head came clean off with no blood visible.


    Quickly shutting the door, I fused a small strip of along the frame together. Taking a deep breath as I stood over the head as it soundlessly snapped its jaw and wagged its tongue, I noticed the smell of blood. Turning around, the brunette from earlier was bleeding from the leg and it looked like it got an artery when it bit her. The severed head did a slight jump with its jaw as it tried to awkwardly move forward. A quick and strong stomp on its head with my leather boot kept it in place as I leaned over to use a healing spell on the still screaming girl before she bled out over the carriage floor.


    ¡°All right.¡± I called to the other students as I finished healing her and burned away the blood on the floor. Looking back up, I could see they were looking at me with the fear still plain in their faces. ¡°I¡¯m going to assume that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Any ideas on how it did?¡±


    They looked curiously towards each other for a bit before someone squeaked, ¡°The man!¡±


    I turned towards the source and saw a smaller black-haired girl with pudgy cheeks and green eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked as the head gave another shove, nearly unbalancing me.


    ¡°There was another guy in the carriage, but he left when it got too cramped.¡± She said with a bit lip.


    ¡°And I¡¯m guessing the male students aren¡¯t given courses on how to fully latch the door.¡± I said dryly.


    ¡°Fully?¡± Jessica asked, standing totally naked in the middle of the carriage.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°There was a simple latch with a thin piece of metal that kept the door closed for this trip. But I¡¯m guessing he didn¡¯t close the thicker upper and lower latches that provide most of the security for the door.¡± I said tiredly as I looked at the door and, sure enough, the two inner bolts that allowed those on the inside to unlock the doors upper and lower locks were still in the unlocked position further along the door and I had been too far in the back to see it. I stood there trying to keep the head from ambling away for a few more seconds before a knock and a call was heard on the door. I undid my fused strip and sharp edges around the door frame and let the soldier in.


    Jessica was back in my seat with her robes over her, but the soldier was too busy looking at the squirming head under my foot to notice even if she was still nude. When I told him what we thought happened, he went pale.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your quite distressed about this but if you could remove this head, I would be oh so appreciative.¡± I said with a strained smile behind my mask.


    He looked down with a harried look for a moment before taking out his sword and stabbing the struggling head in the back before dragging it out of the carriage. I moved to leave with him but about five pairs of hands suddenly had a death grip on me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡±


    ¡°What if they come back?¡±


    ¡°Stay!¡±


    I sighed before turning around and was going to try out my harshest scowl. But Jessica just jumped into my arms again, now actually wearing her robes. She was properly shaking now. The added weight with the hands all trying to pull me down brought me to the floor as I had two other women soften my impact with their own bodies before going to lean against my back as the hard clank announced the guard locking the two bolts.


    There was a moment where I was worried this was a prelude to a forced orgy, but the looks in their eyes told me otherwise. Whatever they were doing or thinking about doing before, that undead wolf getting in the carriage knocked the sex maniac right out of them all.


    ¡°Damn you, Jessica!¡± The buff brunette from earlier said to my left with a snarl to the still shaking red head against my chest. ¡°We could have died because you tried to sheath his dick in front of everyone.¡±


    The glow of the mana lamp illuminated the scowls of the other women present, causing Jessica to look around in fear as her former compatriots turned on her.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean¡­ it wasn¡¯t¡± Tears were coming down her face now. Swallowing my hesitation, I took her head and patted the back of it with an understanding nod. Her blue eyes looked up to me with a shimmer before she leaned her head into my shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just calm down.¡± I said in a firm, parental tone. That seemed to pacify them as they all scrunched up around me, trying to lean against whatever part of me was available as the carriage jolted forward again.


    In my mind¡¯s eye, I got the image of me drowning in a sea of needy cats.


    ¡°Ladies, if you want me to be unimpeded then-¡°


    ¡°Hush.¡± A petite blond with green eyes and a mole on her left lip said before she rested my head against her shoulder. This was less heated frenzy and more them needing someone strong to lean on for now. It was at this moment I saw the kids who just zipped through puberty mostly unconscious in their faces.


    ¡°Fine, this one time.¡± I said with a defeated sigh as I closed my eyes.


    The rest of the trip passed in silence before the carriage did a turn to the left and came to a stop. A call saying we arrived stirred the girls into motion.


    ¡°All right girls, we¡¯ve got schoolwork to do.¡± I said sweetly.


    A few huffs and unsatisfied grumbles was the first answer, but they eventually got off me in time for the door to open. They all shuffled out, with even Jessica getting up and leaving. I followed shortly behind them and I could tell they were all trying to act as casual as they could. I looked out over the grass and saw a wide wall of grey stone and another gate blocking the road behind us while I turned to see the twin towers of the classrooms.


    There was a small crowd of staff members scurrying about the entrance, looking over the students for injuries. It was Veronica¡¯s mother, Agatha, who broke through the crowd and approached our group waiting to get in.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She said with a look towards the guards like she wanted to strangle them.


    The blond from earlier spoke up and explained our entire trip and how we thought the door came to be improperly locked. Agatha went pale when she got to part about the door opening but recovered by the time the tale got to the soldier taking the severed head out.


    ¡°And you lot kept him in the carriage afterwards?¡± She said with a bit lip.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Jessica said to my left.


    ¡°And afterwards did any of you give your savior a good thank you?¡± Agatha asked in eager anticipation.


    There was an exchange of guilty looks amongst the women before Jessica looked to the ground and kicked a rock as she crushed Agatha¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Agatha got a disappointed look before shooting a scolding look at me. Her tone, however, was of relief.


    ¡°At least you all made it safe and sound. We will consider saving these girls lives balancing out those lost yesterday.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow above the smiling metal mask as the breeze whipped my hair around.


    ¡°What happened yesterday?¡±


    Agatha and several other girls looked askance at me before Agatha spoke up.


    ¡°I got reports that you were present during the rescue operation yesterday when there was the big attack on the road.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said as I crossed my arms, the feeling I wasn¡¯t going to like what came next gripping me. ¡°But we left after the injured were seen to.¡±


    At that several of the girls walked away and Agatha got a pitying look. Physically and mentally bracing myself, I decided to get it over with.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Agatha closed her eyes before opening them and sticking her arm out and threading it through mine.


    ¡°Come.¡± She said as she led me through the crowd and into the main building proper. We walked a bit more over the red carpet and the grey stone brickwork as we moved through various bookshelves and up the main staircase in the center of the tower. We walked in silence past students and teachers who looked on openly or gossiped as we made our way to the practice towers and to the Front office. She opened the oak door to a small room with a single desk and a chair in front and behind it.


    I walked across the grey stone of the floor as a mana lamp on the ceiling illuminated the desk and chairs in the barely more than arm length wide room.


    ¡°Well, Eli¡± Agatha started as she went to sit behind the desk and motioned for me to take the seat in front. ¡°There¡¯s no easy way to say this so I¡¯ll make it quick. After investigating and getting reports from the survivors, we pieced together what happened. Crafter Johnson¡¯s family tried to replicate the incident where you rescued the duchess along with a few other girls¡¯ families.


    Sadly, the men were not clad in proper steel and, more importantly, they waited until healing magic flooded the earth.¡±


    I got an image in my head of a pack of muscular, wax skinned wolves attacking a bunch of men in leather armor and it was obvious how that match up would play out.


    ¡°How many died?¡± I asked with a calming exhale of breath.


    ¡°A lot. We¡¯re still getting the final numbers, but we know that John and his family did not survive the attempt.¡±


    It was odd, all the years I¡¯ve lived and that never seems to get old. An old musician friend playing on a street corner one day and shot in a mugging the next, talking with a king of a small solar system discussing compensation for a moon base and killed in a rebellion the next day, now having John¡¯s mother plea for my children and then, dead. There was something about having plans or discussions with someone only for that to unexpectedly be the last time you talk with them that was so hard to get used to.


    ¡°That¡­¡± I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment before continuing. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my fault.¡±


    Agatha gave a deep sigh and leaned back into her chair with her arms crossed and her blue eyes looking upward with a blank face. After a long moment she turned her head back to me, a faint smile brushing up against her sharp cheek bones.


    ¡°Yes, Eli. This incident was not your fault. But contributing to it is still a bad thing in my eyes.¡± She said slowly, with a tone that couldn¡¯t quite keep the anger out of her voice.


    I was thankful to the mask for keeping my grimace hidden.


    ¡°If you have something to say, Agatha, then say it. I prefer to hear the five or six words that mean something rather than the deluge of noise trying to make them more palpable.¡±


    She stood straight at that and bit her lip for a moment before looking me in the eyes and finally getting to the point of us being here.


    ¡°Eli, when you were at the academy yesterday, you did not take a single woman into the side rooms for sex. You didn¡¯t even present yourself to the Front or the school when you became a caster, a fact Tansen had to drag out of you. After that, you still didn¡¯t come to us to set up the breeding stipends or matches or present yourself to the dorms for the women to receive your seed into their wombs. John¡¯s family no doubt heard this and got nervous. Nervous and desperate people make stupid decisions and you being so stingy with your seed is making a lot of people nervous and desperate.¡± She said in a calm, counselor trying to help you through your problems, tone.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m censured that problem will-¡°


    Agatha slapped her right hand on the table, but she seemed momentarily surprised at her own anger, looking at her palm splayed out on the desk with puckered lips and raised blond eyebrows before withdrawing the hand with a light cough.


    ¡°Eli, you¡¯re a smart man. An intelligence Jessica also shares, apparently, so let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time playing ignorant. Those inexperienced young girls know what a huge problem being censured is for most mages. Most.


    But you¡¯re not most mages, Eli. Not by any stretch of the imagination.


    Any clerk who tried to deny your children their rightful place would be removed from their chair and dragged out of the building by the hair that very day. No. That very hour. There is no one with any amount of understanding in these matters who thinks the censure is responsible for you not doing your duty.¡±


    She seemed genuinely upset and while I was angry at her seeming entitlement to my loins, this was a facet of this world¡¯s society that had been driven into her through thousands of years of magical breeding preferences. Despite that, she still managed to try and keep civil, so I extended her that same courtesy.


    ¡°It is my seed to dispense with whom I see fit and when I see fit. My time is very precious, and I am far too busy to spend it rutting in the dorms all day.¡± I said in a calm voice.


    Agatha huffed and leaned back into her chair with an unbelieving pucker of her lips.


    ¡°Tell me, how precious is your time that you cannot spend an hour a day in the dorms but can spend several shopping for marble and dancing with your¡­¡± Speech actually failed her at this point. She bit her lip as the obvious word died on her tongue.


    ¡°Wife? Is that what you were going to say? My wife,¡± I asked with my arms crossed.


    She put on a tight smile even as her blue eyes got heat to them. Agatha even had to lean back and mesh her fingers together to presumably prevent another unintended slap on the table.


    ¡°Yes. Your wife.¡± She said, like the very words were a thorn freshly stuck in her finger.


    ¡°What I do with my wife and how often is our business, no one else¡¯s.¡± I said in a firm tone.


    Agatha got some redness in her sharp cheeks at that as she leaned forward with her arms squeezed together.


    ¡°No one else¡¯s business? Mages breeding is everyone¡¯s business, Eli. Mages are what propel society forward and helps stabilize this region. Mages are the ones who hunt down magically enhanced monsters to make this world safe for peasants and crafters. That ¨C¡°


    ¡°Crafters are mages.¡± I interrupted.


    That put a crack in her anger as the heat in her cheeks lessened and the smile became more genuine.


    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, Eli. But we are not considered mages in most circles. The only real practical use we have is saving time for casters and scions crafts or providing better breeding stock than purely magicless peasants.¡± She said with a calm tone having no undercurrent of resentment.


    I put my hands in my lap and let out a long breath.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t need to be told that. I lived that experience. There were few if any people who gave the slightest thought to me when I was a crafter. My whole time here the only thing anyone thought about was magical levels and gaining more power for themselves. The crafts I made and all the things I could have brought the magical world were tossed in the trash heap because the magic level on my file had the word crafter in the box.¡±


    Agatha put up a hand to stop me.


    ¡°Eli, that was-¡°


    ¡°But you know who did see my potential? You know who stuck with me through all of that shit? Salamede. My wife is who stuck by my side, not the mages who spend every waking moment trying to accumulate ever more power for themselves, whose only thought in their skulls is the exchange of benefits and have no emotional room for any person of lower station than themselves.


    And I¡¯m fine with that.


    The magical world is free to value and de-value whoever it pleases and disassociate with whomever it pleases. I am genuinely ok with that and I have adjusted my life accordingly. Seeing how low I was on the social hierarchy, I resolved that I would spend my days plugging my wife with all the seed her body can take,¡±


    Agatha got a peeved look at that, but I pushed forward.


    ¡°And work with the local merchants and Kelton¡¯s to grow my power and connections for my personal ends.


    What I do not appreciate, what I do not accept, is the reversal of the already established relationship now that it is convenient for the powers of government and society to do so. The mage associations and every other self-centered blowhard who thinks their ability to shoot fire or rocks out of their hands makes them god¡¯s gift to the universe do not get to just start guilt tripping and talking about obligations after I have already been tossed out of the proverbial club.¡±


    Agatha sat there, thinking hard for a moment before stiffening her back and taking a deep breath as she took a hard tone.


    ¡°Eli, if that is how you genuinely feel, then know this; The associations will never accept you if you are not providing for the next generation. It is a mages duty to bring in a new crop of magic capable children so that we can survive, so that humanity can survive. A duty born by women at this academy through lonely nights and long stretches as single parents.


    If you truly are intent on keeping your seed with your goat wife, know that the associations will never let you into their inner circles.¡±


    I laughed.


    The impulse just burst through me without any impediment as the unexpected emotion came straight up before I could ponder its propriety. Agatha sat there with a bewildered expression, but I paid her no mind as I closed my eyes and threw my head back as I clutched at my gut with my laughter reverberating around the room. A few moments later, I properly sat back up with a swipe at my teary eyes and a faint chuckle coming from under my mask.


    ¡°The ocean of sadness brought on by the loss of such prospects is immeasurable, but I will do my best to endure its burden for the rest of my days.¡±


    Agatha got a slightly hurt look but quickly schooled herself to a blank mask before dismissing me.


    ¡°You are being incredibly selfish, Eli. Holding out on such an incredible gift for everyone is an insult to everything millions of people here and throughout history have struggled for. Your refusal is condemning tens of thousands to the grind of poverty and hardship where you could have uplifted them to a life where even a peasant of this region could live almost as well as a noble from the influx of wealth and magical association interest, to say nothing of what a poor and struggling family could gain with the mother or daughter directly having a child from you. But since I cannot force the issue, we are done here.¡± She said in an icy tone.


    I nodded and got up from my chair. Leaving the room, I made sure not to let the jab of guilt from her words show. Pushing down the doubts, I worked my way through the stairs and over the connecting bridge to the main tower. As I walked down the huge central main staircase, I pondered over her words.


    Sure, the wealth she was talking about would be a great boon, but it had to come from somewhere. While the poor people who I¡¯ve seen struggle and fight for their lives everyday would be greatly uplifted from the influx of breeding stipend money, it was an issue where the money would have to come from someone else and that meant other, unseen, peasants would be going hungry from their tax money being diverted to this region.


    Well that wasn¡¯t entirely true. My children would have magical talents that would vastly increase the economy here, and by Christ I would make sure they worked. The influx of earth, metal, and healing capable mages alone would probably¡­


    I stopped dead as I was on the outer lane overlooking the various floors of bookshelves and fluttering blue and white striped robes below and above.


    Dear god, I was going native for a moment there.


    Working past the crowd, I made my way back to the main floor and headed outside to attend the advanced alchemy course. The wall of grey stone now ran the entire perimeter of the two towers campus, even as the various square garden beds had to be moved under the bridge between the two solid masses of seamless white stone.


    This course was similar to the base one, but now it came with a table filled with vials and a set of instructions on how to make healing potions, a set up for special cases in growing mana soaked plants or bugs and healing mages. With the teacher being a man and the class having several separate garden areas for each student, I got through relatively unmolested, suffering only a few shoulder rubs and crude strokes at my privates from passing female students.


    The interesting part, where we grew slugs to make various chemical compounds, was in the class tomorrow. We spent a good amount of time going over the needed tools and dimensions for a good garden bed, but the class, as was so often the case, spent its first day going over future class days. My time at school finished, I headed back home around mid-day. And this time the girls didn¡¯t endanger all our lives trying to get into my carriage.


    Getting back into the safe¡­safer zone of the academy town, I went back to the tower and got to work on one new project and ponder over which of two other new projects I wanted to work on. Down in the cavernous testing area, I was working on a crude hull design for a dirigible. The use of a regular airplane was too dangerous without proper testing equipment, even with my experience, and the fuel needed was a far too involved process for me to go through the effort when I had a new technology that made it possible to have a design that was essentially fuel free.


    Using a simple cloth or plant fiber balloon and a heater to provide lift would be enough for my needs but the dimensions were something that needed to be sorted out, along with the testing of the balloon itself. The only downside to the heater approach was that after enough testing, the air had to be filtered out as it brought the surrounding air closer to the balloon¡¯s inner temperature.


    I was working a few planks of wood into a general hull shape as I went over the other two projects. The connector for my AI chips would have to be replaced with a crude platinum and quantum computer before I could use the functions of the AI chips to regain my memories and get access to the augmented reality features that would enable me to start making the nanite construction swarms needed to really get some proper features on this planet¡¯s surface going. Woodland trees were great, but there was something about a skyscraper piercing the clouds above that I missed.


    Of course, making, testing, and writing all the hardware and software for the connectors was a very long-term project and maybe focusing on diamond plating or carbon fiber would be wiser for the short term.


    As the form of the ship, about 35 feet length wise with a 20 foot width and about two times as tall as a man, came into focus as I laid the crude pieces down, I pondered over the various rooms and bracings needed as well as engine placement. Plant magic meant I could reform and mold the interior with relatively little fuss as the outer shell and needed structural beams were done into a seamless piece of wood with the fusing of the logs and boards. Cell was out playing with his friends in the river somewhere and that left me alone with my thoughts until Salamede came back after a few hours.


    Opening the door, my wife in the steel feather armor suit came through. Taking only a moment to look at the bare skeleton of the inner beams, she quickly came up to me as she maneuvered around the various logs and crude boards.


    ¡®Hey Eli. How was your day?¡¯ She asked in a spirit connection as she came up to me with a kiss on the neck. Still wearing my regular school under robe, I gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the lips.


    ¡®A rough day at first but then it smoothed out to passable.¡¯ I said as I turned back to the wood skeleton.


    ¡®Oh? Do tell.¡¯


    As I finished out the beams and started working on the outer shell, I told her all about the trip to the academy. While I was working, I made sure to get a good look at Salamede when I got the part when Jessica stripped naked in the carriage. The only reaction she had was a smirk underneath the hawk head shaped helmet with a distinct air of amusement.


    ¡®Well, I suppose one of them had to start using her brains eventually.¡¯


    I choked on my own saliva for a moment as I leaned against the board I was holding against two beams.


    ¡®Does everyone support what she did? Jumping me butt naked in the middle of dangerous territory and surrounded by the undead, is that really such a great idea?¡¯ I asked in exasperation.


    ¡®For the chance to have you? I can personally attest to how worthwhile that risk is. Who else supported her?¡¯


    From there, I went over the rest of the day, from the cuddle session to Agatha¡¯s consultation and finally ending with the Advanced Alchemy class. Once I did, Salamede stepped forward and hugged me from the back.


    ¡®Oh Eli, you wicked man. You use such bare language, but I can just see how masterful and smooth you must have been saving those girls in the carriage. Standing in front of the door with the undead conquered beneath your foot while working the door and healing the girl¡¯s leg. So much raw power and ability on display and you didn¡¯t even give those girls a single taste. What a cruel man you are.¡¯ She chided.


    I snorted and put my right hand behind me to swat her steel bum.


    ¡®Enough about these pestering nuisances, how was your day my love?¡¯ I said.


    That actually got a hard sigh from her and her tone lost its undercurrent of teasing.


    ¡®Now that the undead are getting healing magic, I don¡¯t end fights covered in as much gunk and it doesn¡¯t get between the plates as easily. That¡¯s about the only good thing. It takes two men to safely take down an undead wolf or dog. They¡¯re getting ballistae¡¯s in place for bigger threats like troglodytes or trolls but it¡¯s already a horrid job trying to keep the mass of grey muscle at bay. The healing beds are almost in constant use and that¡¯s allowed the guard to keep more men in place, and since I¡¯ve been able to deal with smaller packs and lone bears easily enough, that means there are fewer injuries than usual.


    Things are apparently going very well from what the captain said, but if this is what a good run of it is like, I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like after months on regular guard duty. Staying inside the walls, I was always a little peeved having to pay so much in tax for the very generous amounts the guards earn during this time but now I don¡¯t know if they make enough.¡¯


    I turned around and took her head in my hands.


    ¡®Is there anything I could do to lighten your burden?¡¯


    She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.


    ¡®Unless you could raise the whole town onto a stone platform, not much. The best thing we could do was give them a few guns, but¡­ we obviously can¡¯t do that.¡¯


    Yeah, there were way too many reports on the pandego¡¯s abilities out there and it would be a guarantee that someone would link any guns I made back to my misadventures down south.


    ¡®Who knows, Eli. Maybe this boat you¡¯re making will have some magical ability that will make patrolling the rivers safer.¡¯


    I smiled mischievously as I rubbed my nose against her snout.


    ¡®We will see. I better get back to it while there¡¯s still time in the day.¡¯


    Salamede smiled back with a light pinch on my butt before turning around.


    ¡®I¡¯ll get dinner ready. Afterwards I want to go over some ideas for the house.¡¯ She said in a serious tone as she headed back towards the door.


    The next few days went through the regular doldrums of married life. I got the steel shipments in to make the plates for the floors and finished out a staircase going between the three floors along the outer wall, starting on the right side on the first floor then one going up on the left side. This was so any intruders would have to go through the traps I made and armed. A small inconvenience in everyday life for a lot of extra security.


    The task of the air ship took priority over the start of the computer project, a task delayed with my dwarven compatriots struggling to supply the needed platinum. Over the course of time, an overall design for the tower was agreed upon and built in the late afternoons when Salamede was off of work and I was finished with my classes.


    A monument dwarfed only by the academy itself, the tower was now considerably taller than any of the buildings in the town proper. While it had only three floors, each floor had the height of ten feet and the thick wall, now molded over with fine black marble flecked with white, provided a stark contrast to the light grey stone now covering the entire lawn. The stone on the lawn was cut and sectioned off to give a sense of the edges flowing from the tower like a wave of sharp water.


    Two inward curving walls of black marble by the entrance would help keep battering rams from being placed in the front while the smooth curves from my earth magic helped make it seem like a pair of wings flowing from the now hexagon shaped blocks of outer marble. Above the thick wooden doors reenforced with iron bands, hung the rope with the waxy papers of our promises from the marriage.


    Through the main door was the lounge area for visitors as well as the hatch for my basement. The floor was now solid oak with shiny metal rails for the soft brown staircase on the right. To the left was a drawer and a mirror with hooks along the wall for when we went out and wanted a coat on hand. On the right was a simple kitchen with a stove and various herbs and smoked meats along a rack above the stove and a pair of cabinets.


    In the right corner where the staircase to the upper floor ended was a simple wooden chest. It contained all of the items that I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do with. A leftover cube of wood filled with gunpowder from my demolition of the mine base, now encased in another shell of wood holding it in a pool of water, and a packet-switch enchanted pair of wooden swords and shield whose fire and water spells wouldn¡¯t fail from a spell. Items I either didn¡¯t want to accidently get burned in a fire from the forge or wanted close at hand in case of an attack and Salamede needed something quick. The far-left side was a fireplace with fire enchantments along the wood bottom and a couch with a table in front. The couch was on the left side so I could keep an eye on the door and talk with any visitors.


    On the second floor was my ¡®workshop¡¯. A simple wooden table in the center with a comfortable chair and some wood and metal pieces scattered about was all it took to make it seem like this was where I worked most of my crafting miracles. In the back along the right side wall was the mannequins holding up our two suits of armor and racks for our weapons. The only major difference on this floor was the copper floor aside from the bit of stone floor for the chest by the stairs, holding various smaller crafting pieces and the elven journal and crown beneath, for when I wanted to fry the people who didn¡¯t belong here.


    The final floor was the bedroom and a glass paned shower on the right corner with a special metal tube in the middle of the glass square. A fine bed sat in the middle overlooking a window to the outside world. The bed had thick red blankets and fine silk white sheets with soft pillows of the finest feathers, luxury items purchased from the dwarf¡¯s cloth and tailor merchant. A dresser stood on the opposite end to the right of the staircase and to the right of the bed was a nightstand that held some Yook root for our nighttime activities. The yellow tinged celery¡¯s contraceptive ability lasts several days, and we had certainly been getting our use out of it.


    Our marital bed had been getting a lot of abuse since I made it, but I had made sure to craft a sturdy one. The teachers had now started getting their pets in along with the students and while I firmly rebuffed them, the timing with my marriage had made it a lot harder than it would have been in years past. While I was always aware of women¡¯s beauty, Salamede had awakened my passions in full and having women follow you around, shooting heated glances and rubbing their chests against you all the while, only aggravated the roused desires.


    If there was any discord in our home, it was the mage associations invitation letters. They came in all kinds of fancy packages and envelopes of considerable quality, all espousing the same drivel about boundless potential and the opportunities of membership into their ranks. For my part, the opportunity for free kindling for the fireplace was the extent of the possibilities they represented. But Salamede was quite upset when she saw me putting in their deserved place and extracted a promise from me that I would let her take them to Tansen for safekeeping and possible responses. As her husband, it was important I work to make her happy, so I allowed her this indulgence.


    Fortunately, Salamede seemed quite eager to repay my understanding and she saw to my needs in bed, or elsewhere if the opportunity arose, with gusto. This game of power and sexual exchange was something we both enjoyed. The all-powerful mage, unbound by all constraints but the beauty of his beloved, and the powerless woman who had the world at her fingertips through her seductive prowess, were roles we both very much relished playing.


    Unfortunately, one morning her other duties came knocking on the door.


    We were lounging on the couch eating a bowl of oatmeal together, with Cell at the end of the table enjoying some nuts being crushed in the liquid black mass beneath his body, when the thud of a fist slamming against our door sounded out. Getting up with my usual white shirt and brown pants, Salamede quickly slipped out of her see-through white robe and went upstairs to dress for the day as Cell zipped through the ceiling and into a small hole in the top left corner of the room. Opening the double doors, a sweating messenger boy in torn jeans and grey shirt.


    ¡°Message for your grace, lord wizard. Cap¡¯n says you both are needed urgently at the front gate.¡± He squeaked.


    ¡°All right. Thanks for the message.¡± I said as I closed the door.


    I moved upstairs and met Salamede in the ¡®workshop¡¯, already dressed in her steel suit.


    ¡°Any idea what it could be?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°None.¡± She said as she strapped the shiny steel helmet on, covering her snout with the hawk beak.


    I nodded and donned my armor as well, with Cell putting himself in a special back shoulder plate with another black sphere on the opposite shoulder. Over the past few days, I also took the time to make the swinging balls of iron with cables above the hands for Salamede as well and our suits now had the same functions. Making our way downstairs and out the door, we had the wheels in our legs down and were zipping over the stone lawn as the morning sun shined over the land and river. The stench was actually better with the placement of the sewer line now that the sewage skipped the portions of the river in front of the town.


    Working through the crowd, we got through the mass of people going through their everyday life. As we got closer to the midsection of the town, the smell of fire and the falling of faint ash was omnipresent and only got stronger as we came up to the bridge. Being expected by the captain, the toll worker let us through without a word. Sweaty men in brown pants went around without shirts as any residual cold from the settling of winter had been totally driven away by the three large pyres along the left side of the road leading up to the gate. With the constant stream of waxy bodies and ash being taken out of the fires, the whole yard looked like a nonstop bonfire. The bloodless bodies each had a spear stuck in their head and was hurriedly unstuck before being thrown in the fire to burn. The only other big change that I saw was the large ballistae¡¯s along the wall.


    In front of the gates and talking with soldiers, was the black bearded captain and Rand. Both men were suited up in their typical steel plate chests, brown pants and leather gloves, but the sweat and loud shouting said they weren¡¯t in a typically good mood.


    ¡°-Then pull them to¡­Lord mage!¡± Rand¡¯s green eyes lit up at our approach with hope as his brown mustache and strong cheekbones glistened.


    He rushed forward with a handshake, which I took as I got to business.


    ¡°Morning. What¡¯s the issue?¡±


    Rand took a gulp of saliva before explaining.


    ¡°We sent a caravan to provide some special ballistae ammo to help deal with undead troll attacks in a town called Dunwhich. But a hawk came by with a message that said quite a few of the guards were injured on their way there and now they don¡¯t have the numbers to leave. What¡¯s worse, the platform around the inner ring of their wall doesn¡¯t let them turn the cart around and the undead means that once they disembark, they have to immediately sprint off.


    And in the middle of this mess, something has happened with the government payments so we can¡¯t deploy some of the mercenary groups we typically send on such expeditions. The messenger hawk I sent better come back with a great excuse. If something isn¡¯t done soon, any visitors are going to get their carriage horses killed. What¡¯s worse is that the town doesn¡¯t have supplies for an unexpected stay of their visitors, so we need them out of there now.¡±


    Salamede nodded and initiated a spirit connection with me.


    ¡®How¡¯s it looking for you?¡¯ She asked calmly.


    ¡®We could get there easily enough, probably by mid-day at the latest and I don¡¯t have to attend my advanced alchemy class today. But the carriage making it back before night fall is another issue. I¡¯ll get a few mana lamps just in case.¡¯


    ¡®I was thinking the same thing.¡¯ Salamede said.


    I nodded and coughed before informing Rand of our decision, a decision he greeted with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank you. I know how invaluable your time is.¡± He said with no small amount of trepidation.


    ¡°Indeed¡± I responded calmly as we turned back into the crowd.


    Going back home, Salamede was shuffling around the kitchen preparing a few quick travel meals while I went around prying a few mana lamps form the walls of the first floor. I gave an irritated growl as I pried one from the wall by the entrance mirror.


    ¡°Eli? Do you have any inventions that could help us during this move?¡± Salamede asked sweetly as she pulled some fig bars from a lower cabinet.


    ¡°If I had made my ship big enough, we might have been able to move the carriage in it but that would also mean it would take longer to finish. I¡¯m afraid anything safe enough to move overland would have taken too long to finish.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure the ships not almost ready? The rivers are a lot safer to travel.¡± She asked curiously as she stuffed food items into the space expanded sack we used on the trip south.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a bit more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Why? The hull seems almost done. I know Cell¡¯s been playing with his friends a lot these days, but it still seems close.¡±


    I gave a light chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the outside. The internals are another matter entirely. Besides, I¡¯m using this as a means to show off science and the boat isn¡¯t designed for travel over water.¡±


    Salamede stopped for a moment as I worked the stone case off of the mana crystal lamp.


    ¡°Not over¡­ Eli, is that an airship?¡±


    I popped the mana lamp out far more forcefully than I meant to with a surprised hiccup.


    ¡°How¡­ How in the name of God do you know about airships?¡± I asked.


    She just gave a delighted squeal and ran over to give me a big hug as I felt Cell vibrate with joy in the back right shoulder plate.


    ¡°It is then? Oh Eli. The merchants from the central continent would share tales of all kinds when they visited us. One was how Royalty and esteemed Scions had long wooden tubes with wind magics that let them float over the land. I always wanted to try one but figured it was some unseen wonder in some land I¡¯d never visit.


    Tell me you¡¯ll take me on a ride in it.¡± She said with a quick grab of my steel plates chest collar. Her white eyes were wide with a pleading bite of her lip to round out her desperate look. Cell was likewise sending me images of us floating in the air with the trees far below us.


    I was still a little disoriented from the surprise but managed to whisper out an answer.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Once I¡¯ve tested it.¡± I said in a disappointed voice.


    Salamede puckered her lips before tilting my helmet down for a deep kiss. Then she pulled away with a loud pop as her sweet taste left my lips.


    ¡°Eli, what¡¯s the problem?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I just¡­ I wanted it to be a surprise. You know, never before seen or thought of wonders.¡± I said with a pout as I curled my lips and looked to the ceiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said in a small regretful voice as she pulled back a bit. ¡°It¡¯ll be a great surprise for everyone, having an airship this far out from the central continent.¡±


    ¡°Pff. Whatever. Let¡¯s go get that carriage. You¡¯ve already ruined the magic of the reveal anyway.¡± I said as I headed towards the door and picked up my sack on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Eli¡± Salamede said playfully as she quickly followed me out the door.

 Chapter 88: A New Arrival

    Eli POV


    My wife and I, now fully dressed for the journey ahead, zipped forward with our leather sacks of mana lamps and travel meals. With the morning sun still shining down over the waking town, we moved through the early morning crowd on a relatively low speed as we moved through on our wheels. Coming onto the main gate, they opened it with the captain giving us a salute above as we activated all the boosters along our backs and went up to top speed with a screech of scorching air coming from the tubes on our backs.


    The sacks swayed but our suits were so heavy that they didn¡¯t unbalance us at all as we zipped right through the gate with a whirlwind of dust and ash twisting behind us. Going out over the drawbridge and onto the dirt, we immediately took off down the main road until we got to the branch that took us to Bandits Grove. The waxy figures of the undead came to greet us, but they were no threat to us. By the time they registered and pinpointed the source of the noise or using whatever sense it was that let them know the living were in the area, we were already past them on the road.


    The undead were now mostly forest animals, furless and featherless birds, deer, or bears that stuck out amongst the scars of bark along the barren landscape. Invigorated by the healing magic that they sucked in from a wide area around themselves, the undead were more muscular than their living counterparts but also much slower and now that the numbers were more even, the local wild dogs, bears, wolves and occasionally ants made meals of the waxy animals when they were too weak from absorbing and losing all the local healing magic to fight back, even as they were occasionally made meals in turn.


    Rabbits scampered between bushes as a bear tore into the grey, bloodless flesh of a stag whose head had been removed with the birds nibbling and picking at the head as it tried to reform. Resting among the bushes or on the occasional step incline of a hill or boulder, these birds seemed to be moving in large flocks to and from the mountains to scavenge for scraps from such kills. A task made considerably easier with the flesh of kills regenerating over time. It seems that, no matter the horror or circumstance, life did what it always does and adapted to the world around it.


    Cell would also occasionally send me an interesting image from his back view on my left shoulder blade, but the trip, as harrowing as it must have been for most, passed without much if any difficulty before we made our way northward and up to the wide palisade of Dunwhich. The river on the left side of the palisade ambled on in its typical slow pace but I wondered how the people of Dunwhich could secure the entrances of the rivers and the two main ones.


    Their apparent solution was to not secure it at all.


    As we made the bend around to the main entrance, the front was left totally open as the ramp to the right displayed where carriages got off the ground floor to the ring around the inner wall, which circled all the way around the town until it came back to the left side entrance. Scattered about was the shuffling dead meandering around the large square houses of thick dark wood. Over the rooftops on long planks were the citizens, moving goods and bartering in small stalls as they went about their everyday life. To the right and left covering the entrances to the ring were spiked gates reenforced with bands of iron, the right one of which had some guards that were working it open for us.


    Zooming forward, we went through the space of the gate and went up the ramp. Aside from the occasional growl from the undead and our wheels knocking on the boards of the platform, there was pure silence as the surrounding guards, a mix of properly armed soldiers and peasants with spears, looked at us with wide eyes and low whispers. The increased height from our suits only made us more intimidating as the men pulled back as we walked up the ramp.


    ¡°The quad mage!¡± someone called further ahead.


    Looking over the crowd, I saw a group of men with shoulder pads painted in the yellow and black stripes of the Holstead town guards. They were around an armored carriage further along the inner platform and the surrounding men gave us space as we moved through the crowd.


    ¡°Evening, gentlemen.¡± I called. ¡°Rand sent us to escort you back home.¡±


    One of the men with a plain white feather in his helm nodded but looked to the sky and turned his brown eyes back to us as he stroked his short brown beard.


    ¡°Good. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be back in time. Besides I don¡¯t know if the men are well enough to move.¡±


    I looked up to the sky. The sun was still up but it was just past the mid-day position. That realization prompted a grumble in my gut.


    That got a light smirk from the men.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you are actually mortal. The tavern is serving good meals, but we¡¯re stuck here until the men get patched up and we get the supplies in order. Unless you would be willing to speed that process along.¡± The leader said as the surrounding caravan workers looked on.


    ¡°Salamede, get us two a table at the tavern and see what else we can do around here while I see what I can do for the injured.¡± I said with a look to the general direction of where I remember it was. From this vantage point, I could see the vast web of specially made walkways that connected all the square rooftops. Men and women were going about their day in a large section where the boards totally covered the spaces between the roofs off to the right, allowing a small market to be set up as people moved goods in and out of the hatches in their roofs. The main market center was were where the children could play without risking a fall to the undead covered streets below, throwing balls or jumping ropes while singing little songs.


    When Salamede nodded and stepped forward onto one of the planks, her foot gave an ominous creek before she pulled back. Turning back to me, I gave a tired sigh as I motioned us both to go to the carriage. It took some struggle, but we got out of our suits and laid them on the benches as we retrieved a change of clothes from our bags. Closing the carriage door behind us, I dressed in my typical attire or a white shirt and brown pants as Cell wormed his way out of the main suit and into a small hole on the lower neck of my masks strap.


    My task finished, I turned towards Salamede, who was now working her head through the green dress and straightening out her undergarments. Doing my husbandly duty, I made sure to keep a very close eye on her as she finished getting the dress over her body to make sure she didn¡¯t hurt herself. A duty that got a smirk from Salamede when she saw me staring with clear intent as she finally got the dress proper. A kiss and we opened the door, moving out into the sunlight.


    The captain directed me back towards the church while Salamede made her way over the solid planks with small handrails. As we moved further along the platform of the palisade wall, a chill breeze blew over the rough edge of the sharp wooden stakes. It did nothing to hide the scent of decay in the air and only made me regret not bringing a coat along as we made our way to the section by the church. In between the space of the wall and the three large stone buildings that made up the church were placed several large wooden planks and from the blood on the wood it was plainly where the injured were brought in.


    Walking up to the building, one large window in the middle was barred with a wood door and iron locks. A knock from one of the guards accompanying me led to a soft clack and slam of metal pieces as it swung open and an older friar stepped forward.


    ¡°What brings you lads here? No half dead men between you lot.¡± The wrinkly man with bushy white eyebrows and a brown friar robe. I coughed before I stepped forward and offered my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually here to help you. I was sent from the academy town and I can heal the injured to get them back on their feet.¡± I said as the man leathery hands shook mine.


    ¡°Ah. Good, good. Come in. We need as much help as we can get.¡± He said with a nod to the opened door over what had clearly been a windowsill.


    Following him in, there were bloody tourniquets and spots of bright and dull red along the floor of the square room but then he led me through a door to the left. This opened onto one of the walkways of the upper floors allowing me to see the rest of the building. Looking over the rail, I saw the undead, some human, most just smaller woodland critters and a few dogs, scurrying about the lower floor as the church doors were left wide open. The thought of them coming up the stairs occurred to me but a look to the back left eased my mind. On the opposite side of the bottom floor I could see the stairs had been removed with the holes in the wall showing where they had been affixed into the rest of the structure. Along the upper floors of the open space I could see nuns and friars moving back and forth carrying bloody bandages and pails of water.


    Going further along the walkway, we came into the main room where the injured were kept. Men on stretchers, with a few women and children sprinkled around, littered the floor in any place they would fit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many potions or herbs you may have brought but even rags at this point-¡° I put up my hand to silence the priest.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any healing items.¡± I said as got on my knees towards the first man with a bandage over the left side of his head. ¡°Get me a few pieces of wood, healing magic is more powerful when casted but when you¡¯re going for the long term, it¡¯s a lot more inefficient than crafts.¡±


    The old man stood dumbstruck for a moment with a raised eyebrow before shuffling back through the door. I spent a few more minutes looking for those that needed healing first when he came back with three oddly sized boards that looked like they were left over from a carpentry project.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I took them when he handed me them as I stood in the left corner with a man whose arm seemed to be more bandage than flesh.


    It took a few minutes, but the three planks eventually got the enchantments they needed except for the initiation square. For those I summoned a stone blade and cut out a square on the lower portion as all those present stared with wide eyes. Once I was finished with that, I held a finished one to the man¡¯s barely held together arm. It took a few seconds, but the skin started reforming and a wave of ooh¡¯s and whispers broke out amongst the injured laying on the floor.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re a healing mage.¡± The old priest said with bated breath.


    ¡°Indeed. Pick up the other two and press on the square to turn them on and off.¡± I said casually.


    For what felt like an hour, I sat by people as I held a board to their injuries and watched as mana was sucked into them followed by the healing of scars and bruises. After explaining their use and how to operate them to several other church members, the priests got to work applying the crafts and spreading out the injured who could be moved when the local mana ran dry. Erring on the side of caution, I didn¡¯t use my mana generation to keep the crafts going. As I was helping move some of the people on stretchers around as more space was made, I asked for some advice from the elder priest.


    ¡°I have an issue of faith and body and was wondering about your perspective on it, as a man of the faith.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The priest raised a bushy eyebrow above his brown eyes as we moved a man to a corner of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having some qualms with producing children. Everyone back at the academy is going on and on about obligations. Obligations to bring in mages for the next generation.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The priest said with sage nod as we put the stretcher down. ¡°Being fruitful is one of our savior¡¯s commands.¡±


    I walked out of the room with him as one priest stayed behind to work the healing crafts.


    ¡°But inside marriage. Fornication is a sin as said by Jesus.¡± I said, intoning my knowledge of the spirit codex as we stopped with his back to the railing as light filtered down from the windows.


    ¡°Yes. Indeed. And this is the thorn in your side? As surprised as I am to see a mage observing scripture, I¡¯ll not waste your time and ask how you came into the light of the lord.¡± He crossed his arms and looked to the floor in deep thought before continuing. ¡°In the days of Israel and the twelve tribes, the men of God needed to kill their enemies so that God¡¯s people could live in peace. Yet in time God¡¯s people were commanded to love their enemies. Yes, just because you love someone doesn¡¯t mean that they won¡¯t force your hand but there were great changes in commands from the old testament to the new and it is because, in my personal opinion, God is flexible.


    Just as his people¡¯s commands changed to meet the shift from a single nation to a borderless nation of brothers, so too does his prerogative¡¯s in our world removed from the one Adia brought his word from. While mages are not facets of life in the Bible, they are here. As such there are different priorities at play. Over my years I have travelled far and wide, and aside from the Gospel, the greatest gift bestowed has been the spread of mages.


    They make the world safer and bring prosperity to the world around them with their crafts and deeds. I myself have seen several villages no longer having to keep a separate section for children and toddlers because starvation had been staved off with the local earth mage making a damn to water the crops, a miracle for so many made from a married woman laying with a passing mage in years past. If you want my assessment, it is my personal belief that you should quell any guilt from your¡­ vigor¡¯s. God is loving and I could not see a loving God damning you when a hundred different people would run to attest for the good you did through those acts.¡±


    I nodded before taking in a deep breath.


    ¡°Thanks, Father. I will keep that in mind.¡±


    He smiled and patted my shoulder, even as I nodded with a strained smile under my metal mask.


    My question answered, though not in the manner he thought it was, I headed out of the church and to the tavern after informing the men to come get me when they were ready to leave. Hiking along the solid walkways, my silver hair, purple eyes, and mask drew a lot of attention, but the crystal-like head of Cell remained unnoticed as I made my way to the elongated wooden block that was the tavern, a larger rectangle of solid wood blocks four floors tall. There were several large walkways along the side as people came and went and I saw the roof had a double door hatch as people went up and down the staircase.


    Moving through the press of people, I went down the stairs leading to and from the doors and was back in a wide hall with a green carpet down the center and a stair case to the left with the noise of a full tavern sounding from below. Walking over the dark oak boards with an occasional creak, I moved down the stairs, past the other two floors until I was on the main floor. Ahead was a plain hallway while a wide door to the right lead into the main gathering area. Going through the door, the bar was to the right and a wide array of seating areas off to the left through the door.


    While various patrons jostled about in a haze of smells ranging from tobacco, sweat, liquor and smoke from chandeliers and candles, I looked around until I saw the horns of Salamede in a left side corner by herself with a window looking out onto the street below. Pushing my way through the crowd, I got up to her table. She was holding a mug and looking out the window and didn¡¯t notice me until I put my hand on her green dresses shoulder. She turned around with a scowl and puckered lips.


    ¡°My husb- Oh! Eli! How was it?¡± She said in that rough Kelton voice.


    ¡°Good, good. How were things on your end?¡± I asked.


    But her white eyes started darting around looking at the men and women stealing glances at us.


    ¡°Good. This place seems to actually be well run and¡­ Eli, are you sure you¡¯re comfortable sitting here?¡± She asked with a nervous scratch on her mugs handle.


    My head turned towards the main entrance behind the hallway as I strummed my finger on the wooden table.


    ¡°The door seemed secure, and that raised stone staircase entrance means that the undead can¡¯t swarm the door effectively. Nice bit of design, that. But if you¡¯re still worried I-¡°


    ¡°Not the undead. I mean are you sure you want to be seen sitting with me?¡± She said quietly.


    I raised an eyebrow at her and leaned back into my chair.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, back home the Kelton¡¯s made it easy but with no one aside from humans around, are you sure you want people thinking we¡¯re together?¡± She finished with an unsure lip bite.


    Getting off my chair, I went around the table. I gave her a stern look before I grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up. She looked at me with questioning eyes, but they went wide when I sat back down in my seat and forced her onto my lap with her chest resting against mine. A few people raised eyebrows but Salamede just blushed along her cheeks as her snout flared before she put her face on my right shoulder to look out the window.


    ¡°Salamede,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°The next time you ask me to hide our relationship, I¡¯m hiking your dress up and taking you right then and there. That will give the busy body¡¯s something to really talk about.¡±


    She gave a cute snort before rubbing my shoulder in appreciation.


    ¡°Ok. Warning received.¡±


    We sat there for a few more moments, taking in each other and rubbing shoulders as we just experienced the noise of the tavern as the inquiring eyes eventually moved elsewhere. After a good minute, Salamede spoke again.


    ¡°Like I said, this place is well run. Of course, there are things you could do but not during a single day here.¡± She said with a happy beat in her voice.


    ¡°We¡¯ve not been able to just rest like this for a while. Always some project I need to work on, or some guard duty Rand needs you for.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Eventually, a bar maid came by and took our orders before returning with two beef sandwiches, which we enjoyed as Salamede stayed on my lap. We stayed there for what felt like an hour or so, just enjoying the peace of each other¡¯s company with no other pressing concerns. The sun went over the mid-day point before the guards came back saying they were ready to go. We all got back to the carriage, now located towards the end of the palisades inner walkway and donned our armor. As I was getting my helmet in place by the right side of the carriage, Brother Bartholomew came through the inner ring of the palisade alongside other carriages coming in.


    The middle-aged man with a black bowl haircut and slight beard was carrying the wooden pieces I fashioned into healing crafts.


    ¡°Lord mage. We at the church of Adia thank you so much for your allowance in the use of your crafts and didn¡¯t want you to think we would let you forget them.¡± He said, offering the three wooden boards.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You will have far more use for them than I will.¡± I responded as I put the helmet over my head and pulled the iron hammer out from the carriage.


    He nodded and gave a deep bow with his brown eyes showing genuine appreciation.


    ¡°To think I once encouraged you to take up mining or lumber working.¡± Bartholomew said ruefully.


    I heard Salamede snort and look at the priest with raised eyebrows and an unbelieving face.


    ¡°Salamede,¡± I chided in a lighthearted manner.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right.¡± Bartholomew interceded. ¡°I should consider myself lucky sister Rachael isn¡¯t here to witness this conversation or else she would tan my hide anew.¡±


    I got a suppressed laugh at that, but he looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes as he continued in a sage voice.


    ¡°May God watch over you in these trying times.¡± He intoned.


    ¡°And he over you,¡± I responded with a nod.


    Behind him came the rest of the men with yellow and black striped shoulder pads, all now dressed in full armor.


    Bartholomew and a few of the onlookers pulled back or waived goodbye as Salamede and I moved towards the exit ramp of the inner walkway. The men at the gate waited until the undead wandered over to the men making noise at the opposite entrance gate before opening the exit gate. The creak of the exit gate drew back a few of the waxy, gray skin animals but the shambling featherless birds and muscular pigs were promptly blown apart by my hammer or Salamede¡¯s spear. The carriage horses took off with a loud thunder of hooves and clanking metal as the armor shod horses tore out of the gate and onto the main road.


    We zipped up beside them, with me swinging and taking off the head of an undead deer who tried to bite the horses.


    Fortunately, we made good time on the road back and the mana lamps I brought were unneeded as we got back to the academy town in the late afternoon when orange was playing across the sky. The wall of gray stone came into view as we sped along the side road and onto the last stretch of the main road. With a dull creak, the drawbridge was let down as the carriage zipped inside with a few of the grey forms of the undead coming in from around the hills.


    We came in behind the charging carriage and stopped along the left side when the carriage slowed down.


    ¡°Wooh!¡± I said with a look around. ¡°Glad to be back behind the walls.¡±


    Salamede remained silent though, looking around the edge of the wall and at the men working the ever-burning pyres.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked as I moved closer to her.


    ¡°The men. They¡¯re all guards but they usually employ mercenaries and workers to keep the fires burning and to help out on patrols but there were none on our way here.¡± She said worriedly.


    I nodded but kept my eyes on the bridge and the harbor district, where there seemed to be men in suits running around the various offices in a hurry.


    Our task finished, we headed back to our tower. But on the way over the bridge, the Kelton patriarch stood at the opposite end with his typical fat blue suit and brown fur showing sweat over his sharp chin and pronounced cheek bones even as the sweat stayed out of his white eyes.


    ¡°Ah master mage! We have dire news we need to discuss.¡± He called with a bow of his head, though with his brown horns running along the back on his neck it made it look like he was going to ram us.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, with a sorrowful look at my tower, and all its comforts, off to the right side of the town. So close, yet so far.


    ¡°It¡­ Tansen said it would be best if we talked about it in his office.¡± The patriarch said.


    From there we headed towards the academy, along the way we saw a long line of workers doing nothing as they idled about the town. Salamede looked especially worried as we worked our way through the crowd, but we pressed forward through the streets. An air of anxious energy clogged the streets along with the people as guards shouted between themselves in the sidelines of the main road.


    It took just a few more minutes but we got through the academy¡¯s main entrance and into the tower. Going up through the stairs, we eventually came up to the secretary desk to the right of Tansen¡¯s entry door. It took a few minutes, interspersed with the sound of a heated argument, but we were eventually let in. While the windowless room with blue and white striped walls was in its typical bare form and the plain wood floor was as well tended as always, the rest of the room was far tenser than it usually was. Rand was standing by the left side of Tansen¡¯s oak wood desk in his typical steel chest plate and leather pants and arm length brown coat.


    Tansen was sitting in the chair behind the desk with Aki to the left of him. The Academy head was in his typical black kimono with a wave of sapphires across the chest while his ever-present companion wore the typical white and blue striped staff robes. The three men had furrowed eyebrows and even Tansen¡¯s typically cool demeanor was compromised by the argument we interrupted with the party on the right of the room.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    It was a man in leather armor with metal shoulder guards and another man with soot about his grey shirt, despite his obvious attempts to get it all off his shirt and brown pants. Tansen coughed into his hand before finishing the discussion.


    ¡°All right then, half from us and¡­ Ah! Eli!¡± The academy head said with a wave to me and Salamede beckoning us to come closer.


    ¡°We were told to come in.¡± I said casually as the patriarch came up behind us.


    ¡°Yes. Yes.¡± Tansen said with a hint of nervous hesitation as he dismissed the two men with a nod. The new guests quickly moved past us with a respectful nod and shut the door behind them. But what drew my attention was the energy of the room. Rand was fidgeting with his brown mustache as his chestnut eyes darted around the room and the patriarch moved to stand to the right of the desk squeezing the lapel of his blue suit.


    The four men were looking at us both and the trepidation was palpable.


    ¡°What?¡± I said with tiredness, bracing myself for whatever the new disaster was.


    ¡°We¡¯ve run into some funding issues with the local mercenary and labor groups. The government has shunned all of its responsibilities in favor of dissolving your censure.¡± Tansen said with a heavy tone.


    My stomach clenched, both from the implications of the government essentially closing shop and from the fact that my excuse to not make children was going away. I stood a little more straight before looking between the four men.


    ¡°If there needs to be some funds appropriated, I-¡°


    Tansen put up his hand.


    ¡°Those space expanded chests already freed up enough coin that we can more than cover the costs with the government contracts freezing.¡± He said amicably.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rand said with a bit lip before speaking up. ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much for us that we¡¯re able to bear the burden we typically look towards the central government to help us with.¡±


    There was a lot of gratitude in his voice but looking between the four men, there nervous twitches and air of anxiety spoke louder than their words as they stood in seeming opposition to me and Salamede.


    ¡°Good. But I¡¯m sensing something else going on and I would appreciate you sharing it with us.¡± I said with a tapping foot as Salamede made sure to stand on my right.


    They all stood silent for a moment before Tansen leaned forward with the mana lamp above showering his and the other men in what now looked to be harsh lines of shadow.


    ¡°We¡¯ve received a notice from a miss Koal. She is a correspondent sent from the Coalition government chambers to¡­ monitor and remedy your situation. In addition, shortly after she left the coast to come here, a committee was proposed to specifically to legislate and look after congressional responsibilities concerning you. Part of Koal¡¯s remedy to the ¡®quad mages deplorable circumstance¡¯ has been to petition the local courts to annul your marriage.¡±


    The hair on the back of my head stood straight up as Salamede threaded a hand through my arm, suddenly looking a lot more vulnerable now than any time fighting with the undead that I had ever seen.


    ¡°Well, then.¡± I said with a steely voice, ¡°I will prepare for a legal dispute. When we-¡°


    Tansen put his right hand up and leaned back with a tired sigh as he did his best to look me straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Eli, I¡¯m sorry for misleading you. When I say ¡®petition the local courts¡¯, what I really meant was ¡®instruct the local courts¡¯. It is already a settled matter as far as the law is concerned.¡±


    My wife and I both took a deep breath before Salamede spoke up.


    ¡°Is it gone? The rope with our promises tied on it.¡± Salamede asked with a creaky voice.


    ¡°No.¡± Rand said in a firm tone.


    At that the patriarch stepped forward and coughed into his hand before speaking in that typical rough Kelton voice.


    ¡°We respect you both too much to just let you come home and find it gone. She has the backing of the mage associations and while our people are typically left without any thought by the high and lofty in her level of society, she made it clear that the Kelton community will not be held accountable if¡­ if the proof of the marriage is done away with.¡± He said with a final note of trepidation.


    I gulped and started a spirit connection with Salamede to discuss this.


    ¡®How do you want to do this?¡¯ I asked with my thin patience shining clear through.


    ¡®For the community. The good of the community should always come first.¡¯ She said in a shaken voice, though a hint of steel still came through.


    I stood still and looked between the four men and reminded myself that they were trying their best. For their people and for me. It still took me a solid minute of clawing for any other options before I sighed and admitted defeat.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The men all gave a release of breath as the tension came out of their shoulders before I continued.


    ¡°Do I get to keep it, or does it need to be destroyed?¡± I asked in a deflated tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it down.¡± The patriarch said. ¡°The order says the marriage is to be dissolved and the evidence removed but I¡¯ll keep it in my house for when this issue is resolved.¡±


    I nodded while Salamede squeezed my side with her hand. I looked to the floor as I made sure not to indulge in my anger as setting Cell off was not a good idea no matter where he was.


    ¡®Eli, let¡¯s get something to eat at the dwarves stall while¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish the sentence, so I patted her arm before turning to the portly Kelton man.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get dinner while you do what you need to. Oh, and when Koal gets here, do tell me where I can find her.¡± I said with a light smile that probably didn¡¯t show behind the mask.


    Tansen had a slight gulp before nodding in agreement as the rest of the men seemed to hold their breath. Turning around and out the door, we headed down the tower staircase and out into the main market. Despite achieving what we set out to do, and more, there was an air of sadness between the two of us as we picked at our meals of seared fish and water. The sun was totally faded as we came back to the tower in the near pitch black.


    Walking over the light stone yard with its angles flowing from the tower like a river, we both stopped at the double door entrance. Above the iron banded doors was the blank space along the blackened marble entrance that used to hold the rope with our promises to each other tied around it. There was a moment where we just stood there but I quickly moved forward and opened the right part of the door with my key for the lock.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, nothing has changed.¡± I said to my wife.


    She gulped and got a little smile before going inside. Washing up and going to bed on the top floor, we both slinked into our sheets on the large oak bed covered in a red blanket and white sheets. As we snuggled together, Salamede pressed herself up against my chest. The mana lamp above our bed gave a golden glow across our skin as we lay snug against each other with only our bare, white underwear on.


    ¡®So, what now?¡¯ Salamede asked in a spirit connection as she rubbed her snout against my nose.


    I stole a quick kiss and stroked the grey fur of her cheek before talking.


    ¡®I could try and finish the air ship, but that would probably backfire. Science and all its wonders are far too intricate to make a case for replacing their entire way of life with it in a matter of weeks. Which is what I would be asking them to do if they held off on the breeding tenant of magical ability. Given enough time and resources I could wean them of their hyper focus on magic, but if I bring out an airship that uses little to no mana right now, the most likely outcome is that it will be another achievement the ¡®stealer of the quad mage¡¯ is denying humanity.¡¯ I said ruefully as I pulled Salamede flush against me, wrapping my legs around her thighs and putting my other hand across her back.


    ¡®Yeah. You¡¯re far too good of a mage for them to let go of. Maybe they¡¯ll go the sweet and sugar route with you at first, but they¡¯re bound to bring the whip eventually.¡¯ Salamede said, a note of pride coming through despite her obvious anxiety. I huffed in response as I did a deep squeeze along her bum.


    ¡®They don¡¯t have anything as sweet as my wife.¡¯ I said as I kissed her.


    Surprisingly, it took her a moment to respond after my tongue left her mouth.


    But when she did, she pushed me fully onto my back and pressed me into the soft white mattress.


    ¡®You¡¯re damn right I¡¯m your wife.¡¯ She said with a determined tone and gritted teeth. Laying atop me, she worked off her bra and panties before standing up and turning off the mana lamp above. My last vision that wasn¡¯t faint blue shadows from the window above was the full, naked beauty of my woman looking down at me with raw hunger before the day¡¯s real work began.


    For the next few days, nothing really changed for us, aside from fruitless musings on trying to wiggle out of the vice we found ourselves in. We had an unspoken agreement to not let anything that happened alter our routine. A clinging grasp for control over our lives that only showed its insecurity in the bedroom. While she wouldn¡¯t say anything to the effect, Salamede becoming ¡®un-wife-d¡¯ only made her more ferocious in her wifely duties, be it taking even more care to clean the house or go over the top in our meals, she seemed only more determined to embody the role that was ripped away from her.


    Despite our best efforts, one day the disruption in our lives came again. It started with a quick rise in the morning with me heading to finish out my classes while Salamede went to help with guarding the town. On this particular morning, as I walked through the biting air towards the line of carriages by the gate to the classrooms, I was going to have my magical abilities tested. The sun was low in the sky over the empty plains over the land. Gold mana flowed in the dips of the earth as a light breeze stripped me of any warmth my robes offered.


    Going up to the line of carriages and getting in the one furthest to the back, I was quickly followed by the group of women. Unlike the first time, it was quite orderly as the women filed in behind me. They had made it abundantly clear to any of the other men that any carriage I was in was to be vacated so they could crowd in and the back carriage was now routinely left empty for me. Also, the girl¡¯s interest in me became more complicated. They still pined to bear my children, but they would also approach me for advice on crafting and on the trips in-between the town and the classrooms, the women would unconsciously move towards me whenever the guards had to stop to kill some undead animal.


    Apparently, the girls on the first trip spread tales far and wide of my ¡®heroic and powerful skills¡¯ after the first carriage ride. But the most noteworthy things happening for me were the magical slugs.


    While the Advanced alchemy classes were half done, I had already gotten a good paste from the fire magic aligned slugs. With work proceeding apace on the dirigible, the slugs special heat resistant properties would let me safely use a high temperature system for heating the air in the balloon. But that was still for a future time. Today¡¯s main event was the examination of my general magical ability.


    Even with that, another item was on the local gossip menu in the carriage this morning and this one didn¡¯t involve every miniscule thing that I did. The expedition to the more mana rich region in the west was being planned and in the first stage of being carried out now that life had finally settled down into its regular pattern after the mayhem at the start of Necrosis. A few scouts had been dispatched several days ago and with the selection of a campsite, the process of deciding who belonged where had begun.


    All the intrigue of who was going into the vanguard, doing the further scouting, and who was going to be the main hunters was on every tongue in the carriage. When I got into the main grounds of the classroom towers, I immediately went to the garden beds behind the main tower. After a morning of taking in instruction on various cultivated garden pests and their preferences, I headed up to the main practice area in the smaller tower.


    Along the way, women shot me heated looks or got a rub in, the distinction of teacher or student mattered little as neither showed much restraint, but I eventually arrived on the towers roof. With the arrival of the bitter cold, the metal mushroom skeleton that ringed the towers top was now filled out with smooth stone of the typical white. While quite thin as far as construction materials go, it was more than enough to stop the wind with only a few holes on the top and bottom for air and some enchantments around the holes seemed to blow out mana sucked in from outside. This left the ambient mana particularly thick as faint blue particles could be seen in the air and along the ground.


    To the right was a table with several staff members and along the sides were various casters and the academy¡¯s other special students. Veronica was in her typical leather armor with metal chest piece and shoulder guards, now with white accents in the edges to go with the rest of the blue colors. Ryan was in his rocky metal armor, deep browns with hard edges that made it hard to distinguish from stone, with the lion¡¯s head hammer and Andrew was in his deep red armor of interlocking plates covering his whole body. To his right was his brother, Jeff, in a twin set of armor with a color of yellow.


    This group of elite students was meandering in the middle of the large brown square that made up the practice yard with the other casters milling about the side lines. A hush came over the precious chatter of conversations as everyone turned to me. Everyone.


    ¡°Ah¡± Aki called as he pushed through the crowd blocking my vision of him as he came from the right. ¡°Eli, we are going to start the examination and placement trials soon but considering the¡­ special circumstances this year, there has been a change in how we conduct it this time. This time we¡¯ll pit you against four other students¡± He said with a suggestive wiggle of his thick grey eyebrows towards the center of the practice yard.


    I crossed my arms as I looked over the sea of faces.


    ¡°They have their weapons and armor, which certainly has me at a disadvantage.¡± I said.


    Aki nodded.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t totally about the expedition. We also want to have a better idea of how a quad mage performs in combat and you having crafts undermines that. I figured doing it now was better than forcing you back here to do another examination. But you¡¯re right, them having crafts and armor would be an advantage. Oh, and no need to hold back on account of the building. We¡¯ve practiced slamming house sized blocks against this towers head, and it¡¯s held up just fine.¡± Aki said with an expectant look at the four center students.


    The four promptly got out of their armor and set their weapons aside as they slipped on their regular blue and white striped outer robes. Though Ryan took special care as he stored his hammer down by the bench off to the left where the rest of the gear was stored.


    Positioned in the center with a thick crowd spectating, the four elite students then spaced out to face me. I looked towards Aki with a raised eyebrow before rolling my eyes and walking up to face off against the quad team. From left to right it was Veronica, Andrew, Jeff, and Ryan. A hush fell over the already light whispers of the crowd as Aki walked over to start the match as he sat in the middle of the judge¡¯s table.


    It only took him scooting forward in his chair before he yelled ¡°No kill shots, you¡¯re only try to knock them out of the brown tile square. Begin!¡±.


    Veronica hesitated while Andrew and Ryan rushed at me headlong with blades of flames and a stone club and shield. They blocked my vision of Jeff, but I could see bright yellow mana forming a spell construct in front of him. Using a wind spell, I leapt up into the air and summoned a slab of stone to fall in-between the two men charging me. The huge block of grey stone forced the two to dodge out of the way, leaving the path to my true target wide open.


    I summoned a thin water bubble around me that absorbed the sudden bolt of lightning that shot out when I was clear of Jeffs allies. The sizzle and steam whirled around the bubble as I quickly condensed it into a solid block and threw it at Jeff, knocking him clear off to the side and nearly out of the match.


    A block of water flew in from my left as I was coming down from my high jump. Rather than dodge it, I summoned a solid cube of stone in front of me which took the blow. But now Andrew and Ryan were catching back up to me as Jeff was getting up. Rather than try and dodge the two men again, I surprised them by using an air boosted jump to meet them head on while I summoned a thick band of water around me and some lightning spells.


    The two men seemed to anticipate me jumping again and didn¡¯t have enough time to react before their midsections were covered with water followed by their bodies seizing up from the voltage flowing through it. A blast of wind and water flung the two men outward and sent Andrew out of the arena. Veronica made a dive and managed to save Ryan with a water cushion, but Andrew¡¯s fall was mitigated by a staff members water bubble as his trajectory had him going clear out of the brown tiled square. Jeff had the good tactical sense to distract me with tongues of lightning coming out his hands while Veronica worked Ryan down from her summoned water pad.


    He had too much reach for me to get in close to him, so I summoned a few quick and crude slabs in front of him. They didn¡¯t box him in, but he now had three slabs in between me and him. I heard the slapping of shoes on stone coming from around the right side, so I broke the slabs into fine chunks mixed with water to topple them onto him in a semi mud wave. The yell told me he wasn¡¯t expecting that, and the momentary confusion gave me enough time to manipulate the water in his clothes and toss him out of the combat zone.


    He tried to use an air spell to change his momentum, of course. But he only got one going before he landed on the ground and he was well past the point where it would have done him any good. A big wave of water then rushed towards me, leaving me no time to escape with a skyward leap.


    I pushed back against the water with a spell of my own. Summoning a huge wave of air bubbles out from my fists, Veronica lost control of the wave and had to cancel the spell before she exhausted herself trying to stop all those bubble from changing the shape of the water. Getting a sense of my bearings, I was a few steps away from the edge. But I was now dealing with the two students whose elements were more defense focused and that I had a good means of easily dealing with.


    Dashing towards the two now side by side scions and sending white hot bursts of wind enhanced flame, they both did what anyone else would do in their situation and formed two shells, the outer one a wavy bubble of water and the other a shell of stone with a few holes. I leapt into the air and summoned another slab of stone. Using the natural momentum of the newly materialized weight, I let it fall into their defenses and take out the water and stone shield with ease as the horse sized boulder punched through the two shells with a loud crunch.


    That didn¡¯t end the fight, but from then on, my advantage became too much for them to have any hope of countering. The huge momentum and speed afforded to my boulders from my aerial acrobatics and the low strain with which I could use those spells meant that even the scions couldn¡¯t properly defend against it. Jeff and Andrew had been helping keep me out of the air, but with them gone, Ryan and Veronica didn¡¯t have a prayer of knocking me out of the skies and their elements and way of thinking were far too defensive to have any success when I could summon and drop boulders with such ease. It only took a few more minutes before both of them put up their hands in surrender. A gesture that was met with applause as we made our way to the judge¡¯s table.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Aki said behind me as we five sweat covered students were served cold waters and moist towels. ¡°I can see why earth and air didn¡¯t mix before you came along. That was just bullshit.¡±


    A few nods were seen around the crowd with the women biting their lips and grinding their thighs together as they looked at me with newfound reverence. Slinging the towel around my neck, I was directed to the local shower room. Going down the staircase and the floor below the waiting room, I went left into a room with seamless, blue stonework along the wall and floors like small waves directing the water from the showers into pipes to flow down the back side of the tower. The stalls were cubicles of wood with shells along the walls to give the place a nautical theme.


    I got a new set of unisex robes from a dresser to the left and headed into the first open stall on the left row, stripping and placing my old robes in a basket hung on the door while the new ones were placed in a box on its left. The shower head on the far wall was a circle of wood with red painted dots on the outside showing how hot the water was going to be above a fine wooden bench and it was sucking in the faint blue particles to replace the mana from its previous user. After placing my mask on the bench and rubbing myself down with some of the soap that was laying on the bench, I decided to wait and reflect on things until the showerhead was fully charged. One more minute of standing around waiting for the craft to absorb all of its mana and I heard footsteps coming from the entrance but paid them no mind until there came a knock at my stall.


    ¡°Sorry, occupied.¡± I called as I started the shower head on its middling section.


    A shake at the stall door made me look back and I saw someone with feminine legs crouching down. There also looked to be a good four other pairs of womanly legs crowding around the entrance. Sighing, I prepared several earth spells but then I heard Andrews voice break out over the muttering beyond my stall.


    ¡°Sorry ladies, but we scions and dual elements aren¡¯t in the mood to hear his balls slapping against your asses. Out!¡±


    That sent the women scurrying as I heard some people getting their robes out of the dresser. I put myself under the shower of hot water, letting it wash away the sweat and some of the constant stress I was under.


    ¡°What the hell was that Eli?¡± Jeff called from one of the stalls to my right as the sound of the other shower heads spattering water on the stone floor started rang out.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The water ring. How did that ring of water stun Ryan and Andrew with the lightning spells?¡±


    ¡°The lightning travelled through the water, allowing the lightning to get around any stone or robes that might have taken the hit for them.¡±


    ¡°I thought water absorbs lightning, like dirt?¡± Ryan called somewhere behind me. The steam from so many showers was leaving a slight haze of steam around the room now.


    ¡°No. It just provides another place for it to travel through besides air. Although for magical purposes, as long as the water never touches anyone and is dissipated, I suppose the difference is null.¡±


    It took a long moment of silence before Jeff talked again.


    ¡°If it travels inside the water, I suppose that¡¯s why it didn¡¯t just punch through the bubble in one spot.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Andrew said, a bitter undercurrent coming clear through. ¡°I suppose we didn¡¯t have much of a chance. The enemy summoning boulders while flying means any defensive position is untenable. ¡°


    I took a moment to consider giving tactical advice on how to defeat such a tactic, but I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to give out such information. Erring to caution, I stuck to a tact silence. It was Jeff who broke the silence though.


    ¡°Well it looks like this place will have four scions soon. The way you were throwing out spells, you must be close.¡±


    ¡°Part of that was me having so many elements. Preparing spells beforehand is a lot easier when you know who can and can¡¯t see which mana constructs.¡± I offered meekly, desperately trying to avoid that thorny subject.


    Andrew gave another huff.


    ¡°Well at least we¡¯ll have a good harvest this year. They¡¯d be crazy to not make you a hunter.¡±


    That got grunts of approval from the other men.


    My body washed, I put on my new robes and my mask before heading out of the stall. My main task for the day finished, I headed out to the main shower room hallway. The dark oak floor of the room was packed with women of both student and teacher variety as the main staircase upward was in the middle of the room. Aki pushed himself forward before the lusting of the women could lead them to acting on their desires.


    ¡°Ah, good. I wanted you to know that Koal has arrived and has been told to wait at Tansen¡¯s office.¡± The old man said with a dreading tone, but I only smiled under my mask.


    ¡°I will see her immediately.¡± I said with a happy tone, but before I could move through the crowd a middle-aged woman and someone who was obviously her daughter came forward and blocked my way. While the mother had black hair to her waist, the girl had hers only to shoulder length. Thin with sharp chins, their pale skin only emphasized the purple of their lips and eyelids.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t leave just yet.¡± The mother said before rushing forward and gluing herself to my side. ¡°Such a powerful performance would wear out even the scions. Come to one of the rooms and my daughter and I can help get that pain out of your limbs.¡± She bashed her long eyelashes at me below her thin eyebrows as did her daughter. Though the mother exuded heat and desperation, the daughter was clearly lost and taking ques from her mother.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hog him!¡±


    Aki took their momentary distraction as the other women pulled them off me to push through the crowd with me going in right behind him. The collective moan of disappointed women blocked out all other sound, but I still kept up a good pace as I went upstairs and into the side tower. My main task for the day seen to, I headed back downstairs to get home. As I walked over the red carpet of the central staircase in the main tower, I looked down to the exit and, sure enough, Beth was there.


    Walking down to the main floor, I moved past various students and teachers to get to the line of armored carriages. The caravan was only a few minutes from leaving and Beth made sure to make good use of it. Everyday now she would come to the classroom towers dressed in a revealing red or green dress with a smug smile of her thick pink lips and wavy brown hair to accompany me back to my house.


    The other women hated her for her seeming closeness to me and how she didn¡¯t even have to contrive an excuse to be in my presence. This time she just waited off to the right side until the call to head out was given, then she zipped right up to my side and pressed her chest against my arm with a cocky look in her purple eyes as she puckered her mouth with a mole above the right lip.


    ¡°I have to head to the Dorms tower when we get back to town.¡± I said casually.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Beth said with a raise of her thin right eyebrow. ¡°Well I¡¯ll tell Salamede. That sowing for the new beds will give us all the time we need to gossip about you.¡±


    And that was why she got to hold my arm.


    Beth noticed, perhaps she was the only one who noticed, that my love of Salamede came before anything else here. Of course, she used this to ingratiate herself into my wife¡¯s, damn what the courts say, my WIFES¡¯S good graces. Salamede, for her part, was positively glowing with the attention. Having a noble woman, even one of middling standing, try to suck up to her gave her an elated happiness I had not the heart to deny her.


    That Salamede was also sizing her up as another wife for me to take was also obvious. My objection that she was already married fell on death ears though. Salamede acted like it was a fly buzzing around and would go back to making dinner or working on any of a dozen projects needed for the Kelton community. Something that would have been troublesome if Rand was still enforcing the censure but he swung by one morning to inform us that the censure was effectively dead with the arrival of a letter telling him to enforce it only if there was absolutely nothing else to do. And there was always something the law needed him to do.


    I hadn¡¯t put out since then for the cloying women, much to Agatha¡¯s chagrin, and it was becoming increasingly clear to everyone that the censure wasn¡¯t responsible for me rejecting the women¡¯s advances.  As I guided Beth towards the carriage and opened the back door for her, I felt oddly grateful for her antics. I¡¯d probably be getting a lot worse treatment from the powers that be if they knew there were no human women I was interested in.


    The carriage ride back proceeded in the normal way it always did through the soft rolling hills of grass and bark scars with the occasional grey skinned animal or human undead shambling about. When we got through the gates and the carriage came to a stop, I shuffled out of the carriage with Beth still holding my arm. Once we were back on firm soil, she slowly let my arm go before heading towards my home. Walking on towards the academy and through the main gate, I calmly made my way through the tower¡¯s doors and up its side staircases until I got into Tansen¡¯s office.


    While the white and blue striped room was the same as ever with its mana lamp in the center of the ceiling and plain wooden floor, a new presence was to the left of the academy head sitting at the desk. Wearing a red robe with a gold sash was a woman of mid-30¡¯s with short black hair. She had lightly tanned skin and strong cheek bones with two moles along her left jaw. Her light green eyes immediately went to me and her regal air got a dent in it as she looked me up and down with a frank interest.


    ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t seem to be unattractive, not to say that has ever been much of an issue when getting peasant girls to spread their legs for a mage.¡± She said with a bite on her dark lower lip. Tansen was sitting in the desk chair wearing his typical black kimono with a wave of sapphires across the chest. While he didn¡¯t make any movements in his chair, his forehead ridge still scrunched up from him rolling his eyes.


    ¡°He could have a face that looks like it got a hammer taken to it and that would matter very little in these circumstances.¡± Tansen said irritably.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Koal said before walking forward and put her hands up to take off my smiling metal mask.


    ¡°Woah now,¡± I said as I put up my hands to stop her. ¡°I¡¯m not here to give you a little peep at my face. I¡¯m here to discuss the stupid decision you made to annul my marriage.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow but pulled her hands back.


    ¡°Had to be done. The poisonous atmosphere lingering in this academy that has failed to see you provide your due for humanity needs to be cleaned out.¡± She said like we were discussing the weather.


    I stood there for a moment as I crossed my arms making sure to look as opposing to her proposition as possible. Tansen took that moment to cough and lean forward in his chair.


    ¡°Miss Koal, I don¡¯t believe you were properly informed as to his present circumstances. Consulting with me in the future would be extremely advisable.¡± Tansen said with a strained smile. Koal got a puckered lip as she seemed to go deep into thought on the subject before reaching into her robes pocket. From it she pulled a wrapped package tied with rope that smelled of seared meat.


    ¡°Know this, Eli.¡± She intoned with smug confidence. ¡°If you insist on this ruinous path then these will be denied to you. A portion of meat from a lightning Zigga-rat. I don¡¯t need to tell you about how close you are to reaching the rank of scion. A lofty life of unfathomable luxury and prestige, I assure you.¡± There was a rustling on her shoulders as a red snake with flames along its eyebrows showed out of the robes head. The look of smug conceit in its amber eyes was undeniable. ¡°Continuing along this path will see such gifts out of your reach as, even if they let you hunt, these prizes are from the central continent and there¡¯s no force in the world that would bend the Coalition¡¯s higher ups to allow a trip there.¡±


    I stood still as my mind struggled to comprehend what she was saying as she held the package of meat out like it was a family jewel of the finest craftsmanship. Closing my eyes, I turned my head to the ceiling as I tapped my right foot.


    ¡°You annul my marriage and your make up gift is a rat¡¯s ass soaked in mana?¡± I then turned down to Koal, who was looking at me with wide eyes and a slack jaw. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, I¡¯m not even mad. I¡¯m genuinely impressed at the sheer optimism of the gesture. You get points for that at least.¡± I said with a mocking little clap before turning out the door. ¡°Go after Salamede again and we¡¯ll see if a scion¡¯s legs can function better than a regular humans when they¡¯re bent the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that¡± Tansen shouted in a sarcastic jest as I left the room behind and went back to my wife. Fuck what the courts, the government, the world says, I went back home to my WIFE.

 Chapter 89: Social Pressure

    Tansen quietly sighed as the prize of an age walked out of his office casually treating a scion like any other back alley thug. Stuck between horrified and impressed, Tansen could only lean back into his chair as the form of the red robed woman was unreadable. It took another few moments before she turned around and when she did, Tansen would have sworn she had been slapped by a previously docile and caring husband if not for the lack of a palm mark.


    Koal walked over to his oak desk and her light green eyes showed the mulling of previously unthinkable thoughts. After she strummed her immaculately polished fingernails on the desk for a minute, she finally spoke again.


    ¡°What is going on here, Tansen? He¡­ he dismissed a magical resource. I¡¯ve seen people who are on the cusp of ascending to a higher tier of magic. Magical resources are in their every breath and thought. An obsession as dire as any person could ever have and he just acted like it was nothing. What¡­¡± Words failed her as her jaw with two moles along the left side worked with no sound coming out.


    Tansen¡¯s closed his brown eyes before leaning forward in his leather chair to meet her gaze even as his lazy demeanor gave a slight motion in the wave of sapphires on his black kimono.


    ¡°The report we sent out was just his presently known circumstances and his elements. His outlook and his connection to the dwarves were not items that could be included.¡± He said with an exhausted impatience.


    ¡°The dwarves? Yeah¡­ That would make sense for them to get into his good graces.¡± She said with a comprehending look. But it turned confused when Tansen shook his head.


    ¡°No. They knew him when he was a crafter. Before he confided his growth into a caster to me, the dwarves had already arrived. Whatever connection he has to them, it¡¯s far more than a passing interest in the newest bauble. And if we are not careful, he may take their side in future conflicts.¡± Koal crossed her arms as she puckered her lips in a disbelieving look.


    ¡°I highly doubt he would forgo all the endless lux-¡° She stopped as her face went blank from the obvious memory of her last conversation.


    ¡°Oh, yes he would. Now I have a meeting later today with his wife and I would urge you to attend.¡±


    Koal gave a tired sigh before nodding and headed out the door. The rest of the day passed at its usual grueling pace before the late afternoon came and Salamede came by to drop off the letters from the associations who tried to contact Eli directly. When she did so, Tansen got his secretary to send for Koal. When the fire scion came through the door, the secretary bowed down with a reverence that she often didn¡¯t show her own employer before scurrying out the door.


    The fire scion walked in with the haughty menace of an heir come to claim their due. Salamede was in front of Tansen¡¯s desk wearing her typical green dress and white embroidery with simple leather shoes but she may have well have worn a dirty sack as Koal looked at her like she was a cockroach that had taken refuge in her sheets.


    ¡°What makes you think you deserve to be here, thief of the quad mages seed?¡± Koal demanded with an accusing finger.


    Salamede lower chin came up as her human shaped face with a goat¡¯s snout and grey fur got a defiant look.


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly theft when he¡¯s practically riding me day and night. If you are so concerned about his seed, then I will make sure he is thoroughly drained tonight, as is my wifely duty.¡±


    Koal¡¯s face went as red as her robes before she stomped forward and raised a hand but was stopped by a wall of water. Salamede looked ready to fight when her scowl went almost up to her smooth cheekbones but that was not how Tansen wanted this meeting to start.


    ¡°We are all on the same side here,¡± Tansen said, noting the blast of heat that was now coming from Koal.


    It took a moment before the heat subsided and Tansen let the wall of water disappear between the two women.


    ¡°And just what makes you think that?¡± Koal demanded with a scowl across her face as she never took her light green eyes off the object of her hatred.


    The rustling of the letters in the draws of Tansen¡¯s desk drew Koals¡¯ eyes for a moment and they went wide as he produced an ever-enlarging pile of letters complete with the finest envelopes and embroidery. Koal moved towards his desk and rifled through them.


    ¡°The healers association, Metal Tuners¡­. Wait¡± She said as she took out three in particular. One was a deep red, another had bits of mana crystal around a fine leather exterior, and the final one was the most plain, but it had a burnt lower left corner.


    ¡°This one is mine,¡± She said putting the red one down before turning to the leather one studded with small mana crystals. ¡°Central continent. Not even the Ember¡¯s could afford this. Apparently, the healing association from the central continents coast has taken an interest. But this one,¡± she held up the burnt edge like it emitted a foul odor. She turned her eyes to Salamede in anger but Tansen cut her short before the women started a fight in his office.


    ¡°Eli did that.¡±


    Koal¡¯s brown eyebrows shot up in surprise but Tansen pressed on over the obvious objections.


    ¡°Salamede has been bringing them to me so I could safely store them for when we could possibly respond to them at a later date. Perhaps if you aren¡¯t too busy going out of your way to make the world a worse place, you could advise us on that.¡±


    Koal held out the burnt letter to Tansen with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Eli has been burning them, said they make a nice starter for the fireplace.¡± The rough voice of Salamede cut through the fire scions¡¯ thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve been bringing them here so that he doesn¡¯t cut himself off from the mage world completely.¡±


    It took a long moment of staring blankly at Salamede before Koal spoke again, now paler and seemingly shaken as her tone wobbled.


    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s been burning the letters. Do you have any idea¡­ There have been cases where lords have murdered butlers because they misplaced such items and Eli has been-¡± Koal looked towards the sky but the soft glow of the mana lamp only provided a dim mockery of the heavens she was beseeching. Koal¡¯s eyes then turned down towards Salamede, the light green showing a dawning horror.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the problem.¡± She whispered.


    Salamede crossed her arms under her chest and huffed, but her voice carried a mix of pain and resignation.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who has to bring up joining the mage world whenever we talk about our future. If it was up to him, he would not have anything to do with any of you. If he would¡­ No. I¡¯m not good enough of a woman that I would leave him if I thought it would mean him doing his duty. But even being the self-centered bitch that I am, the fact is that even with me out of the picture, he would simply refuse to provide out of spite for the society and system that put him through so much.¡±


    The veneer of superiority that encased Koal like a suit of armor, cracked as it was from the letters, now totally buckled from the weight of the Kelton woman¡¯s words until the fire scion had finally been laid bare to the facts of the situation she had fought so hard to put herself into. A pinch on her small nose calmed her down before she spoke again with new resolve.


    ¡°How¡­ How does someone who doesn¡¯t care about the mage world become a caster?¡±


    Tansen opened his mouth for a biting quip before he turned his questioning gaze on Salamede.


    ¡°How did he become a caster?¡± Tansen said. He knew Eli was a caster before he ¡®became¡¯ a caster but Tansen hoped the goat woman was clever enough to give the ¡®answer¡¯ and the real answer.


    Salamede took a deep breath before revealing the secret.


    ¡°Eli took down a troll on one of our trips. But we were out of food, so he ate some of it before taking as much as he could to sell.¡± She said indifferently.


    ¡®Ah, that troll attack on the village. If that is indeed what happened,¡¯ Tansen thought to himself.


    Koal just gave a light chuckle.


    ¡°He was hungry? He used magical resources for sustenance, not to grow in magical power.¡± Koal continued her light laughs as she searched around the room for some answer to this joke, but a cough from the academy head brought her eyes back to Tansen.


    ¡°Right, so now that you are fully apprised of the situation, would you oh so kindly un-annul Eli¡¯s marriage?¡±


    Koal puckered her lips before taking deep breath and getting a more somber look.


    ¡°Whatever Salamede and Eli¡¯s intentions, she is not a human. The associations and human governments the world over will never accept her being his wife. Going against this tide would only see me removed and the next person they send will not be as reasonable.¡±


    A pall of silence fell over the room until Koal spoke back up.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m totally helpless. I¡¯ll send a letter to the forming committee around Eli¡¯s circumstances and see if I can induce a bit of patience out of them. But make no mistake, Salamede, this all ends with Eli up to his eyes in naked women and his manhood sore with his balls aching to produce enough as they struggle to keep up with demand.¡±


    Thankfully, Salamede was reasonable and only nodded before turning out the door to leave the two scions alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent my representative away, that only leaves the one from Flood¡¯s wrath. Pretentious name for a new bunch of girls working water.¡± She sighed and rubbed her forehead to stave off a headache for a moment before looking Tansen straight in the eyes ¡°Things on my end are going to get worse before they get better,¡± Koal said in a tired tone.


    ¡°Unfortunate. But I do hope you understand the situation more clearly now. Salamede is our lifeline to him, not an obstacle.¡±


    Koal looked at him, the vigor and confidence she had displayed when she first came into the room now totally gone.


    ¡°I understand it now more than I ever wanted to.¡± She said in a defeated tone. The fire scion turned around and went out the door in much the same manner her former enemy did.


    It was two days later, when Tansen was working on another series of reports and going over some paperwork for of a nice little item for Eli, that a guard came in telling him of a fire and riot in the Kelton quarter. Rushing down the stairs, Tansen came out onto the main road with three pillars of smoke around the town, two on the left and one on the right. Rand was off in the distance ordering guards around and directing a line of men moving buckets of water.


    The ash was coming down from the three fresh smoke pillars and onto the regular houses, something the three pyres near the bridges end always avoided with wind crafts. A few shouts and the academy head moved a few water and earth aligned staff members to assist. There was some grumbles, but those that had been looking on in the crowd by the academy gate did as they were bid and went out to help put out the flames. Satisfied with that, Tansen left to go back into his office, content to let whatever problem started all of the mayhem be investigated and looked over by Rand. That was until the problem burst through his front door with Koal, the Kelton patriarch with a brown suit that reeked of ash and smoke, and, most surprisingly of all, harbormaster Lucius.


    The bear of a man would usually be a sturdy sort, but his strong jaw and thick brown eyebrows were covered in sweat and he rubbed his brown shirt and grey pants nervously. His brown eyes also locked onto to Tansen like he was an escape boat on a sinking ship. The patriarch was simple fury, as evidenced by his goat-like face that, while still covered in brown fur, had a harsh scowl on it and his snout flared in irritation. His pudgy hands curled into fists and the way he was looking at Koal made Tansen¡¯s stomach clench.


    ¡°What?¡± Tansen said as he leaned back into his chair.


    Lucius stepped forward with a bit lip, but he spoke in a low clear voice.


    ¡°The mage associations sent out a letter. From this point forward, they will refuse to do business with anyone dealing with the Kelton community or anyone dealing with those who continue to do so. Eli¡¯s current affiliations are a matter of grave moral concern and have called any still putting their own personal comfort ahead of the wellbeing of humanity by associating with them selfish and a short sighted fool. When the Kelton¡¯s were denied the ability to buy food from the latest shipments, there was a riot in the Kelton quarter and a fire, now contained, broke out,¡± The harbor master finished in a near whisper.


    Tansen felt like throwing up when he turned a furious scowl on Koal, who was standing still as a statue.


    ¡°What could have possibly motivated you to think this was a good idea? When-¡°


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Ember association.¡± Koal shot back with a stiff upper lip as she moved off to the left with the white and blue striped wall now behind her. ¡°I made sure that my association was not party to this¡­ change in prerogative.¡±


    ¡°How comforting!¡± The patriarch almost yelled.


    ¡°Watch your tongue.¡± Koal responded coldly with a glare. ¡°You are in the presence of a scion. Consider it an act of good will I don¡¯t have it pulled out.¡±


    But he put his hands on his hips and huffed.


    ¡°We¡¯re already dead. We need those merchant¡¯s food, wood, and cloth shipments. We Kelton¡¯s are all going to die because the magical associations ganged up on us for something we had nothing to do with.¡±


    Koal puckered her lips and gave him her fiercest scowl before laying into him.


    ¡°Nothing to do with?! Do you think we are so stupid that we couldn¡¯t see why that ¡®accidental¡¯ marriage was performed? You wanted Eli in your back pocket, a nice little card for you to play whenever you needed some free healing or a space expanded chest like the wonder of our age was just some beast of burden you could acquire with an exchange of one of your daughters.


    But he is bigger than the Kelton¡¯s, the Diamond academy, this entire backwater region and the whole of the Coalition itself. What delusions have you been indulging in that could possibly lead you to think doing that was a great idea? How, by all that is good and right in this world, could holding that wedding not have ended badly for you? It was your foolish hubris that brought this action on, as ill-advised as it is.¡±


    The academy head interrupted with a cough making everyone turn to him.


    ¡°This situation is delicate enough without the associations running around and thrashing everything in sight¡± Tansen said coldly, his forehead ridge scrunching up with his black eyebrows.


    That only brought heat to Koal¡¯s cheeks before she turned on Tansen with a billow of her red robe from her raising an accusing finger at him.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°And where was the situation made delicate, Tansen? Who, exactly, was in charge of his well-being as a student when things got to this point?¡± Koal growled.


    Tansen got up from his seat and leaned over his desk. While the black kimono was loose and free, it suddenly felt very restrictive as it would prevent Tansen from leaping over and snapping her neck.


    ¡°I have more than enough letters and respondents to attest to my actions. When the mage associations turned their back on Eli, I¡¯m the one who pushed for his acceptance into their ranks. I have a drawer full of objections to Eli¡¯s censure when everyone else was just trying to avoid him.¡± Tansen said as he puffed out his chest and flared his nostrils.


    ¡°Oh, how noble¡± Koal said as she put a hand to her chest in mock awe. ¡°You tried to make it known that a Diamond academy crafter was capable of making scion beating items. How truly selfless of you. Tell me, Tansen, does your academy observe the practice of medical priority? Where crafters get put behind casters and scions for treatment?¡± She asked with puckered lips and raised eyebrows to accentuate her derisive tone.


    The academy head closed his eyes for a moment before returning his gaze to hers.


    ¡°Yes, as stated by the academy standards set forth in the charter¡± he said with a firm tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a requirement, it just makes things easier when the inspectors come to make your academy is looking after its brood properly. Tell me Tansen,¡± Koal sneered as she moved closer to his desk. ¡°What programs do you have to prevent bullying? Did you set up a system where students who are being victimized can inform the staff? Or do you have the all teachers follow them around, like you did for Eli?¡±


    Tansen was now properly faltering as he struggled for a response. He looked down at the desk for a moment before turning back up to offer a meager defense.


    ¡°We employ an excess of staff trained to deal with such situations.¡± Tansen replied weakly.


    ¡°And all the good that did wouldn¡¯t fill a raindrop, you sanctimonious hypocrite. Crafters aren¡¯t accepted into most mage associations because it would take thousands of gold coins to review people who have no real chance of competing against their higher leveled peers. To do so would require raising taxes on the population, something that had already been rejected in times past.


    A bit of math you followed through on yourself when you didn¡¯t double tuition getting every crafter a meeting with those associations when they graduate.¡± Koal scoffed with a scowl before turning around to lay into the rest of those present, but she suddenly stopped dead.


    In the doorway stood Eli and Salamede with the rest of the party making way for them. Eli¡¯s purple eyes above the steel smiling mask were as cold as the grave while Salamede had flaring nostrils as they stood side by side. There was bits of ash all over Eli¡¯s white shirt and brown pants while Salamede¡¯s blue dress only had a bit on the arms. Eli started walking forward and kept going until he was right in Koal¡¯s face. Having the quad mage towering over her, Koal¡¯s pride in her station and magic wouldn¡¯t let her cower but the slightest pull back in her head established her submission.


    That fear apparently surged in her familiar too, as the red snake slipped out of her robe¡¯s shoulders and went to bite Eli. It¡¯s fangs only got near Eli¡¯s robe before Koal pulled him back and looked to the snake, obviously scolding it for its rash actions.


    ¡°Did you have anything to do with this, Koal?¡± Eli asked in a cold, almost bored manner.


    ¡°No,¡± She quickly spat out, ¡°The Ember association had nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Eli said as he leaned ever so slightly closer before pulling back and walking up to Tansen¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Is the dwarf¡¯s diplomat still here?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Um,¡± Tansen said dumbly, taken aback at the sudden shift in the conversation. ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    ¡°Would you call him here, or if it is convenient, tell me where I could find him?¡± Eli asked in a polite tone.


    Tansen bid his secretary to do so. While everyone waited for the diplomat to arrive, Lucius stepped forward with sweat running down his face.


    ¡°E-Eli, you have to understand that the merchants were put in an impo-¡°


    Eli put up his hand for silence while he merely nodded in understanding.


    ¡°They are not who I blame for this mess. Since you can¡¯t do business with the Kelton¡¯s anymore, the two chests will be used for transporting goods for the charities or hungry families at cost. We¡¯ll keep to the same arrangement.¡±


    Lucius gave a deep sigh of relief and it took a few more minutes as the two men worked out what constituted a charity. When they did so, the awaited diplomat came through the door. The dwarf was around three and a half feet high, but the gold rings with jewels on his fingers, and woven through his red beard and hair, made him look like a small walking treasure trove. His red suit and pants also had gold inlay as his emerald eyes looked around the room until he saw Eli. His copper lamb chops ruffled as he got a grin and put a hand out to the quad mage.


    ¡°My pleasure, most grand of casters. What may I help you with today?¡± His teeth were like white tombstones as the typical heavy voice of the dwarves rang out from his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the business with the Kelton¡¯s. What would it cost to have the dwarves transport the goods they need at cost?¡± Eli asked in a warm tone.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± The diplomat puckered his lips and looked upward before coming out with an offer. ¡°The same deal as the humans had, but we will need three chests for our personal use with two for the Kelton¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Eli said with a smile as he stuck out his hand.


    The dwarf did a long whistle as he shook out his hand and got a big face splitting smile.


    ¡°Them old todgers back home were raising a fuss about us still having such a large presence here. But I didn¡¯t get where I am because I passed up on opportunities. We¡¯ll have the first shipments in tomorrow. Our golems are given extra protections when dealing with the undead and should be fine overland as long as they don¡¯t run into undead trolls.¡± He was practically hopping in place as the figures for all the wealth from three such chests clearly passed over his face.


    Then he stopped as Eli crossed his arms. They were obviously conducting some conversation in a spirit connection with no thought given to the potential offense of the onlookers. After a few more moments the diplomat gave a light bow and headed out the door. Eli looked to follow him out but Koal stopped him as she moved to block his path.


    ¡°Eli! I would ask if you were out helping with the flames, but the answer is obvious. You are the pride of the human race, a path forward for all mages the world over to bring the whole of humanity to an unprecedented new level of magical ability. Rand is going to get his hide tanned over his willful endangerment of your life, but you also need to start showing more class to reflect your prestigious station. At the very least, stop getting in among the peasants.¡± She said, running her eyes up and down his ash dotted clothes.


    Eli¡¯s eyes turned venomous and he took in a deep breath before his icy tone gripped everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Hear me and hear me well, child. Mages the world over and their associations have existed in the balmy shade of my complete indifference during these good times. Between their rejection and these affronts to my wife, I have maintained a neutral stance and that is a great show of forbearance on my part.


    But even God loses patience when tested enough times.


    Do you think I am unaware of my position? Of what I could do for humanity? Could. For all this talk of potential and limitless wonders, people seemed to have already sat down for the meal before the cooking fires have even been lit. But the math of this little dance leaves me holding the ultimate card. Mages struggle to conceive even when they constantly try for children, so coercing me will only make this hard task almost impossible and I¡¯m far too dangerous to just hogtie and rape.¡± He said like he was instructing a uniquely contemptable child.


    ¡°Do not be so sure about that, Eli. There are a lot of people who would be willing to take a¡­ flexible approach to consent if this situation continues.¡± Koal warned in an earnest tone, neither threatening nor promising anything. Eli didn¡¯t seem upset at that, only nodding.


    ¡°Oh, I have no doubt they would. I¡¯m sure there are any number of ambassadors or Coalition officials tired of being mocked by their opponents in other nations for this most embarrassing situation. I mean, the world¡¯s first quad mage is delivered to the Coalition and all of its associations. An unprecedented gift from the universe landed right in their laps and they managed to bungle it so hard that he is refusing to have sex and their only hope for not going down the pages of history as a joke is a Kelton woman. I could only begin to imagine what the remarks in letters and dinners with the neighbor¡¯s is like.¡±


    Koal getting a sour face and biting her lip said she had some firsthand experience on the subject.


    ¡°If my children in the future decide to spread themselves out like the other mages here, that is their choice. I won¡¯t like it, but I couldn¡¯t stop them. But they aren¡¯t here yet and it is between me and my wife to determine when that happens. Do not push me.¡± Eli warned before he walked around her and down the staircase past the secretary¡¯s desk with Salamede walking by his side the whole time.


    The room was now totally silent. Tansen was sitting down in his chair staring at the ceiling for a long moment before returning his attention back to those in the room.


    ¡°Thank you everyone for coming. Koal¡­ I expect we will be working double time to get that item we talked about.¡± The academy head said.


    Koal gave a deep nod than the rest before heading out.


    The mages and veteran who gave false testimony against Eli had been exposed during the reveal that members of the military had tried to throw the quad mage to the dogs for some bandit members. Old and a peasant, the veteran had all of his honors and commendations stricken from every unit and military branch he had ever served under. It was said he wailed like a baby as the soldiers held him down while they stripped any badges and medals off him and out of the house. His reputation ruined and with no life left but the one ripped from him, he promptly committed suicide that very night and he was not the last. The judge and prosecutor were found hanging from the bars of the cells they had put so many men in before their own stay.


    Mages, on the other hand, were another matter. Bringing them back to the Diamond academy as everyone thought it would basically be a death sentence and their families were fighting an extradition order back to the diamond academy with everything they had to prevent Eli from getting that bit of personal revenge.


    In the early morning a few days after the fire in the Kelton quarter, Koal came back through the door of his office with a few pieces of paper in hand with Agatha already being called there and waiting to the right side of the desk. Veronica¡¯s mother looked tired as a few strands of her blond hair shifted over her sharp cheekbones but her black work dress and top were now wrinkle free. Even as haggard as Agatha had looked these past few days, Koal seemed to be doing even worse when she came through the door.


    The fire scion was fully pale now and her manner had nervous twitches from her hand clenching her red robes side to her nervous bite on the lip. Tansen sat in his chair tired from the constant work of his station and was content to enjoy the moment of relaxation before Koal told him what had brought her back to his office while Agatha seemed peeved at the summons but knew her station would not allow her to berate a scion. At least, a scion not named Tansen.


    ¡°The committee that was formed to act in congress¡¯s behalf sent a personal piece of mail to me and their first proclamation.¡± She said as she handed over the two pieces of paper. Tansen swallowed his fear and read over the text of the first letter.


    ¡®The circumstances of the quad mage are unacceptable. While we had hoped that you would help correct these events, it appears the Kelton woman¡¯s trickery is far more insidious and potent than we had previously thought if you are already pleading her cause. We will make sure to make up for the weaknesses that have led to this unprecedented failure in the mages duties to both the Coalition and the whole of the human race¡¯


    Tansen quickly put it down on the desk and read the official order.


    ¡®Imbued with the powers bestowed by congress, and with the support of several of our proud nation¡¯s top mage associations, the first act of the quad mage correctional committee is to recommend having the Kelton woman who has stolen the destiny of humanity from us all charged with treason against the Coalition and a saboteur of mage affairs. Also, a change in local law enforcement is past due and the authority of the local law will be subsumed by a more competent executor appointed by this committee. We esteemed members of this historic committee feel blessed to be able to help guide the human race through this tumultuous time and seeing the quad mage Eli fulfilling his obligations as a mage to the world and the next generation. As such, we are urging congress to finalize the removal of his censure to help Eli meet these obligations in the quickest and most timely manner possible.¡¯


    The academy heads throat went drier and drier with each sentence read. Sucking in the air through gritted teeth, he slammed the papers down on his desk and looked to the ceiling for a long moment as Agatha took up the papers. The mid 30¡¯s blond looked over the papers with her blues eye¡¯s becoming more and more irritated with each swing of her pupils across the page. Only when her nose flared and her hands scrunched across the papers did she finally say anything.


    ¡°All this work. A new committee in the government, endangering entire communities, and now a potential criminal trial all because Eli is the first man in the world to not think with his dick. Are we being mocked by the gods?¡± She growled between gritted teeth


    ¡°Get Eli and Salamede in here. Now!¡± Tansen shouted, prompting his secretary to immediately run from her desk and to the staircase.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that¡¯s wise? Telling them immediately.¡± Koal said with a raised right eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. We need to make sure we are the first ones to tell them and not leave them blindsided. Fucking Spirits! What were these people thinking?¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯ve used their brains to actually do their jobs for a long time. Look at the names along the bottom.¡± Koal walked forward and picked up the order. ¡°Pesten, Mclain, Harvey,¡­. I could go on. This committee has been infested with people who¡¯ve been in congress for decades. Ultra-patriotic, lines on map lovers, esteemed members of public servitude, and a bigger pile of human waste than anywhere else in the Coalition. Always looking to get another notch in their glorious careers belt and exactly the people who shouldn¡¯t be making these decisions.¡±


    While Agatha loudly groaned as she turned her head to the ceiling, Tansen bit his lower lip before sighing and plowing on ahead. The three spent a few more minutes going over the wording of the official order and mostly being disappointed with the lack of options when Eli came into the room with Salamede. Eli was wearing a grey shirt and brown pants while Salamede was in her armor, the hawk helmet and feather embellishments showing some wear and the faint heat from the eight rods along her back meant she must have been out in the field when called back.


    ¡°What is it this time? I am very busy.¡± Eli asked in an exasperated tone with his purple eyes above the smiling mask showing no mirth. Salamede put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed her helmet against his cheek to placate him. Deciding not to waste time, Tansen got into the meat of the matter.


    ¡°We have gotten a correspondence. The committee that will provide reports and recommendations to the rest of congress has already been formed and they have immediately set out a course change for our little corner of the world. Rand will have his authority supplanted by a minion of their choosing and¡­ They have recommended Salamede be charged with treason and an obstruction to humanities magical growth.¡±


    Salamede clung to Eli¡¯s side despite the armor giving her a few more inches on him while the quad mage just stood there, his eyes showing a thousand thoughts in-between the unfeeling emptiness of a predator.


    ¡°Can we see the order?¡± Salamede asked.


    Tansen nodded and got up to give them the paper. By the time he got back to the desk, Salamede already looked angry enough while Eli was as still as a statue.


    ¡°Obligations?!¡± Salamede snarled when they finished reading. ¡°What about the obligation to not run people over for your political convenience?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t their doing.¡± Agatha corrected. ¡°And Eli¡¯s obligations exceed the bounds of decorum or decency.¡±


    Salamede puffed out her cheeks and looked ready to say something when Eli coughed to stop the argument.


    ¡°What does being labeled a traitor mean, exactly?¡± Eli asked in a cold voice.


    Koal sighed and looked to the floor briefly before speaking.


    ¡°She, if found guilty, would be sentenced to either a lifetime in jail or straight execution. The latter is more certain if she is found to merit both¡­ titles.¡±


    ¡°And what happens with the recommendation?¡± Eli asked, again in the cold voice.


    ¡°The people on the committee are some of the longest standing members of congress and they have a tremendous amount of pull. Any recommendations from them would almost certainly pass as these people also have the implicit support of a lot of mage associations. You studding under their correction will be a considerable boost to their careers and political legacies.¡±


    Eli, absorbing the facts of his predicament like it was a puzzle to be solved even as his hand gripped Salamede¡¯s steel side, took in and released a big breath before taking a moment to collect himself. It took a few more seconds before he finally sighed and looked between Agatha, Tansen, and Koal. While there seemed to be pity in his purple eyes, there was something about the look that made Tansen¡¯s skin crawl and a bead of sweat run down his temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eli said.


    Even Salamede was taken aback as all four looked at him in bewilderment.


    ¡°What?¡± Agatha asked numbly.


    ¡°I understand that this has not gone as smoothly as you would have liked and that you have both invested a significant amount of personal time, energy, and risk to your careers in what you think is the right thing to do. But I will also have to do what I think is right. While we are still on the same side, the decision on my children is between me and my wife. Even so, I want to apologize for the coming¡­ discomfort that will accompany me making this clear to the political opportunists who are trying to use my wife as a steppingstone for their careers.¡± Eli said with a light bow. Salamede bit her lip under the beak of her hawk like helmet but Tansen was busy trying not to throw up.


    It was halfway through Eli¡¯s explanation that Tansen realized what it was that was so unsettling. Eli was displaying the same cool grace that usually preceded an act of unspeakable cruelty. Tansen gulped down a calming breath and leaned forward over his desk before speaking.


    ¡°I understand. Just promise us you will give us time to exhaust our options with congress before you take any personal action.¡±


    The quad mage huffed but he apparently said something in a spirit connection to Salamede because she put her finger up to his face before speaking.


    ¡°No, Eli! You are not ¡®visiting¡¯ the legislators.¡± She said with a firm voice. Eli rolled his eyes and turned to rub his forehead against her cheek before leading her out the door. While she still scolded him, the way she was clutching him told of raw fear.


    Tansen leaned back into his chair and turned left towards Koal, who was looking at the retreating couple with a blank face. It was a few seconds after the couple left down the steps that Agatha spoke up.


    ¡°And what, precisely, are our options?¡±


    Koal sighed before turning to her and delivering the verdict.


    ¡°The president. We have his sons here and they may be able to give some personal perspective on the situation that might sway their father. Swaying congress is a lost cause. The committee¡¯s members have some of the highest positions in the government and their influence goes back decades. I¡¯d say our best, and probably only, hope is to convince the president to veto this foolish action against the Kelton woman and see if we can make a case to the rest not to overturn the veto.¡±


    ¡°All right then¡± Tansen said ¡°Let¡¯s get to work. I¡¯ll prepare a personal letter for Johnson and Agatha will see what she can do to convince the boys.¡± Koal nodded before offering her contribution.


    ¡°Being the head of one of the more powerful associations and a scion comes with a lot of perks. I¡¯ll see what favors I can pull with the other associations.¡±


    From there the three worked tirelessly to push back against the greedy tide that would trample over Eli. Letters were sent out and meetings with the president or any member of congress were requested. All of these had been previously ignored but they still redoubled their efforts. A long hard battle they would fight to floor of congress itself if need be.

 Chapter 90: Field Trip

    Eli POV


    I was down in the basement testing area in the early morning, doing my best to ignore the tangle of stress in every fiber of my being. The large cavernous walls of the place and occasional mana lamp dotted along the ceiling did little to dispel the heat of the dirigible. The long frame of the near house sized body was now a fully formed hull of seamless oak wood with two large open floors that would be made into more proper three and a half floors at a later date. While the middle of the deck was dual lines of six large copper spheres, the main component was the elongated tube in the center with its lower heating coils ready to blast out tremendous heat even as their casings were smeared in the fire slug goo that kept the intense heat going where it should.


    Along the sides of the deck were two long poles that would swing up and the cloth that was stitched around the round pieces of wood should then use that momentum of the swing to properly unfurl the multilayered cloth balloon stored below deck with the blast of heat from the furnace providing the lift to stretch it out to its full size. This design put the strain along the main inner beams and several other points. The biggest obstacle had been getting good material for the balloon itself.


    The average cloth here was mostly for the outer layer, but the stuff was too heavy and prone to ripping to be the main inner layer. While I was sitting on a bench in the right corner working on plant enhanced fiber from the flesh of an oak to make it flexible enough to serve as the main section of the inner balloon layer, I had an impulse to make some pre-emptive nooses. It was two days since that meeting in Tansen¡¯s office and nothing we had found out since then had dispelled my worries about the coming changes.


    There was the sound metal footsteps behind me, and I turned to see Salamede in her typical hawk like armor.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked as I put the long cloth of intermeshed fibers down.


    ¡®I wanted to see how the airship is coming along. Also, later today I wanted to taste what our cooks have done with the dwarf¡¯s food in their recipes,¡¯ Salamede said eagerly in a spirit connection.


    With the censure pretty much dead, we had been going back into the regular Kelton shops and restaurants. They had plenty of food to give us with the dwarves being more than happy to supply all their needs at cost when three space expanded chests were their reward. The wood on the chests they provided was also some really tough white material that had the rough uneven flow of wood but when I ran my hands over it, the texture was more like metal.


    Whatever it was made of, it was a really secretive affair. I had to make the spell in the back of the smithing tent and was sworn to secrecy about everything I did for them concerning the chests. Even though they had denied our request for asylum in their mountains, a secretive lot if there ever was one, they had still come through for me and showed that they were reliable.


    I smiled and got up to walk over to her and kiss her.


    ¡®Honey, I said that I would be working on the balloon today. After yesterday, I¡¯m mostly going to try and keep the balloon from ripping then I¡¯m testing the crash impact absorbers.¡¯


    Salamede gave a little pout which was no less adorable with her being in the armor.


    ¡®Fine. I¡¯ll keep an eye open for the new law enforcement arrivals.¡¯ She said, a sour note coming through near the end.


    The replacement for Rand was coming in today, as far as the local gossip said. A lot could happen based on how heavy handed the new guy was, but I made sure to be mentally prepared for the worst. A lot of the stories around the Central government Enforcement Organization told of law officers more concerned with getting an arrest, mostly through wearing down their victims with endless investigations or bank breaking trials, rather than trying to find the truth. No one knew anything about who they were sending, but bad organizations can have good people. If nothing else, it would be a good exercise in how much¡­ leeway being a quad element caster gave me when I corrected any missteps on their part.


    Of course, this did nothing to ease the knot of worry that had lingered in my gut the past few days.


    I continued working on the fabric for the balloon and going over the math for how much space I would need as a distraction. Keeping to the side of caution, I made the balloon far larger than it probably needed to be, but the heat from the blower would more than fill it. I had managed to make smaller ones that would lift the ship but that was without a full cargo hold and crew. Which was a big issue if this was going to be my introduction of science to this world. But making larger copper spheres and coils meant I could carry more weight while simply lowering the power output if it provided too much lift, so I wasn¡¯t too worried on that front.


    With the completion of my advanced alchemy class, the only thing left until I became an official mage was the expedition out west. With the rising of the dead also came a great chance to gather a huge number of magical hides, meats, and bones. Even with the lessened plant resources from the trees retreat into the earth, it was still apparently enough to fire up the greed of the prospective students and even their staff. Especially now that the famed trip was happening tomorrow.


    It was when I was working on the final touches for the balloon and attaching the rope for the back attachments that I heard a knock from a wooden pad by the workshop door. The plain wooden plank had a leather strap attached to it leading from the front door, and the upper floors as well, that all met up with a fine oak pad on the right front door so that it¡¯s activation square would activate the air enchantments in the planks.


    I was only clothed in my white shirt and brown pants as I made my way up the stairs and closed the basement hatch as I made my way to the wide oak doors with iron bands that was my main entrance. Opening it revealed a scrawny Kelton lad with black horns and a heaving chest as his grey shirt and brown leather jeans were dripped with sweat from his brown furred top.


    ¡°M-Master mage. There are men brutalizing some of our shopkeepers. Might need some looking to, but oddest thing is they¡¯re dressed real nice¡± He said with a trembling tone as he avoided my gaze.


    On one of our outings in the Kelton quarter, we had talked with the Kelton patriarch about doing more to secure our community and them being allowed to come get me when Salamede was out of the house was an item we agreed on.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get my gear while you take the healing boards.¡± I said with a pointed finger to a stack of planks by the kitchen section to my left. Having more mobile healing crafts on hand that most people could easily use was a low effort protection that I had set up yesterday. Each of the boards had a black dot on the bottom along with some quick instruction on how to use them. The lad ran and picked up the stack before I closed the door and rushed upstairs to the middle floor.


    Taking off my armor from a mannequin on the left side of the room, the clacking of my steel boots clanked across the copper floor as I took my hammer off the wall. Turning around, I walked out of the shop and down the staircase until I got back to the entrance to go out the main door. The rancid smell of the dead was as present as it always was now, even as the biting cold receded to a mild lower temperature, but I kept the conscious part of my mind focused on the town as I engaged the wheels and boosters in my suit and propelled myself forward at a horses sprint and quickly beyond even that speed. Zipping past the kid from earlier, I made my way down the regular dirt path into the town proper. The shoddy, poor buildings on this side of town were in their typical misshapen, haphazard order that still made way for straight road lines. But that did little good for the passerby as further down the road a wide circle of Kelton¡¯s blocked the roads.


    Even as their wide assortment of horns partially blocked my view of the spectacle, the sound of thudding flesh and screams was unmistakable.


    Moving through the crowd as the onlookers parted for my entrance, I came upon the source of the trouble. Two young men in their mid-20¡¯s were kicking the Kelton patriarch. Dressed in black pants and sleeveless jackets with white undershirts, they had regular brown hair but the strong chin and green eyes of the left side one distinguished the one on the right who had brown eyes and sharp cheek bones.


    Wasting no time, I marched up to the two boys as I quickly looked over the patriarch and saw his blue jacket and pants were mostly dirty with minimal bruising along the arms and neck.


    ¡°Oi! We got this whelp good. Back to your post guardsman.¡± The strong chined one said in a bored tone even as he scowled at the balled-up Kelton man he was kicking.


    Lowering my wheels, I strode up to the two men as the crowd mostly pulled back while a few actually moved a bit forward with faces of eager anticipation for the coming blood sport. Metal clanking announced my approach to the men as I walked over the stone brickwork.


    ¡°You deaf boy?¡± The left one said as he looked up with an irritated scowl at me. His green eyes went wide when he saw I wasn¡¯t a proper guard. His mouth moved with a question but I got there first.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± I asked patiently. That brought a nasty grin to the man¡¯s face with a faint shadow of facial hair.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t none of your business. Now piss off before we show you a proper shakedown with-¡±


    I summoned and shot out a block of stone into his left knee cap. The wet crunch of his kneecap shattering under the grey rock was followed by his scream and some of the onlookers covering their mouths as he went down in a heap clutching at the ruined leg. He gave another yell when the stone slab fell on his foot before it disappeared.


    His fellow was only just leaning back up to take in his situation when I used the same simple and crude earth spell on his left hip. Another crunch and scream of pain rang out but momentum was on my side and I intended to use it. While his fellow was falling down, I moved back over to the first fellow and flipped him face down with a swift kick.


    ¡°You fucking ¨C AUGHH!!¡± His curse gave way to a guttural scream as I lifted up his right arm and drove my steel covered boot into his elbow, snapping the joint with a sharp crack. The other thug was laying on the ground with a high whimper as he tried to keep off the shattered hip bone, but it became a proper scream when I walked over and put my now bloody right boot on his hip to put him fully on his back. He looked at me with petulant hatred which was quickly replaced with fear when I pulled back my hammer.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t you dare-¡°


    A wet snapping was the next sound that came out of his body when my hammer shattered his right arms shoulder, causing bits of bone and blood to cover a small patch of the stone street.


    The rest of the crowd had fully pulled back now, with even the more blood thirsty spectators having more than their fill. Looking behind me, I saw the patriarch getting up off the ground and dusting off the dirt from his portly frame.


    ¡°Thanks, Eli.¡± He said grumpily with a shake of his twirling brown horns.


    ¡°No problem. Do you know who these idiots are?¡± I asked casually as I looked them over for gang tattoos even as they whimpered and squirmed in agony.


    ¡°Not in the slightest. Just came in talking about disciplining the Kelton¡¯s for their manipulative way¡¯s.¡± He said irritably. The two men tried to scowl at him, but they were too busy trying to find a way to not lean on anything broken. I huffed at the pathetic display and turned to the patriarch


    ¡°I thought we had dealt with the gangs already. Ah well. I¡¯ll set up two thick stone poles by the river and strap them to it as I flay them. From there ¨C¡°


    The stomping of metal boots to the left from the main road stopped me as a small squad of guards looked over the scene and one of the men stepped forward with a raised hand and a shaky voice.


    ¡°Sir mage, please step away from the officers.¡± He said with sweat running down his clean-shaven face and brown eyes looking towards the two injured men.


    ¡°What miserable organization would have them as officers?¡± I asked as I looked over the men again.


    ¡°Central Enforcement, sir. They were brought in with a group arriving from the coast and acting under orders of Harold, the new overseer for the law.¡±


    A stone dropped in my stomach, not from hurting the men, but from the fact that this was the first action Harold took. It appears the heavy handedness will be coming to my front doorstep. I had hoped to go the reasonable ¡®let¡¯s talk this out¡¯ route, but that apparently wasn¡¯t an option from the start. Well, going halfway with this won¡¯t do me any good now so I might as well commit.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said with as casual a tone as I could manage. ¡°I¡¯m going to set up a pillar on the river and flay these two. Are there any building regulations for the placement of the stone used?¡±


    The guards looked confused but gulped and tried his best to answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to¡­ the building requirements would¡­ I think it would be best if I brought you to Tansen¡¯s office to discuss this.¡± He lowered his head and bit his lip at the last part.


    I nodded but before I turned to go, I walked back over to the two men lying on the ground whimpering in agony.


    ¡°I¡¯m going now but consider this-¡± I said with a grand gesture to their injuries ¡°A warning. Next time, I¡¯m skewering you through the eyes with a spear of flame.¡±


    With the warning delivered leaving the now paler faces of the guard¡¯s slack jawed, I was led to Tansen¡¯s office in a few short minutes. The academy head was behind his oak desk dressed in the white kimono with gold leaves embroidered along the sleeves. While the mana lamp in the middle of the ceiling and the white/blue striped walls were the same as ever, a new man was standing to the right. Wearing the same black pants and sleeveless jacket with white undershirt as the two thugs, the main distinguishing feature was the gold pin on his left breast shaped into a star with the letters CE over it.


    He was in his mid-30¡¯s and had short brown hair with deep green eyes and a square jaw. Muscular with an arrogant air, he looked at me with his thick bushy eyebrows raised in a question.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve brought him.¡± The guard from before pulled back as I stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the new guy.¡± I asked.


    ¡°Indeed. Purple eyes. Looks like you¡¯re the quad mage with the problem we were sent to fix.¡± Harold said with crossed arms and a standoffish manner.


    ¡°Indeed. Tell me, good sir, what are the regulations for placing stone pillars on the riverside?¡± I asked innocently. That prompted him to raise both eyebrows.


    ¡°Why do you want to know that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Two of your men were being most uncouth in the Kelton quarter earlier so I¡¯m going to strap them both to a stone pillar and flay their skin across it. I wanted to know what the regulations for building it are?¡± I asked again, now in a far sweeter tone.


    Harold just laughed, much to the surprise of Tansen and everyone else.


    ¡°Lad, joking about hurting officers of the law is something you only do once. Now run along and-¡°


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t joking, sir¡± The scared voice of the guard¡¯s leader said behind me. ¡°He¡¯s done it before, and that fellow still hasn¡¯t totally recovered. The two men you sent were too badly injured to come with us and are being put on the healing beds for now.¡±


    Harold looked between him and me with a gradually reddening face until he finally walked forward with an accusing finger as I prepared an earth spell.


    ¡°Boy. You best learn right quick that-¡° I summoned a stone shard aimed right at his forehead that stopped him dead as sweat started running down his face.


    ¡°We are at an academy and where else would be more suited to learning. Tell me, oh wise man of the law, what lesson do you have for me today?¡± I asked as I moved a bit closer to him, driving the spike into his skin and drawing a bit of blood that dripped down his face.


    His teeth gritted and he took a deep breath with a flared nose but his quick look to Tansen for help gave away his fear.


    Tansen put out a placative hand towards me with a firm look. After a few moments, I sighed and dispelled the stone shard. The academy head gave a sigh of relief before he sat up straight and resumed his usual cool demeanor before speaking.


    ¡°We all need to calm down. Harold, what were your men doing in the Kelton quarter? I thought you were here to oversee Eli first and foremost.¡± Tansen asked calmly as his black eyebrows stayed totally even as his brown eyes showed his true irritation.


    ¡°What were they doing?¡± Harold huffed indignantly. ¡°They were laying down how things have to be. These goat things have stolen the greatest prize of our lifetimes from us and you haven¡¯t even given them a bit of grief over it.¡±


    Something between a laugh and an indignant cry escaped my lips as I looked at this increasingly irritating man.


    ¡°I think they¡¯ve been given enough grief. Try that shit again and you¡¯ll be getting corpses instead of injured men.¡± I said, the previous veil of calm demeanor now gone.


    Harold drew himself up to his full height, now at eye level and looked towards the guards behind me.


    ¡°Arrest this man. He clearly needs some time in a cell to reflect on his obligations to the Coalition.¡± He said, a cocky grin and arrogant tilt to his head now in full bloom. A bloom that quickly wilted when I didn¡¯t hear the sound of guards moving. Taking a deep breath, he snarled before laying into the men.


    ¡°Are you lot deaf? I said arrest him!¡± He said in an outraged voice.


    ¡°We want to see the order having you take authority over us.¡± The leader of the guard squad said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Harold screamed in outrage. I turned back to see the guards had bunched together more tightly in a move of body language that showed resistance to their new leadership. Even the two blue and white striped guards by the door could be seen smirking and that was probably what was drove Harold over the top.


    ¡°We¡¯re not tussling with Eli until we know the full extent of our requirements to do so under your orders. Get Rand and have him go over the document¡± The guard leader said, his chin coming up with a clear look of defiance.


    Harold went fully red in the face but a small laugh from Tansen drew everyone¡¯s gaze to him.


    ¡°It looks like you put both feet on the ice without testing it first, Harold. I need to discuss somethings with Eli, so you will need to have this discussion with Rand somewhere else.¡± Tansen said in a calm tone.


    The new law of the land walked forward and slammed his hands down on the desk.


    ¡°Tansen, don¡¯t you try this bullshit with me. I have the ear of congress and I could make any amount of trouble for you if I wanted to.¡± Harold was breathing hard now with a positively feral look in his green eyes. Tansen just adopted a serene look as he leaned back into his chair.


    ¡°Oh? When a load off eyewitness testimony says your reckless actions put the quad mage in danger by getting your men into fights with him, what sweet words will you use to dissuade people of your incompetence? Now, don¡¯t mistake my polite way of saying ¡®get out of my office or I¡¯ll throw you out¡¯ as only being a suggestion.¡± Tansen said, his black goatee and long black hair totally still as he sat there patiently.


    Harold¡¯s face went deep red as he turned around and stomped out of the office with the guards following shortly thereafter. I turned back towards Tansen, who was leaning over his desk with a tired look in his face.


    ¡°What do we need to talk about?¡± I asked him.


    His eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch before answering.


    ¡°Your position in the expedition, of course. You haven¡¯t gone to acquire any gear for it, not that we have any weapons that could match yours, or even inquired as to what it was as far as the teachers can tell.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I forgot.¡± I said with a shrug.


    Tansen huffed with scrunched eyebrows.


    ¡°You forgot?¡± He asked in a disbelieving tone.


    ¡°I was too busy thinking about how the government wants to kill my wife.¡±


    That got a nod of agreement from him as a tired sigh escaped his lips.


    ¡°You are going to be a butcher for this trip. Cleaning animals and getting as much of their products off as cleanly as you can. Report at the classrooms first thing in the morning.¡± He said in a lighthearted tone.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll make sure Harold behaves himself when I¡¯m gone?¡± I asked.


    Tansen nodded.


    ¡°If he tries anything, I will personally put him in the healing beds.¡± He said with a firm tone.


    I nodded before heading out of his office and back into my home. The numbing ache of worry in my gut only intensified as I put my armor and mask away on the second-floor mannequin and went back down into the actual workshop to work on the ship. When it must have been past lunch Salamede came back down into the shop as I was tying some rope around the back end of the balloon to loop it through the ship¡¯s various metal hoops attached to the floor.


    On the front and back ends of the wooden ship were supports to hold it up the relatively flat bottom of the air ship and beside them was a large ladder. But the loud clanking of metal stopped me as I was growing wood around the end strands of the rope attached to the flat balloon laying across the deck behind me. As I was getting up, I heard her coming up the ladder and before I could make it to the railing, my wife came up over the rail and stood in front of me. The plain white shirt and grey pants she typically wore under her armor had sweat marks along her armpits and heaving chest.


    ¡®Eli, I heard you nearly killed two members of Central Enforcement today.¡¯ She asked in a spirit connection with a heated tone as she moved forward and put a finger into my white shirt.


    ¡®Those babies. I only broke an arm and a leg. Well, one of them I shattered his hip, but they¡¯ll make full recoveries.¡¯ I said casually, taking in her flaring snout with the white stripe over the nose ridge and her white eyes showing irritation even as she came up a few inches shorter than me.


    ¡®Eli! You can¡¯t attack men of the law like that!¡¯ She scolded. But she moved closer to me and her heavy breathing now sent her hot breath over my neck.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know they were men of the law when I stopped them, not that it would have made a difference. They were attacking people and I had to show them where the line was.¡¯ I responded defensively.


    She puckered her lips for a long moment before kissing me. Her tongue was down my throat as I struggled to maintain a coherent thought with her sweetness flooding my mouth. It was when she worked off my pants and took her top off to expose her two swinging breasts with hard brown nipples that I managed to get out an actual sentence.


    ¡®I thought you were angry, but the communication is getting very mixed.¡¯ I said as she pushed me down before taking her own pants off.


    ¡®I am. But even when I¡¯m angry at what you did, my body aches for the man who boldly rode out to provide protection for my people. The pain and conflict of being a woman. You¡¯ll just have to bear it for now.¡¯ She said with wild lust clear in her voice. The slightly grey skin of her whole body was now totally bare before me and as I took in all the generous curves of my wife¡¯s hips, breasts, and licking lips, my reaction was inevitable.


    ¡®Ah, good. He¡¯s ready to go.¡¯ Salamede said impatiently as she used her knees to force my legs open for access to my stiff manhood.


    We spent what must have been a few hours trying out different positions on top of the deck of our ship. An experience made all the better because it suppressed the ever-present worry about our future. During our play such concerns were left inconsequential but sadly it had to end at some point. As we lay in an exhausted heap, with us switching between rubbing our various bits, me giving her hard nipples an idle suck, and some kissing to smooth out the end of our climax, we caught each other¡¯s eyes every now and then. I must have been as bad at hiding my worries as she was because each time our eyes met the anxiety shined clear through.


    Damn these bastards, I can¡¯t even properly enjoy my wife¡¯s body now.


    But there was nothing left to say. We had gone over all of the alternatives again and again and found no avenue for legal respite, not that there were any lawyers who wanted to be known for giving me legal advice to subvert the will of congress and the associations. I was too valuable for the Coalition to accept us just disappearing and now it looked like they weren¡¯t above going after the Kelton community if it served their ends. Knowing that, I didn¡¯t even bother suggesting we steal away some dark night in the airship. The airship was pretty much our only play, a desperate play but a play none the less. We will try to get them to accept science over magic, but that might backfire since they could take it as another wonder Salamede was stealing from them. To say nothing of the difficulty of going against the magical breeding prerogatives of this world.


    We eventually sated each other¡¯s bodies and got a shower. For dinner we went out to a river side bar and ate a spicy fish stew. Our table was totally silent as we both looked at each other in between bites and sips, waiting for some visual cue that either of us had come up with a real plan to fix this mess. Stopping an entire society from acting on tens of thousands of years of magical breeding preferences and just leaving me alone was a task even I wasn¡¯t fully prepared for.


    Heading back to the tower in the bitter cold with drops of snow now falling in the pitch black of the night, we went to the top floor of our home and fell asleep in the sheets of our large bed as a crude heater with bare coils by the door kept the room warm. The next morning, we were rushing to get out of the house after a quick bowl of oatmeal and the putting together of a few days of clothes in a sack by the door. Cell wouldn¡¯t have anyone to play with today as all the familiars would be accompanying their partners on the trip out west. I had weighed bringing him with me, but there was no way I would trust Harold to not try and work over the Kelton¡¯s or even Salamede herself when I was gone.


    Salamede was putting her helmet on and getting her spear off the wall hooks when Cell came down the hole in the corner of the ceiling. My familiar got into the back left of her shoulder piece and snugly fit inside a hole, an image that now mirrored the one on her right shoulder piece.


    Making our way out the door dressed in our battle armor, we both were still worried about the situation, but a quick kiss and wave goodbye made the day seem more bearable as I picked up my sack of clothes and headed out the door. The winter was properly setting in now, even with the faint glow of gold mana along the ground making the snow take of a goldish tint. A grey overcast with ice where water collected in various holes and dips was now the norm out here in the back end of town. Wealthier and with access to the academy heating crafts, the roofs of the multi-story houses on the opposite side of the town had none of the snow that now covered the shops and peasant housing.


    My breath was fogging up as it came around my smiling metal mask while I headed towards the designated waiting area by the gate to the academy with the sack slung over my shoulder. The long wall of grey stone had been brushed clean of snow and everyone huddled around the ever-burning bonfires of reanimated bodies for warmth. All the students had cloth head covers, mitts, and scarfs as their white and blue striped robes occasionally made it hard to distinguish them in the tightly packed masses around the now four pyres along the right side of the road.


    A line of the metal boxes that served as carriages for transporting students were being outfitted for the biting cold with extra blankets and cover for the horses. It took only a few more minutes before the full plate bodyguards gave the all clear. A stampede almost broke out as the students rushed from the pyre¡¯s warmth and into the metal boxes. Looking at the top of the opposite end of my carriage, I saw a blooming wooden flower by the central mana lamp in the ceiling and felt how it was warmer inside. The mana being absorbed by the wooden flower said it was fueling the spell to warm the interior.


    I suppose these precious eggs could not bear even this short trip in any discomfort.


    With the trip passing by in the usual haze of heated looks and suggestive poses, we made it to the two towers that made up the classrooms.


    Going through the wide stone wall, I saw the typical line of carriages on the left side was now a full-blown caravan with sacks and chests being moved back and forth to be placed on various carriages and steel wagon beds. Most of the new additions to the fleet were long, rectangular metal beds with three-foot-high walls around their perimeter. These new additions had patches on near untouched grass beneath them, having apparently been left out overnight in the snow.


    Getting out of my carriage and through the wide double doors of the towers entrance, I saw a lot of the students standing around with various weapons to hand as long tables on the left saw some of them moving away happily while others were seen arguing with the staff sitting behind the stacks of papers. While I walked past them, I caught snippets of the conversations.


    ¡°Scout? Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Good. I got hunter, just like I was always supposed to.¡±


    ¡°There is a mistake. I want the judges down here to-¡°


    ¡°Eli!¡±


    I turned towards the end of the table and saw Bess waving to me with a happy grin. Her green eyes and short brown hair were the same as always. The faint lines around her face from her smile above the sharp chin accentuated the 30¡¯s woman¡¯s positive nature.


    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s my position Bess? Tansen told me yesterday but I forgot.¡± I asked.


    She sat back down and perused the papers until she got the right one and pulled it out to hand to me.


    ¡°Butcher. The scouts will check out an area and track any good quarry. Once that is done, the hunters will move in and do the killing part of this exercise. Once the prey has been brought down, haulers will escort and transport the bodies back to a designated safe zone. Your task will be to dissect the kills the haulers bring in.¡±


    I nodded and took my paper before heading towards the canteen. Whatever their provisions, a few bits of jerky and nuts for extra rations would not be amiss. Coming up to the wide double doors of the canteen, it was open with the bar on the far side decked out with travelling treats and hot serving pots of various teas and flavored milks for driving away the cold. The long line of tables was filled with armored students, their usual attire of white and blue striped robes being replaced with metal suits of armor or leather with metal studs, depending on whether they were a crafter or a caster.


    Most of the tables remained empty as the students were in a hurry to get what they needed and leave. Taking a few bits of beef jerky and honeyed nuts, the treats were placed in a sack I slung along my hip. Satisfied, I headed back out through the crowd to get my seat in the right carriage. One good thing was that with how busy everyone was, none of the women made any attempt to get a feel in or press themselves against me.


    Except one.


    Beth was waiting out by right of the entrance and didn¡¯t say a word as she approached. The woman with curvy brown hair and thick pink lips was happy to see me today. Her puffy full body coat of pink fur came with some ear coverings of an equally puffy pink and her mole on the left lip was up with her puckered lips.


    ¡°Oh darling, I would ask how you¡¯ve been, but one need not ask with that dreadful order they put out. Damned congress. I like seeing you, but I do wish it was under better circumstances¡± she said with seemingly genuine pity as she wrapped me in a hug, her purple eyes looking me up and down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get through it. Salamede is a good woman and more than well equipped to defend herself¡± I said confidently.


    ¡°I know. Still, I¡¯ll be visiting her regularly. It¡¯s dangerous for you out there, but I don¡¯t think men appreciate how hard it is on us as well. Some company will do her good.¡± Beth said with that same smug smile, something I had begun to assume was just her default facial expression rather than an indication of any one emotion. It still felt awkward being so friendly with another man¡¯s wife, but I had started to feel positively tolerant towards her since she started providing some support to Salamede when I wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said with a light bow.


    Beth took that as an opportunity to give me a peck on the cheek just above my mask and below my left eye. I involuntarily flinched. That prompted her to put on a mock look of hurt.


    ¡°Eli! Are my lips on you really so painful? I can only imagine how restricted Salamede must be in her bed-time duties with a husband so sensitive.¡± She said with a fake pout and a hand to her pink fur covered chest.


    ¡°Pff. You know damned well why putting your lips there prompted that.¡± I said with crossed arms.


    Beth gave a light-hearted huff before giving me another hug and whispering in my ear.


    ¡°Can you blame a girl? I thought I knew what I wanted when I dropped all that money for the eye color alteration, but seeing you made even my dreams seem like peasant aspirations.¡± She said, her purple eyes now fixing on my own with that same intensity.


    ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re helping my wife, I¡¯ll let it slide.¡± I said before I gave a final nod and we parted ways as I headed towards the caravan.


    The long metal beds were further off to the right while the majority of the activity was in the center near the passenger carriages. Guild members could be seen moving in and out of the gate of the grey wall now surrounding the grounds of the two towers, reducing the snow in front of it to a muddy slush. Something that was happening around the passenger carriages as well with the students milling about waiting for the staff to come out with the assigned seating. I uselessly ambled around for a while trying to find my group until a whistle blew off near the main tower doors.


    ¡°All right!¡± A middle-aged staff member called from near the doors of the tower. She had thick brown hair and green eyes with a sharp chin. ¡°This is our annual expedition. The next few days will see you lot either become mages or fail for another year. We expect great things from you lot and know the mage associations take your performance in these duties very seriously in their assessments. Knowing how to handle yourself in a mana rich environment and collect its natural bounty is an essential part of mage hood. Good luck and may your harvest be plentiful.¡±


    From there, a swarm of the staff moved through the crowd of students and started directing people towards their designated carriages. The carriages and their passengers were divided into the four groups of scouts, haulers, butchers and hunters. I had assumed the scouts would be in the front but apparently being first was a matter of prestige and the hunters were going to be the first group out. The extra guards from the guild on every carriage suggested our ¡®performance¡¯ was only going to be examined once we got into the western area proper.


    I was eventually led into the group of carriages third from the front, with only the haulers coming in behind us. It took a lot longer than it should have with everyone awkwardly trying to get their weapons through the relatively small door on the metal boxes, but I eventually got in. With two benches of either side, I immediately sat in the far-left corner as I laid my sack of clothes between my legs. The mana lamp in the center bathed everyone in a soft golden glow as they shuffled in. The lustful teasing from the women that usually accompanied me everywhere was nowhere to be seen. From biting lips, sweaty foreheads, and the strumming of fingers on wooden benches, the energy of my travelling companions was pure trepidation.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A male student with leather armor and metal guards said. He was looking at me with green eyes from down the right side of the opposite bench as his brown hair showed below the metal helmet.


    ¡°They said I was a butcher. Unless the staff put me in the wrong carriage, I¡¯m where I should be.¡± I replied politely.


    That sent out some whispers until one thin black-haired girl spoke out.


    ¡°It was miss Koal. The judges were going to make you a hunter but I heard when she found out about it, she stomped right into Tansen¡¯s office. Apparently, putting you at risk was unacceptable so they moved you with us. Your also why they¡¯ve given us those guards from the coast.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I hummed towards her with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Them guys with the black pants and jackets with white undershirts. A few of them are coming along just to watch the butchers.¡±


    ¡°Pff! Yeah right,¡± One woman further down my bench said. ¡°They¡¯re here to watch us. Bullshit. They¡¯re here to make sure the quad mage stays unblemished without suffering a single scratch. They don¡¯t give a damn what happens to us.¡±


    ¡°Hey at least we¡¯re not the haulers.¡±


    There was a chorus of agreement from the rest and I thought about leaving the conversation at that, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to get more information on the expedition.


    ¡°What¡¯s with some of the teams being preferred over others?¡± I asked the carriage. I could guess as some of it but knowing is better than guessing. The rest of the group looked askance at me, but the black-haired girl beat the rest to the punch.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about getting the eyes of the associations. Hunters are the ones one bring down the kills and that typically means they¡¯re the most skilled and capable at using magic. Scouts come in a close second since they¡¯re still doing some dangerous work. The last two are basically saying ¡®I¡¯m just above a peasant¡¯. You can still distinguish yourself as a butcher by being good at the job but being a hauler for the association is living on the bottom of the pile, only going through areas already cleared by your betters to do the job of a mule. Though I suppose that¡¯s not going to be an issue for you.¡± She said with an endearing tone at the end.


    That got a few scowls from the surrounding men, but I didn¡¯t care. I spent the rest of my time staring at the ceiling for some long amount of time like I could find the answer to the mess I was trapped in by taking in the all the imperfections of the hand forged metal. That was until a call was heard off in the distance. I couldn¡¯t make out what was said, but the sound of carriages taking off in the distance was shortly followed with ours shifting forward with the neighing horses pulling us along.


    While the windows along the tops of the carriage provided me a view of the grey sky, the most that happened along the way was a onetime stop that started and ended with the typical crunching of flesh and battle songs of the struggle between the dead and living. But otherwise the road was spent in silence as the other students were too intimidated or stressed to bother me.


    It was near mid-day, after a long day of staring at the ceiling and coming up with nothing to solve the treason charge against Salamede, that we finally arrived at our destination. When our carriage came to a total stop, there was a call from a guard and the door opened. I saw a few trees over the heads of the student ahead of me. After a few moments, I was finally out the door.


    Before me lay a vast landscape of rolling hills and scars of torn earth that became hard to distinguish between the massive splotches of bark from the sunk trees far off. In the distance I could vaguely make out a river from our heightened vantage point as it ambled across the open landscape. The mid-day sun played out over the cold landscape even as the snow was only seen on the occasional boulder. Nearby on the slightly lower plane in front of me was the main campsite.


    Although campsite was only an apt description for the outer layer of our home for the next few days.


    The inner circle was long rows of stone houses with the places for the camp workers, regular guards, and cook staff going around the stone abodes in a thick layer of tents of varying sizes and dull colors. People scampered about the camp seeing to the innumerable tasks needed to keep this beach head of civilization into these mana rich lands going. As far as I could see, the tales of place to the west lived up to their boasts.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The faint blue mana wasn¡¯t everywhere but at the spots where it was located along the ground and at certain dips from the trees, it was far thicker than the academy area. Stepping forward, I tried to make way for the other students getting out of the carriage, but my foot met unexpected resistance. Looking down, I saw the grass had started forming around my feet. A sharp tug was still more than enough to free myself from the restriction and I saw it was just an annoyance for the other students as well.


    I took a deep breath and noted that the air was actually pretty fresh compared to the constant undead smell back in town. Off past the road behind me where we had come in, I saw a few of the shambling corpses of deer and pigs struggling through the grass. It was then that I realized what the occasional bump on the hill was. Looking back over the landscape, I saw with fresh eyes the various grass silhouettes and odd shapes along the ground of what I now knew was the undead being consumed by the grass.


    ¡°Come along students!¡± One of the staff members called up ahead. That got everyone moving as the blue and white stripped robes of the staff fluttered around us, looking us over for injuries and helping the few stuck in the grass. Coming down the hill, the scouts and hunters pulled ahead of my group with a haughty air, though none showed such an attitude when I was near. When I came onto the campground proper, I noticed that the entire stone house section had been put over a wide, muddy brown slab of stone. As the surrounding camp workers stopped to look at us approach, most of their eyes went immediately to me. Ignoring the attention, I made my way to the stone houses that lay at the center of the camp.


    The houses were grey with minimal aesthetic consideration. Comprised of only a single floor and with the only outwards features, aside from a shingled roof, being a wood door and a window beside it. Near the very heart of the camp was a cooking area and rows of benches with tables, all very prim and clean with the same extravagant sense of taste in embellishments and woodwork.


    One of the staff members got up on one of the tables to look over the crowds and brought the small army of students to a standstill. Her blond hair flowed in the wind as her green eyes surveyed the crowd.


    ¡°All right lads, we¡¯ve got work to do. The scouts will head out immediately with the hunters flowing shortly behind them. As for the rest, you¡¯ll be shown your work area and the houses you¡¯ll be staying at.¡±


    That prompted a wave of groans further in front of the crowd.


    ¡°My back hurts¡±


    ¡°Right now? What about a proper lunch? We only had travel snacks?¡±


    ¡°So the haulers and butchers get to just lay about?¡±


    That prompted a smile from the staff member on the table.


    ¡°Did you think the people with greater combat ability would be doing less work? Know this, today is as close to being real mages as you¡¯ve ever been. Safe spots in areas like these are always in high demand, sometimes your allotted time will be measured in hours, not days. In a real gathering expedition, you will quite often not have time to rest when getting to the safe area. That you will be getting three days to gather magical resources is very generous.


    We are not here to pamper you; we are here to give you a taste of the real struggles of being a mage.¡±


    Off to the left in the front of the crowd was the scions and Jeff. While the rocky armor of Ryan was easy to distinguish, the blue, yellow, and red of Andrew, Jeff, and Veronica were harder to see as the front of the crowd was directed off to the left and out onto the wide open planes.


    From there, the haulers and butchers separated. The haulers were taken back to the carriages with the wide metal beds while we were taken behind the kitchen area to several long tables surrounded with barrels of what looked like salt. From there we were instructed in the basics of the job. While butchering magically enhanced animals was covered for in the survival courses, that had been for us out in the field by ourselves to immediately eat them.


    For the expedition, we were actually breaking down the animals at the joints and putting them in salt barrels. What happens to the meat pieces after that depended on whether or not necrosis was in full swing. When it wasn¡¯t, the meat joints would be sold as is to the highest bidders. But at this time of year, the joints would be exposed to the ambient healing mana as it tried to reform the whole body from the joint. While the vast majority of mages were rather squeamish about eating undead flesh, the pigs were not. The bodies would usually be chained up to a guillotine that was being watched over by a peasant who would cut off the forming head as the pigs devoured the healing flesh, only to be in turn devoured by the mage of the house.


    The cook¡¯s instructions for preparing the salt barrels, placement, and the various knives needed for the job were short and to the point as the tubby man with red hair gave us chickens to test our skills on. A task I laid my armor beside me for. As the late mid-day turned to proper afternoon with the orange starting to play over the sky, the scouts and hunter returned. Their entry into the camp was one of misery as the total haul was only a single horned rabbit.


    As the staff grilled them on their practices and skills, the rest of us just awkwardly stood around with nothing to do. Which was really hard for me because that meant I had nothing to distract myself from my life¡¯s situation. Dinner was grilled chicken in a hearty gravy with potatoes and green beans. But it might as well have been flavorless gruel for all I cared. The food was too busy competing for space with the knot of ever-growing worry in my gut to be tasty.


    The night came and we were all shown to our houses as torches flickered in the wind at the corners of the houses. Along the way, I saw the Central enforcement officers who were going to be watching over me. Two burly gentlemen who only looked my way in passing as they flirted with some of the maids. Although the rest of the students apparently had no qualms about getting some bed-time company as well.


    Most of the male students took a maid or kitchen server directly into their small houses and the noises that came out of the windows afterwards left no doubt as to their activities. The women, be they student, staff member, or camp worker, made their intentions abundantly clear when I came up to my house. Standing around expectantly, they all looked at me like they were waiting for me to take my pick as I held my armor in my hands and set it inside just besides the door. After activating the mana lamp in the center of my new homes ceiling, I summoned a stone slab to block the door and window in front of my house. There were a few earth mages in the crowd, and they all got quizzical looks but none of them acted fast enough when the wide grey stone cut off the entrance to my house.


    A chorus of huffs, flabbergasted cries and moans rang out, but I ignored it as I put down my sack of clothes by the door and quickly put small holes in the walls to allow for air flow. Once that was completed, I took in the whole house and the relatively bare luxuries.


    At least, relative to Diamond academy standards.


    The floor was a lot of dark oak boards with a plush bed on the opposite side of the door. The walls were plain grey stone but the embroidery in the bed and sheets showed an expensive taste, even though the mana lamp for every house was already a tremendous luxury for the people of this world. On the head of the bed was a small hole with small instructions to activate its heating enchantment by pressing into a small black square in the middle, which I quickly turned on as I tucked in for the night.


    Putting my mask on the head of the bed and laying down in the soft sheets, I tossed and turned in the darkness. My mind was running itself ragged with all the various ways I could possibly get out of this situation but eventually rejected them. It was bad at home, but now that I was far away in some hovel, I had the added worry of what I was coming back to.


    Tansen seemed genuine in his actions and while he certainly wasn¡¯t blameless for the situation, he was one of the few people who didn¡¯t doubt my convictions on staying with Salamede. Even so, he was one person. The fact that the assholes who were descending on me took no issue with picking on innocent bystanders left me doubting that I could talk this out. The image of a burnt out hellscape where Salamede¡¯s community used to be was all I saw as I fell asleep.


    I woke up feeling like I had barely slept aside from my now sore jaw, courtesy of grinding my teeth.


    Getting up, I threw on my clothes from yesterday and took up a replacement from my sack before I put on my mask from the bed post. When I used earth magic to break apart the slab of stone in front of my house into large chunks, which I promptly stored on my porch, I stepped out into the bracing cold of the day. Camp workers scurried around the various houses as the sun was only a vague suggestion of light across the sky. I moved along with the crowd going about the dozens of tasks needed to keep this little town going with my change of clothes being tucked under my right arm. Some raised an eyebrow at me still wearing my mask but none of them said anything to me, even as the occasional maid looked at me with clear interest.


    Making my way towards the center to the cooking area, I was going to ask where the bathing area was but that was already obvious when I got into the more spacious square. A wide series of white tents were off to the right. The steam and patter of water around the place told of showers and the table in front of them affirmed that observation. Laden with fluffy white towels and the usual unisex robes, a few maids stood by to assist a few of the other early comers.


    ¡°Ah, the quad mage.¡± One buxom black-haired maid called to me from the left of the table.


    That brought on a deluge of head turning and looks from the surrounding women, but I just walked up and took a towel with a new set of robes. Walking around the table, I looked down to see a large basket and noted the pile of dirty clothes in it. Making a mental note to drop off my laundry later, I started walking towards the closest tent when two of the maids stopped me. The black haired one from before who was looking at me with hungry brown eyes, and another petite blond with coy blue eyes and pigtails.


    ¡°Good mage, sir.¡±


    ¡°Quad castering, sir¡±


    Their words stumbled over each other but after shooting a quick glare at each other, they coughed and resumed speaking.


    ¡°Lord mage, I know you were probably well used last night but some company in the shower is often a good way to soothe the aches of a long night¡¯s work.¡± The black-haired maid said suggestively, her shoulder length hair swaying as she moved to puff out her chest. The white aprons over their plain black dresses provided a good deal of modesty but she did the best with what she had, making sure to pull down the neckline as low as she could get it.


    The petite blond puffed up her cheeks in a put-out look and stepped forward with her hands on her hips as she tried to maintain a cool demeanor.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, lord mage, perhaps some company with someone who will actually massage a part of you that isn¡¯t your manhood would be preferable?¡± She said in a honey sweet tone as she put out her right hand in a come-hither motion.


    I took in a deep breath to scold the two women to leave me alone but then I looked at the blonde¡¯s arm. There was a long series of scratches along her hand and they ran down near to her elbow as far as I could see.


    ¡°What happened to your arm?¡± I asked her.


    She quickly drew the arm back like I had hit her.


    ¡°I-I assure you such insignificant things like that will not impede my ability to perform for you, lord mage.¡± She said, her tone becoming mildly panicked. A quick look over the black-haired maid and I could see some similar marks around her arms and legs.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I demanded again in a firmer tone.


    They both looked at each other now and I could see the staff around us had stopped with towels and dirty clothes in hand. The black-haired maid bit her lip before answering for the two of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s the grass, me lord. They gave us thick matted sheets to help keep it off of us, but the sheets are not terribly big and rolling off them in the night is easier than staying on them.¡± She said with a soft tone as she looked down at the muddy stone floor.


    ¡°But please, we are not the priority here.¡± The blonde said in an eager tone ¡°Let your mind focus on more important tasks. We are here to serve you and your needs, be they mundane or physical. It would not do to have you fussing over the help.¡± Her blue eyes stayed totally sincere even as the other maid looked a little bitter in her smile and tense gaze.


    Sighing, I put my clothes down on the floor and outstretched my arms to use healing spells on the two girls. They¡¯re jaws swung open as they tried to object but all that I heard from them was two light cooing sounds as the warmth of the healing spell flooded their bodies.


    ¡°There. After breakfast I¡¯ll work on another slab of stone for the workers here to sleep on.¡± I said as I picked up my clothes and walked past them to get a shower.


    ¡°Lord mage!¡± The black-haired maid squeaked in a scandalized tone. ¡°That¡­ we could not bear the shame of forcing a mage to make up for our weakness.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± I growled as I walked into the tent, ¡°It will give me something to do besides sitting around and brooding at cleavers all day.¡±


    My last view of the two was the blond looking over her now smooth skin with wide blue eyes while her fellow looked at me with shimmering brown eyes with her hands to her chest.


    The shower head was at the far side on a wooden pole with the same heated flower head at the showers in the practice tower with a bench to the right. A quick dose and rub of the provided bar of soap and I was back out there with the stench of flowers covering me. Walking over to the kitchen area, I noticed some of the workers looking at me like I was an oddity that came out of nowhere. Ignoring the looks, I got my breakfast of eggs, bread, and ham slices from the breakfast bar.


    As I sat down to my meal with a mug of water, Jeff, Andrew, Ryan, and Veronica sat down around me with their breakfasts. This naturally caused a stir among the onlooking staff and still semi-early rising students at the other tables as they gawked and whispered at the gathering of such powerful mages.


    ¡°You lot are up early.¡± I commented.


    Andrew¡¯s shoulder length red hair twirled as he looked skyward with a disappointed look as he spoke.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like going out late helped us yesterday. Maybe getting the scouts out earlier will give us the advantage we need.¡±


    Veronica huffed, the blonde¡¯s heart shaped face looking like a scolding mother.


    ¡°Come on, Andrew. We both know that early season is the worst pickings. Why do you think they let us students take an entire gathering spot?¡± Her blue eyes, however, only portrayed a similar disappointment.


    ¡°Still,¡± Ryan said after swallowing a muffin. His black hair swayed over his sharp cheek bones as he held up the conversation to take a swig of juice from his mug. ¡°Would have liked to have something to show for our troubles besides a single rabbit. It¡¯s slim pickings but it shouldn¡¯t be this slim from what I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Jeff and Andrew¡¯s oceanic eyes met for a moment before they both turned towards me.


    ¡°We may have had more to show for it if they had put you were you belong.¡± Andrew said bitterly.


    Jeff¡¯s slight chin came up with a tired smile as he stroked a hand through his black hair before deflating his brother¡¯s ambition.


    ¡°If you think they were ever going to let him go anywhere dangerous, I have some dragon hides back at my place I¡¯d love to sell you.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s dark green eyes showed some mirth while Andrew just moped.


    ¡°But we were so close to catching a fire bear yesterday.¡± Andrew said despondently before taking a breath and nodding. ¡°Yeah, all right. I suppose if it was my neck on the line if Eli got his head bitten off, I¡¯d make him stay at the camp as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would also not want the guilt of having me die on your watch as well.¡± I said in a lighthearted tone.


    ¡°Meh. At least there would be more sex for the rest of us. After the teary-eyed speech I¡¯d give at your funeral, of course¡± Andrew scoffed casually as he bit into a slice of toasted bread.


    That made Jeff and Ryan chuckle as I raised my eyebrow at Andrew.


    ¡°Unless my loins have been visiting the dorms without my permission, I¡¯d say they haven¡¯t been taking the women¡¯s night time energy away from any of the other men.¡± I said with a curious tone.


    It was a scoff from Veronica that drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Eli, do you really think you being here has had no effect on the women? I¡¯ve heard quite a few of the men complaining about the sudden chastity of the female mages at the academy, even if the peasant women are still putting out for them. Why would a woman take herself out of commission for nine months to have a crafters baby when she could wait a week or two to have yours?¡± She asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s not happening. Once that becomes clear, the men will go back to having all the nighttime company they need.¡± I said firmly, leaving no room for disagreement.


    Veronica gave me a disbelieving look, all but saying ¡®Really?¡¯ as she put both elbows on the table. Another cough and she began speaking again in a calm tone.


    ¡°There are two ways for we people of the breasted variety to get ahead in the world: Spend decades in grueling life and death struggles trying to fight for every scrap of mana enhanced food available, all the while dealing with bloodthirsty rivals or allies who will backstab you at a moment¡¯s notice. Or we can bend over for you in a ten-minute session and be regarded as legends ever after. That¡¯s a bit of math even the dumbest woman here can do and you¡¯re quite foolish if you think that¡¯s going to change.¡±


    I gave a light laugh as I held her gaze.


    ¡°Perhaps I am. But at least we¡¯ll all be fools together.¡±


    Veronica got a puzzled look but didn¡¯t say anything as the table went totally silent. In the background the rest of the students were waking up now and the workers had to run around getting enough towels and tableware available for them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll be so flippant about it.¡± Veronica said as she got up from the table and took her empty plate and mug with her. The others nodded as they got up and bid goodbye.


    Putting away my dishes to be washed, I talked with the head chef who was also the leader of the staff here. His long face got a distressed look as I told him of my plan to make proper quarters for the staff, but he eventually relented. An empty workshop by the butcher¡¯s tables had bits of wood that had been cut for the various carpentry work here and from there I started working on the round pieces of wood for enchanting.


    I decided to also make some extra beds for the stone slab and was planning on having a grey pod design with an open bottom for the occupant to get in through the ¡®feet¡¯ of the pod and wide cuts at the top that would let air in while having rain drip over it without getting inside the sleeping area. Along the bed would be small wooden disks that would give a light heating effect along their sheets. I had to use plant magic to make the small tufts of plant fiber around the wood pieces properly comfortable, but I eventually got enough of the magic crafts that I could quickly assemble the pods with ease.


    It took a few hours, with me having to stop every now and then to work on a captured horned rabbit or water turtle, but after lunch I had the set up to make pods with soft, heated beds. The biggest challenge, at least for most people, was getting the vicious grass out of the way but that was trivial for me as I drained the life out of the grass along a big square patch. It pulled back from the assault and when I put down the grey slab, I started putting together the pods. A large board on the bottom to summon the body around it that would be stuffed with the blankets and sheets when it was done.


    The heating enchantments on the coins would give enough heat in the space to keep the occupant slightly warm but not enough to present any fire hazards. I continued working on the pods, adding other functions on small wood coins that would summon and heat a bulb of water to provide some massaging functions. These would all be attached along strings and the two functions would be done pressing on the edges of a wooden triangle. Putting so much effort and time into the beds kept me from moping when the meager portions brought by the haulers wasn¡¯t coming my way. Despite my best efforts, the dire situation I was in still weighed on me.


    The airship wasn¡¯t anywhere close to being done. I had even considered simply disappearing or faking my death but had thrown away the ideas, considering the whole of humanity would immediately dispatch every resource to catching me and I didn¡¯t have the greatest success when I had attempted that in the past. Faking my death would mean upending my family and the only place I could think to go after that would be some lifeless rocks on the northern part of the central continent, that was even without considering the innumerable dangers surrounding such a voyage. The same tired thoughts ran through my head again and again for the whole day until I had all the heating coins strung together with their triangles. Around late afternoon we got the word that the last of the kills were coming through and I took that as an opportunity to finish out the additional beds.


    I had been alternating between setting up the board to summon the stone frames and making the fire/water enchantments all day and I was on the cusp of getting the finishing touches done on the last of a good twenty of the beds when I heard the sound of a large scuffle break out near the central canteen. Heading back towards the long lines of dining tables, I saw Andrew and another guy with short blonde hair arguing. The other guy was a scout as far as I could tell from his light armor and I couldn¡¯t tell what they were arguing about but as long as it wasn¡¯t an attack on the camp, I didn¡¯t care.


    Heading back towards the large stone slab I had made, I looked around at how crowded it now was. The right side had a lot of tents that had gotten pretty crowded before I expanded on it further. When I had explained what the beds I was working on did, the head of the staff had to intervene to make sure a scuffle didn¡¯t break out over who got them. The last touch was taking two more boards and using them to make healing items for any injuries sustained while they worked. A gift the heavy-set chef and kitchen staff stopped to look wide eyed at when I dumped them off on a cooking table with the gravitas and importance of a hammer.


    My task for the day now completed with the falling of the sun in the orange sky, I got a sandwich, cooked potatoes, and a fruity drink, courtesy of a grateful head chef, from the bar as I went back towards the dining tables.


    The first thing that hit me was how positively fowl the mood was. The faces of the students were mixes of scowls and pent up frustration with a far-left table holding a positively livid looking Andrew. He was sitting with a merely peeved Jeff and Ryan, all dressed in the typical white and blue striped robes of the academy. Walking up to them, they seemed to cool down a bit when I approached.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s got everyone so down?¡± I asked as sat down opposite of them.


    Andrew immediately exploded before anyone else said anything.


    ¡°Those fucking scouts! We¡¯ve been having a bad time of it because they¡¯ve been trying to take down the big game themselves. But, of course, they¡¯re suited to track and move and taking down the big game isn¡¯t what they¡¯re equipped for. So those assholes have been trying to take on our kills and instead have just been driving them away.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡± I said as I sipped the fruity ¡°That explains a lot.¡±


    ¡°Damn right it does.¡± Jeff said irritably. His short black hair did nothing to hide the irritated scowl above his slight chin.


    ¡°And it¡¯s all the scouts doing it?¡± I asked politely.


    That deflated the anger a bit as Ryan answered.


    ¡°Nah. It was just a few of them, but it was the ones who always insisted on taking the best hunting grounds. Tomorrow we¡¯ll see how much we get without a bunch of idiots screwing everything up.¡±


    Andrew vigorously nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Damn right we will.¡±


    The next few minutes everyone sat around eating in peace until there was the sound of shouting off to my right by the bar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn! This is ridiculous such lowly people having such luxury.¡±


    I turned to see the short-haired blonde from earlier laying into the head chef along with a few other students. While bigger, the head chef cowered before the student in his brown pants, white shirt, and kitchen apron as he put his hands up with his red hair swaying from his nervous head movements.


    ¡°G-Good sir. You must understand that the quad mage is the one who directed they be used for-¡°


    ¡°Silence, you wretch! I don¡¯t want to hear such excuses. We will be taking those stone beds for our personal use. And send me a kitchen wench later, I will need someone to relieve me of this bad day I¡¯ve had.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the lot who cost us all so much.¡± Jeff said with a strained voice.


    Tired as I was, this involved my work so I might as well not only be halfway involved. As I got up from the table and moved closer, a few of the students buddies turned to scowl at me, an expression that quickly turned to fear before they moved aside for me. The blonde continued the argument even when I was right behind him. He was still totally oblivious as everyone else stopped to stare at the coming fight.


    Quite a poor scout indeed.


    ¡°This is unacceptable. I as a caster cannot-¡°


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± I said.


    The short haired blonde jumped straight up and turned to scowl at me, but his fiery green eyes quickly cooled when he saw who he was talking to. He came up a good three inches shorter than me, but he still had a decently muscular frame.


    ¡°The beds, quad mage.¡± The head chef said as he wiped his sweaty palms across his wide white apron. ¡°They are very good. But servants ought not have better quarters than the ones they serve, what with the heated bed and massage abilities. The young master here was talking about us moving some for him and his friends personal use but moving so many this late in the day would be quite a burden on the staff here.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± The blond said, his face looking at the head of staff and chef in contempt. ¡°Your lot is to bear the burdens we mages are too important to deal with. That you get to serve me is a privilege you should be all too happy to enjoy.¡±


    All the surrounding staff members were impeccably well trained, for they all gave light nods as only their eyes betrayed their true irritation.


    The well spring of aggrievement in my gut was churning but I did my best to quell it before speaking to him.


    ¡°I made those beds for the staff members who are working so hard to keep this place going. It would be most impolite of you to demand that be taken from them. Any irritation borne from today should not be taken out on those who are only trying to help you.¡± I said calmly even as I felt my patience thin.


    ¡°PFF! They should be grateful to interact with a caster. I guess you being so soft is how the goat women snaked herself into your be-¡°


    He was on the ground with a bloody mouth. I had some vague vision of a fist connecting with his jaw and a new soreness in my right hand, but I pushed forward as I put myself standing over him with my foots brown shoe on his throat as he struggled to push me off him.


    ¡°All right, let me explain it to you like this.¡± I said, totally giving up any pretense of calm. ¡°Those servants are worth more than you are¡±


    That stopped his struggle as that stubborn mage pride suddenly absorbed the worst assault it had ever taken, all delivered in a single sentence. He looked properly stunned now as his previous fury was replaced with a blank stare.


    ¡°The servants have done their job. You have not. The difference between a tool and trash is whether or not it can do its intended function. You useless lot, as scouts, have shown you cannot do your job while they can. So, if you ever talk with me again, know that I that in my eyes the person who cleaned your clothes is more valuable than you are.


    And God help you if I find out you scum so much as look at anyone wrong again.


    Have I made myself clear?¡±


    He got a defiant look, but that quickly went away as I pressed down on his throat again. Still determined to make a mess of everything, I saw him form a fire construct in his right hand. Kicking aside his hand, I knocked the construct into red mist but he used that as an opportunity to get up. Tired of this, I encased my foot in stone and swung it back towards his head. His green eyes went wide for a moment as the stone foot went right into his face.


    A loud thud and the annoyance was out cold on the brown stone floor.


    After I spit on him, I turned back towards my table. His small gang immediately scattered even as the head of staff put one of my healing boards to the downed mages skull. The other students also made way for me even as the staff members looked positively reverent towards me. Looking out over the crowd, I saw Veronica with her two friends, Eska and Mia, sitting at a table on the right. All three looked at me with approving nods as the rest of the crowd gradually went back to their previous conversations.


    My table remained silent, but I could tell Andrew, Jeff, and Ryan silently approved of my actions. Maybe not the statements I gave, but the looks of satisfaction they were giving the downed mage said my actions were welcomed. The rest of the dinner passed with nothing else happening. My tasks for the day finished, I headed back to my cabin to sleep.


    As I moved through the streets, I eventually came upon the house with large grey chunks of stone in front of it. When I moved through the doorway, I started the earth spell to reform the wall when my tired mind registered the two women present. They were the black-haired and petite blonde maids from earlier. Although their duties as maids were far from their minds as they lounged naked on my bed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve become quite popular amongst the staff when they heard we were the ones who prompted you to help us.¡± The blonde said, her thin body and pert breasts bouncing with excitement as she rubbed herself in eager anticipation against my bed¡¯s pillow and headboard.


    ¡°Indeed, everyone couldn¡¯t stop talking about the heroic quad caster and we certainly can¡¯t let his bed go cold when he has done so much to warm ours¡­ with his magic. With your magic I mean¡± The black haired maid stumbled, but she made sure to keep lounging at the foot of my bed like a cat while leaning back on her hands and knees to expose her breasts brown nipples into full view. The petite blonde got a scowl before getting off the bed, striding up to me and pressing her small pink nipples against my chest with a lustful grin, even as she came up a full head shorter than me.


    ¡°I assure you, the aches from today will be smoothed out quite thoroughly by tomorrow morning.¡± She said before planting a kiss on my collar bone, which was as high as she could reach.


    That got the other maid quite irritable, prompting her to abandon the bed and come over to take up space on the left side of my chest. The two glared at each other for a moment before taking the opportunity to put their hands on my pants knot. A move I quickly blocked with both of my hands.


    ¡°Ladies, I very much appreciate the offer, but I have aches and worries your bodies cannot soothe.¡± I said as kindly as I could.


    They got hurt looks at that, even though they kept pressing themselves against me.


    ¡°Are we so unappealing in your eyes?¡± The blonde said with tears in her blue eyes.


    ¡°I know we cannot compare to some beauties you have laid with, but I assure you we have plenty to offer-¡°


    I put up a finger to both their lips as my sigh escaped behind my smiling metal mask.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of appeal. The sword on my wife¡¯s neck haunts me. Unless you have unmatched legal expertise or substantial influence with congress, I¡¯m afraid there is no soothing my worries tonight.¡±


    They both got sympathetic looks at that before looking to each other. Their decision made, they put on their clothes from a small pile under the window and gave a light bow. As they moved to go out the door, the black-haired maid stole a quick kiss across my neck before scooting out the door. The petite blond followed soon after with a dark scowl. I rolled my eyes at the antics of youth before getting the stone wall in place and going to sleep.


    It was another long night of endless mental exhaustion, exasperated by my wife¡¯s absence. In the morning, I couldn¡¯t even concentrate on how tired I was as I moved through the icy morning. Even as I got ready for my shower, to the giggling delight of the maids as they blushed from even falling under my gaze, my mind was still trapped in the same track it had run itself to exhaustion on. I¡¯m not giving the Coalition thirty kids from thirty women and I can¡¯t just disappear if I don¡¯t want them torching the Kelton¡¯s looking for me, but I need to do one or the other soon because my wife¡¯s head is going to be cut from her shoulders in the next few weeks. But no matter the struggle, that third option remained as elusive as ever.


    Fortunately, we were getting a fair amount of game now and I was kept busy taking apart fire element birds. The morning passed through its typical motions until an hour before lunch. Off on the planes came a bloody looking student in leather armor and metal shoulder guards, the typical attire of scouts or haulers. He was totally exhausted as the staff crowded around him. It was a few more minutes still before the word got out about what had happened.


    The hunters had managed to bring down a big deer with the water element, but a pack of rock wolves had been missed by the scouts. A mistake that now meant the haulers were stuck on the metal bed as they fended off the wolves who had made short work of the horses. A relief force was being gathered to kill the wolves and I volunteered, if for no other reason than to get away from my own thoughts and it looked like they might have to send the staff which was a guarantee that there would be deaths.


    Going back to my house and donning my armor, I quickly made my way towards the left side of the camp where the expedition force of staff members and students was heading out. There was some concerned looks passed between the teachers but ultimately this was a part of the exercise and no one made an official objection, especially with the two members of Central enforcement accompanying us. The two muscle heads had apparently made enough time between flirting with the maids to actually do their job and were donned in full plate armor for the trip. I would be in the front since I could suck the life out of the grass around me to make the trip there easier.


    Once everyone was ready, we headed out on the wind-swept plains of biting cold as I walked ahead of the group in my hawk embellished armor. Using a plant draining spell, I left a wide circle of dead earth around me as I moved on ahead of the group. The planes still held a few high hills and the occasional deep gash in the earth sometimes made it hard to determine what would properly be considered above ground at certain points.


    ¡°What are these odd dips and rises in the dirt from?¡± I called behind me to one of the staff members who insisted on staying close to me even as they jostled with the two Enforcers for room.


    ¡°Moles. They munch on the mana rich roots and turn into the size of dogs. That and their earth magic means they can tear up the landscape in just a few days. Luckily the grass grows and pulls down obstructions so fast that only the underground tunnels stay behind as a reminder.¡± The mid-30¡¯s man in a suit of plate armor said.


    Nodding and turning back towards the direction they were leading me, we eventually reached the spot even if the smell of blood announced our arrival before the actual site of the attack did. This spot was were some of the most churned earth was and sharp, near jagged hills were behind the ruined carriage.


    The horses were mostly shredded meat and bones inside their armor now with bits of steam coming off the hot meat in the near freezing temperature. Around the carcasses were brown-furred wolves, with stones on their joints and spines, biting into the feast. The long metal bed behind them had a horse-sized blue deer surrounded with a mess of earth and water walls and the rest of the students, all of whom were frantically trying to hold up various barriers against the onslaught of the remaining wolf pack.


    A lot of the beasts watched us warily but not enough to prevent my first attack. I used a plant spell to grow the grass around the feasting wolves and the ones attacking the barriers, entwining them in the now viny blades of green as it took them around their waists and legs. The rest of my group stood back and started firing off fireballs, wind blades, water spikes, and boulders.


    Off to the left behind more of the churned earth came more cries and sounds of fighting.


    ¡°Someone go save them! We can handle these nuisances.¡± I heard behind me.


    Taking off behind my party as they kept moving forward, I rushed off with two other students. The grass pulled at us, slowing us down as we came around a few bends in the tall, twisted earth especially when we went around a corner and had to take a moment to peek. The cry went out again as we went through the wide corridors. Eventually we turned left as the sound of fighting with crushing bone and flesh grew. In front of us with grass along the sides was a deep cut in the earth and as we moved forward, we saw who we were sent to rescue.


    Orcs.


    There were near a dozen of them at the bottom of the gash in the earth with a low slope on the opposite side, fighting off undead dogs and rats with their typical assortment of axes, hammers, and shields in the wide tunnel that kept going on and on in both the right and left direction. Their leather armor was scratched and bloody as a few lay dead in the dirt. The undead were absorbing all of the ambient healing magic and were giving the orcs a harder time than any they could have given in life.


    ¡°Hey, maybe the quad mage shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± One of the students said to my left, her green eyes swaying nervously under her long brown hair.


    But she spoke too loudly as her voice carried down the hole. That sent a lot of the orcs heads up towards me. Their black eyes with red and gold irises regarded me with looks of fear, awe, and hatred. Looks that quickly faded when they turned their attention back to their opponents. I just stood there still as a statue as I took in the fight with little interest, my mind too busy running at breakneck speed as a new plan formed.


    The third option.


    Gula.


    Yeah, the orcs swampland would be the last place the Coalition would look and I might even be able to get the dwarves to help me. Gashton told me his higherups had shot down his proposal to let me bum it in their mountains, but he had also told me at our very first meeting that they wouldn¡¯t let me fall into the hands of the orcs. Sending Salamede to live with Gula would take her out of the line of fire. Making it clear that I was going to do this regardless of whether they assisted me getting her there and sending her letters, the dwarves would probably help since they would have to monitor my presence there anyway. Even if it wasn¡¯t a solution to all of my problems, or even a solution to anything in the long term, it would get Salamede¡¯s head off the chopping block.


    Another point in this plans favor was that Gula was the only person outside of the Coalition or dwarfs who would be relatively reliable in hiding Salamede. Exposing me to her compatriots would only see herself killed when the obvious questions were asked. Being a quad mage, there had to be something I could give her or non-sexual service I could perform that would entice her to take in my wife. Hell, I could probably pay her in whatever amount of crops or metal she wanted.


    I noticed an older orc with black and grey striped hair done up in a single ponytail was taking her time staring at me as I stood dead still. Her leather armor and axe with shield had scratches everywhere and she was in the back of the pack panting heavily. Her sharp chin and thin eyebrows were on an inscrutable face as my mind jerked me back into the present.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± I told the other two students. They quickly pulled back with no argument, eager to get away from the mortal enemy of humanity. I hid an earth spell in front of me as I pulled the earth in the tunnel onto the undead. The left side of the tunnel collapsed further, its wide slope on that side still too high for the orcs to climb up but not so high that it would compromise the tunnel''s structure.


    The older orc looked over the undead crushed under the dirt and boulders as her companions ran back to get away from them and flee down the tunnel. Her black and red eyes turned back up to me and showed a sense of confusion, which twisted into bewilderment when I politely nodded and turned back to catch up with my fleeing companions. We made our back to where we came, moving in between the shorn lumps of earth.


    Coming back onto the planes, I saw the large metal bed with the blue deer and now two bodies of the rock wolves to accompany it. A few of the students were being fed bottles of red liquid, healing potions, and the staff were supervising the remaining people. To my right I saw three people off in the distance heading towards the camp in the mid-day sun.


    ¡°Good. No one died,¡± One of the staff members dressed in metal armor said as she got onto the metal bed to start directing people. ¡°Students from the camp should stay here for a few more minutes until help arrives.¡±


    My two companions seemed nervous about what we had seen back in the hole and it was when the new horses from the camp came that one of the girls finally worked up the courage to tell the staff. The girl was whispering in the ear of a mid-30¡¯s woman with leather armor and red hair. The staff members green eyes went wide and moved over to me.


    ¡°You are heading back to the camp with three of the staff members.¡± She said with pale skin and a bit lip.


    I nodded and headed back towards the large, flat slab of stone that marked the campgrounds with three very perturbed looking women behind me. After getting to my designated house, I changed back into my regular white shirt and brown pants. As I made my way to the center of the camp to get back to the butchers table, it was a mess of people running around moving boxes and various items. The work of the corpses was being seen to, but now the staff members were the ones cutting up the magical animals.


    ¡°Eli!¡±


    I turned around to see three staff members with four guards, all done up in full plate armor. The women looked worried and they quickly took me by the arms and dragged me towards the back end of the camp.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I demanded, trying my best not to knock them on their asses with a boulder.


    The one pulling my left arm looked at me like I was crazy.


    ¡°The orcs.¡± She said like I was being intentionally ignorant. ¡°The trip is cancelled early. We¡¯re pulling you, the scions, and Jeff out immediately with us following a few hours after.¡±


    From there they let me pick up the armor from my room along the way to the back end of the camp with seven guards around me. Eventually, as I stood around after getting my armor on, the two minions from Central Enforcement came back and joined my little entourage. As they were fussing around with some weapons and shields, the rest of the group came back from the planes. Jeff was wearing his full plate armor doused in yellow with the armors red twin around Andrew to his left. Behind them was Veronica in the blue leather and metal shoulder guards with the rock looking armor of Ryan trudging beside her.


    My view of them became blocked by the grey stone of the house I was behind, but they were quickly seen coming down the main lane leading to us. A whistle behind me sent one of the more heavily armored carriages pulling up with four horses shod in enough armor to make them look like they were going to war.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Veronica asked with a pout as the staff members came up behind the four and started pushing us all into the carriage. ¡°We were on the trail of-¡°


    ¡°Orcs.¡± The women pushing Jeff forward grunted.


    That stopped the grumpy faces and objections as we were all now pushed towards the open door of the big metal carriage.


    ¡°Where were they?¡± Jeff asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s their numbers?¡± Ryan asked.


    ¡°Ask Eli, he¡¯s the one who ran into them.¡± The staff member pushing Andrew said.


    The four students faces went pale and their jaws worked soundlessly but Jeff was the one who spoke first.


    ¡°E-Eli! They almost got Eli?!¡± His short black hair tussled with the wind as he turned back to me. He was biting his lower lip above his slight chin and the rest just had stunned expressions.


    ¡°He can explain on the way back.¡± One of the full plated guards said as he held open the carriage door and we were pushed in one by one.


    It was the typical affair with a heating flower behind the mana lamp and two benches on both sides. We all were shuffled in and the door barely had time to close before we heard the stomping of metal boots to the front of the carriage and we all jerked back from the horses immediately taking off at a gallop. Ryan was directly in front of me while sitting to the left of Veronica, with Andrew to my right and Jeff to the right of him.


    ¡°What happened Eli?¡± Veronica demanded as she took off her blue painted metal helmet to let her now shoulder length blond hair free. The previous complacency and irritation in their faces was gone now as they all leaned towards me.


    I leaned back into the metal wall as we took a heavy curve. For a while I explained what happened, which took far longer than it should have because one of them would always stop me to go over some agonizing detail. It was when we were near the base on our way back to the academy that I finally got to the end of my tale.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Ryan said. The rest looked less shocked now, but Jeff was still looking off in the distance.


    ¡°Just think about it.¡± Andrew said as he strummed the bench in a nervous pattern. ¡°Quad element orcs. The gods would have truly abandoned us on such a day. I can see why they decided to just pull out completely.¡±


    ¡°Not just that,¡± Jeff cut in, ¡°There¡¯s probably going to be a lot of screaming amongst the higher-ups when word of this gets out. An overreaction will help mitigate blame when all the orders that lead to Eli meeting orcs are reviewed.¡± All the others nodded at his assessment.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Veronica said with a curious look on her heart shaped face as her blond hair moved with the slight tilt of her head, ¡°When you talked about the orcs, you¡­ I hope I don¡¯t offend, but you didn¡¯t seem particularly perturbed when talking about them.¡±


    The truth was that I didn¡¯t hate the orcs and was actively planning to work with them. As bad as I felt for deceiving them, this was a situation where lying was the lesser evil. Not that I had a hard time lying recently. I was just glad I had my metal mask to hide my pained grimace before I answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m too busy thinking about the government killing my wife to worry about some orcs in a hole.¡± I said irritably.


    That got a few understanding nods before Jeff spoke up.


    ¡°Still, I imagine there are going to be a lot of people in the capital worried sick about this. We might have just participated in a major national scandal.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I scoffed, ¡°I hope it keeps them up at night and haunts their dreams for ever after.¡±


    A few grimaces were the only other communication that they had as we rode back to the academy in silence. Eventually we passed the grey wall of the main academy town as Tansen and Koal wanted to meet us when we arrived. Apparently, we didn¡¯t even have to wait to get to Tansen¡¯s office as they decided to meet us right there on the side of the road.


    The black kimono clad academy head was positively furious as Koal stood beside him with furrowed eyebrows. Off to her right was Harold, looking rather angry about being out in the cold with just a regular brown jacket over his typical sleeveless black tunic. The ever-burning pyres were on the opposite side of the road behind them as all the soldiers stood around watching. As we stepped outside and onto the ice-covered grass with a soft crunch, we moved a little awkwardly as our minds re-adjusted to the sensation of the grass no longer fighting our every footfall.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tansen said, his goatee twisted with a scowl.


    ¡°Did they not send a hawk?¡± Veronica asked. Koal had a cool face as she answered for Tansen.


    ¡°Yes, but it was vague, saying something about the expedition meeting orcs with them being in an operation that had Eli.¡± Her voice was calm but the wrangling of her snake familiar inside her red robes shoulder showed her inner irritation.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t meet them,¡± Andrew said with a downcast look, ¡°Eli¡­ was the one they ran into.¡±


    Tansen looked like he just had the air sucked out of his lungs through his hanging jaw while a small patch of green sprouted around Koal as heat blasted away the winter cold around her in a widening circle. After I gave a quick explanation, the two immediately turned on Harold. His strong jaw clenched in fear as the two scions turned to him.


    ¡°You were the one who insisted on taking over his security.¡± Tansen said as he walked around Koal to face Harold.


    ¡°Please, this is hardly an inditement on my men considering we don¡¯t know-¡°


    Koal strolled forward and took his Jaw in her hands, making his green eyes go wide as he bit his lip. Despite the heating blasting off of her, her voice was cold as her lighter green eyes met his.


    ¡°No, just no. You insisted on lowering the academy security for your own people to guard him and the fucking quad mage got some one on one time with the orcs. Not one word from you as we go over the incident with the staff coming back. Get the fuck out of here before I decide to be merciful and throw you into one of the pyres.¡±


    That reminded me that I may need to provide some earth and heating crafts to set up a comfortable house in the swamps considering Gula may not have the room to take on Salamede with little to no notice. I coughed and spoke when everyone turned to me.


    ¡°May I go? I¡¯m eager to see my wife early.¡±


    That got an irritated sigh from Koal but Tansen put on a strained smile.


    ¡°Sure. We didn¡¯t inform her you were coming home early since the letter wasn¡¯t very clear on what condition you would be in.¡±


    I nodded to them before leaving Harold to their tender mercies. Behind me the soft crunch of footsteps turning right said my former travelling companion were heading to their houses. Over the icy plane I saw my tower in the distance, the three stories of stone with cut corners stood out from the snow and moving river behind it. While the outer walls were covered with black marble flecked with white, the light grey stone of the lawn with its corners all flowing out from the tower like a flower provided a nice contrast. While a thin layer of ice was over most of the lawn, I had put in heating wood coins in the walkway towards the main door with two wings of inward facing stone.


    Walking up to my home, I knocked on the ornate oak pad on the right of the door. After a few moments wait, Salamede opened the door wearing her typical green dress with white embroidery. Her white eyes went wide and before I could say anything, she jumped me. Pulling down the mask on my armor, she stuck her tongue down my throat as I awkwardly tried to shuffle into the room. But that task was made a lot harder as my wife started working the clasps on my steel suit and put her legs around my hips as the sound of our smacking lips filled the room.


    By the time I got to the far couch by the fireplace on the left, my chest and arm pieces were discarded on the floor as Salamede started working my pants off as we plowed into the couch with a soft thunk, which did nothing to slow her down.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you want to know how my trip went?¡¯ I teased her in a spirit connection as Salamede took my head with one hand and worked her dress up with the other.


    ¡®Why would I when I already know how it¡¯s going to end?¡¯ She growled back as she lifted her dress totally off her to expose herself to me.


    Sometime later, we cuddled together as we looked at the fireplace opposite of us. Taking in the magical flames above the enchanted boards, Salamede pressed her bust against my bare chest as we lay in a tangled heap on the couch with Salamede putting her snout against my collar bone.


    ¡®That was very good, Eli¡¯ Salamede said, her heaving breathes still coming clear through in the spirit connection. ¡®I could actually relax and looking you in the eyes, I definitely felt like you were steady now.¡¯


    The unsaid question actually touched on the difficult subject I wanted to discuss, so I might as well get it over with.


    ¡®I think I have come up with a¡­ temporary¡­ easing of our situation.¡¯


    Salamede turned her head up with a flare of her snout. Her goat-like face got a smug look as she did a light kiss on my lips.


    ¡®My man. What is this solution?¡¯


    I took a deep breath before taking the plunge.


    ¡®Gula. The solution came to me when I saw some orcs on the expedition. She¡¯s far away from anywhere the humans would think to look for you and I¡¯m pretty sure I could get the dwarves to act as a go-between for letters or transport. Of course, this is a last resort that we will use only if they decide to have you executed.¡¯


    Salamede went wide eyed as she bit her lip. But for a long moment she said nothing, which I took as an opportunity to grope her left breast and hip.


    ¡®Eli, that¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s very hard for a woman to tell her man no when he¡¯s got his hands all over her body.¡¯ She pouted, sounding rather pleased with my actions, nonetheless. ¡®We worked with the orcs because we were desperate.¡¯


    I took her lower jaw in my right hand and looked her straight in the eye¡¯s.


    ¡®As opposed to now? What are we now if not desperate?¡¯ I asked in the mildest tone I could. She gulped as she looked down, the light of the fire playing across her face and the rest of the darkened room. After a minute of biting her lip, she spoke up again.


    ¡®If they find out¡­ I cannot even begin to imagine what the consequences would be.¡¯ She said worriedly.


    ¡®And if I came home one day to find they did another ¡®trial¡¯ and executed you while my back was turned, what do you think the consequences would be? What do you think would happen after that?¡¯ I asked calmly. Despite my best efforts, my appearance was apparently still intimidating because Salamede bit her lower lip harder and her ears pulled back. I decided to plow ahead to capitalize on my momentum.


    ¡®Whatever happens after today is their own doing. If I can get the airship going, that might whet their appetites for more scientific thinking, but it might make them come after you harder than before for denying another ¡®quad element miracle¡¯ from them. We¡¯re fighting against the magical breeding preferences every society is built upon and the airship is the only card we have to play. But I would be a lot more comfortable playing that card if we had a backup.¡¯ I finished.


    Salamede looked at me for a long moment before cuddling her snout against my chest.


    ¡®Fine. I will defer to your immense experience on this.¡¯ She said in a resigned tone.


    ¡®This is our decision, Salamede.¡¯ I said with a firm squeeze of her bum. ¡®I am your husband and you are my wife. Your happiness is my happiness. I love to lead but we are still partners in this and if you have an objection or opinion, do not hesitate to share it.¡¯ I finished with a playful kiss on her cheek.


    She hugged me even more tightly as she gave a happy little coo.


    ¡®Ok. I¡¯ll make us something to eat while we go over a pretty big event that happened while you were away. Also, my mother had a request that I wanted to run by you.¡¯


    I nodded as my wife got up, stopping only to plant a deep kiss on my lips before moving across the oak floor to get to the kitchen. After staring at her retreating form, I turned back to the flames in the fireplace, going over the logistics involved in moving Salamede to the swamps.

 Chapter 91: Post-Shame Life

    Gula POV


    The early morning sun was shining down through the window of my mud brick home. Waking up to the bitter cold, my blanket of rough hemp provided little warmth. A task my straw bed wasn¡¯t up for either. Getting up and dressing in a torn white shirt and shoddy leather jeans, I made my way into the main room as my breath fogged up with each release. To my left by the door was Mother. Wearing her typical white top and brown skirt, the muscular orc with twin brown braids was working on a quick morning stew of vegetables and rabbit while a pot of water warmed opposite of her spot by the fire.


    With the arrival of necrosis, life got harder than it usually was. The tunnels to the north were a painful suicide with the undead meandering through the underground waterways which meant my group got dispatched to the west to help out with operations there. There certainly wasn¡¯t a lack of work with our territory expansion, countless scouting trips into what had been unreachable territory for years to update our maps, laying down scouting and supply stations, and on and on the list went.


    ¡°Here, dear. You¡¯ll need it for the trip.¡± Mother said as she handed me a steaming bowl. Her three cornrows on the left side of her head were well maintained even as her thick green lips showed some chaffing, especially around her small tusks. Her strong jaw and thick muscles would be intimidating if not for the tenderness for me in her red eyes.


    ¡°Thanks, what about you? You seem set to take off.¡± I asked as I sat on the packed dirt floor, my eyes going to the axe and wood shield leaning on the wall behind her.


    ¡°Bah!¡± Mother huffed as she stirred the pot, ¡°Gotta fight the undead everywhere these days, might as well as earn a commission while doing it. They¡¯re paying good money for the work now, what with all that territory that¡¯s been opened up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been quite lucky this year.¡± I said casually as I sipped the thick stew and let its heat melt through me.


    ¡°Luck!¡± Mother laughed, throwing back her head with a dramatic snort. ¡°Meeting that mage was a lot of luck, but it wasn¡¯t just luck that made it end where it did. Don¡¯t sell yourself short just because you didn¡¯t get in his pants.¡±


    I stared at my soup for a bit before finishing the bowl. The truth was life outside of being shamed was better, but not by nearly as much as I had always dreamed of. Suicide missions were no longer required, but we were still expendable pawns for the higher ups. Cold and hunger were the same constant friends this time of year with the only real difference now being that people didn¡¯t go out of their way to make me miserable. But there was no way I would ever mutter a word of complaint to Mother. Her black neck tattoo was never coming off and the look of pride in her eyes was not something I could stand putting out.


    Taking a rag from the line of them hung along the window, I dipped it into the steaming water. Getting a quick clean with the warm rags, I went back into my room and donned my regular black armor. The tight leather was too well suited for my quick and dirty fighting style to just throw it away, besides the fact that being un-shamed didn¡¯t come with a pay raise. I picked up my sword in the holster by my bedroom door and tied it around my waist. Around the head of my bed I picked up a scarf of grey wool and wrapped it around my neck and mouth. As I headed out the front door, I waved mother goodbye. She waved back before pouring some of the soup into a bowl for herself.


    Making my way over the bitter cold swamplands, I moved along dirt paths that stuck out of the water with the view being rising and dipping cattails, as it always had been. The water wasn¡¯t frozen but getting it on me would still chill me to the bone if I fell in. At least I wasn¡¯t working in the north now, where the cold became more than bitter, and ice covered the land. After a while I made my way onto the mainland as the small pathways and islands merged into a solid mass. Sitting on some of the bark scars or rocks were my companions, the Frojan who had seen me through so much. The big frog men were wrapped up in proper clothes now, with some even having a long piece of wool that wrapped around their necks and front, the Frojan¡¯s equivalent of a scarf.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called.


    The pack of bored frog men roused off their haunches and feet as Baloo came forward from further down the dirt path wearing a clean and proper blue robe now. A large green fellow with amber eyes, the unspoken leader of the little group patted me on the shoulder.


    ¡°Hey-aa¡± His deep rumbling tone reverberated around the empty plane where the only remanent of the trees was the large splotches of bark on the ground ¡°You know what we¡¯re doing today?¡±


    ¡°Nope, at least for today. I do know that commands scrambling to take every inch of every patch of dirt they can.¡± I said as we all started walking down the dirt path to the main gathering spot.


    ¡°The same story as the northern expansion?¡± Baloo asked miserably.


    ¡°The exact damn same. I wonder what miracle is going to fall out of the sky to save us this time.¡± I said as we all moved through the cold air to the post where we would get the day¡¯s assignment.


    ¡°Well, at least this time we¡¯ve got proper resources. Can¡¯t tell you how great it is to be allowed back in the main grottos, with proper huts and everything.¡± He leaned back and looked to the grey sky as he rubbed a webbed hand over his bumpy hide.


    ¡°Yeah. I just wish there was more¡­ everything. More food, more money, more heat. It¡¯s been hard, although it has certainly been harder on Lokan. Her kind deal as well with the cold as a flame does in water and I¡¯ve been having to deliver all her food and wood. Not that I mind, she pays me well for the work and she¡¯s a good friend, it¡¯s just hard when I feel like I need three layers of clothes to feel warm if I move anywhere before or after midday.¡±


    Our conversation finished, we walked in silence for the rest of the trip. When we got there, we saw a patrol taking out an undead bear off to the left as the orc and Frojan campsite had crowds moving in and out from spots all over the region. It was a small plane of muddy dirt with a few bits of bark on the grounds as tents huddled as close together as they could fit. The undead would be drawn to this place like flies onto a carcass and it was only the constant patrols that made it safe.


    The heat from so many bodies still did little to block the wind as it stole whatever faint heat managed to build up around my skin as we moved towards the biggest tent of grey cloth in the center of the camp. At a large table stacked with papers and a crude map, the leader of the operations in this region stood around barking orders until she finally got to us.


    ¡°You lot!¡± The buff orc leader yelled at us. Her black hair was done up in a ponytail and a metal patch over her left eye, leaving her right eye to show her irritation from the day. ¡°Main road near the humans main supply camp. Patrol it and report on their activity.¡±


    I gave a quick nod and we took off to the right. This territory was relatively new to us and we took it slow as we moved down the dirt paths and flat stretches of land that went on and on for as far as I could see. Moving through the land¡¯s out west, we noticed several patrols in between the remaining fortress¡¯s roads. They looked more like whipped dogs than proper soldiers, slinking along the roads with terrified expressions.


    Their nightmare had passed, of course. Sooner or later they¡¯d realize the ¡®pandego¡¯ menace was gone and they¡¯d start throwing their weight around again. Their mages could occasionally be seen slinking around, trying to avoid detection as they scouted. Not an easy task for people with no natural camouflage and ultimately pointless. A few people who managed to get away or were rescued from interrogation said the mages were all trying to find out more about the plant monsters and this mysterious fire mage orc, which meant the rank and file had little magical protection.


    Oddly enough, things worked out in such a way that these blood-soaked lands had become more peaceful than anytime in living memory. Sure, the undead from the battle fields provided no end of grief as they always did. Even so, we were too busy trying to expand west and the humans were too preoccupied with fortifying their remaining positions or trying to help mages in foolhardy expeditions that were easy to counter with them being so far away from their safe positions, to provide much resistance to our efforts.


    I had seen the frustrated impotence in the mages faces on those expeditions. Witnessing a gold embroidered woman who could lift boulders or cast fireballs scream and pout about not being able to get the green skinned menace who stole a mages seed was quite a sight. With their foolish waste of already thin resources, our efforts in the spring may yet yield additional fruit besides just trying to not make things worse. Even if that wasn¡¯t what happened, we were now enjoying a period of relative peace we hadn¡¯t known in living memory.


    Along the way to the main road, we ran into a large pack of undead humans and orcs assaulting one of the midway forts. A large box of stone like that wasn¡¯t going to fall to the small army of undead around it and in the back I could already hear the clanging and yelling of battle as large contingents of steel plated men moved in to relieve the forts position.


    Moving past them along softly rolling hills as the grey sky and cold air made even this ordinary work depressing, we eventually came up to a large hill that provided us some cover as we looked out towards the veins that kept the body of the Coalition supplied with its needed provisions. Baloo handed me a telescope that used water bubbles as a lens, a tool I promptly put to use. The vast stone road and its various dirt paths that led to other parts of human civilization was as packed as ever. One major difference was now every caravan had a large contingent of guards and the smaller carts and carriages didn¡¯t dare travel by themselves, instead moving together in large groups, as if the green menace would fall upon them at a moment¡¯s notice.


    I let a smile creep up my face as I reveled in the fear we had inspired. The quad mage was the real power behind this change of course, but I decided to ignore that annoying little voice and take pride in my peoples strengthened position, no matter how temporary it was. Along the road, I saw a scared looking woman moving with her two younger boys and a baby on her back. Her long brown hair was dirty with some splotches on her face as she pulled a cart.


    As she moved away from the carriage in front of her, her face became easier to see. She was clearly terrified as she looked over the planes and the misery in her situation was palpable, from her tired demeanor, the scrawny children accompanying her, and the meager amount of food and clothes in her cart.


    My smile died as my throat caught from me trying not to swallow.


    It was not the first time I had thought about my people¡¯s happiness coming at the humans expense, but there was nothing a no-name grunt like myself could do about it so I quickly took in the various guard posts and formations along the road and tossed the telescope back to Baloo. We made our way back down the muddy hill and back onto the plains of bark scars and tall grass. The only delay was when we ran into two undead dogs. While they were more of an annoyance right now and presented no real problem, when they swelled into packs of thirty or more, that small problem got very big very quickly if the smaller groups weren¡¯t put down first.


    Rushing along the dirt paths as the grey overcast sky continued to steal any ray of sunlight that may have illuminated the dreary landscape in what felt like the approaching mid-day, we eventually came back into the camp. The small plane with tents everywhere seemed particularly active. It took me a minute to realize what the difference was. A sea of green skin and the deeper greens, blues, and occasional reds of the Frojan had all gathered near the center of the camp with few if any leaving the camp now. Coming through the crowd, our group eventually got close enough to the center to see what the fuss was about.


    ¡°- Armor like a bird. Aye. We saw him yesterday but had to take a lot of detours to get back¡±


    In the main open tent and around the table that held all the documents and a crude map, were a small group of scouts talking to the commander. They were all dressed in plain leather armor and sporting the typical axe and shield, equipment that looked like it had been put through a stampede, though the commander didn¡¯t seem to notice. She was too busy nodding with an eager expression as she turned to a woman down the line and prompted the skinny red head to speak with a handwave.


    ¡°Indeed, the human beside him said he was the quad mage. Dressed in steel armor with wing embellishments and a hawk like beak above the face of his helmet. I couldn¡¯t quite make out the fine details, what with trying to keep my face from getting bitten off.¡± She said with an eager little hop.


    Yeah, that would be him alright, taking on a bird like armor set instead of just plain steel plates.


    Moving around to the left, I saw their faces, all bright eyed and happy enough to look like they just found out their previously empty soup pots were filled to the brim.


    A brief rumble from my stomach distracted me until I looked at the last one of the scouts.


    Her muscular frame and grey streaked hair of black marked her as a veteran, as did her scars and the way she looked the commander right in the eye. What drew my interest was the look of deep contemplation in her red eyes and the stark contrast between the seeming hesitation in her body language and the outward jubilation in her companions.


    ¡°Hadren, what is it?¡± The commander asked, now noticing the lack of radiant joy from the last scout.


    ¡°He had purple eyes and silver hair,¡± She said with a bite on her lip above her sharp chin as she twirled her ponytail in her right hand distractedly. The commander crossed her arms as she tapped a foot before speaking.


    ¡°Hadren, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The commander demanded with a raised right eyebrow.


    ¡°Did none of you get a good look at the quad mage during our entire exchange?¡± Hadren said with a pleading look to her fellows. A few looks between themselves with confused expressions and they all shook their heads in denial.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°The thing is¡­ the quad mage. You see¡­he-¡±


    ¡°By the bastard¡¯s beard, woman!¡± The commander scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve never known you to be so tedious in spitting out your report. Out with it, before I have to retire at the least.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he was hostile.¡±


    A pall of dead silence fell over everyone before small whispers scurried around me.


    ¡°What? Like he¡¯s a pacifist?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a bad fighter.¡±


    ¡°Are we so beneath him that he doesn¡¯t even consider us a threat? The arrogance!¡±


    The commander silenced the chatter with a wave of her hand before turning back to Hadren.


    ¡°What exactly do you mean ¡®not hostile¡¯?¡± She asked in a curious tone.


    ¡°The tunnel collapsed and saved us. We probably wouldn¡¯t have made it back if it didn¡¯t.¡±


    A snort from the scout to Hadren¡¯s right interrupted her.


    ¡°Yeah, we was damn lucky it fell the way it did else we wouldn¡¯t be here now.¡±


    That prompted a wave of nods from the other scouts, which died when Hadren shook her head.


    ¡°Not luck. I think the quad mage did it. To save us.¡±


    A dead silence reigned over the camp as the commander gave the scout a blank stare with her one right eye as even the skin behind her left metal eye patch also stretched in surprise.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked in a whisper that carried through the now empty soundscape of the camp.


    ¡°The quad mage. When I looked up at the group, I could see the plain hatred and fear in the other students but his purple eyes¡­ they held no malice. I had thought the tunnel collapse was natural at first but when I looked back up to the leaving humans, he¡­ nodded to me with no hint of contempt or disdain in his eyes or movement. My gut says, and don¡¯t bother wasting the breath to tell me how foolish it is, my gut says he must have used an earth spell to¡­ help us.¡±


    The entire camp burst out laughing, with chortles and heaving all around. Even the commander got a good chuckle out of her tale. My group did its best to fit in, but I could just feel how fake we looked. Fortunately, everyone was too busy keeling over in mirth to notice how our laughs resembled sheep chittering. Eventually everyone calmed down, even as Hadren¡¯s scowl did not.


    ¡°Hadren,¡± The commander took a moment to chuckle again before adopting a serious expression. ¡°That is quite a tale. Are you truly asserting that the quad element male mage is friendly towards orcs?¡±


    Hadren gritted her teeth as she took a deep breath to level out her tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying the quad mage, in this specific circumstance and at this specific time, chose to help out a group of orcs when there were no real consequences for doing so. What he would do on the battlefield or when surrounded by other humans who would see his actions, I can make no judgement on.¡±


    The commander sucked in her lips as she looked at the other scouts, who all avoided her gaze. Sighing, she moved back to the middle of the table and got some papers.


    ¡°You¡¯re all going to write up a report. I don¡¯t care how insignificant it is, a weird fly landed on you, the bedding this morning was stiffer than usual, anything and everything will be going into these reports and be prepared to do a personal interview.¡±


    The crowd burst into whispers at that, paying little attention to the scouts now. But for all the talk, no one understood what any of it meant. Having a human mage not hate the orcs was such a fanciful tale, it almost overshadowed the fact he was a quad mage.


    Almost.


    ¡°Can you imagine the children we would get out of him?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, he may give them willingly.¡±


    ¡°A quad mage. Damn, my body aches for him already.¡±


    Me and my group just walked forward to give our report as the excited chatter quickly built up. As we came up to the table, the commander seemed to barely pay attention to our report. Which was fair, I suppose, since we didn¡¯t provide anything nearly as salacious or exciting as anything to do with the quad mage, just the same traffic patterns that had been observed before our report.


    ¡°Good, good.¡± She said, barely paying us any attention as she looked over the other scouts¡¯ reports. ¡°Do another sweep near the eastern end with a report towards the locals there and you¡¯re free to go.¡±


    Making our way back from the table, the crowd was still buzzing even as some officer tried to get them moving. Frogmen talked quietly in small groups while the orcs gathered around making raunchy jokes or looking excited enough to rush northward to get a taste of the mythical quad mage, odds and obstacles a mild afterthought in the haze of lust consuming them.


    We shuffled our way out of the camp, our feet trudging through the mud as we half ran out of the camp. It was when we were a good distance away, with the camp now a few grey and brown spots far behind us, that we dared speak, even then, only in spirit connections.


    ¡®Oh, shit.¡¯ One of our younger members almost yelled as we continued along our path north.


    ¡®It¡¯s alright.¡¯ Baloo said, heading off the panicked conversation. ¡®No one knows anything about his¡­ history.¡¯


    ¡®Correct.¡¯ I said as we moved around a bend towards the north. ¡®Although, it¡¯s still bad news for us.¡¯


    Baloo nodded while some of the younger Frojan looked confused.


    ¡®What? Why?¡¯ A younger red skinned frogman to my left said.


    ¡®Because now that they know that the ¡®rumors¡¯ we heard about some quad mage are real, they¡¯ll get him, or at least try to. If they do catch him, we¡¯d all be doomed. Getting a single or dual element mage is a national disgrace for the Coalition. But if we get the quad mage, every human nation from here to the central continent will burn the swamps to their roots and snuff out every last living thing in these lands to make absolutely sure they don¡¯t have some quad scions orc brood sprout up in a few decades. Frankly, they¡¯d probably do it just to help ingratiate themselves into his good graces. At least, what they think are his good graces.¡¯


    That prompted a few minutes of silence as we all moved across what was now the grass lands of the south, snacking on the few bars and nuts we had as a measly lunch along the way.


    ¡®And they¡¯re not going to stop trying to get him?¡¯ One of the younger Frojan asked the group.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Baloo said sadly, the big green frogman now looking a bit more tired with that one word. ¡®If you want to be stoned to death, make that suggestion loudly in the market when surrounded by orcs. Everyone knows what a bad idea it is, but not even we Frojan could say no to such an operation. Having quad element mages running around in a few years would be the end to whatever advantages our water affinity gives us, to say nothing of how sitting out the hunt would strain our relationship with the orcs. Maybe the quad mage could have an ¡®accident¡¯ with his Frojan captors if they do get him, but that may very well blow up our alliance.


    Sadly, they¡¯ll do their darndest to try and catch him. I¡¯d like to think everyone knows in their minds it¡¯s a bad idea but bad ideas like these are chosen because they¡¯re better than doing nothing.¡¯


    It was a good minute before another of our group spoke up.


    ¡®But if they get him all secret like, the orcs may have enough time to pass him around long enough that we could hold out.¡¯


    I gave a tired sigh, which drew the gaze of the blue frog man.


    ¡®No. As powerful as he was, he was still flesh and blood. You¡¯ll notice how he didn¡¯t ever just charge in like he could take them all on a thousand to one. We orcs thrive in the spaces between human societies, the places where they can¡¯t go or where their systems fail, not as separate nations since we need them more than they can tolerate us. Besides, I don¡¯t think we have the supplies and material reserves to go on a defensive war of that scale considering how we were barely holding on against the Coalition by itself.¡¯ I said in a defeated tone.


    The rest of the trip passed in dread fueled silence. The roads to the east were totally empty aside from the occasional scout. Viper base, for so long a monument to all we could never overcome, was a field of ruin before us as we observed it from the road. Stones lay in heaps and the crumbled gate had been left where it lay. Vines had taken to some of the stones, but winter had come and cut their ambitions short. A day of victories roiled through my memories just looking at the spot by the ruined base of the tower where Borba had removed my neck chocker. With the end of our pleasant memories, we headed down south towards the local camp.


    Being of the same make and size as the one we left from, we quickly went in and gave our reports before being dismissed for the day. Going along the southern road into the swamplands proper, we eventually got to the regional market late in the day. With the rivers not frozen over, this more northern market was still a bustling center for all the Frojan and orcs in this area. Wide, wooden platforms with circular thatched roofs dotted the riversides with small boats carrying goods of every description up and down the river.


    These places were typically swarmed with mosquitos and flies, but the encroachment of winter had the usual bug problem replaced with a bitter cold. We moved along the wide platforms of wood with hundreds of others. Merchants plying their goods to passing customers, mothers with their children, and the frogmen, both buying at and working the various stall, though they focused more on water animals and seafood. I spent a good hour perusing the stalls and haggling for good deals. After getting my usual cloth, grain, and disappointment with how far my coin went, I left the wide array of stall and platforms behind as I headed east towards my hut.


    We eventually dispersed as my Frojan pack now had its members living in the various small villages that dotted the swamps instead of roughing it in the wild. Coming through the cattails and small islands of the swamps, I came back to the single-story hut with mud bricks and thatched roof. Oddly, mother was standing in front of the door with an excited look as she licked her thick green lips in anticipation of something.


    ¡°What¡¯s up mom?¡± I asked as I laid down my burden of a small grain sack and cloth by the door. As I looked her over, I saw she had a white envelope in her right hand.


    ¡°This is from a dwarf who came by earlier. Said it was for you and he¡¯d be back tonight to pick up your response.¡± She said, her black eyebrow raised in a question even as her nose flared.


    I quickly took the offered letter and ripped it open to look over the contents. Behind me I heard some shuffling and I saw in the corner of my eye mom getting an axe from inside the house then rushing to meet the source of the noise.


    ¡°Undead deer. I got it.¡± Mom¡¯s rough voice said, but I was too busy trying to get the letter neatly out of the envelope. When I did, I immediately devoured its words.


    ¡®Hello, Gula. I am inquiring about a possibility of stationing someone near and dear to me with you while a certain tense situation is resolved. The hope that the aid that they rendered you during the collapse of the cave would move you to accept also played a part in writing this letter. However, I know that our relationship is based on mutual benefit and favors, not charity, so I would be willing to supply you with a certain amount of food, metals, or any other number of items for this service. I understand the dangers involved in this arrangement but my willingness to make this proposition palpable is not to be underestimated.¡¯


    Amazing, I spent a portion of my day explaining why getting the quad mage was a horrible idea, but I felt a bit of drool fall down my jaw at the thought of catching him. Of course, that was quickly discarded when my mind went over the impossibility of a lowly grunt like me taking him in, to say nothing of how I could possibly explain him being here in the first place. Then my eyes went over to the section about him giving us food and my stomach rumbled again.


    I took a deep breath and decided that, even if it was only to get more food, turning away the goat woman who saved my life didn¡¯t sit right with me. Going inside and writing on the wall with a small ink quill and paper that we had been given earlier for my reports, I wrote my response.


    ¡®I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t interested, even if I cannot commit to it at this time. However, this is a dangerous thing, as you said, and I would like some assurance that the goods will arrive. A small shipment of food would help with these concerns. While her staying with me directly would probably raise too many questions, I have a friend who could take her in and even if discovered, would not raise any real suspicion.¡¯


    Satisfied with my letter, I set it beside my bed in preparation for handing it off later. Mother came back shortly after and we dined on a petty meal of grain and vegetables. Later that night the red leathered dwarf came by to take my letter and we set up a system where I would leave my letter in a tree trunk near my house for him to check once a day if I wanted to send my own letter to the quad mage.


    For the next few days, life continued in the usual flow of wants and needs it always did this time of year, although the rather generous shipment of vegetables, grain, and salted pork we got from my letter friend was a great boost in these predictably hard times. One dreary day when the sun still could not find its purchase in the grey cast sky, I was heading towards one of the camps for another scouting run. They were now more in demand than ever with a sudden change in the Coalitions formations, but my mind was busy going over the quad mages proposition and it took me until we were halfway into the camp to see how panicked the place seemed. Baloo and the other Frojan had already noticed and I joined them in unconsciously huddling closer together.


    Frojan and orcs were scattered around either yelling in strained voices or in scared little clumps whispering as though the cold open air held some menace that would be attracted to their words. Coming up to the main central table under the cloth tent, I looked around until we saw the local leader, a tall skinny Frojan of red skin and green eyes with black robes.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    The leader was too busy issuing orders and going over papers to notice us, of course, but one of his helpers shoved a scouting report into my hand before moving to go about her regular business.


    It was an official notice from high command. Our eastern spies had noticed that the activity from the Phoenix empire had suddenly spiked. There had been a surge in their scouts these past few weeks, but this looked more like a mobilization of their entire army and it was moving south. This might be a part of the previous build up, but the observers noted that this buildup was being done in an almost rushed manner, with entire battalions that were clearly meant for the mountain range being diverted below the mountain passage that held their interest for so long. That, combined with them withdrawing their forces that were already at the front with the Coalition and towards our lands, suggested a massive operation to move through the swamps.


    This would have been bad enough, but the portion of our seas by the southern area of the swamps was now running into trouble. Our fishing boats had reported skirmishes between the massive ships of the Rodring kingdom and some pirates from hidden southern port of the Burning Mist. What was notable in the report was that the ships weren¡¯t the small scouting vessels, but rather proper warships. The fighting was still just outside our regular fishing spots, even so, enough observations had been made that high command felt confident that neither side had bothered trying to send scout ships to survey the land or set up proper maps of the area. The battles and movements of their fleets suggested they intended to make landfall in the woodlands west of our swamps, the cost in blood and ships being no concern as they rushed headlong towards our shores.


    What this report suggested, along with the Coalition now flooding its remaining forts with new soldiers and mages, was that something had happened in the past few days that set of a mad and desperate rush of the other countries trying to get into the Coalition. The placement of the Coalitions troops away from the westward coast also said the point of their interest was in the eastern region of their country. High command were speculating this all had to do with the quad mage, but this sudden dash was totally unlike the increase of previous scouts and border irritations.


    As I handed off the letter to Baloo for him and the men to read, my mind went over all the things that could have happened to produce this drastic change. Then I resisted the urge to slap myself as I realized I could just ask the man who had to be the cause of this. Our trip here was now more important than ever as high command tried to co-ordinate around this coming storm, we were sent on another scouting run of the forts. On our trip we saw the increase of troops, more fortifications, long supply lines for siege preparations and all the signs of a nation holding its breath before plunging into a major conflict.


    Coming back and giving our reports, I waited until we were back outside the camp to talk with my Frojan friends.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got to get back home.¡¯ I said in a spirit connection as we walked down the dirt road back to the swamplands.


    That got a few nods and some raised eyes.


    ¡®So soon?¡¯ Baloo asked from my right.


    ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m just not feeling it today. Catch you guys tomorrow.¡¯ I said, feeling slightly guilty about lying to them. The truth was I was heading back home to send a letter to the quad mage and I felt I understood them enough that they wouldn¡¯t want me putting them in danger by getting them involved in such a risky exchange. If this all blew up in my face, I wanted them to have full deniability when it happened.


    It took a while, but I eventually got back home and quickly wrote out the letter, making sure to not be too demanding for the answer as the strength of my position was far below his, no matter how polite he was in our correspondence.


    My task finished, I headed out to the stump a good walk behind my house. Leaving my letter in the hole at its center, I headed back home and got ready to head to the market without even waiting for mother to get back from her duties. The stalls and merchants were going be whipped into a frenzy of price gouging when the news got out, if they weren¡¯t already, and I wanted to get as much as I could on my thin budget while the prices stayed relatively reasonable.

 Chapter 92: House Guests

    Eli POV


    ¡°No, keep your mind empty. Don¡¯t think about the rest of the craft, just the shape you¡¯re trying to make, be it a circle, square, triangle, or connecting line¡± I said to Salamede on the opposite side of me from our table as the couch and fireplace were behind her as the shifting shadows from the flames played across the black marble of our walls with the occasional bit of white.


    We were on the first floor of our home eating our breakfast two days after my arrival back home, or at least I was. The steaming bowl of oatmeal Salamede had made for herself went unattended to her right as she worked a finger over a plain wooden board that was lit under the mana lamp above on the ceiling. Her grey furred head had an eager expression with a biting lip and the movements of her human, grey skinned hand had the intensity of a painter working on the piece that would define their legacy. Which was quite unnecessary considering she was using a plain wooden board as the bones of a watercraft to create a water triangle, like the first craft I had made for her.


    Come the morning after my arrival from the expedition out west, Salamede had told me about how she was rendered unconscious for nearly a whole day after I left. Cell had been content to let her sleep in, thinking she was just depressed, and it wasn¡¯t until later that night when she still didn¡¯t wake up that Cell went to get Veronica¡¯s bird familiar Chattox to see about bringing Veronica or a doctor in. When they had gotten back, Salamede was already awake.


    Which was good because Salamede might have started talking about how she saw blue flickering lights wafting around the sky with a person who we weren¡¯t ready to let hear that information. The golden mana from necrosis was the wind and water elements combined into their dual healing element. But the plain blue mana had no element, which meant her crafter eyes could see it. Cell told me she yelled and whooped that she was a mage when he used his image communication to tell her what her seeing mana meant.


    Of course, I hadn¡¯t been getting her magically enhanced meats or plants. After I explained to the new mage how magical growth actually worked, about how it only involved mana enhanced food not rituals, sacrifices, or complex equations, there was a moment of confusion. Which was when she looked down between my legs. We both had a good laugh when we realized where she had gotten her ¡®magical resources¡¯ from. But even so, I felt like I had gotten the better part of the deal at the end of the day.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just really hard to think about just the one piece and not what it feeds into.¡± Salamede pouted as she looked up at me with puckered lips. Her eyes, even though they were pure white, showed irritation in her flared snout that had a white nose ridge.


    ¡°It takes practice. I know it¡¯s frustrating at first, but I can make a crafting pod like they have at the school. Once you get it down, you¡¯ll be able to make crafts out in the field in a few minutes.¡± I said encouragingly as I ate the last of my oatmeal and gulped down the rest of my water from the mug. ¡°I¡¯ll look more into magical growth rates and food. If it¡¯s semi-plausible that I could have gotten enough resources to make you a mage are you sure you want to enroll at the academy?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Her two ivory horns sticking straight up swung with her vigorous nod. I took a deep breath as I felt a ball of worry drop into my stomach.


    ¡°Salamede. I love you.¡± I said as I put a hand across the table to hold her right one. Her face softened even as her grey fur hid any blush on the smooth cheeks of her human shaped face. ¡°And I only want what is best for you. You marrying the quad mage has created a lot of hatred for you. You having the quad mage get you enough magical resources to join the ranks of mages may send a mob at our door, to say nothing of how horrendous your treatment at the academy will be. Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?¡±


    She got up from her seat and came around the table. Wearing her typical green dress, she carefully lifted her left leg over my blue and white student robe covered lap and sat down on me. Placing her arms around my neck, she took a moment to plant a light kiss on my lips before pulling back, leaving her sweetness on my tongue.


    ¡°I want this more than anything I¡¯ve ever wanted that wasn¡¯t named Eli. But I¡¯d rather be a peasant Kelton woman than bring you grief. Now is not the right time for me to enroll, absolutely, but maybe a few months or years from now, when things have calmed down, I could become an official mage. Ancestors, Eli! A Kelton mage! I¡¯m already a community hero for wedding you. Becoming a mage myself? Oh, I¡¯d be a local legend for generations to come, to say nothing of what I could accomplish with that status. Yes, I desperately want this, but only when it¡¯s safe to do so. Especially if my mother is going to be moving in once we work out the details.¡±


    That was the other item that we had discussed. Her mother was older, getting lonely staying in her house all by herself, and apparently paying for the house all on her sole income was becoming a tight thing. It seemed like Salamede expected me to object, probably over the end to our many escapades around the house, but the small brown furred Kelton woman was my wife¡¯s mother and I had no intention of seeing her left uncared for.


    My wife had bit her lip in silence before she took me into a deep hug and rubbed her quivering snout over my shoulder, blubbering on with barely coherent words about how great a man I was. The happy memory brought a smile to my face as I nodded and rubbed my cheeks against hers, relishing the soft feel of her body on mine. Her growth into being a crafter was actually a good thing, despite my initial worries. The more powerful Salamede was the easier it would be on me when I wasn¡¯t around to protect her.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said with a squeeze on her bum, trying to just be happy she had this new development to help keep her mind off the potential execution in the future. ¡°Now I need to go. They¡¯re releasing the results for our performance today and conducting the ceremony for official graduation two days from now. We¡¯ll need to get you a new dress for the occasion sometime tomorrow. Tell me if your trips knocking on lawyers¡¯ doors produces anything.¡±


    ¡°Once I¡¯m done with that, I¡¯ll have to go to mother to work out a contract to rent the house out and decide on a nice dress for the graduation ceremony. It¡¯ll probably be well into the late afternoon before I get back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Cell and I will continue working on the airship. Got to work out some kind of thrust mechanism. I¡¯m on the very edge of finishing the balloon and the next item is the impact wind enchantments.¡± As I moved to get up, Salamede pushed the table back and got on her knees as she pulled up the white inner robe of my student outfit and hooked another hand around my white underwear.


    ¡°Woah, Eli. I still haven¡¯t gotten second breakfast.¡± Salamede scolded like I was a child who forgot to take out the trash, with just a hint of playfulness.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t even finished your first breakfast.¡± I teased, looking towards her untouched bowl of oatmeal.


    ¡®I¡¯m in the mood for dessert first,¡¯ She said in a spirit connection as I felt the wet heat of her mouth envelope my manhood. Her attack was so swift and vicious I had to quickly lean forward to grip the table while maneuvering my arms around the wild swing of her horns as she shot back and forth like a high-powered piston. I had found out the previous morning she would knock me backwards over the chair and be perfectly content to continue her work in that position.


    Oh, yes, I was definitely the winning party when it came to her ascension as a crafter. Mages the world over were known for their all-consuming obsession over magical resources, and as I walked out of the front door with a slight limp and irrepressible grin, it occurred to me that Salamede could be as greedy as the worst of them. Sadly, the fast wind and bitter cold knocked that satisfaction right out of me as I took the first step out of my happy little corner of the world. My robes provided some protection and my metal mask that I had slipped on provided more than most people got, but winter wanted to make sure everyone knew it was here as snow blanketed the field with only the occasional bit of golden mana seeping out.


    The trip passed with a nervous energy gripping the students. The men didn¡¯t scowl at me, nor did the girls try for a touch. As we got into the metal carriages, everyone was a mess of biting lips and hand rubbing. With the flower in the middle of the carriage roof barely keeping the carriage livable, we all immediately rushed inside through the wide double doors of the main classroom tower in a mini stampede. It was one of those rare days where studying wasn¡¯t really the point of the academy.


    Tansen was already here, up on the top floor going over the reports and staff recommendations from our trip in the same room that I first showed off my new crafts to become a mage-in-training. Still, while I waited for my turn, I went about looking for every book about the intake of magical resources and how it affected the growth of the body¡¯s ability to handle mana.


    It was a surprisingly difficult thing to pin down. The two biggest variables were the amount of mana enhancement the food had undergone, and the individuals own inherent ability to grow their magical abilities. The same water-element deer that could make two people crafters might make three or only one person grow into crafters depending on the individuals involved. Add in the complication of Salamede being another species, and I was well on my way to nowhere when I was finally called up to the top floor near mid-day.


    Coming up the massive central staircase, I finally made it to the room. It was a massive white wall covering the right side of the floor, a bright contrast with the towers typical inner grey stone color. Going through the oak door, I saw the same leather wrapped stones on the red carpet that helped stop sound from getting out with their air enchantments. Going further down a narrow hallway, I went through the next door on the right and into the wide room.


    In the middle of the wide, white walled room was a dark oak table with my inspectors sitting behind it, only this time Tansen had Aki on the left and Agatha on the right.


    ¡°Morning, Eli¡± Tansen called, wearing his black and sapphire kimono. His black eyebrows were raised in eager anticipation as his brown eyes shimmered in the soft glow of the mana lamps along the ceiling. His black shoulder length hair twirled as he looked to the left and right and picked up the papers in front of him when his two companions nodded. Although I noticed clear irritation in Agatha¡¯s face, her sharp cheek bones having a few strands of blond hair from her bun over them and her typical black working dress. Aki, however, got the first word in.


    ¡°This meeting is here to discuss your assessment. Your work on the expedition was incredible.¡± The old man said with a smile that barely showed below his puffy white beard and mustache. His brown eyes got a look of irritation with him turning towards Agatha¡¯s irritated sigh ruffling his previously immaculate blue and white striped robes.


    ¡°Incredible is certainly¡­ a word.¡± Agatha said, her blue eyes taking me in like I was an enigma ¡°One problem that cropped up was his lack of decorum for his station. A mage serving the servants will leave a bad taste in a lot of people¡¯s mouths.¡±


    Tansen interrupted with a polite cough.


    ¡°We are here to assess his magical abilities, that is all.¡± His sweet smile molded his goatee, even as a hint of steel crept into his voice. Agatha, however, didn¡¯t bother hiding her true feelings as red crept up her face.


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s what we¡¯re judging. Because if we weren¡¯t the only reports we would have on him would be covered with ¡®Hasn¡¯t sired any children¡¯ in big red letters.¡± She said with a flare in her nose. Aki¡¯s long grey hair shifted as he moved forward to look past Tansen at her.


    ¡°That is how it¡¯s always been. Eli could walk out of here and immediately start blasting women and children in the street, and as long as he did so with competence, it would cause no stain on our reputation. Now, if he was still a student, sure. Our asses would be boiled. But he isn''t a student anymore. The Diamond academy approving someone for graduation, like all academy graduations, is based on their skills, not how they use them or their overall moral character.¡±


    Agatha leaned over closer to Tansen to look Aki in the eyes.


    ¡°Well, I suppose if one of the most important obligations Eli has as a mage means absolutely nothing, then he¡¯s fine to graduate.¡±


    Tansen leaned back with his hands over his stomach before he finished the conversation with a happy tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad we could all come to an agreement. Your skills are without question, as demonstrated on the expedition and many times over on other occasions. Your time in these halls has come to an end. But know that as a graduate, you will always have access to our books, though payments will have to be prepared if you still want to eat at the canteen¡¯s. If you were a typical student, we would have grilled you harder on your failings, if only we had some aspect of your crafts or spell technique we could criticize. And if my hopes do bear fruit and you do apply to an association, know that they will be far harsher on your lack of bedtime vigor. But that is for another time. You will be at the front of the graduation ceremony with Ryan, Andrew, Jeff, and Veronica. Do you have any idea who you want to accompany you on this most momentous of occasions?¡±


    ¡°My wife, obviously¡± Agatha got a sour look at that, but I plowed ahead, ¡°And probably her mother. We¡¯re going to go shopping tomorrow for a new dress, but aside from that, I¡¯ll be wearing my usual hawk armor.¡±


    That got an approving nod from Tansen and Aki, though Agatha still had a put-out expression.


    ¡°But there is one item I wanted to discuss, with the Coalition trying to kill my wife -¡°


    ¡°Eli,¡± Tansen said with a very quick lean forward and hardening face. ¡°Execution is just a possibility at this moment. It is entirely feasible that no charges of any kind will be levied against her. An outcome we are using every possible resource to make happen, I assure you.¡±


    I nodded, making sure to not grimace, even if it would be hidden under my metal mask.


    ¡°Efforts I greatly appreciate, but I would still like to know when the vote is to take place.¡± I replied.


    The academy head sighed as he turned to Aki, who coughed into his hand before speaking.


    ¡°It appears they¡¯re trying to work their charge of treason against Salamede in with the bill to officially remove your censor. Congressional procedure is a tricky art and I feel somewhere between one week or a month would be a good estimate. But such things have typically been beyond our purview and the answers we¡¯re getting are often second or third removed from the congress members themselves.¡±


    A tired sigh was my response. Shaking away my worries, I kept my mind on the things I could do: work on the air ship and see what Gula would say about my letter. I had sent it after my welcome home from Salamede and I should be getting a response today or tomorrow, if she responded immediately.


    My question answered yet still left unsatisfied, I nodded to the three and turned around to leave the room. After catching a quick steak with rolls from the canteen, I headed back home to continue my work. The air ship had its balloon finished before dinner and I had made good progress on the impact enchantments as I pushed my meal past the setting of the sun.


    After a long afternoon of testing, I rewarded myself with a nice steaming bowl of meaty stew and ale from the dwarves stall but brought them home to enjoy on the couch while I looked at the flames pushing back the cold of winter. Cell was still down stairs working on the impact enchantment with particular enthusiasm while I did some rough calculations in my head.


    ¡°The square foot of the balloons space would allow for thrusters of sever-¡°


    A thunderous crash and burst of wind laced with the crisp air of verdant spring from my left interrupted my idle calculations. The splinters of wood and bits of iron that flew around the room said it was the door. By the time I looked up, my newest house guests were already in the room.


    Tall with clothes that showed an inhuman skill in tailoring as their brown and green vests, robes, and pants fluttered about their bodies, the blades they displayed showed a similar craftsmanship with flowing vines and leaves embroidered in the shining steel of their single sided swords. Craftsmanship I could witness up close and personal as one of their members put a blade an inch away from my neck. This one had long brown hair, with multicolored eyes that shifted between light purple, green, pink, turquoise, and gold in the irises all at once on different parts of the eye. That and the impossibly smooth porcelain skin with sharp ears told me all I needed to know.


    ¡°If the elves were so eager to visit-¡°


    His left open palm shot out with like whip, moving at such speeds I was only just able to track his hand with my eyes as it struck my cheek with a crack and sharp sting.


    ¡°Humans ought to know their place.¡± He spat on me as he did so, looking at me like I was a bug who got in between his favorite shoe¡¯s treads as his puckered lips above his sharp chin emphasized his disdain. ¡°Speak when spoken to.¡± The other elves nodded, a man and a woman.


    Arrogant, fast and strong. Probably even stronger in magic.


    Cell was the wild card here. The plank by the door wasn¡¯t the only thing that made a sound to let us know inhabitants were here. There was two thin leather strips hidden in the door that would set off another sound like that of crashing wood through the whole building, letting Cell in the basement know we had unwelcome visitors.


    ¡°Beleg!¡± someone shouted from the door.


    Looking past the elf in front of me, I saw Dior coming through the scattered remains of my door. Behind him came a small procession of regular humans wielding crude weapons and more elves, two women and three men. The elf with long blonde hair, deep green eyes, and tan skin looked furious as he took out a small dagger.


    ¡°What are you doing?! This was supposed to be a diplomatic visit to the quad mage.¡± Dior said, his blond hair having a few strands flowing around his sharp cheek bones as the rest of the elves just looked at him like an annoyance.


    ¡°Diplomatic is a flexible word. Belom decided it was better to bring this prize home rather than risk leaving him out of our grasp¡± Beleg said with a nasty scowl.


    ¡°Kidnapping is not a form of official diplomacy. Do not besmirch house-¡°


    Beleg spat at Dior as well.


    ¡°Just because lord Aeson recognizes you as his son, don¡¯t think that means your opinion carries the same weight as ours. You deformed thing.¡± There was a real scorn in the multicolored eyes of him and the other elves. ¡°You were tolerated because you knew the local lands enough to get us here and emissary Eldrin is too important to risk on a matter such as this. Though it appears the quad mage is not the dragon we thought he could be.¡±


    Sadly, the switch I had to set off the stone spikes that would kill these people was by the fireplace. I had set up the main trap thinking that a near full two inches of iron in the door would leave me more than enough time set it off, but the near mythical nature of elves had left no real way to measure their strengths.


    Not that fortifying against elves would have been high on my to-do list even if I did have that information, considering they know nothing of my true history. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t totally unprepared for this occurrence. I felt the faint spirit connection from Cell telling me he was in the small tube hidden in the back-left corner of the wall which allowed him to move between floors undetected. If I was going to do this, it was as good a time as any to start.


    ¡°But what about his brother? Surely the one who was sent to calm the heart of his beloved Albine, Abniss, Albina¡­ Oh I can¡¯t remember what her name was, but surely Dior being sent to find such an ambitious personality would mean he holds some great value?¡± I asked nonchalantly.


    All the elves stopped looking towards Dior and turned their gazes on me.


    ¡°What do you know of him?¡± Beleg said, his voice a low menace as he put his blade up against my neck. Dior stood behind him, looking at me with a blank, unreadable expression.


    ¡°Only what his journal said.¡± I replied with a small smile.


    The elves were looking at me with stunned expressions as Beleg stood still, clearly weighing his options until he finally spoke.


    ¡°And where, pray tell, is that?¡±


    I swung my eyes to the staircase a few feet behind the couch I was sitting on.


    ¡°You humans,¡± Beleg called without taking his gaze off me for a second. ¡°Head upstairs. After we¡¯re done, you can take whatever you want our of this¡­ place.¡±


    The scruffy men looked nervously at the elves before they shuffled up the staircase in a skittish line. Once the last of them went up the stairs and no blood or screams followed, Beleg motioned with his head for me to get up. Leaving my meal on the couch, I slowly got up to stand at my full height.


    ¡°One speck of mana absorbed, one errant move of your hand, and my blade will forever be known as ¡®quad mage killer¡¯.¡± Beleg warned as he kept his shining steel trained on me. I felt the threat was a bit late in our dance but when the tip of his blade produced a bit of blood on my chest from him using it to push me forward, I suppose being late in the delivery didn¡¯t make it less deadly.


    We moved up the stairs, the pounding of footsteps and movement of their human members being completely obvious. The elves could be compared to a procession of ethereal wraiths in the soft glow of the mana lamps above as they remained almost totally silent following behind me, a comparison that fell short only due to the smell of virulent nature that covered them. Some of the humans were perusing the mannequins holding the armors, stomping on the copper floor with confused expressions, or poking at the various scattered wood and metal bits laying around the place as three of the scavengers slinked their way upstairs.


    ¡°Where?¡± Beleg asked impatiently.


    I nodded towards the chest in the right corner on the stone part of the floor that covered it and a good foot from the stairs going up and down.


    ¡°You,¡± Beleg motioned to one of the men working my armor and towards the chest. He was a buff man with short brown hair who didn¡¯t look thrilled to be the one testing the potentially explosive chest, but he did as he was bidden. The elves put up water shields while the men rushed upstairs to safety. When the goon got up to the chest, he stood awkwardly beside it as he worked its latch off it. After a moment of hesitation, he threw open the lid and skirted back in anticipation.


    When it was clear he wouldn¡¯t be blasted into a thousand bloody chunks, he moved to the front of the chest and ruffled through it. After a few moments of perusing the chest and moving aside the blankets on top of it, the man pulled out the fine silver circlet crown. Beleg sucked in a deep breath behind me. That was until he grabbed my right shoulder and slammed me against the wall. Another pair of hands took my shoulders holding me against the black marble with white flecks and streaks.


    Ah, good. I was just a foot from one white streak with a slight scratch in the middle. That was one of several places where you could push spirit magic into the wall with the phrase ¡®flow¡¯ being repeated constantly. Acting as a hidden switch, it would feed a mana battery into a metal enchantment craft that would shift the power from the forges heating coils into the copper floor. Beleg walked up and cut off the head of his grunt with a casual swipe of his blade through the air, even as no hint of emotion came from him as he took the crown from the dead man¡¯s hands.


    The rest of the humans scurried upstairs in fear while the elves looked at Beleg, who was now leaning into the chest and rummaging its contents. Which stopped when he found the greyish green book with gold leaf designs. Sadly, the elves weren¡¯t mindless grunts and the one behind me still had their arms on me.


    Beleg¡¯s long brown hair swirled with his eyes browsing the books contents. Reading the book was clearly affecting his mood, despite his utter silence. His shoulders rose and fell with increasing intensity as his breathing now became audible from my side of the room. As he did so, I made sure to quietly use my internal mana generation to fuel summon spells for small bits of dirt under my feet. He suddenly turned around and looked towards his group.


    ¡°Aetha, Eroan, get upstairs and go over everything.¡± He growled as his eyes then, surprisingly, turned on Dior as two of the elves walked away from the other five.


    ¡°What? What ¡®s the news of my brother?¡± Dior asked as he came up beside the chest, looking at me suspiciously then towards his friend Beleg. Who responded by scowling at him and looking like he wanted to stab him with the sword he now gripped with white knuckles.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s where it¡¯s been going.¡± Beleg growled, now seemingly feral as spit flew out of his math. The change was so sudden and pure even the other elves raised their immaculate eyebrows in surprise.


    Dior¡¯s green eyes went wide in confusion as he took the book and started reading it as Beleg stood there, getting angrier and angrier.


    ¡°What are-¡°


    ¡°Master¡¯s stone!¡± Beleg yelled.


    That brought the elves to a complete stillness as even their compatriots right by the stairs were stunned.


    Dior furrowed his blonde eyebrows as he got a hurt look from something in the book and turned back to Belegs¡¯ quickly reddening face as the brown haired elf¡¯s verbal skills struggled to re-engage.


    ¡°Your family has been hoarding it. That¡¯s¡­. Oh it wasn¡¯t just luck that saw your house flourish. You-¡°


    At that I felt the hands of my captor leave my back as he and several others tensely stood around sizing each other up. As fascinating as elven politics is, it didn¡¯t quite beat staying alive.


    Sending my spirit magic into the recession in the wall, a wave of heat filled the room. Looking behind me, the elves were frozen in place as their muscles locked from the volts pumping through their bodies. The elves by the stairs and chest were too shocked to react at first, which gave Cell more than enough time to drop out of a hole in the back left corner of the ceiling and shove the one closest to the copper floor with a blast of stone.


    That brought on the waft of searing flesh as the elves skin burned and their clothes slowly smoked, before proper flames whipped up the quickly blackening clothes. Smoke from the wooden bits on the floor joined the wafting black air coming off the elves and looking over the whole group I saw¡­ Dammit!


    There was one silver haired one with a sharp chin in the back who wasn¡¯t quite on the copper floor. Whoever these elves were, they were certainly well trained. He hadn¡¯t stupidly rushed in to save his friends and instead started sucking in mana to prepare a spell. I tried to summon a stone block to crush him, but the elves unnatural speed meant I got the spell out just as he summoned a huge water blade.


    It cut through the grey stone block like butter and it was only my initial advantage of surprise that let me jump off the dirt and onto the table, whose legs had been given stone stumps that wouldn¡¯t conduct the electricity. I sucked as much of the mana from my opponents¡¯ side of the room as I could. While he did the same and his target was far less mobile, my simple plan required less casting time. A crude spell to summon a thick slab of stone blocked his vision of the rest of the fight and the crack that suddenly ran up and down it told me he couldn¡¯t quite get through it in one blast.


    Turning around, I saw Dior and Beleg in a vicious struggle. Beleg seemed to have the advantage in raw strength, but the blood and small cuts all over him said Dior¡¯s dagger was the better weapon in the cramped space where death was only one step away and Beleg seemed unbalanced at the revelation of the journal and the loss of his companions. Cell was facing off against the elven woman by the stairs, who was desperately trying to stab the weird black blob of geometry and its crystal sphere with two small dual blades. The faint shifting colors in Cell¡¯s body would always turn to the wind mana green and allows him to shoot up and down at breakneck speed at the last moment. Still, he wasn¡¯t being given the ability to launch any kind of counterattack.


    I pushed past the smell of now properly burning flesh and launched a water blade at the woman. Her incredible reflexes allowed her to easily shift her head up to avoid decapitation, but that gave Cell the opening he needed to get down and behind her left leg. He summoned stone spikes to impale her right leg against the wall as he sucked out her life force with a vampiric healing spell.


    Before I could decide how to kill the woman screaming and pulling her ruined leg away from the wall, a sharp crack behind me said my opponent had gotten through. He sent the stone all over the floor with a water blade and I saw the blue mana construct above his right hand, presumably preparing another one for me. Jumping off, I landed by the stairs, just out of arm¡¯s length of the now shriveled and weaker woman, who was uselessly trying to get a vampiric healing spell on Cell as he zipped around her body.


    The faint whistle in front of me prompted me to shift further right as a huge horizontal water blade just barely clipped my left shoulder, slamming into the wall behind me with a loud crunch and the rending of steel. My opponent then made his way across the room using the stones scattered all over the floor. One earth spell from me shoved the broken wall further back, but he was close enough to push off the last stone and make it all the way across the smoke and body filled room with a cat-like leap. His swordsmanship didn¡¯t falter even then, as he kept the tip of his steel blade trained on my head as he came down.


    Cell sent a fireball at him, forcing him to awkwardly shift in midair. I was preparing some nice stone spikes for him to land onto, but this time my spell craft wasn¡¯t fast enough. The silver haired elf slammed into me with his back turned and towards what I thought would be the wall by the bedroom staircase. But the sudden night sky above me, biting cold, and twisting stomach said I was falling out of the tower now. Finishing the spike spell, I shot them into his back as he fell above me. Sadly, the elves cloth, while still vulnerable to fire and electricity, had a toughness of something closer to steel as the spikes slammed into the flowing green cloth without leaving a scratch on the flapping cloth.


    He responded with another water blade, which only missed me because I kicked the left hand he was going to launch it from upward. Or downward. The constant interchange of the starry sky and the snow covered ground as we fell made it hard to orient myself. The sudden crack and splintering of stone above my head from the part of the house lawn he hit told me we were approaching land very soon.


    When I turned to get the air spell ready, he got a slapdash kick into one of my ribs, breaking it. That sent me further down and when I saw us going through a large hole in the stone floor, I could see surprise across his face as the vast cavernous expanse of my real workshop came into view with us falling from the grounds above. I gritted my teeth as I launched the air spell I had been preparing, the sudden shift in momentum sending white hot agony through my chest as the broken rib protested.


    Fortunately, the elf wasted his time sightseeing around the vast, dark, empty space where the only illumination was the starlight from the hole above. When he looked down and saw the rapidly approaching stone floor, I kicked him away. He was only a few feet from the ground when he got off his air spell. Even so, that elvish strength was the only reason he survived. Had he been human, that speed would have still shattered every bone in his body. My only consolation prize was the twisted pain in his face as his leg still got a nasty snap upon landing to the left of my airship. I managed to land a good distance in front of him, and as he looked over the air ship and the stone block now crushing the left side of its hull, I used that time to heal my rib pieces back together and suck all the mana I could out of the room. My reasoning being my internal mana generation could see me through this fight if I took out the ambient mana.


    He wasn¡¯t that distracted this time though. When he saw the mana in the room zipping away, he pulled out a bottle with red liquid inside his coat pocket and drank it. Whatever similarities it shared with the regular healing potions at the academy, they ended at the effectiveness as the visibly broken leg bone under the scuffed pants shifted and healed in the few seconds I had to suck in as much mana as I could.


    Apparently, he decided to stop the water blade strategy for now and stuck to the tried and true method of stabbing the enemy to death. He rushed forward with a clear intention to end this fight in a single double handed slash. His run forward, however, was tripped up as I made the stone floor bend under his steps. Still, that damned elven strength and grace came through for him as he used it to push his foot through the hard stone with another sharp crack, only keeping him off balance as opposed to on the floor.


    A swish accompanied his blade swing at my midsection with only a bare miss, the air filling with the elves smell of fresh spring as he got in close. But I didn¡¯t give him the chance to try again when I sent a wall of flame over him. The flames barely singed his clothes before he got a water shield up but his moment on the back foot gave me the space I needed. I used more of the flames this time, putting a wide wall of the orange and red death in front of me and then mixed it with air spells. This bought me enough time to prepare for my killing blow. Behind it I saw him hold off the flames with no effort at first, but when the heat suddenly spiked to furnace proportions, his water wall quickly bubbled away, and he abandoned a close offense as he leapt to the left.


    He tried to summon more water blades with his right hand, but his time was now up. While he was holding off the flames, I prepared spells of nearly every variety. Lightning shot out from my right hand and hit another of his water blades before it could fully form even as pellets of white-hot flame shot off like firefly¡¯s towards his left side, boiling the water shield he only just got up. Which was then thrown upwards when a metal spell twisted his sword hand. That meant it couldn¡¯t block the wave of stone spikes, wind blades twisting around to his back, and steaming balls of water that burst into a searing mist on impact. To say nothing of trying to do this all while working around the mud I aimed at his feet.


    I hammered him with a whirlwind of every easy, dumb spell I could think of as the orchestra of carnage sounded off and reverberated around the large room with sharp cracks and sizzles. One would be lethal to a human, two or three would be a test for what I could now vaguely guess was the elves abilities. But the sheer diversity of the barrage I was bearing down on him left no counter measure that his water element could properly stop, no matter how strong its elven user was. As his last water shield failed, I saw a look of anger and humiliation on his face when the realization he had lost finally came to him.


    When his clothes burned away from the flames, he was quickly reduced to shredded meat. Yeah, his flesh was tougher than a human¡¯s, but it appears flesh of any variety still has its limit. Aside from the bones, the only discernable bit of him left was the feet still stuck in the quickly disappearing mud.


    I stood in the dark room, the only light coming from the hole in the ceiling above. The moment of rest was too precious not to take, so I took it, tasting the rapidly cooling air and feeling the soreness in my muscles from so much simultaneous spell casting. After the moment passed, I summoned a flame in my palm to light my path to the door on the right. As the orange flame played across the grey stone of the wall until I came to the door, I mentally prepared myself for whatever awaited me.


    Going through the main underground entrance and up the hatch, I came back into the first floor. The door was still a thousand pieces, but I didn¡¯t care. However, with the view now unobstructed, I saw a large crowd with torches in the distance. The light was too poor from this distance to make out much, but I could at least see a lot of the local guards and Tansen tensely standing in front of two elves, who were looking slightly nervous as their heads constantly shifted between the hole in the lawn and the tower when they weren¡¯t looking at the people who dared challenge them. Satisfied that there were no elvish re-enforcements immediately out the door, I thought over what to do next.


    Before I could even start the thought process, Cell came out of the hole in the left corner of the ceiling. My familiar sent a feeling of warmth to me before flooding my mind with the impression that Dior was still alive and Cell might need help taking him down if he fights back. He sent another sense of warmth to me and then shot back up through the hole in the corner and back to the middle floor.


    Making my way up the oak staircase and back into my fake workshop, I was relieved to see the fight was over. The stone bits across the floor had since disappeared but the bodies weren¡¯t magically slinking into nothingness as the smell of charred meat and smoke invaded my nostrils. The armor mannequins strewn about looked a little warm but at a glance I could tell the leather components that held all the enchantments were burned away and would have to be replaced.


    Across the room in the right corner was Beleg, his clothes singed and the wounds from stone spikes in his body made it look like he was more hole¡¯s than flesh, although the long cut around his throat was still entirely recognizable. To the left of the chest was Dior, on his knees with his hand behind his head. Cell was on his lap looking up at him before he turned to me. My familiar shot towards me with a wind spell as he hopped along the floor and onto my left shoulder.


    He sent a few images to me. Cell had sucked a lot of the life out of the elven woman, but he underestimated how strong she still was and when he threw himself out the hole in the wall to help me, she got a good stab at his body. That had weakened him and while he was using a healing spell to repair the crack in his sphere, Dior was in danger of falling onto the electric copper floor. Cell rushed to shut the electric flow off by using the spirit magic in another one of the trigger spots, and from his wounded spot on the floor, he launched spells. The men upstairs decided that the dangerous blob being down and Dior being safe on the copper floor meant it was as good a time to escape as they were going to get, running out of the second floor in a mad panic as Cell shot spells around them, finishing the woman and distracting Beleg long enough for Dior to finish the job. Cell then rushed to check up on me. My familiar did a happy little rub against my neck with the completion of his story.


    Nodding and giving his sphere a little pet, I looked over Dior. The blonde elf had his dagger on his left, far out of reach and I could see he wasn¡¯t absorbing mana.


    ¡°Well, I would offer you some hospitality, but you¡¯ve made yourselves so comfortable already.¡± I said tiredly.


    Dior lifted his head and I could hear a sigh from his lips as he put his hands down on his legs. The elf looked as tired as I felt, and his lightly tanned skin had far more blood on it.


    ¡°Even in times such as this, you still play at the edge of humor? They were truly foolish to come here bearing ill-will. Especially when they didn¡¯t even know your true magic level.¡± He said, his lips contorted into a small smirk as he made a meaningful look towards Cell.


    ¡°Indeed. But I want a little bit to think things over. So, silence please.¡± I said.


    Dior happily obliged as he sat down on his hind and closed his eyes as I stood among the wreckage of my fake workshop.


    Shit.


    Salamede is probably a mess right now.


    I pushed down that sickening worry and forced myself to focus on what would do the most good right now. Killing the two elves outside would be possible if I used some of my spell immune crafts or the leftover powder bomb, but that wasn¡¯t a guaranteed thing and the strain of spell casting was starting to make itself known. Besides, not having an army of elves sent after me for this was another issue. Word of this incident was going to get out and the elves probably wouldn¡¯t stand having a human mage who could challenge them. But this involved Elven culture and I had only gotten a piece of that in the exchange between Dior and Beleg. I cleared my throat, prompting the blond elf to open his eyes again. The serenity in those green eyes was something to aspire to.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°All right, I think you have somethings I need.¡± I said.


    ¡°What could I offer an ultimate mage?¡± He asked calmly.


    I puckered my lips at that, feeling a sense of dread and the thrill of discovery. Here I was, bloody and battered, but the answer to all the mysteries that brought me here was delivered in one night.


    ¡°Ok, you know about ultimate mages, and that I am one. So, talk. What is with the necromancers? Why have-¡°


    He put up a hand to interrupt me.


    ¡°You are clearly strong. Aldewan was amongst the best fighters we had, and yet it is you who stands here after your flight,¡± He said with a meaningful wave towards the big hole in the wall by the staircase. It was painful seeing my loving work reduced to ruin with a few steel beams sticking out of the hole. ¡°Yet that doesn¡¯t mean I have no means of defense. I¡¯m sure you know what these events mean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I huffed ¡°You lot are going to raise an army to come and kill me, and I can¡¯t very well protect myself, let alone the entire Kelton community, from your wrath, so I guess Aldewan might win in the end.¡±


    He got a small smile in the corner of his lips.


    ¡°Ah, but that assumes they¡¯ll think you¡¯re responsible for all of their deaths. Or that we will have a stable enough government to raise such an army. Once the journal is exposed, a lot of us dying in a feud will be perfectly understandable.¡± He said with a playful tone.


    I licked my lips as I thought it over, re-imagining the look of rage on Beleg¡¯s face after he read the journal.


    ¡°That stuff in the book, exactly how bad is it, politically speaking?¡±


    He extended his lips from the smile into a coy look.


    ¡°To say that the various leaders of our land would find the severed heads of their children to be a more welcome item at court would be a dramatic, yet not entirely untrue assertion.¡±


    I gave a low whistle for a moment as I worked out my next question.


    ¡°But why would you let them discover it? Afterall, it¡¯s your house that will bear the brunt of this and your brother¡¯s widow has no doubt suffered greatly already. Are you really willing to put them through all that?¡±


    His smirk grew into a proper smile.


    ¡°Abina is, or rather was, my betrothed.¡±


    Ouch.


    Looking him over now, that serenity wasn¡¯t spiritual enlightenment, it was more like an arsonist musing on his favorite kindling.


    ¡°That my father knew of this, that he and my brother would apparently be so¡­ amicable to my disappearance. Is¡­ no. I have had enough. If my house is to burn, then I will be more than happy to provide the first spark.¡±


    I clapped my hands together and forced a strained smile across my face.


    ¡°Great. Fantastic. Now if you could just spare a few words about the entire reason for my current existence, I would-¡°


    Dior put up his hand again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will gladly betray my house, but betraying my whole species? No. Kill me if you¡¯re willing to risk letting my father hide his activities and come baying for your head, but your arrival is not something that I can answer. There are somethings even one as lowly as I must abide.¡±


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment before looking at him with anger in my gaze. There was a moment where I was tempted to beat the answers out of him, but a fight between me and him would be a death sentence no matter the outcome. Once the last elves finally abandoned their posts to see what that fall out of the tower was about, or what was taking so long to finish kidnapping me, I would be too weak to defend myself even with the other tools here. To say nothing of losing my one chance to not get smeared on the road by an elven battalion at a later point. As frustrating as it was, the calculus of the situation demanded more words than action.


    ¡°Well, you see that kind of puts me in a bit of trouble since, as much as I respect cultural boundaries, I didn¡¯t exactly have a choice when that bit of cultural heritage sucked me in through the great expanse of death. When they find out I¡¯m an ultimate mage, they will come down even harder to make sure I¡¯m dead¡°


    This time, Dior just laughed. It was a lighthearted thing, like someone had told a joke he hadn¡¯t heard before and it managed to get a light chuckle from its prey.


    ¡°I will not answer questions about your arrival, but I suppose questions about your own body are not unreasonable. No, them knowing you are an ultimate mage will not make them more eager to catch you. In fact, they will be even more reluctant to take action.¡±


    I raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him, looking him up and down, for what I couldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°And what math did you perform to reach that conclusion?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Do you know why escaped ultimate mages only stay around for two or so years?¡±


    I took a moment to think, biting my lip as I mulled over that previously innocuous question.


    ¡°I assumed it was because that¡¯s typically how long it takes for an exposed ultimate mage¡¯s organization to get infiltrated and then the people who brought them here kill them, or when they have to actually fight but they¡¯ve overestimated themselves, or-¡°


    ¡°Do you think the only failsafe for dealing with your kind was whatever guards were on premises? That such a great and powerful secret was safeguarded by a dozen thugs in robes?¡± He asked flatly with a raised right eyebrow.


    I stared at him for a moment, taking in all that sentence implied.


    ¡°Dior, as much as I love your company, keeping me in suspense like this is rather rude.¡± I said with a strained smile.


    ¡°Your body. We don¡¯t fully understand the process ourselves, but eventually your body breaks down from mana generation and reticence in using it will do nothing to stop what¡¯s coming. How long that takes is more likely to be four or five years as most ultimate mages don¡¯t make as big of a mess of things as you have, at least not as quickly. But that is ultimately what will happen. In the early days, an elven emissary will whisper about the problems in years to come.


    A scoff and a handwave will usually rebuff such words, often with their recipient expounding on the limitless power and prestige they have been given. But, inevitably, the aches surrounding every bone set in. Their skin starts to feel like it¡¯s on fire whenever they make mana and their eyes become unable to see mana. They are by all accounts crippled, but the outward appearance of their body is the same as their earliest memories of this world. When this happens, those words, so mocked and dismissed, are then remembered and we elves who spoke them now have the only thing the ultimate mage needs: the medicine to freely live.


    But take heart, Eli. We have studied this and, again for reasons unknown to us, healing mages typically get a few more years on the rest of their kin.¡±


    I¡¯m sure the medicine that they never come back from using is quite effective. Or perhaps truly effective depending on what it¡¯s actually intended for.


    As far as bad news goes, it wasn¡¯t the worst. That put everything on a time limit, but once the AI chips were fixed, cloning facilities could be done in short order afterwards. Sure, Salamede might have to carry a five-year-old version of me on her back for a while if this degradation couldn¡¯t be held off with cloning certain bits of my body one at a time, but it was completely doable in the time frame given. And if it kept the premier power of this world from breathing down my neck? I was all the better off for it.


    His explanations all made sense and the rage and humiliation I had seen in his former companions was too real to dismiss. I was on the home stretch of getting out of this mess, if he was telling the truth, but one last item remained.


    ¡°Even if this spot of trouble puts the elves in a position where they can¡¯t respond immediately, won¡¯t they eventually come just to make sure my seed doesn¡¯t spread? After all, having me be able to take on even one elf would be disastrous for their reputation.¡±


    He nodded with a stir of his golden hair before waving away the concern.


    ¡°I understand that, but unless you feel spry enough to take on the two fresh soldiers outside, we need to present a situation where not fighting is preferable. You possibly killing them may not be enough to convince them to stay their swords as it complicates the matter of their pride and the anger of my household may not be enough either, but if we use both at once I¡¯m convinced it would give them the excuse they need to obey their fear. Once we¡¯re back home, I¡¯ll tell them that their friends actually died at the hands of each other and a few of your traps while I was merely trying to mitigate the political damage.


    From there they will ask what caused the fight and I, having foolishly left the journal out where the guards could find it on the way back home, will have no real lie to tell and must tragically sit back as they find out the quad mage was the product of my oh so grand, powerful, cunning brothers failure. That his reputation will be reduced to ashes is a burden his loving younger brother will simply have to bear to his dying day.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ll be happy to let that perception stay out there?¡± I asked in a tone that did nothing to hide my disbelief. ¡°A human mage being known for being stronger than elves won¡¯t prick their pride?¡±


    ¡°You fail to see how we elves view humans, through no fault of your own. Our pride is something more near and dear to us than actual power or sense, but it is founded on certain unshakable pillars. One of these is the inferiority of those who can¡¯t even bend mere steel with their hands or craft works of art depicting animals that in a few hours of effort are indistinguishable from the real thing. For us to attack you later, since you aren¡¯t an inconvenience and no longer a part of a scheme, would mean that you were a real threat to us.


    Even if our people back home felt you were a genuine threat and took steps to put you down, it would involve an admission we could never take back. Whether or not you were dead would be almost irrelevant at that point. By acknowledging that a human, any human of any ability or lineage, could beat an elf in a clean fight would permanently make real the possibility of another human in the future doing the same.


    No. I will give them the mental escape route they need to protect their precious self-image. Whatever chittering it causes amongst the lowly dregs outside our forests will be of no concern as we can ¡®rectify¡¯ the opinion at a later date. To say nothing of certain¡­ research opportunities your line might present for us later on¡±


    My hairs stood up at that last bit, but I fought it down.


    ¡®What do you think of all this, Cell?¡¯ I asked my familiar in a spirit connection.


    He sent me an image of Dior using a wind blade against Beleg. Then images of Dior seeing Cell leave the room to check up on me, followed by him going through the hole in the wall and using magic to glide to the remaining two elves to have them come finish me off.


    True, Dior going to get the guards for backup when Cell left would be a far less convoluted way of killing me. Especially since the humans here presented no real threat to them.


    ¡°All right, we have an agreement. But before we start, I would like to know something else. The druids, those plant women you send out-¡°


    He shook his head in denial again.


    ¡°Another society destroying secret?¡±


    He got a pained grimace and only looked towards the ceiling for a moment before turning back to me with a blank smile.


    I huffed as I set about filling the hole in my wall with crude, permanent stone. Dior picked up the journal and crown from the chest before he grabbed one of the burned legs of the elves and started dragging the body downstairs. It took a few minutes, especially when Cell had to use stone to wrap the remains of my silver haired opponent into a small coffin but we eventually got all the bodies to the main entry and Dior promptly left out the empty doorway. While he walked up to start the show, I looked around for those packet-switched crafts. I eventually found the leather bracer and wooden handle in the mess of items laying about the floor from the ransacking that had happened. That the bomb wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen was worrying but I was in a hurry and if this plan failed, I would be too close to the elves to use it anyway.


    I went out the doorway with Cell in my metal mask¡¯s back neck strap to look like the piece of jewelry that typically stayed there. Looking out over the windy, snow-covered plains, my vision ignored even the starry sky as it was pulled towards the group of people being held off by the two elven bodyguards. Seeing Salamede off on the left with her hands stuck together in a prayer position as she looked nervously at our house made my heart ache, as did her sudden wave at me. Sadly, I had to make sure no one got a good look at what lay beneath the stone yard on the left side of the tower. Walking over to the hole in the yards stone, I merged the decorative stone of the yard into a solid cover.


    Making my way back towards the torch wielding humans and the two elven bodyguards, both of whom were now scowling at me, I stopped just out of what would be a quick dash with their swords. The looks of relief across the faces of the crowd was far more pronounced now as they saw that I felt confident enough to come closer to the elves. The sound of the elves drawing their swords was the only noise aside from the wind as torchlight played across the shining steel. Dior moved to stand in front of them, blocking their line of sight to me.


    ¡°Before you try that,¡± He warned them, in a voice loud enough to carry his words to the small battalion of guards that had assembled around Tansen, Aki, a few other staff members, and the smaller Kelton crowd on the left. ¡°At least help me get the bodies out of his tower before you die.¡±


    That produced stunned expressions from the elves, humans, and Kelton¡¯s.


    ¡°What?¡± The left guard said, his multicolored eyes showing clear confusion.


    Dior motioned him towards the towers ruined door. The guards sharp chin came up with defiance as he stalked off towards the tower.


    ¡°At least come back with one of them, we have a long journey back home ahead of us and I want to set out as soon as possible.¡± Dior called as he turned towards Tansen.


    The academy head was looking at the event with a blank face as Salamede moved closer behind him. She was breathing so heavily it looked like she had run all day at full sprint, but she managed to keep it together. It took a good minute of everyone awkwardly standing around before the elven guard came back. On his shoulder was slung one of the charred bodies, which he laid gently on the snow-covered ground.


    The body was well burned, but the sharp ears and make of the now brittle cloak was unmistakable.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Dior? Where are the others?¡± The other guard said, his breath fogging up. He was breathing heavily now as his teeth jittered, though it didn¡¯t seem to be from the cold.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡± The returning guard answered. ¡°The rest of them are in a pile by the door.¡±


    The air seemed to still as not even the bitter wind seemed to affect the most bare clothed peasant. The two guards looked at each other with blank faces, but it was Tansen who spoke up.


    ¡°H-How is that possible?¡± The academy head asked, his robe¡¯s black color and sapphire jewels flapping in the wind.


    ¡°Eli killed them.¡± Dior said with a meaningful look to his two elven companions. ¡°They only left four to look after him as they perused his home¡¯s upper floors. When he had¡­ dealt with those guards, he came back up the stairs and promptly saw to the rest of them. If they hadn¡¯t been so foolish as to split up and instead attacked him as one group, maybe¡­ Ah, who knows. But fortunately, I am here to mitigate this diplomatic disaster. If you continue this foolish endeavor, know that you will be marked enemies of my family.¡±


    Every eye on the field looked at me with fear, awe, trepidation, or a mixture of all three. Even Salamede, my beloved wife, looked awestruck at the lie. Her blue dress now having her hands clutch it in a surge of emotion.


    More importantly, the two elves had expressions that assuaged any doubts I may have still had about the plan, their faces contorting like they had just stepped on a worm that responded by bouncing up and slapping them in the face. Whatever they felt about the situation, the inclination to keep living was also playing out across their faces as they backed away from me with fear plain in their eyes. Seizing the moment, Dior stepped closer to his fellows.


    ¡°Now, kindly get our people¡¯s corpses out of his home before the ambient healing re-animates them and we have yet another incident.¡± He said in a quiet and polite tone before turning towards Tansen again. ¡°If you would, good sir. We require a carriage out of here. I know it isn¡¯t terribly dignified, but these bodies will have to be burned on your pyres as well.¡± Dior finished with a meaningful look towards the ever-burning pyres by the gate off to the right, the one that lead to the open plains and the classrooms.


    ¡°U-Um. Sure.¡± Tansen said, his mouth trying to find the words to say.


    The two guards took that as their leave and skittered towards the house.


    Dior turned around and did a rather deep bow to me.


    ¡°I do hope this misunderstanding will not cause friction between our two great peoples. While the delegation was sent here to establish contact, the actions of one rash group are not to be construed as the will of the elven people. Here, as our smallest apology.¡± He came back up and handed me three of the elf¡¯s potion vials. That caused a small gasp from some of the staff members present.


    ¡°Your actions have stilled my anger. Recompense for the damages alone will be all that I require.¡± I said in a calm, friendly tone.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Dior said, producing a small sack of what sounded like coins. But when I palmed the silky-smooth sack and took out one of the coins to compare it in the torch light, the material turned out to be mana crystal. Something that produced slack jaws from all the mages present, including Tansen.


    ¡°A generous gift, Dior. I don¡¯t know if I have the heart to spend it.¡± I said, this time sincerely.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, most grand of mages, those coins were crafted with the special artistry of our people and trading them only in weight of mana would be undervaluing them.¡± Another gracious nod from Dior punctuated the guards leaving the tower and trudging through the snow towards the pyres with two bodies each.


    Looking out over the crowd, none of the people would meet my gaze. Even Salamede looked down with a slight bow when our eyes met. After a bit, the carriage was brought, and the bodies found their proper place in the fires. Their task finished; the two elves stood behind Dior as the rest of the crowd hung back in anticipation.


    With a final bow from the three, one of the great mysteries of this world shuffled into the metal carriage, promptly taking off and leaving me to pick up the pieces.


    Walking towards the crowd they parted for me with a new sense of reverence and possibly fear, my mind too tired to distinguish which. Salamede saw me approaching through the dissipating crowd and looked down with her hands together in front of her. When I got in arm¡¯s length, I put a finger under her chin, lifter it up and planted a kiss on her mouth. Her body shook from the contact and her snout flared as I savored her sweetness. The way she moved her head forward when I pulled back told me her excitement was far greater than her embarrassment.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, love. I¡¯m ok. Let me get our house in order and you can come in again.¡±


    ¡°Eli,¡± Tansen said behind me, ¡°The guards need to look the place over to make sure they have a complete report for the many, many people that will be screaming about this in the higher ranks and you need to be inside the academy walls. Now.¡±


    I took a deep breath and was prepared to countermand his order when Salamede started a spirit connection with me.


    ¡®My lord, is everything hidden?¡¯ She asked desperately.


    ¡®I have the most troublesome items here. The hatch to the underground part was shut. There is the gunpowder bomb that I couldn¡¯t find but that¡¯s about it.¡¯


    ¡®Ok then.¡¯ She said as she took off down the path to our house.


    ¡°Salamede!¡± I audibly yelled, but the guards quickly surrounded me with Tansen standing in the way of my line of sight towards Salamede.


    ¡°Eli, I can appreciate how stressed you are. But you need to be in a secured location and the guards need to look the place over for traps before you¡¯re let back in.¡± Tansen said, his brown eyes looking at me with determination as his black hair whipped around in the flurries and wind. I stuck out my chin as leaned over to see Salamede going into the tower.


    ¡°When she gets back. I¡¯m not leaving until she is back here safe and sound with her personal items.¡± I said defiantly.


    Tansen got a soft look at that and nodded, turning around as he directed the guards and staff to form a meat shield around me as the Kelton¡¯s, rather than walk away, formed another outer ring of defense.


    A few minutes later, Salamede came back out. Her blue dress flapped in the wind as she came across the lawn, kicking up snow along the way. Some of the men parted for her and Tansen whistled for us to move out as my wife clung to my side, pressing herself fully against me as we trudged through the snow and wind.


    ¡®When you put the bomb underground, did you seal the hatch back properly?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection. The big wooden cube was too large for her to hide on her person so I figured that would be the only place she could put it.


    ¡®It was gone, my lord.¡¯


    I gave a tired sigh as I mentally wrote off the loss and hoped that whoever had taken it found out what it did when they had their faces right up next to it. After today, I was just grateful they hadn¡¯t taken the packet-switched items as those would have given away my one real advantage in the future. Then I let my mind wander over to her words. I had skimmed over it the first time, but the second time she called me lord, it hit me how odd it was.


    ¡®Salamede, why-¡®


    ¡®Please, your grace. Just focus on getting to safety¡¯ She said, pushing herself into my right side with a reverent look in her white eyes.


    As we came up to the academy¡¯s white walls, we made our way past the gate and onto the main lawn. Tansen directed the group to the farthest back end to the middle dorm. The semi-circular stone building had several floors with an array of fine windows and shutters as it leaned against the wall of white stone.


    We came up to the main entrance at the center and several staff members went on ahead to clear a straight path to the top floor. Once one of them came back with the all clear, a smaller contingent of guards whisked us in through the fine oak door as they kept around us in a shield of steel plated flesh and white and blue robed mages. We walked past the main dining hall on the left and lounging room on the right, much to the surprised squeaks and murmurs of the students. They lead me and my wife further up the dark wooden steps directly ahead of the entrance and up, and up we went. Along the way, students were pushed aside with indignant squeals as doors opened from people looking out to see what the commotion was. Even as well-lit as this place was with warm glowing mana lamps everywhere, we moved too quickly for anyone to get a good look at us.


    The top of the staircase quickly came into view and we were rushed into a room four doors further down to the left. With a quick opening from a guard, we were pushed in and the door was quickly slammed shut behind us. The room had a big white bed with blue pillows. Tansen had clearly put us in the best rooms, from the fine oak wall, to the near cushion like softness of the carpet, it all screamed money. The central chandelier had two mana lamps that glowed a soft warm light on the furniture and room. Or rather rooms.


    On the left was the entrance to a white tiled bathroom with magical appliances for a toilet and a shower. The nightstand by the right of the bed and wardrobe that sat directly on my right were up to a standard no less extravagant than the rest. They and the bed had ornate carvings with bits of gold around the edges.


    ¡°Wow. Not to say your work is lacking in any way.¡± Salamede said, with a regretful bow of her head.


    ¡°Nah, this isn¡¯t much to look at.¡± I said casually as I put my right hand down her backside.


    ¡°Oh?¡± She asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, our place has had you naked in it. That beats out any amount of gold or fluff.¡± I said with a firm swat on her butt.


    She puckered her lips and leaned into me.


    ¡®It¡¯s still hard to believe, you really killed ten elves?¡¯ She asked in a spirit connection.


    I shook my head and responded by giving a quick summary of the events as we walked forward and sat on the bed. She seemed more relaxed when I said I didn¡¯t kill all the elves but that odd hiccup in her behavior came back when I told her I did kill one of them. I was near the end of where Dior and I talked when a knock at the door interrupted us.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I called.


    ¡°Doctor. Tansen sent me for an extensive checkup.¡± Came the voice beyond the ornate oak door. I got up and opened it and in came a middle-aged man with light blond hair and a strong chin. In his arms he carried a knapsack filled with vials and healing potions, which he used to motion me to sit back on the white bed before looked me up and down.


    The doctor had me take my shirt off as he went over all the spots where I had told him I had been hit and after certifying that each spot was now unblemished, he moved on to testing for toxins. It was a long arduous process that I had considered telling him to stop but was dissuaded by the fact that such a thorough examination seemed to allay some of Salamede¡¯s worries as it looked like she could now properly sit without seeming so jumpy.


    ¡°Right,¡± He said, his green eyes lighting up. ¡°You¡¯re good. I¡¯d say you could tussle with the elves a few more times tonight and be just fine.¡±


    We both got a good laugh from that, but Salamede just clung closer to me, killing the humorous atmosphere. The doctor gave an awkward cough before continuing.


    ¡°All right, sir quad mage. I officially certify that you are good to go. Just take it a little easy for tomorrow. Spell casting pain is one of those things where time beats out all potions, balms and ointments. Good night, my lord.¡± He gave a light bow before going out the door leaving me shirtless on the bed.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯ I asked Salamede in a spirit connection.


    She turned to me with a confused look.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ She responded. Her white stripe running down her nose shifted as she ran her snout up and down my left shoulder.


    ¡®You¡¯ve been calling me lord and your grace and now he¡¯s doing it. What gives?¡¯


    She didn¡¯t respond at first, only running her hand up and down my bare chest for a moment before getting down and putting herself on her knees right in front of me.


    ¡®Calling someone lord means they are powerful but also someone who is in an exalted position. These are two different things and I guess people will naturally call you that now.¡¯ She said. Her expression was one of devotion, though it was far more intense now than it had been before. Her hands went to both of my knees before her eyes flitted to my loins and back to my face. Moving forward, she leaned up and took off my mask. As she brought it down, I grabbed her right arm and lifted her further up for a kiss.


    ¡®But nothing¡¯s changed between us,¡¯ I insisted as I forced my tongue down her throat. We spent a while sitting there, dueling tongues as she started vibrating with excitement. A long moan escaped her lips before she pulled away with a loud pop.


    ¡®Nothing?¡¯ She demanded. ¡®You¡­ you¡¯re a quad mage. A quad scion ultimate mage. Your list of powers reads more like a poem than a title. Every woman in the world swoons for you, at least those not bitter at the prospect of never having you. You¡¯ll surpass the brothers Rodring and Boding easily in a few months or years. What¡­ What could have possibly possessed me to think I was worthy of taking the seed of such a man, much less his wedding vows?¡¯


    Her lips trembled at that as she refused to look me in the eyes, instead shifting her head right.


    A low growl escaped my lips as my gut flared in anger. There was no way I was going to let such nonsense cloud my wife¡¯s mind. Grabbing her by the shoulders, I pulled her back over the bed, pinning her into the soft, silky sheets and pillows.


    ¡®You are my wife. That is all that matters.¡¯ I said. She still refused to look at me, so I took her head in my hands and forced her to meet my eyes as her grey furred cheeks squished in my grasp. The tears I saw in her white pearly eyes hurt worse than any blow the elves had landed on me.


    ¡®Eli! Come on! A man like you, having a half demon woman for a wife? What a joke. I get it now. The scorn people have for me, the loathing of the women, Congress¡¯s desire to kill me. It all makes sense. A man stronger than an elf is having his seed stolen by a goat woman. I deserve everything they throw at me for letting things get to this point and fucking everything up for our whole continent. For their entire species¡¯


    Her tears flowed freely as she rubbed her eyes. I pushed my head past her grey skinned arms and planted a soft kiss on her lips.


    ¡®Salamede. I. Love. You.¡¯ I kissed her harder with every word, savoring her sweetness each time and repeating it until my feeling penetrated her self-loathing. Eventually she calmed down and started kissing me back as I fully pressed myself into her. Which was when I decided to finish talking her down.


    ¡®We both know this doesn¡¯t end with them getting what they want, at least for a good while yet. If you weren¡¯t around, the only thing that would change is the letters would have been burned and the quad scion ultimate mage would be a lot more surly and unhappy. The point where you could have prevented any of this hasn¡¯t passed you by because it was never there in the first place.¡¯ I implored her, making sure to press my erection between her thighs.


    ¡®You¡¯re right. I know you are.¡¯ She said sullenly, but it appears my efforts were not going unappreciated as she started breathing more heavily and rolling her thighs against my stem. ¡®But, am I truly what you want to be your legacy as far as mothers to your children goes? There may be others later on, but the first wife is typically the one people associate most with the man.¡¯


    I planted a hard kiss on her lips, savoring her sweetness as I pulled her head back with my left hand.


    ¡®Salamede, how many women do you think are here in the dorm right now?¡± I growled in the spirit connection as I did another thrust between her thighs. When I pulled out of her mouth, she was breathing harder now.


    ¡®Dozens. Many dozens.¡¯ She said with a seductive coo ¡®And all more than ready to receive my lord at a moment¡¯s notice.¡¯


    ¡®And who is going to receive me tonight?¡¯ I demanded as I took my left hand off her cheek to work her blue dress down. No matter how tired I was, she was going to know my love tonight until she felt every bit the woman I knew her to be.


    ¡®Your wife.¡¯ She said coyly.


    Salamede stopped for a moment as she looked below before giggling as she ran her thighs up and down my length sending shivers along my spine. ¡®It appears my lord likes being called lord. Does my lord agree?¡¯ She asked with a smug smile as she continued teasing me with her body.


    It was all a blur of sheets, sweat, cries, and the slapping of flesh after that. Come morning, I only had a vague memory of Salamede on top of me, riding me like her life lead up to that moment. The next thing I knew the morning sun was shining down through the window behind our bed as Salamede softly snored on top of me. My body was still sore from the casting, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as when I took out the underground base. I spent more than a few minutes relishing the feeling of her naked body on mine until I felt it was time to wake her up.


    A few soft kisses on her mouth and she gradually stirred into the land of the living. When she opened her eyes to find me tasting her lips, she kissed me back with a muffled good morning. It took a bit before we got out of the bed and headed over to the shower to freshen up. When we did, the glass around the shower soon steamed up from the hot water flowing around us from the enchanted wooden shell above. When I got a bar of soap to wash us both off, Salamede just hugged me. We spent some time just savoring each other¡¯s presence and basking in the comfort of each other¡¯s bodies.


    ¡®How are you feeling this morning?¡¯ Salamede asked in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Better, a little sore but I¡¯ll get better.¡¯ I said as I nuzzled myself against the grey fur on her neck.


    ¡®Good. I can¡¯t believe you telling me that you love me over and over worked.¡¯ She lightly pouted.


    I just chuckled as we stood in the shower hugging each other for a little bit before we had to meet the rest of the day.


    It was a good while before I came out of the room with my beaming wife behind me as the guards formed a four-man wall around us. We were both wearing a new change of the academy robes, with the crafts in Salamede¡¯s pockets, as the maid who came by earlier said the staff would deliver our clothes back to our tower when they were cleaned. Of course, I was also wearing my metal mask that had Cell on the back-neck portion as a faux piece of jewelry.


    The fact that we had forgotten his presence last night was a matter he was thankfully content to remain silent on.


    Passing down the hall, a lot of the other dorm¡¯s inhabitants, both student and staff, whispered with me catching snippets involving what happened yesterday. I considered stopping for a quick meal at the dorm¡¯s little eatery, but I wanted to get back home. On the way out of the dorm¡¯s door, I saw a wide array of students milling about the place whispering to each other. Our shoes crunching the snow, we made it by the tower when another guard came out and stopped us.


    His hand wave towards the top of the tower told me everything I needed to know.


    Heading through the doors and up to Tansen¡¯s office, I got the same looks of adoration from everyone, but a few were sending really nasty looks Salamede¡¯s way. When we came through the door to Tansen''s office, our ever-present guards stood outside. The blue and white striped wall, single mana lamp in the central ceiling, and plain wooden floors looked the same as always, but the occupants gave the room a tense energy.


    Tansen was behind his oak desk with Aki to his left and Agatha to his right. His older advisor was biting his lip that showed between the grey mustache and beard while Agatha had a redness in her face that went right up to the blonde¡¯s sharp cheek bones as she held her hands behind her back. The worry in the brown eyes of Aki and Tansen was plain to see so I decided to start the conversation.


    ¡°I want to first thank you for your assistance last night. If yo-¡°


    Agatha put out a hand and threw a yellowish stalk of celery on Tansen¡¯s table. It was the unmistakable vegetable known as yook root, a universal contraceptive. The Front representative¡¯s chest rose and fell in the black working dress as she puckered her lips.


    Oh yeah, our yook root. I had been so busy going over the fight with the elves and world-shaking items they might find if they inspected my house that I forgot about the contraceptives.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think going through our drawers was what you said they were there for.¡± I responded calmly. Tansen puckered his lips as he leaned forward, his black kimono pulling back as he bared his arms by clasping his hands together.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t. The upper floor was trashed and the¡­ offending items were in a mess with the nightstand by your bed.¡± He said.


    ¡°I suppose that means there were no traps in the place? Good. I thank you all for your assistance in this matter. If you want compensation for the room, I can-¡°


    Agatha slammed her left hand on Tansen¡¯s desk as she looked ready to explode, but she kept her voice to merely unfriendly.


    ¡°Eli, if the events yesterday did anything, it was to notify everyone around here of just how valuable you truly are.¡± She said as she strode forward. Her gaze, however, was on Salamede. ¡°I had been content to stand by as you married her,¡± A raised finger in accusation punctuated the last word, ¡°But this. Not only is she taking you away from your own people, she won¡¯t even let the possibility of her own progeny carry your ability. You venomous snake with horns. What is driving your need to do this?!¡±


    Agatha practically shouted the last part as she turned fully towards Salamede. Stepping in between her and Salamede, I made sure to keep Agatha¡¯s blue eyes in mine. What surprised me was the genuine hurt in Agatha¡¯s expression.


    ¡°What we choose to do about our family plans is our business alone. The use of the yook root was something I insisted on. So, before you start throwing accusations around and saying things you might regret, wait until you are in a calmer state of mind to say them. If for no other reason than my house was broken into yesterday and I¡¯m not in the mood for anyone making threats against me or my people.¡± I said, trying to keep calm the whole time.


    ¡°Agatha,¡± Tansen said, trying to cool down the tempers that were heating up. ¡°Whatever it is you suppose is going on, think long and hard on it before including it in the report. Our position is precarious and such outbursts only serve to strain the delicate balancing act we must perform.¡±


    Agatha turned around with a whirl, her face looking like she bit into something bitter. Before she could say anything, Koal came in behind me. Her red robes billowed about the room as the mid-30¡¯s woman looked around the room with a wave of her short black hair. Those light green eyes took in everything and the two moles along her lower jaw stretched with her puckered lips. She continued walking up to Tansen¡¯s desk before she leaned towards the academy head.


    ¡°Tansen, as a guest here on behalf of the Ember association, I don¡¯t expect personal reports on everything that happens here or even to Eli. But I am also here in an official capacity as the representative for the Coalition government to look into the causes around the quad mage¡¯s circumstances. Yesterday when I asked about what the sudden shift in the guards was about, the answer I got was some off handed comment from a staff member about a ruckus near the Kelton quarter.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tansen. ¡°And we-¡°


    ¡°So, you can readily imagine my shock when I found out about Eli slugging it out with elves from the two maids who were serving me my eggs and potatoes this morning. Those TWO FUCKING MAIDS heard about it before I did. I want the whole story here and now.¡± Koal said. Apparently, she had been given enough time to cool off, though, as no spike in heat came up with her volume.


    ¡°We were going to when we had the whole story. I was more concerned with keeping him alive, in that moment and from traps they might have left in his home. If you would have preferred I devote people and resources away from that and possibly let the elves come back and kill him, then I will make sure to do so in the future.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true then?¡± Koal gasped in a shocked tone. ¡°I thought it might be some wild rumor, but he really did take on the elves?¡± She turned around and looked to me. Her dark bottom lip was bitten between her white teeth as she appraised me with clear interest. Aki did a light cough before he moved things along.


    ¡°We will see when Eli gives us the whole story. If you would.¡± He said with a nod to me.


    Since Cell was too good of a secret to just give up, I would have to take credit for his kill.


    ¡°Dior greatly exaggerated the events so that the last elves wouldn¡¯t try to kill me. The truth is only I directly killed two of them. The others died to a trap I made.¡±


    ¡°Only two?¡± Koal said with breathless incredulity. The rest of the people present just looked on with eager expressions and bated breath.


    ¡°Yes, not five or four at once. When I took out those two, Dior came in. We talked for a while about how it was supposed to be an envoy, but some elven house decided to get greedy. Most of our time was spent talking about possible reparations and events coming out of this incident.¡±


    ¡°Eli,¡± Tansen said, pulling back into his chair with a child-like look of wonder. ¡°You¡¯re skipping over the most significant part. How, exactly, did you defeat the elves?¡± I felt everyone in the room move a bit closer to me.


    ¡°The elves seem to have wind and water as their elements. When I threw a storm of small, weak spells at them the wind elf had no real defense and the water elf had his water shield boil or dissipate from the rocks, even if the wind blades I sent at his back didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    There was a long moment as everyone took that in. Tansen, being a water scion, was particularly interested. He stroked his goatee as he mused, more to himself than anyone else.


    ¡°Yes. Wind is the element we are typically weak against. Make a lot of fire and stone spells so that a thin shield becomes useless, but the wind blades mean we can¡¯t use a thick shield as it would be too cumbersome to block them.¡± He took a deep breath and his brown eyes now looked at me with a newfound interest. ¡°Would you mind performing a demonstration on the lawn?¡±


    ¡°Sure, as recompense for the room.¡± I said with a nod as I motioned towards the door. We all shuffled out of the room and past Tansen¡¯s secretary desk to the snow-covered lawn outside. The rest of the group was on my left as Tansen stood a few yards in front of me. Of course, the students and staff all gathered around to see what was going on and the guards had to make sure they stayed out of the way of any wayward spells.


    When Tansen summoned a big wall of water around a snow man, I unleashed the same barrage I had used on Aldewan. The snaps and sizzles of the stone and fire spells hitting it left no real strain on Tansen. That was until he tried to move it to protect the back side of the snow man, who was promptly decapitated when the edge of a wind blade took him in the neck. He tried again with a thinner shield, but it just burst from the heat and trying to hold up the stone.


    Tansen looked over the melting remains of the snowman with puckered lips and a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I admit, short of an thick body covering bubble, any defense to this eludes me.¡± He finally said, apparently giving up. That caused quite a stir amongst the surrounding crowd, with those that had a water drop in their pins looking particularly upset.


    ¡°Can we call it a day? I have a lot of things I need to get in order.¡± I asked the academy head. But it was Agatha directly on my left that answered.


    ¡°We are not done here, but I¡¯m sure you want to eat and get your house in order. Get breakfast and your home fixed up. Then come see me at the Front office tommorrow.¡±


    The way she looked at Salamede as she came over to stand at my side was positively murderous.


    ¡°Agatha.¡± Koal said from behind the fuming blonde, ¡°We both know that isn¡¯t the problem.¡±


    The Front representative stood still for a few moments before turning away in a huff back towards the tower. The demonstration finished, I was allowed to leave and headed back home. My stomach, however, disagreed and we promptly headed towards our favorite dwarven food stall.


    As the morning crowd worked getting the goods to and from the various shops and stalls, the biting cold left the breath of every human and Kelton a foggy cloud as the richer loose crowd gave way to the packed peasant masses along the main road directly from the academy to the bridge at the opposite side of town. Walking down the stone street towards the now smaller assortment of colorful dwarven tents. We sat on two stools by the bar with a thick red tent now covering it, dulling the cold. As we ordered some eggs, hash, and sausages, the dwarven diplomat quickly found his seat next to my right with Salamede sitting on my left.


    His copper hair seemed positively impoverished now, having only seven or so gold bands around his beard and mustache. Those emerald eyes spoke of a long night, and not a pleasant one either if the rough splotches of ink around the tan skin was anything to go by. Lifting himself onto the stool, his clothes were also rather rushed, having only a fine white shirt and dark red pants on.


    ¡°Aye, pleasant days and all that to you. How much for you to tell us what happened?¡± He said, the exhaustion coming clear through in the deep base of his voice as he stuck out his hand. As he shook my hand, he made sure a letter was pushed into my palm, which I quickly hid in the folds of my robe.


    ¡°Not a very diplomatic tact.¡± I noted with a teasing tone.


    He snorted as a plate of toast, ham, and potatoes was put in front of him which he plied with a serving of dark beer.


    ¡°My diplomacy ran out several hours ago around the fifth letter I had to put out or respond to, it¡¯s all quite a blur now, about what was happening in your tower. Graces! The first time the elves show up anywhere in force for blasted stone knows how long and it¡¯s to douse everyone in oil before lighting the match. Damned bastards had me up nearly all night when the news of the attack came in and there is only so many ways to write ¡®we¡¯re looking into it¡¯. So now I would very much like to know, perhaps for a fair trade.¡±


    I resisted the urge to look into the letter as I tucked into my meal and started the negotiation.


    ¡°I will endeavor to let them kill me in the future, lest they steal another night of sleep from an upright and good man like you.¡± I teased. Salamede swatted my left arm as the dwarf chuckled.


    ¡°I appreciate that. I¡¯ll tell people what a considerate soul you were with tears in me eyes.¡± He joked with a slight chuckle, which he forced down when Salamede reached around and slapped his arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss.¡± He said, not sounding the least bit regretful. ¡°But time is of the essence with these things, as I¡¯m sure you know.¡±


    There was a hard moment where I had to decide on just what to tell him. I couldn¡¯t think of anything that would explain a fight between the elves besides me being an ultimate mage. Revealing this might come back to bite me, but there is the possibility that being caught in a lie will damage the relationship I need most right now, and it might even foster more opportunities as well. Pondering over it for a while, I decided that if I trusted them to move my love, then I could pay the price of letting them know this. From there I used a spirit connection to relay everything except how my trap worked or what it exactly did. I trusted the dwarves, but I wasn¡¯t going to give out how the thing that just saved my hide worked to anyone if I didn¡¯t have to.


    He crossed his arms on the bar and laid his head in them with no motion beyond his breathing chest.


    ¡®Oh shit.¡¯ Was the only response I got through the spirit connection. There was a few more seconds of silence which I promptly broke after finishing my food.


    ¡®You wouldn¡¯t happen to know what¡¯s behind the elves getting ultimate mages, would you? I can of course imagine why they would want mobile sources of free mana and why they would want them back after several years of letting them roam free if one of us escaped, but any information about how it¡¯s done or from where they get their materials would be greatly appreciated.¡¯


    He pulled himself back up and sat there for a moment staring into the mug of beer. The look he gave it said he was somewhere far away from here before snapping out of it with a sigh and turned to look at me.


    ¡®The answer is not mine to give, not the least because of the issues around it.¡¯


    Politics. Such a simple word for such a tangled mess.


    I sat in silence as I waited for them to finish their meals. When the diplomat finished, he turned to me and stuck out his hand.


    ¡°Gigan. I¡¯m not usually on a first name basis, but it seems we will have a long-term relationship.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I shook his hand before starting another spirit connection with him and Salamede. ¡®Gashton mentioned an item your people needed my help with, which is why he agreed to help us. Do you know when I will be needed for that or what equipment I will need to bring with me?¡¯


    Gigan snorted.


    ¡®We would have done all of this for free just to make sure we had good relations and we were ready for you to work on the item the day he asked. It was making the way for you to get to it without coming through our halls that took so long. The truth is we¡¯re ready now but the more we¡¯ve watched you the more reluctant the big beards have become in making demands of you, at least until it starts getting damaged.¡¯


    ¡®I appreciate the consideration. Perhaps if Salamede goes into the swamps with Gula, I could come fix it and use that as an excuse to visit my wife afterwards?¡¯ I asked. I had no doubt that they had read the letter I sent to Gula with their couriers and made no attempt to pretend otherwise by explaining my plan.


    His jaw got a grim set, but it was Salamede who responded.


    ¡®Are you sure, Eli?¡¯ I felt her hand on my shoulder, which I covered with my own as I turned back to her and started a separate spirit connection for our privacy.


    ¡®Yes. The airship is probably too damaged for me to fix within a week and I don¡¯t think they will slow down the vote after this. Even if I could fix it¡­ Come on, Salamede. We both knew that was going to be a hard shot to land. Under the most optimistic circumstances, maybe the right person would see the airship and be curious enough to not just dismiss it as another quad mage wonder the Kelton woman was denying humanity, the right person would see their report, and maybe, just maybe, things would turn out well.


    I¡¯ll still work on the air ship since it¡¯s too good of an angle to not have, but the people behind that treason charge aren¡¯t going to start pushing for it with less fervor after yesterday. Please. Please tell me you will go when that time comes.¡¯


    She bit her lip as she looked me up and down, her white eyes betraying no emotion.


    ¡®Fine but promise me that we will do everything we can before it comes to that point. If they discover we know, visit or associate in anyway with any orc, I can¡¯t even begin to¡­ Eli promise me that you will do everything in your power before we take such a step. I couldn¡¯t bear living the rest of my life knowing you had to ruin your reputation for my sake.¡¯


    ¡®I will, if you will.¡¯ I responded, making sure to keep the trepidation out of my voice.


    We hugged, taking a moment to savor the moment before turning our attention back to Gigan.


    ¡®Well, Gigan? What do you say?¡¯ I asked again.


    He took a moment, his face puckered from teasing out a hundred different lines of thought at the same time. When he finally finished, he looked at me with a measuring gaze. He closed his emerald eyes for a moment before opening them back up to look at me with a sense of resignation.


    ¡®The high and mighty won¡¯t like it, but I¡¯m not under the impression refusing to help you would stop you from doing this crazy thing.¡¯


    ¡®You have a better understanding of the situation than most.¡¯ I said with a gracious bow.


    He did another snort as he took his large thumb and forefinger to pinch his nose in exhaustion as he leaned on the lip of the bar.


    ¡®I preferred the peace of blind ignorance. We¡¯ll help. Besides we will need more scouts down there to monitor the situation anyway, so it shouldn¡¯t be a strain on us at all. At least resource wise. I¡¯m telling you; we¡¯re all covered in booze and playing with fire here.¡¯


    ¡®Would your people be able to take her in?¡¯ I asked, making it clear I had already gotten an answer to this before.


    ¡®We will have enough trouble when you leave the Coalition to visit us. You coming over constantly would only make us a target.¡¯ He said with a helpless shrug.


    Our business finished, we parted ways and went back to our tower. Two guards were still standing by the entrance and I suppose having them there is another layer of protection I¡¯m in no position to refuse. Coming through the door with a nod to the two men, we scanned the mess left behind. The furniture was thankfully spared as the filth rummaging through my home were more preoccupied with finding something interesting as opposed to the regular pots, pans, and cloth strewn about the solid oak floor.


    We set about picking up the various bits of wood and items of the floor and setting them aside for washing or remolding. I used a plant spell to reform the door and the instant the wood shaped into a cover from prying eyes, I had Cell go around an pick up all the small iron bits laying around from the previous doors inner layer and have them brought down to the forge. As he did so, I took out the letter and read over it by the couch where this whole mess began.


    ¡®What¡¯s it say?¡¯ Salamede asked in a spirit connection as she finished picking up a particularly large pot from the floor and setting it on the kitchen counter by the right of the main door.


    ¡®Request for food. She wants to know if we can actually deliver on anything we promise.¡¯ I said as I set it on the couch and started going over what changes to the home would need to be done to prevent these kinds of attacks in the future.


    ¡®Poor thing. I know it must have been lean for her even during the summer season. Be a good man and make sure to reward the woman with enough food.¡¯ She said sweetly.


    I nodded as I walked past her and went up the stairs, mentally going over how much of my precious time I wanted to spend repairing either the house, airship or equipment.

 Chapter 93: Family Feud

    Ryan was at a table eating with Veronica, Jeff, and Andrew that was in the middle of the constant noise of coming and going students and servers. The place had white and blue tiled floors with the table having white cloth and ornate oak chairs. They were eating at the middle dorm¡¯s mini restaurant, as everyone else was trying to. When Eli and his despised wife stayed here two days ago, it had set the rumor mill on fire with every tongue wagging about what had caused it. When word got out that it involved elves, the tongues raised a whirl wind. There had been some nonsense about Eli beating elves, but the mages and students didn¡¯t believe such peasant nonsense. In spite of that, the rumor oddly persisted.


    ¡°Did you see when he came in?¡± Veronica on Ryan¡¯s right asked the waitress in a white gown and black top. Veronica was sipping on her special cup of tea, complete with a black V on the bottom showcasing her ownership of the item. The servant between her and Jeff got visibly stiffer as she finished taking the blonde¡¯s order.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. He was rushed up to the top floors in a flash with some staff. I heard he had a pleasant night, though I couldn¡¯t say with whom.¡± She said as she pulled back her brown hair and wrote down the water scions¡¯ meal, retelling the famed event like she had a thousand times before now. Considering everyone was doing everything they could to find out what happened, she may very well have told it more than that. She then turned her green eyes towards Ryan with a meaningful look ¡°If the rumors about him killing elves are true, may I be so bold to suggest that mending relations would be a good idea.¡±


    Ryan¡¯s put on a strained smile that didn¡¯t reach his sharp cheek bones as she turned away.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Andrew asked from the left chair, his oceanic teal eyes showing genuine curiosity. The red head at least had the manners to wait until after he bit into the bread offered as an appetizer before he asked.


    Jeff, sitting opposite of Ryan, had the same eye color as his brother and showed off as much when he gave them all a dramatic eyeroll for the benefit of everyone at the table.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Ryan¡¯s the main rival to Eli. It all started with that dust up in the cafeteria on the first day and now their enemies till the day they die.¡± Jeff said with dramatic flair as he ran a hand through his short black hair.


    Ryan¡¯s own black hair covered his head as he leaned forward to stare at the tablecloth with exhaustion.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t rivals. Father is too busy trying to relive his youth through me to pay attention to anything I have to say. The last thing I need is the elf killer thinking I¡¯m a threat.¡±


    Veronica raised a blonde eyebrow at that, her heart shaped face and blue eyes showing clear disbelief as she snorted.


    ¡°You really think it¡¯s true?¡±


    The three men at the table looked at each other, all showing a mix of disbelief and hesitance. With the question still hanging around the table, the meal finally arrived and gave them the excuse that they needed to not answer. Getting it down with plain water as quickly as they could, they all immediately headed towards Tansen¡¯s office in the central tower of the academy. The graduation was supposed to be yesterday, but the rumored incident had delayed the ceremony as personnel were moved and changes were made to the security. With Tansen calling them all to the main office, there was a tension in the group of people stuck in the enigma of not quite being friends but not mere associates either.


    As the most powerful mages on campus, the students and staff immediately made way for the small group wherever they went and as they came up to the white tower with a red shingled roof, today proved no different even with all of the secretaries and writers running around as they passed through the main entrance and up the stairs on the sides of the entrance. Passing by the two guards with white and blue armor, they came into the office with Tansen behind his oak desk talking with two other staff members and going over a lot of papers in the soft glow of the mana lamp above. He was wearing the typical black kimono with a sapphire wave but the sheer exhaustion he exhibited made the fine clothes only clash with his state of seeming ill-being.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Tansen¡¯s brown eyes lit up as he saw them approach.


    Andrew went to the far left with Jeff to his right, while Veronica stood in-between Jeff and Ryan, who was on the furthermost right. Tansen dismissed the two staff members, who respectfully scooted by.


    ¡°Good. I called you here to inform you that there has been a change in the graduation ceremony.¡± Tansen said with a bit of pain coming in his eyes at the last part. ¡°The government has twisted enough arms to have the other Coalition academy heads file a complaint about Eli¡¯s graduation. As such, you four are going to be front and center.¡±


    There were confused faces all around as even the guards gave an incredulous hiccup.


    ¡°What?¡± Jeff asked.


    Tansen gave a tired sigh as he leaned back into his chair.


    ¡°The official reason is that Eli¡¯s lack of siring is a point of concern and is possibly grounds for dismissal from graduation. Unofficially, if you can¡¯t see that they¡¯re doing this because a student mage is easier to control than an official one, then I will strike your name out from the graduation list and send you back out west to let the wildlands beat sense into you.¡±


    Everyone bit their lips as they looked between Tansen and each other until Veronica spoke up.


    ¡°But I thought siring wasn¡¯t a part of being qualified as an official mage.¡± The blonde said, her heart shaped face getting a hurt expression as she bit her pink lips in frustration and angst.


    Tansen¡¯s goatee drooped as his brown eyes got a look of sympathy. He closed his eye for a moment before looking back towards Veronica.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t dear. I¡¯m sure you all heard about how a member of the military threw Eli to the wolves over some bandits wishes.¡±


    That got a lot of vigorous nods, which prompted Tansen to continue.


    ¡°They broke a lot of rules to make that happen, but the rules seem more like an afterthought these days whenever they become troublesome. The committee is breaking more rules to make this to happen and no one will try to stop them. If you want to learn anything in these trying times, pay close attention to the coming events. You¡¯ll learn more about government and humanity than you ever wanted to know.


    But this isn¡¯t a ¡®let¡¯s talk about Eli¡¯ meeting. You four will be front and center at the ceremony. There will be a lot to do in the coming days and we need to start preparing now.¡±


    From there they went over the minutiae of clothing, etiquette, and where they would be located on the platform. When the meeting was finished, Tansen told them the graduation ceremony was delayed for three more days. Nodding and wishing each other goodbye, the group retired to their regular chores and tasks until the next day. Ryan was in the main room of his home, the dark oak walls and hard stone floor giving the room an almost cave like feel if not for the two windows on the left wall, the entrance to the lawn in the back and the mana lamp in the middle of the ceiling.


    Scattered about the floor were various leather pieces with his boulder like armor laid out on a table in the middle. The room had some furnishings when he first moved in, but it had since had been converted into an impromptu workshop and the fire elements he was working with meant easily flammable material needed to be vacated. Even the beloved portrait of his mother was moved to the main hall as Ryan tried using the boosting craft Eli had showed him to give him more power in the arms and legs.


    Having met with partial success in the arms, it only made his troubles with getting the leg enchantments down more frustrating as his work continued well into the afternoon. Before dinner time, a knock at his door interrupted his lining of an air enchantments leather strap along the thighs of the brown armor. Getting up and going to his front door, what waited behind it was heavily armored men in  green armor.


    ¡°Evening, we are from the Central government and we would like to do an inspection of your house before an important guest comes in.¡±


    Looking behind him on the main walkway to the other houses, Ryan saw Tansen in his typical black kimono nodding.


    Moving to the side, three other men in steel plated armor came in and looked his home over for traps and assassins while blowing gusts of wind with air magic to take out any crafts. Ryan got a bit of sweat running down his sharp cheek bones and black hair when they came over to his worktable, but they were skilled enough that they didn¡¯t disrupt his work.


    When the men were satisfied, the guest in question was brought in.


    He was a taller man with short, smooth black hair flecked with grey. His cheek bones were strong, not sharp like Ryan¡¯s, and he had the air of a man who wielded power. It wasn¡¯t until Ryan looked at the slight chin that it occurred to Ryan who he was seeing.


    ¡°A-Are you President Johnson?¡± Ryan asked with wide eyes.


    A slight chuckle was all the man gave. He put a hand to the white shirts gut and looked at Ryan with mirth in his deep green eyes. After idly wiping some bit of dust off his grey pants, he walked up to Ryan with an outstretched hand.


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m surprised my likeness is well known out here.¡± Johnson said jovially as they shook hands.


    ¡°Your sons. I know them well enough that I immediately thought of them when I saw you.¡± Ryan said, feeling pretty upbeat at having such an important man at his home.


    Johnson nodded again.


    ¡°It seems the letters the boys have been sending me were accurate. Good, good.¡± He said with a look back towards Tansen, who was now coming through the door.


    The academy head came forward and did a light bow to the president.


    ¡°If you had told us beforehand that you were coming-¡°


    Johnson put up a hand to stop him.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for two reasons: to see my boys become mages and to get a firm grip on this business with the quad mage. Send for a bunch of chairs and everyone who has interacted with him.¡±


    Tansen bit his lip before taking a deep breath and raising his objection.


    ¡°Having the meeting here seems improper. If we could move to somewhere more fitting for someone of your statue, would that not be far better?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere that you¡¯re more comfortable in, I assume? No. If I¡¯m going to be in unfamiliar territory, then everyone else might as well be too. I can tell you don¡¯t seem very familiar here either so it will do nicely, if master Ryan doesn¡¯t object.¡± Johnson finished with a questioning gaze towards the man in question.


    Ryan did a gracious bow with a slight smile.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll go get a quick dinner and come r-¡°


    Tansen put up his hand for silence before speaking.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do a little catering with a small table, if the meeting will be a long one.¡±


    Johnson rubbed his clean-shaven face for a moment.


    ¡°The next few hours could very well decide the fate of everyone here and the whole of the Coalition, so yes, it will be quite an extended affair.¡±


    That got a gulp out of Tansen and Ryan. With the academy head rushing to get everything in order, Ryan and Johnson were left to talk about life at the academy and the earth scion¡¯s history. Johnson seemed particularly pleased when Ryan got to the part about his mother serving in the military. As servants came in with various small sandwiches, sliced hams, salads, and pitchers of lemonades and teas, Jeff and Andrew finally came through the front door.


    Rushing up to their dad after a moment of surprise, they got into a three-way hug by the table of refreshments on the right side of the room.


    ¡°Dad, I thought you were too busy to come.¡± Andrew said with a huge smile.


    ¡°Bah! All that crap back home couldn¡¯t keep me away from seeing my boys become mages. I was going to make it a surprise, but that crap has a lot to do with what¡¯s here, so I decided to mix family and business.¡± Johnson said as he playfully rubbed the two boy¡¯s heads.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Henry? I thought you two were a team?¡± Jeff asked. Johnson got a sad smile at that.


    ¡°He was getting older and the stress of dealing with the rise of the orc menace in the south did him in. Poor man, so far away from the battlefield and it killed him all the same.¡±


    The three started talking amongst themselves about times with the old friend until everyone came in.


    Veronica with her two friends Mia and Eska were on the left side of the room while Ryan, the twins Ren and Len, and Joey sat on the right. The short haired twins with sharp noses and chins had been content to work with Ryan in a few crafts and felt comfortable enough to sit by him on each side. In the north section of the circle was Tansen, Agatha, Koal and Rand, while the southern half held Jeff, Andrew and Annie. The middle of the room had the worktable moved out and, in its place, stood Johnson, who coughed before assuming his natural vocation.


    ¡°Thank you all so much for attending.¡± Johnson said with a warm smile. ¡°Now I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you all why I¡¯m here.¡±


    That got nods all around.


    Len raised his hand, which Johnson nodded towards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why my brother and I are here.¡± Len said with a confused look in his green eyes.


    Joey¡¯s own green eyes behind his thick green glasses showed similar confusion, but the slim brown-haired boy didn¡¯t have the nerve to speak up.


    ¡°I need everyone here who had any real interaction with Eli and -Ah you¡¯re Bess and Beth I assume?¡±


    Out of the main door came two more women. Beth¡¯s wavy brown hair bounced as she surveyed the room with her purple eye¡¯s that vaguely matched the pink fur of her coat while Bess, the plain woman with green eyes and shoulder length brown hair, moved to sit by Tansen in between him and Agatha. Finally, Beth puckered her mouth with the mole above her left lip and sat between Jeff and Joey. Bess picked at her blue and white striped robes at catching the attention of so many people while Beth was content to fix some of her sons¡¯ wild hair around his glasses.


    ¡°Yes¡­Sir?¡± Beth asked.


    ¡°Johnson.¡±


    Beth and Bess both raised eyebrows at the name, reaching for the vaguely familiar name.


    ¡°President Johnson Fulton.¡±


    A flash of surprise played across the two women¡¯s faces before Bess squeaked.


    ¡°Eli?¡±


    Johnson turned around and nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. I heard there was another boy involved with him, but he has since passed.¡±


    After another round of nods, Johnson clapped his hands together with a warm smile.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, I want every detail, every event, every word that has been said to and by the quad mage.¡±


    It was a surprisingly arduous affair. Everyone had been treating Eli like something between a charity case and an interesting bauble in the early days and he had been out a lot less once he became a quad mage. As such, the timeline of events and its causes were hard to establish. Once everyone had given their perspective leading up to today, the main point of disagreement seemed to be how much of an affect the ¡®trial¡¯ had on Eli.


    ¡°Eh, he should be fine now.¡± Andrew said with his hands crossed over his gut as he leaned back into his chair ¡°After the news broke out that it was a sham, I¡¯d think the suicides that followed would annul the pain. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what¡¯s causing him to keep away from the women.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just how it ended.¡± Veronica refuted. ¡°He started getting a lot closer with Salamede afterwards. Maybe if that hadn¡¯t happened, she would have stayed his maid and he would have a human wife now.¡±


    ¡°Not wife, she is not his wife¡± Agatha corrected with a strained smile towards her daughter.


    Veronica looked towards Eska, the black-haired girl with glasses and a sharp chin, to see the similar disbelief in hers and Mia¡¯s brown eyes. The choppy red hair of the tough tomboy did a little sway as she shook her head in disappointment. Johnson was off by the refreshments table on the right side of the room, taking everything in with silence, stopping only to ask a question every now and then. Which is what he did now.


    ¡°What I¡¯m having trouble understanding is how he hasn¡¯t had any children yet. Even from his early days as a crafter, he should have had no trouble getting even one or two girls in the sack.¡±


    A slight cough from Beth drew everyone¡¯s attention. Her success at getting close to Eli, where all others had failed, drew a great deal of respect from the women present and with it, the respect of the men.


    ¡°He¡¯s something of a loner. Not eager for company and more than content to spend his day¡¯s tinkering in his little corner of the world. But when they find someone they do enjoy spending time with, especially as a romantic interest, they hold on with an iron grip. That¡¯s why going after Salamede was such a foolish idea. He¡¯d be fine in some hovel out in the woods with just her and that kind of person can¡¯t be seduced with promises of riches or prestige.¡±


    ¡°How would you know that? You just met him once on a defense mission for a barge and some time at the school.¡± Koal demanded, her short black hair twisting with her pout as she puckered her dark lips as her two moles along the lower left side of her pulled with the expression.


    ¡°The eyes.¡± Beth refuted. ¡°He wears a mask and you¡¯d think he¡¯d be a secretive, manipulative type, but the truth is his eyes can¡¯t lie worth a damn. When he thinks about Salamede, they light up, but when the talk of magic and all the endless possibilities of his might is mentioned, they look no different than when he passes by some roadside refuse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the censure, then?¡± Johnson asked with a throat that sounded parched despite the tea he had been drinking.


    All the students, Tansen, and Bess nodded, to the dismay of all of the other adults. Johnson shook his head as he leaned against the table and strummed his fingers before the academy head spoke up.


    ¡°We did say as much in our report.¡± Tansen said with a raise of his black right eyebrow.


    ¡°Bah! I know that.¡± Johnson waved his hand dismissively. ¡°People took what they wanted out of that. Saying the Kelton woman is a seductive snake is a far less embarrassing and destructive narrative for the Coalition than the quad mage doesn¡¯t care about the mage world and I was hoping what was politically useful would also happen to be true, as rare as that is. Am I to believe the rumor I heard about the Kelton using yook root?¡± Johnson asked the room.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Agatha answered with a hard frown and an icy look that crept into her blue eyes.


    Johnson bit his lips for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and looking to the rest of the group in exasperation.


    ¡°You can say all you want about what Eli really wants, but it looks a lot like she¡¯s manipulating him.¡±


    Tansen coughed into his hand before raising his objection.


    ¡°She told me he would only sire if it meant it kept a family from starving or saved lives. With the proviso that the money to do so couldn¡¯t be gotten from selling space-expanded items.¡±


    Johnson looked to the ceiling with a dramatic roll of his eyes before he turned to a guard at the door.


    ¡°See if Eli isn¡¯t too busy to visit. Let¡¯s stop sniffing around for what he wants and just ask the man directly.¡±


    As the guard gave a light bow and headed out the door, Tansen huffed.


    ¡°Hearing it from Salamede is as good as hearing it from himself. There isn¡¯t a waitress, maid, tailor, or loving housewife who would hesitate to open her legs for him with just an interested look.  It seems he also has the ability to plant his seed considering the guards reported that, after smearing the elves on his walls, he had enough vigor left that he went on to plow Salamede later that very night. Despite that apparent ability, our halls are filled with bitter women grumbling about his lack of sex. Even with the right conditions, I¡¯d imagine it would still be a hard thing to get him to put out.¡±


    The puckered lips and pouty looks on the women¡¯s faces accentuated the truth of his words.


    ¡°Sadly, that doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± Johnson said with a tired sigh as he took in the resentment of the ladies. ¡°There are too many people with too much investment in him to let his own feelings get in the way of the true good. Congress is going to show that Kelton woman the door, one way or another.¡±


    Jeff snorted, drawing looks from around the room.


    ¡°Investment? Is he some merchants boat or stock? What has anyone invested in him when he had to foot the bill for his own tuition, food, and housing? Besides, who he spends his days with is his own business. It wasn¡¯t a big issue before and now, all of the sudden, he has to give up his woman because the snickering dolts frown? That¡¯s not unfair, it¡¯s just cruel.¡±


    That last bit made everyone¡¯s eyes flicker behind Jeff to Annie for the briefest moment, a 32-year-old woman with moles along her neck, chest and left eye that showed in her black working dress that was typical of the Front¡¯s members. Her red hair was so dark it was almost black except around the edges, which threatened to match her face as she visibly struggled to not look at Jeff. The couple were the worst kept secret on the campus, as whenever they looked at each other Jeff¡¯s eyes alone conveyed the true nature of their relationship beyond just a boy and his former wet nurse.


    Johnson did a long sigh as he rubbed his forehead. Looking at the floor for a moment, he turned back up with a hard face.


    ¡°Eli is not meeting his obligations, Jeff. The rest of society is not going to stand being denied his gift.¡±


    Jeff puckered his lips as he furrowed his black eyebrows.


    ¡°Eli is a person. What he, I, or anyone else decides to do with our loins is our own business.¡±


    Ryan, sensing they weren¡¯t only talking about Eli anymore, tried to make himself invisible as he scrunched back into his chair as Andrew bit his lip and tried to not look at his brother. Johnson¡¯s handsome face got some red on it as he looked at his son with a blank face.


    ¡°Do you know why your relationship with Annie is tolerated, while his with Salamede is not?¡±


    That sucked the wind out of Jeff as Annie just stood as still as a statue, trying not to meet anyone¡¯s eyes. Jeff, however, recovered and maintained enough dignity to answer.


    ¡°No. Not really, I¡¯m a dual caster after all.¡±


    ¡°There are two reasons: You¡¯re still spreading yourself out and context. Tell me, Jeff, why are you and Eli so powerful?¡±


    Jeff bit his lip for a moment before answering.


    ¡°Because we can summon lightning, fire, wind. That allows us to unleash devastating attacks against our enemies.¡±


    Johnson shook his head.


    ¡°No, you are powerful because of context. The fact that the vast, vast majority of people in this world have no magical abilities, with even fewer among those that do being blessed with two elements, makes you powerful. If everyone in the world was a lightning scion, you, my dear son, would be very weak.¡±


    He stopped for a moment as he turned his eyes to the rest of the guests.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been getting reports out of the Phoenix empire that they are getting ready to move their troops from the front lines and through the swamps. Think about the Latra incident, when the first report came in that the birds went through the swamps and burned our southernmost city to the ground leaving us exposed to the orc¡¯s attacks on our supply lines? Now multiply the army that did that several times over.¡±


    The room went totally silent as beads of sweat dripped down the faces of everyone present, but Johnson had their attention now and seized the opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯d invite you to imagine the pirates of the Burning Mist landing on our shores, but I cannot do it justice. When hulking, moving forts on water rain fire down on the shore and land their hermit crabs the size of houses to trudge up through our roads, how could I properly describe a herd of them tearing through these lands and towns? We have no reason to believe they will even be the worst ones to face. The Phoenix empire, for the first time in its history, is bringing their namesakes to bare in this fight.¡±


    A long moment passed of breathless silence as everyone took in what he was saying. It was only due to his seasoned nerves that Tansen spoke first.


    ¡°That seems like something that should be a military secret, as far as information on the enemy goes.¡±


    Johnson snorted.


    ¡°There is no secrets in this fight, at least in the military side of things. The sheer scale of the movements involved make this all impossible to hide. The Rodring kingdom is martialing its forces and trying to contest for a spot in the southern region as coming in through the well defended coast would take months. There are even some rumors that they are even bringing in their special squad of scions, led by the king¡¯s daughter to his beloved queen Nestel, away from the Bloody Plains and into this fight. Though the queen Verness, tasked with the eastern and southern regions of the kingdom, is the least favored, she is the most skilled and will do everything in her power to bring Eli into their fold.


    And this is all happening because of context, Jeff.


    When Eli was a first revealed, everyone knew he was powerful and his children would also be a force to be reckoned with, but there was no place in our understanding of magic to put this new power in. Earth mages performing poorly against fire mages, healing mages being weaker in direct conflicts but being invaluable in long term campaigns, these are all well-known principles of the magical world. We thought it would be years before we could properly establish where to put him in our understanding of mage-kind, but that incident a few days ago gave us what we lacked: context.


    Quad mages are stronger than elves.


    The time of pleasant diplomatic talk passed when the spies passed those words on to their superiors.¡±


    Johnson emphasized his next words by pointing at the floor.


    ¡°Those armies are all coming here. They will tear through this country like ravenous wolves into a deer to get at him and it will be an expense well spent. The decisions we make in the coming days will decide which nation goes down in history as rising to the top. Eli is the door through which our entire species will surpass the elves, the dwarves, the fairies, and even the natural world itself. That is the scale of what we are dealing with, those are the tens and hundreds of thousands of people who will be dead in the coming slog as they march through our backyard, and that is why one person¡¯s feelings cannot be allowed to obstruct the way things have to go, even if they are the person at the center of all this.¡±


    Joey had fear plain in his green eyes as he raised his hand, which Johnson nodded to.


    ¡°S-Should we be here? After all, they¡¯re only here for Eli.¡± That got some anxious nods from the twins. Johnson got a hard face as he pulled himself up to his full height.


    ¡°If there was anywhere safer for you to be, Eli would be there already. The Elves Clay and our defenses in the west acts as a huge obstacle to the Rodring¡¯s attacks while the long distance from the southern region means anyone coming from the south will have to make a long arduous march here. With the advent of Necrosis, they will suffer horrendous attrition from constant attacks by the undead and we are making changes to move as many undead in their paths as possible. To say nothing of the existing defenses we have in the west and as for the north¡­ I¡¯ll be honest, we are just going to put our best troops around him and hope that it will be enough to put off any more elven¡­ visits.


    As for you personally, the fact that you are known to associate with him is enough for the other countries to target you. We¡¯ve had several attempts to kidnap various members of congress and the military since the incident with the elves and it is only the remoteness of this place that has kept you all safe so far. But make no mistake, anyone with any connection to him is now bound to him closer than any bond of blood or friendship. If you were his favorite stall to pick up breakfast, regular companion on the way to class, if he ever looked at you with more interest than he would a random patch of dirt on the ground, you will be targeted. The other countries will take any leverage they can and if kidnapping the kid who once delivered his mail gets them even the slightest chance of landing him, they will take it.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The assembled audience looked at each other with sweaty faces. The older ones expected as much, but the students were just now figuring out that this meeting was as much about them as it was about Eli, causing a small orchestra of whispers as the various groups turned inward.


    ¡°And,¡± Johnson said with a loud voice, cutting through the chatter, ¡°That is why we need to know the full circumstances surrounding him. How this plays out is undetermined at this point but speeding up the spread of Eli¡¯s abilities is of the utmost priority. This delay has already caused irreparable damage. Perhaps if he had a few seedlings in amongst the peasantry, this war could have been avoided by them trying to kidnap his children, but this is where we are now, and it needs to change NOW.¡±


    It was Tansen who coughed before speaking up, his face showing some hesitation.


    ¡°As logical as that all is, human beings aren¡¯t that easy to manage. Pushing him too hard could come back to bite us.¡±


    Johnson gave him a measuring look, but it faltered when Agatha gave a snort from the Left of Tansen.


    ¡°Who are you to direct this conversation? You won¡¯t even give us the whole story about how Eli came to be with all that panic over him when he was still just a ¡®crafter¡¯¡± The older blonde sneered dismissively with a shake of her blonde bun.


    Johnson and the others looked at Tansen with a questioning gaze. The academy head kept his head up and met their eye¡¯s, one and all, before answering in a hard tone. His face projected calm, but the grit of his teeth gave away his true irritation.


    ¡°I told you my concern for my students is first and foremost in my mind.¡± Tansen said.


    Johnson took a deep breath as he looked Tansen up and down with a disbelieving look until he sighed, and his posture softened. His voice showed a strain as it carried around the now silent room.


    ¡°Whatever the reason, you¡¯d best be prepared to defend yourself in a congressional hearing. The committee is coming to the midway base to conduct official hearings on this matter. Several heads of other academy¡¯s will also be present to provide expert testimony. You, Koal, and Agatha are being called to¡­ testify is a word, but undergo an interrogation would be the truth. From their recommendation, it is a very short path to having the Kelton woman put under a treason charge.¡±


    The three at the center of the group¡¯s attention started getting a light sweat, with Tansen recovering first.


    ¡°And would a veto from you be enough to overturn the charge?¡±


    Johnson chewed his lower lip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are enough nervous members in congress that might overturn my veto, but I¡¯m not committed to a veto yet. Be that as i-¡°


    The front door opened and through it came Eli and his Kelton wife, Salamede. The quad mage wore his typical smiling metal mask and, rather atypically, wore a fine red, sleeveless vest with silky red pants and a white undershirt. Salamede was done up in her fine purple dress that had red vines running up and down it with gold inlay and white embroidery around the wrists and the considerable neckline.


    ¡°Ah, just the couple I needed to see.¡± Johnson said as he stepped forward and put out his hand for a shake. Eli took it with a nod and his eyes looked on with approval when Johnson extended the same courtesy to Salamede.


    ¡°If I may be so rude as to get to the point.¡± Eli asked in a polite tone, ¡°The messenger said you were a high ranking official and you wanted to see us in Ryan¡¯s house, though what connection you have to Ryan also interests me.¡±


    Johnson nodded before looking over to Ryan with an appreciative nod.


    ¡°Our relationship is one of a squatter and the unfortunate house owner. Coming here to get the full story behind you would be better in relatively unfamiliar territory for everyone as opposed to Tansen¡¯s office, where he would have more of a home field advantage.


    As for who I am, well I¡¯m the president of our great nation.¡±


    Johnson paid close attention to Eli as those purple eyes darted to Tansen for confirmation, which the academy head did with a nod. Turning back to the president, Eli regarded him with a cool interest while Salamede was biting her lip as she stared at the floor.


    ¡°Aside from your son¡¯s graduation, I assume you¡¯re here to talk about whoring me out.¡±


    Johnson cracked a slight smile as he seemed to trip up at Eli¡¯s lack of decorum. Salamede, long used to her husband¡¯s want of refinement, swatted his arm, only to then suck in her lips as she remembered her relative insignificance compared to the two men. That brought a proper smile to Johnsons face as he crossed his arms, which only made Salamede turn back to the floor.


    ¡°You must be very close. I¡¯ve worked with noble couples for a long time, as surly and greedy a bunch that most of them are. More curse than blessing, that lot. I can count with one hand how many of them were so close that open correction like that would be tolerated, from either party.¡±


    ¡°So why tolerate them?¡± Eli asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°From what I¡¯ve read, the Coalition was rather ill disposed towards them even after giving them a chamber in congress.¡±


    ¡°More than ill disposed, actually. There was a real attempt before that concession to get rid of them, but then reality stuck its big fate nose in the pie.¡± Johnson said with rueful sigh ¡°The harsh fact is that magical talent runs the world and that talent, barring a few wonderkids like Jeff, comes from the blood. With so many mages being from tightknit families, trying to get rid of the noble houses meant putting all of the major house¡¯s crafts and services out of commission.


    There was actually a trial run where a noble house that did high quality ship work was replaced with a more merits-based guild. What ended up happening was only the kids from the plant, wind, and water mages had the ability to make the enchantments, run tests, and mold the wood of the ships or at least make and maintain the crafts to do so. From there the whole thing quickly became a noble house in all but name, so the vaunted change away from the petty feuds of lords and houses was abandoned.


    And the lesson behind that experiment was that magical talent is something that comes before everything else. A lesson that now brings me here. Your magical talent is something that will define our age and as such, we are getting reports of several nations moving their armies to come here.¡±


    Johnson stood straight as his deep green eyes looked at the couple, with Salamede clenching her fists even as she still refused to look up. She did give a start when Eli pulled her closer to him, looking like she was a treasure Johnson might try to snatch up. After a moment of appraisal, Johnson continued.


    ¡°Eli, I know this is a hard issue for you, as it is for many. But whatever hesitance you have about spreading your seed needs to be pushed aside. For the good of your people, your country, and the whole of humanity, you need to get learn to let loose. By denying yourself the pleasures of the flesh, you are denying the world an unfathomable gift. If this continues, the drive to pull down your wife will only intensify.¡±


    A cold emptiness passed in Eli¡¯s eyes before he took a deep breath and squeezed his nervous wife¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I will not. The conditions for me doing so have already been laid out, yes?¡±


    Johnson nodded slowly.


    ¡°Good. Know that even those concession were only made because Salamede, my love, made such a strong, insistent case for them. If that is all, then I-¡°


    ¡°You are being unfathomably selfish, Eli.¡± Johnson said with a reddening face. ¡°Thousands of good men and women in the army are going to be dead in the coming weeks and months to make sure you stay out of enemy hands, all so that we can start off a wonderous new age for the Coalition. No, the whole of humanity. Imagine a world where healers, builders, and magic smiths are available everywhere because just one person is needed for all of those essential tasks.


    How many lives will be saved from the cold nights and empty bellies? Even with the undead about, how easy would it be to make the food, housing, and medicine for all the peasants with your plant and healing elements? We are two or three generations from solving so many of the problems that plague our entire species, both internally and externally. You, by your lack of action, have abandoned your obligations to society and your people.¡±


    ¡°Obligations?¡± Eli demanded in a strained whisper. ¡°What about the obligation to not run people over whenever its convenient? Where was the people¡¯s obligation to me when I got thrown in the trash heap?¡±


    Johnson cooled a little as he spoke.


    ¡°That was the unfortunate actions of a single individual. You can¡¯t allow that one person¡¯s shortsightedness get in the way of a better future for millions of people.¡±


    ¡°One person,¡± Eli scoffed with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You lot have done nothing to dissuade me from thinking that they were the rule rather than the exception. The minute I was forced to reveal my true abilities, the first reaction was to maul my wife. Your way of dealing with troublesome people is to just cast them out or try and squeeze them whenever they get out of line. There was all this moaning and outrage about selling me off to the bandits because it was against the Coalitions political interests and now that I¡¯m the one acting against their desires, those same bullying and vindictive attitudes immediately came back.¡±


    Johnson stood there with a blank face as he absorbed those words. Apparently, he had no comeback as he nodded in defeat, but he was still determined to try and work the situation for all he could.


    ¡°What do you want Eli? What, at the end of all this, do you desire?¡± Johnson said in a calm, measured tone.


    ¡°I want to be happy.¡± Eli said, a slight crack in his voice giving away the raw emotion. ¡°I don¡¯t care about prestige, wealth, or endless power. I just want to be happy and Salamede makes me happy.¡±


    The Kelton woman had a blush so deep it showed below her collar bone even as the rest of it was covered by her grey fur. Johnson stood there for a moment of contemplative silence as he nodded. When he finally spoke up, he had a more formal tone.


    ¡°Thank you for coming. I will be here for the graduation ceremony and may need to talk with you again. As long as you have no one here you want to talk to, you are free to go.¡±


    Eli nodded and turned to go with his wife before Johnson spoke up again.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing. Obviously, you can handle the elves but as an added measure of protection, we are adding a lot of mages from the military and the elite forces to the local guard. No point in going through all this only to have you drugged and kidnapped while you¡¯re out in the market.¡±


    Eli and Salamede nodded before finally going out the door, with Salamede now clutching her husband possessively as she pushed her bust against him.


    Johnson spared a brief look at the retreating couple before turning back to the main group, who had looked on the proceedings with respectful silence.


    ¡°Well, have you any insights or thoughts on that little exchange?¡± Johnson asked them, seeing only a mix of shifting eyes until he met Tansen¡¯s brown eyes. After a moment the academy head finally spoke up.


    ¡°You were right. Eli withholding his gift due to his own personal hesitance is selfish. Having all of these soldiers die so he can work through his emotional issues is ridiculous. Denying that wonderful future to humanity because of his personal needs is damming. I don¡¯t think there is anything you said that wasn¡¯t right.


    But being right and being wise are not the same things.


    Salamede, as long as I have seen them together, has been a voice for restraint in his actions. She is the only one with the connection and inclination to induce him towards our goal, no matter what we found in their room or what congress may think and that is something that I will testify to with great enthusiasm in the hearing. Removing her will not get you an Eli that does what you want, it will get you an Eli without the constraints that we have been enjoying. It is not logical, reasonable, or right, but it is the truth.¡±


    Johnsons green eyes flicked to Koal sitting to the right of Tansen with a look of expectation, which the red dressed scion provided as her short black hair swayed from a cough before she gave her opinion.


    ¡°Eli is a seemingly very reasonable person, right until a line is crossed. From what I¡¯ve read and seen, that line typically involves bandits and thugs who attack his people. With his brutalizing of the Central enforcement officers, wearing a badge doesn¡¯t seem to affect his judgment on the people involved. I¡¯ll tell you this, while I would love to get a child from him, I have no intention of being on the receiving end of his cruelty, of which he has displayed a profoundly creative vigor for.¡±


    Rand was to the right of her and the bulky man with a metal shoulder guard over a plain white shirt and brown pants, wiggled his brown mustache with a nod of agreement. Coughing into a leather glove, the still pseudo leader of the local guard put in his bit even as his green eyes showed some sense of resignation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking with the boys. A lot of them either had to pick up the remains of that flayed gang member or stay guard over him in the days after when the poor sod was slowly healing back to full bodily health. No chance of mentally recovering of course, he¡¯s a hopeless cause as far as sanity goes.


    They all said, in no uncertain terms, if Harold does another stunt like the one he tried on the first day when he told them to arrest Eli, they¡¯ll quit on the spot. Good men one and all and they¡¯re paid good money to risk life and limb but there are some prospects even the strongest stomach can¡¯t bear. If you want to force things, you¡¯ll have to do it with those soldiers you¡¯re bringing in.¡±


    Johnson seemed to deflate as the words of the three washed over him. He stood still with his eyes closed until he opened them again.


    ¡°Rightness or wisdom aside, what happens now is up to congress. I only hope you lot can make a powerful enough case to the committee. If it looks like they will have enough votes to override a veto, then I¡¯ve got to go along with it. We are at a critical juncture for our nation and the average citizen needs to be worrying about food, housing, and the coming conflict, not a public brawl between the presidency and congress. Thank you all for giving me your precious time.¡± He finished with a nod towards the others.


    The rest shuffled out while Ryan did some small conversations with a few people, which came to an end when he saw Jeff and Johnson standing in the hallway looking at the portrait of his mother. Johnson was on Jeff¡¯s left and as Ryan went to Jeff¡¯s right, he caught the tail end of the conversation.


    ¡°-were supposed to be wed by now, but there never seemed to be a good time to go through with it and now the chance may have passed us with how jumpy Eli has made everyone when it comes to breeding obligations.¡± Jeff fumed as Johnson turned to Ryan.


    ¡°Ah, thanks again for your hospitality. I was just discussing women trouble with my smitten son.¡± Johnson said with a look towards Jeff, the near six-foot-tall 18 year old in student robes who couldn¡¯t quite meet his eyes. Annie had been too embarrassed to stay after the meeting but apparently Jeff wanted some answers.


    ¡°Father,¡± Jeff started with a gulp. ¡°How¡­ How long have you-¡°


    ¡°You were looking at Annie with a clear interest when you started staying awake longer through the end of your gestation. Always looking at her form like you were wondering what lay beneath her clothes. Then you went on that vacation to the central continent. After that little trip, you didn¡¯t seem as mystified by her, like what was under her dress wasn¡¯t a total mystery anymore.


    Know that it is only the improvement in your tutor¡¯s assessment of your writing and physical training that accompanied your dalliance that kept me from saying anything, combined with her ¡®secret¡¯ acquisition of yook root shortly thereafter. Those two things convinced me she was a good influence on you and she wasn¡¯t just pumping you for a quick and easy ticket to the good life. Such a love might still cause some trouble, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m one who can talk about troublesome romances from a position of moral superiority.¡±


    Jeff kept his oceanic eyes on the painting as Ryan stood beside him, trying to look like he was intensely interested in the chair Ryan¡¯s mother was sitting in. The woman had smooth cheek bones, aside from which, Ryan seemed to be a male copy of. From the black hair, green eyes, and sharp nose, the familial connection was undeniable.


    ¡°And am I correct in assuming she is your mother?¡± Johnson asked Ryan over Jeffs stooped shoulders.


    ¡°Yes, lovely woman and an example to us all from what I¡¯ve been told and was quite fond of her time in the military.¡±


    Johnson¡¯s eyes scrunched up with puckered lips to form a pitying look.


    ¡°It¡¯s both good and sad when a member of the military dies away from the battlefield. We get to be back with our loved ones, but we survived through hell only to die from something so mundane as to be beneath us. Do you know her story?¡± Johnson asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°She took a trip over the edge of a cliff, sir.¡± Ryan said with a little sigh.


    Johnson looked at him up and down with a disbelieving look.


    ¡°Are you sure whoever told you that was sober?¡± Johnson asked with hesitant look back to the portrait.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± Ryan asked, raising his eyebrow in turn and outdoing the president by biting his lip.


    ¡°She was a member of the mountain gliders,¡± Johnson said with a pointed finger to the wood medal done in the shape of a white bird.


    Ryan followed the finger to the wide bird covering the right shoulder as Jeff stared off into his own little world.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? I was told my mother was a part of the military, but that part of her life was always short on details.¡±


    Johnson¡¯s eyes warmed up as he smiled and indulged Ryan in a bit of military lore.


    ¡°The mountain gliders were people who used air enchanted crafts to¡­ well glide down large mountains carrying information or more typically their scouting reports. Not a terribly creative lot we have in the military as far as names go, but a group of people worthy enough to receive magical crafts have the stength to make the name a respected one.¡±


    Johnson put out his hand for a shake, which was interrupted as Ryan took a moment as his brain processed what was it just heard.


    ¡°I¡­ What do you mean? That the white bird is a craft that would prevent her from falling to her death?¡± Ryan asked in a distant voice.


    The snapped Jeff out of his stupor as he also looked to his father with a questioning look.


    ¡°Yes, if it was well maintained. Using it to prevent deaths and injury from ¡®small¡¯ heights is the first thing that is pounded into their skulls. The things are designed so that it can be activated at a moment¡¯s notice. I¡¯m afraid whoever sold you that story was playing a rather cruel joke if she took as much pride in her military service.¡± Johnson said with a sour note of disapproval.


    Ryan got himself under control as he did a light bow and finally shook the offered hand.


    ¡°Have a great day, President Johnson.¡± Ryan said with a strained smile. They took that as a que to leave, the father/son duo moving through the front door with a final goodbye. Walking over the oak floor back into the main room directly ahead of him, Ryan turned to the right and saw Tansen, Agatha, and Koal talking in the back-left corner as the servants scurried about moving chairs and the leftover food. When Tansen saw Ryan approach, the conversation stopped.


    ¡°Hello¡± Agatha said, standing to Tansen¡¯s left.


    ¡°I¡­ I have some questions. About my mother.¡±


    Koal got a raised eyebrow with a puckered lip, but the fire scion¡¯s action was to merely bow with a curtsy of her red dress.


    ¡°There is no information that I can provide here so I will retire for the day.¡± Koal said with a meaningful look towards the window which showed quickly fading orange in the sky. Tansen and Agatha looked as exhausted as they had any right to be, but Ryan¡¯s questions had more importance than what social grace would otherwise allow.


    ¡°Is it true that she had a craft that would have prevented her from falling off a cliff to her death?¡±


    Agatha and Tansen looked between each other with a flash of worry. The servants were efficient enough that the last of them were placing his worktable with the boulder like armor back in the middle of the room and promptly vacated the room to leave the three alone. It took a long moment as the academy head and Front representative looked at each other before Tansen spoke.


    ¡°Staff indulging in such gossip is heavily frowned upon, especially when no evidence can be provided. Whatever the rumors surrounding your mother say, the-¡°


    ¡°Rumors?! Gossip?!¡± Ryan said in a whisper that desperately wanted to be a full-throated scream. ¡°Are¡­Are you telling me other people know about some foul play with my mother¡¯s death?¡± His green eyes lit up as his sharp nose flared in a scowl.


    Tansen bit his lip but Agatha to his left stepped up and tried to salvage the situation with a blank look even as her voice was heavy with trepidation.


    ¡°Ryan, I need you to calm down before I tell you what the rumors were, all right?¡±


    Ryan unclenched his fists and stood totally still as he reigned in his anger. When he was at least visibly calm, Agatha started.


    ¡°There are some servants who were around at the time who have since been let go. Since their firing, they made it a constant practice of telling their friends and employers about how Leeroy was on the way out of the marriage. They say, with no evidence mind you, that your mother was preparing to petition for divorce due to his impregnation of several maids and the filching of her hard-earned money. A rumor that was quite bolstered when people remembered Leeroy always complaining about his wife at various bars.


    When put together with the nature of your mother¡¯s military craft, that inclined some people to making certain¡­ theories as to her demise when they pulled her from the river. Whatever the preferred theories, sharing such information with you was a subject other were too afraid to bring up¡±


    ¡°Theories like my fathers an idiot?¡± Ryan said with a cold anger as his mind raced through all the people he had ever seen. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t remember anyone acting weird when the subject of his mother came up. Even so, the rage at being at the center of such whispers his whole life and only finding about it now aggravated him to no end. ¡°That he was about to lose it all and now had the prospect of being denied the bounty of being a part of a scion¡¯s house and all the whores, wealth, and fame that went with it? But he was too fucking stupid to check what my mother¡¯s items actually did before he blundered his way into explaining her death and forced everyone to tip toe around an obvious lie.¡±


    ¡°Woah now.¡± Tansen said as he raised a hand and a hard look. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of accusations based on a lot of the unknown. No matter what it looks like, I do know you were taught well enough to at least know about the possible failings of crafts. From the wood being broken the day before, to the enchantment itself getting damaged without her knowing, to a spot of weak mana, there are any number of possible reasons that the craft could have failed. Those are often replaced and is it really so impossible that the one she kept as a trophy could fail when deployed after several years of disuse?¡±


    Ryan bit his lip, his heart a turbulent storm even as his mind saw the cold logic of the possibilities. Feeling a hand on his left shoulder, Ryan jerked out of his inner thoughts as Tansen looked at him with sympathy in his brown eyes as he stroked his goatee of black hair with his right hand.


    ¡°Go ask your father. There are certain¡­ appearances to be maintained so make sure to send the servants out of the house before talking with him. It would not due to give life to these rumors when there might be a perfectly legitimate explanation for all of this.¡±


    Ryan nodded as Tansen shook his hand and Agatha followed up with a light hug before they both left. Looking around the room, the earth scion decided that he would approach his father as both a scion in the fullest measure and a son. Donning his brown, boulder like armor with a heavy helmet now covering his whole lower jaw with a face guard dotted with holes, Ryan left his house after picking up the fire hammer with the original flaming lions head of stone. Coming into what was now the proper domain of the night, he went through the black gate that sectioned off the scion¡¯s houses from the rest of the campus, with his familiar bounding from the huge main entrance ahead of him.


    The walking boulder with stone clubs for legs and arms, had its bits of gems studded along its bodies emitting the brown mana of its alignment. Some of which wafted over his face as the knee-high boulder was lifted onto his right shoulder. The crowd readily made room for the walking mountain as he took a right at the entrance and continued down the path to the more well to do side of town.


    The bitter cold of the winter night only barely registered in his mind as he ran over the story again and again. Of all the objections in his mind, the one that kept coming up was the one that stated no person could be so incompetent as to commit to killing his wife without finding out about what the medal she always had on her shoulder did. Ryan, perturbed at how he wasn¡¯t immediately objecting to the notion that his father could commit such a heinous crime, was also irked about something else but couldn¡¯t quite put a name to the thing. A few seconds passed when he suddenly found his thoughts interrupted as he saw the fine, two story house that he had visited a few times before amongst the rows of the well-to-do accommodations.


    Like the other noble houses on this side of town, it was more stone than wood. As the hideaway the nobles retreated to every winter, the small gardens in front of the well maintained houses and generally high quality of everything from the windows, tiled roofs, and chimneys was almost surreal when compared to the cramped near shanty conditions only a stone throw away. Nowhere near as opulent as even the lowest accommodations at the academy proper, but it was the sudden contrast that always threw so many unfamiliar visitors off.


    But Ryan was more familiar to these contrasting images than most and this time he approached the house near the middle of the row closest to the water with a purpose more clear than any he had had before.


    Walking up the stone staircase to the front oak wood door with iron bands that served as the main entrance of the grey stoned house, he knocked. Looking up at the now starry sky, it took a surprisingly long time before his third knock was answered. When the door opened, a rather harried looking butler answered. When the older man with grey hair looked up at the mountain deigning to notice him, his white shirt under the black attire immediately showed some sweat falling on it as the candle below his chin showed off his surprise.


    ¡°M-Master Ryan! I¡¯m so sorry for making you wait. Come in, come in.¡±


    Ryan came through the front door, the demanded imposing figure of the entrance making it easier to get in that most others.


    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Ryan asked in an unsteady voice as his previous worry was replaced with confusion.


    There was dust along the stand to the right for guests to put small items on. With the marble stairs directly ahead and a view into the opulent living room to the left with a wide coach filled with silk pillows that sat opposite of embroidered wooden chairs while on the right into the dining room was the wide, fine table and chairs, all made with the finest dark oak with a crystal chandelier in the middle, Ryan knew there should be more servants about. Looking at the corners of the dark brown marble of the floor, he saw bits of dust everywhere that was illuminated in the candlelight that was provided by the servant¡¯s candle dish and at several alcoves in the light brown stone wall.


    ¡°I saw my father fire a maid for failing to get a corner on a bookshelf. What has happened to let him get so lax in his discipline?¡± Ryan asked the older man.


    ¡°You are currently speaking to the sum of the currently employed staff, master scion.¡± He said, his grey eyes looking downward when Ryan turned around to him.


    ¡°What?¡± Ryan asked in a perplexed voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of some obsession, I¡¯m afraid. A few days ago, your father locked himself up in his room, only leaving to meet the bare necessities of the flesh. I have not been privileged with any information but whatever he¡¯s working on, it is important enough that he fired the rest of the staff to make sure it was absolutely kept secret. Although, we have had several rather¡­ evasive and secretive guests since then that he has seen to with great enthusiasm.¡± The butler said with a wave of the candle towards the top of the stairs that lead left and right in the wooden walls of a hallway.


    ¡°Thank you for your service, but I need to discuss a delicate matter with my father. If you have nowhere else to stay, I can arrange for you to have a night at an inn.¡±


    The butler nodded appreciatively.


    ¡°With how hard I¡¯ve been pushing to keep up these past few days, I¡¯ll take my leave with great appreciation. I know one inn keeper who owes me a night¡¯s rest.¡± He said with a grateful bow as he left to gather his things.


    Nodding, Ryan walked up the stairs and turned left to where he remembered where his father¡¯s office was. At the end of the hallway was a door with flickering candlelight showing in wispy shadows under the crack. Taking a deep breath as he stood at the top of the stairs, he stopped to order his thoughts before walking forward and coming up to the door. Knocking on the fine oak, there was a clatter followed by a scream.


    ¡°When I said not to interrupt me, what did you fucking think that mea-ant?¡± The slight slur at the last word made it clear how sober Leeroy was, or rather the lack thereof.


    ¡°I am here to see you on a¡­ specific matter.¡± Ryan replied coolly.


    ¡°Ah, come in me boy.¡±


    Opening the door, Ryan saw his father sitting behind a dark oak desk in the back-center of the room. The stand on the right had a candle that lit the opulent couch of red silk on the left and the fine craftsmanship of the window behind Leeroy. While the flickering candlelight showed nothing new since Ryan had last visited, the man in the plush leather seat had with the reflection of the candle dish in his right hand. Leeroy had clearly been following the path he was going down for a long time.


    His long chin was hard to keep distinguished from the folds of fat that jostled around the neck and now almost totally missing jawline. Though the sharp cheek bones that marked Ryan his son were hard to see, the man was too familiar to Ryan for him to not recognize. Even as his brown eyes shifted unevenly from drink, some of which found itself on his grey shirt and fine blue vest, the now long brown hair was well maintained enough that it kept out of his wobbly vision.


    A small bit of hygiene for a man who had plunged into the depths of hedonism and sought to reach its bottom with the power and wealth bestowed by his visitor.


    ¡°What brings you here so late?¡± Leeroy asked unevenly.


    ¡°There is a matter of some-¡°


    Ryan stopped dead as he looked at the desk. To the left of the candle dish in Leeroy¡¯s right hand, laying right in front of his father was a wooden box. Moving forward with a few clinks of his armor, the realization of what drew his interest hit him like a troll¡¯s fist connecting full on into his gut as his mind finally caught up with his instincts. It wasn¡¯t made up of individual boards but of a smooth piece molded into a singular form. The top was sawed off and inside was an odd black powder, of a smell and make he had never heard of before. Knowing only plant magic could craft such things, Ryan¡¯s mind quickly went through the list of plant mages who were anywhere near this area who sold goods.


    He came up blank as all of his known plant element mages were exclusively found on the coast. Aside from the one who also had all the other elements. Ryan¡¯s eyes shot up to meet his fathers, boring into him as the earth scion stood totally still as he tried to fully process what he already knew with several rumors he had heard about the night of the attack on Eli¡¯s home.


    ¡°Father,¡± Ryan whispered, ¡°Tell me, tell me by all that is good in this rotten world, that this didn¡¯t come from Eli¡¯s house.¡±


    His father¡¯s brown eyes flared with a look defiance that showed in the shifting candlelight from his right hand.


    ¡°We have to take whatever opportunities we can to advance our position. I would have thought you, of all people, would understand that.¡± Leeroy said in a hard tone.


    It was only the support of his familiar and the sheer weight of his armor that kept Ryan from swaying backwards.


    ¡°T-Those men that were rumored to be leaving Eli¡¯s house. Those were your people? You-¡° Ryan wheezed out the last portion as the ability to intake air failed him. ¡°Were involved in the raid on his tower?¡±


    Leeroy raised a brown eyebrow and set the burning candle with the copper dish down on a corner of the wooden cube, with the flame shifting from the now pudgier man getting up to stand at his full height, which was about a full inch shorter than his son.


    ¡°Lad, like I said, we need to take all of the opportunities we can to secure our future. A correspondent for the elves heard of your feud and well, business was conducted.¡±


    ¡°Feud?! Future?!¡± Ryan yelled, now fully in command of his person. ¡°If Eli finds out that we had anything to do with the attack on his home, he may very well decide to smear us both across a wall.¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± Leeroy scoffed as he put his left hand in his pocket to assume what he probably thought was a strong stance. ¡°No matter, if it comes to that then he will have to be shown his place beneath the power of a scion.¡±


    Ryan stood there, dumbstruck as his jaw was left agape beneath the metal mouth cover with holes.


    ¡°What?¡± Was all the earth scion could think to say.


    ¡°Dammit it all boy!¡± Leeroy scoffed with an irritated scowl as he puckered his lips in irritation. ¡°You¡¯re a scion, he¡¯s a caster. The world should know its place when we top predators come prowling. Start acting like it!¡±


    Ryan sucked in his breath as his familiar kept trying to soothe his emotions. Gritting his teeth, he pushed ahead.


    ¡°He can kill elves! We are not rivals and I thank the stars and all the heavens above for it because he would stomp me into dust if he had the mind to do it.¡±


    Leeroy slammed his fist into the table.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your grit? Scions-¡°


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to hear about my great power as a scion.¡± Ryan stomped his right foot on the floor, making his father choke for a moment as the drunk man wobbled back into his chair from surprise with the shake of the candle on the corner of the box going totally unnoticed by the two men. ¡°I listened to what you were saying when I first headed to this academy. Talking all this shit about how scions are the manifestation of courage and how powerful we are.


    But you know what changed? I had to actually live it. I had to put in the hours of grueling work to start making even slightly decent spells. You know what finally confirmed that what I had been saying was nonsense? I got my butt handed to me by a powerless soldier with crafts.¡±


    Leeroy¡¯s cheeks got a red tint.


    ¡°And what a smudge of shame on our honor its been ever since.¡±


    Ryan took a deep breath as he leaned forward and slammed on the table with both hands.


    ¡°Enough, dad! I know you¡¯ve been trading on my name, in business deals, taverns, brothels and wherever else would accept such exchange. All the while I held my tongue because it wasn¡¯t hurting me and I just didn¡¯t want to fight about it. But this?¡± Ryan said with an outraged swing of his left hand to the box. ¡°You¡¯re going to get us killed! By the Lost Lands, how could you be so stu-¡°


    Ryan froze as his face lost some color under the rock like helmet.


    This whole time Ryan had trouble believing the story of his father killing his mother. Moral objections aside, there was that stubborn hope for humankind. That no matter how cruel, selfish, or vicious, there was a certain baseline of competence that every person at birth was gifted and it was that bare minimum of mental ability which enshrined their place somewhere above livestock. And killing his wife before doing such basic research? That would fall well below such sense.


    That was until Ryan had listened to this idiotic drivel pouring from his father¡¯s mouth. If he was truly dumb enough to not hide evidence that he helped attack the quad mages tower in the deepest, darkest hole he could find, then he was well short of that ever hoped for minimum of competence. Taking a calming breath, Ryan leaned back up as he stood totally still with the hammer swaying in its holster along his back.


    ¡°I am not involved in this.¡± Ryan said with a pointed finger of his metal gauntlet to the wooden box.


    ¡°Fine, more for me. More of whatever this shit is.¡± Leeroy said as he ran his hand through the black powder before he picked up the candle on the side and set it down to his right on the table. ¡°Had so many people who know so much about magic come by and no one has any idea what this stuff is, even after we used several earth spells on it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out what it does someday, maybe when Eli is skinning you on a table. But I didn¡¯t come here to talk about this box. I heard some rumors. About mother.¡±


    Leeroy¡¯s face got a sour look as his nose flared.


    ¡°Pff, bitter maids¡¯ tales. In better day¡¯s I heard servants were put to death when they ill performed or outlived their masters. Perhaps the old ways were best in some respects.¡± A drunk hiccup punctuated the end of his sentence.


    ¡°Well?¡± Ryan demanded.


    ¡°Well what?¡± Leeroy shot back with a put-upon look of outrage.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear an answer.¡± Ryan said with crossed arms.


    Leeroy spat on the table.


    ¡°Shit, Ryan! Asking your own father that. Have you no decency?¡±


    Ryan took another deep breath as he sucked air in through his teeth before answering.


    ¡°Using your son¡¯s name to get into brothels isn¡¯t decent. Aren¡¯t we both a bit past such useless prattle?¡±


    Leeroy huffed as he wiped unseen dirt from his expanded gut.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose we are. Your poor mother tripped over a cliff. Was she upset when she found me in between the legs of a maid or two? Sure. Was there constant nagging when-*Hic*-whenever I had to get a little drink and some coin from the family coffers helped make it happen? Absolutely. But whatever issues there were, we absolutely didn¡¯t reach a point where we would kill each other.¡±


    Ryan stood there with gritted teeth as he realized the other thing that had been irking him. Even if he didn¡¯t kill her, those admissions were enough on their own to cause ache in his heart. Imagining his beloved mother walking into a room to see her husband rutting a younger woman or having to count out all the coppers as her cavorting husband made a mockery of her name in bars all over the countryside made his blood boil. His minds eye filled with that beloved woman in the painting crying as other wives mocked her, as those miserable dregs always did and having to go out to shop and hear about her husband running her name through the mud. Killer or not, his father hurt his gone-to-soon mother and that, he would not forgive.


    ¡°No more, Leeroy.¡± A bit of sand started flying around his right shoulder as his familiar stopped trying to calm him and gave into the emotions pouring in through their bond. ¡°If I ever hear you trade on my name again, I will disown you before the town, the academy, and the all the known and unknown gods. I¡¯ll see what I can do to compensate the poor duke Beck, who has been bearing the expenses of your wasted life, but from now on don¡¯t you even think of trying to use the fact that you donated the seed my mother used to make me as leverage for deals, drinks, or the free use of a whore.¡±


    Leeroy¡¯s pudgy face drained of color as a look of horror gripped his features and he squeezed his chair. The life of easy coin and women evaporated before his very eyes, and in its place rose the most terrifying thought of Leeroy¡¯s existence: having to live on his own merits.


    ¡°Now¡­Now just a fucking moment you rash brat!¡± Leeroy screamed like a squealing pig as he lifted the candle dish and swung it forward in accusation of his now estranged son. Ryan gritted his teeth and prepared a biting retort as his green eye barely noticed the candle tumble out of the copper dish.


    ¡°No, you listen yo-¡° Ryan had the briefest moment where he saw the flaming candle go into the wooden box. Then there was a white light accompanied by heat and pain all through his body that passed by in a flash so fast he didn¡¯t have the time to even register anything but that moment of eternity as it came and went, with his life passing along with it.

 Chapter 94: Congressional Testimony

    Tansen stood in the middle of the street looking at the noble house with its smooth grey stone showing a burnt-out husk, though it was one of several that had suffered fires as the miserable grey sky above denied any shred of happiness this day. The academy head rubbed his black kimono nervously as the bitter cold assaulting his person was ignored by him and the men swarming around the various buildings. Last night the boom that broke the silence of the night woke the whole town up and it was only now that the pieces were coming together.


    The death of the earth scion was flowing over every pair of lips, every breath, and every piece of mental space there was to use for speculation and gossip. As the patter of feet telling him someone was approaching from behind registered in his mind, Tansen was too busy looking at the traces of smoke coming off the house in front of him and a few from the houses beside it to turn around.


    ¡°Well, it was the Stone¡¯s house alright. But there¡¯s no way to tell what happened yet,¡± Harold said to the right of Tansen as he ran a hand over his short brown hair and down over his thick bushy eyebrows, breaking the water scion out of his reverie. As the leader of local law enforcement now, Harold was looking like he preferred irrelevance. The mid-30-s man with a square jaw, muscular frame under his black vest and pants accentuated with a white undershirt had a dead look in his green eyes.


    It appears no matter how fit, lack of sleep was a universal killer.


    ¡°Any idea what happened here? How did the volcanoes punch blow up like this?¡± Tansen asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the hammer, that we do know. Odd as it is when you have a craft named after a mountain exploding in fire.¡± Harold said irritably.


    Tansen¡¯s thin black eyebrows shot up. Everyone, when getting the few bare facts that were available, naturally assumed the craft had failed in some manner.


    ¡°And how do we know that?¡± Tansen said with a cross of his arms. Harold just huffed before spitting on the stone road.


    ¡°Because the hammer was still in the holster on Ryan¡¯s back. What probably happened is that the drug lab we found in the basement had some new concoctions that had a rather nasty side effect that Ryan and Leeroy were testing out. Mages and drugs. One is desperate for every resource and the other is an infinite source of money. It¡¯s a play I¡¯ve seen far too many times.¡± Harold said with a scowl as his men worked around the remaining fire brigades and workers.


    Tansen looked at him with a severe glare before drawing himself up to his full height.


    ¡°Harold, such speculation could be construed as slander.¡±


    In response, Harold thumbed the gold CE lettered pinned to his chest.


    ¡°You think I got to where I am by throwing around accusations on a whim? I¡¯ll look over every bit of ash, testimony, and brick before making any kind of official announcement. But if you¡¯ve got any other ideas about how this happened, since I¡¯m pretty sure earth magic couldn¡¯t do something like this, I¡¯d love to hear it.¡±


    The academy head let silence be his response before giving a light bow.


    ¡°Good day, Harold. You know where to find me.¡± Tansen said before he turned around with a dramatic twirl of his black kimono and sapphire jewels in the chest, whose movement only accentuated their wave-like pattern. Walking through the ever-present crowd of onlookers, Tansen took a brief look back to the house and several others who had their windows shattered.


    Even though Leeroy¡¯s house had gotten the worst of it, there were still some flittering pillars of smoke in the sky from several other noble¡¯s houses. Using flames for lighting and having some wooden supports in their structures, several of the houses suffered overturned candles and lamps. Too tired from a night of firefighting, Tansen left the men to their work as he walked down the path from the noble quarter to the academy. Walking up the tower, he went into his office. Looking around the white and blue striped wall with the glow of the mana lamp in the center of the ceiling, he walked across the plain wood floor and sat in the leather chair behind his oak desk as he started working on several reports and prepared to travel to the midway base, or the more common name Hub, for his testimony to the committee.


    ¡°Tansen!¡±


    The academy head suddenly broke into the land of the living. A report was stuck to the left side of his face as an excited Koal stood in front of his desk with the door behind her only just now closing. As he took the offending paper off his face and sat back into his chair, Tansen noticed how excited the fire scion was. Her red robes and short black hair swished as she swayed in place. Which only emphasized the smile that pulled on the two moles on the left side of her jaw and the fire in her light green eyes. Whatever she was here to talk about, the lack of a gold sash in her middle said she had come to him in great haste.


    ¡°What has you so joyous?¡± Tansen asked with a surly grumble.


    ¡°Eli! Or more precisely the circumstances that he stipulated would prompt him to mate,¡± Koal said with a small clap.


    That knocked the tiredness right out of Tansen¡¯s body as he sat straight up in anticipation with Koal promptly giving up the source of her excitement.


    ¡°I was going over the arrival of Ember¡¯s members when I got the story of some of the politics surrounding Ryan¡¯s death. Duke Beck had heavily invested in the Stone family; it now appears too much. I¡¯ve gotten several reports that his most powerful subordinate house, the Galley¡¯s, teamed up with a rival under the leadership of one Mack. He¡¯s joey¡¯s father and, was, Beth¡¯s husband. Beth¡¯s marriage was dissolved rather promptly when the news broke out this morning and Mack took in one of the Galley daughters as a wife.¡±


    Tansen whistled as he strummed the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯d say that was some very bold moves for what amounted to two deaths last night. But what does this have to do with Eli¡¯s conditions?¡±


    ¡°A civil war. Beck put stock into the Stone family. Apparently, a lot more than what he initially thought. Several people who Leeroy took loans from have shown up at Beck¡¯s house and are demanding to know how he intends to pay off said debts. It¡¯s looking like the good duke and the houses loyal to him aren¡¯t going to survive before we even get back from our testimony.¡±


    Tansen, however, was rather disappointed.


    ¡°How does that help us with Eli? Money alone won¡¯t-¡°


    ¡°Mercenaries.¡± Koal cut him off. ¡°Duke Beck, even if his money problems were resolved, doesn¡¯t have the remaining troops to hold off even a direct attack with his rivals buying up several mercenary contracts that he has now defaulted on, let alone the back alley fights these things turn into.¡±


    While Nobles would gladly wage open warfare for their own personal ends, the temper of the central government was not something they were eager to run afoul of. When a noble house was found to be lacking in its worthiness to continue existing, a thousand back alley gang fights with an assassination in the home were typically how such changes were brought about. Messy and chaotic, such changes in power always spelled times of hardship for everyone involved.


    Tansen took a deep breath as he looked at Koal with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°And no one is going to prevent this from happening?¡±


    Koal just looked at him with an expression that looked like she was showing forbearance to a child.


    ¡°There is way too much going on right now, and far too many uses for troops, to let a few hundred civilian deaths mean anything to anyone with the means to stop it. Several mage associations could if given the right incentive. Say if one of the women who would be caught in the fighting was possibly bearing the child of the quad mage, I could easily justify putting my organization in the mix to keep her safe. Several others would probably join in her safekeeping just for appearances.


    No.


    In fact, the whole affair would have to be stopped. After all, we simply couldn¡¯t allow for any possible harm to come to her.¡±


    Tansen perked up at that. As tragic as this all was, the opportunity it presented was far too good to pass up.


    ¡°Guards! Get Eli and Salamede. And- ¡± Tansen called to the door before turning to Koal. ¡°Should we try for the duke¡¯s wife or Beth?¡±


    ¡°Beth,¡± Koal said with a nod, ¡°No matter what he said before, I have the feeling it¡¯s still going to be like getting a fire cow''s steak out of a crafters mouth, so let¡¯s go with the woman he¡¯s most comfortable with.¡±


    ¡°Beth! Get Eli, Salamede, and Beth. And tell them it has to do with the changing situation from Ryan¡¯s death.¡±


    There was some movement behind the wooden door and while Tansen and Koal came to an agreement about how to proceed with things. That was until the married couple who became the center of everyone¡¯s life came through the door and stood in front of Tansen¡¯s desk. Oddly, they were both dressed in their armored suits. The inspection report said the old ones were wrecked in the attack on his tower, so Eli apparently decided to stick to a more basic design.


    While still polished steel, their suits were more typical of the full-body coverings of most knights. Though the comparison failed to account for the incredible craftsmanship of the round shoulder plates, square-like helmets, and all the other interlocking steel plates. The only major difference was the occasional intake of mana and the widened legs with two rows of four metal tubes sticking out the back. Their weapons had survived though, as Salamede wielded her spear and Eli kept his big iron maul of a war hammer in his hands.


    Raising an eyebrow at their attire, Tansen looked them up and down as Koal stood still while perusing the part of Eli¡¯s face that stuck out above his smiling metal mask.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Tansen faltered as he began to grasp what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I may have not been clear. We¡¯re still looking into the incident with Ryan but we¡¯re here more to discuss the events that followed, not have you hunt down the perpetrators.¡±


    There was an almost imperceptible relaxation that washed over the two of them. Tansen, happy that the misunderstanding had been resolved, pushed ahead.


    ¡°While I cannot expect you two to keep up on the foibles of noble house politics, there is a bit that you will need to know before getting into this. Mack, Joey¡¯s father if you don¡¯t remember, was a rival to Leeroy and, by proxy, Ryan. With their passing, Duke Beck¡¯s position has become¡­ untenable due to Leeroy leveraging everything he could on his now-dead son¡¯s name. Debts and favors are now coming due to a freshly impoverished duke. It looks like a very short and very bloody civil war will be started and stopped before the day is out.¡±


    Eli¡¯s purple eye¡¯s looked at Tansen with mute interest, but when he turned to Koal and saw her eager expression, his eyes lit up with comprehension.


    ¡°Ah, so we need to balance the scales. Mage siring is a great form of uplifting an ailing house. But if you don¡¯t remember, I said that unless me giving them money was-¡°


    ¡°Money won¡¯t do him any good at this point. Several of his mercenary contracts were defaulted on and the wolves are circling are for the kill. There are too many people who¡¯ve committed too much towards the destruction of his house for money to stop it at this point. A lot of innocent people are going to be hurt and killed before the day is out.¡±


    Eli just huffed as Salamede looked at him with worry in her face that not even her grey fur could hide.


    ¡°I suppose appealing to the coming calamity wouldn¡¯t dull their ambitions?¡±


    Tansen and Koal shook their heads.


    ¡°Of course not. When has sense and personal power ever intersected.¡± Eli grumbled bitterly. ¡°A few bouts with some of their minions will put a stop to this nonsense. I¡¯ll put on a show of force and-¡°


    Koal stomped her foot with a positively murderous scowl on her face.


    ¡°People would still die. Besides, if you start fighting, there is a case to be made that simply killing off duke Beck''s house would be safer for you and one I might be inclined to make for my members who have recently arrived.¡±


    Eli¡¯s eyes flared up at that, but he quickly turned to his left. Salamede bobbing her head and Eli¡¯s movements clearly showed a conversation with spirit magic.


    ¡°Eli! Salamede!¡± Tansen growled with a pound on the table. That turned their heads, even as they got irritated expression at the intrusion. ¡°This involves all of us. So, I would appreciate us all being involved in the discussion.¡±


    Eli took a deep breath like he was going to say something but Salamede beat him to it.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to make the crafts.¡± The rough voice of the Kelton woman sounded out. ¡°Even if we did, they aren¡¯t a be-all-end-all to the fighting. The dukes few people would still be shanked when they sleep or in their backs.¡±


    ¡°I could make much larger ones. They can¡¯t get the title if he¡¯s still alive, right?¡± Eli asked with a look towards Tansen and Koal, who both nodded. ¡°All right, a well-fortified position with some powerful crafts, and this whole thing will be resolved.¡±


    ¡°People will still die, either on the rebel side or on the duke¡¯s side.¡± Salamede refuted. ¡°We can¡¯t-¡°


    A squeak from the door drew everyone¡¯s gaze but it was quickly shut with a loud smash.


    There was an odd moment where everyone stood around awkwardly until the door opened again. Through it came Beth, though it was hard to tell at first as she used her left hand to hold up a rag to cover the lower half of her face while still letting her small, sharp nose show. The woman¡¯s wavy brown hair had a matted look but what drew everyone¡¯s eyes was the bloody splotches and cuts in the mid-section of her frilly light green dress. Her purple eyes had a scared and frantic look, like a rabbit who just had a run-in with a wolf.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Salamede yelped as she rushed forward and put a worried hand to the rather harried-looking woman¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, dear.¡± Beth said in a strong voice with a teasing undertone, ¡°Bad days and good days and all that. Admittedly getting attacked by the man you bore a child for on the day he walks in and says more than five years of marriage, five of your best years, are now in the trash as he moves the new young piece into what was your bedroom is in the rather low part of it.¡± Beth cracked up near the end as tears started to form in her purple eyes.


    Eli moved forward and put a hand to the rag to pull it back, but Beth¡¯s right hand swatted it away.


    ¡°No! I-I don¡¯t want you to see me like-¡° Beth cast a downward look at her dirty and bloody dress which made her put up a bloodied right hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. Salamede moved closer for a full hug, putting the poor woman¡¯s head into her left shoulder as Beth just sobbed onto the steel piece. After a few seconds, Beth got herself back together, even as she still kept the rag up to cover her lower face.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Beth said with a grateful nod to Salamede as she straightened her ruined dress.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Eli asked gently as Salamede pulled back a little.


    ¡°Duke Beck,¡± Beth said with a surly pout. ¡°Now that Ryan and Leeroy are dead, Mack got a big idea about being the next duke with so many people who relied on Ryan¡¯s grand future now having nothing but a pile of ash and debts. The fact that he was a long-time rival of Leeroy meant he fell in with the opposition to Beck rather seamlessly. Apparently, he had worked out a contingency in case Ryan ever died because he didn¡¯t waste a second getting that whore into my home.


    Naturally, I objected, but I guess silly things like already being married, giving him children, and being there for him when he became deathly ill are just minor inconveniences. When I refused to consent to the divorce, he threw the pot of water a servant was boiling at me. Yelling at me that I was worthless and couldn¡¯t even bed the man I had worked so hard to-¡°


    Eli stepped forward and put his hand to the rag on Beth¡¯s face. This time she was too tired to resist and let him pull the cloth down. Along the lower front of her chin to the back left of her jaw was a nasty red burn mark. The injury kept going down to near her collar bone and Tansen heard Eli¡¯s sharp intake of air.


    Then the mana around Eli started getting sucked into his mouth. For a few moments, nothing happened until Beth gave a little squeal as the faded stab marks in her mid-section molded away and the burn along her jaw molded into smooth skin. Eli stepped away as Beth ran her hands over her jaw, seemingly relishing the feeling of her now pristine skin.


    ¡°You really know how to make a woman smile,¡± Beth said as she pursed her lips with a wide grin that stretched her thick pink lips.


    ¡°Please, continue,¡± Salamede said as she gave her husband¡¯s arm an appreciative squeeze.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Beth continued. ¡°When he threw the boiling water at me, I ran out of the house. Fearing for my life, I tried to make it to the small house where the rest of my family is currently staying. Poor people barely better than peasants, but they were far closer than your tower. Still not close enough, though. Along the way two men had been waiting for something like this and dragged me into an alley to kill me.


    Despite getting their daggers in a few times, the local guard managed to intervene quickly enough to get me to a healing bed. Thank you again, Eli.


    With so many injured people from the fires, I had to leave it and chew on some pain-deadening herbs while staying under the guard as they figured out what to do with me. Which was when I got your summons.¡±


    Everyone stood around in varying states of agitation at the tale but mostly kept their eyes on Eli to gauge his reaction.


    ¡°He tried to kill the mother of his child over some political bullshit,¡± Eli stated to no one in particular.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tansen said, causing Eli¡¯s head to shift with a backward look. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to fathom, but there are some men like that out there.¡±


    ¡°I can fathom it just fine. Hell, I¡¯ve seen more of it than I ever wanted to.¡± Eli said, in a mild tone. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ sometimes there are people so evil. So totally, utterly despicable that you don¡¯t even feel anger or outrage. You think about them and you just get tired.¡±


    Eli took a deep breath before looking upwards with a rather worn look in his purple, gold-flecked eyes before continuing.


    ¡°Mack absolutely cannot be allowed to become the leader of this region.¡± He said as he turned to Salamede. When Koal gave a light cough to talk, he kept his eyes on the goatish face of his wife.


    ¡°And what will you do to prevent that from happening?¡± Koal demanded.


    Eli didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he just kept his eyes locked with the white orbs of his wife¡¯s eyes. It was a long silent moment as the two stood stone still and, as far as Tansen could tell, weren¡¯t conducting a conversation with spirit magic.


    ¡°Salamede, if I still committed to using crafts and people died¡­. Would you think less of me?¡± Eli said with the closest thing to uncertainty Tansen had ever heard come out of his mouth. Salamede bit her lip as she weighed her words before answering.


    ¡°I love you, Eli. You¡¯re a kind, powerful man who is always a bright spot in my day. While I do appreciate your discretion, if you let people die because you let your discomfort get in the way¡­ Yes, I would think less of you.¡±


    That seemed to solidify something in Eli as he brought himself up to his full height.


    ¡°Well then. I can bear a lot of things, but the disappointment of my wife isn¡¯t one of them.¡± Eli said with a note of finality before turning to Beth. ¡°Tell your family to declare for Duke Beck.¡±


    A snort was Beth¡¯s first response.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll all tremble when the juggernaut of a bunch of peasants who got lucky with a mine and then married into the lower nobility enters the fray,¡± Beth said with a raise of her right brown eyebrow.


    ¡°Koal,¡± Eli called behind him, ¡°If Beth was potentially carrying my child, what would you do if she got involved with the spat between Mack and the Duke?¡± Beth¡¯s eyes went wide as she did a little yelp.


    ¡°You assume there would be a conflict at that point,¡± Koal said with a smug smile, ¡°If you lay with Beth, I¡¯d make sure she is kept under the strictest secrecy so that in the event your seed doesn¡¯t take, the rebels wouldn¡¯t know to attack or not. At that point, I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re too scared to even look at the weakened duke sideways. While the other nations will no doubt become interested in her, any resources they use to get to her could instead be used to get you. All in all, I¡¯d say the conflict would end with no more blood than has already been spilled.¡±


    Beth was practically skipping in place as the horrid morning was blasted off her face and replaced with a look that said she had just gotten every wish she ever had delivered right to her doorstep.


    ¡°Oh, Eli! Y-You will? Truly?¡± Beth said as she wrapped herself around him in a hug, which only emphasized her height coming up a few inches shorter than his, which was still rather tall for most women. She looked up to him with a wild lust in her purple eyes that said she was ready to do the deed here and now.


    ¡°I will,¡± Eli said resignedly with a look towards Salamede.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The rough Kelton¡¯s voice cut in without a hint of bitterness, ¡°If you do get with child, you can come live with us and we¡¯ll all help raise them into a fine heir.¡±


    Beth was practically vibrating as she moved to kiss Eli in between his armor.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Koal said with a little clap, looking at the freshly divorced woman with more than a bit of jealousy. ¡°There are some steps that need to be taken before the clothes come off. I¡¯ll be watching over the process to make sure everything is done to the very last letter of the law and requirements.


    Tansen, I believe you¡¯ll be getting ready for our grand testimony?¡± Koals'' light green eyes turned to meet Tansen¡¯s brown ones.


    ¡°Yes, we just have a few more records to gather up. Once your people get here, we can leave in the express carriage they arrived in and get to the midway base by tomorrow morning.¡± Tansen finished with a nod.


    Content to let Koal handle what was an item long in coming, Tansen got his papers together and went about preparing for the coming storm as the rest of the room shuffled out for the deed. The day passed and as Tansen was out by the main gate to the town, he watched as various members of the Ember association were getting out of a large metal carriage with a gold tag on the front. Satisfied that they were who he was expecting, the academy head turned towards the pyres of burning bodies by the entrance as the ash wafted up into the grey sky. Sweaty men with rough brown pants and no shirts were busy moving carts of ash and wood everywhere with the occasional patrol of guards coming in and out of the big wooden double doors that marked the line between the wilds and civilization.


    His stomach had clenched in the same way it did when he traveled into a perfect ambush spot on his way from his escape from everything he ever knew. The cruel similarity between his history and what looked like Eli¡¯s future kept weighing on him. As he meandered between the past and the present, a tap on his left shoulder took him out of his pondering.


    Turning around, he saw Agatha and Koal standing side by side, each carrying a parcel of files and papers. While the blonde front member with sharp cheekbones had some exhaustion in her blue eyes, Koal seemed rather upbeat.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Tansen said to Koal as they all moved to the back of the carriage. As the academy head gripped the handle for the iron door and held it open, Koal waved to her subordinates as she lifted her red robes to get into the carriage.


    ¡°Quite well,¡± She said as she took the first step onto the jutting step below the open-door frame, ¡°Apparently, Eli is quite skilled in areas other than magic. Beth certainly had a good morning despite how it started.¡±


    When she was in the carriage, Agatha gave a dry smile as she moved in behind her.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Was the only surly word Agatha deigned to speak.


    Following in behind them, Tansen closed the door and stepped into the metal box. Replete with a mana lamp in the middle of the metal ceiling with wooden benches on both sides, the only real luxury was the wooden flowers beside the mana gem. The soft orange glow combined with the heat the flowers'' enchantments gave off made it act like a mini sun for what was going to be a large part of their world for more than a day.


    Idle chat sufficed at first, but the day passed in silence quickly thereafter with bathroom breaks and travel meals of nuts and crackers drunk down with water at several intervals. Even ones as esteemed as these could be reduced to traveling like a peasant when time was made short and they were too busy trying to not lose their life¡¯s work to focus on something so petty as travel accommodations, a fact they all made sure to not audibly mention.


    Along the way were people of every description and make trying to move northward. A fair number were surprisingly middling or high-ranking nobles and government officials with a particularly well-dressed daughter in tow or peasants fleeing the now more tumultuous southern region. More than once, a roadside stop saw some people being taken in for questioning or a fight break out as travelers had to make way for troop deployments.


    Coming down the wide stone road that made up the main highway here, they came upon the wide bunkers and ever-moving troops of the midway base near day¡¯s end.


    ¡°Nice to see I underestimated how quickly the express carriage could get us through the checkpoints,¡± Tansen said as he got out of the carriage with an exaggerated stretch. More than once, they only had to stop for a most a minute as the local head honcho personally came out to look at their papers before waving them through, often to the bitter moans of those stuck in lines.


    Dust and sweat filled the air as feet pounded the dirt with peasants, soldiers, merchants, and couriers moving between the large, three-story wooden bunkers. A messenger boy eventually came and escorted them to the main fort. Torches were being set up around certain buildings to provide the bare minimum needed to keep scouting reports and messages coming in and out along the various roads leading in and out of this military city.


    With a day or two worths of clothes being carried in trunks by servants behind them, the three drew some interest with Koals red robe and Tansen¡¯s odd black and sapphire studded kimono as they walked up the main stone road and off to the right into the wide double doors of the fort. After a quick exchange, they were let into the big stone box and greeted by a pudgy man with a bowl cut of brown hair. He wore a plain white shirt, a brown leather vest, and black pants.


    ¡°Hello, names Alton.¡± The man said with a look of interest in his brown eyes that stuck out beside a bulbous nose. The reverence of the retreating messenger boy expounded the man¡¯s importance.


    The three gave a slight nod before Agatha spoke up.


    ¡°Greetings. May I ask who you are?¡± She said cautiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m the guy you come to when you want something from congress. More specifically, I¡¯m the head of the senate. And would I be wrong in assuming you are the expected center of tomorrow¡¯s hearing?¡±


    After a round of polite nods, Alton clapped his hands together and walked with them towards the main building with another pair of large dual doors of wood with iron bands. After taking them through the busy main entrance with the servants, Alton walked them over the hard-oak floors and through the ever-present crowd of messengers and personages performing one task or request for their betters. With torchlight at certain points playing across the grey stone of the walls, the doors, and staircases on both right and left sides of the huge room, there was just enough illumination to show them where they were being led.


    Alton walked them to the left staircase with a red carpet down the center and up to the second of the three floors they could reach. Coming to the walkway and with a quick look to the floor below, Tansen made sure to keep close to the pudgy man as he led them down a hallway with doors on each side.


    ¡°Here is where people of interest stay,¡± Alton announced with a handwave to the appropriate rooms. ¡°We¡¯ve set aside rooms four, five, and six for you. But, of course, I¡¯m not here to be your personal butler. The chambers have never been such a mess and as the people with the most knowledge about the person in the middle of this storm, I thought it prudent to get some information before the official hearing tomorrow.¡±


    The three looked between themselves before nodding, hopeful at the prospect of getting one person on their side before the first official question was even asked. Shuffling into the number four room on the left, the place was a rather plain affair with a single bed on the right and a desk to the left with a candle lit on it. The rest of the room had the same hard oak floor and grey stone wall as the rest of the fort. Alton quickly moved to take the chair from the desk and turned it around in front of the desk, which he promptly sat in.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The kind, portly host crumbled as a man practicing his craft took over with a hard look from his brown eyes taking in the three as the candlelight behind him played across the outline of his white undershirt and leather vest.


    ¡°Spare me no details of this affair. I may not be directly involved in the committee, but my influence is not to be underestimated and may make the difference in the contest to preserve your stations.


    First and foremost, the quad mage. The rumors around him fly like birds on the wind and take no heed of smashing headlong into each other. He is a god amongst men and a hard toiler among the lowest of laborers, even working directly with sewage. His capacity for cruelty stills the hearts of even the most brutal of souls and he works great acts of charity to uplift the poorest of the peasant folk. Which is it?¡±


    A brief moment passed before Agatha stepped forward.


    ¡°They¡¯re all true.¡±


    ¡®Yes,¡± Koal said, stepping forward as well, ¡°I saw the ash on his clothes from him helping put out a fire in the Kelton quarter. I have also confirmed that he made a magical device to help deal with his town¡¯s sewage situation. As for his¡­ capacity for cruelty. I haven¡¯t seen any action from him personally but the stories I¡¯ve heard from the guards and how he acted towards Harold¡¯s men make me second guess my decision to be the one to look into his circumstances.¡±


    That got his eyebrows raised in surprise before he did a small whistle.


    ¡°And what of you, Tansen? You, more than anyone here, are the man of the hour. You are the one who first revealed Eli¡¯s abilities. You, by all accounts, are his closest confidant. Your position as the academy head who will usher in this new age for humanity adds a mountain''s weight to everything you say. What do you have to say about these events?¡±


    Tansen took a deep breath and let it out as his brown eyes came to rest on Alton¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s all¡­ too familiar,¡± Tansen said with a bitter tone.


    That drew odd looks from the two women, but Alton just puckered his lips with a nod.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Alton said as he strummed his fingers on his knee. ¡°The Imperial Academy incident. With these events, the government declassified the agreement to let you stay here for the legislative body and I have had a trustworthy tongue wiggle that it will be a part of the questioning. I don¡¯t know how that will play. Maybe it will give you a personal perspective on the events that they will sympathize with, or they¡¯ll use it against you and have that bit of history to discredit whatever appeals you might make.


    We will just have to wait and see. Good night and good luck tomorrow.¡± Alton said as he got up from the chair and nodded to the two women before moving past them to get out of the room.


    ¡®What was he talking about?¡¯ Agatha asked in a spirit connection with a raised eyebrow.


    Tansen just sighed as he took his bag from a servant outside and came back into the room. Laying the bag on the bed, he turned to the two women and bit his lip before answering.


    ¡®You¡¯ll hear all about it tomorrow, apparently, but we have a more important issue. Agatha, I know you have some concerns with my care for Eli after he left the academy. This, however, is not the time to present them. Will you please refrain from voicing such concerns tomorrow?¡¯ Tansen asked in a calm tone.


    Agatha bit her lip as her hands clutched at her black work dress.


    ¡®Tansen, the truth is what is important. The people who make the decisions for the betterment of humanity need as much of it as we can provide.¡¯


    ¡®A weakened front to present the reality of what is going on with Eli is what you¡¯ll give them.¡¯ Tansen said with gritted teeth, ¡®Reality is more important than the truth. We both know what clobbering Salamede over the head, which is exactly what they¡¯ll do, entails for everyone. Giving them the ¡®truth¡¯ is only going to undermine our case.¡¯


    Koal had been content to remain silent this whole time but now broke into the conversation.


    ¡®These aren¡¯t the type to let the truth get in the way of their careers, Agatha. You give them anything to use against you, they will use it to the fullest extent possible. In case it wasn¡¯t sufficiently clear, we are on trial here more than to give testimony for a vote. Their displeasure at Eli not immediately hopping into the dorms to spread himself out was abundantly apparent in their announcement. To say nothing of the tongue lashings they dealt out in the personal letters they sent me afterward.¡¯


    Agatha got an uncertain look even as she stuck out her chin. It was a long moment before she sighed.


    ¡°I bid you both good night.¡± She said audibly before turning around and heading out the door.


    Koal turned her light green eyes to Tansen in worry, but he just shook his head of shoulder-length black hair as he reassured her.


    ¡°Good night, we¡¯ve done all we could. Hopefully, Eli siring with Beth will give us enough breathing room.¡±


    Koal nodded and left the academy head alone in the room after a light bow.


    Alone with his thoughts, Tansen turned in for the night as images of ghosts and bloody offices haunted him as he lay in the bed.


    After what could be construed as a night¡¯s sleep, Tansen got up with a knot of worry in his stomach as he washed with a bucket of hot water and a quick meal in the mess hall. Afterward, it was straight to the main event. He, Koal, and Agatha were sitting on a bench in a hall with oak floors and stone walls with a large double-wide wooden door to their left. The windows opposite of them provided some light with the rising of the morning sun but the military nature of the place came clear through even on such a clear-skied day. From the thick iron bands on the door and the buff guards in front of it to the lack of carpet, the place was as far from the refined luxury of the academy in every way.


    The small orchestra of noises behind the door stopped with the banging of a gavel before a voice called from behind the door in a loud, booming tone.


    ¡°Tansen, head of the Diamond academy. Agatha, head of the Front at Diamond academy. Koal, leader of the Ember association, please come in.¡±


    As the guards opened the door, Tansen took in his surroundings. There were three chairs in the middle of three long tables with white cloth. Scattered about these tables were scribes writing down the proceedings, servants getting refreshments or relaying letters, and people who were obviously members of the committee. They were in far finer clothes than the rest and notably older as people scurried about doing every task delegated from them. Tansen took particular note of the look of loathing Koal shot a blonde woman on the left side before he turned forward.


    At the center of the table opposite the three chairs, was a particularly older gentleman with several medals on his black vest with a white undershirt, all commemorating his military service. The metal of which reflected the morning sun coming out of the sturdy windows as the jutting ceiling of the room showed off the grey stone of the walls and the finer oak floor.


    ¡®Mclain.¡¯ Koal said in a spirit connection, the light groan that accompanied it not saying anything good. ¡®Watch out for that one. He¡¯s the biggest snake in this pit.¡¯


    His wrinkly head turned with the combover of white hair as his piercing brown eyes took in the three making their way to the chairs. When they sat down, Tansen in the middle with Agatha to the left and Koal to the right, Mclain coughed into a wrinkly hand and spoke up to the rest of the crowd.


    ¡°Thank you all for coming. I¡¯ve just heard reports that it looks like the Mist pirates will win out over the Rodring kingdom for our southern territory, so let us proceed with all haste.¡±


    That sent a wave of furrowed whispers through those at the table while Tansen¡¯s stomach clenched. If they lead with such an explosive piece of news and emphasized the speed with which this hearing must be carried out, then it was clear they didn¡¯t intend to be thorough.


    ¡°Now,¡± Mclain continued, ¡°There are a lot of questions for these three. A lot. But let¡¯s lead with Koal as her turn against us was the most surprising.¡±


    Koal¡¯s pale skin got some red as she bit her dark lip before scowling.


    ¡°I did not turn against-¡°


    Mclain beat his gavel again.


    ¡°You know more than enough about how these proceedings are supposed to go, with those being questioned only answering. Try that again and you¡¯ll be gagged.¡± He said with an expectant look and raised eyebrow like he was scolding a child.


    Koal bit her lip again but restrained herself to an insincere smile. That let an older woman with a green dress and grey bun to Mclain¡¯s left cough and throw out the first question.


    ¡°Koal, as the leader of the Ember association you know full well the importance of a mage''s duty to bring in the next generation. Correct?¡± She said with a meaningful look in her brown eyes behind the glasses.


    ¡°I have several daughters to attest to that fact, yes,¡± Koal said with a blank face.


    ¡°Then why have you let up in that responsibility when it comes to the one person in the world where that duty is most important?¡±


    Koal looked down for a moment before answering.


    ¡°Eli isn¡¯t the type of man who will just whip out his dick and use it for every willing pair of legs that walks by. Just this-¡°


    A wave of chuckles and snorts interrupted her as the surrounding congress members and staff got looks of mirth.


    ¡°What? Does he not know how to use it?¡± one bald, portly congressman on the left with a big nose, wobbly double jaw, and green eyes said. He thumbed his blue jacket over his white undershirt as he licked his thick lips.


    ¡°Eli doesn¡¯t think with his dick. At least when he¡¯s not around Salamede. When he is¡­ well all the reports say he gets quite vigorous. Although his skill is certainly something I can attest to after his mating with Beth, a woman he took recently.¡±


    That drew some interested looks, with the congresswoman sucking in her lips before asking another question.


    ¡°I thought the letters said he was refusing to mate anyone but the goat woman. What changed?¡±


    Koal stuck out her chin as she got a defiant look.


    ¡°A lot of pulling, negotiating, and wrangling on the part of his wife is what changed. She managed to get some conditions for him mating other women out of him, conditions that were then fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°What was¡°


    A cough from Mclain interrupted the question, which he promptly took over.


    ¡°Am I to understand that you are asserting that getting him to lay with a single woman is some kind of victory?¡± Mclain asked incredulously.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Koal said with some restraint. That got disapproving looks from around the table, which only spurred the fire scion on further. ¡°It took the prospect of a civil war and the low opinion of his wife to pry that concession out of him. I¡¯ll be dammed if any of you could have gotten any better.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think we will,¡± Mclain said with a dangerous look coming into his eyes before quickly fading. ¡°But more to the point, there seems to be a consistent point throughout your experience. His wife cajoled him. The goat woman made him give concession to mate. You make it seem like she has more power over his reproduction than the rest of us.¡±


    Koal just raised an eyebrow at that last part.


    ¡°Yes, wives typically do have-¡°


    The congresswoman put up her finger.


    ¡°There it is again. His ¡®wife¡¯. You know she is not his wife, yet you still call her such. Her claws must have sunken deep into you.¡±


    Koal bit her lower lip with her nose flaring as she realized the trap she walked herself into. Before she could respond, Mclain put up a hand for silence.


    ¡°We arrive now at the heart of the matter, and for that, we turn to one miss Agatha.¡± He said, his eyes shifting to the left and onto the black-dressed blond. Her sharp cheekbones got some sweat as every pair of eyes followed his to her.


    ¡°Do tell, dear,¡± The pudgier man with the blue vest on the left said. ¡°How long have you been letting Eli¡¯s letters of magical organization admission get filched under his very nose?¡±


    That caused a stir amongst the servants and other congress members. Tansen just blanched with the realization of how closely their spies had been monitoring his activities, with Koal getting a similar expression.


    ¡°What?¡± Agatha asked in a timid voice.


    Tansen got a pale face as he gripped the side of his chair.


    ¡°I asked why Eli¡¯s letters have been getting stolen. By his wife.¡± The man asked again, sending off a wave of whispers and furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Agatha¡¯s throat was almost visibly parched as she struggled for words before she finally collected himself. ¡°Salamede had been bringing them to Tansen¡¯s office so that Eli wouldn¡¯t burn them. As fo-¡°


    A snort from Mclain stopped her dead as his brown eyes showed a clear contempt.


    ¡°A mage, burning the letters from associations? Come now, what fools do you take us for?¡± Mclain demanded with his wrinkly square jaw coming up with a look of annoyance.


    ¡°Eli doesn¡¯t care about magic,¡± Agatha said with a shrug. That sent a wave of now genuine confusion both through the crowd as well as Mclain and his associates.


    ¡°What?¡± The congresswoman asked with a face scrunched up in disbelief.


    ¡°He became a mage because of scraps his poaching father got for him. After that, he became a caster because the troll he killed was a convenient meal. He must have an extraordinary aptitude for magical growth aside from the eight elements he has. But in all the conversations I¡¯ve had with him, he¡¯s never displayed any interest in going out for more magical resources.¡±


    ¡°But our reports say he is close to being a scion. Why have you not been plugging him with magical resources?¡± Mclain asked again with a look of incredulity. A cough to his right from a man in a brown coat with a grey undershirt drew everyone¡¯s attention. He had soft white hair and faint lines on his muscular face.


    ¡°That would be because we can¡¯t give students magical resources. That practice created too many problems in the past where the obsession takes hold and all the academy coffers were sucked into one student.¡± He said with an almost bored look in his brown eyes. It took Tansen a moment before he recognized what had been one of several attendants at the meet-ups for the academy heads. He was the leader of the most prestigious coastal academy, Pearl Academy. Named so for the magical oysters often found in its hunting grounds and the occasional treasure therein. He was also one of the academy heads who sucked away his time with multiple letters going over the failing with the testers.


    Mclain just huffed at the interruption.


    ¡°Pushing that to one side, for now, we will return to the matter of the letters.¡± He said, taking a deep breath before continuing, ¡°Why have the letters not been getting responses?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Front is only concerned with raising magical talent, not how it socializes or joins associations.¡± Agatha said with a bit of lip. Koal took that as an opportunity to intercede.


    ¡°We can¡¯t respond for him, so we have been-¡°


    Mclain swiftly banged his gavel before turning it to Koal with a menacing air as he scowled.


    ¡°One more time, Koal. Do not speak out of turn again.¡± He growled before turning to the scribe on the right corner writing everything down. ¡°Strike that comment from the record.¡±


    As the scribe promptly scrawled over the words, Mclain turned back to Agatha.


    ¡°Why are the letters not getting through, Agatha?¡±


    The blond was now looking properly pissed but she kept it down to a mere scowl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Mclain leaned back into his chair with a look of self-satisfaction.


    ¡°To summarize: Eli¡¯s letters from the associations are being taken by his wife and have not been responded to with the head of the Front branch having no idea why. But that isn¡¯t the worst of it. His ''wife'' is so determined to not have his seed spread that not even she will bear his children.¡±


    All the men got raised eyebrows at that while the women puckered their lips. Tansen was content to just sit there and bore his brown eyes into Agatha¡¯s side while Koal just looked queasy. This wasn¡¯t a hearing, it was a smear job and Tansen could do nothing but feel the hair on the back of his neck go stiff.


    ¡°Um,¡± Agatha said with a bit lip as her blue eyes skittered around the floor.


    ¡°That is what you said, is it not?¡± Mclain said casually as he ran a finger over the white cloth of the table. ¡°When a thorough investigation of his tower was completed, yook root was found in his bedroom, was it not? Something that you quickly laid at the feet of the goat woman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that was a misunderstanding on my part,¡± Agatha said with her face getting pale and her hands clutching her black dress.


    ¡°Oh? When you yelled that she was a venomous snake, screamed at her demanding to know why she was denying the siring of his children, what exactly were you misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°That it was a request from Eli,¡± Agatha said in a strained tone, the cracks in her confidence already showing.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± the congresswoman said with a disbelieving tone. ¡°What Eli wants. From her seductive and manipulative ability, how are we supposed to know that the words coming out of his mouth are actually his own and not poison planted there by the one person who seems to have wrapped everyone else around her finger? Even with that, it appears that you and the academy head can¡¯t even present a unified force against her malicious influence.¡±


    Tansen¡¯s stomach was doing cartwheels. There were too many incidents where Agatha screamed out things that would be devastating to their cause and he remembered all too vividly when she came blaring into his office after Eli¡¯s talents were revealed. He was certain her voice would have easily carried down a good floor or two both then and after the attack on Eli¡¯s tower.


    ¡°He¡­I was¡­¡±


    Mclain put up a hand for silence as Agatha fumbled.


    ¡°When you accused Tansen of covering up certain parts of Eli¡¯s history, was that also a misunderstanding?¡±


    Agatha just sat there, sweat running down her face. Tansen could see the realization that these people could not be trusted wash over her as she slightly straightened.


    ¡°I¡­ misunderstood the circumstances of his departure.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Mclain demanded.


    ¡°Eli was something of an apprentice of Tansen¡¯s, due to his great crafting ability. I mistook the natural favoritism from that as something nefarious. Something that is an item of embarrassment for me to this day.¡±


    Mclain and his two crony congress members got sour looks at that but the rest just looked on with raised eyebrows. It was a long moment of waiting as Mclain strummed his wrinkled fingers on the table with the patter of them going out over the silence. After a few more moments, he finished and spoke up.


    ¡°Still, to hold Tansen¡¯s character so low that you would assume something malicious is telling. We have come to perhaps the main person of interest in this session so let us not dally any longer. Tansen, head of the esteemed Diamond academy.¡±


    Tansen straightened slightly as his brown eyes went hard and he tried to maintain an aura of calm. Which was only interrupted when the chubby congressman spoke up from the left.


    ¡°Tansen, what do you have to say about these deplorable circumstances that we as a nation have found ourselves in?¡±


    The academy head closed his eyes for a moment as he collected his thoughts. It was a few more moments before he shared them with those present and when he did, he brought his chin up and swerved his brown eyes around the room before landing on Mclain.


    ¡°Over the course of caring for society, we who are tasked with the burden of leadership must make certain decisions based on necessity. Having crafters get fewer resources, attention, and time is one such necessity. While this has always meant that they will not reach their full potential, the simple math of necessity demanded we put more into their betters and we have been greatly rewarded for these decisions with more casters, scions, and all the great benefits that come with their presence.


    But somewhere along the way, what was necessary became what was convenient.


    We let the futures of these lower-level mages slip through our hands because we became so used to just summing up a person¡¯s potential down to their magical titles. All they could or would do is put in a nice, simple box for us to easily understand and use at our leisure. All those messy thoughts about what potential they may have had if we put in a bit more effort, a few more words of encouragement, or a little bit more money could be safely ignored. We put one of the most unpredictable, erratic, and infinite things in this universe, people, into simple easy to understand terms and for a long time, we were rewarded with a healthier, stronger society for it.


    The failing in our thinking, however, has shown up in the worst way possible. Eli was a crafter and, as a disposable member of society, he was crushed by the same attitude of convenience that has come to dominate our society. He-¡°


    Mclain put up his hand.


    ¡°Tansen, the circumstances surrounding Eli''s trial were due to one malicious individual. It is entirely unfair that the rest of us should suffer from the actions of one individual.¡±


    Tansen scrunched up his eyebrows as he took another breath before responding.


    ¡°If anyone has the right to complain about fairness, it is Eli. Who is to blame for what doesn¡¯t change the fact that it happened. More to the point, that trial only happened because crafters are seen as disposable.


    We, as leaders, all made a mistake when it came to Eli and we are getting the chance to fix it. But it will take time and, more importantly, it will involve not mauling the person who was with him in his darkest hour.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± The congresswoman said with a smug smile. ¡°Now we arrive at the matter at hand. The goat woman is a thorn in the side of the good people of the Coalition and must be removed.¡± That drew nods from all those present at the table.


    ¡°No,¡± Tansen flatly rebuked.


    There was a round of scowls from everyone else, but the members of congress seemed almost offended.


    ¡°What?¡± Mclain said.


    ¡°Going after Salamede will get you nothing,¡± Tansen said with a light calm air.


    ¡°It¡¯ll get some children out of him,¡± Mclain spat, ¡°By the gods, man, what am I supposed to say to the widows of the soldiers who will be dying very soon to keep him safe?


    ¡®Oh, you poor sweet thing. I know the love of your life was torn to pieces far away from his family, but don¡¯t worry, he died to give the quad mage time to work out his emotional issues.


    More to the point, this is a matter of patriotism and obligations. Is he of such poor character that he thinks nothing of the people around him?¡±


    Tansen sighed as every eye bored into him. More than outrage, he began feeling like this was a story he had seen play out before, which only spurred him on to fight harder.


    ¡°I never said fixing the mistake would involve us being treated fairly or doing something easy. Also, after everything he¡¯s been through, you¡¯re going to accuse him of being selfish for not putting a society that tossed him in the trash above his personal needs?¡±


    ¡°Needs?¡± The pudgy congressman to the left said, his bald head showing some sweat. ¡°If he needs to get his dick wet, that¡¯s not a problem he¡¯ll have to worry about. Magical growth certainly isn¡¯t going to be a need we will let him have left unfulfilled. None of his needs will be left wanting if this committee has anything to say about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about physical needs,¡± Tansen said with a scowl creeping up his face before he suppressed it. ¡°Beneath all of a mage''s power is a person. A person with emotional and spiritual needs. Right now, Salamede provides for his emotional needs. But Eli is open to taking on more wives, from what Salamede told me.


    I know it''s ridiculous. Having people die while Eli figures out how to properly use his manhood. That is totally unfair and unreasonable to us and on his part to demand such, but this all started because of a mistake we as a people made and we need to take the time to fix it if we want to get him spreading himself out.¡±


    That drew a few huffs but Mclain and the members of congress got red running up their faces. The old man squeezed the gavel in his right hand before he spat out some surly words.


    ¡°We are the elected congress. We represent the combined will and might of this nation and you want us to meekly give in to a spoiled brat¡¯s demands?¡±


    ¡°Is your pride so important, Mclain?¡± Tansen demanded with a scowl he wasn¡¯t bothering to hide anymore. ¡°Will you dash all of our skulls against the hard stone of your arrogance?¡±


    Mclain sucked in his lips and some air as he puffed out his chest to accentuate his medals.


    ¡°That pride carries with it my service to this nation and its people. How dare you question it.¡±


    That got some murmurs around the table, with most of the people giving Tansen a hard glare. But the academy head, feeling more away from home than he had ever been, pushed on with determination.


    ¡°Reality doesn¡¯t care about past deeds. Whatever good you did will be overshadowed by the decisions you make here. I, more than most, know of the dangers of putting extremely powerful people on high while ignoring their emotional well-being.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mclain said with a pouty look as he shifted through the papers in front of him. Eventually, he pulled out one particular paper and put it up. ¡°Your immigration agreement. I must say, yours is longer than most, and until recently, a matter of some classification that is now rather pointless. The circumstances surrounding it say you know a thing or two about emotionally unstable people.¡±


    ¡°Then you know that I speak from a position of authority on the subject,¡± Tansen said with gritted teeth.


    ¡°Oh, you most certainly do. I¡¯ve read the report, but I feel that a more¡­personal retelling is in order. If you would indulge this committee.¡± Mclain finished with a smile.


    Tansen closed his brown eyes and took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it even as everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on him, Agatha¡¯s being more fixated than most. When he finished the breath, Tansen opened his eyes again with regained serenity.


    ¡°My homeland of the far shores was originally an empty jungle island until an Ultimate plant mage visited it with a load of his dedicated followers. He taught us all many things about honor, construction, and discipline. We, as descendants of both his loins and philosophy, took on many of his views and strict teachings. One thing we kept from the mainland was the need for mages to spread themselves out, a task my father saw to with great vigor.


    As a water caster, and almost as importantly, a high-ranking member of the emperor¡¯s court, his bedtime activities were many and widespread. One of the many, many women he planted his seed in was a sickly woman who used to be a rather¡­ clumsy maid. She, more than the other peasant women, was often looked down on and dismissed by the more powerful, beautiful, and rich women who crowded the court looking to snatch any number of powerful men. Dismissiveness that quickly changed to the most bitter jealousy when her newborn had the egg of a scion in his chest.


    In a single night, she went from a piece of furniture to having her name on the very tongue of the emperor himself. Still, that same sickliness that so wracked her body persisted.¡±


    Tansen went from a look of pride at the description of her ascent to a quivering lip that stopped his tale dead before he got himself under control and continued.


    ¡°Through the years, she enjoyed the best food, the best clothing, and the best¡­ well everything. But through it all, she made sure that her child remained at the forefront of her life. She never got pregnant again, but birthing a male scion was more of a contribution than most would ever make to this world and she was never begrudged for her lack of fruitfulness afterward.


    I, for my part, indulged in all the follies of youth. Talking, playing, and laughing with some of the local court boys, and later their sisters and mothers¡¯ while in bed, were how my days typically went. I never wanted for release or physical needs even on the worst of days. All of which quickly went by when I wasn¡¯t passed out from gestation. Through it all, I always made sure to keep up with my mother, and even when I got into the imperial academy, I still tended to the woman of such strong spirit that she would no doubt be a high ranking official if she hadn¡¯t been let down by her body, that eternal source of damnation and the thing that made her so well regarded.


    As I worked my way through my classes, I would keep getting sidelined by my mothers¡¯ illness. Always some accident or episode, some injury that reached my ear that I, as a loving son, rushed to offer comfort for. The academy head was understanding, often to the vehement objection of the staff, and this state of affairs was tolerated for a while. Until the old academy head, in the natural course of things, was forced to retire from old age.


    The new head, an older woman with more grey than black hair and who liked to dress up in the finest clothes, was one of the staff who often complained the loudest about how I was spending too much time on a worthless peasant woman and needed to spend more time getting magical resources to manifest my familiar.¡±


    Tansen¡¯s eyes dimmed a little as he seemed to mentally vacate the room and was right back at the start of his youth.


    ¡°I had no idea just how much she despised my mother. The old academy head had been taking a lot of crap over my insistence of making sure my mother wasn¡¯t dead and the new management had no intention of taking it on the chin as her wiser predecessor had. One day, one cursed, horrible day, I came home to find my mother gone from her house.


    It took some twisting and bullying, but eventually, the neighbors told me what had happened: The academy head and some of her more loyal staff members had used their authority to send away her local guard and proceeded to use long stalks of rice leaves to beat her and drive her away. Long with the heavy mana turning the leaves to blades, those plants left bleeding marks on her that were only distinguishable because the plumed bird that was feasting on her top half hadn¡¯t gotten to her legs when the local guards found her outside the safety of the city.


    It was a long tug of war after that, with the law and judges going over some bullshit I didn¡¯t care about. I was told afterward that part of the problem in punishing the academy head and her conspirators was that their plan worked. I dedicated myself body and soul to the acquisition of magical resources after that, quickly manifesting my bluebird, Gatra, with a black beak and feet in just under a month.


    The academy head got what she wanted. Her precious scion pushed himself to get his familiar and was even siring more as he made sure to bed the wives and mothers of every staff member involved. All it took was killing some nuisance peasant woman who wasn¡¯t even contributing anything to society anymore. Her plan was so logical, sensible, and factual that she was rewarded many times over in accolades and praise for her achievement.


    Right up until the moment I gutted her and the staff.


    The minute I was ready, I stormed the academy heads'' office and left the bitch in a pool of her blood and spilled entrails. Shortly after, I hunted down all the staff members who helped her. It was¡­ a rather arduous affair. I had planned it all so that the guard would be on rotation at the time of my attack but they still put up a good fight.¡±


    There were pale faces all around, especially from Agatha, who seemed near dead from the lack of blood in her complexion. All of which Tansen ignored as he seemed to withdraw in towards himself as he continued the tale, his eyes still off in that far-flung academy.


    ¡°There was a lot of whining after that. Some sniveling shit crying about finding a severed head in the hallway or people moaning about the blood all over the walls. All these whiny, petty people bellyaching about the bodies everywhere.


    Suffice it to say, my father and the emperor were rather displeased with the turn of events.


    There was talk about my execution and my assistant from birth helped me escape with a load of valuables. From there we caught a boat onto the mainland and traveled along the southern coast of the central continent towards the place farthest away from my former home as possible: The Coalition. I won¡¯t bore you with tales of banditry, long roads, and the meetings of fair maidens, but the whole time the lack of assassins after me was a source of considerable confusion. I obviously arrived at my destination and it was only then that I was served a letter from the Coalitions immigration office, courtesy of the emperor¡¯s court and the minder who had watched over us on our journey.


    Several documents turned up in the deceased academy heads'' office that showed she and the staff had been using their newfound connections and goodwill to scheme with some now dead officials who were thinking of overthrowing the emperor. One thing you must know about our people is that we value actions, not the intentions behind them. If you do something, what you actually meant to do counts for little, if nothing, and my actions had spared the emperor a rebellion and possible assassination.


    All things considered, the emperor declared that my crimes were null and I was a free man to come back or stay here with his blessing. While the staff and academy head were dead, their families were still around, and I certainly didn¡¯t intend to head back after my long journey. More than that, I had a dream born from my bitterness. I determined that to spite my former imperial academy, I would create an academy far beyond its level. When I worked out that the academy system here would favor a quality over quantity approach, well, I assume you all know the rest.¡±


    That drew a small huff from the Pearl academy head but the rest were content to stay under the thumb of the oppressive silence hanging over the room. It took a good moment before Mclain spoke up.


    ¡°Well, that certainly had more weight than the dry report. With your history in mind, don¡¯t you think it might be hindering your judgment on this issue?¡±


    Tansen¡¯s chin came up, scrunching up his goatee as he pursed his lips.


    ¡°On the contrary, it informs my judgment. You are making the same mistake my old academy head made. Treating magically gifted people like tools to be used with no concern of their emotional well-being is a lesson my old academy learned the hard way and I hope we won¡¯t have to learn it the way they did.¡±


    Mclain looked around the room to catch the eyes of various members of congress. After a few nods, he turned back to the three guests before speaking again.


    ¡°This has been a rather long session. Let¡¯s take a quick break.¡± He said with a look to the scribe, who stopped taking notes.


    Grateful for the reprieve, the three guests left for a quick lunch with Agatha stealing the occasional look at Tansen. Refreshments eaten, they all returned before the mid-day sun reached its peak. As they came back, Alton was waiting by the door in the same clothes as earlier but as he got up from the bench, his brown eyes went wide as he turned to the approaching three with a swing of his bowl cut of straight brown hair.


    ¡°What are you three doing out here?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°When the break was called we-¡°


    ¡°Break?!¡± Alton shouted before rolling his eyes and running up to the double doors and slamming them open. Even from this distance, the three could see the various congress members shaking hands and getting up with various staff members picking up papers for the now finished session.


    ¡°What is all this nonsense about a break during a hearing, Mclain?¡± Alton demanded.


    The rather smug-looking old man put a hand in his black vest''s coat pocket, causing his medals to shake as he stuck out his chest.


    ¡°The business of the people.¡± He said simply, with a cocky grin that pulled at the wrinkles on his face.


    Agatha tapped Alton on the shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked with a note of trepidation.


    Alton just stalked forward and took a piece of paper from the table near the front of the desk. After reading it over briefly, Alton just chuckled.


    ¡°Ah, so not only did you vote to have the goat woman found guilty of treason, but you also transferred control over Eli¡¯s affairs to the committee.¡±


    Tansen¡¯s stomach clenched as he stomped forward.


    ¡°What troll shit is this? You can¡¯t have the responsibilities for a student be transferred over a single day.¡±


    Alton turned around with a look of pity in his brown eyes as he licked his lips.


    ¡°You can if the current academy representatives don¡¯t object.¡±


    Tansen stood there as still as a statue as he realized what had happened. They never cared about getting their testimony, they just wanted them here so they could use some legal trickery to make sure their names were the ones associated with the spread of quad mages through the Coalition. Agatha looked sickly while Koal¡¯s light green eyes just wandered off in the distance like she was somewhere far from here.


    ¡°Eli was right,¡± Tansen said in a near whisper that still carried through the silent room. ¡°You¡¯re all the same as the person who put him through that sham of a trial.¡±


    Mclain and the others went stiff at the accusation as they got a clench in their teeth.


    ¡°Tansen,¡± The congresswoman spat with venom, ¡°Such slander besmirches the great work of the people. And I must say Koal, as our representative-¡±


    Koals'' head jerked out its staring contest with the tracks of eternity and towards the speaker with such force it caused the congresswoman''s speech to stumble for a moment. The leader of the Ember association had a bead of sweat running down her left temple to her cheek as her wide eyes looked like those of a deer in the sights of a predator. Which confused the assembled officials until the congresswoman started speaking again.


    ¡°A-as our representative, you must do better in enforcing the correct path and seeing Eli taking on the responsibilities that are-¡°


    ¡°I quit¡±


    Those two words flew from Koals mouth and caused a series of yelps and hiccups from everyone present. The congresswoman was visibly shaken and could only wordlessly move her jaw, which Koal used to drive the point home.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving my position as the correctional post for the circumstances surrounding Eli and handing it over to Victoria,¡± She finished with a nod towards the blond on the left, who looked positively ecstatic at her turn of good fortune as her blue eyes lit up in joy, swishing around her blue vest, pants, and white undershirt while the rest just stared at Koal like she grew two heads in the time it took to speak those words.


    Tansen and Agatha nodded as they looked around the room and left, no words left to say, save the few Tansen threw over his shoulder as he left the room.


    ¡°I¡¯d curse you, but I can think of nothing worse than wishing for you to get what you want.¡± He shouted as the three left the room and went into the hallway, with Alton following shortly after.


    ¡°Wait, Koal!¡± The pudgy man called.


    The three stopped, with Tansen in the middle, and Agatha to the left with Koal on the right. The two academy officials had scowls while Koal just looked like she had a brush with death.


    ¡°Koal.¡± Alton scolded with a scowl as he clutched the paper in his hand. ¡°What were you thinking? Giving up your position wasn¡¯t going to change their minds and now when Eli starts siring, they will be getting all the credit. What possessed you to do that?¡±


    Koal just scoffed as she put a hand to her red robes chest, looking Alton up and down like a fool who just asked why water was wet.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to be the one in arms reach when the committee starts going after Salamede, you are the fool. No threat or power in this world would ever compel me to be the face of the Coalition government when Eli starts looking for someone to skin over this.¡± Koal said.


    Alton just snorted as he looked at her and then between the other two, getting a raised eyebrow when they seemed to affirm her assertion with a nod. A gulp slipped from his throat as he bit his lip before speaking up with some fake bravado.


    ¡°What? Is Eli going to attack the representative? Maybe he¡¯ll go after the members of the committee themselves to send a message, even?¡± Alton said with a dismissive snort, which quickly died when all three nodded again.


    ¡°That was the first thing Eli considered doing.¡± Agatha retorted with her blue eyes holding some pity.


    Alton went a little pale as his brown eyes went wide and sweat started falling onto his brown vest and white shirt.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± Tansen said as he walked forward and put a comforting hand on the pudgy man¡¯s right shoulder, meeting the man¡¯s eyes with a steady gaze and firm nod. That seemed to relax Alton until the next words came out of Tansen¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°His wife talked him out of it.


    Good luck.¡±


    With those last words, the three turned around and went to pack their things to head home, leaving a shaken Alton in the hall clutching the paper affirming the vote to charge Salamede with treason and put Eli under the committee¡¯s thumb.

 Chapter 95: Bitter Farewell

    Eli Pov


    Beth was practically skipping as we made our way down the tower and out onto the lawn where the bitter cold and grey sky more closely reflected my mood, though if Beth accepted my plan, my mood would lighten considerably. Couldn¡¯t say I blamed the woman for her cheer; she went from one of her worst days to possibly having her name go down as a legend. As we three made our way to the main exit of the dorms, Beth clung to my side.


    ¡°Eli, it¡¯s ok,¡± Beth said, apparently picking up on my discomfort. ¡°Look, we just need to do the deed and even then, it probably won¡¯t take. All siring¡¯s with mages are a very chancy thing. If it does, I¡¯ll make sure Salamede is a second mother to the baby,¡± Her purple eyes cooled some as she spoke the words, her hand playing across the torn green dress with splotches of blood.


    I pushed down the knot of worry in my gut and nodded with a strained smile that didn¡¯t show under the smiling metal mask that was under my helm. Beth was doing her best and whatever I was feeling, this was a promise I had made both to her and Salamede. A promise that came with a good loophole if Beth would accept it. My wife got me in a hug and rubbed her snout sticking out of the metal square helmet with affection.


    ¡°Thank you, Eli,¡± Salamede said. ¡°I know this is a lot to ask, but it shows that you¡¯re reliable and no matter the outcome, I¡¯ll make sure you know my gratitude for keeping your word.¡± Her white eyes seemed very happy for a woman who was handing her husband off to stud for another woman, but that magical breeding preference drilled into every living thing in this world often confounded my own sensibilities. A fact I was coming to accept.


    She followed me and Beth until we got to a fork in the stone road where the way to our tower and the gate leading out the back of the town diverged. When we got there Salamede saw us off with a final kiss on my neck and a wave to Beth before motioning us to the gate. My raised eyebrow caught both of their attention, which made Beth giggle.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re new to this. Official mage siring¡¯s must be conducted at the academy classroom towers.¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± I said with a bit of hope in my heart. ¡°I wanted to bring you over to my house to-¡°


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Koal said, coming up behind us with a change of white and blue robes wrapped around her arms, which she quickly handed off to Beth. The red-robed scion looked almost as thrilled as Beth as her shoulder-length black hair twirled in the cold wind. ¡°Sorry, Eli. But there is a procedure to things and if you want her support for Beck to mean anything, you¡¯ll follow the rules to the letter. The first thing we will do is make sure there are no contraceptives in either Beth or you. Once those have been administered, a few other inspections will have to be done before a room in the academy will be opened for you two. Now, let¡¯s get going. A most momentous occasion awaits us.¡±


    ¡®Shit,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    The faint hope of convincing Beth to take some yook root dashed, I let Koal lead us both on with her giving us an impatient nod to the pyres and carriages by the stone wall with a house on the left side of the road. We followed behind, getting a few odd looks from the rich nobles and servants who typically traveled between the two intrusions on nature. As we came up to the lines of metal boxes that had equally armored horses lashed to them, an attachment of guards with the local captain met us.


    When Koal came up to the local captain with a white feather in his cap and a duo of flanking guards, her body motions said she was giving orders. I only managed to get close enough to catch the conversation mid-way as the burly man with a brown mustache and matching eyes got a bit of sweat on his muscular frame.


    ¡°- aren¡¯t enough. We need a few spares for the security of high-value passengers.¡±


    Koal¡¯s nose flared as a blast of heat rocked off from her shoulders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if the president and the king of the Rodring kingdom come personally asking for a ride. I¡¯ll boot their asses out of the carriage if it saves us a single minute, and I certainly won¡¯t let you delay us.¡±


    ¡°Koal,¡± Beth said, stepping forward as the poor captain went pale. ¡°I need to freshen up. Let¡¯s just give the man some time to get things in order.¡±


    Koal just bit her dark lip before huffing.


    ¡°Fine but make it quick. The quad mage has important business to attend to.¡± Koal said with barely restrained impatience to the man as Beth walked off to the left of the fire scion and into the house with diamond academy robes in hand.


    ¡°What business, if I may ask?¡± The captain asked.


    Koal lifted her chin with a bit of arrogance.


    ¡°Siring business. Something that your feet dragging is delaying.¡±


    His thick brown eyebrows shot up with a quick look back at Beth, along with his two guards. A quick gulp and he took off towards the line of carriages, yelling at a driver who was idly standing by one of the metal boxes on wheels. Shortly after that, Beth came back out of the house. Dressed in the white and blue robes with a white underrobe, her brown hair was now its typical wavy form and she looked like a new woman. Even her thick pink lips with a mole on the left side seemed less dry now.


    Of course, she immediately plastered herself to my side. The hard metal meant the only feeling she left on me was the sense of added weight, but the wide eyes of the surrounding women left the feeling of envy coming clear through. Shortly after that, one of the metal carriages was made ready, with Koal excitedly hopping in the front near the driver¡¯s seat while another carriage in front of us had some guards pile in.


    We approached the back of the metal box and I opened the door for Beth. With a light nod and ever so self-satisfied smile, she lifted her robes and walked in. Following in shortly behind her, I saw it was the typical affair with metal walls, mana lamp in the center of the ceiling with a wooden flower giving off heat around it. On the sides were wooden benches, the left of which Beth promptly sat down in.


    After checking to make sure the bolts were in place, a habit I cultivated after my first adventure in these things, I moved my armor strapped body forward and sat down in front of her. Beth leaned forward to keep a hand on my knee. Her purple eyes screamed ¡®best day of my life¡¯ as I could practically see hearts bursting out of them. Finally accepting that this was happening, I started removing my armor and laying on the left and right of me.


    Beth helped me, content to not ask questions and it was when I was removing my chest piece that we finally took off. It took a few seconds before the gate flashed by in the air slits above the top of the walls, by which time I had gotten down to my brown pants, white shirt, and plain brown shoes. We sat there for a moment; Beth not quite sure what to do while I just forced my stomach to unclench. When my mind turned to sex, there were those faint shifts in my memory again.


    Drugs, naked bodies, and lonely nights alone covered in sweaty bodies fought to overtake the here and now, but I was far too nervous to let it get in the way. Forcing it down, I stood up in the shaking carriage and came over to Beth. Her eyes went wide as she bit her lip with the soft glow of the mana lamp accentuating her small, sharp nose and only lightly tanned skin. I put my right leg in between her thighs, forcing her legs open as I took her small chin in my hands. Her thick pink lips quivered in anticipation. Good, she likes me being aggressive.


    ¡°Alright, Beth. If we¡¯re going to do this, we¡¯re going to do it right. For that to happen, I need to know how your body works and this carriage ride is all the testing time I¡¯m going to get. So, let¡¯s use as much of it as we can, and maybe it will make the main event even better.¡±


    I meant quicker but that seemed like an impolite thing to say.


    She opened her mouth with a question, but I stole her lips with a kiss, stopping her. As her sweetness played on my tongue, I pushed her down onto the bench and started doing my reconnaissance. I used my left hand to squeeze her bum, which made her shiver. When I pulled the hand back up to play along her side, she didn¡¯t even seem to notice. After that, she proceeded to shove her tongue down my throat, in the typical full oral penetration she seemed to favor.


    We spent the rest of the trip tangled on the bench. While she was weak to having her nipples played with as most women were, I found several other avenues of attack that held great promise when we finally stopped at the twin towers. As I tried to pull back from Beth, she grabbed the back of my head and pushed me forward to let her tongue scour my mouth.


    ¡®Beth, we need to leave. They might open the door to check on us if we don¡¯t get out on our own.¡¯ I said patiently in a spirit connection.


    She gave a long, low moan before she removed her hand and let our mouths part with a loud pop.


    ¡®Let them see,¡¯ Beth said with a mischievous raise of her right eyebrow, ¡®If those great and mighty mage women or high born noble wives happen to see us in the throes of lust, it¡¯ll give me something nice to discuss the next time they start bitching at me.¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯ve been harassing you over your closeness to me?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow as she stayed pinned beneath me.


    ¡®Oh, yes,¡¯ Beth said with a smug look as her head lay in a mess of her brown hair. ¡®They were quite clear what they thought of an ¡®upstart peasant whore¡¯ stealing so much of the quad mages time. I guess I¡¯ll have to remind them to complain about stealing his seed from now on as well.¡¯


    I got off her as she continued to lay down. Standing in the middle of the aisle, I offered my hand.


    ¡°That seems like a rather pointless provocation on both your parts,¡± I said audibly.


    Beth just smirked as she took my hand.


    ¡°Come on, Eli. What¡¯s the point of being a woman if you can¡¯t be bitter and petty to other women?¡± She chided lightheartedly as I lifted her.


    Shaking my head, I went to the door and worked the bolts to open it. With a blast of cold air, I put my arms out to motion for Beth to leave first. Lifting her robe, she made her way over the threshold. As she did, she made sure to lick her lips suggestively and look me up and down with frank interest.


    Following behind her, I saw there were snow piles everywhere from the main walkways being cleared, even if my breath wasn¡¯t quite fogging up. The typical crowd of students, servants, staff and noble parents clogged the path up to the main tower, but when Koal got down from the front of the carriage, they made room for her.


    ¡°We¡¯re wasting time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Koal said with a wave to the two of us to follow. We did and even the guards coming out of the carriage in front of us couldn¡¯t keep out of her way fast enough. Along the stone path, there was more than one person who didn¡¯t move out of the way of Koal¡¯s near sprint up to the wide double doors of the white tower, now embellished with flowers and fauna from the dwarf¡¯s stone carvers. Those unfortunates who were too slow were knocked aside like chaff as we tried to keep pace with the fire scion, their apology being at best nothing and at worst a hastily shouted ¡®I¡¯ll cut you in half next time¡¯ thrown over Koal¡¯s shoulder.


    Coming into the building, it was the same as ever. The wide central pillar with a staircase around it and the open floors above. Grey stone made up most of the interior with red carpet showing the main lanes of travel between the tables and bookshelves. Why¡¯ll I had been relegated to some kind of limbo as far as graduation was concerned, I still remembered enough to know where everything was. And as Koal continued knocking her way through the crowd to lead us up the staircase and into the adjacent tower, that knowledge didn¡¯t make it easier to keep up with her.


    After arriving on the right floor, we were lead through the open-aired walkway and into the second tower. Making our way down to the room that dealt with legal trappings, Koal opened the oak door for both of us and motioned us to shuffle into the room. With a central circular desk and several tables surrounding it, I noticed a few differences since my last visit, that being the bookshelves were all now along the outer walls.


    Koal zipped past us and went up to one of the secretaries sitting at the large desk. This time the thin brown-haired woman didn¡¯t even get a chance to speak up.


    ¡°Tests for a siring attempt. Now.¡± Koal barked.


    The secretary¡¯s brown eyes shifted to me and Beth. Getting a look of realization, she shot up out of her chair and went to the opposite side of the desk before pulling out a small kit fitted out with small vials and powders. Her hands were practically shaking as she struggled to get the vials out of the straps. What wasn¡¯t helping was the small chorus of whispers and not so quite talk emanating from the tables and groups at the bookshelves.


    ¡°Her? She¡¯s going to be his first?¡±


    ¡°What changed? I thought he was a lover of men.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll be open to dessert.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already birthed a crafter. Why not let the rest of us get a chance?¡±


    This all buzzed around us with no pretense of being kept to the small back channels that such gossip typically resided. It was then that the secretary finally got the vials out and gave an explanation for them that I was barely listening to.


    For my part, the buzzing words meant nothing to me as I was too busy trying to stop my mind from going down the track of future worries at light speed. Even as I spat into the offered vial, the only thing I was thinking about was whether or not the possible child I was going to be making soon would be hurt if I didn¡¯t marry their mother. All the while, the secretary cut open one of the pouches and dispensed its dust-like contents into the vials. When the spit therein turned blue, she gave a slight nod.


    ¡°Their good on that end.¡± She pronounced.


    Koal walked up and took Beth by the shoulder.


    ¡°Take Eli to a room. Once we¡¯re done inspecting Beth, she¡¯ll be brought to attempt the siring.¡±


    ¡°Inspection?¡± I said with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°To make sure it¡¯s your seed that¡¯s in her. We can¡¯t have Mack making any possible claims to the future child¡± Koal said, ¡°For that, we¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t have any seed from a previous coupling in her and administer another test to make sure she¡¯s not already pregnant.¡±


    I got the mental image of a farmer leading a stud-horse up to a mare, but I just nodded and followed the secretary who motioned for me to follow out the door and take a left while Beth was led by Koal and another staff member to the right of the hallway. The passage had the same grey inner stonework and a red carpet which was now all over the floor as opposed to directional strips, which made sense considering it was only large enough to allow three or four people to walk side-by-side.


    As we made our way down the hall, I noticed several other couples going into the doors on the left side. Most had the look that they just had sex and it seemed like there was a fair number of dalliances going on behind the oak doors from what I could hear.


    ¡°We¡¯re actually on low capacity now.¡± The secretary said.


    I was going to give a dry remark when a small group of four women blocked us.


    ¡°Is he here to mate?¡± A brunette in the middle asked.


    ¡°Yes, but his companion has already been decided. Now if-¡°


    A strong-looking black-haired girl moved in front of the secretary as she tried to move past.


    ¡°Woah. Why is he only taking one companion? Surely he should be having at least three.¡±


    From there the bleating noise of insects droned on as I focused my mental energy on trying to keep my muscles from tensing. Suddenly, Koal¡¯s voice cut through my concentrations.


    ¡°Will you?¡±


    I snapped my eyes up to see the fire scion, Beth, and the staff member all looking at me. Looking around and seeing everyone else also had their eyes on me, including a not-so-small number of passersby, I realized I had let my trepidation about the coming events distract me from the present. Something I always did my best to avoid, but it wasn¡¯t every day you were getting ready to potentially blow up your life¡¯s plans, so I forgave myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My mind decided to go on a nice little trip. What were you asking?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to take more women to bed with Beth?¡± Koal asked with a sweet smile.


    I just huffed before shaking my head.


    ¡°No. Beth and Beth alone is what we agreed on.¡±


    Beth got a smug smile as she walked forward and wrapped her arm around my left one. The women who stopped us pouted and scowled.


    ¡°But she¡¯s probably in her early thirties, the old bitch. Surely we would be better for his seed.¡± One of them said in a surly voice.


    Beth huffed and pulled me towards an open door only a few steps away.


    ¡°Well you¡¯ll just have to ponder on what could have been,¡± Beth said over her shoulder as we approached the threshold, ¡°Because it¡¯s this old bitch who¡¯s going to be receiving him.¡± She finished with a slam of the door as we made our way into the room. There was some yelling behind it but the voice of Koal rang out with some now indistinct words. I turned from Beth on my left and took in the room.


    The general d¨¦cor and makeup of the room left no doubt as to its purpose. There was a large central bed of white sheets and red blankets with white pillows laid about it in three rows. I noticed it had no feet or headboards so the couples wouldn¡¯t knock against them. Aside from the oak floor and grey stone walls, the only other features were a mana lamp, not in the center of the ceiling, but in the upper back wall that was basting everything in its soft glow and a table to the left of the bed that held a pitcher of water and some cups.


    It was a room that existed for one reason and one reason alone.


    The sudden softness of Beth thick lips made itself known on my upper neck just below my smiling metal mask, quickly followed by the feeling of her body molding against my side.


    ¡°Thank you. If I could be so arrogant as to say, I think I have a good idea of how hard this is for you, and I can¡¯t begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you¡¯re doing for me and my community here.¡±


    She looked genuinely ecstatic as she rubbed her breasts against my arm and her woman hood against my thigh.


    ¡°If you get pregnant¡­ I would like to consider pursuing a relationship.¡±


    Her purple eyes lit up as her hands moved to take off my mask.


    ¡°Oh, Eli. You give and you give. All the women here are salivating at the thought of having your baby and you go and offer me some time together after the deed. Truly, the world would be a better place if we could just replace all the men with you.


    I do have one bit of advice though. Wait several months before deciding to make room for me in your bed. Koal said the closer I am to delivering, the safer it will be for me and the baby when it comes time to reveal the fact, to say nothing of the possibility of me losing the baby in the early months.¡± She said with a calming voice as she worked off the metal band on the neck and the straps around my ears. When she got it off, she placed it gently on the floor. After which she looked up to me with a lusty gaze and a lick of her lower lip.


    The time had come so I was determined to get it done with.


    She was close enough that I only had to take a single step before I took her mouth. As her sweet, honey taste played across my tongue, her hands shot down to my pants. As we moved over to the bed, my pants fell to my ankles as she undid the knot with lightning speed. Her purples eyes were feral with lust as she returned the kiss and responded with shivers as I groped her bum and ran a hand down her spine through the fabric.


    Awkwardly shuffling with the last few steps, I pushed her onto the bed and pinned her to it. Which was when she put her hands down my underwear and squeezed my privates with her delicate fingers. The softness playing across my stem and the playful grip on my balls made the half-hard member turn into steel. Taking a moment to savor what she was doing to me, she used her feet to pull the underwear and pants fully off.


    When they were on the floor, I put my hands down and pulled up on her white underrobe while she worked off the bigger white and blue striped one on the outside. The white fabric kept going up while Beth shook off her shoes. Her skin wasn¡¯t totally smooth, and it was pretty pale in the places I would be attacking. Determined to just focus on the physical pleasure, I placed a kiss on her lower leg, then her knee, then up to her thigh.


    My grunts and her small squeals of pleasure bounced off the walls of the room as the bed gave only the slightest creeks of protest to our motions. When I got up to her thigh, there was a moment where I considered oral sex for her, but I decided that if I hadn¡¯t done it for Salamede yet, then I wasn¡¯t going to give it to Beth. Planting a kiss just above the strap of her panties on her right thigh, I kept up until I got to her breasts.


    When I planted a kiss just below them, I noticed that they were only large enough to provide me a handful for groping. Mentally scolding myself for letting Salamede¡¯s very motherly proportions spoil me, I gave a good upward yank on the white inner robe to reveal the two mounds. The pink nipples shifted with the motion as her breasts rocked back and forth from their newfound freedom.


    I wasted no time catching the right nipple in between my teeth while giving the left one a light grope. I looked up to Beth to see her lips wordlessly moving as simple grunts were the only sound escaping her mouth. Even so, her eyes were screaming for more, and I decided to see if my hypothesis from earlier would pay off. I put my right hand down her back side and played along her spine and bum.


    Changing up positions, I put my head further up to the upper middle of her two breasts, planting kisses and making sure to match them with a stroke of my hands. Beth decided she had had enough of this clothes business and pulled her robe off before pulling up my shirt and tossing it off to the left somewhere out of sight.


    Pressing her body fully against mine, I tried my darndest to keep this purely physical. Concentrating on how good her breasts felt against my chest, I kept going upward with my kisses until my lips tasted her chin. A small squeal accompanied each blow from my lips, but she growled when I approached her lips. A growl that turned feral when I stopped short of finishing the long journey northward. She looked up at me with demanding eyes and lips that were already doing the puckering motions in anticipation.


    ¡°Wait. I want to test something out.¡± I said teasingly. She pouted with a rightward turn of her head in the nest of wavy brown hair, but she gave the slightest nod in approval.


    From there, I continued my work. Laying kisses on her neck and breasts and changing up my motions. All the while I would occasionally have to stop as my mind tried to replace her with the sweaty bodies of some orgy, but I wanted to see this through. Over several minutes, I found she particularly enjoyed me grabbing her shoulders with possessive strength. When I had her pinned beneath me with her two nipples in my mouth and my two hands gripping her shoulders, the experiment reached its conclusion.


    A gurgle and shaking wracked her body as her hands gripped my sides. I was worried she would draw blood, but a quick check with my hand showed she hadn¡¯t pierced the skin. When I looked back at her, her breasts were swaying with her heavy breathing as she looked up at me like I was a god.


    ¡°But¡­ you aren¡¯t in.¡± She said breathlessly as she pulled herself up to finally get that mid-sex kiss. I obliged her as I responded in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Aye. But now that that¡¯s done, I suppose we should get to the main event.¡¯ I said as her tongue proceeded to dominate my mouth. She pulled back with a sudden jerk that surprised me. Her wild purple eyes shot down to look at my protruding stem rubbing against her belly. Those soft hands gripped the stem sending a wave of pleasure up my spine until she seemed to realize that she still had her panties on.


    Her hands zipped down to the white lingerie. While her legs were straight down between my widespread legs, she still managed to lift them enough that the offending article of clothing was promptly taken off and thrown away. There was a wet thud on the floor to my right as I looked at her womanhood. Hairy with thick lips, Beth rubbing it against my stem did little to quell the throbbing ache in my gut.


    ¡®shit,¡¯ I thought to myself. I had been hoping the previous exercise would make this next step more palpable. As the sensation of her soft womanhood rubbing up to the top penetrated my addled mind, the thought of what would happen to our kid when others found out about their existence made bile rise in my throat.


    Skittishly pulling back without thinking, Beth bit her lower lip as she rested her hands on my hips and ran kisses along my neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset. I already know what you think of me.¡± She said.


    ¡°B-Beth,¡± I hurriedly said in a faltering voice as I felt my heart starting to race with a loud thumping in my ears.


    That got her attention as she moved closer.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked with a tender look in her purple eyes as our noses almost touched.


    ¡°If we do end up making a child, promise me you won¡¯t let them be inducted into any breeding programs before they are at least¡­ sixteen. If I find out my nine-year-old daughter or son is made a parent¡­¡± My breathing started picking up as my mind ran through that scenario, which Beth quickly calmed with a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch over them night and day, never leaving them alone with a servant or mage. But if that is a big worry for you, Koal and Agatha might have an answer¡± Beth said with a meaningful look towards the door.


    Getting off her, she quickly got off the bed and put on the white underrobe, and moved to the door while I got on my brown pants. After some discussion with someone outside, Beth came back and sat beside me. It was a few more minutes before Agatha and Koal came through the door, looking quite eager and at the same time annoyed.


    ¡°Beth said there was some matter that needed tending?¡± Koal said with a raise of her black right eyebrow as the blonde Front representative stood to her left.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a light cough as Beth pressed herself against me, ¡°I need some¡­ assurances that the potential offspring from our coupling won¡¯t be molested.¡±


    ¡°A very crude worry,¡± Koal said with puckered lips.


    ¡°An apt one at that, if they take after their father¡¯s magic¡± Agatha responded with a nod. ¡°Aside from the laws which protect against such things, we can provide an extra layer of insurance if it puts your mind to rest. The Front and perhaps the Ember association will provide guards of the same sex at all hours. Men if it¡¯s a boy, women if it¡¯s a girl.¡±


    Koal took a moment of consideration before nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Can I get that in writing?¡± I said with a raised eyebrow.


    The speed at which they both nodded set my mind at slight ease even as my heart still thumped in my chest. It took a good bit for the contract to be signed, but it was still lightning fast by legal standards as the agreement for same-sex guards provided by the local Front and Ember association was drawn up and promptly signed by all involved parties under the eyes of a judge who looked like he sprinted the whole way here.


    My heart stopped thumping in my chest at a breakneck pace and was content to only resemble the strain of a long jog as the three left me and Beth by ourselves on the bed. Nodding in satisfaction that every precaution had been made, I proceeded to do what I came here to do.


    Getting up and throwing off my pants, Beth made sure to send a lustful look southward before she lifted off her white underrobe. Walking forward, I put one hand under her butt and another along her back as I lifted her up and towards the middle of the bed.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Beth purred with a wild grin. ¡°I feel weightless in these strong arms of yours.¡±


    Laying her down in the middle of the center row of pillows, her breasts jiggled as she spread her legs out and held out her hands with a come-hither motion. Climbing on top of her, her soft hands went past my chest and gripped my half-hard member. Sending spikes of electricity up my spine, she worked it back to hardness with rubs and the occasional squeeze of my balls.


    Her task finished; I brought my tip up to the glistening mess of hair that was her pussy. When I pressed forward, the pea of her clit stuck out above my shaft and sent her shivering whenever I moved to go deeper as it rubbed across the top of my manhood. I focused all my mental energy on keeping my mind preoccupied with how good it all felt, that sopping wet heat around my stem as the woman gave off all sorts of wonderful cooing moans and curses.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Beth said with a raise of her head as she stole my lips, sending the taste of honey down my throat. After a second, she pulled back with a loud pop, ¡°You¡¯re so much bigger than what I¡¯ve been used to. Just give me a moment to stretch out for you.¡±


    A huff escaped my lips as I put my hands down to squeeze both her breasts.


    ¡°I bet you say that to all the quad mages.¡±


    She bit her lip and rolled her eyes from the roughing palming her tits were being given before she gripped my ass and kissed my neck.


    ¡°Only the cute ones.¡±


    ¡°Cute?¡± I demanded with a raised eyebrow.


    Her thick pink lips twisted into a mischievous smile. She quickly wrapped both legs around mine and used her new leverage to pull me forward. With the sensation of her inner folds gripping me every inch of the way, I was finally in. We both had a pause as the moment of my first thrust arrived.


    Moving my hands back to grip her shoulders, I used my grasp to push her downward with each thrust. For a while, I was content to keep concentrating on the pleasure in the hopes that it would speed things along, but my stomach was still clenching from worry and the finish line stayed out of sight. After a few minutes or half an hour of thrusting into Beth, sweat running down both our bodies and faces red from arousal and exertion, I realized I wasn¡¯t going to finish with just this.


    Changing things up, I shifted Beth around and onto her knees.


    ¡°Eek!¡± She yelped, not unhappily, as her breasts swung from the turn as she got down on all fours like a cat and knocked several pillows onto the floor doing so. I took her from behind and continued the affair from on top of her, pressing my chest fully into her back as I pumped her with hard thrusts, my cock sent spikes of pleasure down my spine. That didn¡¯t help, as I still had to fight to keep my aroused state going.


    After a few more minutes of wet slapping and womanly whoops reverberating around the room, Beth came again. When her pussy clenched around me and her body shivered against mine, what I needed to do to finish finally occurred to me. I grabbed her ass with my left hand and rubbed her shoulder my right as I ran kisses up her spine.


    ¡°E-E-li!¡± Beth moaned.


    As I worked her body further, the moans of my name became yelps. As I turned her over again and attacked her lips with my tongue and her shoulders with a deep rub, the yelps became proper screams when I didn¡¯t have her lips sealed with a kiss. I lost count of how many times her pussy doused me or her body shook after that, but I do know that my time to finish was near.


    ¡°All right Beth. I¡¯m coming,¡± I growled as I gritted my teeth and seized her hips with both hands, the coming release finally arriving as I thrust with wild abandon into her sopping womanhood.


    Beth bit her lower lip and shot me a lust-filled gaze as her eyes demanded my offering. It wasn¡¯t just her eyes, though. Her hands left my sides as she leaned forward and put her hands down towards my dick. Gripping one ball in each soft, plying palm, she started massaging them. Sending waves of pleasure through my body, Beth yelled as she continued to coax her prize out of me.


    ¡°Everything! I want every last drop, boy!¡± She looked me straight in the eyes with her demand.


    Finally, after so much struggle, anxiety, and work, my base instincts took over. Woman, womb, release. My body surged with these thoughts as I felt the damn of pleasure break. Thrusting as deeply as I could, I gave a low growl as every muscle in my body contracted and I poured out everything I could into Beth¡¯s depths while she released a full-throated scream.


    ¡°UGHH!¡± Beth yelled, her eyes rolling up with her head as she shook beneath me.


    It wasn¡¯t as world-shaking, blinding, or comforting as the releases Salamede gave me, but there was that brutal, ancient instinct in me that was just happy to be breeding as my seed blasted all over her insides. I took a moment, just taking her in as I felt my manhood spray a stream of hot liquid out of its tip and inside her hot tunnel as it constricted around me, refusing to let go until the job was done.


    My task finished, I became acutely aware of how sore my muscles were and I fell on top of her. We took a few moments taking in the air as my dick gradually shrunk, its task finished. Beth idly ran her hands along my back as she let my head rest on her left shoulder.


    ¡°Now remember, Eli. Mages always struggle to conceive, whether it¡¯s men or women. Even if it does take, they couldn¡¯t ask for a better father.¡± She said comfortingly as she put a kiss on my neck.


    I did a slight nod before lifting myself off the pinned woman. Looking around the room, pillows were scattered everywhere, and more than one rip was seen in the sheets from Beth¡¯s clawing hands. Getting off the bed, I turned to offer her a hand up, which she declined with a shake of her head and the wet, messy brown hair beneath.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid my legs are a lost cause. Though, if it isn¡¯t a sore subject for her, tell Salamede I understand why she¡¯s fighting so hard to keep you.¡±


    Accepting the massage of my ego, I got a quick drink from the now lukewarm water in the pitcher on the table. As I sipped the water, I could see Beth was making sure to take in every bit of my nudity with her eyes, despite the personal acquaintance she just made with it. Looking over the freshly conquered woman lying in a breathless heap amidst pillows, white sheets, and red blankets, it felt too cold to just get up and leave so I leaned over the naked Beth and gave her thick pink lips one last kiss.


    Her honey taste playing across my tongue as she returned the kiss, I quickly pulled back and donned my underwear, brown pants, and white shirt. Now dressed, I walked towards the mask on the floor and put it back on. With one final sigh, I headed to the door with a nod and a wave goodbye, which Beth returned as I opened the door and left.


    Outside the door, Koal was a bit down the left of the hall with guards on both ends keeping a small crowd of women at bay. The red-robed fire scion turned around at my approach and gave a slight nod.


    ¡°Ah, I would ask how it went, but the noise prompted us to move away from the door in the interest of privacy. Where¡¯s Beth?¡±


    ¡°She said she would need some time to get her legs moving again. I¡¯ll be heading home, thank you.¡±


    Everyone took a moment to stop and look at me. The women ran their eyes up and down me with eyebrows raised in clear interest while the guards nodded with approving looks.


    ¡°Did she now?¡± Koal said as she raised her black right eyebrow and got a suggestive smile. Turning around she looked further down the hallway, towards Agatha with two other Front members. ¡°Can you look after her? I¡¯m taking Eli back home.¡±


    Agatha nodded and Koal made the women part ways for me as we walked past the crowd and the three Front members.


    ¡°A few minor things have happened during your dalliance. Mack has arrived demanding an explanation. Beck and Susan sent their warmest regards, though Susan made sure to impress upon me the importance of telling you that she was more than available if you wanted to secure support for her house more directly. Suffice it to say, neither is coming out of their homes until the mob has been subdued.¡±


    ¡°That deed is done,¡± I said mildly as Koal wrapped an arm around my left one.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t we all know it. I must say such rapturous sounds can be heard here but not anywhere near at such volumes or lengths. It does make a woman curious.¡± She responded with a look towards all the women staring at me like I was a juicy steak being waved in front of a starving vagabond.


    ¡°Pff¡± was my response. But Koal just chortled and swatted my arm with her right hand.


    ¡°At least pretend like you just had sex. I must say, what would Beth think, you coming back from a nice time with her and being so grouchy.¡± Koal teased. Below her robe hood, I could see the shifting red scales of her familiar.


    Going over the open-air walkway, I was hit with the bitter cold of winter that blasted over the stone rails. Looking out over the land, the rolling hills and the only road leading back towards the town were on my right. When I turned to the left, there were only the endless tracks of snow plastered nothing. Occasionally some form could be seen in the empty fields of grass and bark scars hidden under the blanket of winter.


    Arriving at the main tower, we went down the main staircase. Students and staff were staring at me with clear interest now as word of my activity had spread. When we moved down to the main floor, an obstruction made itself known.


    Mack and a skinny blonde woman were near the entrance arguing with two guards who were denying them entry. The skinny blonde turned her green eyes on me first, which prompted Mack¡¯s dark green eyes to follow hers. He had a brown vest, white undershirt, and matching brown pants. His brown hair was floppy with sweat that dripped even from his sharp nose. If it wasn¡¯t for the undead making such a thing impossible, I would have said he had sprinted here from the Academy town.


    ¡°I heard you sired with my wife.¡± He demanded as he seemed to collect himself.


    ¡°Your wife?¡± I asked calmly as I felt a very acute aggravation seize me. ¡°She¡¯s not your wife.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but she is,¡± Mack said, the blonde to his left crossing her arms and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Our little spat didn¡¯t lead to any divorce proceedings.¡±


    A crowd of interested bystanders started whispering amongst themselves as they took in this source of wonderful drama.


    ¡°Spat?¡± I growled as I stalked forward with Koal right behind me. After the emotional roller coaster I had just been through, this was the last thing I was prepared to deal with. ¡°You nearly killed her. Would have killed her if it wasn¡¯t for the healing beds I made and some luck with the guards. I had to cuckold you specifically because you put her life, the life of the woman who bore your child, and the lives of so many others in danger over some political bullshit. And after all that, you have the gall to stand here talking about her being your wife?¡±


    The rising red in my face seemed to put him on the defensive, which only dampened his idiocy while still leaving it intact.


    ¡°Whatever happened before, she is still my wife. Perhaps with the addition of a quad mage in my house, the contest for the position of Duke will end on-¡°


    I was going to yell at him, but the hot blast of a furnace plastered over my back and sent the surrounding crowd scurrying backward.


    ¡°NO!¡± Koal screamed as she shoved me to one side. She walked right up to him with a look of fury as her snake familiar stuck out of the dip in her robe to take up a strike position. Mack pulled back with fear plain in his and his new wife¡¯s face, but it did no good as Koal¡¯s small nose went right up to his, even as she remained a few inches his shorter.


    ¡°Let me explain to you how this is going to go, Mack.¡± Koal spat between gritted teeth ¡°You provided a woman Eli needed to fuck and that is as far as you¡¯ll go. Beth is no longer your wife and you will not contest the divorce in any capacity. If you¡­ Gods help you if you try to hurt¡­ If you even look in her general continental direction with ill intent, I will personally lead an army of fire casters to burn every single one of your supporters to a black char before I finish with you.


    Decades from now there will be a plot of the land covered in ash that mages visit now and then to singe anew. And when the children walk by asking why that is, their parents will tell them it was the holdings of a fool who tried to hurt the potential mother of the quad mage¡¯s child. It is over, Mack. Duke Beck will stay where he is as Beth¡¯s house will support him, and she will do so with the full backing of the Ember association and potentially a few others as well.¡±


    In his eyes, the grand vision of a dutchy under his thumb crumbled and, in its place, rose a life of lower nobility till his dying day.


    Huffing in disgust, I just walked past him and went outside to get in the carriage I arrived in, leaving the former husband of Beth behind. Going along the line of metal box carriages I eventually found the one near the gate that had my armor in it. Hopping in, I saw Koal wave me goodbye before closing the door.


    As I donned my new armor back on, the carriage driver eventually got the horses going with a sharp jerk forward. With the trip passing without incident, I arrived back through the gates and was out on the field towards my house in good time. The mid-day sun shined above as my stomach grumbled for lunch. With the black and occasional odd bit of white tower coming nearer and nearer, it was only when I was up to the double oak doors with iron bands that something occurred to me.


    As I was working a bit of magically summoned water around my body, my wife opened the door. She wore her best green dress and her white eyes looked eager as her snout flared in anticipation.


    ¡°Eli! What are you doing?¡± Her rough voice asked as she moved closer to get me in an intimate hug. She plastered herself against me with a small purr as she ran her hands over wherever she could get in between the armor.


    ¡°I figured a husband coming home to his wife reeking of another woman is rather distasteful, so I was trying to do a quick wash.¡±


    Salamede just snorted as she worked off the strap for my chest piece.


    ¡°Come inside, you sexy man, and let me worship you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t given time to respond she pulled me into our home with the smell of meat pies filling the room. I was expecting her to want a reenactment of my morning, but instead, when she got the armor off, she pushed me on the brown leather couch opposite the fireplace. Heading to the small kitchen to the right of the main door, she got out a tray of steaming pies and a large mug of beer, which she put on a table opposite of me.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    From there she pressed herself into me and plied me with sips of beer and bites of pies, all fed to me like an emperor enjoying food from his sensual servant.


    ¡°You truly aren¡¯t mad?¡± I asked after the third bite of spicy meat pie was washed down with a cold swig of beer.


    ¡°Mad?¡± Salamede asked with a raised eyebrow. Her next words she made sure to accentuate by lifting herself and pressing me in between her considerable breasts. ¡°Eli, I love you for it. I have no doubts about your power and your ability. The charity you have shown is without question. But¡­¡± She bit her lip while she considered her next words, which was fine by me as I gripped my two pillows with naked lust. That made her bite her lower lip harder, but she eventually found the words. ¡°But now I know you will uphold promises, even with extreme discomfort involved. I know how hard it was for you, and you still kept your promise. That shows you¡¯re reliable and it is so comforting to know that when we agree on something I have just another example of you being dependable.


    And I intend to show you how much I appreciate that.¡±


    Over the next few days, she lived up to that statement.


    Her need for my ¡®magical¡¯ seed to fuel her magical growth kept up, but aside from that only two things changed; there was this newfound sense of respect between us, and her mother moved in. Maybe it was the look of reverence I saw in her face when she sat beside me, or perhaps it was her insistence on feeding me herself. Whatever it was, I felt not just her love but also her raw esteem.


    I doubt there was a drug in this world half as addicting as the veneration and love she was showing me. As counter-intuitive as it was, keeping my promise to lay with Beth had only improved our marriage and the thought of the consequences of that action were quickly pushed away as I used the excuse of the government trying to kill my wife to keep the what-ifs to the side. What was going to happen from that union was going to happen but the here and now needed me too badly.


    While our physical vigor increased, the presence of her mother meant we had to keep our sex in the bedroom. Salamede had made it abundantly clear to the small, brown-furred Kelton woman what might happen in the next week or so when she moved in. When her mother, apparently called Kala but still insisting I call her mother, pointed out that in the event of her daughter¡¯s disappearance she would be the next person they would go after to find her, neither of us could refuse her logic.


    Whatever happened after the congressional vote, all three of our fates were bound together. Speaking of which, Salamede went to the notice board each day checking for the announcement of the committee¡¯s report. When it was released, we would have a day or two before congress voted. While I fully expected some trickery, I could only continue doing what I was doing.


    One day, I sent another letter to Gula explaining the changes in housing arrangements and the urgent need with which we needed to come to an agreement. Sadly, the letter I got back from her that afternoon wasn¡¯t a response to mine, which wasn¡¯t surprising as letters typically had a day or two delivery time. The dwarf food stall we went to every day slipped it in with our tray of food and after lunch, I rushed back home and only barely waited until the door was closed to read the rough parchment.


    ¡®Dear friend,


    There have been several reports about the Phoenix empire launching an attack through our swamps and the Mist pirates coming in through the southern shore. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know why this is happening, would you?¡¯


    I grimaced as I practically felt the glare from those golden irises. Then a hand was on my shoulder as Salamede looked over my side to the letter.


    ¡®What do you think Eli?¡± She asked in a spirit connection. Her mother was almost certainly upstairs in the shower, an item she had come to covet like a second child, and would no doubt be down soon.


    ¡®It sounds like the swamps are about to be a bigger warzone than when we last visited.¡¯ I said worriedly, thinking over all the consequences of this.


    ¡®What should we do?¡¯ She asked as she rubbed her snout against my cheek.


    ¡®An active warzone is still preferable to certain death. Worst comes to worst, Cell will be going with you. Maybe if I can get the airship up and running, we¡¯ll have some more options but until then I just need to focus on what I can do.¡¯


    She nodded and rubbed my shoulder before going upstairs while I finished up a response letter.


    With the damage to the tower fixed, I used all of my remaining time to fix the air ship. It hadn¡¯t looked so bad at first, that was until I looked at some of the central support struts. The proverbial spine of the ship had been broken. That lead to an arduous process of gently holding the ship up and trying to reform the thick wooden beams. I had tried to keep the electronic and heating components in while I did the repairs, but it only made the job more hazardous and mana intensive.


    Working through the ship, it turned out the broken pieces inflicted other structural damages on the compartments. All in all, even after taking out the metal pieces, fixing it became nearly as time and mana intensive a project as making it. Sadly, that letter from the swamps wasn¡¯t the only bit of news that came in that day. Just a few hours after our lunch, Salamede came down into the workshop.


    ¡°Eli!¡± She audibly called. The fact she wasn¡¯t taking the time to establish a spirit connection made me drop the wooden board I was putting in place and turn to her. ¡°The patriarch is at our door. Congress voted to convict.¡±


    Dashing forward, I placed a comforting hand on her blue dress''s shoulder before making my way upstairs. Once I was through the hatch, I saw Salamede¡¯s mother sitting at the table on the left with a towel covering her upper head and bits of water on her small brown dress but kept my mind on the reason I came and rushed to open the door.


    In the door was the harried-looking patriarch, his blue suit and thick brown horns along the back of his head accentuating the brown fur. Even as portly as he was, he still seemed to sprint the whole way here as beads of sweat could be seen on his inner white shirt.


    ¡°They voted to charge Salamede with treason. Word is the president is certain to-¡°


    Behind him, the pounding steps of Tansen running down the path came in earshot as he ran down the dirt path from the main road to the back gate and around the bend of the scars of bark that used to be the trees. As the snow kicked up behind him with the flap of his black kimono, I saw the panic in his brown eyes.


    ¡°Eli!¡± Tansen called, not saying anything else until he was a few feet in front of me, huffing clouds of mist as he regained his breath. ¡°I just got word. I suppose you¡¯ve already been informed about congress and the president. The bastards were supposed to release their committee report to the public before Congress voted, but that¡¯s just another rule being discarded.¡± His brown eyes flitted to the patriarch for a moment before turning back to me.


    ¡°Yes, the saddest part is I¡¯m not the least bit surprised,¡± I said in a calm tone. ¡°I understand that you couldn¡¯t tell me how the hearing went and hold no grudge against you for it, but I must bid you both good day.¡±


    Both men stared at me with a raised eyebrow, looking at one another for a brief moment before turning back to me. There was a moment that played across their faces when they both realized that I had a plan, but they were wise enough to not press on the issue.


    ¡°I hope it works out for both of you,¡± The patriarch said with a nod. ¡°It would not do to have our community lose such a precious daughter.¡±


    Tansen nodded as well but stayed behind when the Kelton man left.


    ¡°Eli,¡± His goatee twitched in irritation for a moment before he sighed and got to the point. ¡°Another item that I am now at liberty to discuss is who will be looking after you as a student. Koal has been replaced with a water caster called Victoria, the leader of the Floods Wrath. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡­. Maybe we could.¡±


    I took a step forward and put a hand on his right shoulder. He bit his lip as he looked down to the light stone floor laying out in front of my tower.


    ¡°You did everything you could Tansen. No matter what happens after today, none of it will be your fault.¡± I said reassuringly.


    He lifted his head skyward with searching eyes, taking in the grey sky for a long moment before turning back to me.


    ¡°Did I? I can think of several things I could have¡­ should have done.¡±


    I looked him in the eyes for a moment before offering my final consolation.


    ¡°Only you can ultimately answer that. Now, before I have to turn this field into a lake of bodies and blood, it would be best that I make my preparations.¡±


    Tansen nodded and turned around, taking one last long look at the tower before walking through the snow and back towards the tall, white walls in the distance. Going back into the house, Salamede was standing to the right in front of the kitchen counter with her mother beside her. Wasting no time, I decided to just get the hard part over with.


    ¡°All right, Salamede,¡± I told her, trying to keep a cool exterior as my stomach was doing flips. She didn¡¯t need to be told anything else to understand what I meant as she rushed forward and put both hands on my shoulders.


    ¡°Eli. Is¡­ is there no other way?¡± She asked with a cracking voice.


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We did the best we could, but the air ship idea was always a long shot. Maybe there is some other angle we never considered, but that opportunity has passed, and this is happening right now. If that committee sprung the congressional vote like this, it¡¯s because they don¡¯t intend to give us time to react. We need to get the dwarves here to get ready.¡±


    She just hugged me tightly. On my neck her tears fell in a light patter, freezing my heart and burning my veins. I made her cry once and haven¡¯t forgiven myself. This filth assaulting my family and making her cry? No, I will be no more forgiving towards them than I am towards myself.


    ¡°Salamede.¡± My voice was weak despite my best efforts. ¡°Come now. You promised. You promised that you would go when the time came. I kept my promise and you need to keep yours.¡±


    Salamede just hugged me tighter for a moment before her rough voice broke out from the quiet sobs.


    ¡°If your reputation gets ruined because of me, I¡¯ll never forgive myself.¡± She fretted. I took her by the back of the neck and looked in the white spheres of her eyes.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll never forgive myself if you get hurt when I could have prevented it. We need to hurry before the president signs and Central Enforcement gets the order.¡± I said with a strong hug and kiss across her soft lips before she rubbed the soft fur of her neck against mine. After another moment, she pulled back and turned towards her mother. At least where her mother used to be because I could hear her steps going up to our main room.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Salamede said with a light smile. ¡°She was always a strong, no-nonsense sort. I¡¯ll help her pack while you get us ready to leave.¡±


    I nodded and went to bring up the two chests in the basement. There were several ways to get them out of the house without being spotted, but I decided that the safest method would be to hide them in one of two space-expanded chests. Preparing two chests with expansion spells would make their trip easier and allow them to carry a lot of food and other comforts, like the heated shower head.


    While we were getting ready, Cell, feeling my inner turmoil, came back from his play session with the other familiars after a grueling shift working on the ship and helped me with expanding the spaces in the chests. As I was sitting on the floor and finishing up the last chest to the left of the kitchen table, Salamede came down with stacks of clothes, soap, brushes, and finally her armor set. Her mother came carrying the round wooden flower that was our shower head. Before I could ask why she wasn¡¯t taking the one I made for her, a knock at the door made me jerk my head towards it.


    Nodding to Cell working on the chest to my right, his black sphere atop the shifting black mass of geometry shot up towards the ceiling and through a small hole above the door. When he came back, he sent me a mental image of Gigan, the copper-haired dwarf diplomat wearing a green vest and pants with a white undershirt. Getting up and moving towards the door, I opened it and saw several dwarves behind him.


    ¡°I came as soon as I heard.¡± He said, putting out a tan hand as his beard and mustache swayed with gold bands and jewels. I took the gold ring-covered hand and shook it.


    ¡°Yes. The only problem is we haven¡¯t heard back from Gula. Do you know when the order is coming down?¡± I asked.


    Gigan bit his lower lip before fixing his emerald eyes to mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. Harold got into a row with Rand over using the local guard and is getting his boys ready. If it was my money on the table, I¡¯d say he¡¯s not waiting for the ink to hit the paper. What¡¯s more, the word is Koal¡¯s replacement and a member of Mclain¡¯s congressional group will soon be gracing us with their presence.¡±


    A gulp was my first response. Taking a breath, I worked through the options and decided that there was only one path left to take.


    ¡°Salamede, get your mother and head out. We are out of time, out of options and you need to go. Now.¡± I put a hand to my forehead as I concentrated on the biggest problem in our way. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to get a response from Gula but¡­ let¡¯s just see what we can offer her to take our proposal.¡±


    Salamede nodded and started putting the items she brought down into one of the chests, the other I picked up from the floor and handed to Gigan, who looked at the treasure with wide eyes shimmering in greed.


    ¡°Food, clothes, creature comforts, and gifts to get on Gula¡¯s good side. If I give you this chest, can I count on you for those things?¡± I asked as the dwarves behind him shuffled forward to get a good look at the plain wooden chest with iron bands.


    ¡°That and a hundred times again, most grand of mages,¡± Gigan said with a lustful bite of his lips.


    ¡°Good,¡± I responded with a nod. We spent a few seconds getting the forming pile of goods into the other chest. After getting everything in, there was a moment where we stood around hugging while her mother stood by the door looking impatient.


    Putting our foreheads together, we just took in each other¡¯s presence for a moment before we drew apart. I leaned forward to get one final kiss, which she returned with a fair amount of vigor before she pulled back and nodded. The two Kelton women shuffled into the chest with their belongings, sitting atop the pile of goods as they lifted their feet over the box''s lip and maneuvering their way down below. Cell followed in quickly after that, sitting on Salamede¡¯s lap.


    Their horns were just below the line of the chest as I stuck a small piece of metal in the hinge so that it would stay slightly up to give them air. A muscular dwarf with a black leather vest and pants picked up the chest with a heave. From the heavy sway of his braided beard, he apparently thought it would be heavier. A notion that was confirmed when his sapphire eyes went wide as he snuck a peak at the occupants.


    ¡°Balrond!¡± Gigan growled. ¡°We have a lot to our name, but time isn¡¯t one of them right now. Move! Before I tie you to the back of the carriage as bait for the undead.¡±


    The dwarf straightened up and rushed out the door. Gigan followed shortly afterward with a respectful bow, closing the door behind him. I stood there for a moment, just staring at the iron bands and flow in the grain of the wood.


    In my heart, the minor annoyance and indifference for the Coalition had been replaced as I worked to send Salamede to safety. At patience¡¯s end, malice and enmity now stood tall. Taking a deep breath, I went back down the hatch and continued working on the air ship. As I did so, my mind kept worrying about Gula. Salamede had saved her and additional gifts may induce her to accept the now demanded proposition, but this was a matter of chance and there was far too much riding on her accepting the proposition I was forcing on her for me to be comfortable with that.


    If she rejected letting Salamede stay with her, the dwarves would have to bring her back. In all likelihood, the Coalition would find her after looking for her and question where she went. From there, the best-case scenario is that Salamede gets a life sentence that I will have no real chance of lifting and they don¡¯t find out where she went. At worst, they may discover our connection to the orcs before killing her.


    The next day was spent brooding and pondering on all the various scenarios as I tried to finish the air ship. In addition to the anxiety over Gula¡¯s decision and the lack of a response, the official notice of the vote on Salamede¡¯s treason was delivered to the town. Fortunately, Harold had tried looking for her earlier and had been reduced to sending sullen looks my way when I went out for dinner. It appears he grew a bit wiser as he made no attempt to force his way into my tower and was content to keep an eye on me, ever vigilant for his prey until it came out of hiding or he got the forces needed to push the issue.


    A few days went by and despite sending another letter, Gula still hadn¡¯t given an official response. The dwarves said she took in Salamede and her mother but seemed hesitant to make the arrangement permanent, which only turned my stomach as harassing her would only sour her attitude towards me. In the early morning of a new day, a knock at the door made the craft that acted like a doorbell activate with a slow whine.


    Leaving the long board I was putting in place behind, I went up to the main floor and opened it.


    In the doorway, stood a blonde with a blue leather vest and pants with a white undershirt that had a necklace of wooden coins above it, sucking in mana and expelling heat. Her blue eyes appraised me openly as did the older woman to her right. The senior of the two had a green work vest of wool that went up over her neck and was just short of the bun of greying hair on her head while a long green skirt finished the ensemble.


    ¡°Evening, quad mage.¡± The older woman said, her brown eyes behind her glasses still appraising me, the long nose sticking out to accentuate the movement of her eyes. ¡°We are here to discuss the matter of your current¡­ predicament.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the farm animal?¡± The blond demanded, raising her sharp chin in defiance.


    The older woman swatted her younger counterpart in the side before coughing into her hand.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here to antagonize him, Victoria. While the vote for the treason charge is coming down, your transfer to our care happened several days ago. Now if you would follow us to the academy classrooms, we have some items we need to discuss.¡±


    Victoria thumbed a piece of paper under her right arm for emphasis.


    I certainly didn¡¯t trust these people, and their suggestion for a sudden trip to the classroom towers sent alarms ringing.


    ¡°No,¡± I said as I moved to close the door.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Victoria said as she put a hand on the door. ¡°We¡¯re not just overseers like Koal. Your well-being as a student has now fallen under our purview. Fight us, and we can have you moved to a room in the dorms to foster a healthier environment.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why my graduation didn¡¯t go through?¡± I said impatiently, remembering the irritated mood that bit of news brought to Salamede for several days afterward.


    The older woman got a light smile while Victoria just stood there with a blank face.


    ¡°Everything we on the Quad Mage Correction committee do is for your good, and through your incredible talents, the good of us all. Now please, the day doesn¡¯t get warmer at this time of year.¡± She said, casting her brown eyes miserably over the field of snow.


    Killing these two would be the quickest way to solve this issue. But¡­ I can¡¯t just blast them and not expect an army to arrive at my doorstep at some point or for them to take hostages from the Kelton¡¯s to get my compliance. Of all the bad choices I had, acquiescing to their demands was the least troublesome. For now.


    ¡°Fine, just let me get ready. Dangerous trips and all that.¡±


    They both nodded and stood still, clearly not willing to move until I returned.


    Going back up the stairs, I donned the crude armor I had made as a replacement for my lost hawk-like armor. Not taking any chances, I took a few bubble grenades and fire, earth spewing poles with packet-switched enchantments that I had made in my off time, and shoved them into a knap sack. Heading back downstairs, when I opened the front door the two were still sitting there.


    Nodding towards me with a smile found on most grandmothers'' faces, the congresswoman tilted her head towards the gate in the far-off distance. For a while, the soft wind and crunch of snow was the only thing heard as we made our way to the row of burning pyres, kept perpetually stoked with fresh wood and grey-skinned bodies.


    After a few moments, they directed me towards a carriage and motioned me inside. The inside was considerably warmer with the mana lamp and heating flower combination. Noticing that there were only the Ren and Len twins in the back, I sat on the left bench with a slightly relaxed posture as the presence of other students slightly dulled my fears. The two women quickly moved to sit opposite of me, with the congresswoman on the right and Victoria on the left.


    Then we took off with a hard shift.


    Given how it usually took us a few minutes to leave when we got in the carriage, my suspicion only increased. Killing me wasn¡¯t an option for them, so something else was going on. Moving my shoulders skin around, I quickly summoned a few fire and earth spells using my internal mana generation for fuel. I kept the constructs hidden between my armor plates. They would summon stone spikes and fire balls just above the steel plates, but I wanted to make sure that my suspicions were confirmed before setting them off.


    After just a few more minutes into our trip, we suddenly pulled off the road with a hard thump and shake. I looked around and, sure enough, they weren¡¯t perturbed by the sudden rocking of the carriage. Surprisingly, neither were the twins in the back as we came to a stop. Victoria and the congresswoman got smug looks as the blond got up and moved to undo the latch on the door.


    Kicking her in the hip, she yelped in what seemed genuine surprise as my metal boot connected with the bone. Then a gust of magical wind blew over my suit. Looking at the end of the carriage, I saw the twin with green eyes finishing shoot out an air spell from a green mana construct on his right hand. Clicking my tongue in disappointment, I turned back to the two women in front of me.


    ¡°I get the feeling I¡¯m not going to like what happens when you open that door,¡± I said with a bitter grin under my smiling mask as I moved in front of the metal door.


    Victoria just looked sullenly at me as she nursed her sadly unbroken hip. It was at that moment the door opened from behind me. Moving to the left, I saw it was the pretty blond teacher who approached me when Bess was putting that gold X-shaped pin on me.


    ¡°Hello, Eli,¡± Her green eyes behind her glasses looking at me like I was a meal long-awaited. Her sharp chin comes up to the other two women as she pulled back to let them out. Victoria quickly got out first but when the old woman went to leave, I took her in the back of the throat with my left gauntlet. Gripping her spine, I held her in front of me like a shield as I hefted my warhammer with my right hand.


    ¡°Really, Eli?¡± She demanded with a look of outrage. ¡°Using an old woman as a shield? What will people think when they hear of you using a near sixty-year-old woman for protection?¡±


    At that moment, I could only laugh. From the use of age as a means to infer weakness to the notion that sixty years was some kind of grand age, I just laughed. I¡¯ve spent fifty years putting in engines for a large starship by myself, multiple times, and something about these two absurd statements being played so seriously caught me off guard.


    The other passengers didn¡¯t get the joke, of course, but I ignored their confused looks as the merry mood gradually left me.


    ¡°Listen,¡± I said in as calm a tone as I could manage. ¡°What game are you playing at?¡±


    The congresswoman didn¡¯t seem as confident as she previously was considering she looked at me like I was crazy. However, she quickly choked down the fear and assumed a stance of fake confidence.


    ¡°We¡¯ll show you once we leave the carriage. Now, there are some air mages out there who could suck the air out of this carriage and storm it. So, what will it be, quad mage?¡± She demanded. The fear was still clear in her voice though, as getting her upper spine in the grip of a crazy man clearly wasn¡¯t part of her plan.


    Looking her in the eyes as I pondered my options, I decided that obeying would be for the best. My suit''s speed would do me no good in the carriage and battling for air severely reduced the number of magical elements I could use. Then I noticed that there was no blue or gold mana anywhere. That meant that they must have sucked the mana out of this region to take away my magical power.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said.


    Roughly shoving her forward, I took a quick look around and noticed no one was on the right, and quickly moved there. The neighing of a horse behind me showed another carriage. Cursing, I looked forward again and saw that even with the two brown-haired twins out and four plain-clothed women of a rough make with white and brown pants or shirts on the left of the carriage, no one was trying to get closer to me.


    ¡°If you would follow us, we won¡¯t attack you,¡± The blond teacher said sweetly with a hand wave towards a particularly large hill on the left as the rather plain clothes mages thumbed daggers, swords, and bow in emphasis. With their ignorance of how unimpeded I would be in a mana dead zone, I decided that playing along until they were more grouped up would be better, especially if my suspicions were right.


    Making sure not to let anyone behind me, I followed the small group until I got to the bend around the snow-covered rise in the earth and saw what I was brought here for. On the left with ropes around them were various undead humans, dogs, and deer. Looking behind them, I saw that the ropes were attached to large stone bricks On the right was a line of rather battered and bloody-looking Frojan and orcs with their bare knees in the snow. Something that the heavy binds on their arms and legs prevented them from fixing.


    The main problem was that five other staff members and the four rough women that moved in the middle of these two lines with a large red blanket laid across the snow. A tight ball of women gathered a light stone''s throw in front of me.


    Ah, so they were going to rape me.


    With what could barely be considered a mystery solved, I looked around the lusty gazes of all the women and locked onto the two twins on my left. The two male twins.


    ¡°So, what are you two going to get out of this?¡± I asked in a light tone.


    The left twin with green eyes looked straight at me as he spoke.


    ¡°They¡¯ve promised to get us a good position in the other associations. Sorry, Eli. Nothing personal.¡±


    The other had some distress in his brown eyes but said nothing as he bit his lips.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The congresswoman yelled, apparently feeling more in control now. ¡°Victoria. Get on the carriage and go back towards the town. I assume everything is good on your end?¡± She said with a look towards the blond teacher, who nodded with a smile that accentuated the mole above her left eye.


    ¡°Yes. We reserved every carriage and had those we couldn¡¯t down for maintenance. We¡¯ll have a few good hours of baby-making fun with no distractions from the classrooms.¡±


    The congresswoman nodded then turned right to Victoria.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Victoria shot her a nasty look, which only made the older woman harden her face.


    ¡°Go, Victoria! We¡¯ve talked about this. You¡¯re the only one who would get away from an orc and undead ambush and has the authority to slow them down. Just wait a good hour before taking that bend where they¡¯ll see you and then give us as much time as you can.¡± She spat, with an air of anger at the moment of defiance.


    The blond looked at me for a moment before sighing and stomping off without a word. After a minute, I heard one of the carriages taking off in the distance.


    ¡°All right, Eli.¡± The congresswoman said, uselessly trying to wiggle out of my grip. ¡°Are you going to make this hard or are you going to finally act like a man with an actual dick?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± One of the rough women called, a shorter woman with black hair and thin cheeks. ¡°I kind of like the idea of mounting a struggling quad mage.¡±


    There were some nasty nods of approval at that but most of the staff with blue and white stripped robes just continued staring at me. The Orcs and Frojan on the right were looking at the event with mild interest or breaking out in a sweat, with their age determining which reaction they had.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this.¡± I croaked, my voice getting shaky, ¡°Someone will hear or come along this road.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± The blond teacher said. ¡°Every precaution has been taken. Unlike you, we care about the future of this nation and will do whatever it takes to ensure its survival. We made absolutely sure there wouldn¡¯t be a soul coming along this road for a good hour.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said happily. She had a moment of confusion at the sudden disappearance of my fear but the point where she could have stopped this had passed.


    I activated the spells on my left shoulder. The sudden stone spike and fire balls tore the two twins to a bloody mess of ripped and burnt flesh. There was a moment where the rest were stunned for a moment, which didn¡¯t change when I used my internal mana generation to summon a huge ball of water and fire, which I promptly slammed into the group that had so conveniently crowded together for me.


    The staff members stood still as statues when the steaming bubble slammed into them. With some actual combat experience, the four actual fighters of the group managed to snap out of their confusion. Sadly, for them anyway, two of their number had their roll send them right into the line of undead on ropes.


    ¡°AAAHH!¡± One brunette cried as the undead human bit her nose off, quickly followed by her other parts as the blond further down the line had her entrails feasted on by a furless, grey-skinned hound.


    The other two had a moment of dawning comprehension that I was an ultimate mage. A realization that dissipated when a stone spike took them between the eyes. Followed by other spikes that quickly found their way into the skull of the writhing mass of burned staff members as well.


    I took a moment, just taking in a deep breath of the cold winter air.


    ¡°How?!¡± The congresswoman screamed with a look of fury as she kept her gaze locked onto the fresh corpses with the occasional sound of cracking bones and tearing flesh on the left. ¡°They said they got all the mana used up with wind spells.¡±


    I was going to say something but a green Frojan to the right, an older male with a thick blue robe and fluffy furry pants, croaked up in response.


    ¡°Ultimate mage. He¡¯s an ultimate mage.¡±


    The congresswoman¡¯s brown eyes shot up and looked me up and down. I just nodded and licked my lips beneath my metal mask.


    ¡°Indeed, I am. But more importantly, we have some business to discuss.¡± I said lightheartedly before I threw the wrinkly woman face-first into the snow. Pulling herself up and spitting out a mouthful of white slush, she looked back up to me with outrage.


    ¡°How dare you hide this! An ultimate mage. You dare keep such a gift from us? Do you have any idea how many problems-¡°


    A small boulder from a spell out of my right hand silenced her droning, replacing it with a guttural scream.


    ¡°UAAHHHH!¡± She screamed as a bit of her shin bone broke the skin from where the disappearing block hit her. After a moment of moping, she turned up her eyes with pure fury. ¡°YOU KNOW WHAT YOU¡¯VE DONE?! I AM A MEMBER OF CONGRESS!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll die as one. So, there is that conciliation.¡± I said idly as I summoned a razor-thin blade of stone in my right hand.


    I think for the first, and last, time in her life, she realized she had made a bad choice. Looking past me towards the road, she turned back to me as she tried to shuffle away. Her brown eyes were like a rabbit¡¯s with a wolf snapping right on its heels.


    ¡°You-you can¡¯t!¡± She yelled.


    I just chuckled.


    ¡°Oh?! From what I¡¯ve heard, you made absolutely sure no one would be coming along this road for a few hours and I¡¯ll admit an attack by the undead followed up by an Orc raid is a perfect way to cover up the rough treatment of gang rape. No. You did a really good job setting things up. For me,¡± I complimented her. I undid my mask and tossed it to the ground. That seemed to unnerve her as my small smile was now totally visible.


    She did a pathetic attempt to get up and crawl away, but it did her no good as I pinned her to the ground with a steel boot.


    From there, it was only a good ten minutes before I finished. Her back and stomach were missing some skin, but I pretty easily got everything she could tell me. Which wasn¡¯t much, to be honest. Mostly about national security secrets and bribery schemes and nothing that interested me, the only relevant fact she revealed was that no one but her and Victoria knew about the truth of what happened today. When I stopped midway through the interrogation to deal with the cold, the Orcs and Frojan were pleased when I used a fire spell to keep the area warm and just so happened to include them in the spell''s area.


    Having pushed back the cold, I focused on the problem at hand.


    ¡°Well, all those national security secrets aren¡¯t worth a dead rats hide to me, but I suppose you being so useless isn¡¯t your fault,¡± I said finally as my stone knife disappeared and I wiped her blood off me with the snow. My indifference to these top-secret bits of information only infuriated the bloody woman laying in the snow.


    ¡°What now? You¡¯ll kill me I guess.¡± She growled, spitting a glob of blood at me as the disheveled woman had a ripped vest and a half-undone bun of greying hair.


    ¡°Nah, at least I won¡¯t. Need to sell the story you were going to tell everyone and all that.¡± I said cheerfully as I grabbed the back of her vest and dragged her to the left.


    ¡°NO! Please! Anythi- AHHHH¡± She screamed as I tossed her to the undead, which was followed by a small gurgle as the sickly grey-skinned human bit her throat out with a wet tearing sound. Pulling back, I turned to the last, and perhaps thorniest, problem.


    The line of frogmen and green-skinned women with sharp ears looked ready for death, that being the only logical outcome of this event. Me being an ultimate mage was far too good of a secret to let out amongst his mortal enemies. That was, after all, the sensible, logical course of things.


    My mind, however, was on a very different track of thought. Exposing this whole sordid affair would shame a few people but it didn¡¯t really help me. Victoria would probably be ruined but there was always another glory-hungry fool and most of all, scenes of crimes are looked at a lot more closely than scenes of attacks. And if I wanted to let them go, drawing that kind of attention would be counterproductive.


    Yes, the Orcs and Frojan knowing that I am an ultimate mage would be bad. But I still haven¡¯t gotten a single word back from Gula after I had sent my wife and mother-in-law into hiding with her. The fact that she hadn¡¯t responded to my letter or spoken to the dwarves about it meant she was still struggling with the decision.


    Letting these Orcs and Frojan go and having the denizens of the swamps know about my status as an ultimate mage was bad.


    Gula sending Salamede back at a time when everyone was looking for any opportunity to kill her was worse.


    The orc woman who had seen us through so much wouldn¡¯t offer us up to her superiors, but it was something else entirely to risk exposure on our behalf. She may not have enough favor towards us to take on the risk of hiding two people in her final decision. Goodwill was now the hot commodity and one I had a never-to-be-repeated chance to increase. After all, Gula was quite a patriot, and ingratiating myself into her goodwill by sparing her comrades was overall less risky than her getting too nervous to keep Salamede.


    Walking forward, one Orc on the left side had enough.


    ¡°Do what you will, quad mage. We are the bane of humanity and will hunt you down to the last Orc.¡± The orc woman shouted, her black eyes with red irises getting a panicked look. She had a furry brown vest and brown leather pants. Her black hair had several braids in the general mess of onyx fibers. Her strong lower chin quivered, and her smooth cheekbones had a bit of sweat running down them. I walked up to her with a calm demeanor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you. I just want to-¡°


    ¡°Bah!¡± She scoffed, her wild eyes and nervous jaw moving in synch with her high-pitched words that only increased when I squatted in front of her. ¡°When we finish finding your home we will fall upon you in an ocean of green fury, that-¡°


    I grabbed a hand full of her hair and pulled her head back. Her thick green lips quivered over her two small tusks as she took deep breaths. It was while she lifted her head that I saw my target. Behind the black hair was some blood and I now saw the wound where she had been struck unconscious.


    ¡°We are the fruit of the Bastard. Don¡¯t think that because-¡°


    Her words died as I put up my hand and a healing spell closed the gash, followed by a water spell washing off the dried blood. After that, I went through the line and tended to each of their wounds. It was a surprisingly arduous affair as they each had one leg broken and setting the bones right was quite a pain.


    Mostly the Orcs just stared at me like I was turning purple and growing a tail with a head on the end. The Frojan, on the other hand, looked on with particular interest as they saw the mana pouring out of my body. It wasn¡¯t until I was working on an older orc with a scar along her left cheek that any of them spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your game is¡± She growled with her thin lips puckering and her single braid of black hair with a streak of grey swaying with the shake of her head as I healed a cut on her shoulder, ¡°But you are the end goal of our entire species and we will never stop hunting you.¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± I mused offhandedly, ¡°There are worse things a man could face than an entire species of beautiful women trying to hunt him down.¡±


    There were several odd croaking sounds from the rest of the line at that. It took me a moment to process that they all came from orc throats. Looking around, the orcs were all wide-eyed with some having slack jaws. The Frojan, both male and female, also had wide eyes, which was accentuated with their frog-like features making their large amber eyes more prominent.


    When I finished the last broken leg of a big blue Frojan in grey robes, I pulled back and looked over the line of would-be sacrifices. Then I walked down the line and encased their legs in an M-shaped restraint of stone that they would have to use their hands to dig out of and elbows in a similar grey stone of rough cuffs before cutting loose their rope restraints. With all eyes on me, I didn¡¯t even have to cough to get their attention. Though I did summon a big square of stone to use as a stool and to help absorb the now replenishing blue ambient mana, even though the healing mana from the ground hadn¡¯t recovered from the abuse of the now-dead mages.


    ¡°All right, first I need to know who wrapped your ropes,¡± I said with a smile.


    They looked at each other with confused expressions before the older green Frojan spoke up in that deep, long rumble typical to his kind.


    ¡°The humans in white and blue robes.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± I cheered with a happy little clap. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. If I had to guess, you¡¯ll have your heads removed if I just let you go now and you don¡¯t try to capture me, so once I¡¯m done smashing the corpse¡¯s joints, your restraints should dissipate several minutes afterward. I should be back in the fort dealing with the blond woman by the time you get out of those leg restraints and you will head back towards your merry swamplands.¡± Moving to the left and picking my up warhammer and mask out of the snow, I donned my smiling metal mask and started bashing the joints of the bodies as my steel-laden body crunched with every footfall in the snow. When the third hard crunch rang out over the snow-covered field, one blond orc with a long nose and leather jacket with brown pants finally spoke.


    ¡°Why are you helping us? We¡¯re enemies, in territory and species.¡± She said with puckered lips while the rest just seemed spellbound with what they were hearing and seeing.


    ¡°Who said that?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Whatever Garren wrote or people think, I judge situations base on their merit, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The black-haired orc I first healed asked with a thoroughly confused look.


    I sighed and put the head of my bloody hammer down as I leaned against the handle.


    ¡°I think a potentially¡­ beneficial relationship could exist between us. But that is another subject for another time.¡± I finished with a nod as I continued crippling the corpses laying about and those that pulled on the ropes tied to stone blocks. As I did so, I mused on my plan.


    That blond bitch is probably going up to the fort in the next half hour or so. Having her suspect any sympathy towards Orcs on my part would be a disaster. I needed to stick to their original explanation towards the public, but I also needed a story to tell Victoria.


    I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll want to know what ¡®really happened¡¯ in private, which I can readily provide. A simple explanation of the ambient healing mana fixing the Orcs and Frojan¡¯s wounds and maybe a wayward spell strengthening the undead would be a good reason that there aren¡¯t any swampland corpses. Saying the orcs got out of the knot a teacher who spends more time in books than in the woods is also entirely believable.


    Of course, I could just kill her.


    That was a nice little thought that kept me going through the swings of my hammer as it crushed the joints of the freshly and long dead.


    Sadly, she would likely be so close to the wall that she would give away our fight. Moreover, me being the only survivor would be thought of as something between lucky and suspicious and I preferred people to think of neither.


    After my time was finished, I used earth magic to crumble the stone blocks into unassuming chunks along the road and a fire spell on the undead to get rid of the rope and blanket. That fire magic helped add muscle tone to their undead bodies but the busted joints rendered them crippled. When I burned the cloth to willowy strands, I used a wind spell to send the remains on a far-reaching gale. Combined with the now light falling of snow, I was sure even that bit of unassuming nothing would be quickly buried.


    Using my spirit magic to put the wheels beside my legs down, I zipped to the newly dead bodies and fed them healing magic, causing a stir amongst the now immobilized corpses. From there I moved behind the line of Orcs and Frojan. Preparing several earth spells, I unleashed them to tear apart the elbow cuffs. They were a determined bunch though. Immediately tearing at the soil beneath them, I could see the absolute determination in their eyes to catch me as the undead a dozen-plus feet in front of them struggled to move. But before the first palm dug into the half-melted snow, I took off towards town at full speed.


    The long road continued for a while, the falling snow hiding the horror show that had taken place across its rolling white waves that stretched on with the occasional taller hill hiding the view beyond. As my mental map of the area told me I was approaching the first good size hill close to the town, I made sure to slow down to a simple walk along the road.


    Sure enough, the carriage with Victoria was hiding out of the eyesight of the town behind the rise in the earth. Settling in by perching on a snowbank, I waited until Victoria moved. Whatever her sense of time was, it was totally off as it took a near hour and a half before she finally roused the horses forward and prompted me to get off my bum.


    Taking off in a mad dash, she boomed forward with a frantic yell. Her call, indistinct from this distance, apparently still carried over the walls. The men on the wall stirred as the large double doors swung open for the oncoming carriage. Using an air spell, I deadened the scream of tortured air as I zoomed in just behind her.


    There were a few more indistinct yells as I came in behind the carriage on its left and the doors were quickly closed behind us. The blond''s voice quickly cut through the small murmurs of confusion from the surrounding guards and workers.


    ¡°Quickly! We came under attack. I¡¯ll help coordinate our forces for a rescue effort.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± I yelled with a wave to one of the guards, ¡°We may have come too late already.¡±


    Victoria¡¯s flowing golden hair shifted as she turned back with furrowed eyebrows. When her blue eyes fell on me, the color drained from her face as her jaw fell open. Fortunately, her long hair meant only I could see her face as she sat frozen in the driver¡¯s seat even as her enchanted necklace of wooden coins kept her warm.


    ¡°What?!¡± The captain yelled as the white feather on his helm made him stand out from the crowd.


    ¡°We were attacked by a pack of the undead. Boxed in with only the carriages for defense, they were still putting up a good fight when we left. Every second counts, gentlemen.¡± I said hurriedly, trying to make it seem like I was exhausted as I leaned forward and used my hammer like a walking stick.


    ¡°Go, you fools,¡± The captain yelled, waving to a patrol on the right. As they shuffled into another armored carriage, we were led into the house on the right. Victoria, dressed in some of the finest leather and silk cloth of her blue pants and vest didn¡¯t seem to notice when some mud got on the pants when she got down off the carriage and a stable boy took the reigns from her.


    In fact, she seemed rather shaken for a woman who had just gotten to safety as she twirled her white undershirt in concern. But since she refused to look in my direction, I couldn¡¯t see how it translated on her face. When we were in the wooden house, they opened a door on the right and put us in a room with a long table with chairs thick and sturdy enough to hold men in armor scattered around.


    When I sat down on the middle-left side chair, Victoria reluctantly took a seat opposite me. Looking at her face now, I saw some confusion and, now that she seemed to realize she was surrounded by guards, her sharp chin came up and her smooth cheekbones lent a look of irritation as they became red. Still, she was cautious enough to say what she needed to say in a spirit connection.


    ¡®What¡­ where are the¡­ no I suppose they didn¡¯t make it.¡¯ She said with a hint of discomfort.


    ¡®Turns out raping a man with quad elements is a dangerous thing. When the ambient mana reestablished itself halfway through our¡­session, I tried to use a fireball to defend myself. I didn¡¯t kill anyone. Directly. But I did manage to catch the ropes around the undead and blanket on fire. After that messy bit, I used a few earth spells to smash those stone blocks against some heads.¡¯ I responded casually like we were discussing the menu at a restaurant.


    Her blond eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡®That can¡¯t be, we took precautions.¡¯ She responded incredulously.


    ¡®Well, it appears women also have a problem with doing all of their thinking between their legs. They got too distracted trying to sort out who got to ride in what order.¡¯


    She huffed as she rested her head on her right hand.


    ¡®Of all the fucking things. All this preparation and hard work and they trip at the last possible moment.¡¯ She moaned.


    ¡®Oh, how tragic for you,¡¯ I said with mock pity, ¡®Be thankful I¡¯m too fucking embarrassed to try and get you hung for gang rape.¡¯


    That shut her up as we waited. After a bit, a cook assistant brought us tea and beef stew, a delicacy from the academy kitchens.


    After what felt like another hour, two robed women came through the door.


    ¡°We heard what happened.¡± One of them said, a lean brunette with short hair and green eyes.


    ¡°Yes, we came as soon as we could dear leader.¡± The other said, her small black hair and grey eyes showing genuine concern.


    After the brunette sat on Victoria¡¯s right and her companion the left, I could see the changes in their faces that said she was telling them what actually happened. I was content to be left out of the conversation and equally so when the brunette left and returned with that paper Victoria had first been carrying, presumably retrieved from the carriage.


    As I was bringing the spoon of red liquid up to my mouth, I took a good look at the paper. It was hard to shake the feeling of familiarity it gave me even as it was left upside down to Victoria¡¯s left. When I had the mug of warm tea near my mouth, I finally recognized what I was looking at.


    ¡°Why do you have the guard agreement for my potential child with Beth?¡± I asked in a calm, measured voice.


    ¡°Pff,¡± Victoria scoffed before she took a deep drink of her tea. Once finished, she looked at me like I was joking. ¡°We¡¯re going to have this nonsense tossed out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked with an involuntary raise of my eyebrows.


    ¡°There can be no impedance to the spread of your line.¡± The brunette said dismissively.


    I gritted my teeth as I struggled not to grip both of their throats.


    ¡°That agreement is specifically to protect them before the age of sixteen. The age of consent.¡±


    The black-haired one just waved her hand like she was swatting a fly before looking me in the eyes and scolding me.


    ¡°Their age is not as important as the potential they will bring to the world. We three know well the duties of a woman if it¡¯s a girl. If it¡¯s a boy, well there¡¯s a reason caster and above males have no such consent laws in the central continent. Something most associations praise and for good reason.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Victoria chimed in. ¡°This nonsense will be thrown out. Whatever moment of weakness Koal had, the way forward is clear.¡±


    My stomach clenched as I struggled not to lash out. In that struggle, something solidified in my mind.


    I was going to kill this woman someday, and probably her two pets as well.


    As I brooded on the best torture methods and times to kidnap her some dark night far from now, a messenger boy came in with a sheet of paper. Unfortunately, I was hiding my anger with my bowl covering my face from a deep sip and the brunette snatched it up before I could make a move.


    Looking at the three as they crowded around the paper, I decided to get involved.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as cordially as I could manage.


    ¡°The first scouting report,¡± Victoria said idly.


    Nodding, I went back to my meal. It took another minute of her staring at the report for my curiosity to overcome my revulsion at talking to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked, this time a bit more politely.


    ¡®This report,¡¯ Victoria said in a spirit connection as the electric sensation played across my skin. It took a few more moments of her scanning the document before her blue eyes came up, heavy with suspicion paired with puckered lips.


    ¡®The scouts, they found reanimated bodies. Some of them had their legs and arms broken.¡¯


    That set off an alarm in my head. We had spent well past an hour waiting on the road. The undead should have had more than enough time to reform the busted joints.


    ¡®How did they become undead?¡¯ Victoria asked me with a guarded expression.


    ¡®It¡¯s necrosis, dear. Bodies tend to do that this time of year.¡¯ I snorted in derision as my mind looked for any possible failings in my story.


    ¡®Maybe some healing mana drifted in over the snow,¡¯ Victoria acknowledged before leaning back in the chair with narrowed eyes ¡®But here¡¯s the thing, we planned this thing out far in advance of our actual arrival. One precaution we took was planting the corpses of dead cats and dogs in the soil below the area and making sure the scum we captured would soak up any ambient healing mana that drifted our way, which shouldn¡¯t be enough to heal a scratch with our precautions. So, I¡¯m having trouble believing¡­ wait¡¯


    She put a finger up and down the report several times, going over what I believed was the portion about the composition of the undead. I just prepared several stone and air spells with my internal mana generation as I realized that the story of the ambient healing mana fixing the Frojan¡¯s and Orcs'' legs was dead on arrival. Letting such a powerful individual connect me to the orcs would be a quick shot to them discovering the truth.


    Whelp, someday also includes today.


    ¡®That¡¯s odd. Why are there no Orc¡­¡¯ Her blue eyes went wide as she looked up at me with dawning horror. ¡®You helped-¡®


    A stone spike through the back of the throat ended her line of reasoning with her life as she was pinned to the wall, leaving her no time to even realize she had died. A flurry of wind blades cut the throats and hearts of her two companions shortly thereafter. As the two bodies hit the wood floor, I quickly used a water spell to curve a water blade into my armor¡¯s chest, and on the legs.


    ¡°GUARDS!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs.


    With a stampede of metal boots, three steel-plated men came rushing through the door. Taking in the situation, the buffer of the three with a brown mustache turned his green eyes on me after he briefly looked at the three fresh corpses.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He half yelled. Behind him was a cacophony as others crowded into the doorway behind him.


    ¡°I think they tried to rape me,¡± I said truthfully, albeit with a few steps removed. ¡°Her two companions got in some water blades before I retaliated in fear for my life.¡±


    His eyes looked towards the various cuts and bits of now disappearing water along my armor.


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± The captain came screaming in behind the three. When his eyes were going over the mess before him, I had to reexplain the incident.


    ¡°Fucking spirits!¡± The captain cursed as he put a leather hand to his head. ¡°Of all the days for them to pull this shit. Get the quad mage to a safer location.¡± He scowled with a turn to the three guards. They led me to the academy, where I was promptly intercepted by a messenger from Tansen. My guards were more than happy to lead me up to the academy head¡¯s office.


    When I came through the wooden door, the white and blue striped wall had the same glow from the mana lamp in the center of the ceiling. As I walked across the wooden floor, I would say the only difference would be the harried-looking Tansen. His black kimono was immaculate as always with its wave sapphire gems across the chest, but he was irritably rubbing his goatee.


    ¡°I heard you got caught out in the wild.¡± He said in a voice that said he was trying to stay calm.


    I took a deep breath as I explained the ¡®accident¡¯ I had been put through. As I went over the beginning where we saw a carriage that was driven off the road on the way to a consultation and got to the part where the two carriages had to use the steel masses of their carriages as a shield while we struggled to keep the horses alive, Harold came through the back door.


    ¡°You certainly act fast boy,¡± Harold said, the mid 30¡¯s man¡¯s deep green eyes looking rather impressed. His strong square jaw accentuated the muscular arms he crossed over his chest. While the typical black vest and pants with white undershirt were well kept to the typical standard of his occupation at Central Enforcement, the dirt along the pant legs said he ran through some mud to get here. ¡°They didn¡¯t even last a day.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Tansen asked with a raised black eyebrow.


    Harold chuckled as he ran one hand through his short brown hair.


    ¡°Those two new guests, the committee rep, and Koal¡¯s replacement. They¡¯ve both left our mortal world. Damn kid, if you don¡¯t work fast,¡± Harold complemented with a dangerous look in his eyes.


    Tansen¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°But¡­ they just got here this morning. How¡­¡±


    I put up a hand and finished my tale, making sure to expound on how brave the congresswoman was when she got ripped apart by the undead. When I finally finished with Victoria and her two companions'' attempt to rape me in my weakened state from fighting, Tansen just nodded while even Harold looked impressed, though he tried to hide it behind a snide comment.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a harrowing day you¡¯ve had. Although it would have been less bloody if you had just dropped your pants.¡±


    ¡°Harold!¡± Tansen snarled, ¡°The poor boy has been through enough. At least let him get a good night¡¯s sleep before you decide to be an ass about everything. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re quite exhausted, Eli. While you are stuck in this academic limbo and no longer under my direct supervision, I made sure to tell the staff that you are to be afforded every luxury we have. Use them as you see fit.¡±


    I gave a light bow before graciously declining.


    ¡°I appreciate the offer. However, I think some time on my couch is what I need more than anything.¡±


    Tansen nodded and leaned back into his chair. Dismissed, I turned around and went back towards my tower. Along the way, I saw that one male ranger I saw during the raid on the academy town. His short black hair and a cut above his green eyes were barely visible under his grey cloak as he ran towards the gate.


    Noah.


    The name finally coming to me, I kept along the main path towards my tower.


    Once I was back home, I put my armor back on the mannequin on the second floor and rested on the couch beside the first floor''s fireplace for a long moment. It took a huge force of will to get my ass off that comfy leather seating and into the basement workshop, but I persevered through the day. The project was coming along nicely and the next day a guard came by to explain how we had managed to go so long without getting help.


    I was, of course, quite flustered that a chance meeting of carriage maintenance and reservations had nearly killed me. But I told the messenger that I would endeavor to move on with my life even as I carried the burden of being the sole survivor. Fortunately, everyone bought that if anyone was going to survive that kind of day, it better damn well be the quad mage and I faced no more questions on the matter.


    The day after my roadside extravaganza, I finally got a letter from Gula with my lunch from the dwarf food stall. Hiding it in my white shirt, I immediately pulled it out after I slammed my tower''s main door shut.


    ¡®Dear friend,


    Did you really call us beautiful?! What were you thinking? Toying with our self-esteem¡­-¡°


    A good several paragraphs were spent wrangling over how I called orcs beautiful and it was the second to last one that got to the subject at hand.


    ¡®That aside, the matter of your true status has set tongues wagging, not the least among them is Baloo and his gang. They are insisting on a personal demonstration. I know our relationship is quite tenuous, but would I be wrong in assuming this was for my benefit? This final paragraph is from your wife.


    Hello, dear.


    It¡¯s going surprisingly well down here. We have stayed with a lovely snake woman who appreciates the heating and shower crafts. I hope you are at least taking things slowly with my absence. Your work ethic is admirable but with us gone things should slow down,¡¯


    I had to stop reading and close my eyes. Poor woman, if she knew even the half of it, she might just sprint back here from the swamps. Taking a deep breath, I finished the last bit of the letter.


    ¡®Mother is also enjoying some new scenery and time to knit in calm. I think the countryside agrees with her. Aside from that, I miss you.¡¯


    The pain in those last three words practically jumped off the page.


    Sighing and retrieving a piece of paper and quill from one of the kitchen drawers, I penned my response.


    ¡®Dear friend,


    I will be as plain as I can be. Desperation is a poor negotiating stance but sending my family to a potential warzone would make a mockery of any pretense of my state being anything else. Yes, I did it for you. I have no reason to believe you would expose me, but you not agreeing to our arrangement would be quite devastating to my current position.


    While siring is out of the question, there is any number of services I would perform for you to ensure your continued support.


    Dear Beloved,¡¯


    My quill stayed in the ink jar as I stared at the blank page for a good minute. Finally deciding on what to say, I put ink to paper.


    ¡®I miss you as well.¡¯


    My task finished, I waited for the ink to dry before folding it and going to get a beer from the dwarf stall as a cover to deliver the letter. Afterward, I continued working on the airship in the same manner I had been doing these past few cold, lonely days.

 Chapter 96: Visiting Friends

    Eli POV


    Two days after killing Victoria and the congresswoman, I finished the body of the airship. Repairing the damage to it was the most straightforward part of the reconstruction, but hardly the only thing I had to do around the house or even to the ship. When I wasn¡¯t putting packet-switched enchantments into my clothes, a measure merited from the increasing aggression I was facing from the Coalition, I was testing the airships'' various functions.


    Of course, I had already run these tests. Of course, that was before a boulder smashed through the side of it. So, of course, I had to test the heating, impact enchantments, steering, blah, blah, blah.


    All. Over. Again.


    Ugh.


    It wasn¡¯t that bad of an issue, but the ever-present knot of worry in my gut and emptiness in my bed aggravated what would have otherwise been a passing annoyance. Then at the end of that second day, I got the response to my letter to Gula with my tray of steak and beer from the dwarf stall. When I got back home, I quickly scanned over the letter on the couch between the kitchen table and the fireplace on the left side of my tower''s main room.


    ¡®Dear friend,


    We have a situation with the new visitors to our lands.


    I will have more details in two days but your assistance with this matter will guarantee my support.¡¯


    A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I mentally prepared a list of potential supplies. Then I read over the letter again.


    With speculation on my mind as to what could have happened, I left my warm abode and walked down the dirt path until I hit the stone road leading to the central market. With snow still everywhere, the temperature was something between cold and lukewarm as the packed masses of peasants and carts shuffled about on whatever daily jobs kept food in their bellies. Heading back out to the dwarf¡¯s stall, I asked the head chef, who insisted on being the one taking and delivering my orders, about the dwarf diplomat.


    ¡°Would you ask if Gigan is available? I¡¯ll take a lighter beer while I wait.¡± I asked politely. The portly dwarf with wild black hair nodded and went back into the tent. Gigan was good enough of a diplomat to know that words had a limit and consistently moved between the remaining businesses or several inns to make sure that an assassin wouldn¡¯t have a routine to go on.


    After a few more minutes, the copper-haired dwarf came down the road. With the usual treasure trove of gold bands and jewels about his hair, those emerald eyes looked at me with a question as he pulled his purple robe up to stay out of the dirt.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be helping Gula out with something. How long will it take to finish whatever it is you need help with?¡±


    He nodded, seemingly conflicted about the two statements.


    ¡°Not long at all,¡± He said with the deep base typical of his kind. ¡°We need your elements more than we need your time or labor. I¡¯ll send word to make ready when you¡¯re good to leave.¡±


    I nodded with a deep drink of my beer before turning back to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pack my clothes and head out immediately. It¡¯s probably better to do this before they send a replacement for the last two representatives they just buried¡­ Let¡¯s just leave in an obvious manner this time. I can feel the eyes of spies and minders wherever I go, and I doubt there is anything I could do that would stop them from figuring out if I left or not.¡±


    ¡°Aye, but you visiting to be with Salamede is going to be the first thing they think of when you come to our halls. It¡¯ll probably create tension between us and the Coalition when they think we¡¯re hiding a traitor from them.¡±


    I sighed as I strummed my fingers on the bar as I took in the sights and smells of everyday life here.


    ¡°No matter what, they¡¯ll still think you¡¯re responsible. I don¡¯t know anyone in the swamps, remember? This way they¡¯ll know that I went willingly, as opposed to you kidnapping the quad mage and potentially killing me. Not painless, but complaints are better than potential declarations of war. Besides, if it isn¡¯t you lot, then it¡¯s going to be the Kelton¡¯s they go after and they are in a far worse position to take on that kind of pressure.¡±


    He reluctantly nodded and we shook on it.


    Heading back home, I purchased another chest from one of the local furniture shops who was rather enjoying their reputation for supplying the quad mage his tools to work his magical wonders. It was a brisk affair of getting the clothes, armor, smaller wooden crafts, and sacks of food together into the chest. Molding a thick slab of stone over the cover of my door, I looked up at the tall tower of black marble with streaks of white. The flat slab of stone on the top wasn¡¯t the best looking, but something about seeing your work was always enthralling.


    It was a few minutes before one of the metal carriages pulled by a spherical golem was coming down the dirt path. Wide with windows and steel bars on all sides, the tall metal carriage had a double door on the right side which I patiently waited in front of. The dwarf sitting on top of the golem¡¯s chest flipped open a metal cover behind him and pushed a button. Pushing open, I walked through the doors while carrying the chest in front of me. The floor plan was two rows of leather benches on either side of an empty corridor in the middle. Walking over the sturdy oak floor, I saw a ladder in the back but was content to sit three seats down from the front, giving me enough reaction time if someone busted the door down.


    After placing the chest beside my seat, I went back inside to get my armor on but as I came out in full metal regalia and was just to the right of the large metal sphere of the golem''s body, Tansen and Agatha were walking down the path to my house, with a furious looking Harold coming up right behind them.


    ¡°Eli!¡± Agatha yelled even as she was still sprinting forward to get closer to me. ¡°Wh-What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the dwarves for a quick visit. I¡¯ll be back in several days.¡± I said calmly as I turned back towards the door.


    ¡°The fuck you are. Do you have any idea of the¡­ When the committee hears¡­¡± Harold spat as the ability of speech failed him, the muscular man getting a wild expression with the blond just going pale. Tansen, however, just looked calm and accepted my words with a nod.


    ¡°And you will do, what, exactly?¡± I demanded with a raised eyebrow over my smiling mask.


    Harold¡¯s deep green eyes turned to Tansen, but the academy head just folded his hands into his sleeves and gave me a slight bow.


    ¡°I wish you comfort on your long journey.¡± That was all he said before he turned around with a dramatic flurry of his black kimono.


    ¡°What?!¡± Harold exploded with a stomp on the snow-covered stone lawn.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop him now, Harold,¡± Tansen said gently as he raised his hands in defeat. ¡°He¡¯s no longer under my jurisdiction. Our papers say he is under the authority of the committee. You¡¯ll need an official denial from one of the committee members or their affiliates if you want to stop him, otherwise he is free to go where he pleases.¡±


    Harold''s strong jaw came up as red tinted his skin.


    ¡°But the ones who came here are dead!¡±


    Tansen nodded and puckered his lips in mock sympathy.


    ¡°A loophole of their own making. Have fun, Eli,¡± Tansen said sagely, before turning around and heading back to the tall academy walls. As I moved into the carriage, I saw Agatha and Harold crowd around Tansen as he walked off. When I was in my seat, the golem started lumbering its arms and legs to move its burden forward. It was a rather smooths ride as we zipped past the three and onto the main street proper.


    We only stopped when we got up to the blacksmith shop and picked up four heavily armored dwarves in plated armor and axes, crossbows, and shields on their backs. As we moved through the crowded main street that provided a straight shot from the academy to the bridge, I was worried we would be stuck in traffic but once we came up to the bridge and the pyres, the real problem showed up. Harold got ahead of us with some of his men in black vests, pants, and white undershirts typical of Central Enforcement and surrounded the carriage. Tagging along were several of the regular guards who looked like they were considering dropping their weapons.


    ¡°Eli, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but whatever it is, it isn¡¯t happening,¡± Harold yelled as he approached the door of the carriage.


    Sighing, I got up from my seat and walked to the carriage door.


    ¡°Harold, I have every right to leave. You cannot legally detain me.¡± I half yelled through the door.


    Harold turned around. One of the guards behind the burly man nodded, which only enraged Harold as he kicked the metal door.


    ¡°You selfish cunt! Think about someone else for five minutes of your high and mighty life.¡± Harold raved, his deep green eyes flaring.


    Now that hit me wrong. Grabbing the doors handle, I undid the lock and swung it open. Harold seemed genuinely surprised as I stepped out onto the stone road, but the guards only pulled further back, as did his men.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done more for the poor and needy than you ever could. Now, get out of my way.¡±


    Harold huffed looking my armor up and down with a measuring gaze before crossing his arms.


    ¡°Whatever good you did isn¡¯t a drop in the lake of the pain your presence is causing. Despite everything everyone in the military, towns, villages of the south, and the government is suffering and will suffer, on your behalf, you just ignore your responsibilities as a mage because of some emotional shit.


    And now you¡¯re taking off on some vacation with your mountain-dwelling friends, leaving us to pick up the pieces. You¡¯re not acting like the hero of our age.¡±


    I took a deep breath before taking a few steps forward and walking right up into his face. Despite our difference in power, he still held his ground while bringing up his square jaw.


    ¡°I¡¯m a burden, am I? All right, then let me leave. Let me get on a ship with a few trusted people and head off to the phoenix empire, the Central continent, or even take a nice trip past the phoenix empire out to the lands beyond. Tell me, Harold, would the government let me do that? Would the government not squeeze the Kelton¡¯s to get me to come back?¡±


    He bit his lip before shaking his head.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± I said before taking a deep breath in through my nose and drawing myself up to my full height. ¡°Don¡¯t assault my ears with your whining about the burden of my presence if you won¡¯t let me fuck off to other lands.


    Now, I do have the authority to leave, do I not?¡± I asked the guard in leather armor with metal breast and shoulder plates.


    ¡°Y-Yes, most grand mage.¡±


    ¡°Good. Get your men out of the way.¡± I said, turning back to Harold.


    ¡°The committee will need to discuss-¡°


    I leaned forward, my patience for this delay now at an end.


    ¡°Keeping me here is an act of kidnapping, in my eyes and I¡¯m willing to bet in the eyes of the law. And as such I will protect my person from illegal detainment. When the rats and dogs are done shitting out whatever remains of those who try to stop me, do you think the committee and legal experts will be done with their deliberations?¡±


    Harold bit his lip for a few moments longer before motioning for his men to get away from the front of the carriage.


    Huffing, I turned back around and went through the metal door, slamming it shut behind me. Sitting back on my right side bench, the golem promptly took off. Looking up, I could see the carriage only cleared the stone arch above by a few inches as we fled the stain of civilization. Then we were off with the golem stomping into the soil with an exaggerated sprint.


    ¡°I heard you were an ultimate mage,¡± One of the younger dwarves to my left said, his thinner beard and lack of braids portraying his age nicely.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I said mildly.


    ¡°And a scion besides,¡± Another middle-aged dwarf with brown hair and sapphire eyes said.


    ¡°Guilty on all accounts,¡± I said lightheartedly as the two dwarves on the bench to my left and one on my front all turned to look at me.


    ¡°Damn, ultimate quad scion mage. That¡¯s a long introduction all by itself.¡± One middle-aged dwarf with black hair looking back at me said with the snow-covered countryside whipping by as the golem got up to its full speed.


    ¡°Which should you put first? Quad, scion, or ultimate.¡± The younger dwarf asked me.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I pondered for a moment. ¡°I would think quad first since I am the first to receive such a title, then ultimate, and finishing with scion.¡±


    There were nods all around but the older dwarf with black and grey hair looking out the window just huffed.


    ¡°Ladies, we¡¯re here to keep him alive, not help him decide his title.¡± He grumbled, wiping some dust off his window using his red cloth-covered hand. As he did so, I saw he was missing his second finger on that hand.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as I leaned forward.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± He said with a shift of his emerald eyes to the missing digit. ¡°Accident from my youth. Used a hammer to work out a dent in a breastplate, only for the finger to slip under the sharp edge of the freshly made steel when I brought the hammer down.¡±


    ¡°How long do we have on this trip?¡± I asked them both.


    ¡°A good day. We¡¯ve set up a special tunnel along the outskirts of our territory that will lead you to the needed chamber.¡± The younger one to my left said eagerly.


    ¡°Well then, I think I have enough time to fix this,¡± I said cheerfully as I started working off my armor.


    ¡°Really?¡± The older dwarf said, his voice betraying his attempt to hide the hope in it.


    ¡°Sure. From what I remember, healing potions and caster level spells can¡¯t restore lost limbs, but scion level healing spells can, and I have the time to do it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why those bloody healing beds didn¡¯t work?¡± The older dwarf asked with dawning comprehension.


    ¡°Yeah, those will just restore the lost blood and mend the skin over the bloody stump. It doesn¡¯t come up too much with what I¡¯ve dealt with, but I¡¯ve seen soldiers with missing fingers that I know have used my healing enchantments. Now, let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    It took a good hour, having to use healing magic to reform the bones followed by the flesh. The younger one looked queasy but the rest were veterans and looked more fascinated than anything else when the new finger started moving as the body pumped blood into the new flesh.


    After using my mana generation to make sure the golem didn¡¯t run out of ambient mana, I had gathered a light sweat before the task was finished.


    ¡°Th-thanks, most grand mage.¡± The older dwarf said with a strong chin as he made sure not to cry as he continued moving the finger back and forth.


    For the rest of the day, we didn¡¯t even stop for a meal. The driver ate a quick granola bar while we munched on hard nuts and jerky. Getting sidetracked for a single bathroom break, we eventually came upon a small camp of dwarves as we moved into what I was certain was a good three miles into their territory. While I looked at the cook fires and small stone huts, we quickly passed by them and into a small tunnel.


    The change was so sudden that I had a moment where I wondered where the stars had gone before realizing that it was stone zipping by. The driver activated two mana lamps on the front of the metal carriage. The sudden burst of golden light only illuminated the sides of the wall though, as our destination was so far ahead that only the black void of nothingness could be seen for as far as the eye could care to look.


    This was my entire world for what seemed like hours, just the constant stomping of the golem and a sky of passing stone laying out beyond the windows as we traveled down the slight incline into the depths of this world. I was worried about an earthquake when there was a slight shake along the way, but then I remembered that the dwarf¡¯s lands had a constant rumbling to them and they were no doubt used to working around that fact when building.


    It took a few hours, with the world giving an occasional heave from whatever torture the dwarves were putting it through before the destination came into view. Coming out of the tunnel, the place we came into was a tall stone tunnel with doors of wide stone the size of a house on both sides. The stone brickwork of the hallway was of the finest grey with mana lamps dotted along the jutting walls. As we shuffled out of the carriage door, I looked up to see the wide jutting arches of the ceiling before a cough to my left caught my attention.


    The left door of the huge entrance was slightly ajar and, in the crack, peeked out a dwarf with wild brown hair and glasses. His eyes were darker emeralds in the otherwise normal eyes and his attire was a brown scarf and grey robe as he looked at me with an expectant look.


    ¡°Come! Time cannot be bought with money or magic.¡± He called impatiently before ducking back behind the door.


    ¡°Pff,¡± The older dwarf said, ¡°Baxton. Same old grouch as always.¡±


    I nodded but quickly followed the group towards the door, all of our metal shoes clanking across the stone floor as we did so. Coming through the door, I saw a great field of dead trees with mana lamps above them to my left. Above each tree was a patch of leather that spewed mana above the furnace-like heat around the rotting corpses of nature. On my right was a large set up of tables, furnaces, and papers with dwarves scattered about. Turning back to the trees, I saw that the trees weren¡¯t dead.


    What I had first thought was the sickly complexion of death was actually the silver tint of what I would swear was metal, though it was clearer and glossier than any metal I had seen in this word. When I got as close as the heat would allow me, I looked over the texture of the trees. Whatever they were, they weren¡¯t artificial either. Barring an obsessive who had gotten far too much free time and metal, the intricate patterns of bark on the leafless branches and trunks were too close to the real thing.


    ¡°This way, quad mage.¡± The voice of the dwarf from before called.


    Turning away from the trees, I went back towards the nearest table that the dwarf from earlier and several of his similarly clothed associates were waiting at. Coughing into a wrinkly, pale hand, Baxton quickly spoke for his entire group.


    ¡°These are Metellens. Or Metal trees for the average man. Despite the name, appearance, and roots about the ground, these are worms gifted in plant magic. While I would have advised against me telling you this, circumstances demand I divulge these secrets.¡±


    I lifted an eyebrow and gave him my undivided attention, something that seemed to please him as he continued speaking.


    ¡°Being the more nurturing member of its family, this worm is given the seed of a fire element plant from its parent and uses its plant magic to deform and mold its inheritance into a root system. It uses those roots to convert the rich soil into sap for it to feed on. What this means for you is we need some crafts with the healing, plant, and metal elements to extract the exterior.¡±


    ¡°Why those three elements?¡± I asked like a fresh student approaching his mentor.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Baxton said as he motioned me to a table on the left. The glow of the mana lamps above put a soft golden light over the mess of papers scattered about. Baxton scanned over the piles before pulling out one long piece of paper with a drawing of one of the metal trees with a dissection in the middle. It showed the outer shell of metal with a plant¡¯s roots on the bottom but a worm with multiple heads filling out the ¡®branches¡¯ and most of the trunk of the tree.


    ¡°The problem, lad, is that plant and metal magic don¡¯t affect that hard-outer shell. Only the simultaneous use of both elements will manipulate it. That high heat is another defense borne from the plant''s magic and is used in the process of making the outer shell. Which leads to the last obstacle to the manipulation phase. Healing also has to be used because when the worm is cut from the procedure, its blood mixes with the slimy inner wall of its home and causes a small explosion, sending shards of the hardest substance we know of to shoot out in a hail of blades.¡±


    There was another one of those rumbles as I took in this fascinating creature.


    ¡°A mighty deadly thing.¡±


    A lot of the surrounding researchers snorted with Baxton getting a light smile.


    ¡°Believe it or not, this is the gentler cousin of the family. It has is a relative in the Central continent that uses its plant magic for camouflage, and it takes a far more proactive approach in getting its nutrients.¡±


    I nodded before stretching my arms.


    ¡°All right then. Anything else I need to know before we get started?¡± I asked as my eyes rested on some graphite prongs on the table to my right. As I took in the place, I started taking off my armor for what would be a hard session of magical work.


    ¡°Yes. The reason we¡¯re telling you this and not just handing you the leather patches to fill out in some dark corner is that we need a caster who can use both plant and metal magic to make sure that in case the tree does blow up, it doesn¡¯t have its flying blades set off the other trees.


    In the wild, these would be much farther apart, and before we would typically have a shell of the tree metal done up with enchantments to make sure that didn¡¯t happen. But that was damaged and we can¡¯t safely get more without this procedure. Suffice it to say we¡¯ll be keeping several in stock in the future to make sure this self-causing problem doesn¡¯t happen again.


    For right now, though, we need the speed and precision of a caster more than a craft to make sure this doesn¡¯t blow up the whole field.¡± Baxton said as he motioned a younger assistant forward. From below the table, several leather patches were taken from a chest below the table. They had a red tint to them and were more than the size of my head.


    ¡°The tanned hides of fire lizards,¡± Baxton noted as he started getting other papers from the stack. ¡°Now, here is the most important part.¡±


    Far from the do-what-you-want method that I had seen in the Coalition; these enchantments were standardized. The main triangle of the enchantment was to be put on the bit of leather that covered the flat circle at the end of the graphite pole. The mana circles and direction squares also had their designated points to be put at certain distances on the square of leather. Aside from that, it was a straightforward affair of putting the healing and plant mana constructs into the triangles.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As the gold triangle fit itself into the last enchantment of the stack of leather squares I had spent a good hour working on, I did a thumbs up to the rest of the group.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Baxton cried as a round of claps resounded and echoed off the stone walls.


    It took a bit for the dwarves to get the long prongs in place, but when they did, I was treated to a front and center view of the procedure as we all stood six feet from one large specimen three times the size of a man with various contours and bits sticking out. It gave off heat worse than a furnace as pale blue flames played across the surface and in the various knots of the wood, even with some coverings on me. I was a bit distracted making my own set of spells to stop the shrapnel in case something went wrong, but curiosity demanded I see what all the fuss over this thing was about.


    The process was something between forge work and surgery. When the outer shell of what looked like a finished chest was extracted with one of the long graphite tongs from the upper left of the main trunk, the writhing black worm inside was cut with a blade at the end of the graphite pole cutting off the last near hair-thin strand attaching it to the tree. After a second of back and forth sawing, the strand broke and the blade fell unto the writhing black flesh below. It left a long cut that was quickly healed before even a drop of blood could leak out from the slimy flesh.


    Looking at the worm and several other extrusions on the trees, it looks like they gradually mold the general shape of the items from the growth of the worm and use the plant and fire magic to fine-tune the details. Something Baxton and the researchers confirmed after they were satisfied with our work and pulled back to the main preparation area.


    As we sweaty workers were enjoying a cold beer, alcohol on the worksite not breaking any rules here, I leaned against the table with a mug in my hand and pulled my mask down.


    ¡°Tell, me Baxton,¡± I said after downing a swig, ¡°What is this all for? I could imagine a great many applications for this, yet I¡¯ve not seen this material in any of your weapons or vehicles.¡±


    Baxton and the other researchers looked between each other before turning back to me.


    ¡°Sorry, Eli,¡± Baxton said as he wiped a bit of ale off his unkempt red beard. ¡°Not our place to say, aside from the obvious household items for some absurdly rich oil beards.¡±


    I nodded and took another drink, still not willing to give up the hunt for clues.


    ¡°What about when I¡¯m not here? While you have the metal affinity, where do you get the healing and plant enchantments from?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is something I can¡¯t tell you either, but more so because we don¡¯t know. No need to tell us where it¡¯s from, the higher-ups just give it to us. Suffice it to say, wherever they get it from, the source is either gone or been too busy elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Too right!¡± One fatter dwarf to my right moaned, his black hair playing across his grey robe as his ruby eyes looked flustered ¡°May a mountain fall on their head for their lack of consideration. Came damn close to losing a year¡¯s work to overgrowth because of that delay.¡±


    I raised my mug to the group.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s to getting the job done, at long last.¡±


    That broke smiles across all their faces as we put our mugs together in a circle with a solid smack.


    ¡°To getting it done!¡± They all intoned, followed by gulping from everyone taking another swig.


    As we continued talking about smaller aspects of their work, the older dwarf whose finger I healed came back, his black and grey hair swaying over his shining steel plates as he came out of the door.


    ¡°Master mage! There¡¯s been a complication.¡± He called, motioning me to follow him to the hall as a team of dwarves moved to pick up my armor for me. Waving goodbye to Baxton and his team, I followed my escort until I came back to where the carriage had been. In its place was the same portly golem with a spherical body, but its payload was a far sleeker single-story carriage of steel that looked more like a raindrop than the beast of burden I arrived in. The top was bands of steel between thick panes of glass while the bottom was slick and shiny. Both top and bottom had two sets of chains and poles hooking it up to the golem¡¯s hips.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not what, who.¡± He said as we continued walking up to the new transport. ¡°How friendly are you with the elf Dior?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and looked at him for a moment before answering.


    ¡°It started out rough, what with the home invasion and near-death experiences, but the lack of elven assassins tells me we ended on a good note. Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s here and wants to speak with you. There was some talk of having him come down to meet you in one of the lower levels, but he insisted on meeting with you on the field on your way to the swamps.¡±


    What an interesting phrase, ¡®come down to meet you in one of the lower levels¡¯. That may just be a loose turn of the tongue, but it implied Dior was in one of the high levels of the dwarf city.


    ¡°Tell me Baxton, if I wanted to get to the trade depot from here, would there be a direct route from our present location, or will I have to endure another dreadful slog up this slope?¡± I asked with a wave to the hole leading out of the hall.


    He smirked and shook his head as the team of dwarves took my armor in bundles and laid it in the open door of the carriage with my chest under the right bench.


    ¡°Sorry, quad ultimate scion mage. All trade is conducted in a big surface market that is enclosed in a tall stone dome. There would be too many people trying to sneak in if it was a part of the city proper.¡±


    Now my interest was piqued, but I made sure to look towards the ceiling like I was thinking about visiting the dome while I pondered over those bits. Dior could travel through the dwarf¡¯s holdings. Then I shook my head as I realized I had been getting too used to the petty games and tricky words of the Coalition.


    ¡°How is Dior here and among the dwarves? I thought you were a private lot?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± He said as the driver in the golem pushed a button by his right foot, and part of the teardrop-shaped carriage slid open. ¡°He¡¯s a special case. Diplomatic necessity with the elves and all that. Let¡¯s just say he¡¯s a lot more¡­ amicable than the rest of his kind.¡±


    Diplomatic necessity? The dwarves showed no interest in diplomacy with the humans, yet they allow the elves entry? Well, life was full of little twists like that.


    Shaking off the questions, I shuffled into the carriage. It had a steel frame with thick beams along the sides, an oak floor, and a dual set of red cushioned benches. Sitting on the bench opposite of me, the dwarf sat down as he lifted his foot over one of the steel shoulder pads littering the floor. Using the time given to me, I slept on my bench dead to the world.


    A shake of my shoulder and I roused back to life with an exaggerated yawn.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± The older dwarf said.


    Picking myself off the bench, I looked up at the sky through the windows between the steel frame. There were faint wisps of light playing across the sky as the stars fled the approach of the sun. Picking up my armor, I was dressed and ready to leave after another stretch.


    Stepping out into the nippy cold, I saw Dior in the distance. Walking over the scars of bark scattered about the land, he approached the carriage with an eager stride. Dior was unique amongst his kind for his plain green eyes and human-like skin, though his sharp ears, green cloak, brown pants and vest left no doubt as to his species. This time, however, he also had a small leather knapsack on his left side.


    ¡°Eli, how has the life of being an ultimate quad mage been treating you?¡± He called with a slight smile as he approached.


    ¡°Very poorly. They don¡¯t know I¡¯m an ultimate mage but they¡¯re still giving me hell over trying to get me to breed. But I know you didn¡¯t come here to reminisce about the good old days.¡± I said with a faint smile under my metal mask.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Dior said as he pulled a wooden disk slightly larger than my fist out of his pack. It had a diamond-shaped depression in the middle and whatever it was, Dior was treating it like a newborn that would be killed if discovered. ¡°This is the key to finishing the conflict with my father. He¡¯s survived this catastrophe better than I hoped but not as well as I had feared. I¡¯ve got a gut feeling he suspects my ¡®incompetence¡¯ was not true stupidity and I intend to strike first. Sadly, it needs a full mana crystal to finish out the design, and my excursions out in the wild or with the dwarves aren¡¯t going to give me enough time to soak up the mana I need in the time that I need it.¡±


    I took the wooden disk and looked it over for a moment before looking back to Dior.


    ¡°Not ever getting involved in government is something I always held to. Especially because it turns family get-togethers into prison fights.¡± I took a moment, thinking about Salamede for a moment before picking back up where I left off, ¡°What exactly are the dimensions we¡¯re talking about?¡±


    He moved forward and produced a piece of paper showing the outline of a diamond nearly the size of my fist molded into the half diamond outline. I gave a slight whistle as I rubbed my thumb against the edge of the hardwood.


    ¡°A tall order, Dior. Is there some payment in this exchange, or has charity entered into the equation?¡± I asked mildly.


    Dior pursed his lips as he looked skywards for a moment, weighing some great debate in his mind before sighing and turning back to me.


    ¡°How important is finding out more about your arrival to our world, in the grand scheme of things?¡± He asked, not quite meeting my eyes.


    My ears perked up as I took a deep breath and stood a bit straighter.


    ¡°Considering it¡¯s the only way I¡¯m going to get back to my family in my old universe, extremely important.¡±


    Dior nodded before taking a deep breath and spitting out his bargain.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you all the procedures involved with Master¡¯s stone, because I don¡¯t know them. But I have seen who the Master¡¯s stone is coming from on some letters in my father¡¯s private abode. Help me with this, and I¡¯ll tell you who is sending it to us. Even so, I cannot guarantee that they will have the knowledge you seek or be in reach of you.¡±


    I got a strained smile under my toothy, metal mask.


    ¡°You seemed to promise me a painting,¡± I grumbled irritably, ¡°But that would barely qualify as having mixed the paints.¡±


    ¡°Yet, even a rough sketch of this much detail would see my head placed atop the court hall as a warning to others.¡±


    ¡°And what of my head?¡± I demanded, ¡°The entire point of our little theater performance was to keep me out of the elves'' sights.¡±


    Dior huffed a bit of mist as he licked his lips with the cold morning air gripping us both.


    ¡°These wooden keys are supposed to be filled with mana. If people find out that I have one, the questions they are going to ask won¡¯t involve where I got the mana from. Besides, they¡¯ll just assume I got it from the dwarves if the question of where the mana came from even comes up.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve left in the most obvious manner towards the dwarves while you¡¯re visiting, and they won¡¯t think we met up to make this happen?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Dior said with a dismissive handwave filled with frenetic energy, ¡°We¡¯ve already been informed about the tunnel leading in and out of their territory, as well as your immediate withdrawal from the dwarves'' holdings. The diplomats who keep tabs on me think I¡¯m at the bar at my usual inn and the dwarves know that letting you out into their main city would lead us elves to-¡°


    He faltered, realizing his slip-up. But I saw his lips form the word before he squelched it at the last second.


    War.


    The elves would go to war¡­ because I was in the dwarves'' territory.


    My mind tried to comprehend the weirdness of the situation I was bumbling into. The dwarves were a friendly people and the best I had come across in this world aside from the Keltons, but that constant rumbling and now this¡­ odd interest from another supposedly insular group raised a lot of warning signs. Politics produced plenty of strange things in my experience and whatever this muck of mutual agreements and interests I was getting sucked into was, I had too many problems to get in between the two biggest factions on the continent that weren¡¯t, currently, adversarial to me.


    Thinking it through, I decided that if war was on the table and there was any risk of the elves finding out, the dwarves would not have set up this meeting. They had to know what Dior was proposing before they would let him see me. Since I was here under their guard, pleading ignorance to my involvement would do them no good and they would have strangled this deal from the start if they thought it could in any way be tied back to me.


    More than that, Dior was the only elf in existence with this knowledge that would let me acquire it at such relatively low risk. He had certainly baited his hook with a treat too tasty to turn away from.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said curtly, ¡°Is this associate another elf?¡±


    ¡°No,¡±


    ¡°Are they likely to die in the next few years?¡±


    ¡°Every one can,¡± Dior replied serenely.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I replied, ¡°But generally a god-like specimen in his prime and an elderly, emaciated, plague victim have two different time frames of likely death.¡±


    Dior gave a light snort.


    ¡°Yes, but this one has got enough support that they¡¯ll live a good long while yet.¡±


    I pretended to ponder on the decision for a while before nodding.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    From there I removed my armor and proceeded to push as much mana out of my body and into strands as I could. Dior, while more human-looking than his fellows, still had an element of that elven grace that allowed him to use his left hand to grab the forming strands of glittering mana crystal and put them against the wood. Carefully forming a crystal diamond in the outline of the disk, it was near mid-day when tired and sweaty old me finally put out the last mana strand that Dior swiped out the air and put against the forming diamond.


    With a slight smile, Dior nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°I do believe that will do.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said with a tired heave as I put my hands to my knees and panted. My shirt and pants were drenched despite the bitter cold and snow everywhere. The open sky showed a sun on the wane as the day started its retreat. ¡°Now about my end of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°The Advisor. You won¡¯t hear about her outside of certain circles. Those that do know of her do not say the name lightly. She was a member of the original Rodring gang and has survived through the use of healing spells, obviously. What¡¯s less obvious is where she gets the resources for their use. I know of several times where we tried to squeeze her, but she kept her healing up with a deep well of resources until we finally gave in. Killing her would be pretty easy considering she¡¯s a human, but in his letters to the king in our forests of the central continent, my father expressed frustration that our various infiltrations into her southern estate produced no mentions about how the Master¡¯s stone was made or acquired.


    As much as we hate her, her business is too good to cut out totally. She also does some trade with the dwarves as well, though we aren¡¯t told in what.¡±


    While it was likely that she was the source of the metal trees and plant and healing crafts the dwarves needed, I sighed as I put away all that information. Whatever this person did or was involved in, she might as well be galaxies away for all the good it would do me in the coming days. Putting out a sweaty hand, Dior took it with a firm grasp.


    ¡°A pleasure as always, Ultimate mage.¡± Dior said with a haughty smile.


    ¡°No one died this time,¡± I agreed, picking up my armor and putting it back on after a few minutes as the cold air did away with all of my sweat.


    Getting back in the carriage, my dwarf guard just looked at me with a nod before I laid down on my bench. It took a few more hours of riding, often through the empty countryside and some underground mountain tunnels that lead under the artificial mountain passes. The undead bothered us a few times, but a crunch against the tear-shaped carriage or the hard steel of the outer golem usually announced a decisive end to such distractions.


    Near the end of the day, we finally came to the midpoint of the upper swamplands. The navigator told me we were between the Coalition and the Phoenix empire but there hadn¡¯t been too many patrols through this area from either government or the denizens of the swamps.


    Getting out of the carriage, I looked around to take in my new surroundings. The sky was now a fading orange playing out over the water of the swamplands before me. With scars of bark around a lot of the humps of land sticking out of the seemingly endless streams, ponds, and grottos in front of me and the solid land behind me, I had a wide-ranging view that even my time swinging up in the trees hadn¡¯t afforded me.


    And others a view of me.


    Reaching back into the carriage, I took a long brown cloak and covered the shiny steel of my armor from any immediate onlookers. Taking care to cover the metal in a light brown stone, I looked back towards the driver and my guard, the former of whom seemed unconcerned.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon, so relax. We got the scouting division swarming over this area. Believe me, you¡¯re safer in this part of the swamp than you would be in the Bulwark.¡± The driver said, leaning back atop the golem and putting his hands behind his head before closing his eyes. Nodding, I sat down for another ten minutes before I saw six figures coming out of the water a good dozen or so feet in front of me.


    I had a moment of tension before I recognized three of the shapes. Gula, a bigger Green frog named Baloo, and Salamede. My wife had a sopping wet leather vest and pants but didn¡¯t seem to notice as she took off towards me.


    I followed her example, my heart bursting with anticipation. Our collision resounded with a wet smack as we entangled each other in our limbs as she climbed on top of me. Before any words could be exchanged, she tore my mask down and kissed me with red hot passion. Her grey fur was dry, but our bodies made squishing sounds as our hands scoured every inch of each other and her sweetness played across my tongue.


    ¡°Mmm¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡±


    Our soft moans played across the empty landscape for another moment before we pulled away. Her white eyes looked at me with love while I rubbed my nose against her snout, at the same time making sure to hold her tightly against me.


    Looking behind her white horns, I saw the group that accompanied her.


    The four frojan were coolly standing around, the older ones nodding in understanding while the younger awkwardly shuffled around. Gula, on the other hand, had deep green over her face, ears, and neck while she bit her lower lip above her sharp chin. Even her golden irises in the black orbs were wide, stretching the vertical scar over her left eye and a horizontal one on the ridge of her nose. She seemed at a loss for words as her hands shuffled over her black leather armor aimlessly.


    I was about to speak when I noticed Salamede shivering. Using a water spell to pull the water off her, I then encased the whole area in a heating spell. The frojan seemed better equipped to deal with the cold and Gula had already gotten the water off her. My task finished, I then got to the introductions.


    ¡°Hello. I am Eli and I gotta say, it¡¯s nice to be meeting you all for the first time as myself.¡± I called as they reluctantly shuffled forward. Even with the frojan using their water magic to dry themselves and Gula off, they all gave a start when they crossed into the heated area before moving forward for their fellows.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s nice,¡± One younger red frojan with deep blue eyes said as he stretched and swished his green robe around.


    Gula just walked forward and nodded to us before getting right to business.


    ¡°Greetings, quad mage. I hope you¡¯re ready for some action tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked as Salamede pulled away to stand at my side off to my right.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She said giving the dwarves a nod as well as they prepared to leave. My guard waved us all goodbye and shut the door as the driver put his hands back into the metal sides. Stirring to life, the golem quickly stomped off from where it came into the distance along the mountainside. I saw my chest laying on the ground and left the group to pick it up. Coming back with my prize, we all walked up to the water''s edge, the coldness of the water now being emphasized with the dying light.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the mission? And where¡¯s Cell?¡± I asked the group. That got a few raised eyebrows but Salamede answered the second question.


    ¡°He¡¯s back at this wonderful little place we¡¯ve been staying at with mother and this nice blue snake woman. But the reports Gula received are more important right now.¡±


    They all nodded but looked back to the water.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get too cold soon.¡± The big frojan Baloo croaked in the deep base of his kind. He put a webbed hand down his darker green back as his large amber eyes scanned the muddy landscape. ¡°We need to get back to the house. Some planning is in order.¡±


    I nodded and set my chest down. Not wanting my stuff to be filled with water, I put a water-repelling enchantment around the edges and expanded the wood of the chest to make sure there were no openings besides the lip of the chest. All the while, I could feel the eyes of the frojan looking at me with intense interest. Sadly for them, my skin was still sore from having to make such a huge mana crystal out of nowhere like that, and I had to use the ambient mana.


    My task finished, I slipped off my armor and put it in the chest. Everything now ready, we slipped into the freezing water as I gripped my treasure. It was more of a shock than a threat to my life as this more southern land wasn¡¯t the near-constant frozen snowfield that the northern region was. That was when two of the burly frogmen came up beside me and encased my head in an air bubble with two tunnels running up to the surface as they pulled my shoulders forward. But as we moved along the muddy riverbed with Gula and Baloo in the front, Salamede, and the younger red Frojan in the back, I decided we didn¡¯t need to be this uncomfortable.


    Absorbing the mana with my throat muscles, I formed a fire spell construct that I could manipulate to cover us and those just a good foot behind and ahead of us. There was a slight jolt from everyone as the water warmed slightly, but it wasn¡¯t warm enough to make steam or melt any ice that might be above us as our frog-like companions zipped us ahead. Around bends in the river, roots from bushes, and fish, our guides effortlessly moved around untold obstacles as my world quickly became nothing but poorly lit mud and the sensation of water pushing against my body.


    It was after what felt like half an hour that we finally came up into a world of near nighttime. We landed in front of a huge bush with cattails as I unceremoniously tossed my chest onto land. Getting on the muddy embankment, I made sure to not stand right up as I used a water spell to dry myself off.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Gula said, standing closer to the wide array of bushes and cattails with Baloo as she looked me up and down. ¡°It usually takes people three or four tries before they learn to not start screaming or squirming.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. Frankly, it wasn¡¯t anything worse than practicing the use of escape pods. I was always decent at those safety exercises, but my expertise lay more in making sure they stayed in their ejection tubes.


    Turning my head, I looked around to the river behind me and the endless sea of tall grass and the patchwork of water working its way through the land.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Baloo said as he stretched, ¡°The patrols never come through here. Even if they wanted to poke around the waters, they¡¯re too busy out east now.¡±


    Nodding, I got up off the muddy ground and worked the mud and water off me and my freshly emerged wife. After we were both proper, we made our way over to Gula. Her black leather and green skin made it hard to see exactly where she put her hand, but the sudden burst of candlelight and a good heat somewhere between decent and intense told me she grabbed a door handle.


    After Gula and Baloo moved in, I followed Salamede into this home among the bushes.


    Walking through the door, I walked onto a solid stone floor and saw cabinets on the right and left with a sink on the right and a furnace in the middle on the left. Gula motioned to some of the frojan in the back, who took off down the river, though I couldn¡¯t make out where.


    ¡°And who is-s this?¡± A voice called from across the room.


    The rest of the house was taken up by a single large seating area and lit with two mana lamps on the jutting ceiling. While the walls were hard red stone with the rough curves of a cave wall, the floor was stone smooth as marble colored with dark and light reds. In the middle was a low, seamless wooden table surrounded with purple and blue pillows. At the back-left side of the table sat a blue snake with the general form of a human woman while a small Kelton woman with brown fur and brown horns down the back of her neck knitted what looked like a grey and brown blanket.


    Our host had a frill down both sides of her neck and up her head. The blue on that and down from her snout was lighter than the darker blue along the top half of her body. Though it was hard to tell considering her purple robe hid much of her body, reaching up near her neck and almost to her wrists.


    ¡°Ah, you must be the generous woman who took in my beloved. I wanted to ask if there is anything I could do to repay your generosity.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow as her red, slitted eyes appraised me.


    ¡°You mus-s-t be Salamede¡¯s husband. No other human would assume a generous stance when meeting an Enten. I am Lokan.


    I would not accept any more generosity from you. Not just because your most generous gift would not take root in me. Your familiar is most generous-s and has made considerable improvements to my abode. These alone,¡± She said with a hand wave to the walls and kitchen, ¡°Are more recompense than I could possibly deserve.¡±


    Setting my chest to the left and moving forward, Salamede clung to my side as we moved closer to the table. Walking across the floor, I realized the heat was coming directly from the stone floor. Sitting down with our feet crisscrossed, I coughed into my hand and was about to talk when Cell came shooting out of my left vision. He weighed so little that he didn¡¯t even hurt, due to the burst of air he sent out before slamming into my shoulder.


    He sent me a bunch of mental images of him molding this abodes¡¯ stone and wood. The item of a basement was also a matter of some great pride for him. With him rubbing his crystal sphere against my left shoulder and Salamede clinging to my right, I felt more at home here than I had at the tower in a long time.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Salamede¡¯s mother interjected, ¡°Those shower areas have been a godsend.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Lokan agreed while Gula came to sit down on by Salamede and Baloo by her mother. It was a few more minutes of idle chatter about local affairs before the other frojan came back. With them came a muscular orc woman with two brown braids, three cornrows on the left side of her scalp, and a long mane of hair running down past the shoulders of her white shirt. Her brown skirt ran past her knees but it did nothing to hide the muscular thighs.


    While her red eyes scanned the home, her eyes fell on me. A snort from her ridged nose with a bone nose ring was her first response, though her hand running over her thick green lips with small tusks suggested deeper thoughts.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the man making all the fuss?¡± She asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s also the man who¡¯s going to help undo it,¡± Gula said mildly as the muscular orc moved to sit between her and Baloo.


    I raised an eyebrow at Gula in question.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Gula answered.


    ¡°Durka,¡± Gula¡¯s mother said with a snort as she stretched and took in the heat coming off the floor. ¡°Gotta say, you''re different from what I imagined.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The rough voice of Salamede asked as she put a hand over my chest.


    Durka bit her lips for a moment before turning to Gula. They were conducting a spirit conversation but whatever they finished talking about, Durka just shrugged her shoulders as the three other frojan finished getting the water out of their clothes and sat to my left as the now crowded table had all in attendance.


    ¡°All right, here is the short of it,¡± Baloo said, his deep voice carrying across the room. ¡°The Phoenix empire has two ways of getting into the Coalition by our swamps. Through the rivers and streams are two long patches of land that would see them to their destination further north. The northward one is the shortest and will make it easier to get through our territory.


    The southern one would be longer and bring them closer to here, which is the path we are trying to maneuver them on.¡±


    ¡°Is there any alternatives? What about hugging the mountains by the swamps.¡± I asked cautiously, leaning forward with my right hand strumming the table and my left around Salamede¡¯s hip.


    Baloo shook his head.


    ¡°No. The dwarves thought of that and had several of the rivers come out wide enough that they would need to use our swamplands to make a bridge. These are the only real paths such a large army could take. A much bigger problem than the north route being the shorter one, their current trajectory puts our human farms right in their path. We¡¯re four or five days from losing almost all of our grain stores for the winter. That happens and hunger will kill more of us than the fighting ever could.¡±


    I nodded and leaned back, resigning myself to the necessities of the situation.


    ¡°If we succeed, High Command has said they have the necessary measures in place to deal with them taking the southern route. Tomorrow they will be putting out a full report in the local market, then we will have a better idea of what we are dealing with.¡±


    I nodded as used my vague mental map of the area to get an idea of the forces involved. As I did so, I found a question.


    ¡°So why do you need me? It seems like you¡¯ve got plenty of advantages in the terrain,¡± I asked the group.


    It was Gula who answered though her bitter scowl said she didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°We were caught overextended. All of our forces are out west and even with our light baggage, it will take two weeks before we can move any real resistance back here. Our squad and a few patrols out east are about the sum of our forces.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said with a nod. My mind was thinking over all of the possibilities but the younger frojan interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, they¡¯ll be gone soon like the Coalition.¡± He said confidently.


    ¡°I appreciate the vote of confidence, but this situation is different. What I never did was charge into the forts without a plan or traps. The time frame to make this happen isn¡¯t nearly as forgiving as my last excursion in these parts. On the other hand, the details often make the difference and there are a lot of dynamics that are different this time.


    I¡¯m assuming it will be easy for me to see the phoenix forces without either side finding me?¡±


    The frojan and orcs nodded, with Durka putting her thoughts on the matter to the rest of us.


    ¡°Both are stretched too thin. You won¡¯t have to worry about us spotting you and the enemy are doing at most one quick look over before they set up camp and supply chains. Typically, that would be suicide, but we don¡¯t have the girls to punish it.¡±


    Tapping my fingers on the table, I nodded before addressing the rest of the group.


    ¡°Sounds like there isn¡¯t much to discuss before the report tomorrow. If there isn¡¯t anything else, I¡¯d like to turn in for the night.¡±


    They all agreed to that with various nods and stretches. Our meeting finished, the frojan and orcs shuffled out. Salamede went over to the left side of the room while Cell helped her mother on the right side. It was a hatch design similar to our in the tower. Waving Lokan good night as she lounged on the pillows, I walked down the stone steps into a small room. In the left corner behind a corner in the wall was a wooden bed with a fluffy mattress filled with what I assumed was the content of the local cattails. In the center of a ceiling, the half diamond of a mana lamp basked everything in a soft glow.


    ¡°This is a nice little abode Cell-¡°


    I felt Salamede cling to my backside as she put her hands around my pants and pulled them down. Eager to relieve the pent-up stress, the rest of the night quickly passed in kisses, struggles, sweat, and moans.

 Chapter 97: What It Means to be an Orc

    Gula POV


    With night now fully fallen, it took a bit for me and mother to get back to our hut. Once we were out of the water and the frojan dried us off, we decided on our next meeting time.


    ¡°Tomorrow. Around midday.¡± I called to the waving Frojan as they shot off into the water.


    Satisfied with today¡¯s events, mother and I both walked off towards the straw-roofed brick house that I had spent my whole life in.


    ¡°He seemed more than capable. Slow, methodical, doesn¡¯t look at us like trash.¡± Mother said with a sway of her two brown braids as she looked at me.


    ¡°Yeah. I just wish he wasn¡¯t dropping the world on our heads.¡± I responded tiredly as I was busy forcing my mind to not think about him and his wife kissing. Romance was never a part of an orcs life, but something about seeing their raw passion for each other had wrecked my train of thought like nothing else ever had. We were talking about keeping my entire home from getting burned and I was spending valuable time trying not to look to the left as I sat near the amorous couple.


    Going through the front door, put in with the new wealth Eli had gifted us, I brushed my teeth and went straight to bed. Come morning, my mood was rather foul. The recent worry over the Phoenix empire had set a cloud of worry over every morning since that first whisper had come through the market. The recent additions of sausage and hotcakes to our breakfast always helped though.


    As the sun struggled to get through the grey cloudy sky showing through the door frame and the window beyond, I got up from my straw bed and donned a white shirt and brown pants. Almost identical to Eli¡¯s, my mind noted. Huffing to no one in particular, I went out of my room into the center of our little abode as the smell of cooking meat and cakes filled the air. With mudbricks for walls and a floor of hard-packed dirt, it wasn¡¯t much but it was ours.


    To the left in the corner with a wall of hooks holding various utensils sat my mother, her thick eyebrows and ridged nose scrunched in concentration. Being a muscular woman with a strong jaw and three cornrows on the left side of her head, her get-up with a white top and grey skirt clashed with her bone nose ring and very apparent ability to commit violence. Her loving cooking of sausages on a griddle with hotcakes also presented a contrast to her form.


    With the addition of showers in Lokan¡¯s home, I now went there instead of using a warm, wet rag that was kept over the fire. Something mother was a bit put off by, mumbling about ¡®charity baths¡¯ whenever I brought it up.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Mother said as she handed me my plate and fork.


    After eating my breakfast, I went back into my room and got a change of clothes. With mom setting things up for a lunch, I went through the front door with a wave. Getting in my small boat kept in the bushes on the left side of our back end of nowhere, I paddled down the river. The soft wind carried the smell of decay that hung around the swamp this time of year, fortunately, the local animals had enough experience of making meals of the undead that it was only a small concern here. To say nothing of the natural hazards unthinking sacks of walking meat would face in these waters.


    With the soft wave of the cattails and tall grass, I could forget my woes in the verdant landscape that I had called home all my life. That was until I came to the particular bush on the left side of the waterway where all of my hopes and woes lay. As I brought the boat up to the side of the patch of land, I pondered whether this exchange with him was truly for the best. But the prospect of a warm shower quelled any irritation I may have felt towards him.


    Going along the side until I got to the door hidden among the grass, I knocked, and a moment later, the blue head of Lokan was sticking out.


    ¡°Ah, Lefty. Good, good. Come in.¡±


    Picking up her purple robe, she moved to the back and past the entrance kitchen. The smaller Kelton woman was on the stove making pancakes and some kind of spicy-smelling meat mixture on a pot. It was all magically heated, of course, but as a precaution, some wood was kept to the left of the stove and it could work as a classic cooking station if Lokan had visitors who were not familiar with the quad mage.


    Opposite of me and sitting at the table with cups of water, was Salamede and Eli. While our mornings were typically spent with some girl time, talking about our lives and hearing stories of Salamede¡¯s experiences in the north, she was too busy for that right now. As I walked forward, Cell came out from between the wooden cover that prevented heat loss through the roof and glided onto my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, how you been, little fella?¡± I asked gently as he rubbed his crystal sphere of a head against my neck. I continued walking across the floor until I came to the usual hatch on the far side of the table. None of the three lower rooms connected but that was a blessing as the solitude of the shower was something I had come to treasure.


    ¡°Hello, Gula,¡± Eli''s voice called behind me. It occurred to me then, having spent my whole life surrounded by my gender, how masculine his voice was. Turning around to look at the couple, the voice certainly matched. He was wearing his white shirt and Salamede was hanging on his right shoulder, running her hands down his muscular abs and arms. Their activity last night couldn¡¯t have been more obvious from their fondling and slightly worn expressions. As my mind replaced his metal mask with the strong jaw and good-looking face that I had seen when Salamede pulled down the metal cover, I quickly nodded.


    ¡°Good morning, Eli. I¡¯ll be heading into the local market and see what the official report is. Anything you need me to pick up, Lokan?¡± I called to the back as the blue snake woman rummaged through her cabinets.


    ¡°Anything I could get from the market would be better acquired from the dwarves.¡±


    Nodding, I turned around and put my hands over the smooth red stone of the floor until I found the right dip by the wall. Pushing it towards the wall, the soft click announced I had succeeded. Flipping up the stone, I pulled on the wood handle beneath and opened the small hatch beneath. Dropping down below, I put up my hand with practiced ease and touched the half-diamond of crystal mana that now gave off a soft glow.


    The shower was a slightly elongated tube with a small wooden compartment behind me to hold towels and clothes. A finger-thick cord was dangling beside me as it swayed from the movements of the cover I had just opened, which I promptly pulled down. Now truly alone, I pulled off my clothes and opened the compartment. It had two sections with a board horizontally separating the two. Putting my clean clothes on the left and my used ones on the right, I ran a hand over the soft texture of the white towels above before taking out a bar of soap from beside their pile.


    I looked down and noticed with mixed feeling that my own body, typically so wiry and firm, now had some fat around the hips and belly. While slow starvation was the typical meal this time of year, I guess that influx of sausages and bread had to go somewhere. As I moved one of my green breasts out of the way to check on the various scars, a surge of excitement ran up my spine as I anticipated the coming luxury.


    Shutting the wooden compartment with more force than needed, I turned around and started up the main attraction of this hole in the ground. Tapping the center of a wooden flower with four petals on each side, I touched the third one down on the left side. Out of the center of the flower burst steaming water that blasted away whatever dirt and sweat were still on my body. A small metal drain on the bottom whisked away the water as I just stood there taking in the incredible sensation.


    The first time I had used this I was worried about the drain, my mind not understanding how it would drain away when we were below the water level outside. It had taken some convincing and cajoling on Lokan and Salamede¡¯s part to get me to try the shower. When I felt that hot water wash over me and purge all the sweat and grime away for the first time, I was glad they weren¡¯t around to see it and the sound hadn¡¯t carried. A squeal of delight like a little girl was not a sound I wanted them to know could come out of my mouth.


    Forcing myself to not spend an hour enjoying the sensation of hot water rolling freely over my body, I quickly finished with a scrub of the soap and washed off the bubbles before shutting off the showerhead. Dried off with a towel and fresh for the day, I put on my clean white shirt and grey pants before taking my old dirty clothes in a bundle under my left arm.


    Coming out of the hole, I saw the rest of them eating. Salamede¡¯s mother was to the right of her daughter while Lokan was off to the left side of the table.


    ¡°Want to eat with us?¡± Salamede asked, ¡°We made plenty.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but the Phoenix empire is on the march and mother gave me a good breakfast.¡± I rejected politely, getting nods from around the table, in the middle of which Cell was eating nuts and ignoring everyone.


    As I moved around the table, Eli took a big gulp of his mug of water before looking at me.


    ¡°Aside from the official report, try to ask around from anyone with experience with the Phoenix empire. We don¡¯t have a lot of time to make this happen.¡± He said, before stretching and putting his arm around his wife. Then his eyes took in the water around my bowl cut of black hair with a bang hanging near my right eye. ¡°Why has the water not dissipated yet? It should disappear almost immediately.¡±


    Salamede just swatted his arm, though she rubbed her head against his shoulder.


    ¡°Eli. It¡¯s not about the practicality, it¡¯s about the experience. Coming out of the steaming shower and being dry five seconds later doesn¡¯t do the act justice. We had the dwarf and some of the frojan change the enchantment to make the water last longer.¡±


    Eli raised an eyebrow and looked between us both.


    I just nodded and continued walking out of the room. He was going to be on my mind today, a fact I had to accept if I was going to the local market. Once I was through the door and back out onto the cold swamplands, I walked back to my boat and stowed my dirty clothes under the boat¡¯s seat.


    Taking out over the river, it took an hour of maneuvering around various bends and junctions in the water before I came onto the wide array of wooden platforms with round, thatched roofs. I remember finding the noise to be a screaming chorus the first time I visited the market, but experience had rendered the endless sounds of negotiations, games, and gossip into low background noise.


    Near the center was a large dock that you could tie your boat to. Taking my piece of wood with the number five on it from the attending Frojan, I headed up the stairs on the left side and onto the various walkways. When I mentally found where I was and where I needed to go, I moved through the crowd of orcs and frojan. Sure enough, when my mind relaxed and started taking in the surrounding conversation, it was,


    ¡°The quad mage might be friendly with us,¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no good to come from whatever unfathomable ploy he¡¯s pulling. The quad mage has given the orcs some false hope of mating him.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but what¡¯s his game?¡±


    ¡°We know he¡¯s an ultimate mage, but the humans don¡¯t. How can this be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like we have something special with him. Something even his kind don¡¯t know about him. Makes me heart race just thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Momma, when I grow up will the quad mage be too old for me?¡±


    Ever since Eli had let that patrol go, there has been only one item worth discussing. He was served with every meal, accompanied every orc on her perusing of the various stalls, and had a seat at every table where older Frojan played games on boards. I had found it funny, but this was the absolute last place I needed to be if I didn¡¯t want to think about him. Any residual humor disappeared when I thought about the consequences of them finding him now that he was about an hour away.


    If only the swooning masses knew.


    As I moved through the crowd of hagglers, sellers, carts, and guards, there was more than one distraught face that took in the increased prices for meat, leather, lumber, and worst of all, the grain. Looking over it, I flinched as I saw the price of a sack had gone up several copper coins just since yesterday. Panic buying was now in full swing as I approached the food section of the market, packed with desperate buyers who jostled for any grain they could get their hands on with various amounts of copper and even, I noted with dread, some silver.


    Thankful that such concerns had passed me by this season, I headed further into the market until I got to the message board. A long wooden rectangle sat on an open-air platform between the food and lumber markets that let in the cold air and grey sky with no obstruction. As various interested parties perused the papers nailed to the board, I approached the board on the right side.


    Perusing some of it, I happened upon a bit penned from Borba herself. My eager eyes poured over her words as my hands got sweaty and my breathing got heavier. Near the end of reading it, I only started feeling sick.


    ¡°This is the time that will define our people. We alone bear the responsibility of generations before us to reach the peak of our kind the world over. For our people. For our homes. We must move as one people and for one purpose and one purpose alone: Acquiring the line of the quad mage.¡±


    It went on a bit longer, but my stomach started twisting too harshly to finish the rest of it. My mind had a brief moment where the blonde, fire caster orc in red robes looked at me in disgust. Unable to bear the shame of what I had done and was doing, I pushed it all down and moved to the left.


    There were a lot of other interested individuals, but from their scars, I could tell they were fighters like me. Looking over the papers, there was a bigger one in the middle that naturally drew my eye, and perusing it I found it was a report on the phoenix empire¡¯s movements. Looking it over, I knew of several of the places it was talking about. When I got near the bottom, I found a particularly bad piece of news.


    The fire tribes from the northern part of the Phoenix empire had joined the fight.


    Biting my lip, I looked over the rest of the report before talking with some of the local veterans. Getting what I needed, I turned around and went back towards my boat. Moving through the crowd and arriving at the docks, I handed off my wooden card to the big blue frojan minding the docks before getting into my boat. A paddle in hand, I made the trip back to Lokan¡¯s home even as my mind was only half on the directions towards her house.


    Maneuvering around the streams, my mind wandered back to all those desperate people and worried mothers, fretting over how they were going to feed their children. As much as it irked me to be eating so well when so many were going through what I had regularly experienced this time of year, my time as a soldier taught me that doing the best thing for everyone sometimes meant having to let some people die, some left hungry, and some had to be killed for you to get the mission done. I spent almost as much time maneuvering the twists in my mind as I did the water before I eventually came back to the big patch of cattails and tall grass that was Lokan¡¯s home at early-midday or late morning. Knocking on the door, my old friend opened the door for me.


    ¡°Ah, lefty. How was the market visit?¡± She said with a hug as I crossed the threshold into her home.


    ¡°Bad. Everyone seems to think losing the grain farms is a sure thing and the merchants are betting on it. But the report on the board also had some bad news,¡± I said as I walked past her and towards the low table. At it sat Eli, Salamede, and her mother on the left while my mother and Baloo sat on the right. Taking my seat in the middle, Lokan went to sit opposite of me as faint light shined from a mana lamp on the wall above.


    ¡°What was the news at the local markets?¡± Eli asked, directly on my left and wearing a white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°Not good. The market was mayhem but I had a crowd of local veterans looking over the report and they always love to chat about-¡°


    Eli put up his hand with a question in those purple eyes above his smiling metal mask.


    ¡°The military report¡­ was in the market square? For everyone to see.¡±


    I just smirked before answering him.


    ¡°Considering espionage is a dead art in our conflict with the Coalition, making everyone go around a bunch of twists and turns to see it would be a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± The deep reverberation of Baloo¡¯s voice sounded out as the big green frog man rubbed his darker backside and blue robe.


    Eli nodded, which prompted me to continue.


    ¡°The Phoenix empire typically uses heavy leathers and metal shoulder guards. Given that they favor the fire and wind elements for their mages, the preferred tactic they employ is burying leather strips in the ground and using them to boil the surrounding water. Aside from that, it¡¯s our dance to lead.


    Another element this time around is that they are using soldiers from the fire tribes.¡±


    That got some concerned looks from mother, Baloo, and Lokan, while Salamede fidgeted with her blue dress nervously.


    ¡°I assume they¡¯re dangerous,¡± Salamede said in a rough voice.


    ¡°Yes. They maintain phoenix nests as a matter of breeding and national pride, which has turned the more northern region of the empire into a harsh desert. Those that choose to live there are some of the deadliest warriors around.


    From birth, they are taught the ways of the spear, an item of supreme importance in their culture. Slitting throats for handfuls of water, surviving the almost constant furnace-like heat, occasional phoenix attack, and the strife amongst their kind have left their warriors so practiced in fighting that they could take on three or four regular soldiers. The difference with their mages is even more pronounced.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Eli mused for a second, strumming his hand on the table as I finally recognized Cell on the metal frame of the lower half of the mask. That shimmering slit of light regarded me for a second in its little circle of metal before looking around the rest of the room. ¡°How much strife between the tribes are we talking about?¡±


    A cough from Baloo drew everyone¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°The various factions typically have to be put on opposite sides of the field. Too many bitter rivalries and personal grudges to have them around each other for any amount of time.¡±


    ¡°Now there¡¯s an angle,¡± Eli said with mild interest before turning to me. ¡°What about the scouts on our side? Should we try to remain unseen or blend in?¡±


    I looked at Baloo for a brief moment, his big amber eyes meeting mine and I was confident we were having similar thoughts. The quad mage thought of himself being on the orc/frojan side of the conflict as opposed to an independent faction.


    ¡°Well,¡± Baloo said after taking a deep breath, ¡°It would be best if we tried to seem like we were out on regular patrols. High command is a mess right now and we¡¯ve been sent on regular scouting duties and harassment detail when available. Hiding would be a chore, and I¡¯d feel a lot better if we only had to evade the Phoenixes¡¯ patrols. Though, us running into other frojan and orcs is a slim chance. Everything is stretched so thin that I doubt we¡¯ll run into anyone.¡±


    Eli strummed his fingers on the table for a bit before talking again.


    ¡°How long will we have to stay out there?¡±


    I went over my mental map of the area before giving my estimate.


    ¡°The camps are set up along the northern route should be close enough that we can come back here before nightfall if we leave in the morning. But if we want to crush the big encampment along the main body of the northern route, we will need to prepare for an extended night out.¡±


    Eli nodded to all of this before mother coughed and asked a question of her own.


    ¡°But what about the rest not on the northern road? Right now, the bastards are on the eastern side of our swamp. Could you do something about them?¡± The muscular orc asked hopefully.


    The quad mages eyes got a sad look as he shook his head of short silver hair.


    ¡°As much as that would improve our situation, I have to stick to what¡¯s possible. I¡¯m one person and as more of the orcs and frojan out west come here, I¡¯ll be more and more limited in what I can do. Redirecting the Phoenix empire from the northern route is about as much as I can shoot for. Even that is a slim thing if it goes on too long.¡±


    I nodded in agreement as mother got a disappointed look.


    ¡°When will we move out?¡± Salamede asked the group in her typical rough voice.


    ¡°We?¡± Eli asked in a disapproving voice as he turned to his beloved. Salamede looked back to him with pursed lips. After a few moments of spirit conversation, Eli huffed as he turned to the rest of the group.


    ¡°When will we move out?¡± He grumbled.


    Baloo got a slight smile before coughing into his fist and answering.


    ¡°Before dawn tomorrow is when enough of us should be rested from our other duties. Though it would help if we knew beforehand what exactly we would be doing.¡±


    Eli turned to me.


    ¡°So, what did the veterans say?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Just knock them in the water from one side and slit their throats when they fall in the other. A lot of things have been tried but they said nothing seems to work better than that.¡±


    Eli strummed on the table some more before reaching some internal decision.


    ¡°That sounds good, though some metal attracting crafts below would help keep them down and make sure they can¡¯t draw their weapons. For the main encampment¡­ I have an idea, but only time will tell if it works. Cell is going to be the backup plan in case anything goes wrong. While we¡¯re waiting, I¡¯ll start on the craftwork.¡±


    For the rest of the day, Eli spent his time crafting various longboards of molded wood. Baloo stayed behind to advise him, but his more plain motivation was to watch Eli push mana out of his body. It was all apparently very fascinating, but for several hours all I saw was Eli waving his hands around and running his fingers over pieces of wood. Though, those pieces of wood sometimes started growing after he was finished doing the handwaves. I had my typical time with Lokan, Salamede and her mother. Mother seemed a little awkward at first talking with everyone, but she eventually warmed to our little group. Salamede did assist with some of the boards while keeping in the conversation.


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed there are still some bugs around,¡± Salamede grumbled to my left as she ran her fingers over one piece of wood that was wrapped around a stone. Once she was satisfied, she handed it off to Eli.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Mother grumbled on my right, ¡°Makes an orc right bitter when something the size of a pin can get magically enhanced, but you can¡¯t.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    We all nodded at that as Eli was apparently putting the last metal craft together in the kitchen area. After a few more minutes of idle conversation, he held up the arm-length piece of flat wood in triumph.


    ¡°Done. Now for the mask.¡± He declared to the room as he set it down by the small pile of others by the stove.


    Cell left his mask and zipped outside through the cover in the roof. Quickly coming back in with a raise of the wood cover carrying a large bushel of grass, he set it down on the table between me and Salamede. The quad mage quickly moved between me and Salamede and took a strand of grass.


    We all watched in fascination as he started molding the strands together. It took a bit for the jaw to form, but I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes from wandering over to the sheer concentration in those purple eyes above the smiling metal mask. By the time I realized I was staring, I looked back down to see an almost finished mask.


    The long ears were the last item. His skill, however, showed through even in the small details of that feature. Curving and molding the grass into slightly darker shades of green for the inner ear, it took me by surprise when he suddenly turned to me with that same concentration. I had a moment of faltering confusion which quickly passed when he turned back to his craft.


    After thirty minutes of molding, the seamless face cover of grass looked almost lifelike with its smooth skin-like texture. Another thirty minutes and I would have been hard-pressed to say he hadn¡¯t cut the face off an actual orc if not for the lack of eyes. It was kind of disturbing in a way, seeing something my eyes were telling me was a face while my mind knew it was a pile of grass an hour ago. My mother was particularly impressed when he wrapped a rag around his head and turned to us with his arms out.


    ¡°Well, how do I look? I know the eyes are an issue, but I think using a headcover should be enough for a passing inspection,¡±


    There were nods of approval all around. Baloo coughed into his hand as he stood beside the table.


    ¡°Indeed, though I doubt we¡¯ll see a single patrol during our time out there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eli agreed as he took off the headcover and mask, ¡°But I¡¯d rather be prepared for that possibility. If we do meet another patrol, I¡¯ll either pretend to be resting or you can take me on a ¡®scouting trip¡¯. On another note, try to undersell any contributions we make in the coming days. There¡¯s getting a lucky break, there¡¯s being highly skilled, and there¡¯s being too good. I fear you lot are approaching the last with all of these problems suddenly getting solved around you.¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± I scoffed before I could even think about it, ¡°What? You think high command will have an entire session just for our butts?¡±


    Mother and Baloo looked equally incredulous at the prospect.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eli said with a nod, ¡°Don¡¯t think that governments ignore people of considerable talent. There are starting to be too many miracles following you lot around. That said, are we ready to head out?¡±


    Baloo nodded before turning to speak to the rest of the group.


    ¡°Come morning, we¡¯ll pick up Gula and take everyone directly to the prep site.¡±


    With that, the quad mage sat down by his wife. Baloo nodded and after a very early dinner, we all headed out to our various houses. Come the cold morning before the sun was just barely lighting the sky, I woke up and immediately put on my black leather armor with my sword. Walking into the main room of my house, mother was putting some traveling granola bars in a sack as she had her ensemble of leather armor, shield, and handy axe.


    ¡°Not coming to see the grandest mage of our time in action?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Her two brown braids shook with her head as I took a bottle of black goo from the right side of the floor of the room and used it to seal the sword in the holster.


    ¡°You lot may have more free reign, but we regular bums have to show up on a strict schedule. Regular patrol duty, though. Too many riots over food prices and the law needs to come down on some people who think paying for food is optional.¡±


    Images of the desperate masses at the market flashed in my mind.


    ¡°Ok, but do try to be¡­understanding,¡± I said gently as I gave her a goodbye hug.


    ¡°They¡¯ll understand the underside of my boot if they try to steal food. Two incidents already where grain shops got burned down and that foolishness helps no one.¡± She said as she gave me a rough squeeze with her two muscular arms. ¡°Though, I will try to be lenient with the mothers. If there¡¯s anyone who deserves understanding, it¡¯s us mothers.¡±


    I snorted with an impish smile, which made mother huff as she shoved me out the door with a snort of her own.


    Beside the water were the two muscular frojan from last night. Wanting to keep this as discreet as possible, such trips had to be conducted using water travel instead of boats. Mentally bracing myself for the cold water, I was surprised when the two took out a wood vambrace with a hole in the middle and tossed it to me.


    ¡°Heating.¡± The big blue one on the left said, with the big red one on the right nodding.


    Pulling the leather straps around my right arm, I pressed in the hole and jerked in surprise as the warmth of a summer''s midday suddenly rolled over my skin.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be nearly so warm in the water, but it makes it bearable.¡± The big red one said as he put out his hand. I bit my lip as I took in the great warmth for a moment before I forced my mind back on the right track and took his hand. With a big leap into the water and a loud splash, we took off in the muddy water. While the air bubble around my head kept the pressure off my face, the force of the water on my body told me we were making a good pace.


    After what I wanted to say was an hour, the world of mud and water suddenly disappeared as we turned onto an embankment and into the air. Looking around, I saw we were in a patch of freshly cut tall grass and cattails surrounded by the surviving foliage. With several backs of frogmen looking out through our camouflage, it was all quite familiar to anyone who had reconnaissance training. The training, however, never mentioned the quad mage and his wife in the middle of the patch.


    Eli and Salamede wore full leather armor and the quad mage had a hood, leather gloves, and the green mask on, which stuck out slightly below. They were sorting out the various boards and wood planks with rocks. Baloo was standing to the right of them, thumbing his blue robe as the ever-grey sky barely illuminated our little corner of the world.


    ¡°How are we going to play this?¡± I asked the group as my two escorts used a spell to take all the water off me. Baloo turned his head to me before looking back down to the crafts and giving the answer in that typical deep tone.


    ¡°Today we will draw their patrols where we want them and tomorrow we will hit one of their smaller camps then move on to the main encampment to sow chaos.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and walked closer to look at the crafts. As deadly as Eli could make them, I didn¡¯t see how we could take on the main camp.


    ¡°Did you add anything to the crafts since you made them?¡± I asked Eli hopefully.


    ¡°No,¡± He denied with a shake of his head. ¡°From what we know with previous skirmishes if a camp get¡¯s attacked they don¡¯t send out a new patrol. Too busy trying to just send as many camps further ahead as they can. Instead, they move a patrol from an existing route.¡±


    On a piece of paper, he showed me a very crude map with circles around various bends and points. His finger moved to the camp closest to the big X near the middle.


    ¡°Their focus on expansion has left the camps closer to their main base less well manned than they should be. Hitting one or two of the camps clearing the way for their main army will make them swarm on the area, which will be when we move in on the left side through this camp. Using the same tactic as we used on the other camps, we¡¯ll move on to the main encampment.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± I asked eagerly.


    ¡°When we get there, Cell will sneak into one of the tribe leaders'' tents to steal one of their spears and plant it in the opposing tribe''s side. Given what you told me of them, it should start a mini civil war. If cooler heads prevail, then I will create some crafts and use magic with the frojan to sweep all of them into the river.


    I¡¯m a bit more reluctant to use the latter because it¡¯s a lot more dangerous and making this thing look like an accident is far more preferable. But we won¡¯t have a choice at that point.¡±


    I thought it over for a second. The timing would be off for most opponents since we would need a full day''s travel to get to the main encampment, but the Phoenix troops were far slower in the swamplands. Between hitting the camps and moving the patrols, it would probably take another day before all the needed moves were made. There was still one concern though.


    ¡°What about the boiling water?¡± I asked the group.


    ¡°None,¡± Baloo answered, ¡°They don¡¯t use it for the small camps, but I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s been set up for the main area. Your familiar could handle it, I assume?¡±


    Eli nodded, thumbing the black sphere below his green orc mask.


    ¡°Aye. Any temperature that could hurt him would leave the water boiled away. How will we go about setting up the trap?¡±


    Baloo looked to the sky then towards the rest of his kind before answering.


    ¡°You lot stay above the water hidden in some grass patches. The hard reality is you¡¯ve played your biggest part for now. Just use that long water blade enchantment you had on your wife¡¯s vanguard and kill any of them who get away. We¡¯ll leave three boys here to knock them into the water but your familiar is going to be doing most of the work.¡±


    We all nodded before an unspoken decision to move out was reached. Stacking the crafts between our arms, the Frojan took us into the water one by one. It was a few more minutes moving through poorly lit water before we came back onto another embankment. The operation was a typical affair as far as ambushes went.


    Stuck in a thicket of tall grass and cattails, we were at the bend in one long stretch of land not wide enough to go any more than double file. The cold fog of the morning rolled over the landscape making it hard to see even a dozen feet beyond our little piece of the world, with only a few indistinct masses of dirt and shrubs beyond and a skyline that didn¡¯t exist. The frojan took all of the crafts and slipped into the water, with the black mass of shifting shapes that were Cell following shortly after as he flew off of Eli¡¯s shoulder and landed into the murky depths with a light plop.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get comfortable,¡± Eli announced as he sat on a log.


    Salamede looked confused at first but when I mangled some grass by the edge of our cover and slouched onto it, she followed our lead. The goat woman sat beside her husband, who had stuck his head between the grass to look out over the foggy landscape. I did as well, but there was a very conspicuous distraction opposite of me. Eli kept up his guard, but his wife would only keep watch for a minute or two before stroking her husband''s thigh or putting a hand down his shirt.


    When I realized I was looking at her rubbing his hands and wondering how powerful Eli¡¯s palms would feel more than I was looking for a patrol on the road, I decided to say something. Starting a spirit connection with her, she gave a slight start but quickly turned to me without alerting Eli.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ She asked innocently.


    ¡®I know this is boring, but we need to keep an eye out. Distracting everyone isn¡¯t helping with the job. Besides, didn¡¯t you already have two nights together?¡¯


    ¡®Only two,¡¯ She affirmed with a nod before turning to Eli and spoke, ¡°Am I distracting you, dear?¡±


    Eli just huffed as his head was still looking out between the grass.


    ¡°You being around me is distracting, your little pets aren¡¯t going to make it less so. If it helps relieve the stress, I won¡¯t object.¡± He said, quickly turning back to his wife and lifting the mask. I had a moment where I fixated on that handsome face and strong jaw. When his lips smacked hers, my breathing stopped before I forced my head back through the tall grass and swore I would never leave the spot again.


    I heard them talking about something after that, but I just kept my mind where it was supposed to be. Thankfully, our quarry wandered into the trap half an hour later. They seemed to be in a rush, and it was apparent that they were still getting some of their equipment properly on as they came into firing range. Whether it was six or eight men, I couldn¡¯t tell, and it didn¡¯t matter. When the wave of water washed over their line, all but three were dragged into the water and the blood cloud that quickly followed showed they were now the only survivors.


    A fact they didn¡¯t have time to process as water blades from Salamede and Eli¡¯s vambraces cut the head off two and a flurry of those same deadly spells from the water cut the last soldier to pieces. There was a nod from Eli while Salamede just looked like she was trying not to throw up. The Frojan came back with the crafts and this process happened twice more.


    Panicked, poorly prepared soldiers rushing about on patrols getting shoved in the water before disappearing into a bloody cloud in the water was how it always ended. I honestly felt bad for them, even as I used the magical vambrace Eli fashioned for me to cut them with water blades. No matter if they were the enemy, this method of¡­ extermination, it wasn¡¯t anything close to what I would call fighting, left almost no possibility for defense.


    Moving from site to site, Baloo had departed on the second trip to lead the other attacks elsewhere and left Eli in charge.


    As we did so, there was an unspoken easing between us three as well. It was hard to put any one element down to it, but I noticed that we followed each other¡¯s leads easily, found our spots, and even made a few jokes between us. Eli also added an enchantment for water blades into my suit, which was a nice little experience. Grateful to be on this end of the carnage, the easy times ended when our fourth location had two of the fire tribe members.


    While the fog had mostly cleared, the line of troops had looked as miserable as they always did. At each end of the line were a woman bearing three spears in a sling along their back and one in hand. Clothed in splotchy red leather, the women had tanned skin and red hair that almost matched their armor. Their attention to detail was commendable as they almost noticed me and Eli¡¯s face in the patch of grass before we pulled back. Those oceanic eyes surveyed the misty landscape with cold indifference right up until they came into the line of fire.


    We launched a pre-emptive strike from their left side. The ordinary soldiers in the middle fell with the blast of water and the tribeswoman in the front got cut up to a fine mince, but the one in the back had ducked just enough that my water blade only grazed the back of her neck. As I was getting ready to launch another at her, she hoisted the copper-tipped spear in her hand and chucked it at me.


    I immediately moved to the side and as it flew harmlessly towards the ground on my right, I prepared my sword as she did a light sprint to jump into our bush.


    Pain followed by a whirl of grass and mud.


    My right side felt like it was on fire and I realized I was on my back, staring up at the grey clouds. A wave of stone spikes flashed by, but I didn¡¯t hear anything. At all. As the lack of sound registered, I turned down to see the woman that seemed to have more stone spikes in her than flesh, though the shock was evident on her untouched face as she fell backwards and into the water with what should have been a loud splash.


    I was screaming in pain. The lack of sound made me scream louder, but no matter how hard I pushed my throat, nothing came out. Hands lifted me and I saw an orc with purple eyes looking me up and down with concern. Then I realized who I was looking at when a warm sensation flooded through my body.


    ¡°-ight?¡±


    I blinked and frowned as I felt the pain in my ears subside and the world of sound came rushing back. Even so, I felt him extracting bits of the copper and it hurt like hell even when he stopped.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Salamede said worriedly somewhere above me.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t, dear,¡± Eli said patiently, ¡°But nothing seems lethal so far,¡±


    ¡°I know. Shit.¡± She continued fussing.


    But the pain was pretty much gone now. The burns on my arms were molded to smooth skin and what may have been a broken leg was now good as new. It took me a moment to decide if I should tell him to stop healing me. Another moment and I realized that his hands were on my back and stomach, which was why I didn¡¯t want to tell him I was fine.


    Scolding myself, I gave a slight cough which drew those purple eyes back to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡° speech failed me for a moment as my throat struggled to work past the strain it had just been through.


    A rush of water to my left told me someone was coming out of the water and the younger red frojan came up wearing a green robe.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Spear.¡± I croaked out.


    Eli turned up as I heard the other Frojan coming out of the water and going to check on the soldiers for valuables.


    ¡°The spears. The copper tip has an explosive enchantment in it. Impressive but it¡¯s a one-time thing. If they¡¯re bringing out the tribes now¡­¡±


    Eli was looking at the red frojan in concentration. What I was focusing on was Eli¡¯s thumb, which he was distractedly running in a circle on my back. Mentally screaming at the tingle running up my spine, I forced the words out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Eli.¡±


    That seemed to jerk him out of his thoughts as he lifted me up and back on my feet. Pondering how weightless I felt as he pulled me up by my back, I looked down to see why I felt his skin on mine. The entire side of my black leather armor had been blasted off. Modesty was still maintained as it mostly bared my midsection, right arm, and thigh, but as a functional piece of armor, it was a lost cause.


    Something in my face must have relayed my thoughts about the black armor because Salamede decided to make an offer.


    ¡°We have more than enough coin to have it mend-¡°


    I put up my hand as I took a deep breath and gave my friend a slight smile.


    ¡°I kept this because it was what I had and replacing it was too expensive. Frankly, I¡¯ll be glad when I get the regular armor. Let¡¯s move onto the next site.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eli said firmly, drawing looks from the rest of us. ¡°If they¡¯re moving out the tribe members from the main camp then they must be mobilizing their main forces. We¡¯ve done our job and it¡¯s time to go home.¡±


    The red frojan nodded excitedly and slipped into the water. There was a bit of time where we all stood around in the wide patch of burnt grass waiting for the frojan to finish their looting when Eli came back up to me with his wife on his right.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good, right? You won¡¯t need some money for the armor or more healing?¡± He asked.


    I nodded and readied some snarky remark to deliver when I looked into those purple eyes. The raw concern he showed for me just made my cold heart throb. All the power, physical attractiveness he had was some passing fancy, but I felt something in me stir at his words. I felt that desire in me, for love, for acceptance, things that I had gotten a lot of from my mother and some of from my few frojan allies. But this was more intense and, for lack of a better term, intimate.


    ¡°Oh, why do you care? I¡¯m just a soldier,¡± I scowled at him. I was stunned at my reaction as some spike of anger came from nowhere. Salamede looked at me with raised eyebrows while Eli just held my gaze before he gave a slight nod.


    ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± He said mildly as he turned to his wife.


    I turned around and looked back out over the water, just wondering where that came from. Time was short, though, and before I could make any sense of what I had done, the frojan came back from the water to take us all back home. After dropping me off, they said they would pick me up in the late morning to make sure it would be nightfall when we took out the smaller camp and arrived at the main encampment. I went in first and just passed by the time in the murky depths with no thoughts in my head as I struggled to sort out my feelings. It was a bit after mid-day when we finally came back to the house, but I had too much to do to rest.


    After a long slog at the market, I arrived back home near the setting of the sun. Some smoke near the left window told me mom was cooking and as I came through the front door, sure enough, she was there, sitting on the hard-packed floor and cooking a rabbit stew with carrots and potatoes. I took a moment to appreciate how amazing it was to have this at this time of year, especially the smaller loves of bread she was cooking on a side griddle.


    ¡°How was your time, mom?¡± I asked cheerfully, grateful to have anything on my mind but my thoughts.


    She huffed, sending a wave down her two long braids above her white top before she sipped the stew with her spoon. Her tongue swiping over her thick green lips showed satisfaction that was, again, very out of place during this season.


    ¡°Hard. Constant fighting and desperation everywhere. All the while being irritated by the fact that my daughter is the reason I¡¯m not in that mess. A daughter, having to pull her mother''s ass out of the fire. What a joke.¡± She said bitterly.


    I smiled at her sulking. I knew how she acted when she was actually upset so I sat down beside her.


    ¡°Well, depending on how it all turns out, your daughter may end up getting you killed. Perhaps praise should be withheld before we see the end of this.¡±


    She still had hard red eyes and her thick brown eyebrows were furrowed but her slight smile gave her away.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of orcs out there who should be giving praise they still have teeth after today, all due to your patient counseling,¡± She grumbled. After some more idle chatter, we both tucked in for the night.


    As I lay in bed, I awoke to the sound of the front door being opened. Reaching for the sword by my bed, I stopped when I saw Eli in the doorway, dressed in the usual white shirt and brown pants. Unusually, his face was bare as his purple eyes regarded me with naked lust.


    ¡°Wha-¡°


    ¡°I need you, you beautiful sow.¡± He growled, his nose flaring.


    I had only a moment to react before he rushed forward and suddenly he was between my legs. Those powerful hands ran up my shirt and down my pants, squeezing my thighs and molding my body like dough. Whatever was coming out of my mouth was gibberish as he ravaged me with kisses. Eventually, I felt our mutual nudity as he proceeded to lay his claim to my whole body. Reveling in the moment, I could do nothing as he joined us as one body with a single thrust into my eager womanhood.


    It was after a few minutes of thrusting that I looked up and saw the ceiling. Looking out my door frame on the right, I saw the morning light struggling to rise over the swamplands. Shooting straight up in my bed, I looked down to see drool falling from my mouth. There was a tidal wave of anger as I realized what had happened. However, I could only reserve my fury for my own body, resigning myself to scowling at my breasts and hips.


    ¡®Treasonous flesh!¡¯ I scolded, ¡®I fed you, maintained you, and worked for your continued existence. Then you get a whiff of a man and push me over the side of the boat to get a closer seat to him.¡¯


    Grumbling to myself, I got out of the bed and put on my new leather armor. It was plain with some extra padding on the shoulders, but it would serve its purpose. Holstering my sword, I went through the door to find the newest strand of weirdness. Mother was dressed in a gray skirt and white top, sitting against the far wall with packs of traveling nuts and two mugs of water.


    ¡°Here, breakfast.¡± She said in an almost even tone with her face being a blank mask.


    Now I was worried. I was all too familiar with her ¡®I¡¯m trying not to yell¡¯ voice. Taking my nuts and water, I sat down and leaned against the opposite wall to idly chew on breakfast as we sat in silence for a solid minute.


    ¡°Do you know the hardest part of being an orc?¡± Mother suddenly said as she regarded me with that same blank face.


    ¡°Being a mean green killer comes with-¡°


    She flared her nose and puckered her lips at that, making me draw into silence before she looked me right in the eyes and delivered the blow.


    ¡°We¡¯re rapists.¡±


    I sucked in my lips, not knowing what to say as I awkwardly sat there.


    But mother did.


    ¡°If we want to continue our line, someone has to get raped. Sure, for a few years, you entertain some fanciful notion of getting a willing farm boy from up north. But even when they¡¯re under our thumb, those humans who do it willingly eventually get shunned and have to ¡®mend their ways¡¯.


    Even under the best circumstances, the math just isn¡¯t there. There aren¡¯t enough willing men in our grain farms to split between everyone. Being a celibate monk is a nice thought, but your bloodline is obviously not inclined to such a lifestyle. So there you are, stuffed up with an itch you know no man would willingly scratch, wanting a child no man will give you, and needing a release that time with other orcs doesn¡¯t quite provide as thousands of years of baby-making need is screaming through your veins.


    Then after some battle, you notice one of the men lying injured on the battlefield. Well, the pants come off and if you¡¯re generous, you let them go afterward. Trying all the while not to let the look of disgust they¡¯re giving you seep in.


    And it¡¯s not that bad in the following days. You got that cloud in your mind gone and, low and behold, your cycle stops. Jumping for joy, you finally get that child you always needed, and the nights aren¡¯t lonely. Stinky and filled with crying, but not alone. Then¡­¡±


    Words seemed to fail her as she just stared at me for a moment as I saw her mind working through some puzzle. I took that moment to get a drink, which she then used to start talking again.


    ¡°Then they get older. Gusla was a good girl and loved playing with that long grass, fashioning baskets and other art crafts out of it.¡±


    I choked on the water I was drinking. Bringing up my older sister who hanged herself for my grandmother''s cowardice was a big line I never crossed, and Mother had only talked to me about her once or twice. Mom seemed to be somewhere else now and went on with no stopping.


    ¡°One day, she waddled up to me and asked where dad was. I only told her that he wasn¡¯t around, but I loved her very much. Things were still good for a few more months. Then, one damned day at the market, she heard an older orc talk about how she enjoyed¡­ how we make children. Disgusting, but I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you how some of us process our reality.


    Gusla had heard enough, though. Coming back home, her red locks drenched from the rain and her red eyes looking up at me in confusion, I sat her down and finally told her everything.¡±


    Her lips quivered as she looked down with the rising morning light falling on her through the window. I sat there, totally still before she took another deep breath and continued.


    ¡°In those few minutes, I experienced what the true horror of being an orc is. We talk big about being mean and tough, but there¡¯s no amount of training, skill, or physical power that can make that moment easier. The moment where the light drains out of your daughter''s eyes as she realizes how she came into the world and what her future holds. After that conversation, she stopped doing art. She wasn¡¯t as gentle or caring afterward, occasionally fighting with other children or punching trees.


    And¡­ well, you know her course after that.¡±


    I took a moment as I collected myself, twirling my right bang idly before finally filling the void in the conversation.


    ¡°I know all of this, mother,¡± I said in a near whisper.


    She flared her nose and looked at me with pursed lips.


    ¡°When you were moaning his name last night, it didn¡¯t sound like you were aware of how orcs and humans actually mate.¡±


    I could feel the molten heat blasting across my face, but to my credit, I still held her gaze. She bit her lower lip before continuing.


    ¡°One day, it was your turn. Stomach doing flips and palms slick with sweat, I sat you on my lap and told you about the viper gang member who moaned about being an officer and cursing his friend Kane for abandoning him. I went through all of it, all the horrible, awful shit that I did to make you and how you would have to do the same someday. And you kept looking at me with that same expression the whole time. When I finished, you just looked up to me as if to say, ¡®Is that all?¡¯ before going to get some bread.


    Fool that I am, I was content to give you time to process it or even resigned myself to the possibility that you were the type to enjoy it. But it¡¯s obvious you simply ignored what I was telling you¡±


    ¡°I ignored it?¡± I demanded with my own scowl as I felt that same anger from before well up in me. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what a poisonous sack my womb is? You think after all this time, I haven¡¯t accepted what I am.¡±


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t,¡± Mother growled as she got up and stood in place. ¡°You put it in some box, some part of your mind where you never have to deal with the reality of what we are. When I suggested getting a child from Eli, you never even thought about how to snare and force him to give his seed. You just passed it off like some joke.¡±


    I sat there as I scrunched up my mouth and let my breathing kick into overdrive.


    ¡°He was never going to allow me-¡°


    ¡°There it is again!¡± Mother growled as she stuck a finger out at me ¡°Allow you. You still haven¡¯t acknowledged what you know.


    We. Are. Rapists.


    That is what we are and that is what our children will be. You need to accept this reality if you are going to find whatever scrap of happiness exists for us in this life.¡±


    It felt like ants were crawling on my skin. This fucking green skin. My hands started scratching my arm all by themselves as my breathing kept up like I had just finished sprinting. I could tell I was beginning to panic as I kept my eyes on a bit of dirt on the floor in a bid to keep calm, even as I kept scratching my arms and now back.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not-¡° My words stumbled into a low wail. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I put my people first. I put my friends first. But this green skin. Having to see what the Bastard did to me before I was even conceived every fucking day.¡±


    Tears started blurring my vision as I slumped against the wall. Without me noticing, mother came up and wrapped me in a hug. I just cried into her left shoulder, soaking her in tears for a minute before I had cried myself out enough to be coherent.


    ¡°But there is a chance for me to at least experience what it¡¯s like to be with a man. As a woman, not a rapist.¡± I said as I wiped my eyes.


    My mother¡¯s red eye¡¯s regarded me with pity, something that I had never seen them hold before. She closed her eyes for a second before looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I just took a deep breath.


    ¡°Salamede told me Eli is open to getting more wives,¡±


    She opened her mouth with an obvious objection, but I pushed ahead.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ever be his wife. But maybe some affection, a dinner together, or an evening out walking together. I know I¡¯m not Borba¡¯s mother, but even a tender hug would do.¡±


    ¡°Would he be willing to¡­ offer such a thing?¡± Mother asked with genuine curiosity.


    I bit my lower lip.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I¡¯ll ask Salamede.¡± I took a moment where I reigned in my emotions. I loathed myself for letting down my profession as a wayfarer, but I quickly collected myself back into the soldier that I had trained to be. ¡°After the assault on the main encampment, of course¡±


    Mother nodded. Sensing my moment of weakness was done, she stood up and put out a hand to help me up. As I stood tall, Mother brought me into another light hug.


    ¡°I know this is hard. You¡¯re my daughter and there isn¡¯t a thing in this world I wouldn¡¯t do for you. Gula, this will only cause you pain. But perhaps it¡¯s better for you to have experienced some intimacy before accepting how things are rather than never tasting the fruit at all. Just promise me you¡¯ll come to talk to me when this bit ends.¡±


    I nodded, quickly gulping down my water and the remaining nuts. My tears dried and my breathing steady, I headed outside to wait for the frojan to pick me up. The rolling grass and cattails moved with the soft wind as the sky showed some light between the oppressive grey clouds as I tried to figure out how to approach Salamede with this subject.

 Chapter 98: Changing Relationships

    Eli POV


    I woke up staring at the stone ceiling above me as the golden glow of the mana lamp in the middle played across the smooth rock. I wasn¡¯t paying too much attention to the details though, as Salamede pressed her breasts against my left arm. She was still asleep, but our distance apart had made her exceptionally needy for my touch. Something our last few nights together had helped alleviate.


    This morning, however, was not kind to idleness so I started kissing her. After a minute of oral play, I noticed her hips squirming even as she tried to make it seem like she was still asleep.


    ¡°Salamede!¡± I playfully scolded with a swipe on her bum, ¡°We need to get up.¡±


    She did a mock stretch as she kept her eyes shut and put her lips back against mine.


    ¡®Don¡¯t wanna,¡¯ She said in a spirit connection as she ran her tongue along my teeth.


    ¡®The Phoenix empire doesn¡¯t want you getting up either. Are you siding with the enemy?¡¯ I demanded with fake bravado.


    ¡®Yes. Long live the empire,¡¯ She said idly even as she opened her eyes and pulled away to get up.


    I scoffed as I got up behind her and started picking up our clothes lying around. My wife took out the chest and started getting us a fresh change of clothes while I put on my white shirt and brown pants. For her part, she put on her blue dress and pulled out a new change of clothes for both of us while I looked over our armor laying in a heap on the corner opposite the stairs. Going up the stairs on the left side of the room, we walked over the smooth stone floor of dark and light reds past the table and waved the blue snake woman lounging on the purple pillows good morning, before we opened the hatch to the shower.


    Once we were in the elongated tube, we stripped again, and I put our clothes in the small cubby behind us. When I took out a bar of soap, there was the blast of hot water across my back. Turning around, Salamede was already away from the wooden flower of a shower head and took the bar of soap to clean my stomach and loins. Despite our nudity, there was no heat to our interaction, just the needed maintenance of those bits that had already gotten their due the night before.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been worrying about Gula,¡¯ Salamede said in a spirit connection as she moved to wash my back.


    It took me a moment when she finished before I walked closer to the water and washed off the bubbles. Communication was the bedrock of marriage, and despite my loner tendencies, I would have to say something that might offend her.


    ¡®When Gula was hurt yesterday, I felt¡­something.¡¯ I said as I doused my hair before getting the water off my face.


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ She asked with a raised eyebrow as I took the bar of soap and started working her stomach and hips.


    ¡®I was very concerned when I saw her bleeding in the dirt. More so than any other regular soldier.¡¯ I said as I started working her back.


    ¡®She didn¡¯t seem to think so.¡¯ Salamede said smugly.


    Her self-satisfied smile told me we were safe to skip to the part where I admitted she was right.


    ¡®Yeah, she¡¯s interested. Frankly, I¡¯m not totally disinterested either.¡¯ I yielded.


    ¡®Of course, you ultimate scion quad element-¡¯


    ¡®Quad ultimate scion¡¯ I corrected.


    ¡®My husband.¡¯ She said haughtily before continuing. ¡®What woman wouldn¡¯t want you? When we started talking about my life up north, she was clearly making an effort to not only talk about you. Though, what about her reluctance to make our arrangement official? I know you took a big risk to make her solidify her mind.¡¯


    ¡°Pff,¡± I said audibly before continuing the conversation in the spirit connection. ¡®She has her obligations. Her ability to put others ahead of her romantic interests speaks well of her. In that regard, she certainly has stronger moral fiber than I do.¡¯


    I was rubbing soap on her shoulders but was interrupted as Salamede turned back to look at me. Me refusing to mate other women was creating a lot of problems for entire countries¡­ But honestly, fuck them. Salamede told me I wasn¡¯t to be blamed for it, but I knew better. I was putting the Coalition through hell for my comfort and because I was a right spiteful bastard. I was content to be the unreasonable one in this mess, but Salamede had made it clear I was beyond reproach.


    This time she just leaned back and kissed me.


    ¡®I love you¡¯


    I savored her taste as we finished washing and moved to get our clean clothes on. Coming back up, I was carrying the dirty clothes back into our room while Salamede got the travel meals ready. In the right corner, the pile of metal went unloved as I went to the chest under our bed and retrieved the regular leather armor we would have to use. Getting my armor on and orc mask in hand, Salamede quickly came down.


    ¡°I got the meals ready,¡± She said as she worked the knots on the back of her blue dress.


    As a caring husband, I of course watched over her to make sure she didn¡¯t get hurt. Taking in her movements as I leaned against the wall, I realized the timing of her preparation was off.


    ¡°That quickly? We¡¯re going to be out there for a day and a half, even under the best of circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Damn. I forgot. Tel-¡° She turned around, then stood still for a moment with puckered lips and put her hands on her now loose dress''s hips. ¡°What are you doing, most honored husband?¡±


    I shrugged as I moved away from the wall.


    ¡°Just making sure the love of my life doesn¡¯t get hurt changing,¡± I said innocently.


    ¡°I gave you all there was to see last night and the night before. Go get some more hard nuts and water skins ready.¡±


    I did a little pout and floor kick but when I turned to go upstairs, I saw a smile across her face even as she rolled her eyes. Going up the stairs, I saw her mother and Lokan getting a separate breakfast ready. Nodding to the two women working the stove, I took out more skins and got more nuts to put in bags.


    While I was boiling water on the magical stove, Salamede came back up with the crafts we used on the last trip. Cell came out from the wood ceiling cover and landed on my shoulder, sending me mental pictures of a dim foggy landscape that the sun was too smothered to properly light. Our meals packed in watertight leather bags, we talked with the two women after quickly stuffing some spicy sausage and gravy down for a few minutes.


    Then a knock at the door sent Cell flying off my shoulder and up through the hatch in the roof while the blue snake woman in purple robes moved closer to the entrance. He rushed back and sent me images of Baloo and the two muscular frojan waiting by the door. I nodded to Lokan, who promptly pulled on the door handle.


    The big green frogman came through with a rub on his blue robe as the two more muscular frojan stood watch outside.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± The deep base so typical of his kind¡¯s voice reverberated around the house.


    ¡°The heating vambraces,¡± I said after a moment of consideration. After Salamede came back from our room with them, we were ready to go. Putting on my mask and the leather bag with our travel meals, we were led out to the wide empty plains of the swamp. Cell¡¯s vision remained true as the grey mist made it hard to see anything beyond the opposite embankment. Salamede came up behind me as I readied my vambraces heating function and Cell firmly attached himself to my neck.


    Then one of the bigger Frojan took my arm and we were off. Doing a small dive, the world of murky water outside my magic air bubble was now almost totally dark as the near morning sun couldn¡¯t even provide its small amount of illumination. After what felt like a few hours of shifting mud and the occasional fish, we were pulled onto an embankment. Instead of the typical grass patch, this was a wide area with bark scars and tall bushes.


    Looking up, I saw Gula behind a bush on the left waving at me to come closer. Her right bang of black hair swayed with the movement and her scar over the left eye stretched with her suggestive eyebrow wiggle to the left. Salamede just came out of the water behind me and waved me on as Baloo used magic to get the water off her. Using a spell to dry myself off, I came up behind Gula and followed her finger to where she was pointing.


    On a small patch of land just barely within sight was five gray tents with seven soldiers, all-around a cook fire. There was no watch being kept as far as I could tell and if the unsteady walk of some of the men was anything to go by, the bottles they were drinking from were alcohol.


    ¡°Very stupid,¡± I whispered as I turned back to the orc.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gula agreed as Salamede slowly came up behind me. Gula rubbed her brown leather armor before moving to the side to give Salamede a look. ¡°I figure we should get a quick lunch before dispatching them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t kill them,¡± I pondered aloud.


    Gula¡¯s horizontal cut across her nose scrunched up while Salamede raised an eyebrow. After thinking it over for a few more seconds, I explained my reasoning.


    ¡°Them going missing will be a warning to any visiting patrols, but I figured it was a risk worth taking to make sure we don¡¯t get hit from the back. But these drunken louts are no threat to us. Let¡¯s guzzle down an early lunch and move on to the main camp.¡±


    The two looked at each other briefly before nodding. While one person kept watch, we ate a quick meal of nuts and water, while the frojan downed some kind of marinated fish wrapped in seaweed. After a few minutes of sitting around in the dirt eating, we all got up and moved onto the main event. Moving back into the water, it was another few hours before we got to near the main encampment. I could tell when we came near as the water suddenly became noticeably warmer.


    Of course, we were in flat swampland and as such couldn¡¯t approach the camp from any kind of advantageous position. Cell was going to have to be the main player here while we sat around in a patch of grass-covered land and went over the lay of the land to help block escape routes. After a good thirty minutes of working on some crafts, Cell came back and gave everyone his report. The main body of soldiers was on the land bridge, a sea of gray and red tents surrounded on both sides with two camps of the fire tribe warriors.


    Cell made sure to emphasize that the mist in this area was more steam than fog, but after looking around, he found some of the wood boards on the embankments that were giving off the boiling heat. Most importantly, he found himself a few good ways into the camp and was confident he could move around a few of the tribes¡¯ spears. Deciding to wait until nightfall, it was a slow day as we waited for the sun to fall completely.


    As I lounged on a fallen log, I noticed Salamede talking with Gula and whatever was being said between them in a spirit connection, it must have been intense because Gula broke out in a wide grin before getting a hold of herself. The orc moved off to help keep a look out with the frogmen while Salamede came walking up to me, her snout and smooth cheekbones showing a rather self-satisfied expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I asked.


    She put out her right hand and gave my thigh an appreciative squeeze.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough,¡± was all she said before leaning against me as we continued to wait for the time to strike.


    After a quick dinner, we all set out with the sky getting the subtle signs of approaching night. We couldn¡¯t kill all of them even with the best circumstances, but we hoped we could at least force them to abandon the site''s tools and tents. By making the main road impassable, that would force them to take the smaller passages out and leave behind any heavy items.


    After disabling the heating boards along the main road, we waited as Cell took off towards their main camp while we hopped between the little islands to get closer while avoiding patrols. Moving around whisps of steam, the local grass seemed to be slowly burning to death and I was sure this sweltering furnace was going to be a scar on the land for months after the phoenix empire left. We eventually arrived at a good location that Cell told us about. It wasn¡¯t going to get us in eyesight of the camp, but it was still close enough to hear those exploding spears going off.


    After Cell left, we started taking turns keeping watch and trying to get some light sleep in this open-air sauna. Then the morning came. And with it, the sounds of shouting. The deep throated screams were quickly followed by the sounds of explosions and metal banging on metal. Jumping into action, I hopped my way closer to the camp while a lot of the frojan left to get the traps we laid ready. Salamede came behind me to my left and Gula to my right as we peeked out from behind an almost brown bush.


    The camp was something between a small city and a large town.


    Was.


    A burning mess in the middle where the regular soldiers stayed made up the main body of the camp with our vision only seeing the soldiers fighting the tribesman on this side while the whisps of smoke rising in the now clearer sky told me a similar battle was taking place on the opposite side of the camp. Though there was quite a show just from this perspective. One blue tattooed tribesman took a man in red armor through the throat with a flick of his spear while off to the right three soldiers ran their swords into the back of one screaming tribeswoman. As I was watching and trying to get a good idea of who was winning, the black crystal sphere of Cell¡¯s head peaked out of the water for a moment before he leaped up onto my shoulder.


    He quickly sent me images of what happened. A few higher-ranking tribesmen on both sides of the camp found a favored spear missing and quickly sent out a search party for them. When they found them in the opposing camp, there was a meeting near the middle of the camp. A grizzled-looking general tried to work things out, but when a heated argument broke out, a spear caught the veteran leader in the head.


    Cell couldn¡¯t tell what happened afterward, but it seems the regular troops decided they wanted an immediate divorce. The alimony of which was now being negotiated in front of us. Given the size of the camp and the lack of any good vantage point, I decided to have Cell keep a lookout while we went back to prepare for the arrival of the survivors. The contest lasted almost all day due to the number of combatants and the occasional patrol coming back to bolster the main army. Some tried to get away, but we saw to them as they trickled out of the camp through the day. As the late-day sun fell in the sky, a line of the blue tattooed tribe came walking down the road.


    The victors were bloody, and the aftermath of the battle was visible as the men and women had bloody scars up and down their bodies. On their backs was a bag of spoils each and three spears while they hefted one in hand. With a rustic appreciation for their sense of packing light, I nodded to Cell as the main body came down the road.


    As the larger mass of the tribe came walking down into the kill zone, I prepared a big spell. It was at that point one of their members finally noticed.


    ¡°Oi! The water. It¡¯s not bubbling.¡± She shouted with a whirl of her red braid. The rest quickly looked out over the water and drew their spears.


    Whatever they would have done came too late as a wave of water suddenly surged out of murky depths and took out the main body with a loud whoosh as the tribe was almost entirely swallowed up. The mass of water, tan skin, and screaming landed on the other side of the road which quickly turned into a bloody mass of writhing bodies. There were some struggles and a few thrown spears, but the frojan were in their element when the killing crafts only managed to maim an enemy. One tribeswoman with a feral scowl stood out amidst the aquatic carnage and was swinging her spear in the unfamiliar mass of liquid before one light green frojan in a white shirt took her in the side with a spear and dragged her to the waiting depths.


    The few stragglers on either side were too busy being cut to pieces with water blades to provide any aid.


    A moment of silence hung over the empty swampland as the bodies finished floating to the top and bobbed in the water. A moment that was shattered when the frogmen came frolicking up out of the water, laughing and playing like it was a party. I was going to allow them the moment until one of the younger blue frojan started moving back up the road towards the camp.


    ¡°Woah, where are you going?¡± I called across.


    ¡°They must have some valuables.¡± He called back idly as the others perused the left-over bodies before following behind him.


    ¡°Far be it from me to deny you a payday, but me being out here is a big risk,¡± I said patiently to Baloo who was now perusing one dead tribesman¡¯s spear pack.


    Baloo looked conflicted for a moment before he nodded to the big pair of frojan that seemed to be our regular couriers. They took the three of us back to a hiding spot farther away from the main camp. It was a wide patch of grass and some bushes that were a proper green, as opposed to the more burned foliage we had spent the day in. The two frojan stood watch while Salamede, Gula, and I pressed down the grass to make a proper campsite and waited around for the looting to finish. As I was making a dirt mound to mold into an incline to lay on, I saw Gula and Salamede off to my left having a conversation in a spirit connection.


    Content to let them discuss whatever it was that interested them, I only got to work on my earth bed for a minute longer before Salamede came back up to me.


    ¡°Eli,¡± She said, putting a hand on my shoulder and pointing further ahead, ¡°There are two bushes over there, could you make this earthen bed over there.¡±


    I noticed that the bushes provided us far more privacy away from the main camp. Getting a mischievous grin, I set to work on the new bed as orange and red started to play across the sky. After a few more minutes of checking structural strength and contours, I was happy with the semi-solid bed I made and went back to the main area to get my wife.


    I saw her in them in the middle of the crushed grass as the two broad backs of the frogmen showed they were keeping an eye out.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± I said with an expectant grin.


    Surprisingly, both Salamede on the right and Gula on the left walked over. I raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything as they both ushered me back towards the bushes. There were a lot more questions when I noticed Gula¡¯s face. From her sharp chin and ears to her smooth cheek bones, there was a dark green that I could only say was a blush. Her right-side bang of jet-black hair was now being nervously twirled in her fingers, bolstering this theory. After a moment they both grabbed my shoulders and forced me down onto the earthen bed before standing back up.


    ¡°E-Eli¡­¡± Gula¡¯s golden eyes were wide like a prey animal being hunted, but her bit lip spoke of excitement. I laid there, content to let her get her mind in order before stealing a look at Salamede. In contrast to the ball of excited nerves on the left, she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.


    Gula bit her lips again before taking a deep breath and finally speaking out her thoughts.


    ¡°I was wondering if you would like to be with me. As a woman.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow as I puckered my lips. Salamede wasn¡¯t objecting and I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t like her. Still, who I slept with was a major political decision in this world, to say nothing of my hesitance.


    ¡°What entails, ¡®as a woman¡¯?¡± I asked.


    She was playing a finger across her belly now as she tried to keep her thoughts ordered.


    ¡°Y-You know, kissing or cuddling. I don¡¯t entertain thoughts of sex, but perhaps a tender hug?¡± She said, her eyes practically screaming for affection as her nose twitched, distorting the horizontal scar on the ridge. I turned to Salamede with an expectant look.


    ¡®What brought this on?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t cajole her to be a second wife if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. She is a woman approaching a man, that is as far as her interests go from what I can tell. But she is a delicate thing in this dance, and it would do her well to feel the touch of a powerful man or perhaps even the spray of his seed. That would be quite an enjoyable experience for her, as I can well attest.¡¯ She said with a smug tone.


    ¡®Yes, right up until the moment the dwarves clobber us both. Unless you think they forgot our little discussion when we first met.¡¯ I replied ruefully.


    Salamede nodded for a moment before putting her hands to her hips.


    ¡®Be that as it may, dear husband, it is not a discussion for now. Unless you intend to make her a mother tonight, we can wait until tomorrow to discuss this with the dwarves. Now, don¡¯t keep the poor woman waiting. The frojan are keeping watch around the whole island so we can be as¡­ free as we want to be.¡¯


    Well, at least I didn¡¯t have to worry about her getting jealous.


    I liked Gula but becoming involved with an orc on a personal level was something that could lead to my ruin in the Coalition, to say nothing of potential complications later on. Pondering on it for a few seconds, I decided to go with my most honest feeling: What difference does being an orc kisser or orc cuddler make when you¡¯ve already been put through the grinder for mating orcs? With my decision made, I set up a sound deadening enchantment on a log off to my right. Quickly taking off my mask and leather armor top, I set them to the side to expose my typical white shirt. Salamede and Gula did the same, though Gula was so nervous that she struggled for a bit. Which was good as it gave me time to use a water spell to wash off the day¡¯s most egregious sweat and dirt from me and Salamede.


    When she finished, she stood there with her leather pants and white shirt. Her lack of any idea on how to proceed was obvious so I decided to lead. I grabbed her knees and pulled her to me. Her gold eyes looked excited as I pulled her legs over my thighs and brought her to lay on top of me. I started another spell to use a water ball to clean her, then I considered that this was her first kiss and I shouldn¡¯t have any distractions.


    With the orange sky behind her, I put my hand to her left cheek and used my other to pull her waist closer. She was vibrating with excitement as I brought her face down to mine. At the final moment before contact, she pushed her head forward and clumsily stuck her tongue in my mouth. While she had no idea what she was doing as her tongue flailed in my mouth, I couldn¡¯t care less.


    Orcs were delicious.


    She tasted like spicy vinegar with a smoky undercurrent as opposed to Salamede¡¯s pure sweetness. A flavor I fully intended to savor. While her golden irises were wild with excitement and lust, when I put my left hand behind her head and launched my counterattack, she closed her eyes with tears running down her smooth cheeks as her jaw shook. I was getting a bit short of breath, between the kiss and trying to keep this vibrating woman from shaking right off me, but I needed as much of that spicy zing as I could get. After what may have been a minute, we finally had to pull away.


    A bit of saliva trailed between our mouths as she stayed just a few inches from my face, our lungs sucking in as much air as they could.


    ¡°Was¡­ am I,¡± She struggled to say between breaths as her face kept that same dark green blush. I took a moment to lick my lips in a slow, sensual movement. That sent her smaller shakes into proper hip thrusts against my stomach.


    ¡°Delightful,¡± I said with a wicked grin, ¡°If all the others here taste as good, I¡¯m surprised the humans haven¡¯t been attacking these swamps just to get some time alone to fully experience the delicacy.¡±


    She started properly crying at that. I had thought she might stop to wipe her eyes, but her tongue was back on the offensive as she shot forward and the pink plunderer scoured my mouth. During our play, her body was now giving full shakes as her throat gave cries of low whining ecstasy. Even as she did so, her hands felt up my chest and arms with abandon. It was something between sensual climax and emotional release.


    ¡®Am I beautiful?¡¯ She asked in a spirit connection as I dueled her tongue.


    ¡®You¡¯re a woman. Of course you¡¯re beautiful.¡¯ I said without a moment of hesitation. Feeling that this was the sore subject at hand, I put a hand to her right breast. While it only just filled my hand, I gave it a light squeeze, which made her give a low cry as I forced our mouths totally closed.


    ¡®You have wonderful breasts and a great ass. Your skin is a delightful shade that tempts men. Your -¡¯


    She stopped at that, pulling back and looking at me with a blank face as she still had the hard breathing of a fresh sprint.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. This fucking skin is the worst shade in existence.¡± She said audibly in a bitter tone as her lips puckered. She started scratching her arm, but I wasn¡¯t going to let this opportunity go by. I took both her hands and pulled her closer and upwards. She gave a light squeal as I put my lips on her neck, licking her skin and the sweat from the day¡¯s exertion.


    ¡°I love this skin¡­ It¡¯s like emerald stretched over the body of a beautiful woman,¡± I said gently between a kiss on her collar bone.


    I released her arms, but she sat on my lap still as a statue for a few moments. Then when I did a light kiss on her lower neck, I felt a deep-throated sob wrack her whole body followed by the sound of raw joy and pain in a union. Her fingers suddenly grabbed my hair and when I looked up, she was wailing into my head with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Figuring there was nothing else I could do, I continued feeling her up and licking her body. Which was when Salamede decided to participate.


    ¡°Is this what you wanted, dear?¡± She asked as she came down and snuggled up to my right side.


    ¡°More than,¡± Gula said with the distinctive drawl of a mid-cry, ¡°More than I had dared even dream. Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± She stuck out a hand to my wife, who took it with a loving squeeze. I prepared some smart comments about me being involved but stopped myself. This was an almost entirely emotional release for the poor woman now, and I wanted her to get out as much as she possibly could. Content to continue my licks and kisses, eventually, Gula stopped shaking and pulled my head up for a slow kiss.


    We stayed like that for a few more moments before she pulled away.


    ¡°All right, now for the main event.¡± Gula declared.


    I was about to say something about premarital sex, but Gula got off me and clung to my left side and Salamede went down to press herself into my right. Stuck between the two women, I could only run my hands down their backs as Salamede got some bags of nuts and water skins that she had retrieved while I and Gula were dueling tongues.


    That spicy taste was still heavy on my tongue as we lounged under the approaching night stars and they took turns feeding me hard traveling nuts washed down with a swig of water.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. A blanket.¡± Gula said as she broke the hug and got up. As she turned around and headed towards the frojan side of our little hideaway, Salamede took this time to get her kiss in. Once we finished with a loud pop, Salamede spoke to me through a spirit connection as she took in my eyes while I worked the mask on.


    ¡®So, what did you think?¡¯


    I took a moment to order my thoughts before answering.


    ¡®It was more emotional than sexual. To think she was aching that much over not just her lineage, but her very self as an orc. Though this may not be for the best. I¡¯d put money on her not accepting this being a one-time thing.¡¯


    ¡®Is that bad? Do you want it to be a one-time thing?¡¯


    ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯


    I took a long moment as a revolting thought occurred to me.


    Politics should never come before family, yet if I pushed Gula away when she might have been good for me and Salamede, I would essentially be reducing my role as a father/provider to a political office where who was loved was based on their benefits to my situation. An attitude that usually had a lot of bad, unseen effects. A fact the Coalition was learning the hard way. The implications of her being an orc, and subsequently any of our children, weren¡¯t trivial. But this was a thorny area where I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to let politics interfere with who I did and didn¡¯t let into my family.


    What could be held as sacred across all universes if not the importance of family, god dammit?


    ¡®I hate this.¡¯ I said with a mental sigh, ¡®All this maneuvering, scheming, and trouble.¡¯


    We laid there as night approached, taking in the winds as it moved over the tall grass and cattails when Gula came back with a gray blanket. She still had a big smile, bigger than any I had ever seen on her face. Laying the blanket over us, the orc worked herself under it and pressed herself against my left side. Letting myself enjoy her breasts against my abs, I put my hand down her backside and looked down to rub my mask''s green nose against hers.


    She gave a small snort while she seemed content to rub her face against my shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you, Eli.¡± She purred.


    ¡°Thank you. I rather enjoyed our session, but it is time we talked about more serious affairs.¡±


    They both looked up at me with expecting eyes.


    ¡°Once this crap plays out, I will be attending to a¡­ medical need. After that is seen to, I and Salamede will be starting a family. A big family. What are your plans for the future Gula?¡±


    She bit her lip and looked between me and Salamede for a moment before answering.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been too busy trying to stay alive to worry about such things. Are¡­ are you extending an invitation?¡± She asked dubiously.


    ¡°Sort of.¡± I responded as I took in the stars, ¡°I figure you will want to do something like this again, but I want to make sure we all are aware of each other¡¯s future expectations if our little game of kisses and rubs becomes more serious.¡±


    ¡°What are your future expectations?¡± Gula asked with a look to Salamede.


    The Kelton woman got a smug grin as her grey fur rustled against my side.


    ¡°Twelve children,¡± Salamede said in a haughty tone.


    Gula gave a low whistle before looking up at me with a raised eyebrow and mischievous grin.


    ¡°Is that your expectation, or Eli¡¯s?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Eli¡¯s. When your husband is a quad ultimate-¡°


    ¡°Ultimate quad-¡°


    My wife put a grey finger to my mask''s lips.


    ¡°This. When your husband is this, you¡¯ve got to make certain concessions to his demands. It will be a burden on my body, but one I would gladly pay to have the honor of being his wife.¡±


    Salamede sounded like she would soldier on, but the wide grin on her face and haughty tone said she was all too willing to ¡®concede¡¯ to my demands. I noticed that Gulas¡¯s left hand unconsciously went to her stomach as she bit her lip.


    ¡°What about a new wife?¡± The orc asked. ¡°How much of the burden would they be asked to bear?¡±


    Salamede puckered her lips and looked up to me with a questioning gaze, followed shortly by Gula.


    Taking a deep breath, I decided that now was the time for a bold play. After all, I was the hot dish on the proverbial lineage buffet, and I should use that for all it was worth.


    ¡°We agreed to twelve children when we got married. If another woman came in, it would only be fair to expect twelve children.¡±


    They both looked at me for a moment before I took the plunge.


    ¡°Each,¡± I said, tossing that one word out like it held all of my hopes and dreams.


    ¡°Each,¡± They both responded in unison with raised eyebrows.


    They looked at me like an errant child, though I had some optimism in the faint curl of their mouths. Salamede then turned to Gula and put her right hand over my chest.


    ¡°Can you believe what a lecherous deviant the wonder of our age is? What would the girls swooning after him think? Making such a ludicrous demand of poor women everywhere.¡±


    I puffed up my chest as I prepared my defense.


    ¡°I am the wonder of our age, beloved wife. Am I not in the position to make such a demand?¡±


    Salamede got a little smile while Gula got a worried look and rubbed her stomach before hiding it with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be all that bad, Salamede.¡± Gula idly mused, ¡°Surely, the new wife would be willing to take on any burden to get the safety and protection of Eli¡¯s love. If you only wanted eight children, shouldn¡¯t the newest member of the family be willing to bear Eli an extra four children to keep him happy?¡±


    The impish voice of the orc carried a more playful tone rather than a serious or challenging one, which Salamede responded to with a raised eyebrow and sassy turn of her head.


    ¡°I would never expect anyone to take on hardship from my lacking work ethic, Gula. I can assure you; Eli will not be left wanting for child from me.¡±


    Feeling the air of friendly competition, I stroked down both of their spines at that instant. Their intake of breath told me it was quite welcome, and they took the moment to rest their heads into my shoulders. With a bitter breeze from the night, I moved my hands and put in a heating enchantment into the log on the right. Then I covered up my skin with the blanket and bits of clothing before snuggling back into place and taking in the wonderful sensations running along my sides. Eventually, we all drifted off into the land of dreams.


    ¡°Um.¡±


    That noise off to my left had the deep rumble of the frojan as I felt sweat running along my back from having two women molded against my skin. The sky I was looking at above me had the faint whisps of the approaching morning as I blinked away the previous night¡¯s sleep. Looking down to my left, I saw Baloo standing there. He wasn¡¯t utterly dumbfounded, but he clearly wasn¡¯t expecting what he walked into.


    The orc plastered to my left side gradually stirred into the land of the living. As she stretched and I saw the love for me in her gold eyes, there was a stir in my heart, which only fed the interest I had in our relationship.


    ¡°Ah, Baloo. How was the scavenging?¡± Gula said as she threw back the blanket and got up with a stretch. Apparently, the frojan thought he walked into the aftermath of a three-way love session because he seemed relieved when Gula showed her white shirt and leather pants were still on.


    ¡°Good, got some valuables for everyone. But there was a complication the quad mage might be interested in.¡± He said with a rub across his back with his idle left hand.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I said, now fully awake as I leaned over Salamede and retrieved the rest of my ensemble.


    ¡°We ran into another patrol.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I suppose there are some injuries I need to see to?¡± I said idly as I fixed the head cover around my mask.


    ¡°They were one of ours.¡± He said with a tremble coming through in the deep rumble of his voice.


    That made my head snap up as I took him in and looked around.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here, quad mage. But we came up with the official story that we took out a camp and decided to do some reconnaissance on the main base. The lead scout¡­ she was a right sharp one and didn¡¯t seem to think we just strolled in after the battle. Coming up with an excuse, we said we used water magic to switch some of the spears and finished off the stragglers.¡±


    I gave an irritated grunt as I got up, which made Gula turn around with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± She asked as Salamede just started stirring from sleep behind me.


    ¡°Attention. Too many miracles are following you lot around and your higher-ups are going to start noticing. I was hoping we could just let this all go down as an unsolved legend, but I suppose that bit of narrative has passed us by.¡±


    Baloo and Gula just gave a light laugh as grins spread across their faces.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gula snorted, ¡°I¡¯m sure high command will have an entire meeting about us.¡±


    ¡°Quad mage,¡± Baloo said in an indulgent tone, ¡°I think the fact that the entire world is currently focused on you has skewed your thinking. No one stops to think about the likes of us.¡±


    I looked between the two of them standing there with disbelieving expressions. The emotional scars from their time as outcasts were clouding their judgment, but we needed to leave now, and I didn¡¯t have time to play therapist.


    ¡°Be that as it may, we can¡¯t do any more of these wonders. Next time, we¡¯ll just have to work around events rather than shape them.¡±


    Baloo nodded while Gula noncommittally bit her bit lower lip suggesting she had something she wanted to say. I walked forward and pulled up my mask before planting a hard, deep kiss on her lips. I made sure to keep eye contact with her the whole time, which only made her blush a deeper green as that spicy vinegar coated my tongue before pulling back with a loud pop.


    ¡°Go,¡± I said before putting my mask on, ¡°We need to get back and discuss our personal development with the dwarves to see if they won¡¯t throw us overboard for it. Tell the messenger dwarf we need to see Gashton.¡±


    Gula just stood there, breathlessly trying to move her mouth. I just stepped closer and gave her bum a light swat, making her stand rigid even as she seemed to enjoy the contact.


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± She spat out before getting her top half of leather armor from the grass and proceeded to put it on before heading to the main camp. Baloo quickly followed behind her, looking both amused and sick to his stomach.


    ¡°Well, well.¡± Salamede teased behind me as she got up and started putting her armor back on. ¡°Looks like you have no objections to the relationship now.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a good person,¡± I said casually as I stretched and worked my arms soreness away. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve slept on it, I think she would be a good match for us. Strong, ethical, and caring. She has some insecurities and some frustrating lines in her thinking, but overall, I feel she is a potential bride worth exploring.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good.¡± Salamede said idly as she got up and was ready to go.


    Not wasting any more time, we all headed into the main camp. There were Frojan stretching and getting ready for a long trip as the sky showed off one of its now rare blue tints. It was pretty quick to get everyone in the water and as we traveled back home, there was only one time we had to stop. There was a whirl in the muddy water that told me something big was passing by. The frojan didn¡¯t seem nervous, though, and just waited for it to pass. Looking at the back side of the mass of churning mud zipping by, I saw the foot of an orc sticking out in the muddy cloud of what had to be another patrol.


    Fortunately, the rest of the trip passed by quickly. It was near late afternoon when we finally washed up on the embankment of Lokan¡¯s little patch of heaven in the swamps. Waving our fellows goodbye, we took the rest of the day in slow stride. Soaking up each other¡¯s presence, enjoying a good meal, and relaxing in the nighttime. When the next morning came and we were all showered and finishing up a breakfast of gravy and biscuits, Gula came back wearing a white shirt and brown pants that matched mine.


    I was sitting at the left side of the table with my wife when the orc came and sat beside me. There was a moment of hesitance, but Salamede took my chin and forced me closer to her. A distance Gula happily crossed, though Lokan and Salamede¡¯s Mother didn¡¯t bat an eye as they sat across from us and were both informed ahead of time about the change in our relationship.


    ¡°S-so. Are you his brood maker yet?¡± The blue snake woman asked as she swatted a bug off her purple robe''s shoulder. Gula pulled away with a pop and turned to her friend.


    ¡°That was something I wanted to talk about,¡± She said before turning back to me. ¡°This is fun, but there are some serious conversations we need to have.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked.


    ¡°On the way to the meeting with Gashton. I know the area well and the missive I received from my dwarf correspondent said to bring a stalk of yook root.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless. There was nothing in my reputation that suggested I couldn¡¯t keep it in my pants, so I wasn¡¯t worried about the dwarves overreacting too harshly. After that, we talked for a while about idle things in our life and laughed at an occasional joke. When mid-day came, I put back on my orc mask and headcover. Combined with my leather armor, I could walk in the swamplands with little worry.


    Following Gula out the door, after she put a stalk of yellow celery in her leather bag, I came out into a bright day as the sun played across the swamplands. Though the winter cold still hung over the lands. Getting into a boat on the left side of our patch of grassland, I took an oar in the back of the boat while Gula got in front and took her oar.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    We both pushed off of the shore with our oars and started rowing northward.


    ¡°What was it we needed to discuss?¡± I asked as the tall grass and cattails passed by when we got a good rhythm going.


    ¡°Children. More specifically, children from you.¡± Gula said simply.


    I raised an eyebrow under my mask but rowed in silence for a few more seconds before speaking.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem like a big concern last night.¡± I prodded.


    Gula looked behind her for a moment with a roguish grin.


    ¡°Come now, Eli. Competitive spirit demands I not let another woman think she can have more kids than I can. Just like how men can¡¯t let another man drink more than him. It was a bit of sport.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the serious answer?¡± I asked.


    She had her oar up and squeezed the grip of the long piece of wood for a moment before plunging it back into the water.


    ¡°The thought terrifies me.¡± She said in a calm voice, ¡°I know this is just some kissing and rubbing, but as you said, we need to discuss what we want long term in case¡­ in case. And to be honest, my children having your abilities is something I don¡¯t think I want for them.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. The sun was shining down on her bowl of black hair as she took a deep breath and placed her oar across her lap. I could tell she was looking up at the sky as she strummed her left-hand fingers across the oars handle.


    ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t come out with your unique colorings, one of them would inevitably want to consume magical plants or animals to grow their familiars, at the very least. That would inevitably lead people to their siblings.


    Say we weren¡¯t discovered. I would still have that possibility over my head the whole time. But if I got them from a farmers boy, they wouldn¡¯t ever have to worry about that. Not to make you regret it, but between my new status and your payment, we now have the resources that they would never want for food.


    Since that comment from when we attacked the mine, where you said you would consider children from orcs to be your own, I knew you¡¯d be a good father. But¡­ I don¡¯t know if I could bear to risk subjecting them to all the craziness following you around.¡±


    I felt a tremor run through my heart, a reaction to these words so profound it felt physical.


    All those women looking at me with raw lust, constantly hitting me up for a baby with their disgusting greed, and here I was talking with a woman who considered all the things that drove them to me to be repellant. It was obvious that our child would be nothing more than a winning ticket wrapped up in a baby¡¯s body to the women in the academy and the town. An attitude Beth had shared to a lesser degree. Yet out here in the middle of the last place anyone in the Coalition would want me to be, I found myself with another decent soul, and my heart trembled with temptation.


    God, this world was really messing with my mind if not treating our children like a steppingstone to sacks of gold was enough to get my interest piqued.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said simply, ¡°But let¡¯s not get too invested in the future, even as we strive to not ignore it. Some cuddles and kisses are what¡¯s in the offering right now and we can take a week or two to figure where we stand on things.¡±


    She nodded as we continued paddling north, eventually reaching a wide mud hut with a window on the left side and a wooden door in the middle.


    ¡°Come, we are just a good half-hour walk away from the meeting site.¡± She said as we brought the boat to shore. Getting out, we headed behind the house and through the endless tracks of bushes and flowing streams. We finally got to the meeting place, some empty plains that had been forestlands. It was now filled with nothing but scars of bark in a mess of bushes. Gashton, an older dwarf with sharp cheekbones and grey hair covering the rest of his face stood in the middle of the empty patch with four other dwarves. They all wore the red and gold-trimmed armor typical of their kind. Though Gaston''s emerald eyes showed a friendly demeanor, they were all well-armed with axes and cross bows.


    ¡°Ah! The troublemaker has finally arrived.¡± He boomed with a small grin. ¡°How has life been for you?¡±


    ¡°Quite well. Better than before, even.¡± I said as I walked forward. ¡°Though we aren¡¯t here to reminisce.¡±


    The mid-day sun was playing across his face as he nodded, but he was content to merely stand still and wait for me to explain.


    ¡°I remember what you said about me falling into the hands of the orcs during our first visit. Given that, I wanted to know what me starting a relationship with Gula would mean for our¡­ arrangement.¡±


    He took a deep breath and looked between me and Gula for a moment before sighing.


    ¡°We were specifically concerned about you getting gang-raped to death in an orc compound. I do hope you¡¯ve never considered taking her to an orc market or festival.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Gula objected behind me as she walked forward and came to stand on my right.


    Gashton put his hand behind his back as he looked at us both. A slight cough and he started the negotiation.


    ¡°The truth is, we were equally worried about the spread of human mages considering your extensive abilities. Young men want to spread their seed and the fact you didn¡¯t plow into the local women shows you can control yourself, to a troublesome degree. So, I¡¯ll ask you plainly, what is your intention for this relationship?¡±


    I took a deep breath and delivered my offer.


    ¡°Warmth and tenderness. Though marriage and children may come down at some point.¡±


    Gashton stood there with a measuring look in his emerald eyes for a moment before Gula stepped forward with a pout.


    ¡°Come on, dad. All the girls want him, and it wouldn¡¯t be fair if I had to turn him down just because grandpa would get grumpy.¡±


    That made smiles break out with everyone before I participated with my own step forward.


    ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll have her back before sundown every night.¡±


    A round of chuckles went up from the other dwarfs, with Gashton biting his lip before rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Damn brats.¡± He sighed before continuing ¡°I don¡¯t think the long beards would go for that. But we aren¡¯t concerned about kisses and considering how telling you how to run your love life has gone for the Coalition, I think setting a simple ground rule, for now, is better. Every three days, Gula must eat a yook root in front of our messenger. With this simple rule, take this as far as you want until we can reach an official consensus on the matter.¡±


    We both nodded at that, but I stood still as Gula quickly ate the yook root from her sack before she turned to go.


    ¡°Tell me, Gashton. How much longer do you think I can stay here?¡±


    The older dwarf nodded before closing his eyes and then opening them to look directly at me.


    ¡°A week, maybe a week and a half. You leaving has made the armies marching on the Coalition change their plans and I¡¯m sensing there are a lot of people who are happy having such a troublesome ¡®pain¡¯ get out of their hair. Even with all that, well, I¡¯m sure you can imagine. But our diplomats are handling it as well as can be expected.¡±


    I nodded and waved them all goodbye. We left and went back to Lokan¡¯s house.


    For the next few days, we settled into a routine that involved me waking up with Salamede and showering in the early morning when Gula would arrive, and promptly stick to my side when breakfast was ready. From there, we would either sit around talking or go on a boat ride to one interesting and of course abandoned, part of the swamp. Two days after our meeting with the dwarves, Salamede and I were cooking a beef stew in the early afternoon when she asked me a question.


    ¡®It seems odd.¡¯ She said to my left in a spirit connection as she stirred a pot of red soup with her green dress''s sleeves pulled up. ¡®Gula has made no attempt to get into our bed or shower with us. I was worried about her pushing your boundaries, but she seems content with this.¡¯


    ¡®Well¡­¡¯ I struggled for the words as I diced a carrot, making my wife turn to me with a raised eyebrow. I decided to not complicate this by trying to dance around my feelings. ¡®I don¡¯t know if she would be pushing my boundary if she did.¡¯


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ She said, her voice heavy with excitement.


    I rolled my eyes as I stared into the red soup before I answered.


    ¡®You remember that comment I told you about? About her not being sure if she wants my children?¡¯


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Salamede said eagerly.


    ¡®It stuck with me. Some kisses and rubs aren¡¯t going to sway me, but her concern for our potential children beyond using them as a pass into the good life has and after getting to know her better ¡­ I¡¯m not saying I would approve of sex before marriage, but if she came up to me with the offer, I can¡¯t say it would be a definite no.¡¯


    Salamede just got me in a big hug, drawing the eyes of her mother and Lokan at the table.


    ¡®Good.¡¯ Was all she said before pulling back to her stew.


    After dinner, the woman in question came knocking on the door at a frantic pace. Lokan opened the door and Gula came sprinting up to the main table where the rest of us were seated.


    ¡°Letter from the dwarves. Extremely urgent.¡± Gula said as her white shirt rose and fell with her frantic breathing. She walked up to me and Salamede on the left side of the table, a piece of paper in hand which she quickly handed off to me. I read the letter as quickly as I could, though not quickly enough for Salamede¡¯s taste.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± She asked eagerly as she rubbed my shoulder.


    ¡°Chattox,¡± I said, unable to keep the confusion out of my voice. ¡°Veronica¡¯s familiar. It¡¯s been harassing Gigan. But whatever it¡¯s trying to say, the dwarves can¡¯t make much sense of it considering how frantic it is and how unfamiliar they are with mental images in spirit connections. Though the mental image of me has been consistent. They aren¡¯t sure, but it seems to be implying it will tell people about me being a scion if I don¡¯t see to an¡­ arm. Whatever it means, the dwarves want me to come to the meeting place with Gashton as soon as I possibly can and head back to the academy before Chattox reveals I¡¯m a scion.¡±


    There were alarmed looks all around, but Cell was resting on my shoulder and radiated¡­ confusion. A sentiment I shared as I struggled to see the problem.


    ¡°So, what exactly is the problem I¡¯m looking at here?¡± I asked the group.


    Gula raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down with confusion.


    ¡°Eli, if they know you¡¯re a scion, they¡¯d probably declare war on the dwarves for keeping you from them.¡±


    I blinked for a moment as I processed the absurd statement.


    ¡°What¡­ What are you talking about? They know I¡¯m stronger than an elf, what difference does me being a scion make?¡±


    The rest of my fellow table members looked askance at me before Salamede¡¯s mother tapped her small brown dress and huffed.


    ¡°It just does, son. Doesn¡¯t make sense, but things change when a scion is involved. That¡¯s just how it is.¡±


    The other¡¯s nodded but Salamede seemed to be fighting the inclination.


    Turning my head down to stare at the red stone of the floor, I took a moment before turning back up with a sigh.


    ¡°I suppose I have to go back then,¡± I announced.


    Salamede immediately hugged my side, trembling and squeezing my arms for comfort. Gula was a bit more uncertain, but promptly followed Salamede when I rubbed both of their shoulders.


    ¡°Salamede¡­I-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± She said, putting a finger to my lips, ¡°I know. Just give me a moment.¡± We sat there for a few minutes, the two women just rubbing themselves against me before they pulled back. Salamede just looked at me as I got up and went to our room to retrieve my items and put on the orc mask with a headcover. As I came back up the steps with all of the items I had brought with me in the chest, Salamede and Gula were standing to the side while Lokan and Salamede¡¯s mother were content to wave goodbye as the three of us left out the door.


    When we were outside, my wife turned me around.


    ¡°Stay safe, my love,¡± Salamede said before hugging me. We shared a deep kiss and some groping before we pulled away with a pop.


    ¡°You too, my sweet¡± I responded after a long moment of holding each other before pulling apart. It was obvious she was being strong for me and would have her cry after I left. As frustrating as it was, it was better for me that she showed restraint. Cell was on her left shoulder, sending me a feeling of anxiety but he knew enough to not offer coming with me.


    The two quickly shuffled back inside when I put my chest in the boat and Gula got in the front to start working the oars. It was a silent row back to her house, but when we beached the boat back at her place, Gula gave a light sigh. When I heard a little sob from her as we approached the right side of her house, I decided Salamede wasn¡¯t the only one who needed some emotional comfort.


    ¡°Gula,¡± I said, putting my wooden chest down.


    She stopped but didn¡¯t turn around. Taking a deep breath, I came up behind her and put my hands on the shoulders of her white shirt.


    ¡°If you¡¯re upset, Gula, don¡¯t be afraid to show it.¡±


    She finally turned to me. Those black eyeballs made it a bit harder to see the tears, but there was still some along her cheeks and those golden irises had the unmistakable look of pain. The afternoon sun shined down on her face even as her lower jaw shook. We just stood there as she struggled to find the words. I felt I knew enough about what she was going to say to take some initiative.


    Taking her chin in my right hand, I lifted my mask and kissed her. She closed her eyes as we savored the moment before pulling away. After she licked her lips, she finally spoke.


    ¡°I suppose I should be grateful for the time we had.¡±


    I took her left hand in mine and pushed her closer to the front wall of her house. When I got her pinned against the mud bricks, I proceeded to plunder her mouth.


    ¡®Eli. You don¡¯t need to keep doing this for my benefit.¡¯ She said hesitantly in a spirit connection.


    ¡®I¡¯m not.¡¯ I responded simply as my tongue pressed against hers, ¡®I¡¯m doing this because I want it.¡¯


    Her body was properly pressed against the wall now as I put a leg between her thighs and the sounds of moans and sucking filled the empty landscape. Or what was an empty landscape. I saw her mother in the corner of my eye, peering out of the doorway and looking at us with wide red eyes.


    Gently pulling back, Gula looked confused for a moment before she looked to her right.


    ¡°Ah, mother. I thought you were on a patrol.¡± She said nervously as she straightened her white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°It was moved to tomorrow,¡± Durka said, her brown braids swaying as she looked between the both of us.


    Honestly, I hadn¡¯t even considered her being home. But it wasn¡¯t like she was unaware of what our relationship was, so I was only mildly perturbed as I pulled my mask down. Gula, on the other hand, looked like a child who was caught with their hand in a jar of sweets.


    ¡°Eli got a letter from the dwarves and has to head back up north,¡± Gula explained nervously.


    Her mother snorted as she shook her head.


    ¡°Must be for a while if he¡¯s giving a send-off like that. Best of luck, quad mage.¡± A wave of her right hand and she was gone. Gula just went dark green as she stood there for a moment. Then she swatted my thigh before starting a spirit connection.


    ¡®Eli! Be more careful about that,¡¯ she pouted like a teen on their first bad date.


    ¡®Eh. She already knows, what difference does it make if we¡¯re affectionate around her.¡¯ I said as I turned and went to pick up my wooden chest.


    When I turned around, she had her hands crossed over her chest as she tapped a foot to the ground.


    ¡®That was more than affectionate.¡¯ She scolded.


    ¡®Hey, you wanted to know what it¡¯s like being with a man.¡¯ I teased as I walked up and rubbed my masks nose against the horizontal scar on hers. ¡®Sometimes, a man lets his passions get ahead of propriety. Now come on, we have a carriage ride to get to.¡¯


    There was a slight smile on her face, but she still did her best to act irritated. A fa?ade she quickly dropped as we left her house behind and made our way northward. After half an hour, we arrived a few yards away from the bushes as another of the tear-shaped carriages with a golem was already there with three dwarves waiting as an escort.


    After putting the wooden chest in the carriage, I hugged Gula beside the open carriage door.


    ¡°I may be able to come back if I can calm Chattox down from whatever has him all riled up without anyone noticing. If I can¡¯t¡­ just don¡¯t let another man taste you. I can be quite jealous about certain things.¡±


    She snorted and swatted my shoulder before we both pulled back. With nothing left to say, I got into the carriage and waved to her as the golem stirred to life before taking off. A whirl of green and shrubbery zipped by as I took off my mask and headcover.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep until we get there,¡± I announced to my three guards, ¡°Go to the river upstream of the town. I want to get into my tower secretively. Tell Gigan to direct Chattox to my tower''s open bedroom window. Hopefully, I can see to this problem without anyone noticing and come back.¡±


    They all nodded as I leaned back in my seat as the carriage rocked from the golem taking off.


    ¡°Oi! We¡¯ve arrived, quad mage.¡±


    I jerked up and took a moment to be bitter at Salamede¡¯s absence from my side. Then looking out the window, I saw the faint whisp of morning coming out over the night sky. Looking down, I could see some of the undead getting their heads bashed in by the dwarven guards while one of my minders stayed behind to sit across from me. From the local landscape and the river on my right, I could tell that we were a good bit upstream of the academy.


    Our time together finished, I bid them all goodbye as the proper bite of winter clutched at my skin. I took my chest with me into the river. Cold and powerful, I used the supremacy of the river to guide me towards my destination. Using air and heating spells to ward off hypothermia and maintain an air bubble around my head put a considerable strain on my mental resources, but eventually, I passed under a large shadow that I knew to be the bridge.


    After a few more minutes boosting myself around in the murky water, I came upon a few rocks that I knew held the hatch to my underground workshop and lifted the handle hidden among them. Some tugging and maneuvering, and I was up in the grotto section of my workshop. With the ever-present hum on the copper spheres fixed in the rack above the furnace on the opposite side of the room, I moved across the stone floor as the mana lamp on the central pillar bathed the room in its glow. Lugging my chest up the steps on the right, I worked open the hatch while only barely lifting it.


    The dead silence that greeted me, paired with the still shut front door gave me the all-clear to enter the main living area. Pulling my metal armor out of the chest, I quickly put it on and opened the hatch. It doesn¡¯t look like anything had been touched in my absence as the table to my left and the couch to my right were in the same spot as always. Walking towards the stairs on the left wall and past my kitchen near the main door, I used an air spell to deaden any noise from my metal shoes hitting the floor.


    Going over the copper floor of my ¡®workshop¡¯ and up to my main bedroom, it was the same as ever. A big bed of thick red blankets and soft white sheets lay in the back middle of the room with a nightstand to its right and a glass shower in the right corner of the room. What I was here for was the glass window above the bed. After a few more minutes, the guest of honor arrived.


    The white bird landed on the ledge, its cruel-looking red eyes and fluff of feathers on its head marking it different than the scavengers who it mimicked. When I opened the window, it flew in with the blue stripes on its wings giving off some water mana. It must have been as eager to conclude business as I was because it immediately bombarded me with mental images in a spirit connection before it even landed on the bed.


    Veronica, Eska, Mia, Andrew, his familiar, and Jeff were all in the yard behind the water scions house, practicing their spell work and various crafts. Disturbingly, it indicated that I was a rather constant subject in their discussions. And the rest of the students as well. Chattox quickly left the mental detour before getting back on track. The familiar quickly got to why it needed me. Andrew had been working on a fire beam, similar to the one I made of water. But when he tested it while pointed to the ground, that was when a stray water ball slammed into the table that he had it resting on.


    It was the thrower of the water ball who suffered when the wide beam of fire blasted Veronica¡¯s right arm clean off. My tinkering nature couldn¡¯t help but note some probable inefficiencies in Andrews''s design before taking in the rest of the story. Fortunately, Veronica just passed straight out from the pain while the rest panicked. A healing potion was applied which stopped it from being life-threatening. Which is when Mia ran to get help.


    Or rather tried to.


    Chattox immediately blocked her path and impressed upon the others to stay quiet, which was followed up by Andrews fire ape blocking any attempt to leave the house that the mages were quickly shuffled into. The two familiars figured out that there was no way to fix her arm as all the healing scions were on the central continent. All of them, except for me. Working out a plan with the fire ape, they forced the students, now thoroughly confused as they were seemingly being detained by two of their own numbers familiars, to stay in Veronica¡¯s house while they pushed the dwarves to get me. Andrew had been particularly upset about his familiars seeming betrayal, as was Veronica when she recovered from the shock.


    Fortunately, she was angrier with Andrew than anything else, so she didn¡¯t press her familiar too hard. I stared at the bird for a moment, some notion of pleading in its eyes. After I asked about the local staff, it said they were starting to get worried about all the top students seeming refusal to leave Veronica¡¯s house. I took a deep breath and worked through the best-case scenario.


    Someone was going to find out I was a scion today.


    The optimal route was the only person knowing this fact being Veronica, who I heal and promptly leave to go back to Salamede and Gula. Worst case scenario, Chattox¡¯s already fragile mental state prompts him or Andrews familiar to spill everything, which means everyone knows I¡¯m a scion, knows what my familiar looks like, and knows how long I¡¯ve been a scion. Resigning myself to the best of the bad options, I told Chattox about a local tavern that would have the spare room for me to discreetly meet Veronica.


    He told me he would bring Andrew first if the two familiars couldn¡¯t convince the others to stay behind and the monkey would meet back up at Veronica¡¯s house to give them the room number.


    The bird then flew out the window, leaving me to get ready for things on my end. Putting my metal armor away, I put on my regular leather armor and a cloth bandana with the headcover. Heading back out the grotto entrance, I boosted myself upriver and onto the shore by the smaller left side docks. Using a water spell to un-soak my clothes, I quickly melted into the morning crowd. Walking past leather workers, smiths, and the occasional pile of snow, I arrived at the wide three-story tavern with a wide double door for an entrance.


    Going in through the door, I saw it was crowded, but not claustrophobic. The inn¡¯s walls were dark oak while the floor was a decent grey stone. With two wide areas of tables filled with guests on the right and left, most people ignored me as the poor candlelight made it hard to see most of the patron''s faces anyway. The main bar was directly ahead with a staircase to its right the former of which I quickly pushed towards as a pudgy man with a combover of black hair was washing a cup with a rag behind the long counter. I spent a few seconds maneuvering around one dock worker or Kelton merchant enjoying an early breakfast with water or ale as I approached the pudgy man. My destination looked at me with a scowl and furrowed eyebrows, but quickly became the consummate inn keeper when I put down a gold coin.


    ¡°One room,¡± I said in a soft tone as I kept my head down, ¡°May have a red head or a blond coming through asking for my room. I¡¯d greatly appreciate you sending them my way.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, good sir,¡± The man said, handing me a wooden card with the number seven on it. Going up the oak staircase, I saw numbers along the various hallways and went down the one to the immediate right. Walking over the solid oak flooring, I found my room and promptly went through the wood door with the number seven on it. It was a rather large room that had the walls and floor being the same oak as the hallway, with a bed on the right, a desk on the left with a chair, and a window in between, through which I saw the night still held some sway as the soft blue of the morning was coming in.


    Drawing the cloth that acted as a curtain, I sat in the chair and waited. It took ten minutes, but eventually, my first guest arrived. Though when the wild red hair of Andrew popped through the door, I had to stop myself from groaning. I suppose after being cooped up in Veronica¡¯s house, they weren¡¯t all just going to let this pass them by.


    ¡°Damn it, Gretton. What is-¡°


    He stopped as his oceanic teal eyes finally found me. Which was fair because he had been distracted by his familiar on his shoulder beneath a grey cloak, a wine-red monkey with green eyes and lines of red mana coming out of its forehead. Though, it was a fair bit taller and more muscular now compared to our first encounter.


    Andrew took a moment to rub his strong cheekbones and the silky red pants and equally fine red vest over a white shirt beneath the cloak that flapped with the movement of his familiar.


    Puckering his lips, he stuck out his finger in accusation.


    ¡°Who the-¡°


    I saw the moment where he recognized my purple eyes as his jaw stopped moving and he stood still, totally dumbstruck.


    ¡°Sit,¡± I instructed with a pointed finger to the bed.


    Andrew apparently wasn¡¯t in the mental space to argue, because he obediently went and sat down on the pale blue blanket. I spent a few minutes going over design flaws in his craft, but he clearly wasn¡¯t paying attention. After a few more minutes, the door opened again.


    Eska, the librarian looking friend of Veronica came through the door with Mia. Her long black hair and sharp nose accentuated her glasses but her brown eyes looked to Andrew with anger.


    ¡°If this is some kind of prank, Andrew, I will put your head so far-¡°


    She stopped when she saw me, though her caramel-skinned, muscular companion with choppy red hair kept her brown eyes on Andrew. They both had grey cloaks over what I now saw were their white and blue striped student robes.


    ¡°I would have thought you wouldn¡¯t be wearing the student robes now that you graduated. Please, come in before you draw more attention.¡±


    They both looked confused as they awkwardly stumbled to the right and closed the door. Mia gulped as her small chin had a bead of sweat fall along it before she spoke.


    ¡°They¡¯re more comfortable than anything else here. Besides, we can¡¯t leave until necrosis is over. What-¡°


    I put up a hand for silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only explain it once, so let¡¯s wait for the star of this show to arrive,¡± I said in a bored tone. Inside, though, I was sweating. There was going to be too much information floating around out there about my true abilities to be comfortable, but it was still better than Chattox having an episode and blasting everything he knew everywhere.


    Eventually, the last two guests arrived wearing grey cloaks and student robes underneath. Jeff came in with a tired scowl across his face, pulling the skin on his slight chin as his oceanic eyes quickly found his brother and with a wave of his short black hair, promptly stood beside him, seemingly being told beforehand about my presence.


    Veronica was a wreck.


    The blonde''s blue eyes had dark circles and her heart-shaped face bore the hardest scowl I had ever seen on it, though the wild strands of blonde hair slightly obscured it. Her depression was such that when she registered my presence, she only managed a moment of surprise before slinking back into her despair. Not even the affectionate rub of her familiar''s beak, sticking out on her shoulder beneath the cloak, seemed to penetrate those mental depths.


    Jeff, however, was quick to voice his thoughts.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked with uncertainty.


    The three girls stood off to the right in seeming opposition to the two guys, with me being left as the mediator in the middle.


    Instead of answering the question, I coughed into my hand and got to what I came here to do.


    ¡°Veronica, if you could take the bed.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She demanded with a hiss as her jaw shook. ¡°So Andrew can blast off the other one?¡±


    She pulled out her right arm from beneath the grey cloak and shook the stump at the fire scion in accusation. It was a clean stump with slightly pale skin that only reached just above the elbow. Good, the hand alone was going to be difficult enough.


    Andrew just seemed to withdraw into himself, but Jeff puffed out his chest.


    ¡°He had it on the table, pointed at the ground. It wasn¡¯t a wind blade or ball of fire that took out the table leg.¡±


    Veronica¡¯s bit her lower lip as fresh tears fell down her face.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not going to be able to go on resource expeditions. I could barely make crafts before, and now my good hand is gone.¡±


    She started properly sobbing but her two friends came to her side.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Eska said with a hug on her right.


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe we could go to the central continent and get a healing scion to-¡°


    Veronica forced herself to stop crying as she wiped her eyes with her left hand''s robe sleeve.


    ¡°Their time is ridiculously expensive,¡± Veronica moaned ¡°I¡¯ll be set so far back even getting-¡°


    ¡°Veronica!¡± I commanded. That snapped the three women out of their stupor as all eyes turned to me. I pointed to the bed and repeated my instruction ¡°Sit.¡±


    They looked a bit hesitant but moved forward as the two boys vacated the bed area. With a flapping of wings and smack of a long-range jump, the familiars left their partners to sit beside me on the desk. The two groups looked confused while they continued moving around each other like they were magnetically repelled by the presence of the other. Veronica sat in the middle of the bed with Eska on the right and Mia on the left. When I took off my leather armor to strip down to the white shirt and brown pants, I moved my chair to the bed and started sucking in mana.


    Eska just rolled her eyes as she saw what I was doing.


    ¡°Eli. No matter what talents you may have, only scions can restore limbs after they¡¯re gone.¡±


    Ignoring the comment, I made two, three-ring constructs of golden mana with the needed triangle outputs in my hands. From what I have read, bone and the surrounding flesh typically had to be healed separately and I didn¡¯t have time to go back and forth. The three women looked on with dubious expressions as I set off what was an invisible spell construct to them. While they still had eyebrows raised in doubt, Mia¡¯s was the first to fall before I leaned forward to get the two spells closer and kept my eyes on the reforming, pale flesh. There was the sound of footsteps behind me as I felt the presence of the boys leaning over me.


    Aside from that the room was dead silent.


    That utter void of noise continued for a few minutes as the arm had reformed near the wrist until the quiet was interrupted by Jeff when he finally spoke with a shaken voice.


    ¡°Eli, how are you doing this?¡±


    I took a deep breath as I felt the first beads of sweat form on my brow. Of course, I also felt the intensity of their gazes burning into me. But aside from one snide comment, I was content to focus on the job.


    ¡°I find people so fascinating. Tell me, when you ask about something that you already know the answer to, do you think there is going to be some impossibly complicated answer that will undo what your eyes are telling you, or is it just the sheer force of habit that compels the question?¡±


    With that, I got on to the hard work.


    The joints were the hardest as I had to make sure the bone formed with the cartilage at the same time, but I was good enough that I never required a¡­ fresh start.


    I was near my limit when I healed the last digit, the thumb, but with sweat running down my forehead and back, I finally finished the arm. The muscles were noticeably weaker when looked at close up, but it didn¡¯t resemble an emaciated woman¡¯s arm either and shouldn¡¯t elicit any notice from passerby.


    ¡°Exercise with it daily. A day or two in the sun and I doubt anyone could see the difference.¡± I said as I got up. They were all looking at me like I was a ghost come to chat but even as Andrews and Mia¡¯s jaws moved, no sound was heard. Walking over to the desk with my footfalls being a rather conspicuous interruption to the silence, I put on my leather armor. ¡°Practice writing as well. I¡¯m not sure about muscle memory but-¡°


    When I got the armor top on, Veronica slammed into me as tears flowed freely down her face. There was a string of gibberish coming out of her, but one word from Eska cut through the noise.


    ¡°Scion.¡±


    I looked away from the crying girl to see the others staring at me. Andrew and Jeff were off to the right, while Mia and Eska just sat there still as stone on the bed. I prepared an air spell to block the noise out of this room as I started the real conversation. They were all wide-eyed and kept staring at me until Andrew looked to my left.


    ¡°Gretton. You knew. You both knew.¡± The fire scion said in an accusing tone as I set off the spell with a rush of air.


    The fire monkey¡¯s deep green eyes got a conflicted look before he tilted his head down. Chattox flew off the table and landed on Veronica¡¯s shoulder. The blonde was too happy at getting back the life she lost to care about the deception, though.


    ¡°Good thing they did.¡± She said with a cheek rub against her now happy familiars beak. ¡°Whatever happened before, I¡¯m willing to move past it now. Though I am curious as to when you managed to ascend.¡±


    They were all looking at me now, but I just huffed as I put on my cloth mask and headcover.


    ¡°Pointless speculation on something that doesn¡¯t matter. With the closing of this incident, can I trust that you will keep silent about what you have learned today?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Andrew exploded. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re¡­ No. We can¡¯t fucking hide this!¡±


    ¡°Andrew!¡± Jeff scolded with an impatient stare and scowl. ¡°How do you think it will look if it becomes known that your familiar was aware of Eli being a scion and told no one? Nothing good will come of us telling people about this.¡±


    Eska nodded before throwing her thoughts in.


    ¡°That would depend on how long this¡­ arrangement has been going on.¡±


    They all looked at me again, as if expecting me to answer. Unfortunately, the musclehead Mia had an epiphany.


    ¡°Remember a while back, when the familiars started hanging around Eli? That must have been when he got a familiar,¡±


    The revelation cascaded through the room like a physical wave as the timeline of events came into view. Eska bit her lip for a moment before standing up.


    ¡°No, that is far too long ago. We can¡¯t tell anyone. Our asses would be over a pit of coals before the day was up.¡±


    While the rest of the students were now nodding, it seemed to only goad Andrew further on as he stomped up to me and shoved a finger in my face.


    ¡°We have obligations as scions, Eli! You cannot shirk what you are.¡±


    I put out my chin and huffed.


    ¡°I have no obligations to anyone aside from those I choose to take on. Whatever societal duties I had died when they slandered me with child molestation and orc mating.¡±


    That seemed to deaden the room as the women bit their lips and the brothers just sighed and looked down.


    ¡°Now!¡± I said with a happy clap as I broke the air spell. ¡°With us reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement, I bid you all good day.¡±


    With that, I turned and went out the door.


    Walking down the hallway and the stairs, I pushed through the crowd and out the front doors.


    Right into a line of guards.


    The captain of the group had a white feather on his cap to distinguish him, but I was mostly looking behind him at several blue-robed women with some other women with green, brown, and red leather armor. Association members, if my memory fighting in the forests was anything to go by.


    ¡°E-Eli. If you would head towards a predesignated area, you are being put on an official watch under orders of the Quad Mage Correctional Committee.¡±


    I took a moment to think about blasting them all, but there were too many bystanders and, frankly, the local guard had been decent to me and mine, so I just put up my hands in surrender as I started walking to this new destination. The little parade followed me the whole way, making quite a mess as we moved through the crowded streets. People gossiped and whispered but I just casually watched everything happening around me until we came onto an empty area in the street near the border of the Kelton quarter.


    Empty except for the circle of goat-headed peasants around a chair.


    A petite blond with freckles and green eyes shifted her green leather armor as she took my hand and led me to the chair.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t go running off until we figure out where to put you.¡± She said with a raise of her sharp chin. The Keltons looked terrified and from the hammers and twine in some of their hands, it looks like they were pulled off the street at random to serve as meat shields against my magic. Using a heat spell to at least give them some comfort, I sat in the chair and stared at the sky as I mentally went over how they could have possibly found me.


    The guards formed another circle around the Keltons with the association members, ten in total, hanging a bit further back even as this annoying fly stood directly to my left.


    As I was blankly staring ahead and thinking over what to do, the buzzing started again.


    ¡°You know, it might not be proper, but I think sex would help relieve some of your stress,¡± The blonde said, making no attempt to hide her intentions as she moved her hands towards my crotch.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I idly commanded as I swatted her arm away. That got a light chuckle from the other mage woman, which only encouraged her as she got a grin.


    ¡°Now, now, it¡¯s rude to deny a woman. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t have-¡°


    I swept her legs with my left leg and grabbed the back of her head with my left hand as she fell. When her face hit the stone pavement, there was a crunch as the woman¡¯s nose broke, though her lack of movement after I lifted my hand said she wasn¡¯t feeling any pain. That caused a lot of the guards, some of whom I noted was now the full-plated steel men like those I had killed n the south, to pull back while the mage women just looked furious.


    ¡°Silence,¡± I proclaimed, and so it was.


    After a few minutes, Tansen came down the road in the white robes with gold leaf embroidery as his black hair fluttered in the wind. Just behind him was Harold, the muscular man with a strong jaw and short brown hair, though his deep green eyes held great malice for me.


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± Tansen yelled to the guards and association members.


    ¡°Detention,¡± Harold said, furrowing his bushy brown eyebrows at the woman lying face down to my left.


    ¡°Oh, shut it, Harold,¡± Tansen spat, ¡°He has done nothing to be legally detained. And I¡¯m sure these poor Keltons haven¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°It was the only way to know he wasn¡¯t going to blast us,¡± Harold growled back, thumbing his black vest and white undershirt.


    A cough from me stopped the bickering.


    ¡°I would like to leave if it would please you all so much,¡± I said respectfully.


    Harold got a red face but Tansen stood still before stroking his goatee. After a minute, the academy head nodded.


    ¡°You can later today. There is a certain matter you will need to be in my office for just before dinner, which I would greatly appreciate you being there for.¡± He said with a strained smile.


    ¡°And stay at the dorms.¡± Harold put in, with the surrounding women¡¯s smiles making the source of the request clear, ¡°We aren¡¯t done with this,¡±.


    I strummed my fingers on the chair as I contemplated what a mess I was in. Without knowing how they knew about my presence; I couldn¡¯t very well leave lest they follow me back to the swamps. Sighing as I put a hand to my head, I nodded.


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m staying in the dwarf stalls.¡±


    The women started scowling but Tansen only nodded before turning to Harold.


    ¡°Clean this mess up. And don¡¯t try this crap with the Keltons again.¡±


    Getting off the chair as the rest of the captives quickly shuffled away, I headed towards the dwarf section of the main market. It wasn¡¯t quite as easy as it usually was considering the entourage of association members who still insisted on following me and had no problems shoving any peasant who slowed them down. As the morning sun shined down over the town, I arrived at my typical stall.


    This time, however, I was provided a table in the back. My minders didn¡¯t like that but when they were denied entry, they fanned out to make sure I didn¡¯t leave through a back entrance of the big red tent. There was a fully working kitchen on my right as I sat in a small corner several feet from the entrance with an oak chair and table, taking in the sights and smells of the cooks and their craft as I pondered my situation in the private little corner of the world I found myself in. While I strummed my fingers on the table, my typical meal of steak and beer came. When I took the plate from the dwarf server, my stomach dropped when I felt the tell-tale texture of a letter underneath.


    If Gula had anything pleasant to say, I was sure she would have wanted to say it to my face. The fact she also had to send it so soon after I left also irritated my fears, and when I went over the letter, my fears were confirmed.


    ¡®Eli.


    The Phoenix Empire has taken the southern route, but apparently, high command wasn¡¯t as prepared as they said they were. A small town was overrun and enslaved. I¡¯m going to get Cell and free them.


    Love, Gula¡¯


    I felt a headache coming on as I put the letter down. After flagging down a server for a paper and one of those fine dwarven pens, I quickly wrote out my letter as he waited patiently in attendance on my right.


    ¡®Dear Gula.


    I am sorry for those slaves and perhaps you could help some of those fleeing with food and clothing. But we have drawn too much attention to ourselves as is. I know this is a hard thing for me to ask of you, but ask it I must, for both our sakes.


    Love, Eli.¡¯


    I handed off the letter to the server, who did a light bow and took off. The rest of the afternoon passed by with me sitting in the chair and working on some small wooden cards. I didn¡¯t know what would happen, but I wanted to have a few dirty crafts on hand as a backup. A few hours after lunch, a guard from Tansen arrived to bring me up to his office. A meeting I quickly left the tent to attend as I waved goodbye to the dwarves.


    Out in the cold embrace of the elements again, the air was filled with a cacophony of haggling as we pushed through the busy streets. Eventually, we came up to the sheer white walls of the academy and through the main entrance. Going up the main tower and catching every side glance and lustful gaze along the way, I arrived in Tansen¡¯s main office. The wood floor and windowless walls of striped white and blue were illuminated by a mana lamp in the middle of the ceiling. The main difference from before was the line of people both in front of and by Tansen¡¯s desk. The former of which was comprised of my new co-conspirators.


    Agatha was on the far left while Aki was at his usual place, the right of his charge who was sitting in the leather seat of the desk in them idle of the room. The newcomer was a pudgier man in brown pants, bald with a double chin and big nose, though his green eyes spoke of a predator. Rubbing his hand on his green vest and white undershirt, he stood between Agatha and Tansen and nearly hit the Front woman with a grand sweep of his hand.


    ¡°Ah, at last. The quad caster comes to visit those who are overseeing his welfare.¡±


    To Tansen¡¯s credit, the dramatic roll of his eyes said this decadent display was not previously agreed upon. Agatha just adjusted her blonde hair past her sharp cheekbones and straightened her black work dress before cutting off any more ceremony with a cough.


    ¡°Yes, you have been quite missed,¡± She said in a stern tone as she beckoned me forward. In order from left to right, it was Jeff, Andrew, Mia, Eska, and Veronica and the available space saw me put between the two redheads. ¡°But we have some questions.¡±


    I felt some sweat trickle down my spine as I quickly tried to make up a story in the seconds I had left.


    ¡°Are you a scion?¡± The blonde asked with a casual smirk like she was asking a trick question to a naieve child.


    I took a moment to get my thoughts in order and was about to throw out a probing question when Mia went off.


    ¡°Fucking shit, Andrew! Could you not keep your fucking mouth shut for one damn day?!¡± She growled as her two companions also turned on the fire scion with furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips. Even Chattox on Veronica¡¯s right shoulder puffed out its chest in indignation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Andrew spat back with a matching snarl, a face matching Gretton¡¯s expression as the monkey sat on its companion''s left shoulder.


    Interjecting myself between the two groups, I just stood there staring at the three women before turning to Andrew, treating both parties to the coldest death glare I could manage with my cloth mask on. The realization of what they just did washed over them, but it was far, far too late in coming. The opposing side was stunned, sitting or standing, with open jaws and wide eyes. Agatha was the worst off, having the smirk blasted off her face and now had a coloring of red in her cheeks take hold. A feature that quickly spread to the rest of her face.


    I took this opportunity to tell my companions variations of ¡®not a word¡¯ and ¡®say nothing¡¯ in spirit connections.


    Tansen and Aki looked to be only shocked as they processed what they had heard, but Agatha and the man with delusions of grandeur only got redder and redder as their jaws tried to find what it was they wanted to say with their eyes looking between all of us. Tansen moved his hand to press something on his desk which sent off a wave of air. From my own spell usage, I guessed it was a sound-dampening craft. It took only a few more seconds after that for Agatha to properly explode.


    ¡°Eli! You¡­ What¡¯s going on?!¡± She yelled, surprisingly turning to Veronica. The mother approached her daughter with a stuck-out jaw as she stomped up to her. Hands on her hips, Agatha stood in front of Veronica with a tap of her right foot, even as her daughter couldn¡¯t look her in the eyes. Staring down, the younger woman just bit her lip and stared at the floor.


    ¡°Veronica! I asked you a question,¡±


    Agatha took her right hand to pull her closer, but the look of shock said she felt what was wrong. Pulling the pale, weaker arm up for everyone to see, it took a second of Agatha looking at it in confusion before Aki spoke with a rustle of his grey beard and mustache.


    ¡°Healing. When a limb is lost and restored with healing, it looks like that. Though¡­ only scions can perform such feats,¡± Aki said, his wide brown eyes shifting to me. Something that was quickly followed by everyone else. Agatha¡¯s blue eyes only stayed on me for a second before they shifted back to her daughter.


    ¡°What is going on, Veronica?¡± Agatha said in a firm, now calmer voice even as she puckered her lips.


    Her daughter looked up to meet her eyes for a moment before the water scions nerve failed and she went back to staring at the floor.


    ¡°I cannot say,¡± Was all Veronica could bring herself to give up, in a tone just above a whisper.


    Agatha took in a deep breath and looked down the line, skipping me as she did so. When she got to the end, the pudgy man spoke up again.


    ¡°What a fortuitous turn of events. With this, we can pursue certain legal avenues to expedite the spread of his seed. Though, that shouldn¡¯t have been an issue in this first place.¡± The raise of his right eyebrow and puckered lips made it look like he was speaking to an errant child. Taking in a deep breath, I simply huffed before folding my arms together.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Andrew, then how did you find out? I can imagine how you could have pieced it together if you knew about the arm, but that wasn¡¯t what got you on my trail.¡±


    Tansen bit his lip while Agatha, worryingly, went deathly pale. It was the blowhard, so determined to control the conversation, who again spoke.


    ¡°It was due to a certain¡­ accusation. But it can easily be explained.¡±


    His three compatriots looked a bit dubious at that, something that did nothing to deter him from plowing further ahead.


    ¡°However, with this most joyous of occasions, your familiar can be presented at the academy tomorrow evening for the official documentation.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll let you see it?¡±


    His jaws wiggled as he sputtered from indignation. This time, however, Tansen finally threw himself into the conversation.


    ¡°Eli. I understand how you feel, but you have another life that you are connected to on a level most people could never comprehend. You need to at least allow them to socialize with the¡­ the other¡­¡± Tansen¡¯s line of thought came to a screeching halt as he stared between the two familiars in the room. Leaning back in his chair, he put a hand to his mouth before he leaned forward again and rested his elbows on the desk.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a scion for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡± Tansen asked with a playful smile like he was a school kid with a hot secret to tell.


    ¡°What?¡± Agatha demanded, turning around to look at Tansen with furrowed blonde eyebrows. Tansen just snickered before he casually strummed his fingers on the desk.


    ¡°Of course, I went over everything I could find about Eli to the finest detail. One interesting tidbit was the amount of interest the other familiars showed in him before that disaster of a censure order was handed down. They must have been attracted to the newest addition to their ranks. Well, I must congratulate you on hiding it for this long,¡± Tansen said with a small smile, looking quite impressed.


    Agatha now turned her attention properly on me, as did Aki and the fat newcomer.


    ¡°Well?¡± Agatha demanded as her eyes took me in like a hawk would regard a mouse.


    I stood totally still as the pall of nothingness strangled the room. The damage had been done and there was no maneuvering the ship off the rocks now.


    After a solid minute of silence, the blowhard huffed.


    ¡°No matter. We will need a full inquiry into this matter by the committee. It goes without saying, you are all under a gag order. Eli will be moved to the dorms, of course,¡±


    His show of confident bravado was undercut by the beads of sweat falling down his forehead. As he took a moment to take a handkerchief from his green vest pocket and wipe his brow, he took a deep breath before resuming his little speech.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is some kitchen wench or local noblewoman who can sate you in the meantime to spread your magical power. Until-¡°


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about power, especially magical power.¡± My voice was as tired as I felt whenever this subject came up ¡°I want people who love me, I want to work, and I want to start a family with those that love and appreciate me the person, not me, the ball of magical potential that they can use to get ahead. This swarm of sycophant women following me everywhere like a pack of starving dogs disgusts me and I want as much to do with them as the pig wants to do with the butcher''s knife. If that is all, I will be heading back home.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking?¡± He sputtered with a slew of spit coming out.


    A cold stare from me stopped him dead in his tracks.


    Tansen, looking like he was thoroughly enjoying this whole affair, just put up his hands in mock surrender. That drew positively murderous glares from Agatha and the pudgy man.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Tansen said defensively, ¡°This isn¡¯t my show anymore. He¡¯s not my student and, if I may say so, you have no authority to detain him. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we brought him here to ask a question and we have an answer, filled with holes and rotting at the edges, but an answer just the same.


    Though I will offer some advice,¡±


    He raised his chin to me at the last word, which I nodded back for him to continue.


    ¡°Being a scion changes things, Eli. They will come down far more harshly than they have been, with whatever thin veneer of civil reasoning they were feigning stripped away. Just a bit of warning between two scions.


    You¡¯re all free to go.¡±


    Tansen gave us all a little wave before he started taking reports out of his desk while the pudgy man and Agatha moved closer to him.


    ¡°Now listen here, Tansen.¡±


    ¡°Of all my years in congress, I never-¡°


    I didn¡¯t stay to hear what else they were going to say as I immediately turned around and ran out the door at a sprint until I got to the window and jumped out. Using an air spell to roughly glide down, I hit the ground just before the wall entrance and made a mad dash towards my tower. The association members still stalked after me but without any official orders, they kept their distance and watched. Dashing over my stone lawn and through the front door, I closed it with a slab of stone after locking it to make sure it couldn¡¯t be forced open.


    For the next four days, I did nothing but complete the airship through long days and lonely nights as I waited for what was going to happen next and thought having another escape route for the worst-case scenario was a good idea. The task, after the third test in cold air, was finally completed when the wide balloon came near the ceiling and did a midair turn around to come back around and using the momentum to land near where it took off.


    Getting down, I took in the object of so much of my labor. A long, single piece of wood a bit bigger than the boats delivering goods on the river, the balloon was more than twice the size of its cargo. Along both sides were two long tubes with air enchantments to push the whole vessel forward. As I was preparing the ceiling to pull back to allow the airship to get into the air, a knock from my front door interrupted me.


    With my typical white shirt, brown pants, and smiling metal mask, I came up the hatch and opened the front door to see a rather pale Gigan and three guards. His face, from his pudgy cheeks to his emerald eyes, had the look of a man who just saw his death as even the assortment of gold bands in his copper beard and lamb chops couldn¡¯t provide any radiance, not that the grey cast sky had much to give. As I moved to let him in, I noticed he was idly thumbing his rich, red vest replete with gold buttons. A bad sign of things to come if someone of his caliber was feeling the heat.


    Moving to the right side of the kitchen table, the dwarf diplomat sat idly as I plopped in the chair opposite of him.


    Taking a deep breath, he put his hands on the table and took out a letter which he read over.


    ¡°We know of your involvement with the pandego¡¯s. Get us a meeting with them where Gula first met them, or the use of the craft you used to make them. Failure to comply will see the ones you were trying to protect killed.¡±


    He handed it off to me and he continued talking as I read the lines over and over.


    ¡°It was in the stump where Gula puts her letters. We checked the two houses where they were staying, both ransacked and turned upside down with no one inside. Where did you first meet Gula as a pandego?¡±


    ¡°The remains of the crypt base,¡± I said idly. A wave of ice had taken over my body and mind as I coldly took in all the facts, scarce as they were. ¡°I guess we don¡¯t need to ask who is behind this,¡±


    Gigan just shook his head as he bit his lip.


    ¡°Sorry, Eli. We¡¯ve been playing it close being this involved. But slugging it out with the orcs and frojan is not what we signed up for. Sad to say, they were far more expendable than you and the higher-ups are debating right now, with the money on them cutting our losses.¡±


    Ah, yes. This was a nice little conclusion to things on their end. All the troublesome questions about Gula and Salamede, the potential for loose ends, were now dealt with. And it was in such a way that I could never blame them. There was no telling if this a small band or the official government of the swamplands, and I couldn¡¯t expect them to march armies and wage wars based on my goodwill. I nodded and got up from the table.


    ¡°Well, Gigan, I understand your position. But I hope you understand that I need to be alone for now.¡±


    The dwarf nodded and left as quickly as he had come.


    I sat there for a moment before rushing downstairs and getting into the wide expanse of the workshop. Seconds could decide if Salamede and Gula live and I had no time to work on an elaborate entry and exit system for the airship. Donning my metal armor with motorized wheels and the metal war hammer from the chest near the pile of rejected planks of wood, I headed upstairs and peeked out my front door.


    Ever present, the association members and soldiers were keeping an eye on my house at a good distance, but none of them were anywhere close enough to fall into the workshop. Sprinting downstairs and sealing the hatch behind me, I made sure to mold the surrounding stone to cover the grotto entrance before going past my ever-humming forge and into the vast emptiness of my main workshop with its corners being black as mana lamps dotted around the room lit up as much as they could. Turning to cover the door behind me as well, I then sprinted up to the airship.


    It was a struggle to get up the ladder on the left side in the armor, but my mind was going fast enough to make a trip around the solar system in under a minute and I didn¡¯t even properly register when my metal foot went up and straight through one of the steps with a loud crack. Finally, on the flat deck of the ship, I released two different spells. One pulled down the thin ceiling into two different pieces that crashed on opposite sides of the airship with a sound the resembled a mountain tripping. The other flooded the surrounding air with mist, which quickly flew out of the hole in the ceiling. Taking the steering wheel and levers, I silently rose into the air as this work of love took its maiden voyage.


    I could faintly hear screaming from above, but I redoubled my mist spell and used another spell to make it wrap around my lawn in a sphere. It was dirty and sloppy, but I didn¡¯t have time to do anything else. Coming out into the cold grey sky, fog covered everything, including the tower. Pushing the ascent lever as hard as it would go, I formed the fog around the ship and several other empty spheres of roughly the same size. This much spell work was tough, but the light nature of the material made it less arduous than it looked. Having the spheres lift in odd patterns and directions with the ship, I peeked through the fog until the town looked more like a toy version of itself before I stopped the spells and just focused on making clouds along the flat bottom of the ship.


    Releasing the fog spell, the balls dissipated and below me was a wide patch of grey cloud covering the bottom. The vast landscape opened up around me as I took in the empty green plains with the river snaking through it and the dull sky above. Feeling like I was the loneliest man in the world, I pulled up a lever on my left. The ship heaved with a slight groan as the thrusters on the side went on full blast and I sped southward towards destiny.

 Chapter 99: Where It All Started and Ended Then Started Again.

    Gula POV


    ¡°Move,¡± I whispered to the battered and hungry orcs moving away from the ragged slave tents a good stone¡¯s throw away.


    The filthy, hole-riddled clothes they wore matched the tents we were leaving behind in the nightlight. We were surrounded by patches of grass as the chorus of mayhem in the camp on the left played out over the verdant swamp. Cell had scouted the place out and gave us enough of an idea about the patrols and position of the tents that we were able to set up a low-risk attack to distract them.


    The camp was messy and haphazardly thrown together, owing to the short amount of time they had to get it together. That the Phoenix empire had to use rope instead of proper metal chains for the slaves also spoke to their haste. As the last orc left the camp and spread out into the dark swamplands, giving me an appreciative nod as so many others had, I heard the sound of a bird call from high above though it was unlike any I had ever heard before.


    Off to the right, the sound felt like a physical blow. The soft hum of mating bush birds and crows I had come to associate with the sound was nothing compared to the deep-throated warbles that were assaulting me. My teeth and bones rattled from the sheer volume as I looked up in the sky to see one of the stars moving.


    ¡°Phoenix! Run!¡± One of the orcs further ahead shouted, prompting a stampede as my fellow orcs ran away from the now expanding star in the black sky, with me following behind.


    I was running past grass and cattails as the heat began washing over my back and a red glow started pushing back the night. My panicked run was stopped by the sound of a flood followed by another, now more aggrieved cry from the monster. Looking back for the briefest of moments, I saw a long spear of water rising out of the swamp and thrusting into the side of the phoenix. It was now just above us and I could now make out the ruby feathers and orange beak in between the blasts of fire it was randomly spewing everywhere as the lance of water buried into its chest.


    I thought it was one of the frojan but in the mass of water, I could see the body of Cell spread out in long black lines. When the phoenix gave another shriek and blasted a wave of fire in the sky in a panic, the heat seemed to dim. As a large cloud of steam started forming in the sky, the monster decided it didn¡¯t want to tangle with this weird water weapon anymore and scrambled away with a hard flap of its two wings before taking off into the sky and back to where it had come from.


    I eventually stopped in a wide stretch of land with the escaped slaves sprawled about. A few days with little food and hard work had taken the energy out of them, but I was confident we could make our way back before the Phoenix empire could rally its troops. Eventually we got the air we needed and started our trek back home. Along the way back, Baloo came out of the water on the right side of the road with a few of our associates and, surprisingly, a frojan from another patrol.


    Light green with an open white shirt, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Baloo. Which meant he was a good head taller than me. His big brown eyes surveyed me and the other escaped slaves. Even so, there was an odd feeling of intimidation coming from Baloo that I could quite make out. The newcomer was muscular with his near-white belly, but not exaggeratedly so nor was the staff in his right hand laden with jewels or gold.


    ¡°Evening. It seems you lot have taken the initiative again.¡± He said with a deep rumble.


    ¡°Just doing what we can.¡± I said with a slight bow, only then realizing that he said ¡®again¡¯.


    I must have had a question on my face because he coughed before sticking out his left hand.


    ¡°Pantoon. Special forces.¡± He said casually.


    Baloo¡¯s intimidation suddenly making sense, I put out my hand and shook his. Special forces were the best of the best, elite of the elite, and were the ones you would think never existed if not for the trail of bodies they left behind. As intimidating as that was, there was something about Eli¡¯s ability to crush fortresses and mobs of mages with just his magical ability that made all others dim through his sheer power.


    ¡°Gula, nobody,¡± I said, meeting his eyes.


    He got a wide smile before he pulled his hand back.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say nobody, miss. Farewell. We¡¯ll help pick up any stragglers, but I dare say you¡¯ve done enough tonight.¡±


    With that, he turned around and jumped into the black water.


    Baloo looked at me and I just nodded.


    ¡°You heard the powerful magic frojan, time to head home,¡± I said impishly.


    Baloo huffed before he turned, his blue robe barely visible in the nighttime as we started walking back home.


    ¡°What magical power can a frojan have when that man up north exists?¡± Baloo said with a bitter tone.


    ¡°Enough to crush us both, Baloo. More than enough.¡± I mused with a small huff. He nodded, saying nothing else as we walked until the clear land had given way to the various patches of islands and streams.


    ¡°Special forces have taken over. We¡¯re heading home and I volunteered to take you back.¡± Baloo said with a turn towards the water. I nodded and turned on the heated vambrace before plunging into the black depths. The trek back was a dull affair as was the next two days. We went about our life in the same way we always had and when I arrived at Lokan¡¯s house to eat a good breakfast of sausage and biscuits, our conversation kept at its usual pace.


    ¡°Yes, using stitches on old clothes could be a pain, but I¡¯ve had a few dresses that were-¡°


    Salamede, who was sitting to my left with Cell on her shoulder, was interrupted by a knock at the door. Lokan, the blue snake woman opposite of me, turned her slitted red eyes to the door while Salamede¡¯s mother on my right got up to get into her room in the basement. Cell leaped off the shoulder of Salamede¡¯s green dress and up through the top of the roof.


    Salamede was content to slowly get up as Lokan casually walked past Salamede¡¯s mother to the door. When a hard thwack sounded out after Cell left the home, we all stopped dead. The two Keltons started rushing towards their holes in the floor but I noticed that the left side of the wall had a patchwork of water seeping through it. Before anyone could think about what to do, the wall fell with a loud crash.


    The small avalanche of red stone quickly gave way as several frojan leaped through the hole. Wearing wooden shoulder pads with tight robes of blue, red, green, and teal, they stormed through the hole and started blasting water balls at all of us. I shifted my eyes to the sword that had seen me through everything as my training kicked in. It was leaning against the stove in its sheath, but I only took a single step towards it when I felt a hard pain on the right side of my head and the sound of a hard thump. I tried to look to the right, but my vision faded to black as the frojan started picking Salamede up.


    My nose filled with the smell of grass and the cold bite of snow.


    Shaking awake, I looked up to see a grey sky as the cold gripped my body. Moving my hands, I found them bound behind me. My arms had the sting of blood loss as I tried to move them before I felt a large hand pull me up to my knees. Looking around, the landscape was almost flat snow with scars of bark and patches of grass sticking out of a near inch of white dust. Looking to my right, it was one of the large blue frojan with wood shoulder pads wearing a green robe. Salamede and her mother were on my right, while a quick look told me Lokan was on my left and my mother behind her.


    All tied up and on their knees like I was. On both sides of us was a line of leather-clad orcs and frojan.


    The sound of hammers on the left made me turn a bit past my mother. A stone''s throw away was a group of orcs setting up some tents and tables. Some were also carrying sacks of vegetables and grain towards a kitchen further behind.


    ¡°Chairs!¡± The Frojan yelled.


    Several laborers brought up some rickety chairs and we were all promptly sat down in them. For what felt like hours, we were put stuck there with not a word said between any of us. Eventually, Cell started a spirit connection with me through the ground. He showed me mental images of a water blade cutting into his body and evading several frojan to slip into the water. After that, there wasn¡¯t anything to do but sit back and wait for whatever was coming.


    For the next two days, we were fed oatmeal and water. With never a word spoken as to our crime, we were moved from the camp to another cave heading further south twice. Though the guards seemed irritated at something, they kept to their silence whenever we bathed, ate, or slept. In the early morning of the third day, I and my mother were separated from the others at a cave and brought back to the campsite. Moving through the camp, we were brought up to a long oak table. Sitting on the left of the table was the large green frojan with a silverback, black robe, and deep bronze eyes. He had his arms crossed and looked distinctly uncomfortable. On the right was the orc general, Mor. The late thirties orc had a jaw as strong as her nose that emphasized her thick lips and short-cropped black hair. Behind her was her ever-present war hammer and two guards, leather armored orcs with the one with a black ponytail and sharp cheekbones and chin on the left, and on the right stood the redhead with a squashed face and long pointed ears.


    In the center of the table sat the two far more interesting figures.


    Borba, the exemplar to orcs everywhere with sharp cheekbones and a fine red dress and white underdress sat with a plain look of indifference to everything. My heart started thumping as I took in the immaculate vision of orc beauty with servile love. Alas, my zeal for her was ill-served at this moment.


    On the center-right was an older orc woman with a grey robe that covered everything but her hands and head. Her slight chin only emphasized her wide cheekbones, which when paired with her grey hair gave her an almost grandmotherly appearance. Something that was undone from the murderous expression her red eyes held as she looked at Borba with barely restrained fury before turning to me.


    ¡°Greetings, Gula. I must say, you¡¯ve certainly led an interesting life. Morn, representative of high command for our great peoples.¡± She said with an impatient smile as the guard took off my rope binds.


    I just huffed as I wiped my now free hands on my white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡± I asked noncommittally.


    The blond orc just smirked before giving a small laugh.


    ¡°Your insistence on using the pandego creature to save the slaves was admirable, but your hunger for glory led one of the slaves to see-¡±


    ¡°Borba!¡± The older goblin screamed. Not just a light scolding but a proper deep-throated yell. ¡°Have you not plunged our heads far enough into this fire? Last I checked your magical abilities don¡¯t make you fireproof.¡± The older orc shot a murderous glance towards Mor and her two guards, who shirked back with proper fear.


    Ah, well at least I know how they found out.


    Borba sucked in her lips as she scrunched her blond eyebrows.


    ¡°I did what we have to do to catch the quad mage. The pandego¡¯s are the only ones who could match his power and get him southward.¡±


    The orcs in the camp all nodded, but the frojan all looked a little bit sick. The most evident of them being the Frojan general, who uncrossed his arms and leaned forward on the table before the deep base of his voice rang out.


    ¡°You made a lot of decisions, decisions you were not authorized to make. This is going to call into question letting frojan forces fall under orc command. A sore subject you have now aggravated.¡±


    I felt the tension in the air as I noticed that the orcs and frojan had unconsciously formed into smaller, seperate groups.


    ¡°Indeed, Kran.¡± Morn said with a clenched jaw, drawing all eyes back to her. ¡°I know you¡¯re the progeny of a fire caster and, as such, you can shit gold and piss sunshine. But we have been far too indulgent in letting you do whatever takes your fancy, whether it be military access or items of interest. Something I will correct when this mess is sorted.¡±


    Borba slapped a hand to the table, her face dark green with outrage.


    ¡°Am I the only one thinking about our race?!¡± She demanded with a yell to match Morn¡¯s. ¡°The destiny of our kind is near our very lands and yet all you do is question, scheme, and plot. We needed to take action and I took it.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Morn stood up and pointed a finger in her face before pointing it southward. ¡°You have done nothing but think with your vagina the moment the report on the quad mage came in. May we all be branded fools for the day we allowed you access to the reports station.


    There was a mountain of more information we needed to get on the dwarven spying before we made an official move. But your brain fobbed its thinking off to your ovaries and put us all through this barely thought out scheme. Even if the Kelton¡¯s helped make the pandego¡¯s, there¡¯s no guarantee the dwarves see them as indispensable. There were so many ways to go about this and you chose the one that would get you what you wanted as quickly as you wanted it, consequences and risks be damned.¡±


    Borba still looked defiant but then turned to me with a stony face, which made me shrink in towards myself. The rest quickly followed suit as Morn sat back in her chair. The older orc coughed before speaking in a much calmer and even tone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point of why we are all here. Gula, how long have you been in contact with the dwarves, and for what purpose?¡±


    I took a deep breath and decided lying about everything wasn¡¯t going to work and merely¡­ adjusted the truth.


    ¡°I first met them on the night of the attack on the Crypt base. The pandego¡¯s helped my group overwhelm the mages there. It was all hidden in smoke and fire and we both decided that we had a mutual interest in pushing back the Coalition. The show we put on was performed and the actors left the stage for other productions.


    Sadly, the associates who helped shape the pandego¡¯s were in the Coalition and the dwarves were loath to see them killed when¡­ other items of business would have seen them swing. An arrangement was reached where they were hidden here in exchange for food and money.¡± I said in a dead monotone, same as any other report I gave.


    ¡°And where are the other two?¡± Mor demanded with a huff.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to know. They just left the one you saw as a guard.¡±


    The frojan leader huffed.


    ¡°He certainly wasn¡¯t small when he was ripping mages apart with his hands.¡±


    I just gave a light smile before nodding.


    ¡°They are a very flexible bunch when it comes to size.¡±


    They all looked between each other, obviously conducting spirit communications before they all turned back to me. Morn stood up to announce my verdict.


    ¡°We will meet the dwarves at the crypt base. Terms for the release of their crafter will be negotiated. Gula and her mother will be made present as bargaining chips, though their worth will be little. Let¡¯s get moving people.¡±


    With nods all around, the camp was broken up by the laborers. I was quickly rebound and put off to the left of the festivities as our trek north was prepared. Among the workers, I now noticed a distinct separation of the orcs and frojan. For the first time, I had to consider the frojan as a separate entity to the orcs. That same thought was seemingly flying through everyone else¡¯s heads as well as the two groups now maneuvered around each other.


    When it was all packed up, we were all lead down a dirt road through slowly rolling hills. My mother and I were left to ourselves near the back with only two frojan guards to keep us company as we walked northward. Mother, thankfully, had her full leather armor on and was braced against the cold while my clothes provided some meager respite against the bitter winter¡¯s kiss. The surrounding snowscape was layered with a rough inch of snow that helped hid some of the lesser hills as we trudged forward.


    Following behind the laborer¡¯s carrying chairs and the table with no sound falling over the empty fields but the crushing of snow. After a while, I was surprised to see Morn and Kran fall back to accompany us. The elder orc walked directly on my left while Kran walked beside mother, who was on my direct right.


    ¡°We need to know just what the pandego¡¯s are capable of.¡± Morn said politely.


    I was surprised at the civility but only nodded and gave them all the rough estimates I could give of Eli¡¯s vine suit. When the final estimate, the jump length, came out, there was a moment of silence before Kran groaned and put a light green webbed hand to his snout.


    ¡°Shit. They might just be able to do it.¡±


    Morn also looked worried but said nothing, so I decided to interject myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m not the only one who thinks getting the quad mage is a bad idea.¡±


    Morn tried to look put off by me speaking in their presence, but the slight smile on her lips and the nod from Kran said otherwise.


    ¡°Indeed, though I¡¯m surprised one of your kind has enough room in your head to consider such a thing when the prospect of his seed clouds all other orcs judgment.¡±


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Morn playfully scolded. ¡°There are plenty of orcs who are clear-headed right now.¡±


    ¡°Not nearly enough,¡± Kran grumbled, the deep bass of his voice coming clear through.


    ¡°But my kids one of ¡®em¡± Mother said proudly.


    A few more minutes of silence passed before Kran coughed and spoke in a lower tone so that only our group could hear.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this, Morn. If we succeed, the humans will travel from every nation of the world to grind us all to paste. We don¡¯t have the troops, supplies, or means to make this work.¡±


    Morn just sighed and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it when the time comes. There is a long road we have yet to travel. Maybe he will die before we even get the pandego¡¯s.¡±


    With nothing left to say, the two moved ahead back to their original spots in the long line of orcs and frojan. Left to our thoughts, we marched on to where this whole adventure began.


    Eventually, we made our way down the road and arrived at our destination. The snow couldn¡¯t cover the large chunks of stone, both in the road and on the hill to the right. With the wooden remains of the bunkers and houses near the back still sticking out of the earth, it looked more like a graveyard than the remains of a once-proud fort as the ring of stone around the edges showed where the wall once stood.


    My mother and I were put in a separate tent near the western side of the camp for two days and continued our usual pattern of gruel meals and cold showers, a cruelty I only now knew the true depravity of with my routine use of hot showers. In the early morning of the third day, I was sitting in a chair across from my mother talking as the far-off frojan guards dutifully ignored us for some light breakfast.


    ¡°Yeah, but the way I see it-¡°


    ¡°Gula.¡± A voice called to me. Closing my eyes for a second to mourn my lost sanity, I looked back to my mother. Her two brown braids were swinging as she looked around and her thick lips were puckered.


    ¡°Act natural,¡± The voice said again, sounding vaguely familiar but the tone was horribly mangled with high and low pitches. ¡°It¡¯s Eli. Where are the others?¡±


    Looking around, I noticed that there was an odd dust-up of wind over the snow on our left as flakes of snow whirled around.


    ¡®Wind magic,¡¯ I said to mother in a spirit connection. Her red eyes went wide as she struggled to not show a reaction.


    I explained the route south and the various hills and rivers that would lead him to the cave where we were being held.


    ¡°All right,¡± Eli said through the expanse of nothingness. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll have to get them first since there are three there. I doubt I can be stealthy about it, but I promise, I will be back for you.¡±


    ¡°I know. Good hunting.¡± I said casually.


    The odd twirling wind stopped and we were left to our idleness again.


    ¡°He actually cares for you.¡± Mother said with a raise of her right eyebrow as her red eyes looked me up and down.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± I said idly. Inside my chest was beating like a drum but it was going to be a long and dangerous day so I couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted.


    It was after a few hours that a frojan messenger ran up to the now completed camp of tents. Harried looking and exhausted, his screams carried clear across the field.


    ¡°Quad mage! The quad mage and the pandego attacked the cave,¡±


    There was a rush all around the camp as frojan and orcs clustered together to see what the commotion was. Afterward, there was the sound of screams and arguing until Morn called out over the cacophony of noise.


    ¡°Silence!¡± She screamed as she started walking out of the wide tent near the center of the camp on a slight rise in the earth, Borba flapping her arms hysterically on her right and Kran on the left, clenching his fists. Borba was barely audible at this distance while the large frojan just looked like he wanted to kill someone as his dark brown eyes bore into the older orc. Looking out over the line of tents, her red eyes fell on us. I couldn¡¯t quite make out her expression as she started moving away from the main camp with Kran, Borba, and a few frojan and orc guards in tow while Mor stayed back to keep order in the camp.


    Walking closer to us, I decided that playing Kran against the others was the best time delaying tactic I could manage. It then occurred to me that Borba would be displeased with me withholding such information. My stomach twisted but the time where I could have prevented her displeasure had passed. When they were just a stone¡¯s throw away, Morn stopped and looked me up and down with a blank face. After a few seconds, she coughed into her hand and spoke with an impatient tone.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten word from our holding cave. The quad mage¡­ THE quad mage attacked it with the pandego. Pulled the upper layer of the cave right off and used metal magic to blast away the weapons of the orcs. Then he used water balls to knock out the frojan before anyone could react. But a passing patrol saw it from the river and scampered back here.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and puckered my lips as I felt genuine surprise.


    ¡°How many did he kill then?¡± I asked with a fake interest and energy.


    Morn¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she took me in, as did Kran and Borba, the latter of which looked at me with a suspicion that felt like a dagger to my heart.


    ¡°None,¡± Kran intoned with an equally blank face.


    ¡°Dear child,¡± Morn asked in a sweet low tone accompanied by a loving smile, ¡°Would you happen to know what he could possibly be doing here? How does he know the pandego?¡±


    Even the guards were staring at me now as some light shouting from the far camp was all that could be heard. Strumming my right hand on the arm of the chair, I took a deep breath before the plunge.


    ¡°It¡¯s no so much an issue of him knowing them, as much as it is an issue of him being them.¡±


    The color drained from everyone¡¯s faces, except mine and my mother''s. Kran¡¯s face almost matched his silver back while Borba and Morn just soundlessly worked their jaws. Deciding to waste as much of their time as possible, I spilled everything. I went over how Eli helped me at this base and kept his identity hidden, lying only to keep my frojan fellows out of the loop. I told them about how Eli approached me again as a ¡®pandego¡¯ to help him get to the viper base. Every pointless, meaningless detail was gone over in exhaustive precision to give Eli as much time as possible.


    The audience was too bound by my tale to consider what I was actually doing. As I came near the end, even the frojan guards just stood still and stared as they took in the deluge of impossibilities. Somewhere along the way, that streak of personal grievance came right back up. I went back in my tale, talking about how I almost reported him, how he helped me deal with being a member of the shamed, and how he had put his wife and her mother with us to keep them safe.


    ¡°The humans haven¡¯t been able to get him to mate?¡± Kran said as some of the color in his face came back and he looked relieved near the end of my story.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you have done?¡± Morn said with a look of pure disgust, ¡°You kept one of the greatest prizes our entire species could ever know from us because we stiffed you on a few silvers and some words on your file. You selfish cunt.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I leaned back and puckered my lips as I did my best not to look at Borba, who I was certain had to be fuming.


    ¡°When a silver is the difference between a full belly or starvation, when a few words on your report could be what gets that loathsome piece of black leather off your neck, it counts for more than you could ever conceive. Though I suppose you lot have never worried for food or praise so I wouldn¡¯t expect you to understand.¡±


    Deciding to get it over with, I looked at Borba. Dreading to see what the epitome of orc sexuality thought of me, I was surprised to see her looking off in the distance drooling. Though she quickly snapped out of it and turned to Morn.


    ¡°Scion,¡± She growled, sending spit flying everywhere. ¡°We are heading south. He may still be there looking-¡°


    ¡°No!¡± Kran shouted, stomping his right foot into the snow as he did so. ¡°We cannot catch him. It would be a disaster for us if we did.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Borba shrieked with a furious scowl and bared teeth. Pulling up a ball of fire in her hand, she looked more like a beast than the soft beauty she had been a minute ago.


    ¡°We need to talk about this.¡± Morn said as she interjected herself between Kran and the orc fire mage.


    ¡°What is there to talk about?!¡± Kran screamed as his bellow almost deafened my eardrums. ¡°We are not getting fucked into the dirt just so you can live out some poorly thought out fantasy. There is no possible outcome where we get the quad mage and we don¡¯t all die.¡±


    ¡°Coward! We are so close to-¡°


    Borba was interrupted by a deep rumbling in the soil as a wide brown wall was put up between us and the camp. I couldn¡¯t tell how thick it was, but the height was more than three men. Before anyone could react, a cloud of mist rolled in from behind me. I couldn¡¯t quite tell what was happening when I got knocked to the ground and I felt a burst of heat near my neck.


    My world was a gray swirl of mist as I was dragged to my feet before it was all blown away. Morn, Kran, the guards, and my mother were huddled in a small group to my left, a stone throw away while behind them Cell was floating a few menacing earth spears at them as he took position near the wall. That was when I noticed the hand on my shoulder and a thin line of fire directed at my neck. Borba had her red robe all over my shoulders and was heavily breathing on my right as we both stood there.


    Then a huge wail of wind blotted out all sound as cracks of lightning whirled around us.


    ¡°Hello! My old friends.¡±


    It was coming from behind and I knew it was Eli¡¯s voice. We both turned and, sure enough, a few feet away was a mass of steel armor with a smiling metal mask below those purple eyes sticking out of the square helmet. Those eyes, so filled with tenderness and joy this past week, still had a bit of merry in them but with a hint of dangerous anger beneath. He took two steps forward, hefting the war hammer in his right hand and holding a spear of lightning in the other as he stalked forward like a predator.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Kran moaned while everyone else stood still.


    ¡°Ah, the quad mage himself,¡± Borba said, the wet smack of her lips coming clear through in my right ear. Eli did a dramatic wave with his left hand like he was waving hello, though the rod of lightning made the softness of the gesture crumble.


    ¡°Indeed, what a pleasure to be among such warm company. While I would love to have some tea and catch up on old times, I¡¯m afraid time is one of those commodities no amount of magic will get you. Now if you would unhand Gula and her mother.¡± He finished with a slight nod.


    The orcs looked to Morn while the frojan looked to Kran, but neither leader had anything to say. Borba just swallowed some spit before putting the line of fire closer to my throat. That knocked the false sense of friendliness out of Eli¡¯s eyes as they went cold.


    ¡°Let them go,¡± Eli said in a dangerous tone. This time a blast of heat accompanied the wind, melting the snow from him and towards us as the rising wall of earth slowly encircled behind him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Borba said with wild passion coming clear through.


    There was an increase in pressure as it felt like the air was squeezing my body. Turning around, everyone else was falling under the spell as it looked like the guards and Morn were struggling to stand up.


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Eli¡¯s voice thundered. It sounded like it was coming from all around and had the deep base of a mountain roaring.


    ¡°You need or want Gula,¡± Borba shot back, clearly struggling to speak over the din of wind and the occasional crack of lightning that started slowly moving around us. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have risked coming here otherwise.¡±


    The wind continued for a moment longer but finally died down as the lines of lightning fizzled into nothingness. If not for the fact that it still felt as warm as a summer''s day, it would look like we were all idly standing around for a nice group chat. Eli placed his hammer¡¯s head down and rested his right hand on the pommel before huffing.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Eli said like this was a casual conversation between lost acquaintances.


    That drew the eyes of everyone to me. Morn, in particular, seemed to be re-appraising me.


    ¡°Well then, orc fire mage, are we to reach an exchange on this matter?¡±


    Borba licked her lips before sucking in a deep breath.


    ¡°You know what I want. What any orc could want from you.¡±


    Her voice had an almost hysterical cadence to it as I felt her body shaking in anticipation against mine.


    Damn, did I really make Eli put up with this when we first kissed?


    Aside from my internal bickering, there was no sound except for the beating on the stone wall. As the seconds ticked by and Eli¡¯s eyes remained blank, the first sound from him came in the form of a sigh followed by his decision.


    ¡°What would the parameters of the exchange be?¡± He asked in a defeated tone.


    The frojan all looked¡­ impressed as they stole a look at me. Morn and the orc guards, on the other hand, stared with sullen envy. Looking me up and down, they were trying to see what would prompt the quad mage to take such risks for my sake. It was the first time I had anyone be jealous of me, and if it wasn¡¯t for a giant ball of agonizing worry in my gut, I would have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Borba just sucked in air through her teeth as she held the line of fire directed at my throat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come over with Gula. Once we¡¯re finished, the mother will be handed over. I assume your mother-in-law holds enough value to Gula that you¡¯ll hold off blasting me until she is safe. Say a good ten or fifteen minutes after I leave.¡±


    Mother-in-Law?


    That was a mighty leap, but one I wasn¡¯t going to interfere with if it kept my mother''s head firmly attached to her neck. Eli seemed to struggle for a moment before he finally nodded and waved us over. Borba was so eager, the line of fire touched my skin a few times as we awkwardly sprinted over. When we were in arm''s reach, Eli seemed to mentally check out as his eyes went blank.


    Borba wasted no time pushing me to the side and moving to get Eli¡¯s groin guard off. Her golden eyes were wide with lust as Eli just grunted and started working the straps himself. I quickly turned around and tried to focus on the shouting around the wall. Cell had stopped pointing stone spears and focused on making sure the wall was maintained. After a minute of hearing straps and cloth moving, the slapping of flesh behind me took over. My ears burning, I just listened to the grunts and slapping for a few minutes until Eli finally spoke up.


    ¡°Gula¡±


    I bit my lip for a moment, trying to not look behind me.


    ¡°Gula,¡± Eli said again. The tone of hurt and struggle in his voice finally made me give in.


    Turning around, Borba had her long blonde hair and red robe sprawled in the grass as Eli was mounting her like a dog. I couldn¡¯t see¡­ the point of contact from here but the lower armor section being brought down to around his thighs combined with Borba¡¯s bare ass against his hips left no doubt as to where it was.


    ¡°Gula, if you would help me expedite this process, I would greatly appreciate it.¡±


    I looked up to him with a bit lip, preparing some quip about men finishing too quickly on their own but stopped when I saw some tears in his eyes. Swallowing any residual remarks, I found myself moving towards him without thinking about what I was doing. Taking the mask in both hands, I removed its straps and put it to my right in the grass. There was a wave of hmm¡¯s and oohs from the orcs as his strong jaw and handsome face were now revealed, but I was too distracted by the pain he was going through. Without a moment''s thought, I kissed him, letting that smoky goodness roll over my tongue.


    The poor man was still struggling, though. Putting my hand down his neck, I ran my palm around his chest. That bit of comfort prompted him to put his right hand around my waist while he settled his left one on Borba¡¯s bum to steady her. A second later he started thrusting again, accompanied by a surprised squeal from the orc mage. As I felt up his body, his muscles were contracted to near steel hardness as he struggled to keep going. It was when I had a hand on his chest and he gave a low cry as he did a particularly hard thrust into her that I was struck with the realization of what was happening.


    Borba was raping him.


    Their positions for the act being so different from the awful tales I had heard in the market, and Eli¡¯s overwhelming power, had obscured that truth. But she had stripped him of his right to say no and he clearly wasn¡¯t willing. Looking down at Borba, her face lost in her own passions with not a care in the world for the hurt she was putting the man through as she lustily licked her own lips, I thought back to all the times I fawned over her being the best example of everything orcs could be or would ever be. All that sycophantic devotion I gave away was spent on¡­this awful person. Then another thought occurred to me.


    She was the epitome of everything orcs could be and, being an orc, she was also a rapist.


    As every other orc would be.


    My stomach clenched as I felt bile rise in my throat. For a moment my kissing with Eli faltered, but I redoubled my efforts for a second before pulling back with a light pop. I stuck out my right hand and squeezed her right ass cheek, nails first. I drew blood and she gave an outraged huff before I cut her off.


    ¡°Move your hips for him! You fucking slut!¡± I spat at her before I went back to kissing Eli. His tears now mingled with mine as we both just tried to get this over with. It was so emotionally draining as the few minutes rolled by until I finally felt the contraction in his body. He thrust his hips upward with a final grunt before quickly pulling back. There was a part of me that struggled not to look down, but I kept my eyes on his as I continued rubbing his chest affectionately.


    Borba, her prize received, quickly took off towards the main group of orcs. Eli was already up and had his armor in order as she arrived back to her people. When she was surrounded by her kind and two of the frojan guards, she turned around and shouted to both of us.


    ¡°Thank you, daddy.¡± She said with a haughty smile, prompting some chuckles from the other orcs. ¡°But we agreed that I would get to leave before Gula¡¯s mother was handed over.¡±


    Eli nodded to Cell on his right. The familiar had done surprisingly well through the whole ordeal as he only set off the occasional rock or water spell. The black mass was as big as my fist but when he brought down part of the wall, his size only made him seem more terrifying. For my part, I focused on comforting Eli. Plastering myself to his side, I just watched as Borba moved off in the mass of guards even as orcs outside the wall struggled to get in. When she disappeared behind the wall, Eli took a deep breath as he rested his left hand on my shoulder. We stood there for what felt like twenty minutes, but my mind was running itself ragged with what just happened. Even after the other orcs surrounded us, we stood still, waiting for the moment to leave until It finally arrived.


    ¡°Now. Hand her over.¡± Eli¡¯s voice boomed, making the newly arriving orcs and frojan stumble as they tried to get a bearing on the situation. Morn nodded and the guard holding mother let her dash forward.


    When mother was beside us, Eli motioned her to come closer.


    ¡°Stick close,¡± He said in a quiet voice.


    My mother and I raised an eyebrow at that, but she did as she was bid. Cell came up behind us while Eli summoned a giant tentacle of water from his backside.


    ¡°Well, I do hope our future meetings are¡­ more pleasant. Farewell and goodbye.¡± He boomed.


    I struggled to see what he was trying to do but then I looked up to see him staring into the grey clouds. A moment longer and I saw one of the clouds extend a watery tentacle as it moved down towards us. Before anyone could react, Eli¡¯s water limb extended to catch the cloud''s outstretched hand. The two pillars of water collided and jerked us off the ground as Eli used a big air spell to guide us upward.


    ¡°UAAHHH!¡±


    It took me a moment to realize that sound was coming out of my mouth as the ground gave way and we sped up to the cloud as the two water limbs contracted. I was too busy locking onto Eli¡¯s side with a death grip to think about anything else. There was a moment where I saw a flash of wood then fell back down to the earth as we both collapsed from Eli¡¯s side.


    No. More wood, not dirt. Looking around, I saw that I was on the flat deck of a ship with an odd metal tube in the middle and a whirl of nothing but grey mist beyond what was now the whole of the world. My mind was relieved for a moment as I realized we were on a ship, but then I thought about how there weren¡¯t any rivers so close by. And rivers didn¡¯t flow through the sky.


    ¡°Find her! Salamede, take us to the river.¡± Eli yelled to Cell, who promptly shot off the side of the ship. He was working a long piece of wood on the left side of the ship that I assume was what he attached his long water tentacle to.


    There was a lisp forward as I turned leftward and saw Salamede in her green dress behind a wheel and several leavers pull a big one on her left. Wind blasted across the deck as the mist was blown away and revealed the sprawling landscape below. The now obviously very, very far below us landscape. I threw myself to the deck of the ship and tried to find something to grip as the wind blew over me, but it was all one smooth piece of wood and my hands could find no purchase as I was too far away from the rails.


    ¡°Gula,¡± Eli called from somewhere above me. I continued to lay there as I tried to comprehend what was happening. The ship moved slightly with the wind and every moment I was just waiting for the ground to come rushing up.


    ¡°Gula, we¡¯re on an airship. Have you heard of those?¡± He asked with a bit of tenderness.


    ¡°N-no,¡± I said with a parched throat as sweat started coming down my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a regular ship only it uses a balloon above the ship to float.¡±


    A brief look up and I saw the wide expanse of cloth and plant fibers. He spent a few minutes going over heat exchanges and masses with lift. He may as well have been a sputtering drunk from all I could make of it, but his presence and concern soothed me enough that after a minute I was prepared to stand up. The thick railing on the sides helped allay some of my fear, but I was far too busy trying to process what had happened in the last hour.


    Then it hit me all at once.


    My life was over. Whatever I had in the swamps or my mud hut was gone. That life I thought I¡¯d live and die like every other woman in my line had before me was now so much dust in the wind and in its place was a vast gaping void of uncertainty. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head and moved forward to rub Eli¡¯s steel shoulder.


    From there, we spent a good hour scouring the bare landscape. Sadly, the river was close enough that she could have taken it in the time allotted and gone on any number of paths to safety. My heart broke for Eli when I saw the moment his eyes took in the river opening up into the vast waterways and realizing that finding her was a lost cause. Using magic, he sent a long, high whistle over the swamplands. A second later, Cell came back up the side of the ship in a blast of wind and landed on the shoulder of Salamede.


    ¡°Full blast, Salamede!¡± Eli roared. ¡°Get us the hell out of here!¡±


    The tilt forward was worse this time, but I was prepared for it now and didn¡¯t suffer from unsteady feet. He patted my hand as Salamede¡¯s mother came out of a stairway near the middle left of the deck and took the wheel from her, with Cell moving to her left shoulder. The minute Salamede¡¯s hands left that wheel, the Kelton woman dashed forward and took her husband in a deep hug, complete with kisses. After they were done, Salamede just buried her head in his left shoulder to look at me. Putting out her left hand, I took it and gave her an affectionate squeeze.


    ¡°We need to warn Baloo and his people,¡± Eli said with a wobble in his voice.


    ¡°I told them everything but kept to the story that I was the only one who knew.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Eli said idly as he stroked Salamede¡¯s back, who was still doing a light sob as her chest rose and fell. ¡°Better safe than sorry. Cell knows enough about the area that he can drop off and warn him ahead of time since he knows where the frojan village is. After that, we¡¯ll head to dwarves rumble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Salamede said with her rough voice still showing her strained emotions, ¡°But first things first. Let¡¯s get that whores scent off you.¡±


    Salamede pulled back but kept her hand on mine as she directed us both to the stairway below deck while mother went to the wheel and levers. Cell leaped off Eli and towards the controls while we left the open air. It was a wide-open area with a room in the back with a door. With the glow of mana lamps placed along the wall, the fine woodwork had a soft glow as we moved to the door. Opening it, the room was a simple affair with a window opposite the door showing the sky outside with thick iron beams and a bed on the right with thick, fluffy blankets of blue and white and a chest at its foot. On the left was another door with a mana lamp above it.


    Eli walked forward and started taking off his armor while Salamede just stood to my right. When he was down to the wide legging, he finally spoke.


    ¡°Sorry you had to see that, love. Both of you. But now that-¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Salamede scolded, though her lips still trembled, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try and make this about how we feel. You¡¯re the one who got raped.¡±


    That last word stopped Eli dead as he closed his eyes for a long moment before he finished taking off his chest piece. Now in his brown pants and white shirt, he bit his lip as he looked between us.


    ¡°Well I was on top of her and I was certainly more capable magic wise to-¡°


    He stopped when he looked between us. I realized that my jaw was quivering as tears blurred my vision. My feet decided to move things along as we both sped towards him and took him in a hug. He never cried, but Salamede and I soaked his shoulders in enough tears to more than make up for it as we clung to him. I don¡¯t know how long it was, but we eventually stopped to look up at him.


    He took one thumb for each of us and wiped our eyes to remove the tears.


    ¡°Look now,¡± He said with what seemed to be a genuine smile. ¡°We¡¯re safe. We have a lot to figure out in the meantime to keep it that way, but for now, the people I care about are safe and that is what matters. I¡­ I need to take a shower by myself for a bit and once I¡¯m done we can talk. Alright?¡± He said with an expectant look to both of us.


    We pulled back as he rubbed our cheeks one more time before turning towards the door and going inside. Left on our own, Salamede took my right arm and directed me to the bed. As I sat down on the right side of the bed, I just felt numb as I had spilled all of my emotions onto Eli¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m a horrible woman,¡± I said to no one in particular while the sound of running water started from the door ahead of us.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Salamede asked with a raised eyebrow as she swung her ivory horns to face me.


    ¡°This is all my fault,¡± I said as I took a deep breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t listen. Eli told me we needed to keep a low profile but I just¡­ never in a thousand years would I have thought they would pay the slightest bit of attention to me. And now¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Salamede said gently, taking my shoulder with a warm squeeze. ¡°You made a mistake. What¡¯s important is that you learn from it and try your best to correct it.¡±


    I turned to her, seeing her bite her lower lip as her grey fur moved for her right hand as she scratched her neck.


    ¡°But how can I? I have nothing but my past, as shit as that was. I¡¯d make a horrible wife and-¡°


    Salamede got a painful smile as her white eyes focused on me.


    ¡°Pff. Horrible wife? You? Making an honest mistake does not make you a horrible wife.¡± Her snout gave a light sniff as she looked straight ahead to the door, taking in the sound of running water. ¡°You know what makes a horrible wife? A woman who pushes you into bending to the will of others. The wife who listens to your most personal, deep-seated issues, and when the pressure turns up, they nag some concession out of you so they can bludgeon you with it when you¡¯re down. When the whole world is against you and the one person who should unreservedly be on your side is the one to push you over the edge. That¡¯s a horrible wife.¡±


    I sat there as I bit my lip with no idea what to say for a long moment until I coughed.


    ¡°Well, maybe two horrible wives can equal a good wife if they try hard enough.¡±


    Salamede got a bitter smile but only nodded. After a few minutes, the sound of water stopped, and Eli came back in with a towel around his waist and retrieved a grey shirt and pants from the chest before changing in the shower room. Coming back in fully clothed and maskless, we both bid him lay between us. After he was laying down and had a pillow beneath his head, we snuggled against his sides with us using his shoulders as our pillows.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± I asked. Salamede was opposite of me and kissing his neck. Eli turned down and took her lips for a moment before turning down to me and giving me my kiss, which I made sure to savor. The tender moment passed as Eli pulled back and stared at the ceiling.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s all going to come out,¡± Eli said. ¡°The higher-ups know I am a scion and have been well before the censure. Someone somewhere knows something about my true past. No matter what they know, the bit about me being a scion is enough to make them start asking questions about what I was actually doing before and after the censure. The ¡®pandego¡¯s¡¯ showing up so quickly after I, the crafter, left would not draw much attention but a scion going missing around that time? A scion with an unknown familiar who could retrieve mana for him to make vine suits?


    Me being a scion for so long before the censure means I was a caster even longer before that. A quad caster shows up right around the time a strange beast starts killing bandits and Coalition mages? That is to say nothing of the fact that I have the goodwill of the dwarves who could assist me in such endeavors.


    No. The pieces are all there and if I had money on the outcome, they¡¯re going to start asking the right questions. Depending on how it all plays out, I may just blow the cover myself and see if I can get them to kill that fucking¡­¡±


    His chest started rising and falling with quick breaths but we both squeezed him tighter, calming him. After another moment of calm, he started talking again.


    ¡°But I would only do that if I thought mending our relationship with the Coalition was a lost cause. Once we get a little set up in the rumble, I¡¯ll contact the dwarves and see how the situation with the Kelton¡¯s is going.¡±


    ¡°The Keltons?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow. Eli nodded and turned down to me.


    ¡°Aye, if the Coalition gets the idea I¡¯m leaving for a better pen, they¡¯ll brutalize the Keltons to keep me here. Something they¡¯ve already shown a taste for.¡±


    For the rest of the trip, we just soaked in each other¡¯s company as the sky in the window zipped by. After a few hours, Cell came down briefly and apparently sent Eli a spirit message because he started getting up.


    ¡°All right. Time to disembark.¡± He said lightly as he moved over my legs and stood up while I and Salamede stretched.


    ¡°I got to say, this moves kind of slow if we¡¯re only just now getting to Baloo¡¯s village,¡± I noted as I stretched out both arms above my head. As I did so, the ship suddenly shook, making me grip the blankets.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eli asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Oh, yeah. You¡¯re new to this. We already stopped at the village but had to fly in a circle. We¡¯re at the dwarves rumble and just set down.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows to him and puckered my lips, but he just put out his hand to help me up as I let go of the blankets. After he extended that same favor to Salamede, we left the room after he fixed his mask on. The main lower deck was still pretty warm with the furnace on the left heating the place with its eternal hum, but when we went up the stairs, I was hit with a blast of freezing air laced with snowflakes.


    Looking over the side of the bridge, I saw vast waves of earth on both sides. The occasional boulder and tree were sticking out of it as the snow-covered landscape rolled on for as far as I could see. Amazingly, we were indeed at the rumble.


    I went over the times involved. We were at the crypt base and even with our detour, I wanted to say it couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour and a half or two hours since we left.


    ¡°Damn, these things move fast,¡± I said as mother was fidgeting with the controls to my right while Cell rested on her right shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eli said as he surveyed the land before turning back to us. ¡°Cell will go get the dwarves, see if we can barter for some food, and pay a squatters tax.¡±


    With that, Cell took off from mothers shoulder in a blast of air over the right side of the ship. The small black mass quickly became an invisible speck even across the white landscape beyond.


    Eli nodded before turning back to us.


    ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll set up some stone defenses and work out some crafts for you to defend yourselves with.¡±


    As much as I hated it, I was a bystander in this and could only get a shower and watch as our only mage did the work needed. He set up a small palisade of stone along the sides of the ship while the rest of us foraged for any good pieces of wood. Once that was done, we moved to the mid-section of the ship to watch him work. What I found fascinating was he didn¡¯t directly make the crafts, instead using other crafts to mold the rotting wood into solid pieces and then into vambraces and shoulder pads.


    I didn¡¯t see much point since anyone coming here would more than likely be coming with mages, but if anyone had been let down in our relationship so far, it certainly wasn¡¯t me.


    Eli had gone over the right side of the ship and used two heating bark crafts to melt the snow in a little area for us to practice in. Which is what I was doing with mother while Eli helped fit some custom pieces for the older Kelton woman named Kalla and Salamede dueled with Lokan off to his left. The vambraces acted as small water shields and water blade launchers while the shoulder pads protected the head and sides with walls of water mixed with a mesh of stone. Something mother and I were testing out as we stood across from each other in the patch of now visible grass.


    ¡°It''s good.¡± Mother said, sending out a blade of water to slam into my shoulder pads wall of water crisscrossed with stone. ¡°Though we¡¯ll be knee-deep in shit if there are any mages.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Eli called as he fitted a wooden chest piece on the small Kelton woman with a brown dress and grey flecked fur. ¡°These are immune to spells. Though, as a warning, the first time they are hit with a spell they will falter as the mana is spread throughout the craft but will quickly resume their intended functions.¡±


    ¡°Pah!¡± Mother laughed, ¡°I know you want in my daughter''s pants, but shameless lying is never attractive. A lesson I would have thought a married man would know.¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± I scolded her with pursed lips, even as I struggled with the ridiculous statement.


    Eli turned around and stuck out his hand. I obviously couldn¡¯t see any of the mana or spell constructs, but the blast of wind that shot out from his hand and rolled over both of us told me all I needed to know. Mother just huffed and stuck out her right arm again. The water blade shot out and jerked upwards as her unprepared arm couldn¡¯t deal with the recoil. We both stared at her arm for a minute as I felt my face twisting with disbelief. Mother just stared at it blankly before turning around.


    ¡°Do that again!¡± She commanded with a wild swing of her two braids.


    ¡°Fine, but only once more. I still need to work on some other necessities,¡± Eli called as he turned again. This time we were both firing water blades into the dirt on the left while having the water shields up. There was another blast of wind as we tensely stood there waiting for what our eyes told us was impossible.


    We were then treated to a firsthand miracle as the shields not only didn¡¯t fail, but the water around them grew thicker and the water blades didn¡¯t just keep going but proceeded to come out like a spout for a few seconds until the mana from the wind spell dissipated and they returned to normal. We both just stood there, staring at the ruts we made in the snow and soil. Mother pursed her thick green lips below her bone nose piercing and stomped over to Eli, who was now standing up and giving Kalla the thumbs up while Salamede practiced dodging water blades off to the left with Lokan. The snake woman had been on the lower floor for the whole trip and was content to spend it blissfully asleep in the heated floor below the furnace that kept the airship afloat.


    ¡°This thing¡­ craft.¡± Mother demanded as she pointed to her right arms vambrace. ¡°I¡¯ve worked with a few frojan but nothing they¡¯ve told me about crafts says anything about the elements affecting how the mana moves. What does your quad element do that allows this?¡±


    I quickly abandoned my post and came over to hear for myself as I stood behind mother.


    Eli puckered his lips and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Not all of my abilities are due to my elements¡­¡±


    ¡°Durka,¡±


    ¡°Durka. The technique that allows the craft to do that can be used by anyone of crafter status or above.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, impressed despite my previous disbelief. Mother, on the other hand, was dumbfounded as her jaw hung open before she irritably scratched her three cornrows on the right side of her head.


    ¡°Do¡­Do you have any idea what this means, Quad mage?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± He said patiently, ¡°I am well aware of the tactical implications.¡±


    ¡°Tacti-¡° Mother sputtered as she tried to find the words and flailed her arms, ¡°This changes every fucking thing. Who the hell needs mages anymore? Just four or five of them would be enough for an entire army. You¡¯ve just made yourself almost entirely obsolete.¡± She ran her hands over her leather armor before turning to me and shaking my shoulders. ¡°We don¡¯t have to run away anymore, sweety. With these, we can fight on equal ground with mages.¡±


    Her lips were quivering as she fought back tears. Yeah, that was another insecurity about being an orc. No matter how good you were, going one-on-one against a mage was a death sentence and since we only have as much magical potential as we were born with, there was never any hope of remedying that. Mother turned around and did a light bow to him.


    ¡°Thank you for these invaluable gifts, quad mage. If Gula ever gives you crap about making too many babies, know I¡¯ll be on your side.¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± I said with a swat on her back. Kalla just huffed while Salamede looked on with amusement from the side as her mother stepped forward.


    ¡°I have the same offer on standby, but despite their fun, the pups still haven¡¯t happened.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mother said with a raised eyebrow as they both turned to the only man present. ¡°Who could be the cause of that?¡±


    Oh god, they¡¯re working together.


    ¡°Mom let''s get back to practicing,¡± I said urgently with a tug on her shoulder. Salamede was likewise moving to rescue Eli, but mother was eager enough to get back to using the crafts that she let it go.


    ¡°What an endless-s amount of wonders you have, quad mage,¡± Lokan commented before getting back into it with Salamede after Kalla huffed and turned away.


    The rest of the day passed as the sun started to fall and we ate a few odd crackers that Cell had gotten from Baloo as Eli made a wooden plate to act as a stove with a few bowls and forks. With the sun descending over the sky, a line of heavily armored dwarves came trundling down the trough of the earth wave. They were carrying a few sacks of food and stopped dead as they looked at the odd wonder squatting in their lands.


    Most were content to stay back and mind their own business, but when others approached and Eli didn¡¯t scold them, some circled around this oddity with wide eyes filled with fascination. Amidst the gibbering and mumbling, one dwarf with long red hair and ruby eyes stepped forward, his red armor embellished with gold and wine-red cape flapping with his movements.


    ¡°Ho! We were told that the quad mage is here!¡± He said with cupped hands over his wild beard. Eli dropped down over the side of the ship and approached with some mana crystals in hand. I couldn¡¯t hear the exchange, but after Eli waved them goodbye, he turned, and I could see red hot murder in his eyes. Cell was off to the right of the leaving patrol and he was setting off a show of magic as fire, lightning, rocks, and blasts of water were sent flying all over the incline. Salamede and I moved forward as Eli came up the ladder while Lokan, Mother, and Kalla hung back.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Salamede asked.


    ¡°We have an agreement to let us squat here for a few days but there''s bad news. Our people. Harold and some of the association members have taken to ¡®interrogating¡¯ some of the Kelton officials and passersby. They are¡­ not being gentle. Unless we want bodies to really start piling up, I will have to go make them see the foolishness of their errors.¡±


    I bit my lip and held my tongue as Salamede moved forward with her blue dress flapping in the wind.


    ¡°By making them see¡­ what exactly do you mean?¡±


    Eli took a deep breath before his eyes seemed to empty.


    ¡°Do you remember that time I had you leave the house so I could talk with that gang member?¡±


    Salamede gulped as she bit her lip. It was a long moment still before she spoke up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit extreme? Maybe we could use some-¡°


    ¡°They¡¯ve killed a kid. A nine-year-old boy who used to watch us when we went out to eat. They just tossed his corpse onto the burning pyres before the parents even knew they had them.¡±


    Salamede pulled back slightly, a hand to her mouth as she stood still for a moment. When she put her hand down to her side, she had raised her chin and straightened her spine as I saw the fur along the back of her neck stand up.


    ¡°Do what you need to, Eli.¡± She said with a hard tone.


    With that, Eli pulled down his mask and kissed her. They were spending a good minute on what had to be a spirit conversation before he turned to me. Letting Salamede go, he took me by the waist and pulled me close.


    ¡°Be safe, love,¡± He said with a soft tone before we closed the distance. After a few seconds of savoring our contact, we pulled apart.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± was all I could think to say. There was so much more I wanted to say, that I needed to say, but my mind was too busy trying to comprehend what was going on. Eli moved past me and went below deck and came back up a few minutes later, decked out in his full set of armor. With one last nod, he moved towards the ladder and climbed down it, sending us one last regretful look along the way.


    When the thud of dirt was heard, we both rushed over the railing to look at the shining mass of steel zip over a rolling hill westward. While we could all see the cloud of snow he left behind, the aching hearts here were not as visible.

 Chapter 100: The Return of Humanitys Hope

    Tansen was wearing his usual black kimono and rubbing his black goatee. Unusually, he looked quite irritated in his office with his forehead ridge and black hair milling about as he stared at Harold and a woman in a blue robe with short brown hair and green eyes standing across from his desk. To his right was Rand, the armored, tan man with a brown mustache and green eyes. Both Tansen and Rand were in opposition to the mid 30¡¯s man and Floods Wrath member standing opposite of them, as they had been several times before. A play done so many times already they went as far as to stand in the same spot of the windowless room with white and blue striped walls and plain wood floor. Harold scratched his strong jaw as he idly flexed his muscles in the white undershirt and black vest with pants that marked his profession. While he had a short cut of brown hair, his bushy eyebrows waggled suggestively as he pursed his lips.


    ¡°Like I said, Tansen,¡± Harold scoffed with a dismissive wave of his right hand, ¡°This is a matter of Central Enforcement. You lot are not to be involved in our business.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made it our business,¡± Rand growled as he strummed his metal chest plate over the rest of his leather armor. ¡°The whole damn Kelton district is ready to snap after that poor boy you murdered.¡±


    ¡°An unfortunate accident,¡± The woman dismissed, ¡°A sadly needed one if we are to get the quad mage back.¡±


    ¡°Get him back?¡± Tansen demanded as he leaned forward onto the desk with his black robe falling down his arms. ¡°What makes you think the Keltons know anything about his whereabouts?¡±


    Harold just clenched his jaw as he stood there in silence. Tansen had understood the real answer the first time he had asked the question yesterday, but he still tried to make him say it. They were going after the Keltons to drag Eli back here. Doing it and saying it were two different things and as long as Harold stuck to his bogus story of asking questions, he would be legally in the clear. Minus a few settlements, of course.


    ¡°Master Tansen!¡± A courier shouted as he came through the door. The teen lad with short brown hair and a rough jacket of brown, white shirt, and grey pants ran through the door behind Harold and the mage woman. ¡°Eli has returned!¡±


    Harold turned around and stuck out his chin to emphasize his arrogant tone.


    ¡°Seems like our methods get results¡± He said before turning to the courier. ¡°Bring him here, at once.¡±


    The courier nodded before running back out the door.


    ¡°Still,¡± Tansen said, ¡°We¡¯re going to petition that we be more involved in these matters of¡­ public enforcement.¡±


    The Floods Wrath member huffed.


    ¡°Associations and Central Enforcement are above the petty concerns of such back-woods nosepickers.¡± She said with a stuck-out chin. Both she and Harold were content to stand there waiting for the quad mage to come through the door. A few minutes later, what they got instead was a sweaty, panicked courier running through the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s killing everyone!¡± The poor boy wheezed as sweat dripped down his face and brown hair, ¡°A CE man was taking a Kelton woman for investigation and Eli stopped them. They were talking as some of the blue mages gathered around. When the officer backhanded his prisoner for trying to get away, Eli summoned some stone claws and ripped his head off right in the street! Then the other mages started trying to stop him and¡­ Their entrails and limbs were¡­¡±


    The courier finished his tale by promptly puking on the floor.


    Harold and the woman went a bit pale.


    ¡°That fucker!¡± Harold yelled, ¡°Thinking he can do whatever he wants. There¡¯s going to be a nice warm cell in Prisoners Cliff for him.¡±


    The woman nodded and followed him out the door, while the courier went downstairs as the secretary called for a maid. Rand walked past Tansen¡¯s desk to leave, but Tansen stopped him.


    ¡°Rand!¡± The academy head called.


    The leader of local law turned around with a single raised eyebrow, which promptly became two when Tansen started a spirit connection with him.


    ¡®Get the civilians out of the way and let Harold and Floods Wrath die if Eli¡¯s is only going after them.¡¯ Tansen said.


    Rand puckered his lips as he stared at Tansen for a few seconds.


    ¡®Why would I do that? You think Eli would win in that fight?¡¯ He finally asked.


    ¡®Yes, he would. Having the guards die along with them would be a waste. Not that I¡¯m sure Eli would kill them, but I¡¯m not going to make any assumptions on his mental state right now.¡¯


    Rand looked surprised and was visibly struggling with what to do. Tansen could see the incredulity of one person killing that many people weighing against that one person having already killed elves.


    ¡®I¡¯ll come along and see what the academy can do.¡¯ Tansen said re-assuredly as he got up and went to the door with Rand. The two men went down the staircase and out of the tower. As they came upon the wide double doors of the academy entrance, Tansen could already tell something was wrong.


    It was a clear winter day as a massive crowd was trying to get inside the academy while some guards rushed past them, the cold indiscriminately assaulting both parties as they jockeyed for space through the entrance. When the crowd made way for the two men, they got outside and onto the main road with a look over the gathering masses of the main market surrounding the road that led straight from the entrance of the academy to the bridge directly ahead in the distance.


    Looking over the men, women, and children, Tansen saw they were bloody and battered from¡­ No, those were just the regular scars of life on them. The blood, however, came from an external source. Which was when Tansen felt a drop of rain touch his cheek above his black goatee. Putting his right hand to his cheek, he wiped away the raindrop. But as he did so, he looked up and saw the clear sky. Turning his head down to his hand, the red smear of blood was unmistakable. Scouring his surroundings, Tansen soon found the source.


    Off to the left in the Kelton quarter, was a mass of wind-blown sand that moved between houses and shops as it dipped and bobbed with the person casting it. While Tansen was bound by the display of earth magic, a mass of bloody limbs and viscera was ejected out of the sand cloud to land at random spots. Rand went pale as he stood on Tansen¡¯s left before nodding to the academy head.


    ¡°Get the civilians inside! Look after any injured-¡° Rand layed into the stunned guards with his orders as he walked off.


    Tansen tried to do the same, but Eli was too proficient at mass murder for his organizational skills to come in handy. As time went on, the faint waft of blood became a metallic taste in the air that mixed with the sweat and panic gripping the citizenry huddling in the academy or scurrying to save their goods from the occasional downpouring of entrails and fingers from the sky. All to the chorus of carnage and mayhem as men and women could be heard pleading for their lives, swiftly followed by another shower of gore.


    By the time the report came in that Eli was only killing CE members, troops, and those associations involved with the harassment of the Keltons, Tansen had a mere handful of mages, made up of staff members and the Ember association, ready as Rand started getting a sizeable troop of the local guard ready for whatever may come while the others were milling around town trying to direct the panicked populace. For a few minutes, the assembling mass of steel and mages gathered in front of the academy on the hill, though no orders could be given or formed in the short amount of time they had.


    While they were assembling, a frantic-looking Harold and the Floods Wrath leader came running away from the Kelton quarter with a ragged and bloodied looking troop of their people and those few full steel-plated troops that remained sprinkled throughout.


    ¡°Get the guards on the choke points out of the Kelton quarter!¡± Harold screamed, his black vest and white shirt cut along his chest and thighs while the blue robes of the woman looked more like bloody string than a proper garment.


    Along the hill leading up to the academy, the line of steel and leather-clad guardsmen stood in long lines with the increasing numbers of white and blue-robed staff members. Aside from the occasional explosion and scream off in the distance, the field was silent as the two groups regarded each other.


    ¡°Who is he killing?¡± Tansen asked Rand on his right, who now had his brown hair dangling about his armor and sweat on his face.


    ¡°Central Enforcement and Floods Wrath. The Ember and Hurricane¡¯s Kiss associations haven¡¯t been touched nor have any of the civilians. Directly, anyway.¡± Rand said with a worried look between him and a now fuming Harold.


    Tansen turned to the molten face of Harold and the leader of Floods Wrath, though the scared mass of CE members, troops, and water mages looked more like cowed sheep.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Harold screamed in outrage. ¡°Get into position!¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Rand,¡± Tansen said as he turned to his right. ¡°Are we obligated to help them, what with us being a ¡®bunch of backwoods nosepickers¡¯?¡±


    The leader of the local guards green eyes lit up as every face on the hill turned to him.


    ¡°No, Eli hasn¡¯t attacked any of the civilians.¡±


    ¡°I am the head of the local law now! You will do as I damn well say!¡± Harold screamed as the battered CE members, troops, and water mages stared sullenly at the gathering mass of people higher up on the hill.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rand said as he stepped forward with a smile that twisted his mustache, ¡°But you expressly forbid the local guard from taking part in the latest rounds of investigation. Because this latest incident is an extension of that operation, I¡¯d say we can¡¯t quite move under your command yet.¡±


    A horrified scream near the houses to the right of the lines of CE and Floods Wrath members drew everyone¡¯s gaze for a moment as the sound of tearing flesh and the expelling of another cloud of human body parts over the line of rooftops quickly followed. The biggest change was the animalistic scream that quickly followed it. Looking over the houses, it was clear that the cloud of sand was getting closer.


    ¡°What is this fucking troll shit?!¡± Harold demanded with a stomp of his right foot as he bared his teeth and pointed to one of the officers further down the right with a white feathered helmet. ¡°Get the men moving! Now!¡±


    The officer merely shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to sign onto several forms for that. Since we were pushed out from this operation, we will need a force transfer request form filled out in triplicate to-¡°


    Another crash and the accompanying sound of tearing flesh, now closer than before, interrupted him. But when the officer turned back to Harold, he merely looked at him with indifference. Harold, however, lost the color in his face as the realization that he had no allies to call upon in this fight washed over him.


    ¡°You-Yo¡­¡± Harold sputtered for a moment as he looked at the assembled men and women with sweat dripping down his face despite the winter cold. ¡°We are not combatants. Central Enforcement is for the application of the law and gathering evidence. You cowards would let innocents d-¡°


    Tansen just burst out laughing, drawing the resentful gazes of the assembled men in black vests and pants, along with the water mages and troops.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem very non-combatant when you killed that boy, or when you left a few of the Keltons bloody and battered. No, Harold. Everyone had their fun kicking the dog and you were the one who decided to take it too far when your foot was in reach. If you think for even a second that I¡¯ll be risking my academy or its people on your behalf, then you¡¯re a bigger fool than I could have ever imagined.¡±


    The onlookers only had a moment to process that statement before the man of the hour arrived. Another crash and chorus of screams sounded out behind the assembled water mages and CE members as one blue robbed woman was thrown from between the houses along the main road and onto the main street proper. A hammer took her in the chest, promptly followed by a fire spell that went off below her and blew her body apart in a shower of blood and limbs.


    Out of the alley stomped a vision of horror that would haunt the dreams of the assembled men and women forever after. It was Eli in his plain steel armor, but the surface was almost entirely red with streaks of steel peeking out behind the blood and occasional bit of human flesh. Sand flowed around the edges of his body before it moved around towards the street. The smiling metal mask was also covered in blood as Eli retracted his hammer from the scorched spot where his opponent had been. Above the mask were those purple eyes, though the wild fury contained therein was a feature Tansen had never seen in them.


    A loud whoosh fell over the town as the mass of sand moved from around Eli to cover his next victims in front of the academy. Tansen summoned a water wall around him and his people while those in the street tried to scramble away, Harold being foremost among them. Some of the water mages tried to raise water walls, but the sand buried deep into them and quickly drained the water spells. Eli must have used real sand from the river for his material as the particles didn¡¯t disappear after Eli let the spell go.


    In between the moment that the walls of water evaporated into nothingness and they got the next set of walls up, Eli launched several stone shards and lightning bolts into the small panicking mass. Their cries sounded out as sprays of blood doused the survivors and blackened bodies crumbled to the ground. The CE members were closer to Eli and messing up the mage''s formation as the quad mage used his suit''s self-powered wheels to zip closer to them.


    A sense of panic took over as the mages got a few thin walls up further behind where the last layer of defenses had gone. The quad mage simply lifted all the sand on the ground and threw it down over the heads of the unfortunate mob. While it was a small irritant in most situations, the sand had been thrown with such force that it left dots of bloody pinpricks in the arms, heads, and shoulders of everyone with no armor.


    Eli moved up to the disoriented mob as the people on the hill pulled further back with his approach. Putting up his right hand, Eli blasted them all with a white-hot tongue of flame. Flesh burned right off the bone, steel plates blazed red hot, and those who survived were quickly mercy killed with a stone spike, as were the uninjured members who tried to run up the hill to a false haven of safety.


    Three mages on the left put up a pitiable last stand as they launched water spikes at him. A quick shield of stone blocked the spikes and when Eli launched it at them, one of the women was reduced to a paste. The other two on her left shirked back, giving Eli enough time to summon a long spear of molten slag. With water shields almost hair-thin, they had no chance as the bar of slag was sharpened and cut them in half. The quad mag launched a boulder at one''s head and stomped on the others, quickly ending their pain even as their four pieces continued bleeding all over the road and Eli¡¯s now brain covered right foot.


    On Tansen¡¯s right, Harold and three of the mages were running towards the noble district in a mad panic. Eli swirled around; his purple eyes wild with blood lust. Sending a wave of stone shards into the back of the retreating women, Eli was almost a blur as he shot forward to the now unaccompanied Harold. The mid 30¡¯s man, despite his buff physique, had no chance to even look behind as Eli tackled him to the ground and held him face-first into the stone road.


    The whole town, from those illustrious members on the hill, to the shopkeepers staring out behind stalls and windows, to the poor peasants caught in between, all stared as Eli got on his knees over Harold and took his head in his right hands metal glove. He pulled him back before slamming Harold face-first into the stone. When the first blow into the road came, Harold screamed and struggled. After the fourth strike, Harold had probably fallen unconscious as his head was a bloody mass of skin and loose flesh. After the seventh strike, when the open skull looked more like a pulp of random bone and brains, Eli, let loose his first words.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be fucking decent?!¡± He screamed with feral intensity. That was quickly followed up with him slamming the ruined head into the ground one last time, sending brains and blood all over his upper chest and helmet as the head collapsed like an overripe melon. Eli leaned forward for a moment, heavily breathing and sweating over the body before he pulled himself back up.


    It was a long moment as the whole world stared at him sitting atop the corpse. After that, Eli finally decided to stand up, though he did so with shaking legs. Those purple eyes surveyed the carnage of dead bodies and burned flesh throughout the place he had called home for several months. When they passed over the living, there was an appropriate shirking back even among those on the hill. Then the mountain of blood, terror, and steel took a step forward with an ominous wobble to the right, gripping the hammer with his left hand before he took another step as he dragged it behind him with a loud scrape that immediately stopped.


    There was no sound. No dogs barking, no fires raging, and no word spoken as everyone stood still, uncertain of what to do. However, it appeared that even Eli had his limits. Those purple eyes rolled up as he leaned forward and his left hand lost its grip on the hammer. Time seemed to slow as the blood-soaked hope of an age tilted further before gravity took hold and he did a full body slam into the viscera and ash covered road. The impact sent a ringing of steel that reverberated over the silent town until even that fell to nothingness. Tansen gulped and moved forward, past some of the stunned guards and mages, as his footsteps pierced the dead silence. Walking up to the mass of blood-soaked armor, Tansen lifted his head and was relieved to see that he was still breathing.


    ¡°Medics! Get healing potions and the body movers going! Before they re-animate.¡± Tansen called to his staff on the hill. That knocked everyone out of their stupor as the guards went about getting bodies and checking on the Kelton quarter. When the medical team with wide hats of white arrived, Tansen left the clean-up to Rand as he passed by numerous staff and guards to stay at his tower office.


    Over the next few hours, there were several letters from those at the Base out west and the towers inquiring about what had happened. Tansen could only reply for them to wait for the full report. Agatha and the visitor from congress even tried to force their way into his office, but Tansen denied them until Rand could gather an official report. As for Eli, Tansen had a special prison set up for him.


    Ryan¡¯s old home had been remade into a mana dead zone with leather crafts siphoning off all mana from a wide area near the building with a detachment of guards to make sure he was properly detained within the grounds. Tansen felt a bit of guilt for not being there for Eli, but he had too much he had to attend to. By the late afternoon, Eli still hadn¡¯t woken up from his orgy of death, but Rand had managed to fill out a complete report, owing to the sheer amount of witnesses who had seen everything from beginning to end.


    With it on his desk, Tansen finally allowed Agatha and the pudgy congressman to come in and stand opposite of him. While she wore her typical black working dress, the large man had a wide white shirt with a brown vest with grey pants. His green eyes were wild with fear as sweat dripped down his bald head, while Agatha just looked like she wanted to puke. Wasting no time, Tansen immediately got to the point of their visit.


    ¡°Earlier this morning Eli arrived in town and immediately headed towards the Kelton quarter.¡±


    They both sucked in a breath at that, obviously knowing where this was going.


    ¡°When he met a Central Enforcement member apprehending a random Kelton woman for interrogation, Eli stopped them and demanded to know what was going on. Over the course of the argument, the official backhanded the Kelton woman. Eli responded by taking his head in repayment for the discourtesy. Which prompted several Floods Wrath members to apprehend him.


    Now I could bore you with several accounts of horrific bloodshed and brutality, but the only real surprise is that another scion with a white ferret and a squad of other casters tried to kidnap him in the middle of his rampage. They failed, obviously. Another curiosity for Coalition intelligence to mull over.


    The only bit left for our end is that Eli is currently detained in a mana dead zone at Ryan¡¯s former residence.¡±


    A moment of silence hung over the room as the two newcomers stood still. They almost certainly knew about Eli¡¯s rampage at this point, but having confirmed it with an official report they seemed to fully accept the situation they were in.


    ¡°How many CE officials are left from his rampage?¡± The congressman demanded.


    Tansen sighed before looking him in straight in his green eyes.


    ¡°None. All Central Enforcement agents assigned here and the whole of the Floods Wrath association are currently in the very overcrowded pyres.¡±


    The pudgy man just looked dumfounded while Agatha paled.


    ¡°Has he gone mad?¡± Agatha asked hesitantly.


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Tansen said with a shrug, ¡°When I killed staff members at my academy, it was all blood and hatred. But the morning after? Could have spent my previous day napping in bed for all the difference it made. Not that it''s guaranteed to be the same, but we¡¯ve taken all possible precautions.¡±


    ¡°This is unacceptable!¡± The pudgy man screamed, his big nose flaring. ¡°A disaster of this magnitude will-¡°


    A knock on the door behind him drew everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Tansen called.


    ¡°A Kelton couple. They¡¯ve been¡­ very insistent on seeing you.¡± The secretary called.


    ¡°Ok,-¡° Before Tansen could finish his sentence, the Kelton duo burst through. A Kelton man with brown fur and curling horns with a brown jacket and pants that was clung to by a grey-furred Kelton woman with a drab brown dress and grey underdress that matched the small horns atop her head.


    ¡°Hello, we wanted to see Eli,¡± The husband said with a step forward. The wife pulled back with her hands in front of her as she patiently waited.


    That drew odd looks from all three, but the congressman puckered his lips and spoke with a sour voice.


    ¡°Whatever damages you suffered are inconsequential in the more important-¡°


    ¡°We wanted to thank him. But we were told Tansen or possibly Rand were the only ones who could approve the visit.¡±


    That drew askance looks from around the room until Tansen put the pieces together with what he had heard from the past few days.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Your boy. I am so sorry for your loss.¡±


    The congressman flared his nostrils as he scowled and took a deep breath while Agatha seemed sympathetic.


    ¡°Do you have any shame?¡± The pudgy man demanded. ¡°That man just put some of the Coalition''s best and finest to death far away from their families and you want to shake his hand.¡±


    The husband''s white eyes in the goat face narrowed before he spoke again in a calm, low voice.


    ¡°They got what was coming to them.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The congressman drew back his right hand for an exaggerated slap to the face, but the smaller, grey-furred wife stepped forward.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going slap me,¡± She said in an even tone as she stuck out her face to receive the blow, ¡°Make sure it leaves a nice, red mark. I don¡¯t want Eli to doubt me when I tell him of our visit here.¡±


    The congressman jerked back, giving a slight yelp as he did so. With the bravado knocked right out of him, he immediately put his hand down and contented himself with staring sullenly at the couple. Tansen¡¯s chuckle broke the mood as everyone turned to him.


    ¡°Well, you certainly can¡¯t say Eli¡¯s deterrence wasn¡¯t effective. I¡¯ll have a messenger contact you as soon as we feel it is safe to allow for visitors.¡±


    The two nodded and left the room.


    ¡°He¡¯s a mass murderer, Tansen,¡± The congressman growled.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Tansen agreed with a lean back into his chair as he disinterestedly picked at his black sleeve.


    The room was silent for a few moments longer before the congressman spoke again.


    ¡°I will have to inform Mclain after the fact, but I¡¯m going to petition that Eli be made a national asset. The hearing to make that happen will be conducted by a judge after Noah gives his testimony on Eli¡¯s actions.¡±


    Tansen raised an eyebrow while Agatha just huffed, sending her blonde bun swaying with a shake of her head.


    ¡°You sound like it¡¯s going to be a quick deal.¡± She said with an unbelieving tone. ¡°Last I checked there were no high-ranking judges around.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± He responded with a raised finger and cruel smile, ¡°But we¡¯re in wartime, in case you forgot about those armies trudging up here at this very moment. We have the legal leeway to get it done. Once that¡¯s seen to, the appropriate services will be rendered. Even if it has to be done from a prison cell, this matter is quickly reaching its conclusion.¡±


    Tansen just huffed as he crossed his arms.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to rape him, at least have the decency to call it what it is before you pull down his pants,¡± Tansen said with a sour look.


    The green eyes of the congressman turned on the academy head with fury. His nose flaring, he put up a pudgy finger towards the academy head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the grieving widows and orphans Eli left in his wake today will be very concerned about the details of his consent. This rotten, ass-end of nowhere just consumed so many of our brave men in law enforcement. Damn this shit heap of a town filled with pig fuckers. We should have just busted his door down and dragged him to the dorms when he was first discovered!¡± He shouted before he turned around and stormed out of the room.


    Agatha turned with a sympathetic look to Tansen, who only nodded back before the Front member also excused herself.


    The next morning, Tansen was informed that Eli was awake. But as the academy head was walking out of his tower to Ryan¡¯s house, Rand stopped him.


    ¡°Sorry, Tansen,¡± The tan man said with a raised hand. ¡°It would do you no good to visit him. The court is seeing him later tomorrow, and if you want to be of any use to Eli, you need to make sure it isn¡¯t quite so obvious that you are on his side.¡±


    Tansen struggled against the chains of sound legal advice for a long moment before turning around and heading back to his office. As head of the academy, he had several people he could reach out to for any number of tasks. Deploying some staff to get the general mood of the public over that day and the next, Tansen was surprised to see the rather sanguine attitude most of the people had towards the massacre.


    The Central Enforcement staff had garnered a bad reputation in its time at Tansen¡¯s little corner of the world. Bad tippers, cutting lines, and the general laying about the populace like they were owed everything just by being in these woods were what they were most known for. Decorum would not allow most people to openly react with joy at them being brutally murdered in the street, but the niceties of society didn¡¯t demand grieving either.


    Out west, the reaction was far less understanding. Tansen had gotten several letters from higher-ups in the government demanding to know what happened. The news of what happened was out, but Tansen and Rand trickled out the facts enough to hold them off. Even so, the letters contained no small amount of cursing. Most unbecoming of official heads of state.


    In the early afternoon, the hearing had finally started.


    Tansen was in a seat on the left of the conference room at the top of the classroom towers where Eli had shown off his crafts. A wide room with white walls and a red carpet lined with leather strips to drain mana, there were chairs in front of a tall wooden stand where the accused would be seated and a slightly higher wooden chair and desk behind that where the judge would be. All of which was illuminated in the soft glow of mana lamps along the top of the ceiling. In a small cluster of the chairs were the Rangers, mages in grey cloaks. On the academy heads left was Agatha and further ahead, behind the desk of a man who had prepared several blank papers and quills to transcribe the proceedings, was the congressman and his lackeys.


    The judge, a skinny man with a long black robe and no hair came down the line of chairs as several guards took position along the points between the seats, tables, and stands. His long nose swung with his taking in of the surrounding spectators before he moved ahead and proceeded to sit at his exalted spot above everyone else. With a heavy air in the room, he took a moment before taking his gavel and slamming it down to kill the idle chatter before he spoke.


    ¡°Order. Order.


    We are here today to hear out an accusation against the quad mage Eli and afterward decide on the matter of making him a national asset. Guards! Bring forth the man in question.¡±


    The door on Tansen¡¯s right and in the back of the room opened and through it walked a pair of guards. Behind them, done up in a metal cover restraining his arms to his wrists up to the shoulder and monocles around his feet, was Eli. He had the white and blue striped robes of an academy student on him. Though the open display of his face was a rarely seen feature. His strong jaw moved with puckered lips and his purple eyes showed complete disinterest in the world around him as he moved forward. His short silver hair swayed as he made his way up to the stand in the middle of the room before taking his seat with an unceremonious plop into the chair.


    As he did so, the judge went through some papers on his desk before sniffling and turned to Eli.


    ¡°Alright, young man. You stand accused of a lot, both in these proceedings and in future ones. I¡¯ll save us all the usual meanderings and just bring things to their point. Noah Fritzgeld.¡±


    ¡®Great. Another show trial¡¯ Tansen thought to himself as he struggled to not groan.


    Amidst the rangers stood the man in question. He was an early 20¡¯s man with short black hair, slightly tan skin, and green eyes with a cut above his right eye. His smooth cheekbones and sharp chin moved with his sour expression as he stared at Eli with ill-concealed hatred.


    ¡°Noah,¡± the judge called, ¡°Please step forward and give your account of events.¡±


    The ranger stepped forward, his grey cloak fluttering around his leather armor. When he was on the right of Eli¡¯s stand, he kept his eyes on the judge.


    ¡°While¡­he was in this academy¡¯s medical ward after a fight involving him attacking me and an associate, that same associate and I found one of the Pandego¡¯s near these very woods.¡±


    Tansen¡¯s and Agatha¡¯s eyebrows shot up. That those monsters had been so close to his students made his stomachache flip while Agatha went pale.


    ¡°Our preconceived notions of their elements were shattered that day. It was wildly spewing fire, lightning, and air blades everywhere in addition to the earth and water elements. Confused and, in all honesty, terrified at this fresh horror from the swamps. When we arrived back in town and started talking with our fellow rangers, we got a nice little story about this new mage. A mage who could use healing and metal magic, thus having all four elements.


    Then we gathered information about his many famous deeds and doings. When we looked at the times he disappeared, it all fell into place. It wasn¡¯t some new monster; it was his familiar!¡± Noah said with a raise of his left finger to Eli even as he still refused to look at him. ¡°He has been aiding the orcs and probably has some spawn among them. We tried to contact high command and get the word out. But his previous trial had a bunch of political bullshit which made that impossible as everyone lined up to suck his fucking dick to-¡°


    The judge banged his gavel to interrupt the rising fury spewing from Noah.


    ¡°Lad. These are official proceedings, you hear me?¡± The judge said with an indulgent look and patient tone. Noah nodded and stood silent for a brief moment before continuing.


    ¡°Knowing the secrets he had and being given no support from anyone, we used our only card. Familiars are social creatures and we took the bet that the other scions familiars knew more than they were letting on. Keeping our eyes open, we noticed the water scion Veronica¡¯s familiar harassing the dwarves. When it went to a certain bar and we saw others from that group coming in, we contacted Harold and he loaned us a few guards to see our suspicions through. Low and behold, we were right.¡±


    The judge nodded and turned to Eli.


    ¡°What say you to these allegations.¡±


    The quad mage sat there, clicking his tongue as he looked around the room with indifference before he closed his eyes and pulled himself straight up. Putting his bound hands on the top of his wooden enclosure, he coughed before giving his defense.


    ¡°I was not involved with nor a part of the Pandego¡¯s. A surly lot that often had the frojan skittish.¡± He said firmly.


    Tansen had some niggling feeling of wrongness as Noah snorted before he finally turned to his nemesis, his green eyes filled with hatred.


    ¡°You lie! We¡¯ve lined up events in the swamps with your disappearances. We can go over everything in exhaustive detail, down to the hour if we have to.¡± Noah growled, sticking out his chin.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eli said with a casual turn of his head. He had his lips puckered and eyebrows raised like Noah had dropped a mild curio in front of him. ¡°Why would you need to do that? I said I wasn¡¯t the pandegos. I didn¡¯t deny the rest of it.¡±


    ¡°Bah! You¡¯ll do anything to save yo-¡­r skin,¡± Noah¡¯s rant died as Eli¡¯s words washed over him.


    The world seemed to come to a standstill as even the scribe stopped his scribbles and looked up with a slack jaw. Tansen felt the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up as he realized what he didn¡¯t like about Eli¡¯s first statement.


    A surly lot who made the frojan skittish.


    As in he was there to witness it.


    The judge went pale as did all the guards, the congressman and his aides, and Agatha. The rangers, however, just looked confused. Noah tried to make the words come out, but his jaw just couldn¡¯t make it happen. The judge''s face was a pale sheet of white as he leaned forward and gripped the edge of his desk.


    ¡°Would you care to elaborate on that statement, young man?¡± He demanded through gritted teeth.


    Eli, completely indifferent to everything around him, shrugged and leaned back in his chair as he idly put his two restricted arms over his chest before taking a deep breath and continuing.


    ¡°During my disappearances, I often visited the swamps and my friends there. Yeah, they tried to mate me. But I kept my identity a secret and was allowed a certain amount of freedom. When the Phoenix empire attacked their swamps, I was forced to reveal my identity, which was around the time the pandegos showed up. My unique colorings had made me a curiosity to one fire orc mage named B-¡° Eli¡¯s voice cracked for a moment before he coughed and continued. ¡°Borba and had seen several interactions between them and the pandegos. I kept off to myself and out of sight after my true nature had been revealed, but the Phoenix empire made a particularly big move into the swamplands. Forced to defend my friends again with the help of my familiar and wife, I helped break the back of the foothold they were establishing into the swamplands.


    Suffice it to say, we won. During a rather energetic celebration, I met up with Borba again. I was, of course, out of the orcs reach with my speed but she tempted me with a sight along the southern coast while my wife helped get our things ready to go up north after we heard from the dwarves that the Keltons were being mistreated. Along those pristine shores, Borba and I walked, and given the booze in our guts and the starlight playing across the ocean, you can imagine where such a romantic setting lead. When we got word about the attack on the Kelton community, I was forced to run back here.¡±


    Eli finished with a smack of his lips and a slight smile as he sat in his chair, looking like he was talking about the local weather.


    Tansen had never felt his mind go totally numb. Time on the road and the Far Shores court demanded action carried out in fractions of a second and his fine reflexes were honed in those environments. But, for the first time in his life, the academy head''s mind just wouldn¡¯t move as the images of quad element scion orcs tore through his mind.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± Agatha demanded with a panicked whisper as she turned her face to Tansen. Sweat was falling down her face as her right hand dug into the black kimono¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That story doesn¡¯t make any sense. The orcs would have stopped at nothing to catch him once discovered. To say nothing of the fact he just sicked the Coalition on the mother¡­ or does he not consider orcs his children?¡±


    Tansen numbly shook his head as the congressman was furiously whispering amongst his aides in the chairs before Eli and Noah. The latter of which just stared at Eli with a blank face. After a few seconds, the congressman stood up with a heave of his considerable weight. His chubby face was red, and his face was contorted with rage as his green coat fluttered around his white shirt and black pants.


    ¡°Eli!¡± He screamed. ¡°Your attempt to embarrass the Correctional Committee is disgraceful.¡±


    Eli and Noah turned to him.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Noah said with a face like he had bitten into an apple and found half a worm wiggling in it. Eli only looked on disinterestedly.


    ¡°I am petitioning that we move onto the national asset portion of this trial.¡± The congressman said with a puffing of his chest. ¡°Thank you for your service in this matter, Noah. But I will be taking over from here.¡±


    Noah stood still as a statue, looking the fat man up and down in disbelief.


    ¡°What do you mean? He confessed.¡± Noah said in a near whisper as his green eyes seemed to empty. The huff he got as an answer only lit a fire in his eyes.


    ¡°Please,¡± The pudgy congressman said with a dismissive handwave, ¡°We all know of your drinking ways. That you found out about Eli as his friends traveled through a tavern is an easy explanation. One that makes far more sense than that convoluted nonsense. The decision on what to do about this little stunt of a confession will be reached later. Now please sit amongst your fellows.¡±


    Surprisingly, Eli and Noah seemed irritated at this announcement, though Noah had more freedom of arm movement as he waved to Eli with both hands.


    ¡°He¡¯s fucking admitting to it!¡± Noah screamed at the top of his lungs, ¡°He¡¯s sitting right fucking there and saying he¡¯s a horrid pervert. Right in front of all of us!¡± Noah looked more animalistic with every word spoken as his face got redder and redder.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Eli interrupted, ¡°I laid with an orc and helped them in the swamps.¡±


    Noah took a deep breath and did another dramatic wave to the quad mage.


    ¡°Well?!¡± Noah demanded, ¡°The punishment for a caster or above mage mating orcs is death. He¡¯s admitting to it, right here and now.¡±


    The congressman sighed as he shook his head.


    ¡°Even if, if, it¡¯s true, we are not at a point to do anything about it. We need him to spread his line and killing him over his past actions is not an option. When we finish looking over all of it, there are any number of punishments we could hand out if this is confirmed. But we have armies currently marching through our proverbial backyard and we can¡¯t throw away our best tool.¡±


    Noah stood there with a blank face as his right hand twitched.


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡± Noah said in a near whisper, ¡°He killed so many of us, so many good men and women of the military and he gets to walk. After everything, he¡¯ll spend his days in a mansion eating the best food and wine while constantly getting his balls drained for the rest of his life.¡±


    Noah looked down with a shake of his black hair for a long moment. Then he was a blur as he zipped across the room and drew a knife from the folds of his leather armor.


    ¡°Uaaghh!¡± He screamed as he ran straight at Eli.


    Eli quickly shifted around and took the head of his chair and stuck out the legs in front of him while the guards charged forward. Noah tried to jump past the wall around the seat, and nearly succeeded as Eli was too restrained from his arm braces to effectively move. When Noah got one brown boot on the wall, the guards finally got in the mix. Pulling the fire mage down as he bellowed like a wounded animal, the other guards moved around the other rangers to make sure they didn¡¯t try to join.


    After a few minutes of wrangling, the still screaming Noah and his companions were escorted out of the room. The congressman shook his head while the guards looked over the prize of our age for any injuries. When things had settled down, the congressman took Noah¡¯s place as Eli sat back into his seat.


    ¡°Well, you may have made things easier for us, Eli. Between that confession and your rampage, I¡¯d say we have a clear and pressing need to assert more direct control over your person. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± The congressman said with a nod to the judge.


    ¡°Do you really want an orc fucker as a national asset?¡± Eli asked mildly as he leaned back into his chair.


    The congressman¡¯s green eyes peeking out between his fat cheeks squinted in anger.


    ¡°This little game you¡¯re playing won¡¯t work. We¡¯ll look into it, of course, but your attempt to drag this committee through the mud by having such slanderous accusations crop up while under our care is not appreciated.¡±


    Eli puckered his lips as he looked the fat man up and down with a cold fury before his icy voice rang out.


    ¡°Accusations? I¡¯m not confessing to anything I haven¡¯t already been labeled.¡± Eli then turned to the judge, ¡°Can we stop wasting time on this? We all know how this is going to end.¡±


    The judge stole a look to the congressman, who slightly nodded before the judge coughed into his hand and banged the gavel again.


    ¡°Normally, we would have called witnesses to judge character. But that Eli would even joke about having participated in the depths of such depravity is enough to render judgment on his moral strength, in the eyes of this court. Using the war powers imbued to me in times of national need, I declare Eli to be made a national asset and be compelled to provide whatever services are needed to see to the societal good.¡±


    With one last bang of his gavel, Eli was taken by the guards and escorted out. As Tansen looked on, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the look of indifference in Eli¡¯s eyes as he passed the rows of chairs and was taken out the back door. Tansen and Agatha sat there for a while as the congressman and his stooges shuffled out, with some clapping each other on the back for their great work.


    ¡°Well,¡± Agatha said with a tired voice. ¡°I¡¯ll see about having Veronica and her two friends do the deed first. They apparently have some secret bond with him and having the starting women be familiar will probably make laying with the later ones easier.¡±


    Tansen just nodded, feeling numb from his head to his toes as he got up and headed down to the main floor. Once he was back in his carriage, he stared out with a blank face and lifeless brown eyes as his assistant Aki sat opposite of him. Neither man said anything, as there was nothing left to say.


    When he got back to his office and sat behind his oak desk, Tansen spent a few minutes idly sifting through reports. When he realized he wasn¡¯t actually reading any of them, Tansen just huffed before he got out of the leather chair and went down the tower to Ryan¡¯s house. The only mana dead zone where the deeds could be done and not have the guards worry about Eli going on another rampage.


    The three-floor home had thick bricks of stone and solid wooden beams with grey roof tiles. In front of the cave-like entrance were Agatha, Veronica, Eska, and Mia. The mother was off to the left while the three girls stood on the right. While Veronica¡¯s gold hair played over the single white dress, Eska¡¯s shoulder-length black hair and Mia¡¯s choppy red hair barely touched theirs, so low was the top of their garments. Any passerby with any amount of a sex drive could see what the three girls were preparing for based on their blushing and nervous swaying.


    ¡°- And when you grab the¡­Yes, Tansen?¡± Agatha asked calmly as she turned to the academy head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to talk to Eli,¡± He said casually. The blond nodded with a sad look playing over her sharp cheekbones.


    Tansen walked forward and past the two guards by the entrance before opening the wooden door. He immediately walked to the left, over the thick stone floor, and into the main room, the big bed therein catching his eye. The room was now bare except for that single piece of furniture as the walls were dark oak beams that poorly reflected the mana lamp in the center of the ceiling. That mana lamp was the only source of light as the windows and back door had been fastened shut with steel bars and thick wooden planks.


    In the center, sitting at the foot of the bed with blue blankets and white sheets, was Eli. Wearing a simple white robe, he looked surprisingly bored as he turned to the academy head and idly slapped his right foot to the ground.


    ¡°Ah, Tansen! What brings you here?¡± He asked cheerfully.


    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to see how you were holding up.¡± The academy head said uncertainly, thrown off by Eli¡¯s tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing ok,¡± Eli said with a bit lip as he looked down for a brief moment. ¡°How are things going for the Diamond academy?¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly well,¡± Tansen said with raised eyebrows and puckered lips as he nodded. ¡°The people you ripped to pieces in the street were often rude and annoying, so the only people complaining are those too far away to matter. At least for a few weeks¡±


    Tansen bit his lips before he took a deep breath and got to the point.


    ¡°Eli, I know matters of siring are prickly for you. But consider the fact that these children will be more well cared for than most princes. Even Beth, who I don¡¯t yet know if she is actually with your child, has been getting a queen''s treatment. The lives they will have will be full and happy ones, even if dad isn¡¯t around as much as he would like to be, and family reunions look like towns springing up overnight.¡±


    The quad mage closed his eyes and leaned back as he basked in the soft glow of the mana lamp above. A long moment passed where no one said anything until the silence was broken.


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Eli said with a note of finality as he kept his eyes closed. ¡°You, Jeff, Veronica, Bess, Salamede, and to a lesser extent, Andrew, were the only ones who showed the slightest bit of concern for me when I was a crafter, and for that, you will always have my thanks.


    But my patience has run out. I was abused, mistreated, and relegated to the trash heap because my magical label said, crafter. At no point did the mage world, society, or those whores throwing themselves at me ever show the slightest concern for me when I was down.


    And now we¡¯re all supposed to just get along.


    I have power. I have prestige. I am everything this world ever wanted from a single person and when my ears are assaulted by the chorus of adoring fanfare, the only thing that registers is the screams of swine. All these high and mighty people scolding me for my selfishness, pulling on threads on common humanity that they themselves cut. But even all of that, I could have forgiven. For my personal needs and the better interests of people everywhere.


    Going after my wife, though? Attacking the people who actually gave a damn about me because the quad mage having a woman with a goat''s head isn¡¯t the perfect tale to tell small children? Holding innocent bystanders hostage? That I will not forgive.


    I am done. I don¡¯t know what I can do about the Coalition holding the Keltons hostage or where to go from here. But from now on I¡¯m going to focus on absolving myself of these chains rather than trying to make them fit better.¡±


    With that, Eli opened his eyes and turned to Tansen. While he was now barefaced, the pain in those purple irises was something no mask could have hidden. The saddest thing is that Tansen could find no objection in himself to present. No appeal to altruism, decency, or duty could undo what had been done, nor should they.


    Moving forward and squeezing his shoulder, Tansen only offered a sympathetic nod before turning away and heading out the door. On the grass, as small flicks of red started playing across the late afternoon sky, stood the four women and the congressman in a line still dressed in the same clothes as he had for the trial. Coming from the black gate on the right was a member of the medical squad with a large white hat. He had a slight chin and large nose as the healer came up with a side bag of various ointments and tools.


    Agatha nodded to the three girls, who quickly followed the medical staff member inside.


    ¡°Finally, shouldn¡¯t have taken this long to get his dick wet.¡± The fat man huffed as he looked to the sky with a scowl.


    Tansen stood around for a minute, unsure of what to do or what he was doing here now. Finally, Tansen turned to his right to speak with Agatha.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to my office.¡±


    The blonde nodded, a strand of blonde hair escaping her bun.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind to work on the aftermath. There are already a lot of women lined up to demand-¡°


    She was stopped when Mia, the tan redhead with smooth cheekbones, ran out with a pale face and brown eyes wild with panic.


    ¡°We¡­Ugh. We need you inside. Now.¡± She said with a shaken voice before running back inside. Looking between each other, the three adults ran inside to see what was going on. Coming through the door, the tension in the air immediately spiked.


    Veronica and Eska were off to the left, both looking a little green with shakes wracking their arms and legs. Mia came over to stand beside them, while Eli was standing opposite of them and looked positively bored as he thumbed his white robe and casually looked around the room from his position near the bed. The medical member had his bag on the floor beside him and was standing to the left of Eli, though the doctor''s green eyes were wide and sweat was running down his face.


    ¡°He¡­ I was performing the needed medical inspections when¡­¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± Eli huffed as he threw open his robe. His shoulders were broad and strong and as Tansen¡¯s eyes fell over his slightly pale skin past his abs, the source of the problem became clear.


    Or rather, the lack of a source.


    A plain wall of smooth skin patched over where Eli¡¯s loins had been. There were bumps along the skin and a hole that made it clear that the act was an intentional one with healing applied afterward.


    ¡°Thanks for the healing potions, by the way,¡± Eli said casually as he closed his robes. ¡°Might have bled out if I didn¡¯t manage to snag a few from the healers. Though I¡¯m sure the guards would have let me out to heal myself afterward anyway.¡±


    Everyone just stared at him like he had grown a second head. Tansen, on the other hand, was concentrating on not crossing his legs or throwing up.


    ¡°You¡¯ve mutilated yourself,¡± Agatha said breathlessly as she put a black-gloved hand to her mouth.


    The fat congressman just looked up as he swayed to the right before falling on the floor with a loud crash, dead to the world. The guards at the door heard the noise and came to assist him, but he was out and too heavy to move. Before they could come into the main room, Tansen waved them back to their posts even as they gave the congressman laying on the floor odd looks.


    Those who remained inside all turned back to Eli, who was puckering his lips. With a loud pop, he sat on the bed and casually leaned back.


    ¡°This was just my way of saying I am not amiable to the current course of things. Now, if we¡¯re done here, it has been a tiring day and I would like to get ready for dinner and bed. I¡¯m sorry for wasting your time, Veronica, Eska, and Mia.¡± He said with an apologetic nod to the three girls.


    They nodded with blank faces before turning around and scurrying out the front door.


    The academy head put out a hand to stop them.


    ¡°Not a word to anyone. Everyone here will be put under a gag order. Understand?¡± Tansen asked with a calm that surprised himself. After they all nodded, the three girls rand full speed out of the room.


    Tansen turned around and looked at the medical member while Agatha just stared at Eli in mute horror as Eli returned the feeling with indifference.


    ¡°Not a word to anyone, understand?¡± Tansen warned the medic, who nodded with a vigorous shake.


    At a loss for what to say, Tansen could only wait for the congressman¡¯s aides to come by and stir the man awake. When those green eye¡¯s flickered open, Tansen was standing above him with his arms crossed.


    ¡°This is your mess,¡± The academy head declared with bitterness, ¡°Good luck cleaning it up,¡±


    Not waiting to answer the aide''s questions, Tansen stormed out of the house with Agatha following closely behind. When they were a good bit away from the guards, Agatha finally spoke with her eyes beseeching the red sky.


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke by the gods? Are the fates just doing this to laugh at us?¡± She moaned with a hand to her forehead.


    Tansen whirled around, rage in his face as he stomped forward.


    ¡°Fate? Gods? They did everything they could for us,¡± Tansen spat as he bared his teeth and shoved a finger in her face. ¡°We had the opportunity of a lifetime land in our laps. It was all put in a box with a nice little bow on top and the only thing asked of us was to just not act like fucking animals! There were so many points during this mess that this could have all stopped. If the military had been willing to take a risk on a crafter instead of worrying about their prestige, if I had been doing my fucking job and taking care of all of my students, or maybe if you hadn¡¯t scolded Veronica after the trial about associating with the orc fucker,¡±


    Agatha appropriately lowered her head at that, but Tansen wasn¡¯t about to stop.


    ¡°We could have a crop of healing and metal super mages by now. Maybe if just one damn person had been there for him after the trial, he wouldn¡¯t have had to go to a goat woman for emotional support. But no. Everyone wanted more prestige, more power, more of everything they couldn¡¯t suck out of Eli, so they kicked the local pariah for goodwill from the herd or because it was what was convenient at the time.


    Just one fucking person in power doing what they were supposed to be doing at any point in this mess would have sent us on our way to paradise. We don¡¯t deserve the favor or love of gods or the universe or fate or whatever poor thing out there has had the misfortune of being shackled to a bunch of self-centered curs like us.¡±


    Tansen stood there, his chest rising and falling with his hard breathing while Agatha cooly regarded him with sympathy in her blue eyes. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to soothe the aching man.


    ¡°If anyone is to blame for the state of things, the least of the guilty would be you.¡±


    Tansen shook his head as he stared down.


    ¡°No. I was only interested in Eli due to his abilities as a crafter. Even if I was as selfish as everyone else, I started this academy to rise above the school that failed me. Instead, I oversaw a greater injustice than-¡°


    Tansen struggled for a bit, the words like daggers pointed at his heart. Taking a deep breath, he plunged them directly into their target.


    ¡°Than my old academy head. When I was tested and the call of greed touched my ears, I proved myself no better than her. I¡¯ve come so far, done so much, achieved things most could only dream of, and I still failed.¡±


    With a twirl of sapphires and the black kimono¡¯s fabric, Tansen turned around to leave the scion housing area to return to his office. To those that looked at him, he was the same stoic, powerful man he had always been known as throughout these lands. But on the inside, he felt more lost than he had at any time during his travels across unfamiliar jungles and the aimless streets of foreign cities.

 Chapter 101: Bureaucratic Mishandling

    Jeff was lounging at his house. The black-haired, eighteen-year-old looked around at the wooden floor and stone walls as he sat at the table on the left side of the entrance to the house, taking in the kitchen opposite of his seat with his oceanic teal eyes. While he idly thumbed his white shirt and wiped some dust off his grey pants or fussed over his short hair, he felt his impatience rising until the front door opened. Through it walked his love, the early 30s Annie. With near black, red hair and moles along her left eyes and neck, she turned her amber eyes to him. Those faint lines in her eyes showed her age even as her grey work dress showed off a little cleavage. Far too little for Jeff¡¯s taste.


    ¡°Hey, sweety. It was a crazy day in the¡­¡±


    ¡°Babies,¡± Jeff proclaimed as he got up and approached her. She got a slight smile at the word but before she could say anything, Jeff took her soft pink lips and used the inch of height he had on her to force her up the wooden staircase to the left. Kissing and groping along the way, Annie couldn¡¯t get a word in even as the door to their room opened and she was thrown to the bed on the right.


    Jeff walked across the wooden floor and shut the white curtains, closing off the late-day sky beyond the window. Annie licked her pink lips in anticipation as Jeff proceeded to take off his shirt.


    ¡°Jeff, you seem quite pent up,¡± Annie teased with a raised eyebrow, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought our play last night was lacking in that respect.¡±


    ¡°Babies,¡± He answered before he launched himself onto the bed as Annie gave a delighted squeal.


    An hour or two later, Jeff laid naked beside his love. Both were panting and sweaty while Annie¡¯s blouse was up around her hips and her top was¡­somewhere.


    ¡°Your mind has only held one thought these past two weeks. Which is good, can¡¯t let anyone else think you belong somewhere else.¡± Annie playfully scolded as she rested her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right,¡± Jeff said, trying to keep a smug smile off his face as he wrapped his arms around her.


    He had been a patient man, holding off on going through with it in light of one disaster or another. But Jeff¡¯s patience was not unlimited and when he saw Annie comforting a crying child a while back, his blood, already hot for the act since he arrived at the academy, demanded at least one of his children on her hips. She had been resistant at first with one excuse or another, but Jeff found being a dumb brute about it made her far more pliable to his needs. Once she had stopped taking yook root, he squeezed every chance at reproductive access for all it was worth.


    ¡°You were talking about a crazy day at the office,¡± Jeff said as he idly pinched her left, pink nipple. Annie gave a small moan but didn¡¯t try to stop him as she went over her day.


    ¡°They had us gathering up a bunch of papers and documents while the congressman¡¯s aides went over them. I don¡¯t know what happened, but that fat man has been positively deranged. Always mumbling to himself and pacing everywhere.¡±


    Jeff planted another kiss on her lips as they both fell back into silence and enjoyed the rest of the day in the post-baby-making glow.


    The morning came and they both went about their day, Annie to the office in the academy heads tower, and Jeff donned his blue and white robes before heading to the classroom towers. While he had officially graduated, necrosis meant he couldn¡¯t leave the area cheaply. Not that he could even with all the money in the world. His connection with Eli had made him a target for kidnappings and there had already been one attempt on his person just two days before the quad mages rampage. That and the news that the two armies were now officially making landfall also did not give Jeff high hopes if he decided to leave the security of this abode. Like it or not, this was the safest place for him and his to be.


    While he was at a table studying some books on herbs, a guard came telling him he has been summoned to the academy head''s office. The whole trip back, Jeff could only concentrate on what the problem could be, but no answer came to mind. When he was back in the room with white and blue striped walls and wooden floors, Jeff got an idea of what the problem was.


    Tansen was opposite of him with a few files laid out across his desk as the red-faced congressman on his left sucked in his thick lips while Agatha looked rather disappointed to the right. Strangely, the academy head lacked his typical aura of self-assurance. He seemed¡­thinner in spirit despite looking the same in his black kimono. Like a rag that was pulled too far apart and now had some rips in it. Most worryingly, was Annie standing to his left in a light blue top and dress that did little to hide the fact she seemed to be melting under the glow of the mana lamp in the center of the ceiling.


    ¡°Boy, you better have a fantastic explanation up your sleeve for this. And don¡¯t bother lying, she told us everything.¡± The congressman said with a scowl as he rubbed his brown vest and white shirt before he adjusted his black pants. Agatha just shook her head while Tansen shot a murderous glance at the fat man.


    ¡°Jeff,¡± Agatha said, stepping forward with a whirl of her black work dress. ¡°After a¡­¡± Agatha paled before coughing into a black-gloved hand, ¡°After a certain incident, we went over the breeding stipends to see if Eli had any possible siring attempts that were missed or anyone who could have had any possible discreet meetings with him. Part of that process also involved looking over all of his friend''s records. In exhaustive detail.¡±


    The hair on the back of Jeff¡¯s head stood straight up. Stealing a look at Annie, her panicked eyes and hard bite into her lip told him everything he needed to know.


    ¡°Jeff, is there something you or Annie would like to tell us?¡± Agatha said impatiently.


    ¡°Bah!¡± The congressman bellowed with a smug look as he stepped forward, ¡°We already know about your game of playing with the records.¡±


    ¡°No money was taken!¡± Annie protested, ¡°It was all put back into the appropriate places.¡±


    The fat man drew himself up to his full height, about three inches taller than Annie, and put his hands to his hips as he approached.


    ¡°Damn the money! You over the hill wench have stolen a valuable mages seed for your own ambitions. More than that, it¡¯s about the influence you¡¯ve exerted on the quad mage.¡± He said before turning towards Tansen, ¡°This rat''s nest of an academy is up to its eyes in degenerates. People running around thinking they can avoid their responsibilities just because they have magic. Seeing as how Harold is dead, I¡¯ll be mediating out the punishment as his temporary replacement.¡±


    Jeff bit his lip as he looked pleadingly to Tansen and Agatha, who could only look on with sympathy. Annie, however, wasn¡¯t going to take it without a fight.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had anything to do with Eli! You¡¯re just looking for someone to blame for your failure.¡±


    The next few seconds were a blur. Jeff briefly saw the fat hand slide across Annie¡¯s face and her head pullback followed by the smell of burning flesh. Looking down, the lightning mage saw his blade of flame sticking into the now screaming man¡¯s considerable thigh.


    ¡°AHH!¡± He screamed as he fell to the ground. The guards came running through the door behind Jeff. Agatha put a hand to her mouth while Tansen just rolled his brown eyes and took out a healing potion from his desk before getting up.


    ¡°Quit whining,¡± The academy head scolded as he handed the vial filled with red liquid to the frantic man. Annie gave Jeff an appreciative look before schooling herself into an emotionless statue. Once the big man gulped down the vial and had the hole in his side stop bleeding, he got up and turned his furious green eyes on Jeff before stalking up to him and getting right in his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re the president¡¯s son, you can assault me without consequences. You little shit stain on-¡°


    ¡°My most esteemed member of congress,¡± Tansen said with a bored tone as his black kimono swirled from him going back to his chair. ¡°You threw the first blow. Think carefully before you talk of pressing charges.¡±


    The man regarded Jeff coldly for a moment before pulling back and turning to Annie, this time with a ragged breathing and sweaty face.


    ¡°Be that as it may, I will be carrying out the sentencing. A whipping with banishment from these grounds. To be done after a quick look over by a judge tomorrow.¡±


    He pushed between the two of them with a rough shove, leaving the four alone. Agatha shook her head in disappointment while Tansen seemed to regard the couple with warmth.


    ¡°Annie,¡± Agatha said in a light tone, ¡°You know more than most what is required from male mages. What were you thinking?¡±


    The redhead could only look down and offer no rebuttal. Agatha sighed and closed her blue eyes before opening them again.


    ¡°Well, come what may, you¡¯ve both been good for this academy and its people. I hope this can come to a more agreeable conclusion than the main thorn in everyone¡¯s side. Are you at least with Jeff¡¯s child?¡±


    Jeff was prepared for a quick no, but his heart ran faster and faster with every second of silence from Annie. After several seconds of biting her lip, she finally answered.


    ¡°I have been feeling slightly ill in the mornings, but my cycle is typically later this month so I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Jeff was trying not to spin Annie in his arms as he had to force himself to stay still. Agatha and Tansen raised their eyebrows at that but quickly cooled their expressions before Tansen spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he uses a smaller stick and avoids anywhere near the stomach. Now, the day is still young, and we have a lot we need to tend to. Goodbye.¡±


    The couple quickly vacated the room and walked down the stairs. Jeff, through some miracle of self-restraint, didn¡¯t react until they got home. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what happened, the second that thud of the door hit there was a lot of kissing, ¡®I love you¡¯ said over and over, and then heat and sweat. In the late afternoon, they were cuddling naked on the wooden kitchen floor as Jeff idly rubbed her stomach with the faint light that came through the curtains of the window above the sink. Annie snorted as he moved his head further down to put his ear against her womb.


    ¡°Jeff, even if I¡¯m pregnant, that¡¯s not going to be a thing for months yet.¡± She said with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m going to be a father,¡± He said, his eyes lighting up like the stars on a black winter night. Annie just smiled before she took his head in her hands and pulled him up for a kiss. After that, she made sure to hold him in place and look him straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Possibly. Tomorrow, I want you at the classroom towers.¡±


    Jeff bit his lower lip and couldn¡¯t meet her eyes, but she grabbed his slight chin and forced him to meet her gaze.


    ¡°Sweety, it will be far easier for me if I know you aren¡¯t there to suffer with me. Afterward, they¡¯ll send me southward. I know there aren¡¯t any of the carriages properly built for transport available for a few days. So, I want you back here late in the afternoon to comfort me but¡­please, just leave for the morning. Promise me.¡± She asked with a tear in her eye. Jeff wiped it away with his thumb. He couldn¡¯t bear to say a word, so he left his response to a simple nod.


    Andrew was staying at the classroom towers and would return late the day after Annie¡¯s punishment. He took the incident with Veronica¡¯s arm to heart and now only crafted under direct supervision. Left to their idle fancies, Jeff and Annie indulged themselves in all the pleasures of the flesh with good meals and better company.


    Sadly, that day had to pass and the next one came as it always did.


    Jeff left in the early morning as Annie was sent off with two guards. There was a moment when he stopped as she left the front porch that he wanted to run out and give her a final kiss and hug goodbye, but he shook his head and headed out to the local carriages. She didn¡¯t want him nearby when she was going to be publicly whipped, and he would honor that wish.


    Jeff spent the rest of the morning perusing books and even saw Andrew talking with a few girls during his perusing. He knew Agatha would start grilling him on starting siring, but she at least seemed content to wait until after the punishment had been handed out. That pride he had as a man was irritated at Annie taking all of the blame, but the truth was that she was doing it without his knowledge for a while and they had gotten the whole story out of her before he could do anything to shoulder the burden.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    When Jeff decided that the day had gone on long enough, the grey cast sky not doing anything to help him in keeping track of time, he headed back and took off down the main road in a steel-clad carriage. As he was walking along the path from the carriage station to the academy on the cold winter day, he overheard three workers gossiping behind him.


    ¡°Man, what an ass she had. Even with the red marks he put on her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Though that fat fellow seemed more angry than aroused.¡±


    A huff was what Jeff had to say to that as he kept his eyes staring forward while his knuckles whitened. The small chorus of ¡®hmm''s only made Jeff¡¯s blood boil as he tried to not run ahead, instead forcing himself to slow down to hear the rest.


    ¡°I disagree. He seemed a bit too joyful when he hit some parts of her. Barely touched her back or legs, the perv.¡±


    Not able to stand the light chuckles behind himself anymore, Jeff ran home at a full sprint. His blood boiling and his short black hair getting sweaty, he quickly moved through the black gate and was going up to his house until a guard stopped him halfway.


    ¡°You¡¯re requested at the academy head¡¯s office.¡±


    Jeff stopped and puckered his lips, but didn¡¯t say anything as he was lead back up the main tower, when he arrived, it was only Tansen at his desk and Agatha on the right. Annie¡¯s absence was immediately apparent, and Jeff could only bite his lips as he took in the nervous looks of the two major figures of the academy.


    ¡°Jeff, we need to talk.¡±


    The lightning mage took a deep breath before he stepped forward with a scowl.


    ¡°I heard a lot on the way back. That lecherous fuck stripped her? Put her out there for everyone to see in broad fucking daylight. Am I missing anything?¡± He half screamed towards the end. His oceanic eyes had a feral look to them as he shook his fists.


    Tansen put up both hands in mock surrender.


    ¡°Aye, lad. It¡¯s going to be looked into by Rand. The congressman has been remanded to a special dorm far from the students while Rand tries to sort out what happened. Our esteemed representative did strip her, but we will need to look over the punishment ordered in detail. It is entirely possible this was a legally allowed punishment, especially for someone interfering in the siring of a dual mage. Once we get her back-¡°


    ¡°Back?!¡± Jeff demanded with a jerk of his head, ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    Agatha gave a scolding look to Tansen, who had the good graces to turn over control of the conversation to her. Which she gracefully accepted with a cough.


    ¡°Jeff. She was immediately sent south after her punishment.¡±


    He stared at her for a moment, blinking as his mind tried to process what she was saying.


    ¡°But¡­ how did a safe transport open up? I heard they were all reserved for days.¡± He asked as he looked between the two of them.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t one available. She was sent in a simple wooden carriage.¡±


    Jeff¡¯s mouth soundlessly moved as his mind tried to comprehend what she said. But before he could say anything, Tansen cut back in.


    ¡°When we heard about it, we sent out a raven to the military base south of here. They should be sending her back later today.¡±


    The dual mage stood there looking between them before giving a light bow and walking out the door. He barely paid attention to the messengers he passed along the stairs or out the entrance of the tower, nor did he pay much mind to the peasants going about their day as he walked down the cold main road and over the bridge to the wall and line of pyres. None paid him much mind as he sat on a pile of bricks to the left of the main gate, awaiting Annie¡¯s return. His appearance was like a dog eagerly awaiting its master, or a tender man waiting eagerly for the return of his true love, depending on how sympathetic the passerby was to heartache.


    After an hour, several guards were rushing in and out of the main gate that seemed out of place with the regular patrols. When some came back, there were a few tidbits he could hear from the guards as they went to inform the local captain at the left side of the camp by the ever-burning pyres.


    ¡°What were they thinking?¡±


    ¡°-Not fit to take out.¡±


    Gathering up his nerves, Jeff left his spot and approached the white feather man in metal shoulder pads and leather armor.


    ¡°Good sir,¡± Jeff said respectfully.


    There was a flash of irritation in the captain''s brown eyes before he saw that he was addressing a mage. With the knowledge of who he was addressing, the captain''s rough features cooled as he gave a slight nod.


    ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure, master mage?¡± He said respectfully.


    ¡°There was a regular transport with a woman on it. Have you gotten some news about it?¡±


    He nodded and sucked in his lips.


    ¡°Aye. The whole thing got destroyed by a pack of undead wolves and humans. Told those fuckers it was a bad idea but-¡°


    Jeff¡¯s reddening face and hard breathing told the captain all he needed to know. Realizing what the mage was doing here, the captain coughed into a leather glove and changed tact.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten word back on the driver or the passenger. I¡¯ll personally tell you what happened when we know exactly where she is.¡±


    Jeff just stood still for a moment before he turned back towards the main gate. The air was nothing but the smell of ash and death, but for the first time Jeff didn¡¯t notice and he stood still as a statue by the main road leading out into the wastes of the world. It was a good half hour later when the captain came by with his helmet tucked under his arm.


    ¡°Lad¡­ The short of it is, there were no survivors. The bodies were either dragged off or re-animated into the undead. While the driver-¡°


    Jeff took off in a whirl of blue and white striped robes. His mind was as clear as an unmoving lake as he sprinted straight for the academy tower, though his ears pounded from the sheer high of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Running past tradesmen and housewives going about their day, Jeff ran through the academy¡¯s wide double-doored entrance and straight up the tower stairs. Running past the secretary¡¯s desk, he went through the open door and saw a few of the Ember association mages in red robes and leather on the left. On the right was a regular guard speaking with Tansen.


    When they all turned to him, he got the distinct feeling that the subject of their discussion had just arrived.


    ¡°Jeff,¡± Tansen said with a note of finality and a sympathetic look.


    ¡°Where is that fat fucker?¡± Jeff demanded through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Jeff, there is a procedure to things,¡± Tansen warned.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Jeff asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°It seems like Eli got to the good part rather quickly.¡±


    The academy head sighed before sitting straighter.


    ¡°And he will suffer the consequences of that in time. Now, you will be detained to the scion housing section for the time being until an investigation of events can be conducted.¡±


    Jeff puffed out his chest until the stomp of steel-clad boots came up the stairs behind him. Rand, the tan-skinned man with a brown mustache and green eyes, walked up the staircase with a detachment of guards.


    ¡°Lad, we¡¯ve had one too many rampaging magicians as is. Come quietly and I promise I will see to things to the fullest extent of the law.¡±


    The ember members ahead of Jeff also got closer. For a bitter moment, Jeff considered how Eli wouldn¡¯t have had to fight this battle. If Jeff had Eli¡¯s reputation for cruelty and brutality, the guards would never dare put Annie on that damned carriage. Cursing the world under his breath, Jeff went downstairs with his entourage in tow.


    While he remained calm on the outside, he was raving at the world on the inside, though the words were little more than letters punctuated with bouts of rage.


    Even so, he went down the tower stairs with a stiff upper chin and air of detachment. Even as he went through the gates and up to his two-story house of plain wood walls and stone columns, he said not a word to anyone. Going through the plain wood door, he went left and sat at the table. Those oceanic eyes took in the contours of the wood wall grain for a few minutes or hours, Jeff couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep track.


    At some point, the sun had gotten low and sent rays of golden light through the windows as his red-headed brother came home. Andrew rubbed his strong cheekbones as he walked through the door with his student robes still on before he turned his surprised ocean eyes on Jeff. He didn¡¯t say anything at first, instead, he walked over and sat on Jeff¡¯s left with not a sound made except for the scrape of the chair.


    ¡°How were the classroom towers?¡± Jeff asked, with a calm voice while he stared blankly ahead.


    ¡°They¡­.Um¡­ I was sent back here to be with you.¡± Andrew said with a look of confusion on his face as he looked Jeff up and down. They were both surprised and disturbed at how emotionless Jeff seemed, but the truth was that Jeff was left with a huge gaping void in his mind as he tried to process all that he had and now lost. No emotion could be wiggled out of that expanse of nothingness even as he sat there and stared at a wood wall all day.


    ¡°That¡¯s just great Andrew. Were you able to get ahead on your crafting skills?¡± Jeff asked with a bored tone.


    ¡°Yeah¡­Until I stopped to listen to a rumor about Eli.¡±


    Jeff snapped his head to look Andrew right in the eyes. The redhead jerked back in surprise but kept his composure as Jeff finally got a look of genuine interest.


    ¡°What miracle has the wonder of the world graced us with now?¡± Jeff asked with a subtle note of bitter sarcasm.


    Andrew bit his lip for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°That he mated with orcs.¡±


    Jeff snorted, remembering all too well the word of the rumor mill around the trial, but Andrew shook his head.


    ¡°Not an accusation, a confession. Some people are saying he flat-out admitted it in front of the whole hearing. Leaned back like he was lounging on a couch and talking about dinner like it was nothing.¡±


    There was a long moment as the two brothers stared at each other until Jeff finally spoke up.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Andrews''s red eyebrows shot up, but Jeff continued without a care in the world to what he was saying or how it would be received.


    ¡°I hope he fucked a thousand orcs.¡±


    ¡°Jeff!¡± Andrew scolded with a slam on the table with his right hand. ¡°That¡¯s disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Oh, who cares?!¡± Jeff said with a hiss of pure anger, his face finally getting some color, ¡°Eli can do whatever the fuck he wants. Kill who he wants to kill, bed who he wants to bed, and destroy whatever is in his path. He could turn this whole town into a mass of burning slag in a single afternoon if it struck his fancy.


    When he has his orc spawn running around, maybe then the people who run this shit heap of a country will finally feel some of the pain they¡¯ve inflicted.¡±


    ¡°He can do whatever he wants?¡± Andrew demanded, getting up from his chair. ¡°His wife being off who knows where would disagree with that.¡±


    Jeff furrowed his eyebrows as he felt a snarl steal over his face.


    ¡°Aye. But do you think anyone in this town would kill her? Do you think that if that goat woman was the one who was ordered to be put in that unsafe carriage, the guards wouldn¡¯t have quit on the spot? The central government still has a big dick about it, but everyone who has to actually be near him wouldn¡¯t dare hurt him or his people after he massacred Central Enforcement and Flood¡¯s wrath.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re living in a fantasy of what could have been. Besides, what will happen to him afterward? You¡¯re looking at his situation before it''s even finished. He has the obligations that will be forced out of him, one way or another. For all his power, Eli isn¡¯t going to get a happy ending with his goat woman because we all need to breed mage children. It¡¯s an obligation you¡¯ve managed to avoid so far, but Agatha will start pressing you on it after the grieving period has passed. We all know what needs to be done. Eli knows it and Annie knew it. It¡¯s just¡­ shit is what it is, Jeff.¡±


    Jeff stood straight up with the color draining from his face as the chair fell back.


    ¡°Well, at least Eli got to say FUCKING GOODBYE!¡± Jeff screamed at the top of his lungs before he turned to the left and out the door. He didn¡¯t know quite where he was going as he moved over the cold snow and the hit of winter air was ignored. That was until he came up to the big stone house with its cave-like entrance. The guards let him in, as his restriction was only to stay in the scion housing area.


    ¡°Eli!¡± Jeff called as he looked to the room on the left with the big bed, which was empty.


    ¡°Jeff?¡± Eli called back, sounding a bit confused. His voice was carrying from up the staircase directly ahead. Which he promptly ran up with dark stone walls continued the cave motif. Looking to his right, Jeff saw Eli at a desk through an open door. On it were several books and maps, but Eli¡¯s purple eyes were looking up from the map in his hands and towards Jeff as the late day sun shined through the window on the left.


    Jeff walked forwards over the dark oak floorboards with no idea of what he was going to say as he crossed into the threshold of the room. Before he could figure it out, he just unloaded on Eli. The flood of incoherent gibberish poured from his mouth as tears finally fell down his face for a solid minute. He didn¡¯t know how or when, but Jeff felt a hand on his shoulder as he was moved around. When he was coherent again, he found himself sitting to the right of Eli in a chair as the quad mage squeezed his shoulders and looked at him with pity.


    ¡°All right, Jeff. Do you feel like you can tell me what¡¯s going on now?¡± He asked with a gentle tone. His jaw, now visible from the lack of a mask, had an odd quiver to it that spoke of extreme discomfort. Whatever his internal struggle, Eli pushed it down as he waited for Jeff to talk. After a few more seconds, Jeff finally ordered his thoughts.


    ¡°They killed her. Annie. I fucking loved that woman and they killed her.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Eli asked with a raise of a silver eyebrow, ¡°And why? She didn¡¯t seem like the type to commit any real crimes.¡±


    Jeff¡¯s ocean eyes wavered for a moment as he fought back tears, his body shaking from the weight of his emotions.


    ¡°She was a peasant woman. Old and past her ¡®prime¡¯, she was keeping me all to herself. But I wanted her and was willing to let her cover our tracks to make it happen. I didn¡¯t want children with any other woman in the world and that fat bastard had her whipped for it. Afterward, he sent her southward in a meager wooden carriage to help hide the fact he went too far with the punishment. Now she¡¯s either in some undead wolf''s stomach or her body is aimlessly wandering the wastes among the other undead. I don¡¯t think I even want to know which fate she met.¡±


    Eli¡¯s purple eyes shined with the realization of what prompted Jeff to come here.


    ¡°It seems magic has gotten its knife in both our sides, to one degree or another,¡± Eli said with a nod.


    Jeff¡¯s lower lip quivered for a long moment before he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and then took a deep breath.


    ¡°At least you¡¯ll be able to see her again. Maybe if I had flayed a man on the table like you had, she¡¯d still be alive. Those guards would have thought twice about her safety if I had your reputation. Especially now after you got back. That must have felt amazing, tearing those bastards limb from limb.¡±


    ¡°Aye. But, sadly, my puzzle won¡¯t allow for brute force as the final piece.¡± Eli said with a tired look in his eyes as he turned back to his maps and books, ¡°I can¡¯t move the Keltons elsewhere, I could never hide that many people much less provide for them with the guests arriving on our shores. But I can¡¯t just disappear into the sunset either. Yeah, I could kill everyone who tries to hurt them for a day or two, but healing magic can¡¯t undo the need for sleep. Nor could I hold off two whole armies who would just use them to the same ends of the Coalition.


    The harsh reality is, for all my power and finesse, I¡¯m not in a position to secure Salamede¡¯s safety in the long term.¡±


    Jeff leaned back, his hands to his head as he silently cursed the world.


    ¡°At least you were able to secure it once,¡± Jeff said bitterly, more to himself than Eli, ¡°Is that it then? Are we stuck here, forced to dance on the strings of the mighty like puppets as they use our loins like we¡¯re cattle?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eli answered firmly.


    That drew Jeff out of his stupor as he turned to Eli with his eyes full of hope.


    ¡°I¡­ given our mutual circumstance, I might be willing to help you on this matter with my musings on what to do about my situation. But, again, that thorn of what to do with the Kelton community is still there. Once I¡¯ve seen to some things¡­ we¡¯ll see.¡±


    Jeff nodded, glad to have another soul in this world who, in any capacity, could understand even the slightest bit of his pain. Standing up and straightening his robes, he nodded to Eli one last time before walking out of the room and going to get dinner.

 Chapter 102: Rodrings Move

    Johnson was sitting at the U-shaped table in the conference room of the Coalitions headquarters. The sandy walls and oceanic carpet floor were the same as always as the big window behind him illuminated the day with the sun shining over him. He was a handsome, six-plus-foot man who held no cheer for the bright sunny day. Sweat ran down his slight chin and strong cheekbones and onto his white shirt top and grey pants as his deep green eyes took in the report in front of him.


    To his right was Alton, a chubby man with too big a nose and a bowl cut of brown hair in a grey robe that helped keep in some of the warmth on the winter day. His brown eyes took in a copy of that report with Marvin¡¯s dark green eyes having a similar horror in them. Johnson¡¯s old military buddy was on his left. He wore a deep green coat over a white shirt and black pants, though the wide array of casual and formal attire donned by the three men didn¡¯t change the fact that they were all bound by the same words on their pages, though, not as wholly as the older man between the bend of the U-shaped table.


    He was older with a flabby jowl and a white combover that was accentuated by a tight blue coat and white undershirt. His brown eyes, rather than terror, held a determination one might see in the eyes of a starving predator that had its jaws in a meal that others have shown an interest in. Even so, the pale, wrinkly skin along his neck and jaw had some traces of sweat, and his eyes weren¡¯t focused on any person in the room.


    ¡°- with a quick jaunt out of those daft healers house, we could secure a scion healer in quick haste to remedy-¡° Mclain¡¯s drawl ambled on without end as all Johnson heard was this yawning white noise as he ran a hand through his smooth black hair flecked with bits of grey.


    The news about the events of the quad mage had come in a single letter at first before avalanching all at once. When Johnson first heard of Harold¡¯s rough treatment of the Keltons, he moved to put a stop to it. It was a clear breach of their civil rights, but it was an action taken by the committee and Central Enforcement, who proceeded to raise objections and stall him. In truth, Johnson knew there was nothing he could have done. When the first hastily scrawled letter arrived telling of Eli¡¯s return, Johnson felt a sting of annoyance at Harold being vindicated. That was until a few minutes later when more letters came.


    They were odd reports of an attack on the town.


    It took time to sift through the rumors and half scrawled letters before it was determined what had actually happened with an official report from the local law. The quad mage had snapped and murdered the Central Enforcement and the Flood¡¯s Wrath members, down to the last man and woman. In broad daylight while in full view of the whole town.


    The anger at this injustice was palpable when news first broke. A small crowd of fresh widows and orphans demonstrated outside the building howling for justice, rain or snow be damned. When it became common knowledge that the local law, mages, and citizens did nothing and sat back as the hope of humanity committed one of the worst atrocities in Coalition history, the anger moved indoors amongst the staff and officials. Murder was one thing, but that those back wood, tree humpers with almost no mana to their lands, had treated the whole thing like a sport had irked the coastal people''s sense of pride at the bumpkin''s lack of consideration for their betters. Of course, none would dare to suggest any punishment that would impede Eli¡¯s ability to sire. A concern the latest, now highly classified, report had rendered irrelevant.


    On the bottom was some half-forgotten mention of the events with Annie and Jeff. While his heart broke at the news, in that way only a fathers could for a son, Johnson soldiered on to do his duty for the good of humanity. For it was by putting low the concerns of one¡¯s family, friends, and even one¡¯s well-being, that the whole of humanity prospered.


    A sentiment Eli clearly did not share.


    The old man''s spiel meandered on, and on. It was a desperate attempt to mend the catastrophic mess his committee had made, and Johnson had no intention of letting him slip out of the noose he had fashioned for himself.


    ¡°- with our spies in-¡°


    ¡°He¡¯s gone feral.¡± Johnson proclaimed, drawing all eyes to him. ¡°Not even a month, right Alton?¡± Johnson asked the portly fellow with puckered lips. All he got back was a stunned look, but he just turned back to the object of his scorn. ¡°Not even a full month and you have totally lost control of him.¡±


    Mclain swallowed and got a sour face as his small nose curled with disdain.


    ¡°He is detained. When we have acquired a healing scion from that Central Continents house, we will be-¡°


    Johnson put up a finger, wagging it at him like an errant child.


    ¡°What is the purpose of your committee, Mclain?¡± The president asked as he put the finger forward on the desk.


    Mclain bit his lip for a second before letting loose a breath and drawling as only a lawyer could.


    ¡°To oversee the circumstances surrounding the quad mages'' lack of siring and to correct it with all possible haste.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Johnson said as he pulled his finger over the table with a condescending smile that made Mclain turn red. ¡°Correcting the situation. Not fucking the situation into the dirt. Not making the quad mage an enemy and turning him into a half-mad beast. You were tasked with the first and yet all you¡¯ve done is the second and third. There¡¯s failure, then there¡¯s this absolute, unfathomable mess that makes the word failure look rather mundane.¡±


    Mclain flared his nostrils as he puckered his lips and stuck out a finger.


    ¡°It appears I am in familial company then. All this time and you¡¯ve let that dual-element miscreant get away with shagging his wet nurse and making no actual children. The little perv probably rubbed off on my prize.¡±


    Johnson kept the red out of his face and leaned back with a stuckout chin, his strong cheekbones having the skin pull up as he put on a wolfish smile.


    ¡°Well¡­ at least my lad still has a dick.¡±


    Johnson let that statement hang there for a second as Mclain faltered under the verbal beating. After the second passed, Johnson coughed and leaned forward as he assumed the more stately appearance he was always known for.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your time, esteemed member of congress. We will be in touch when you are needed. Dismissed.¡±


    Mclain took particular offense at the casual dismissal but looking around he found no allies in Marvin or Alton. Turning around with a sulky air, he went out the far door and slammed it behind him. Johnson scooted the chair back and held his hands on the table as he stared at the ocean carpet. His mind fumbled for an answer to the mess he had found his nation in and the only one that came to him wasn¡¯t much better than giving up and handing him over to the Rodring kingdom. But as seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to several more minutes, Johnson finally pulled himself up with a defeated sigh. Pulling his chair back up to the table, he slapped his hands on the wood and gave one more sigh before giving in.


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot,¡± He declared. This prompted raised eyebrows from the two other men though they neither denied nor approved the accusation. ¡°My boys have been there from the beginning. I talked with them till near nighttime alone and they told me, time and time again, going after the goat woman was a bad idea. Jeff was more adamant than Andrew and it¡¯s more apparent now that his situation was closer to Eli¡¯s than I would have thought.


    Still, they¡¯re good lads and I pushed aside their advice for the sake of national unity. But if there had ever been a time where I should have been thinking as a father instead of a president, it would have been then. Damn me.


    Bah! When you¡¯ve broken an egg, musing on how to fix it does no good. We must face where we are, not where we could have been. I want a missive to the queen Verness, done under the highest levels of secrecy, informing her of the situation and our willingness to share his bounty in exchange for the services of a healing scion.¡±


    The other two men balked at the statement.


    ¡°Including his true status?¡± Marvin asked nervously, running a hand over his slightly greying hair. A quick look passed between them, as those thorny thoughts came back.


    Johnson strummed his fingers for a moment, tired of the constant revelations. That bit of news was a nasty piece of work when the initial shock wore off. Sure, curiosity about what the familiar looked was an idle thought to the few in power who had access to such secrets. But those with magic had a much more perturbing view.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    How quickly someone moved from crafter to caster, then on to scion if the fates were kind, varied a lot from individual to individual. Based on magical resource intake and the person''s innate talent for developing the mana pathways to expand their use of magic, it could take a lot longer or shorter based on such factors. Eli¡¯s trajectory, however, was more like leaping up a cliff as opposed to taking the trail along the side.


    The mundane had no sense for such things and those without magic who knew the secret were content to have another impossibility added to the pile of the obscene that was Eli. Magically gifted men and women, however, knew enough about magical growth through years of personal experience and observance to get a general sense of what was¡­ an acceptable trajectory of power for moving from crafter to caster, then to scion. Eli¡¯s trajectory was anything but acceptable and this piece of knowledge threw off his whole story. Getting to scion status was¡­ possible under the most generous interpretation of his circumstances, but getting there and materializing the familiar? That took a lot more than one or even five trolls could give, even if consumed down to the last bit of gristle.


    It was like finding a chest full of gold and going on to buy a small kingdom. The gift of fortune was great, but not great enough to purchase such extravagance. Never enough. Eli¡¯s story about eating a troll and becoming a caster was in tatters but the few people with the knowledge to poke holes in it had to keep their mouths shut until the fact became public knowledge.


    Johnson sighed again before shaking his head.


    ¡°No. We shouldn¡¯t give up our cards so¡­freely. If negotiations go badly, we¡¯ll pull them in with that bait. They¡¯re desperate now that they¡¯ve lost the sea battle to the Mist pirates and we need to use that if we¡¯re going to have any kind of leverage in these negotiations. Perhaps they will render us some aid with the invaders during the exchange.¡± Johnson finished with a pointed nod to Alton.


    The portly man nodded, swaying his bowl cut of brown hair before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.


    ¡°I think we can work out a deal as far as economic exchanges go. The typical food and leather shipments to the Rodring kingdom have been held up in this scuffle for Eli. I¡¯ll have far more leverage than I would have otherwise. But¡­Um. What about the military? What will they have to say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing good.¡± Marvin cut in with both his arms also crossed. ¡°Giving up Eli to them, in any capacity, will be throwing away our rightful future.¡±


    Johnson huffed as he leaned forward.


    ¡°That future is gone. All the healing scions are on the Central Continent and we need one more than air or sunlight right now. Like it or not, it¡¯s our and Rodring¡¯s future now.¡±


    They argued back and forth for what felt like hours. Marvin insisted that the kidnapping of one such scion was the preferred method, a plan provided by Mclain. But Johnson knew better. Their spy''s resources weren¡¯t there, and it would take months to embed any assets into that house of healers. Moving too slowly would mean Eli¡¯s¡­ condition would be exposed. Right now, they had a good bargaining posture and kidnapping attempts on healers would lead to certain questions.


    Things were as good as they were going to get and hashing out a deal with the Rodring kingdom right now would mean they wouldn¡¯t be left with scraps at the negotiating table. If their ever-strained trading partner figured out Eli was essentially useless to the Coalition now, Johnson was skeptical his nation would even be granted every fifth or sixth mating.


    It continued on and on for several hours until night fell. The argument continued into the next day. The three heads of government devoted all their time and resources to figuring out what to do about the mess they found themselves in while keeping the truth of their circumstance in as few ears as possible.


    The argument looked like it was going to continue into the next day before fate decided now was the time to drop the hammer.


    Johnson was walking into the U-shaped headquarters of the Coalition, coming out of a carriage that he had taken to a local restaurant when a mighty wind sent his black jacket, pants, and slightly blue shirt into a twirl. As it did for the guards and the few messenger boys passing by over the stone road.


    ¡°Johnson!¡± A voice called over the wind. It carried with a force like a tornado as bits of dirt and hats flew upward with the gale. ¡°We have business.¡±


    It was then that Johnson realized it was female in tone.


    Rushing inside, he went through the tall wooden double doors as guards moved about. The sand-colored walls and flowing carpet with a river and scenes of animals were the same as always. What was different and what drew his eyes, was the far windows that drew a curious crowd to them. They were the size of doors and had replaced the open floor plan the building had weeks prior. A vision of grass blotted out the sky they usually held.


    Johnson¡¯s eyes struggled to understand what had churned up the lawn when he noticed flecks of white. A moment later he saw the telltale rise and fall of breathing along the span of what he now knew to be ribs. Turning to his left and right, he saw the length of the thing stretched on in both directions for as far as he could see. When a detachment of guards came up behind him to drag him to safety, the voice went out again.


    ¡°Johnson! Ignoring a guest like this is rather rude.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± A reedy voice intoned behind him.


    Johnson felt a sense of dread when he turned around. Sure enough, there was the ambassador from the Rodring kingdom. He was a tall, thin man with a bald cap and flowing grey hair. His long nose sat perched between two brown eyes shining in triumph. The purple coat, pants, and gold embroidered white shirt showed the official colors of his nation and its wealth.


    ¡°What game of intimidation is this?¡± Johnson demanded.


    ¡°None!¡± The ambassador said with hands meekly raised, ¡°Merely a mutual co-signer coming for a tribunal session with the Coalition, the City, the Bodding kingdom, and my great people.¡±


    Johnson paled but a light thud beyond the windows drew his gaze as more guards arrived. The mass of what was now obviously fur moved back to reveal a dragon, though its long whiskers and lack of wings undid some of the association as it sniffed around some bushes to the right with wide, red eyes. What was more intriguing was its apparent master who now stood in front of the glass. She was a taller woman with near-white hair and a sharp nose. Her green and amber flecked eyes took in everyone like they were insects that had drawn her into a moment of curiosity. Though the long spear strapped across her white scale armors back left no doubt to her combat ability. It was a long piece of silvery metal with fine leather straps laced with green and gold. The craftsmanship continued with her armor, which had a fine mesh of white scales and looked like proper leather armor on the top and flowed out into loose pants below.


    There was a flash of water as the wood frame around the window in front of her creaked ominously before falling to the ground. It was thick and instead of smashing everywhere; it only sent a few long cracks through the glass. She was a fair beauty, but there was an undercurrent of danger in her movements as the cracks creaked ominously with each step of her fine white boots over them. From the folds of her armors torso, she pulled out a piece of paper as she came closer.


    ¡°I am Lola,¡± She proclaimed with a slight smile that pulled along her smooth cheekbones. ¡°I bring a proclamation of judgment in the matter of Eli the quad mage. A meeting of powers will convene to discuss the circumstances around his position and the men Andrew and Jeff.¡±


    Johnson¡¯s throat went dry. These proclamations were little more than executions orders. Typically used on criminals that managed to draw attention from the law of multiple countries, it was as good as delivering his children¡¯s heads on a platter.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Johnson demanded with a reddening face.


    Lola sniffed dismissively as she looked around the wide building.


    ¡°The future of my husband has been tampered with by barn animals and incompetent bureaucrats. As the exemplar of magic, at least for women everywhere, I have finally found a man whose seed is worth bearing, and the mess this backwoods hovel of a nation made of him has¡­ frustrated me so.¡±


    The dragon in the background gave a low growl of agreement that shook the very bones of all who heard it.


    ¡®Exemplar of magic?¡¯ Johnson thought to himself, wracking his brain for where that faintly remembered phrase came from.


    When his mind finally remembered where he heard it from, Johnson went a little pale.


    Lola had to be the legendary mage of repute from the City. She was said to have three elements, though such an impossibility often only led to his dismissal of the rumors surrounding her. Now that she was here, he quickly went over the other whispers he heard from diplomats at various functions. Never hurt in battle, top marks in all her classes, and people swarmed over her for just a scrap of her attention with never a bad word said but by the most bitter and jealous women. Two of which were the ugly queen Verness and the fairy queen who was a close friend to the Rodring queen, though the name of her escaped him.


    ¡°What concern are my boys in this mess?¡± Johnson demanded.


    Lola let out a breath, but it was the Rodring ambassador who spoke up as he moved to stand beside her.


    ¡°They were heavily involved with the quad mage from the very beginning, and we have word that Jeff has been quite an influence on the quad mage¡¯s siring habits. It was felt that looking at both brothers would produce the most complete picture for the three most powerful nations of the world.¡± He finished with a smug smile.


    The pieces all fell into place for Johnson then.


    With their defeat at sea, the Rodring kingdom knew they were going to be cut off from the wonder of the age. So, they decided to split him with the City and Bodding kingdom. Dragging Jeff and Andrew into this just provided a little bit of personal intimidation.


    The president drew himself to full height and did a gracious nod to Lola.


    ¡°We will have many aspects of this to discuss. Not the least of which will be how to transport him.¡±


    They both raised an eyebrow at that, but Lola was quicker with her question.


    ¡°Why is his transport such a concern?¡± She demanded with a hint of irritation.


    Johnson puckered his lips and did a casual turn of his head up to the ceiling before turning back to them.


    ¡°It appears the human mind may not be meant to hold all four base elements and the dual elements. He went quite mad and slaughtered an entire association along with a large contingent of Central Enforcement members and troops. He¡¯s being held in an artificial mana dead zone for now but getting a carriage of moving a mage prisoner will take a good while. Unless you think to move him with just the two of you.¡±


    ¡°An entire association?¡± The ambassador asked breathlessly as his wrinkly skin went even paler.


    Lola, on the other hand, seemed more peeved than anything. It was a long moment as the three stood there with an ever-growing crowd of spectators. Finally, Lola irritably huffed before nodding.


    ¡°Fine. But know this, when he arrives, I will be the first to receive him.¡± She said with her green and amber flecked eyes casting around the room to look menacingly at any woman present.


    Johnson nodded before pointing towards a conference room to work out the details of the arrangement. As the shaken ambassador and the curious warrior from so far away shuffled into the room, Johnson steeled himself to do whatever he had to do to protect his sons.

 Chapter 103: Mutual Need

    Andrew was pacing back and forth over the wood floor of his home¡¯s living room. The redhead had blue pants and a grey shirt that his shoulder-length hair touched, clothes that were quickly put on with no concern for their wrinkles as he rubbed his strong cheekbones with his right hand as he contemplated the mess he was in. It had been a day since he had gotten the missive informing him of the judgment on his and his brother¡¯s actions concerning Eli.


    ¡®Because what else could possibly be going on in the universe aside from what Eli ate and shat out for breakfast.¡¯ He thought bitterly.


    Andrew stopped himself dead as he took a deep breath, scolding himself for letting that thing he would never call jealousy get ahead of him. The early morning sun was obstructed by the walls, but it still had some reflection through the windows on the left side of the house. After a few minutes, Jeff came back from his trip to the outhouse. His black hair was barely kempt as his ever-present scowl pulled on his slight chin. He was wearing the typical blue and white striped robes of the academy students which fluttered as he went to sit at the table directly in the right corner of the house.


    ¡°Still thinking on that?¡± Jeff asked as he leaned back in the chair.


    ¡°What?¡± Andrew asked with a bit lip and raised eyebrow as he approached the table ¡°You mean the lack of toast on our breakfast plates this morning? Or perhaps the bite of cold we all woke up to this morning? No¡­ Maybe it¡¯s the FUCKING death warrant three entire nations put on our heads.¡±


    Andrew finished with an unceremonious slump into his chair on the right of Jeff.


    A simple grumble and nod was all Jeff said at first before putting a thoughtful hand to his mouth and leaning forward and speaking in a calm tone.


    ¡°It was a proclamation of judgment, the trial may yet-¡°


    ¡°Oh, spare me your endless optimism!¡± Andrew half yelled with an upward throw of his hands. He had some sweat running down his forehead and his ocean eyes were a bit wider than normal. ¡°I thought I was the one whose head did all its thinking between women¡¯s legs. We both know damn well the trial is a formality at this point.¡±


    Jeff leaned back and nodded as he proceeded to stare at the wood ceiling. After a few more minutes of silent wrestling with their assured doom, Jeff finally spoke up again with a turn to his brother.


    ¡°Eli. He said he had certain¡­ musings on what to do. Want to see if he has come up with anything?¡±


    Andrew pulled back and contemplated for a moment before sighing and getting up. He felt the small tendril of spirit magic from his fire ape familiar as he nodded to Jeff.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see what he has to get us out of the mess he put us in.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully it will involve blowing up the capital,¡± Jeff mused as he got up, drawing a raised eyebrow from Andrew but nothing more.


    They both quickly moved out the front door and onto the snowy grounds illuminated by the sun shining over a clear blue sky. Veronica¡¯s nautical-themed home was to their right but straight ahead was Ryan¡¯s more rugged and square home with big grey stone blocks, thick wooden beams, and grey roof tiles. Ever present and vigilant, the two guards who were now permanently stationed in front of Jeff and Andrews''s house also had two companions in front of the cave-like entrance to Eli¡¯s illustrious prison.


    On the way over, Gretton the fire ape landed on Andrews''s left shoulder from atop Eli¡¯s house. Their relationship now mended after the familiar explained everything in detail, the two now moved like a duo of power. As they always should. Nodding to the two steel-clad men, they went through the front door and promptly closed it behind them. Looking around at the dark stone wall, Jeff called their hosts name.


    ¡°Eli! My brother and I need to talk with you.¡±


    ¡°The same place as before,¡± Eli called back from somewhere atop the stairs.


    Jeff and Andrew started trudging up the staircase in front of them. Jeff came up first and immediately turned right, followed by Andrew. Eli was wearing a white shirt and brown pants while sitting at a desk with papers and books strewn about. The plain wood room had two small wooden chairs off on each side. Jeff pulled the one on the left as Andrew got the one on the right. As they moved to sit down in front of his desk, Andrew got the stinging feeling of being in Tansen¡¯s office again. The sun shined out of the window on the left and onto the papers as Eli stayed just behind the shaft of light, at least what light could peek through the stone beams slapped across it.


    ¡°Andrew and I are in a bad spot,¡± Jeff said mildly.


    ¡°I heard something between the guards and the maid who brought me my breakfast. Some kind of international trial.¡±


    Andrew snorted as Gretton sat on his left shoulder and looked around the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a true trial when the outcome has already been determined, as I¡¯m sure you well know,¡± Eli got a small smile above his strong jaw and nodded, but said nothing before Andrew continued, ¡°When these kinds of judgements take place, the evidence is already beyond dispute. Heads of countries don¡¯t take time out of their busy schedules to not have a show at the end. Our crime is influencing you away from your proper course of breeding. So, thank you, Captain Dickless, for that.¡±


    Eli burst out laughing at that with a full-bellied guffaw as he clutched his gut, making the two brothers raise their eyebrows at the sudden outburst. After a few seconds, Eli calmed down and wiped his eye.


    ¡°Sorry. Comedy is often a matter of context,¡±


    They were still just as confused but Eli pushed on as he leaned forward and adopted a more serious demeanor before he began questioning the brothers.


    ¡°That seems a bit harsh, going after the president''s sons based on hearsay and whispers,¡± Eli said with his elbows resting on the desk.


    ¡°More likely it¡¯s because dad is the president that they¡¯re going after us,¡± Jeff said with a tired sigh, ¡°Personal intimidation and all that.¡±


    Eli nodded as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he leaned back.


    ¡°I heard the trial is a week from now, where will they hold it? The academy is the only place prestigious enough for such a high-class hanging.¡±


    The brothers shook their heads before Andrew answered.


    ¡°Nah, they¡¯re moving us all towards the Hub for the trial. It¡¯s probably taking a week because they need to get proper security to move you.¡±


    Eli got a look of mild surprise as he raised his two silver eyebrows and his purple eyes slightly widened. He then turned to the right to stare out the window. The turning of gears in his mind was practically visible as he strummed his fingers on the armrest and leaned back.


    What was a note growing concern to the two brothers was the expanding smile on the quad mage''s face as his mind continued working for several minutes. It started as a barely noticeable smirk but when some piece of Eli¡¯s puzzle fell into place, it quickly grew until it split his face with a full baring of his teeth, like a wolf. Though that comparison applied equally to his eyes as they seemed to light up.


    ¡°Ah¡­Now that¡¯s a neat trick.¡± He finally declared with a turn to the two brothers.


    Andrew felt a change in the room and the quad mage. Eli donned a wicked grin as the sunlight fell in front of him and, for perhaps the first time, Andrew felt an acute sense of danger emanating from him.


    ¡°Gentlemen, I will be honest with you. My patience with these games has reached its end and I am looking to expedite my removal from these lands. Something I¡¯d hazard to say you desire as well. It appears we have reached a point of great mutual need; wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Eli said as he leaned back and reduced his smile to a light grin as he rested his hands on his stomach.


    The two brothers looked between each other and exchanged looks. It was quicker than a spirit connection to decide who should take over and they both knew too little about Eli to say anything of substance. Jeff, being slightly closer to Eli during his early days, took the lead as he leaned back and tried to adopt a more casual demeanor.


    ¡°Indeed. And it appears you have a solution to our problems.¡± Jeff said in a calm tone.


    ¡°I do. Though, it depends how¡­tolerant the current circumstance has made you for it.¡± Eli replied, every word being carefully measured.


    There was another round of looks between the two brothers. Tolerant was the word, desperate was the meaning. And Andrew was desperate. Dying as a valiant mage on the battlefield was an acceptable end. Being hanged in front of a crowd like a criminal was not befitting the station of a mage. Much less a scion. Jeff was seething with bloodlust even at his calmest moments now and there wasn¡¯t much he wouldn¡¯t tolerate in the name of his revenge.


    Even so, they both had a good idea of where this was going.


    ¡°Eli¡­¡± Jeff hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and going through with the plunge, ¡°The rumors surrounding you. How true are they?¡±


    Eli looked between the two men for a moment. Then he leaned forward and meshed his hands together as he rested them on the desk.


    ¡°I have never lusted after a child, nor have I ever visited any perversions on them.¡±


    Jeff seemed to steel himself for a blow before speaking while Andrew sat still in rapt attention.


    ¡°And the rest? With the orcs?¡±


    ¡°Quite true, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Eli said with a small nod and no hint of shame or regret, ¡°Admittedly, I only did it after the trial. But I doubt there¡¯s much difference in your eyes. I have laid with one orc and there is another I will certainly be with in the future. That later one I will be getting with child, consequences to the mental wellbeing of those in charge be damned. Besides that, I aided the orcs in other endeavors, often to the detriment of this nation. Oh, I¡¯ve certainly done my best to live up to the reputation that was thrust upon me.¡±


    There was not a single breath being taken nor a bit of movement by the brothers for several seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity.


    ¡°Is that your solution?¡± Andrew asked evenly when the power of speech finally returned to him as his stomach was doing flips, ¡°Drown the Coalition in quad scion orcs?¡±


    ¡°Pff!,¡± Eli huffed dismissively before getting a nasty grin, ¡°Orc babies aren¡¯t formed and popped out in a day. No, my solution is far more permanent.¡±


    Jeff leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees as he took in the quad mage''s features with intense alacrity. After another moment, Jeff sighed and asked another question with a note of finality.


    ¡°What are you proposing, then? More importantly, what would it mean for us?¡±


    ¡°I will answer the latter as the how of the first is quite¡­ involved. In the short term, almost guaranteed safety is what I can offer. In the long term?¡± Eli drew back into his chair and now seemed properly hesitant, only making the coming blow fiercer. ¡°If we succeed we will have safety, of course¡­ and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, will die. Either in social upheaval or direct conflict. But things will get better.


    For everyone.


    Eventually.


    If we fail, no one will be named Eli, Andrew, or Jeff after our generation. We will be unspeakable horrors of a past age where the world was almost plunged into darkness and terror. Our visage will haunt the children of ages to come as their parents tell them of us and the more superstitious will consider even the utterance of our names to be portents of misfortune.¡±


    Andrew and Jeff both paled at that and drew back without meaning to.


    ¡°And what craft or spell could merit such a reputation?¡± Andrew asked with a dry throat.


    Eli puckered his lips and bobbed his head back and forth in thought for a second before he finally answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like the supplanting of magic than the use of it.¡±


    That only made their eyebrows rise as they struggled to understand the simple statement.


    ¡°Supplant magic?¡± Jeff asked incredulously, ¡°With what exactly?¡±


    ¡°A power that takes time, energy, and a lot of work, but once it gets going,¡± Eli did a light whistle before continuing, ¡°The stars themselves will be ours. This power is from my people and it is called science. It employs the secret powers found in magicless items like steel, copper, and lightning. But it requires goods, time, and people. This path we will tread will take us far from here. It is considered organizational best practice not to give people more information than they need to know. So, I cannot divulge the location yet.


    I will not give you any delusions of grandeur or grandiose praise from the mage world or the average citizenry. We will be working with Orcs, Keltons, and the Frojan. All that I have done will become common knowledge when we reveal our presence to the world. The human race will look at us in horror and fury for the betrayal of our kind. They will attack us with all their might and power to prevent what will, by their understanding of things, be the end of the world. I intend to be in a position to handle that attention when it comes but I cannot guarantee absolute safety for years or even decades when our conflict properly starts.


    Now that I have laid my intentions bare, what say you, to my bargain?¡±


    Andrew sat there speechless as he tried to process what his mind was telling him was gibberish until he finally found some words.


    ¡°Do you¡­ this is going to get a lot of people killed, Eli. Are you really ok with that? Being such a horrid monster?¡±


    Eli sat still for a moment before his face molded into an indifferent frown.


    ¡°Is it any more monstrous than ripping away someone¡¯s loved ones because it serves your political interests? I could justify my actions by saying millions more will be better off in the future. In just two or three generations the benefits of this change would be enough to justify all but the total elimination of the human populace.


    But in the interests of transparency, that¡¯s not really the reason. The harsh truth is that I just don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve been put in a position where I have to choose between those I consider my family and the well-being of the world. And honestly? Fuck this world, fuck the people running it, and may god damn every last person who spits on their ¡®lessers¡¯ to hell,¡± He said with a shrug, quite unmoved at the tragedy of it all. That seemed to only excite Jeff.


    ¡°You have my support. If you will allow me revenge on the system and people who degraded and killed my Annie.¡± Jeff declared with a flare of his nose and widening of his oceanic eyes even as he sat perfectly still.


    Eli got a small smile and casually leaned back with a nod.


    ¡°I can promise you the congressman¡¯s head. As for the rest¡­¡± Eli strummed his fingers on the arm of his chair for a second before speaking again. ¡°This is, to be blunt, going to be a campaign of cultural genocide. There are probably prettier ways of saying it, but that¡¯s the most honest description. I will kill whoever needs killing to make my vision for this world come to fruition. But if they yield, and I feel we are in a position where they won¡¯t present any problems in the future, I won¡¯t let you kill them. The fatty, though, I can promise. Perhaps you¡¯ll even do the deed yourself.¡±


    Jeff nodded with a cruel smile as he leaned back in his chair and turned to his brother.


    Andrew felt sweat run down the back of his neck as the two men looked at him.


    ¡°What about you Andrew?¡± Eli asked innocently, ¡°Gretton is a key piece I need and one more accomplice is always welcome.¡±


    All that gibberish about the science thing sounded like a drunk man¡¯s slurred thoughts spoken with a sober tongue. All things considered; the fire scion was inclined to think no good end could come of indulging this delusion. Feeling like he was trapped amongst lunatics, Andrew only sat there as he contemplated escaping this asylum.


    ¡®Running out of here and to¡­ where, exactly?¡¯ Andrew thought bitterly to himself.


    After a long moment, the fire scion decided that being the living horror of a mad man¡¯s ravings was better than being a dead martyr.


    ¡°Fine. You¡¯re both half-mad. But my neck isn¡¯t meant for the gallows and you¡¯re the only handhold I have to pull myself out of this hole. Besides, I¡¯ve gotten quite tired of the scenery here. A change of landscape would do me some good.¡±


    Eli nodded with a satisfied smile, giving a light twirl of his silver hair as he relaxed into his chair.


    ¡°Excellent. Now. Let us begin.¡± He said with a happy note in his voice as he leaned over and pulled the curtain over the window down.


    Andrew had experienced many things in his near twenty years of life. He had fought the ravenous beasts of the elves'' clay and seen the wonders of the central continent at a young age. The wonders of the female form he had conquered long ago and was quite certain in his understanding of the world. All of that certainty blew apart as a cascade of mana poured out of Eli in a white cloud.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Mana was typically a light blue, but the fluttering and movements of those small silver specks as they came out of his skin and back into it in an arc immediately identified them to anyone with any amount of magical ability. When Eli took out a wooden plank the size of an arm and started sucking in that mana to use a plant spell to reshape it, Jeff finally sputtered out a word.


    ¡°U-Ultimate!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a nice little trick that¡¯s let me use wind tunnels to keep updated on current happenings.¡± Eli said casually as the plank started shrinking and contorting ¡°Gretton. Come here, I need to make sure I have precise measurements.¡±


    Andrew had a bitter moment as he looked to his familiar, thinking that this was another secret, another wound in their freshly recovered relationship. Fortunately, in Andrew¡¯s eyes anyway, Gretton was as shocked as the brothers. Its wine-red fur pulled with its open jaw and was nearly as wide as its green eyes. It was a long moment before it shook its head, leaving a small cloud of red mana behind from its forehead¡¯s orange stripes in the process before the fire ape leaped from Andrew''s left shoulder and landed amongst the papers and books with a thump.


    As Eli molded the board around the familiars back, he continued talking with the two brothers.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving Gretton a mental roadmap to where my people are. Using air boosted crafts, he should get there in half a day or less. Far faster than any of us even if we could leave. There should be a few frojan there as well as a few others who can provide the muscle we need.


    While he¡¯s working on mastering this craft, let¡¯s work on making two bags of holdings to move our goods without being detected.¡±


    ¡°What goods?¡± Jeff asked numbly as he sat still like a deer paralyzed by fear.


    ¡°Crafts. We¡¯ll deliver them to a pre-selected destination later tomorrow tonight, which should be enough time for them to get there.¡± Eli said idly as he worked the board onto Gretton¡¯s back. Eventually, it fit like a second skin and Eli was clearly having a spirit connection conversation with the fire ape. Andrew was trying to do the same with Jeff, but neither brother could think of anything to say. It was like being sucked into a dream where the object presented led you to where you were going and you numbly followed along, waiting for that moment where the morning light finally pulled you back to reality.


    That moment never came.


    It didn¡¯t come when Gretton zipped down the hallway like a bird nor did it come when Eli retrieved some spare bags from the kitchen, and he used that mana generation to fuel the inner expansion of the two wide leather sacks. All Andrews''s ocean eyes could take in was the faint trickles of mana that leaked out of Eli¡¯s skin before forming into the wider cloud that hung around him as he worked behind the desk.


    Eli spent a good half an hour going over various measurement techniques involving string with Gretton while the two brothers sat there with numb expressions. Eventually, their time together came to an end. The ultimate mage had some half-heard farewells spoken, but Andrew barely registered it even as the three walked out the door with the piece of wood armor and one of the bags tucked under Jeff¡¯s robes.


    Walking past the two guards and through their front door, Andrew sprinted past the kitchen counter on the right towards one of the cabinets near the sink near the window. Pulling out a bottle, he quickly started drinking the lukewarm rum. Jeff was leaning back against the wall to the right of the door with his hands moving to his face after putting the bag on the table to the left. The only recovered member was Gretton, who tried on the booster again. As the fire ape zipped around the room, Andrew started up a spirit connection to Jeff.


    ¡®What are we going to do?¡¯ Andrew demanded.


    Jeff took in a deep breath as he put his hands down and looked up at the ceiling. The wood wall he leaned on provided no comfort for him, though.


    ¡®We have no choice,¡¯ Jeff said with a hard tone.


    ¡®Ultimate orcs! That¡­ do orcs take on their sire''s mana generating abilities?¡¯ Andrew asked with wide eyes as he took another hard swig of the stinging liquor. Jeff bit his lip for a moment before moving to the counter with a determined look on his face.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Jeff rebuffed with a swing of his head that moved his short black hair, rough from days of neglect.


    Andrew sputtered for a moment, but Jeff gave him no quarter.


    ¡®We¡¯re already being blamed for his lack of sex. If this gets out, do you think they¡¯ll just let us walk away unscathed?¡¯


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ Andrew refuted with growing disbelief that they were even having this conversation. ¡®If we are the ones who turn him in, they won¡¯t punish us.¡¯


    Jeff puckered his lips and shook his head.


    ¡®Tell me, what methods are there for detecting an ultimate mage?¡¯ Jeff asked calmly.


    Andrew struggled with no sound or answer coming. They both knew Jeff was the more learned of the two, and if Jeff didn¡¯t know of any such method, there was no way Andrew would. Jeff had looked up the subject for a small stint and there were less than three books available on any subjects of anything to do with ultimate mages.


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean the Central Continent won¡¯t have a method. Damn it all, Jeff! We are talking about a flood of scion ultimate orcs. We would at least have the saving grace of them running out of mana before, but if they could put out their own clouds of mana¡­ This is it! This is the end of everything! Of fucking humanity!¡¯


    Jeff pulled back with a shake of his head as he gave a tired sigh.


    ¡®All right, let¡¯s say we tell Tansen and¡­the fat piece of shit. Do you think they will believe us?¡¯


    Andrew took a deep breath as he started following Jeff¡¯s logic and his younger brother lead him down the twisted maze of possibilities.


    ¡®If they did believe us, what then? Eli has had days to prepare that house for every contingency and he has his wind tunnels gathering information all over the place. What, exactly, are we going to do if they poke the troll and he decides to flatten this whole town?¡¯


    Beads of sweat started falling down Andrews''s face. Eli, by all accounts, hadn¡¯t used mana generation during the massacre. If he had¡­ Andrew shuddered as Jeff continued talking.


    ¡®But, more likely than not, they won¡¯t. Things will keep going as they have been and when Eli escapes, and he will escape because there is no containing him, guess who will be blamed? Everyone thinks we¡¯re the best of friends. Do you think they will believe for a second that we didn¡¯t know? No, Eli told us that secret because he is desperate for help with whatever his plan is AND he knows there isn¡¯t a damn thing we could do if we did turn on him.¡¯


    ¡®As opposed to the great plan of going off to slay magic itself?¡¯ Andrew shot back with a wave of his hand, ¡®Magic is¡­ it¡¯s been around since¡­ the sun. Life itself is subject to its dictates from the first to the last. To have a world without it is so beyond all sense and reality. We will be throwing away our futures for the stuff of bitter peasants'' dreams.¡¯


    Jeff faltered at that as he looked down before he turned back up with fresh resolve.


    ¡®We are bound to him, more closely than any bond of love or blood. That plan for a new future involves magic being inconsequential, not destroyed. Whatever lays beyond his vision, one of those things involves the congressman laying in a pool of his own blood, which is enough for me. If there is even the slightest possibility that his ravings could lead to a society where Annie and I could have been together and I get my revenge along the way, I will throw myself into it, heart, blood, and soul.¡¯


    Andrew looked down and laid his head on the counter. After a few seconds, he signaled Gretton to go through with the plan. Grabbing the bag filled with string and measuring sticks and sticking his wooden armor piece in it, the fire ape bound out the back towards freedom. Jeff was confined inside the scion section but Andrew and his familiar were still free to roam. Something Andrew intended to use.


    ¡®Fine, let¡¯s see if Eli can guide us through these waters or sink us all.¡¯ Andrew declared as he tossed his empty bottle along the counter. Not waiting for any more words from Jeff, the red-headed scion left his house and went out into the cold late-day towards the town. While the roads were as packed as ever, Andrew had only one type of establishment in mind. The first inn he saw, he immediately went in.


    Andrew was not so foolish that he would possibly let something slip in a drunken haze, but he intended to relieve himself of his stress by other means. Before he even sat down, he found himself being led up the stairs on the right side of the smoky room with a bar on the left. The two women were average barmaids who were typically found swooning at passing mage men and knew his appearance well. Lead into a room, he found his stress relief swiftly and without fuss.


    Waking up in a soft bed surrounded by three women, the third being a chubbier woman on top of him, Andrew took in the morning ray of sunlight to his left. The older woman¡¯s brown hair was strewn over his body and rustled with his movement. She looked up with hooded brown eyes and seeing her now, he determined she may have been an older barmaid or the inn keeper''s wife, though their passing dalliance was of no importance to Andrew.


    Getting out of bed, he quickly clothed himself and headed back towards his home. When he finished walking the main street and came through the main entrance to the academy, he immediately got a spiritual connection from Gretton. It told of him visiting a big ship with a balloon above it in the Rumble. It was hard to follow as the excited fire ape leaped over the scion section''s wall and sprinted towards him. Landing on his right shoulder with little regard as to how much he had grown over the past weeks, Gretton finished up his exciting rendition of events with an explanation of the frojan being in a camp further southward¡­ watched over by dwarves.


    A  dull ache was forming in the back of Andrews''s head, pushing away the peace of last night¡¯s activity, as he tried to wrangle with the mess of interests following Eli around.


    As he came through the black bars of the gate, Gretton mentally pushed him towards Eli¡¯s house. Walking over the snowy grounds, he came up to the cave-like entrance and through the door. Gretton quickly leaped off his shoulder and up the stairs, with Andrew following behind. When he looked to his right, he saw Eli working on several leather straps along small barrels of wood.


    ¡°Ah! Andrew. Good, good.¡± Eli called good-naturedly. ¡°Bad news I¡¯m afraid. Cell wasn¡¯t able to make the crafts because the Frojan weren¡¯t allowed on the dwarf¡¯s lands and I¡¯m not going to take the risk of having him leave. Some higher ups among the dwarf¡¯s throwing a fuss. It will mean more work on my end, but Jeff has been most helpful in that share of the work.¡±


    Jeff¡¯s head popped out briefly with a nod before turning back to whatever he was working on. Walking forward, Andrew walked through the door frame and saw a small table to the right, and on it sat an odd shape of wood. It was a long slab of wood with a soft, concave impression on the left and a thick nose-like end with a hole complete with a wide slab of wood bellow the ridge.


    ¡°A mockup of a special weapon from my people,¡± Eli said proudly. He moved closer to it and put the concave part against his right shoulder then looked down the end of it. As he was pointing the nose end towards the wall using a pole at the bottom, Andrew noticed for the first time the bags under Eli¡¯s eyes. ¡°We have a few more crafts tucked away under the kitchen stove. More importantly, we have an issue of getting them there.¡±


    Jeff stopped looking at the leg piece he was putting air enchantments in and turned to his brother. Andrew felt a bit of unease at the situation but held firm as Eli continued speaking.


    ¡°Gretton is going to look over the roads leading from here to the hub to scout out a good ambush point. For my plan to work, we need to deliver the crafts to a troll¡¯s nest north of here.¡±


    Andrew grew quite annoyed with himself. He had been so busy focusing on¡­ everything, that he forgot to ask about the whole plan of Eli¡¯s. Though he figured that would have been a wasted question since needlessly telling others was ¡®bad organizational practice¡¯. He tried prying it out of Gretton, but there were a lot of images that made no sense to him, so he just consigned himself to ignorance.


    That didn¡¯t mean; however, that he was ignorant of what request was coming.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m the only one who can leave our houses,¡± Andrew grumbled.


    The two gave respectful nods but remained silent. With a defeated sigh, Andrew nodded with a swish of his red hair. Time flowed quickly after that. Between bathing, meals, practice with the air boosters, and helping with the crafts, though he maintained some misgivings on the lack of dual elements in them aside from healing functions, the night quickly approached. Andrew was dressed in a dark grey shirt and black pants while Gretton had left some hours earlier. He spent some time among the bars and inn¡¯s still open before night came amongst the many wobbling drinkers whose coin kept the late hour establishments open, though the proper falling of night rendered even those places empty.


    Walking along the left side of the river, the starlight was bright enough that Andrew wouldn¡¯t have to use the mana lamp Eli provided. When he got to the end of civilization marked by the sluice gate by the river, Andrew looked out over the river. The center was the brownish color of sewage and the smell did more than enough to prove it, but the edges near the gate were clear. Grateful for that small mercy, Andrew trudged along the side with a splash before coming out the other end.


    This end of the river was intentionally left bereft of people so as not to attract the undead and Andrew took a moment as he looked behind to the thick iron bars that separated the wilds from his warm bed. A thought that particularly haunted him as icy breath escaped his lips and he stood in the few inches of snow. Outside the town, it was the cold of a true winter that greeted him as a soft wind ambled over the softly rolling plains.


    Shaking his head, he pressed on, often dodging undead dogs and the occasional shambling human along the way. The air enchantments in the shin guards made the trip so easy that he began pondering on questions of legacy, whether he was okay going down in history as the epitome of evil, and, most curiously, letting another ultimate mage get away.


    Adia and her husband, Daimond, were infamous in his immediate and extended family. That they had both gotten away, one back to the central continent and the other through death in a weird hovel up north, was a wound on his family¡¯s name. Now here he was, helping the third such mage conspire with orcs.


    Was there no end to the shame or madness?


    These thoughts ambled through his mind as he followed the mental map Eli provided. Within a half-hour, the jutting slices of stone in a bark-covered field told him he arrived. He looked around the wide array of stones for a while, noticing odd flecks of firelight occasionally showing along the wide slabs of grey stone. After a few minutes, the hosts came out to greet him. The first was a large green frojan in a blue robe that showed a darker green rolling down his back. His amber eyes took Andrew in as a near dozen other of the frogmen came out, all wearing shirts and robes of various descriptions.


    ¡°¡¯ Ello. You must be the associate that fire monkey told us about.¡± The bigger frojan intoned with what seemed to be a friendly demeanor. When an orc came up behind the muscular frogman, Andrews''s instincts were telling him to run. Her bowl cut of black hair swayed with her movements in her leather armor and, Andrew noted, what was certainly enchanted wood vambraces and shoulder pads. She was a bit shorter than him but tales of horror from his earliest years were making his legs want to sprint all on their own.


    ¡°I come bearing gifts from our savior and great lord,¡± Andrew said casually, determined not to let the situation unnerve him as he stepped forward.


    ¡°Huh,¡± The orc said, her gold irises in those black eyes seemingly amused. The vertical cut along her left eye stretching. ¡°I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be worried about getting shagged by an orc.¡±


    Determined not to be out-calmed, Andrew just scoffed and shook his head.


    ¡°Please, with Eli around there¡¯s no way you¡¯d stop to get my pulp. Besides, I assume you¡¯re the one Eli has already claimed.¡± Andrew said as he reached into his bag and started taking out the shoulder pads, odd long weapons, and guards for various bits. The Frojan started coming forward, looking at the bits of wood with a deep fascination.


    ¡°Oh? Claimed me, has he?¡± She asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Andrew said as he pulled on one of the odd weapons that was stuck in the entrance of the bag, ¡°He said there was one orc he fully intended to get with child in the future. I assume I¡¯m speaking with future Mrs. Quad Scion Ultimate mage?¡±


    Andrew noticed her eyes go a bit wide at that and he could have sworn that she seemed to get a darker shade of green, but between the dim starlight and the approaching frojan, he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°So, these are the vaunted crafts that will change the world,¡± One of the older, blue frojan to the right said as he picked up one of the shoulder plates.


    ¡°Aye,¡± The orc said with a step forward as she took one of the long weapons, ¡°You have no idea how much. Let¡¯s go back to the fire and I¡¯ll show you what power Eli has kept hidden from the world.¡±


    ¡°I kind of doubt that,¡± Andrew said with a raised eyebrow, ¡°I saw them being made and tested. They have plain fire, water, and stone enchantments but no plant, metal, or lightning enchantments on them. Though the backplates have a healing function.¡±


    The frogmen all looked a little disappointed at that, but the orc just huffed as she hefted the weapon over her shoulder.


    ¡°Did you try these out in a live combat situation?¡± She demanded with a smile that had a vague suggestion of smugness.


    Andrew felt a prick of annoyance at her expression but kept it to himself as he composed his retort.


    ¡°No. But I know enough about crafts to say having something a bit more¡­exotic would help before they are all disabled. Unless you lot have a different system of crafting that would make them last a bit longer that I am unaware of.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± The orc said casually, ¡°But Eli does. Come on! I want you all to see this is in the clear firelight so you can¡¯t blame a trick on the eyes.¡± With that, she turned around and sauntered back into the camp. The frojan looked between each other for a moment before picking up the rest of the gear and moving towards the center of the camp.


    As Andrew looked over the retreating, stooped backs of the frogmen moving between the slabs of sharp stone, he struggled on what to do. His inner fear of orcs, and to a lesser extent frojan, had been honed from a lifetime of stories and instructions but curiosity is a mistress more beguiling than others when she presents herself. After a few moments of standing in the snow and staring at the cloud of foggy breath coming out of his mouth, the redhead took the plunge.


    Running forward, he moved between the grey stone with bits of frozen moss in their rough surfaces. A few more steps and he came onto the empty center. It was melted grass with blankets strewn around a large wooden bowl that was putting out a decent flame and bits of cloth canvas tied around some of the stones to make sure the magical firelight didn¡¯t leak out too much to attract passing scouts, though the occasional mangled corpse of the undead off to the side said it wasn¡¯t totally secure.


    Off to the left, the orc had large shields of water around her wooden shoulder pads. While the interweaving of stone in the water was a nice touch, the frojan didn¡¯t look impressed as the bigger green one stood off on the right with his arms crossed.


    ¡°All right, what am I looking at?¡± He asked in that deep base typical of his kind as Andrew walked forward. The fire scion, so used to being the center of attention, now only drew a few sideways glances as he came between the older blue and a younger red frojan a few feet from the duo.


    ¡°The wonder of our age.¡± The orc said, her horizontal cut along her nose ridge that scrunched with her excited smile, something that only emphasized her sharp chin.


    The array of amber and dark green eyes of the frogmen looked at her skeptically.


    She huffed in irritation before speaking again.


    ¡°Hit me with a mist spell or any spell that would disrupt the enchantment.¡± She declared proudly.


    A moment of hesitation swept through the group, but Andrew was too tired to wait for them to decide. He quickly sucked in mana and sent out a ball of heated air that was like a summer''s breeze. It hit her water shield and when it didn¡¯t immediately fail, the frojan and Andrew looked impressed.


    ¡°So, he managed to work in enough mana batteries to keep it from failing on the first hit?¡± One of the frojan asked, sounding impressed.


    ¡°No!,¡± The orc pouted with pursed lips. ¡°Ugh! Let me show you how to handle this,¡±


    She pulled her long weapon down from her left shoulder and used her left arm to hold up the long side of the barrel, several inches away from the flat slab of wood below the barrel. Pointing it downward, a stream of cracks followed the water blades that came out about once every half second.


    ¡°Hit me with a mist spell!¡± She declared.


    This time three balls of mist shot out from the crowd and hit the weapon. To Andrews''s expectations, it stopped working for a second. Then he felt, not for the first time these past few days, that his eyes must be lying to him. The water blades started pouring out far faster than they had been and along the sides, a trickle of water was shooting out both sides.


    ¡°That¡¯s the enchantments for discharging the excess mana.¡± She explained giddily.


    The air was still for a moment before another yellowish frojan spoke up.


    ¡°How did he make such a large mana battery for the enchantment?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t, from what little he told me,¡± She said smugly as the whip-like sound of water blades shooting off died down to the regular pace. ¡°You could hit it with as many spells as you want, and it will keep on working no problems.¡±


    There were some raised eyebrows at that. They may have all been different species, but Andrew and the frojan were bound by their mutual interest to test such an absurd claim. Gula raised both her shoulder pad shields and continued firing into the ground while sending off a hot spray of molten stone from the board below the barrel.


    After a minute of being bombarded with blasts of mist and balls of faint heat, the shields only grew thicker and more pronounced while the weapon now had three streams of water coming off both its sides. Eli would have been proud as a craftsman, for whatever miracle he worked on them held true and not once did the weapons or shields stop working. Mystified and enthralled with these wonders, the frojan turned their frenzied looks on the orc and Andrew.


    ¡°H-How?!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what this means?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?!¡±


    ¡°We needed to get moving, and I would have never gotten you lot moving if I showed you back at the camp.¡±


    The cacophony continued until Andrew yelled over the noise.


    ¡°Which of his elements did he use to do this?¡± He demanded with bared teeth and a rising unease in his gut.


    The orc only shrugged as her water shields gradually shrunk back to a proper shield size.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the elements. Whatever it was he used, he said anyone with magical ability can use it to make these crafts.¡±


    With their interest now fully aroused, the frogmen proceeded to mob the poor woman for any scrap of knowledge about how they worked. Andrew, however, hung back and tried not to throw up. Looking at the pile of crafts and weapons, Andrew could only think of one word now.


    Obsolete.


    He was a scion, but who needed scions anymore? With magical crafts only major weakness removed, even the most lacking caster could make enough weapons to easily overwhelm a scion. In the subtle woodwork of Eli¡¯s crafts, he saw the end of his status among the best of society. There would be no more prestigious ceremonies, plays for his favor, or careful consideration for the power brought to the battlefield by employing a scion.


    In the ashes of those images of refinement, grace, and nobility, rose throngs of barely trained peasants. Who would expend the resources to make or gain the employment of a scion when you could shove these into the hands of dirty, smelly, unkempt laborers to mob the scion whose spells would not disable them. Andrew felt bile rise in his throat as he turned around and left the ecstatic frojan to tinker and wonder over their grand prizes in the firelight. His only consolation being that he would at least be near the head of this change, and thus might retain some of his high status.


    A bitter thought that kept him going as he headed back to the town.

 Chapter 104: Mothers Love

    Veronica was sitting comfortably on her green couch as her right foot tapped idly on the circle of white carpet below her. Looking out to see the mid-day sun through the blue paned windows, she took a moment as the clouds idled through the white sky. The red dragon bag slung over her right shoulder was a source of endless amusement for her, and she often took time when she was free from prying eyes to put her arm in it and wave the other in front of it. Which was a distraction she sorely needed. The past few days had seen her mother running around and seeing to the endless storm of chaos that had taken over her office for what seemed like an eternity now to the young blonde.


    The water scion bit her cheek while she considered doing another attempt at making her tea. A task she had all but given up on, because no matter how long or shortly brewed, few or many leaves she tried, she could not replicate her mother¡¯s deft hand at that craft. Veronica¡¯s heart-shaped face got a look of annoyance, but she made sure to keep her suit like top and lower dress of white and blue proper, lest mother scold her for acting ¡®below¡¯ her station. These thoughts and others ambled through her mind as she waited for the return of her beloved Chattox.


    The first thing through the door, however, was her mother. Wearing her ever-present black dress with a formal top, the older version of Veronica with sharp cheekbones and chin, looked around the room with eager blue eyes until she saw her daughter.


    ¡°Ah, dear. Good. I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    Veronica raised a blonde eyebrow as her blue eyes looked eager. Their relationship had soured ever since Eli had healed her arm. While the mutilated arm had regained a good deal of its former strength, the bond between child and parent was still as raw and bleeding as when it was first wounded.


    ¡°Eli is set to leave the day after tomorrow with Andrew and Jeff. It would mean a lot to me if you could use your connection to him to perhaps talk some sense into him. Or at least try too anyway. We¡¯re at the end of anything we can do to remedy this situation but if even a few words from you could induce any kind of change in him before he is shipped off, that could make all the difference.¡±


    Veronica gave a small flinch in her right eye. Agatha had accused her of being in some sort of covert relationship with Eli, though questions of a romantic or material exchange going on were left unsaid. The water scion fully denied any such accusations, but, sadly, with the amount of secrecy and questions currently flying around the wonder of their age, any possible thread of conspiracy was readily believed.


    Eli was a giant whirlpool sucking everything into the gaping maw that was his glory, and not even scions could seem to pull themselves out of those esteemed waters.


    ¡°Of course, mother,¡± Veronica said with an eager rise from the couch.


    She wasn¡¯t quite sure how to talk with Eli about this, but she felt just sitting down and berating him wasn¡¯t going to work. Running about, she quickly collected a crate of her tea leaves, a special kettle with an opening in the bottom side for the insertion of coals, and her two blue and white striped teacups so that they would have some idle activity to indulge in between the verbal jousting. With a grateful nod from her mother, she headed out to the big house with thick grey stone blocks, thick wooden beams, and grey tile.


    ¡°I need some hot coals and a pale of drinkable water,¡± She said to the guards in front of the cave-like entrance to the house, with the one on the left promptly leaving to fetch the requested items. Veronica then knocked on the thick oak door as she held her goods in her hands as a cold winters wind blew her hair around.


    After a few moments, Eli came through the door wearing his typical white shirt and brown pants. Those purple eyes widened for a moment in surprise.


    ¡°Hello, Veronica. What brings you here?¡± He asked with a twirl of his silver hair as he moved to let her in.


    ¡°I wanted to talk,¡± She said as she crossed the threshold of the cave-like entrance and onto proper grey stone flooring. ¡°My tea hasn¡¯t been up to snuff recently and mother wanted me to talk with you,¡±


    There was a flash of irritation in his eyes at that, but he apparently had some time to spare because he swung his head towards the dining room on the right. Walking up to the fine oak table, she put her load down on its bare surface and pulled out a chair as she moved her cups to the right, the crate to the left, and the kettle to the middle. Eli sat opposite of her and after a few minutes, a large flagon of water accompanied by a metal pot with burning coals was delivered by a pair of maids, who promptly set their deliveries down beside Veronica and left with light bows. As she picked up one of the coals with the provided iron tong, Eli finally spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I should waste my breath asking what it is you¡¯re here to talk about.¡± He idly stated.


    ¡°I think not,¡± Veronica said with a chew on the right side of her lip as she filled the kettle from the flagon, ¡°But that can wait until we make our first batch of tea.¡±


    Eventually, a cloud of steam came out of the kettle and Veronica poured portions of tea in her teacups that had a distinctive wave pattern on their tops. After a few minutes, Eli took one cup and sniffed the hot brew for a moment. As he put it to his lips, Veronica followed his example. She let an involuntary sigh escape her lips, prompting a raised eyebrow from Eli.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t make it taste quite right. It¡¯s missing a certain bitter note. But I didn¡¯t come here to dazzle you with my lack of tea-making skills.¡± Veronica said with a rueful smile.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured there¡¯d be one last attempt to get me to open my legs. A useless endeavor, as I¡¯m sure you well know.¡± Eli rebutted with a small smile.


    Veronica hid the unease she knew would show in her face by drinking her tea with a high raise of her cup. She had never proclaimed to be an expert on the male mind, but she had felt she knew enough. Eli¡¯s aversion to the spread of his seed was odd but she had dismissed it as a passing stubbornness that would briefly linger before her friends Eska and Mia would be discussing baby care tips with her as a godmother to their quad mage children. When that vision of the future shattered, some very fundamental assumptions she had about the opposite gender broke with it and now she approached Eli, preconceptions, and notions gone.


    To say nothing of how vomit-inducing finding out that way had been.


    When she finished her long swig of tea, she put down the cup. Eli had an odd look on his face, something between curiosity and struggling to think of something.


    ¡°On the bottom of the cup,¡± He said as he lifted his towards the ceiling and stared at the black V that was painted on the bottom, ¡°I assume that is your special mark.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we had too many problems keeping track of my orders so everything that has significant value or is shipped in from somewhere else has that mark put on it. Except for my dragon skin bag, not that the paint would stay on anyway.¡±


    He furrowed his silver eyebrows as he turned his head to the left to look over the crate of tea leaves.


    ¡°However, Eli, we have bigger issues than one unpleasant night. Your obligations to humanity-¡°


    ¡°Veronica,¡± Eli said tiredly as he put his right hand up and used the other to pinch the bridge of his nose, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit late for this kind of talk? Now, at this late hour of things, are there any words left to be said that every high-flying member of society hasn¡¯t drowned my ears in?¡±


    Veronica puckered her lips as she struggled to keep her rising temper in check.


    ¡°But have you heard them from someone who cannot fulfill that obligation? I could fight every day for the rest of my life, but I¡¯ll never do as much good for the world as the women carrying the future of humanity in their wombs or against their bosoms. For all the monsters I¡¯ve killed and fellow people I¡¯ve saved on my escapades outside of the town, just having two or three children would do far, far more than what I could ever hope to achieve in my one lifetime.


    We are all guilty of the good we would not do, and you¡¯re consigning yourself to the guilt of denying humanity a bright new age. I fear the lonely end but at least if I lay on my death bed barren of any family I could say I did everything I could and that is what makes it tolerable. Will you be able to bear the guilt of what you aren¡¯t doing now in your old age?¡±


    Elis¡¯ nose flared in anger as he strummed his fingers on the table for a moment.


    ¡°Veronica, I will be providing children, but it will be on my timetable. Putting a baby in a woman doesn¡¯t make you a father just as popping them out doesn¡¯t make you a mother. I will not have my children asking why dad doesn¡¯t love them enough to be there for mothe-¡°


    He stopped for a moment, his eyes in some faraway place before he suddenly got up from his chair and mover to the left behind the crate. For a few seconds, his eyes stared at the side of the wood crate until he turned his head back to Veronica with a fire in those purple eyes.


    ¡°You hypocrite.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± She demanded, feeling the smaller hairs on the back of her neck rise as she gripped her cup.


    ¡°These crates with the black V are all yours, yes?¡± He demanded with a slam of his hand on the box. That gave Veronica a slight jump, but she kept her composure.


    ¡°Of course,¡±


    ¡°Back in the ancient times when we went on that trip for the guild, I had to help move some of the goods that got damaged in the bandit attack when we got back to the academy. One of those was your crates.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for your assistance,¡± Veronica responded with a strained smile.


    ¡°It had tea leaves in it, but it also had an odd vegetable mixed in that looked like celery with yellow edges. I didn¡¯t know what it was at the time and quickly forgot about it as we were all too busy trying to keep people from dying or recovering from the trip. But now that I know what those vegetables were and who the crate belonged to¡­Oh, what a good little setup you have. Getting to play the poor infertile girl whose body has failed her. And now that a real prize has revealed himself, you were hoping to get me to think you wouldn¡¯t just be after a baby. Was that the plan? Tempt me with a night of consequence-free fun at some point and then talk some shit about the power of my elements overcoming your defect?¡±


    Veronica¡¯s face had started out pink but gradually became a fuller tomato red with each word. When Eli finished, Veronica stood straight up and backhanded him with her right hand as her blonde hair swung wildly from the motion.


    ¡°How fucking dare you!¡± Veronica yelled. ¡°Saying you were so sexually barren that you didn¡¯t know what yook root was isn¡¯t the most flattering admission, so I¡¯ll give you credit for that. But to say ¡­My condition-¡± She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes as her stomach felt like it wanted to empty its contents.


    Eli seemed a bit hesitant now, though he still had some anger in his face that wasn¡¯t lessened by the red handprint on his left cheek.


    ¡°Never, in all my life, has anyone been so cruel as to throw that in my face!¡± Veronica said, standing straighter as she kept the tears from falling. ¡°Yet you go a step further and make a joke out of it! Perhaps it¡¯s for the best that you don¡¯t have any children. What, but the vilest of monsters could be sired from you.¡±


    Those purple eyes now held genuine confusion. The lack of malice in those windows to the soul left Veronica hesitant as to what his actual intentions were. As the two spent a second maneuvering around the awkward moment, Eli finally broke the silence.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know, did you?¡± He asked in a hushed voice.


    Veronica rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and stood there in silence before Eli continued.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say it¡¯s likely your mother. That¡¯s probably why you can¡¯t make the tea taste the same. You¡¯re missing an ingredient.¡±


    There was a flash, briefer than the blink of an eye but still there, of concern that bolted through Veronica¡¯s mind. It was quickly suppressed as she turned around and went to the front door, cracking it open.


    ¡°A stalk of yook root. Now.¡± She quickly spat out before closing the door.


    Turning around, she headed back to the table and sat opposite to Eli, who had returned to his seat. Veronica was fuming but kept most of it off her face. She didn¡¯t entertain the ridiculous scheme Eli had made up and spent the entire time crafting some particularly devastating comments centered around his inadequacies and failures. When the stalk of yellow-edged celery arrived, Veronica sullenly stuck it in the kettle with the tea leaves and poured water into the kettle from the flagon.


    Using more force than was needed, she closed the kettle lid with a loud smack. The blonde went on to insert the coals with such speed that one missed the lower lid and fell on the table. Leaving a small scorch mark on the fine oak, the offending piece was quickly put in. With nothing left to do, they both sat in bitter silence as Veronica brooded with strumming fingers on the table, the late day sun shining down over the table through the bars in the window.


    Finally, steam came out of the small hole in the top of the kettle. Wasting no time, Veronica quickly poured the near-boiling mixture into the white and blue cup in front of her. Not waiting for it to cool, she poured the too hot drink down her throat. Ignoring the pain of the burn, she quickly prepared her most devastating salvo of insults but stopped when her brain registered what her tongue was experiencing besides pain.


    Looking down at the brown brew in the cup, she quickly went over all of her memories drinking her favored liquid. Mother had always insisted on her drinking it, in good health or bad, busy or slow days. What Veronica was now focusing on was whether she had been around when her mother had prepared the tea leaf mixture.


    She hadn¡¯t, she realized as her face paled and her hands began to shake. At least not for an extended period. There was always something happening, some issue going on where she couldn¡¯t be there to make it with mother, classes needed to be attended, spells needed to be practiced, craft to be made, too tired from a long day of whatever crap this place was putting her through. This always left her mother to brew the pot or get ready a previously made pitcher, which is something Veronica now understood to be by her mother¡¯s design.


    Because that missing bitterness she always had in her tea was now back.


    Veronica stared at the cup for a few seconds, her pale face and quivering frame showing no attempt to hide her emotions.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to find out like this,¡± Eli said in a soft voice as he inclined his head with genuine sympathy.


    Veronica stood up and looked around for a second as the room seemed to spin.


    ¡°Gshh pff¡± She spat out, the gibberish being some attempt at communicating that she was leaving. With a whirl of her blonde hair as she quickly turned around, Veronica ran out of the room and through the front door. The light snow was kicked up all around her legs and the hem of her dress as she sprinted through the snow on the ground as the fading sun above gave her just enough light to see her to her home. Moving around the back of the house, she came up to the section she had never visited. Along the back of the white brickwork was a long slab of stone on the ground. This held the crates that had all of their tea leaves depleted and were stacked on top of each other in a long rectangle.


    Veronica first went through the crates one after another, hoping to find some errant piece of yook root to validate the truth she already knew. The first crate was bare. Quickly tossing it behind her, she looked through the second. Then the third, the fourth, and the fifth. When the sixth produced no new evidence, Veronica had a moment of rage and threw it to the ground with a crunch of wood. As she stood there, taking in deep breaths of winter air with trails of snow and mud scattered all over her legs and arms, her eyes finally found what they were looking for in the ruined heap of wood.


    The left side of the crate had cracked open to reveal the hollowness of the wooden wall. Picking up another crate, Veronica noticed that the nails were smaller on one of the sides making it easier to remove. After a few more minutes of ripping open crate sides, she finally had the piece she needed. In one of the crate''s false sides, there was a small bit of yook root stuck in the bottom side of the wall.


    No shock or surprise came to Veronica. She knew, without a hint of doubt, about what had been going on with her tea. That little piece of vegetable just confirmed that truth. Turning around with the crate in hand, she went through the back door of the house and went through the kitchen. Walking over the flowing wood floor and past the walls with waves of water painted on them, she came back into the main living room.


    Quickly pulling down the white curtains, the room was only illuminated by the mana lamp in the center of the ceiling. With her task finished, Veronica moved back to the couch and placed the crate on her right as she sat totally still. Chattox was out in the wilds and he probably wasn¡¯t close enough to get the tide of emotions pouring out of Veronica, though the utter stillness of her form didn¡¯t betray those emotions as she now had folded them into a furious purpose.


    After an hour or two of sitting there, her heart-shaped face a blank slate for every second of those hours, her mother finally walked through the door. Tired and looking worn from a long day, the older blonde''s mouth opened to speak when her blue eyes fell on Veronica. Whatever she was going to say died on her lips when her daughter tossed the crate at her feet. As the wood box with its false side open slid across the floor with a loud scrape, Veronica quickly followed it as she stalked up to her mother.


    ¡°Agatha,¡± She said with as much control as she could muster, ¡°Tell me, and if you lie I will never forgive you¡­ When I first tried with Harlen and later Cren¡­ could I have conceived if I didn¡¯t drink my tea?¡±


    Agatha¡¯s face lost some color as her eyes went wide. However, it appears that she wasn¡¯t completely unprepared for this conversation. Quickly turning around and shutting the door behind her, Agatha then walked closer to Veronica as she crossed her arms over her black suit top and dress.


    ¡°Eli, I suppose, someway somehow, managed to make one last disaster before he¡¯s sent off,¡± Agatha said with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    Agatha took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and turned her head to the heavens before bringing it back down to look her daughter in the eyes.


    ¡°Yes. You probably would have gotten with child.¡±


    Veronica felt the wind leave her lungs as tears began welling up in her eyes. Knowing it in her mind logically was one thing, but there was some part of her that finally snapped when the words were taken in from the source.


    ¡°Was¡­Is¡­ Were you laughing at me? When I cried about not having a baby, were you chuckling when you left the room?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Agatha scoffed with a hurt face, ¡°Dear, I would never laugh at you. It hurt me when you cried about that. You¡¯ll never know the relief I felt when you met those two girls who wanted to hold off on having kids. It killed me, seeing you so dejected. But I did what I had to do.¡±


    ¡°Had to?¡± Veronica asked as she pulled back with a sour face. ¡°You had to make my entire life a lie? Make me a pariah amongst the others?¡±


    That seemed to get some of the color back in Agatha¡¯s sharp cheekbones as she puckered her lips.


    ¡°If they treated you poorly because of something beyond your control, then I say they weren¡¯t worth knowing.¡±


    Veronica pulled herself up to her full height as she stuck out her soft chin and got a hard look in her eyes.


    ¡°But it was in your control. So, why, Mother? Why did you do this?¡± She spat out, the hurt in her voice coming clear through.


    ¡°I wanted you to have a normal life. For you to have friends, go out and explore the world, and experience a full measure of the world, before we went out into the woods to a local herb hag who gave us a miraculous mixture of troll spit, fire-lizard eyes, and other unknown ingredients that cured your condition. A hag who tragically fell off a cliff the next day when we went to thank her.¡±


    ¡°Or when the quad mage blasted his seed in me?¡± Veronica demanded with a look of cold fury.


    Now Agatha seemed offended as she drew herself up to her full height.


    ¡°I had no such intention. The guards are watching everything that involves yook root like their lives depend on it. Ever since we found some in Eli¡¯s tower, the merchant who supplied me with the tea crates had been getting more and more nervous. He finally stopped when they inspected his shop. I had a fair amount of reserves but I finally ran out. Though I suppose I won¡¯t need them anymore.¡±


    ¡°That was all because you were making a decision that was never yours to make,¡± Veronica said with biting acid clear in her low tone.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Agatha stood silent for a moment, taking a deep breath as she made sure to keep eye contact with her daughter.


    ¡°And you could have?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Even if I didn¡¯t want to,¡± Veronica yelled as she gritted her teeth, ¡°Eska and Mia have dealt with pressure from their families-¡°


    Agatha burst out laughing at that. Veronica was more surprised than angry and stood there dumbstruck as her mother finished.


    ¡°The fact that you would compare your situation to your friends shows you have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Agatha said, her face now getting more serious. ¡°I gave birth to a scion. I¡¯m a crafter and all I did was give a water scion an equally powerful daughter.¡±


    Her blue eyes went hard as her face became a blank mask.


    ¡°And doing that nearly killed me. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that a passing doctor had a healing potion on him, you¡¯d be talking to a gravestone. Still, I had a great achievement under me. Which lasted until people realized I wasn¡¯t going to give you any siblings.¡±


    Her lower jaw quivered as she spoke in a near whisper.


    ¡°To this day, I get so much shit for not giving you any brothers or sisters. It gets mentioned in my reviews, I know for a fucking fact it''s cost me some promotions.¡± Agatha stuck out her right hand and put a finger into her daughter''s shoulder through the white and blue suit top, ¡°You, an actual scion? They¡¯d make sure you were with a baby every day. The amount of rest you¡¯d be given between birth and conception would be hours or a day and a half. You think Eska and Mia and the rest of us get pressured to make babies? You don¡¯t have the faintest notion of what real pressure is. Reflect on the fact that your friends held out only until the prospect of taking Eli¡¯s seed was put on the table. How long did they resist?¡±


    Veronica faltered as she struggled to come up with an answer until she finally did.


    ¡°Yet you scold Eli for making the same decision that you made for me. If not for the same reasons.¡±


    Agatha¡¯s blue eyes rolled as she put her black-gloved hands to her face before she threw them down and gave a humorous smirk while she stuck out three fingers.


    ¡°Eli is a man and him doing his duty is just a small grain of sand to the mountain of the task of bringing up a child, much less several. His responsibilities are: Thrusting, grunting, and doing those two as often as possible. His squelching is due to some moral hiccup, not because he will have to do any of the work or spend long nights awake.¡±


    Veronica puckered her lips as she crossed her arms.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t get the impression that his part in pregnancy was insignificant when we pulled open his robes.¡±


    Agatha sighed as she put her right hand to her forehead. A long moment passed until she opened her eyes and looked her up and down for a long moment.


    ¡°Veronica, you are making these comparisons to your friends and Eli because you have no experience in these matters. When you first got out of gestation, you had the mind of a thirteen-year-old. You¡¯ve matured rapidly since then, but you still don¡¯t have the context or the experience to make these decisions.


    If they knew that the seed would take, the government, the academies, and the associations would have all seen Ryan or Jeff fused to your thighs to get a line of scion plant or healing mages. Consequences to your health or wellbeing be damned. You don¡¯t know what that¡¯s like, you haven¡¯t seen the women who¡¯ve been put through that kind of breeding regime. But I have and I, as your mother and an imperfect human, had to make a decision that you were completely unequipped to make.¡±


    Veronica went red in the face as she sucked in a breath and pointed her right hand¡¯s index finger at her mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s. My. FUCKING WOMB!¡± Veronica screamed. After a second of letting those words hang in the air, she started talking again. ¡°You could have at least let me know so I wouldn¡¯t feel like such an idiot for all those tears I shed over my barren existence.¡±


    Agatha threw up her hands in exasperation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t lie!¡± Agatha spouted with a wave of her right hand to her daughter, ¡°Not once have you ever told a lie people didn¡¯t immediately see through. And this isn¡¯t some deflection away from the number of sweets you¡¯ve eaten. Interfering with the breeding of a scion is a crime of the highest level and I couldn¡¯t have you be a part of it if I wanted to preserve your reputation. If this all came out, I wanted to be the big bad mother who tricked her poor daughter away from doing her duties. All that I did, I did for you. I risked everything so that you could have a healthy post gestation, if only for a few years.¡±


    Veronica stood there for a moment as she took in the tears that went unshed in her mother¡¯s eyes. After a long moment, she bit her lower lip and shook her head.


    ¡°That was very noble of you. Deciding my life for me with no pesky thoughts about what I actually wanted. How very loving!¡±


    With that, she stormed up the staircase behind her and went to her room to cry herself to sleep. After a long night of tears, punctuated by a visit from her familiar, Veronica made her way back down the stairs. Her heart-shaped face had bags under her blue eyes, which made no attempt to look at her mother in the kitchen before dashing out the front door with her bird familiar on her right shoulder. Heading out to the academy, she ate a quick breakfast at the canteen with the other students. She spent her time ambling over the grey stone floors, in between large oak bookshelves or large packs of students, all of whom made way for her eminence.


    What item or person she was looking for was unknown, but still, she looked. When lunchtime approached, Veronica sat at one of the long oak tables alone as she ate her ham sandwich and fruity drink, neither of which registered on her tongue or mind. What did finally penetrate her cloud of confusion and despair was her two best friends moving to sit beside her.


    ¡°Hey, Veronica,¡± Eska said, the librarian-looking black-haired woman¡¯s sharp nose followed her brown eyes as they surveyed the room. She quickly sat on the scions right while Mia took up the left, with the caramel-skinned redhead content to keep a sympathetic look on her face towards the blonde.


    ¡®Veronica, we heard something.¡¯ Mia said in a spirit connection, the tomboy asked with a concerned look as her smooth cheekbones showed some white in her skin. ¡®Have you been taking yook root?¡¯


    She clearly expected a no, as did Eska who was also maintaining a spirit connection. Veronica showed the first emotion to grace her face that day.


    ¡®How did you find out?¡¯ Veronica demanded with a raise of her eyebrows.


    There was a sharp intake of breath from her two friends. They both had student robes on and used the sleeves to hide their faces. Eska was the first to recover, though.


    ¡®WHAT?!¡¯ She screamed through the spirit connection.


    Veronica took a moment to collect her thoughts before she explained yesterday¡¯s events.


    Mia and Eska, to their credit, kept most of the shock off their face.


    ¡®Since we were first together, you could have¡­¡¯ Mia was dumbfounded but Eska¡¯s mind was running at full speed even as no words came from her.


    ¡®So, where did you guys hear that rumor from?¡¯ Veronica asked, now feeling some proper emotion again, though it was mostly annoyance.


    ¡®Everywhere, pretty much.¡¯ Mia said with a bite on her dark lip. ¡®It¡¯s easy to imagine how. Between leaving your tea items at Eli¡¯s, screaming at your mother, and knocking open all those crates, there¡¯s any number of ways people could have found out.¡¯


    Veronica went pale at that as she bit her lower pink lip and strummed her fingers on the table. Picking up her mug, the water scion looked around the room. Now that she was paying attention, she could see that a lot of the surrounding students were stealing glances at her. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it was that people had been looking at her, but there was a distinct feeling it had been going on since she arrived.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m sorry. I suppose finding out my entire life was a lie did affect my ability to think clearly.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ Eska said in the spirit connection, speaking with a wobbly tone. ¡®But¡­ you do know what this means? Right?¡¯


    Veronica nodded.


    ¡®All this time, I was crying over my-¡®


    ¡®Not that!¡¯ Eska said, staring blankly ahead even as her teeth were clenching. ¡®Eli. We¡¯re trapped in his orbit. Just like Jeff and Andrew.¡¯


    Veronica took a moment to consider that angle. With the outing of her fertility, this revelation would leave a grievous wound on her reputation, to say nothing of her mother¡¯s. But considering how the president¡¯s sons were gone after for their involvement, she realized with dawning horror that they were now in the center of that perpetual storm following the quad mage.


    ¡®When this gets out,¡¯ Mia said with widening brown eyes. ¡®Our necks will be hoisted up right along with Jeff¡¯s and Andrews for interfering with Eli¡¯s breeding.¡¯


    ¡®Not just that,¡¯ Veronica responded as her throat suddenly became very parched, ¡®They¡¯ll probably blame Eli using yook root on us.¡¯


    ¡®Worse,¡¯ Eska said, drawing the gazes of the other two women, ¡®They¡¯ll probably think it was a secret ploy to get Eli¡¯s child. Every letter written, every word spoken with our families will be gone over, including their activities.¡¯


    Mia went properly pale at that. Legality was such a pliable word. Pretty much every house had one legally¡­ flexible practice or another, especially those who traded with the southern coast of the central continent, as Mia¡¯s family did. A looking over by so many powers would see their families ruined. Mages were generally more than a bit colder and self-interested than most, but the thought that they could be the last of their bloodlines was still an unpleasant thought for Mia and Eska.


    ¡®So, what¡¯s changed for us?¡¯ Mia asked her friends.


    ¡®It¡¯s all coming down on our heads, and not just as a passing acquaintance of Eli¡¯s.¡¯ Eska said with a note of panic, ¡®All those armies, national meetings, and the madness of deranged associations. All of that far-off, crazy shit we¡¯ve been idly discussing at lunch and dinner. That stuff that was always the problem of people far more powerful and knowledgeable than us. We¡¯re right in the middle of all of it now. There¡¯s probably going to be heads of countries and militaries the world over personally looking into us. Across the Coalition and the central continent.¡¯


    The enormity of their situation was now brought to bear on them. As long as she had known them, Veronica always considered her little group a light gathering of friends. Maybe working together in the future on magical resource expeditions when they all became official mages. Possibly even getting into a high position at one of the associations. Though, the unspoken expectation was that Veronica, as the scion of the group, would outshine the other two.


    Now it just looked like she would be getting the finest rope of the bunch.


    ¡®Oh, come on!¡¯ Mia said, rolling her eyes even as sweat running down her forehead, ¡®It¡¯s not¡­ you really can¡¯t¡­ You really think they¡¯ll kill us?¡¯


    Eska¡¯s sharp nose turned down as she fixed her brown eyes on her two friends like a hawk.


    ¡®Are you willing to take the risk that the people losing their minds over Eli will patiently and rationally parse through our words and statements? If you¡¯re willing to trust people to act rationally, to believe that a scion faking her infertility at the same time that the quad mage hasn¡¯t been siring won¡¯t be forcibly linked in the minds of everyone who hears it, then you better be willing to put your life on the bargaining table.¡¯


    An unspoken agreement was reached between the three women. Blue eyes met brown eyes, brown eyes met each other, and quicker than any words spoken through a spirit connection, the decision to flee was reached.


    ¡®Where to?¡¯ Veronica asked, leaning back into her chair. Her face hardened as did her two companions. They did not go through the hell of mage training and studying, day after bone-breaking day, to die for some deranged mobs conspiracy-mongering.


    ¡®How to, is the bigger question.¡¯ Mia responded as she leaned forward. ¡®They¡¯ve made sure to stop any carriages coming or going so they can transport Eli tomorrow with no delays on the road. I don¡¯t think we have time to wait for the regular traffic to resume before we¡¯re dragged in by the guards.¡¯


    ¡®Are they using any carriages to move goods?¡¯ Eska asked, ¡®One we could slip into.¡¯


    Mia scrunched her nose incredulously.


    ¡®And we would manage that, how?¡¯ She demanded.


    ¡®A heavy rainstorm.¡¯ Veronica butted in, ¡®I can have Chattox summon a small storm to provide us cover from the sky. Though, couldn¡¯t we just make a run of it through the countryside? Maybe with some wind crafts.¡¯


    The two turned to Eska, who looked down deep in thought for a moment until she reached a decision.


    ¡®One of us? Sure. Three people roaming out in the wastes would draw a lot of attention from the undead. To say nothing of the fact that I don¡¯t think I could come up with a good set of boosters for three people and have enough time for us to practice using them.¡¯


    Veronica strummed her fingers on the table for a second before Mia spoke.


    ¡®The western area past the Hub is far more well maintained. We don¡¯t need to hike it the whole way there. We just need to get near the Hub before we run off and use some noise-deadening spells to cover our escape. A high-profile caravan like this would have Eli near the middle and a large contingent of fighters near the front to deal with the undead. The kind of carriage we¡¯re looking for would be stuck far in the back.¡¯


    Veronica and Eska nodded.


    ¡®Another mysterious rainstorm would give us the cover we¡¯d need to roll into a ditch.¡¯ Veronica said hopefully.


    ¡®If they¡¯re bringing any kind of goods with them on this trip.¡¯ Mia cut in.


    ¡®They¡¯d have to bring some stuff for medical aid or camping supplies in case they get stuck out in the wilderness. Can¡¯t take any chances with the wonder of our age.¡¯ Eska said hopefully, though a note of bitterness came clear through at the end.


    Mia and Veronica lightly nodded.


    ¡®And where would we be trudging through the undead and wilds to get to?¡¯ Eska asked as she put away the sour tone completely.


    Mia nodded as she stood up.


    ¡®Off to the west coast. I know enough of the area that I can get us to some¡­ less savory places to hide until we can leave the Coalition. Let¡¯s meet up at Veronica¡¯s when I¡¯ve scouted out the caravan.¡¯ With that, the redhead immediately took off while Eska waited a few seconds before she headed out to prepare.


    Veronica felt a faint spirit connection telling her that Chattox was flying around between the central pillar of the tower and the open space of the floors. Even with that, and being surrounded by students and staff members, she felt more alone than she had at any time she spent wandering the woods or walking down empty streets at night.


    Tired from the day''s emotional labor, Veronica quickly gorged on her sandwich and juice before she left the canteen. As she walked between the shelves the feeling of eyes on her was now unmistakable. It set the hair on the back of her head standing straight up even when she was in a small corner by herself. The late afternoon sun was shining through the windows when she had finally had enough and ran out of the classroom tower, driven out by the constant presence of eyes on her. Eyes that were no longer filled with jealousy, pity, or lust, but now held suspicion and distrust. Chattox accompanied her along the way as the white sea bird familiar stood on her shoulder, its cruel-looking red eyes holding some pity as its crown of sharp feathers wafted with her every step out onto the snow-covered field towards the carriages.


    Taking off in one of the metal boxes, the few students accompanying her on the trip paid her no mind as she sat in the corner, her mind running over all those moments in her life that she had cried or fumed over her lack of fertility. The thought of her holding her own child was often a sad one due to its impossibility, but now it was a fantasy that was perfectly within arm¡¯s reach. Something that filled her with cold fury rather than hope.


    When she arrived back at her house with the sun fading in the cloudy sky, Mia was near the green couch to the right. She looked rather harried as she moved from the couch to Veronica, who quickly shut the door behind her.


    ¡°They¡¯re leaving. Now.¡± Mia said with a more than mild tone of panic.


    ¡°What?!¡± Veronica gasped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this was the plan all along or something else. But Eli, Jeff, and Andrew are all being moved out. Within the hour. I¡¯ll meet you along the way to the bridge, but I¡¯ve got to help get Eska in order.¡±


    The blonde¡¯s face went pale as her familiar took off upstairs to one of the windows that was left perpetually open for his entrance and exit from the house. Veronica nodded to Mia, who took her in a hug before running out the front door. Without a moment to spare, the water scion quickly changed into her rough leather armor and stuffed whatever food or clothes she could get her hands on down her dragon skin bag. While it was the size of a book, the red-scaled side bag had the space of a small wardrobe.


    A gift from Eli, who was now the only way out of the noose he helped put on her neck.


    Her items gathered and will steeled, Veronica came up to the entrance of the house and stared at the oak door for a moment. Her mother was still out at the office and Veronica knew she didn¡¯t have enough time to visit. Biting her lower lip, the blonde¡¯s heart-shaped face contorted in pain for a moment before she gripped the door handle.


    ¡®Once this all blows over in a month or two, I¡¯ll make it up to her,¡¯ She thought bitterly to herself as she pulled open the door.


    Going out over the snow-covered yard, she saw Andrew and Jeff, wearing white shirts and grey pants, being led out of the house to the left. Their faces were stoic and passive like they had accepted their fate as a guard on each of their sides escorted them out of the house. Off further ahead, she saw a growing group of soldiers and mages forming a crowd around the larger residence where Ryan had lived. Eli wasn¡¯t among them, but from the scars and general appearance of the men and women, they were the elite of the associations and the army. Fortunately, none of them deigned to notice her. The sweat running down their foreheads despite the cold and the occasional long stare said they knew the danger of their cargo.


    Veronica was wearing her typical outing gear with a leather bag on her back holding the space expanded bag. She was able to walk through the gate and move among the regular peasants without drawing more than a passing glance from those trying to keep alive during this harsh season. The cold air barely registered even as her breath came out as a fog, the wild beating of her heart driving away the winter''s bite from her body. It took her until she was halfway up the main road for her familiar to re-establish the faint spirit connection. Looking out over the crowd of coming and going workers and housewives, she saw the long line of carriages getting ready to take off. The ones closer to the gate were solid metal boxes that looked sturdier than a troll bracing for a blow. Closer towards the back, near the now almost abandoned warehouses closer to the bridge down the rightward road, were some carriages that had the more¡­ it will do finish, complete with thinner walls and unpolished lines showing where the sheets of iron were crudely smacked together.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never,¡± Mia whispered in her right ear. Not missing a beat, Veronica didn¡¯t look back as they both ducked into a small alley that reeked of piss. Eska followed shortly after, done up in similar, plain leather armor like the other two women. Around Eska¡¯s face was a brown wrap that was typical of those seeking to shield their faces from the cold. Handing two covers to her accomplices from a large bag slung over her back, Mia covered her face and nodded to the others before taking off down the other side of the alley.


    It was a good ten minutes before Mia came back.


    ¡®All right, I think I¡¯ve found one,¡¯ She said in a spirit connection, ¡®Near the back towards the river. A dinky carriage with a bunch of crates filled with dried fruits and arrows. It has the manifest on the side so it¡¯s a part of the caravan. The best part is that they are going to be immune from inspection, just a quick check for the papers and they¡¯ll be putting us right through.¡¯


    ¡®Great,¡¯ Veronica responded with a look to the other women, ¡®Are we ready to go?¡¯


    A moment of hesitation came up, brought on by the finality of what they¡¯d be doing in the next few minutes. It passed as quickly as it came, prompting them to move out of the back of the alley and into the street leading towards the warehouses. Veronica sent a faint prompt through the spirit connection to Chattox. A few seconds later, small bits of icy water started falling over the area near the bridge and warehouses. With an accompanying wave of groans from the surrounding passerby, the rain picked up as the three approached the back end of the wagon train.


    Seeing their target in one of the spaces between the big wooden buildings, Mia, being at the front of the group and most well acquainted with the area, looked around. Fortunately, it seems the decision to leave early caught the caravan off guard as well. The line of crude metal wagons had one guard at the front of the carriages to the left while the rest could be seen trying to work the crowd into giving Eli a clear shot to the bigger carriages further ahead.


    When the rain reached a fever pitch that made it hard to see more than a few feet ahead and turned the snow into icy slush, Mia nodded. The three moved quickly between the horses and through an empty alley on the right of their target. Swinging back around, they came upon the open end of the carriage and quickly made their way up into the carriage as Veronica told Chattox to stop.


    There were large crates stacked about with sacks of food and arrows, though there was enough space on the right and left for the three to sit down in and remain unseen. Veronica sat by herself between a barrel and a large stack of crates on the left side while Eska and Mia sat together further down the right side. There was a stampede of boots as the men moved to cover and heat the horses, who were now covered in a layer of ice where they couldn¡¯t shake it off. In time, that too passed and before long, the sound of a driver getting in was heard as a shadow fell down the center of the carriage. Their laughable inspection complete, a whistle was heard far off.


    Followed by the thunder of hooves on stone and the neighing of horses, eventually, their carriage took off with a hard pull until coming to a stop again. None of the women dared peek out to see where they were even after several minutes of staying still. When the carriage took off again, there was a distinct waft of ash in the air. Ever-present this close to the bridge, it became more distinct with the sudden rise in temperature. When the carriage moved at full speed, the putrid smell of death invaded their nostrils, letting them know they were in the proper wilds now.


    The rest of the trip passed with the occasional stop. These were quickly accompanied by the sound of far-off fighting and the crunch of bones that let the three know that the undead were still present on the empty plains of snow and bark scars. With the falling of the sun and the rising of the stars, the three tried to drift off to sleep in shifts. But the churning worry in their guts made the prospect of shutting down their minds a lost cause.


    After a good hour or two of travel, when they estimated they were still a far ways from the Hub with a blanket of stars and black in the sky, the carriage came to a hard stop again. Waiting for the usual cacophony of battle and bone-crunching, the fighting continued for far longer than the few seconds it should have. The trio became worried at what was happening. When they heard the driver jump down from his seat and the metal scrape of him drawing his sword rang out, they were fully awake.


    It was a few more seconds as they sat there like petrified rabbits before a single word sounded over the din of screaming and, more worryingly, odd cracks and explosions.


    ¡°ORCS!¡± A woman¡¯s voice cried out.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Veronica said without a thought given to secrecy. Chattox was having trouble seeing what was happening and flew down to their carriage as she stood up. The other two wordlessly agreed with her statement and promptly abandoned their spots. Whatever happened tonight, they had no intentions of being a part of it.


    Abandoning their carriage, the three promptly trusted their safety to the unknowns of the night as they flew to the right of the carriage. They were at a bend of the road with large hills on the right and could now get a semi-clear view of the battle as they stopped near the edge of the road. Frojan were lined up on the side of the hill farther ahead and took cover behind whatever boulders they could find. Each had wooden pads with water shields and an odd-looking weapon of long wood pointing towards the caravan defenders with water blades and showers of molten stone shooting out of them and raining down on the men and women.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Mia said to the other stunned women.


    Veronica nodded, taking off but stopped when Eska stood there wide-eyed and pointing towards the battle.


    ¡°Look!¡± She demanded as her pale face had some reflections of the firelight shining from the burning carriages and bodies. Veronica looked again over the battlefield, not understanding what the big issue was. Then it hit her like a troll''s fist to the gut.


    ¡°The Frojan¡¯s crafts. They aren¡¯t failing from the spells.¡± The water scion whispered, even though the chorus of carnage meant even her companions would barely hear her shout. Mia scoffed before she took in the fighting. Blasts of magical wind were coming from the mages, yet the barrage from the Frojan¡¯s weapons never faltered, nor did their shields waver. Unlike the mages barriers under the brutal assault as walls of water steamed away from the red-hot spray and small forts of earth were chipped into chunks by water blades.


    One wind mage made the fatal error of sending out a gale as she flew towards one of the frojan with an exaggerated leap. The big green frogman with a blue robe just turned his weapon up and split her head in two with a single water blade from the snout of his weapon that sent out a loud crack. He huffed for a moment before turning back to the main group with a rain of molten slag as greetings.


    Chattox, flying above, landed on Veronica¡¯s shoulder and pecked the woman. Snapped out of her horrified stupor, the blonde shoved the two other women.


    ¡°We¡¯ll die if we stay here. Get your fucking legs moving!¡± She said in a panicked voice. That got the rest of them moving as they took off with her over the snow-covered road. When they got past the ditch in the road and onto the slight hill, a hard crack and rending of metal drew their gaze back to the battle, which had stopped as both sides also turned to the noise.


    Near the center of the caravan stood one metal box larger than all the others, with some leather strips around the sides and in the corners. There was another rending of metal as the box of the carriage shook. Another moment and the entire back of the carriage swung open to reveal Eli, wearing a grey shirt with brown pants. What drew everyone¡¯s eyes was the cloud of white mana coming out of his body, which only made the look of fury in his face more terrifying.


    Veronica¡¯s jaw dropped as the image of Eli sucking in that mana and throwing fireballs somewhere off to the left blotted out all other images. The ultimate mage jumped down from the carriage to continue the fight that was now blocked by the other carriages, billowing streams of white mana from his skin all the while as the frojan started up their assault again.


    It was Chattox who first recovered, pecking at Veronica¡¯s cheek with such force that he drew blood this time. That pain finally pushed past her shock as she took her friend''s hands.


    ¡°Come on! We¡¯ve got to get out of here.¡± She chastised as their feet started working again. Even the caramel-skinned Mia was fully pale now as she was dragged behind the blonde with her black-haired friend.


    ¡°Ultimate. He¡¯s¡­¡± Eska couldn¡¯t find the words to finish.


    ¡°Ultimate mage.¡± Veronica finished as Chattox went to peck the other two women into action. ¡°He¡¯ll handle the orcs. But we need to get out of here.¡±


    The battlefield of impossibilities was quickly left behind them as the black of the night swallowed the three women and the bird familiar. Veronica, for her part, felt no small amount of shame. Leaving behind an ultimate mage to potentially fall into the hands of the orcs was such cowardice that not even the most loathsome bard in the seediest tavern would sing of such an act without spitting.


    As she sprinted and practically dragged her dazed friends behind her through the drifts of snow, there was a loud series of explosions that sent a faint rumble through the ground and snow as a small storm of wind kicked up. For the first time in her life, Veronica wondered if the act of some god was involved. Then she realized that it was no god. It was the man of a thousand mysteries that she had thought of as a friend, who had helped her through so many trials and struggles, finally bringing the full measure of his might down onto the field of battle.


    Sweat ran down the back of Veronica¡¯s neck as the first pang of pity she had ever felt for the green-skinned women and frogmen made itself known. Something that was quickly pushed to the side as all three women now ran at full speed into the safety of the winter''s cold embrace.

 Chapter 105: Birth of Evil

    Eli POV


    Ash filled the night air, mingling with the omni-present scent of death that the shambling dead brought to the snow-covered land. The only sound, aside from the soft breeze, was the stomping of feet and the tortured screams of the fat congressman further ahead of the caravan. As I walked around the right side of the line of carriages, some with their horses dead, some burning, and some untouched, I looked for whatever supplies were left and could be seen in the faint starlight. Gula, dressed in leather armor and wearing the various pads of wood I had made, walked out from the left side of the carriages when I approached the end.


    ¡°Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance,¡± She said with a look towards the box of ruined steel further ahead that swayed her bowl cut of pitch black hair, a smile playing on her face that stretched the vertical scar across her left eye.


    ¡°How did the crafts hold up?¡± I asked as I approached her in-between a few of the carriages. The sweat from the battle still slicked my back even with the bitter winter air that my cloth bandanna did little to mitigate.


    There was a long silence as she looked over the carnage of bodies along the right side of the road. Regular troop or mage, neither were shown more or less consideration when their time came. Fortunately, the entire caravan had used troops instead of any civilians. A small mercy in these hard times. Gula pursed her lips before she turned to the opening of one of the carriages.


    ¡°It felt¡­Too easy,¡± Gula said, followed by the clanking of her rummaging through the crates. ¡°Less like fighting, more like hunting deer. No real threat of losing and barely any fighting back when they couldn¡¯t get through the shields.¡±


    I huffed, prompting her to look back to me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°And it will only get better if I get my way,¡± I said proudly.


    Gula got a conflicted look, but I cut it short by walking forward and taking her lips. She was a bit of that ever-illusive thing called home and I wanted to feel her in all of my senses. Her smoky, vinegar taste played on my tongue while she gave a light moan before I pulled back with a light pop.


    ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± The deep base of Baloo¡¯s voice sounded out from further ahead.


    I let my eyes soak in Gula¡¯s golden irises for a moment before I turned around and moved further ahead. She followed, though couldn¡¯t escape my palm as I gave her a light swat across her bum. The orc gave a little pout, though she made no attempt to block the hand or reprimand me afterwards as we moved from between the carriages and onto the battlefield proper.


    The frojan had done well during the fight and were spending their time inspecting the caravan and placing the last of the bodies they brought in place. A bit to the right of the moving frojan stood Andrew and Jeff. They were wearing white shirts and grey pants, the same as I was. They looked on dispassionately, used to the gore and tragedy of fighting but the constant looks they were giving the two ends of the road spoke of their nervousness. Though Jeff seemed a bit more familiar than Andrew with the carnage as blood ran up and down his shirt. Combined with his heavy breathing, it was quite likely Jeff had taken the feral madness route of caring for the fat congressman. Despite that brutal display, Andrew had a bit of happiness in him from the return of his familiar that sat on his right shoulder. Acting as a go-between with our two groups, the fire ape had more than carried his weight during this operation.


    Surveying the charred and bloody landscape, I nodded in satisfaction. With the hard part over, I started working on a powerful water spell that would mimic a heavy rain. There were too many footprints everywhere for me to be confident that we wouldn¡¯t miss one webbed foot in the mix. I had provided the Frojan wooden shoes, of course. But, as with all things, it didn¡¯t go perfectly to plan.


    The back end of the caravan still had carriages with live horses who were panicked in the fighting and charged all over the battlefield and churned up the snow. More importantly, several of the Frojan had their shoes knocked off and were too busy trying to not die to notice. We were in the middle of nowhere, but it would only be a few hours before scouts were swarming over this place and we didn¡¯t have the time to retrace all of the Frojan¡¯s steps. Better to wash all the evidence away in a thick sheet of rain.


    After a few minutes, the hill and road were mostly a slurry of mud. Even better, the snow everywhere meant that there were going to be some puddles for the people who found this open graveyard to believe this was a natural rain like the one earlier. Satisfied, I turned to my compatriots waiting for the go ahead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± I declared to the small crowd of a dozen or so frojan and Gula.


    ¡°UAGHH!¡± The cheer and fist pumps sounded out as we turned back to the east on the left. With a small stampede, followed by another bout of rain, we were off. We passed by a mangled corpse that was probably the now late congressman, though I had to go by his size rather than the puddle of brains, blood, and bone where the head used to be. The emotional energy behind the wounds were pure, animalistic hate, like he had been torn apart in a mad frenzy with a few other dead guards around him. Nodding in satisfaction, I followed the rest of our group up and over the hill.


    The two brothers were being pulled along between some of the larger frojan who had gotten used to the wind boosted shin guards. For my part, I used wind spells to keep up the pace. Now that we were where the woods used to be, we ran in a single file through the wasteland filled with nothing but snow and the occasional struggling body that refused to move as its veins were fille with solid ice.


    Late in the night, we stopped for a breather but quickly pushed on ahead to make sure that none of the scouts that would be swarming over this area would find us. Gula and her troop had worked out the path home that had the fewest patrols and dangers, but even with our crafts and willpower, it was a horrid slog. Sweaty and tired from the battle, I only just felt up to the task ahead of me due to the relatively fresh condition of the other water casters here. The frojan, having barely moved and not being forced to use any spells during the battle, were relatively spry.


    As spry as one could be for the horrid march ahead of us.


    Along the way were a wide range of tracks where the frojan had used their wind boosters to create alternate paths for scouts to follow, crafts they now used to help blend the line of tracks we left behind us into the surrounding snow. Our deception had to be perfect, and I used a scion water spell twice more at key points to make it impossible to tell what direction we were going in. At other points, the frojan used their combined efforts to create imitations of the scion spell.


    Tired and needing some kind of sleep on our hard slog, we stopped four or five hours from the airship. With the heat provided by another craft I made for their camp earlier in the week, I slept on a blanket in one small open cave that served as an exit for a small creek from the soil. Gula was plastered against my side, of course. All those nights unaccompanied were a lot lonelier after I had gotten used to having someone to hold and I had no intention of letting the loneliness continue. After a few hours of blessed sleep, those who had taken up the watch woke us with the suns first light struggling to show beyond both the grey clouds and the nights hold.


    As the camp stirred to life, I excused myself to go relieve my bladder. While that was also an issue, I took the time to address my medical issue. It was a delicate thing, but I needed to project calm and stability in the coming days if I was going to lead this patchwork of soldiers, maids, pseudo princes, and interdimensional vagabonds, the latter of which I put Cell in considering he came from me, to their glorious future. And self-mutilation did not give people the impression that a man was of sound mind. Besides, I wanted quality time with my wives in the coming days. My task finished, I returned back to the camp of frog men getting ready to leave while scarfing down a meager breakfast.


    Out on the trail again with nothing but some hard travel nuts and water in our bellies, we finally arrived back at Dwarf¡¯s Rumble around late morning as Gula and I lead our merry little troop. The two brothers kept their questions to themselves as we travelled over the sharp hills with jagged trees and stones sticking out of them. After a half hour of travel, the grey balloon was seen over the peak of the hill as the faint feeling of a spirit connection from Cell registered. A connection that quickly strengthen as a black spot in the grey sky shot out from the ship and zipped towards me.


    The small mass of black liquid with a crystal sphere in the middle only slowed down with a blast of wind just before he hit my chest. A feeling of happiness and comradery was sent to me as he bombarded me with a bunch of images of Salamede setting up a meeting with the dwarves, Durka practicing flying the air ship, and him flying around the area. As he sat on my shoulder, Gretton bounded forward, and I briefly felt the spirit connection he was sending to Cell.


    ¡°What manner of craft is that?¡± Jeff asked with a rub on his slight chin. He moved up the line of Frojan on my left, with Andrew right behind him. They both had some dirt or blood on their white shirts and grey pants but the curious expressions on their faces and oceanic eyes were their most prominent features right now.


    ¡°This is my familiar, Cell,¡± I responded. That prompted a look of shock on their faces, with Andrew going so far as to have his mouth agape. Cell turned the shifting slit of light in his sphere towards them and took off from my shoulder with a blast of wind and landed on Andrews left shoulder.


    ¡°This¡­It¡¯s¡­ what kind of animal is this related too?¡± Andrew said, his strong chinbones showing some sweat as he took in the ever-changing geometry of Cell¡¯s body.


    ¡°None, as far I can tell. Let¡¯s get moving, we¡¯re in the home stretch.¡± I yelled the last part, prompting a wave of smiles from the Frojan as we pushed on ahead. When we came over the last hill, the full prow of the airship came into view. It was longer than most houses and had three stories as the huge balloon of white cloth above was deflated in and around a metal skeleton to keep it off the ground.


    Our little troop stopped for a moment to take in the odd ship. I could tell that they were trying to comprehend the oddities of its construction, from the flat bottom, the lack of sails, to the flat deck with an odd iron spire jutting through the middle. The attempt I was going to make to explain what it was died when I saw Salamede coming down the ladder on the left side of the ship with its front facing away from us.


    Without a thought to propriety, I ran forward to my wife as I pulled my cloth mouth face cover down. She had a white shirt and long brown skirt that flapped with her sprint from the ladder and got a bit dirty as the snow was churned up from her running. We slammed into each other, feasting on our lips for a moment of sweetness before pulling back. Her white eyes were filled with love as I ran a hand down the white ridge of her nose. She rubbed a grey furred cheek against my left one before pulling back with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, Eli,¡± Her rough voice wobbled with her emotion.


    We took a moment to soak in each other¡¯s presence before getting another deep kiss going as my travel companions trudged up behind me. The Frojan and the brothers were content to walk up to the ship and inspect its sides for any curiosities while Gula hung back to my left with an amused smirk and her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Damn, Eli. Couldn¡¯t wait for- Eek!¡±


    A pull on her right arm brought her closer to me, which she did little to resist. Catching her lips, I let only a moment of savoring her sharp, smoky flavor pass before pulling back and pressing both of them as close to me as possible. With the three of us standing in the snow, their heads resting on my shoulders, I felt that ever elusive thing return to me.


    I felt like I was home.


    A moment of savoring the feeling was all I could allow myself, though. Moving towards the ship, our hands on each other¡¯s sides before we made our way up the ladder. The flat deck of oak with thick rails was the same as ever, though the presence of Gula¡¯s mother at the helm near the back was different. She was fiddling with the levers and wheel while the smaller brown Kelton woman in a grey dress that was Salamede¡¯s mother gave her some instruction.


    Going down the hatch near the furnace tube in the center of the ship, we came down into the oak covered floor with mana lamps dotted along the walls. Aside from another staircase on the opposite end and the door to my personal room behind us, the only changes were the lines of doors along the sides of the now noticeably thinner hall in the middle. That did nothing to stop Lokan, the blue snake woman with a purple robe and slitted red eyes, from curling up near the center by the black tube with the ever-humming spheres in iron boxes around it.


    She did a lazy raise of her head towards us with a smile directed at Gula.


    ¡°Finally. I was-s wondering when she were going to get a man. Gula was always so sulky when the mood for love struck her. But now I suppose she¡¯ll have the proper outlet for her frustrations.¡±


    Gula puckered her lips and raised her chin.


    ¡°Nice to see you to, lefty. I¡¯d hate to interrupt your busy work schedule, but-¡°


    ¡°Quad mage!¡± Andrew¡¯s voice boomed down the hole in the ceiling. ¡°We¡¯d all like to talk.¡±


    ¡°The dwarves are sending Gashton as an envoy to hear out your proposal, but I think a more thorough explanation is in order. For everyone.¡± Salamede said with a rub on my right shoulder. Gula gave an equally encouraging nod.


    I sighed as I motioned the three women downstairs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet down on the lower hold. Less wind and more heat down there.¡± I called up to the sky above.


    A few minutes later, we were all down in the lower deck. It was more wide open and had a few chests in the back, but the space was mostly taken up by the inhabitants now. All of whom were enjoying the considerable heat from the furnace above. The left side was occupied by the Frojan and Durka on the left, idly fingering their long weapons and robes or open shirts. Opposite of them were the brothers, Salamede¡¯s mother, and Lokan. The three of us decided to try and make the two groups blend together by having Gula stand on the right and Salamede on the left, an unconscious visual que that our species pasts were not to be considered. An effort that was helped by Cell happily meandering between the two groups. I sat on the stairs leading up to the second floor as all eyes rested on me. When the last of the frojan filed in, I let out a slight cough to officially start the meeting.


    ¡°All right, now that we¡¯re all out of immediate danger, I¡¯ll let you in on the whole plan. I suppose you already know how I dealt with the Coalition going after the Kelton community, but there is the future to tend to.¡±


    Baloo stood straighter as he took a step forward, the floor creaking with the green Frojan¡¯s blue robe flapping from the movement.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re more interested in the past right now. Your past.¡± His deep voice reverberated around the room.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Jeff said, stepping forward as well, away from Andrew on his left and Salamede¡¯s mother. ¡°The origin of Ultimate mages is something that¡¯s always been shrouded in mystery. There have only been four in the past millennia and two of them only just barely having existed as far as records go.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking more along the lines of where this science came from,¡± Baloo cut in with a nod, ¡°But that would be a nice gem of knowledge to pick up as well.¡±


    A deep sigh escaped my lips as I took a moment to collect my thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start from the beginning. Around some ten thousand years ago, I was working on a ship-¡°


    The deep V¡¯s that quickly formed in everyone¡¯s eyebrows, except for Salamede¡¯s, made me stop for a moment to consider the best ways to go about this. I decided to just dump it all out at once. Though the concept of flying through the stars was a rather farfetched one for their limited perspectives, I decided to not leave any more surprises for my little group. When I fully explained what the hyper lanes between galaxies were, even Salamede looked at me with a questioning gaze.


    At the end of explaining my need to remake my connector, I moved towards the conversation I had with Dior. That seemed to particularly interest Andrew and Jeff, pushing aside their anguish over the pointless conflict surrounding my time at the academy. The Frojan looked skeptically between themselves as the two brothers came closer.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we can¡¯t find where you lot come from!¡± Jeff exclaimed with a shake of his ragged black hair, ¡°There¡¯s nowhere for us to look for. Aside from the elves but prying the location from them is as good as it not existing. Though that does raise the question of how long Rodring and his brother were actually capable of producing mana.¡±


    ¡°Nah¡± One of the older brown Frojan said, his grey eyes looking me up and down with some suspicion. ¡°He came from somewhere. Up above, from the stars, apparently.¡±


    Sensing the distrust from most of the Frojan, and some skepticism from Gula, I got up and turned around to expose the back of my neck to everyone. They all crowded around as I rubbed my hands on the two parallel cysts along my upper spine. Nodding to Cell, who was on one younger red Frojan¡¯s shoulder barely within my vision, he leapt over to me and slammed that cool black mass onto my back. Summoning a water blade, he cut into the left cyst followed by a clench of my teeth to keep the pain on the inside.


    I heard several people move forward as I knew the inside of the bump was now exposed. The inner workings of the device were second nature to me, and I knew where to have Cell cut it, even as he used a water and healing spell to stop the bleeding. A screech of metal rang out, followed by a series of yelps and shuffling feet to get away from the red glow of the black metal capsule. I saw some of that light play on the walls with the edges of my vision.


    Cell had lightly cut the lower portion designed to store excess metal components for replacing nanites and parts of the chips internal structure. A spot chosen for the lack of crucial data and information contained within. Not that I had any doubts about its repair functions no matter where it was hit, but better safe than sorry. I felt the nanites pouring out of the capsule to repair the breach and retrieve any bits that were on my skin, like something between water and the smallest bugs ever felt. After a few seconds, the damage was repaired, and I had the wound around the AI chip smoothed over into pristine flesh.


    ¡°Well?¡± I said as I turned around to meet the eyes of the rest of the group. The Keltons, orcs, and humans seemed fully convinced while the frojan were merely coming around.


    ¡°Was that fire magic?¡± One of the older frojan said with a turn towards Andrew and the fire ape on his shoulder, who shook their heads in denial.


    ¡°Is the moon really a place that we could visit?!¡± The excited red frojan asked, his amber eyes bursting with excitement as his open white shirt fluttered from his movements.


    Ah, the explorer¡¯s spirit.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Songoo,¡±


    ¡°Songoo,¡± I said with an indulgent smile, ¡°And if we prevail I¡¯ll get us to more places beyond even that wonder. But I need time to construct a crude connector and people to run this little society. A lot of people.


    The road ahead is dangerous, and I will not insult you by saying it will be without pain or risk. I can¡¯t be everywhere at once and no single tool can guarantee safety. But at the end of this journey will be a society where your life isn¡¯t over when you reach puberty because you didn¡¯t eat enough dragon tails or water naga hides.¡±


    ¡°And a bunch of towering steel buildings with glass? I suppose you want to make our world more like home.¡± One blue frojan asked.


    ¡°Yes. Though I will be looking into the possibility of exploring the magic system that brought me here to try and find my long-lost family, as much of a fools wish that it is,¡± I admitted. The older Frojan still seemed a bit hesitant, which was understandable considering how crazy I must seem to them right now. Sensing a more¡­self-interested opening, I seized it. ¡°Even without the prize at the end, I will be using my healing magic to help undo injuries and malice¡¯s to your bodies. Perhaps I¡¯ll even take you back to your prime depending on how mana rich our new home is. To say nothing of how fun playing with more of these crafts will be.¡±


    That did it. Whatever doubts they may have had about my mental state were brushed aside as their faces showed naked eagerness for the return of their youth. Gula rolled her eyes at the last statement, but the way she looked at the magical gun leaning against her side said she was just as eager as the frojan to see what new toys they would be playing with.


    ¡°I still think you¡¯re a bit off.¡± The older brown frojan from earlier said, with a thumb against his green robe, ¡°But maybe not as off as the idiots who¡¯ve led us from one disaster to another.¡±


    Seizing the moment, I made sure to look them all in the eyes, each and every one.


    ¡°Now that we all know what I¡¯m about, are we free to move on to the future?¡±


    The Frojan all nodded, along with the humans, orcs, and keltons.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said before moving on to the main event. ¡°We¡¯re leaving towards the northern lands of the Central continent. A frozen wasteland far from any major trade lanes or settlements. Most of the north is so inhospitable that even the Keltons stick to the more southern section. Our home will be among the barren sheer rocks in the sea. We can easily use my magics and tech to provide food, drinkable water, heat, and housing. From there we¡¯ll scour the wastelands for poor lost Kelton souls.¡±


    I had taken a few minutes to see if what I read in the books at the academy matched Salamede¡¯s own lore of her homeland. It did and I could not have been more grateful. Some raised eyebrows from the small crowd prompted me to explain.


    ¡°Dying Keltons are the least likely group to betray us, at least before we expand our covert operations. They have no interest in the battle of man and orc. If we can get the people who couldn¡¯t get into the better spots occupied by the major Kelton clans, people who have no fight beyond the next meal and a hot place to sleep, they¡¯ll be the least likely to betray us until we can start discreetly recruiting amongst the human and orc settlements.¡±


    I turned towards the two brothers at that, as did everyone else. They held my gaze, in spite of that.


    ¡°People who are going to be executed for associating with, or mating, orcs are going to be the most valuable. I¡¯d bet my life that there are some humans amongst the orcs pretending to eagerly partake of the green women so they can keep an eye open for any happenings or movements. But men being executed for laying with orcs? They, and their families, will be as loyal and reliable as anyone else could ever be. Those are the ones we will be reaching, and we¡¯ll need your experience and diplomatic knowledge to help us navigate those places.¡±


    They both nodded, with Jeff giving a slightly more rigorous head nod.


    ¡°You bet. We spent a good summer over there. It was a pain in the ass learning the local customs and legal foibles, but I suppose those hours with the diplomat won¡¯t go to waste now.¡± Jeff said with a cocky grin.


    With that I gave a nod and a clap as I looked to my left where Salamede was standing. ¡°How long until the dwarves arrive?¡±


    ¡°An hour or two.¡± She responded after a moment¡¯s consideration.


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Baloo cut in with a cross of his arms as the big green frogman¡¯s blue robes fluttered from the movement. ¡°The dwarves. I know you said something about them giving us supplies in exchange for your crafting ability, but I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d be ecstatic to hear the quad mage has taken on an orc wife. How confident are you they won¡¯t kill us to hide their involvement and stave off future trouble?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± I proclaimed with certainty, ¡°There are too many well-armed people here for them to kill us all without a massive operation, especially with our weapons. To say nothing of the unknown horrors that may be waiting for them in the great quad scions hold. I¡¯ll hold off on giving up the secret of our crafts until we leave and I¡¯m sure the chance for a world-shaking new innovation in crafting will be too much to resist in exchange for some metal bars. But the best assurance is that their self-interest goes against such a plan.


    If we disappear with no trace or explanation, everyone will assume I¡¯m with the dwarves after they find I¡¯m not anywhere near the academy town or the Keltons. Killing us and burying our bodies in some hole in the woods doesn¡¯t get them the solitude they want. Exchanging the crafting ability will also help us by alleviating their concerns about future quad element orc scions.¡±


    Satisfied, Baloo nodded. Looking at the rest and seeing no more questions, I started going over all of the needed items when I felt myself sway. The long journey of the road decided I had had enough time talking. A look of understanding from Gula and the Frojan prompted me to abandon whatever tasks I was preparing to delegate.


    ¡°An hour or two of rest then,¡± I declared, to the relieved sighs of the Frojan.


    Gula and Salamede stuck by my side as they pushed me up the stairs as the rest of the crew plopped down where they stood. When we were back in my room, I noticed a blue carpet along the oak floor with the wide bed of blue and white sheets still to my right. The window opposite of the door provided some faint light as my two women prodded me towards the shower door on the left.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡®All right,¡¯ I said in a spirit connection to the two women, both of whom gave surprised start before Gula slammed the door shut behind us. ¡®Like I said, there is going to be levels of trust in our organization. At the top level is me, you two, and Cell, with everyone else being on descending levels of trustworthiness to one degree or another. Along with that, descending levels of privilege when it comes to knowledge of what we¡¯re doing. Of particular note, Jeff and Andrew. They are the least trustworthy among us so be careful with what you tell them of our backup plans. They¡¯re only here because they felt the sword on their necks and have some very vested reasons to see the magical preferences continue.


    So, here¡¯s what we¡¯re only keeping among us four for as long as we can.


    I have no intentions of containing all of our hopes and dreams on a few rocky islands. Keep your eyes and ears open for any other places that sound promising. A trip comprised of Cell and one of you in a small ship with our most trusted guards should be enough to make a small base anywhere and I want us to start preparing that angle when we¡¯re established enough that we can start setting up some refuges elsewhere should the need arise.¡¯


    They both nodded before a look passed between the two. Gula left my right side while Salamede left to fetch a towel from a spot on the other end of the ship.


    ¡°Eli¡­¡± Gula bit her lip for a long moment, her horizontal scar across her nose scrunching with her nose.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I said, putting a finger under her chin. She bit her lower lip, her golden eyes looking down for a moment before turning back to me with a firmness in her face.


    ¡°That future you talked about. Do you really think that you can make a world where our species can peacefully co-exist?¡± She said, hope shining in her eyes.


    I wanted nothing more in the world than to say yes. One simple word for a smile from one of my ladies. A precious boon for any husband. But, despite my own desires to the contrary, I knew that it would be a lie.


    ¡°I can guarantee that only in our territory, more because the humans we¡¯ll be taking in will have already mated orcs or at least worked with them. As for the rest of the world? Removing the overriding prerogative for magical preferences will mitigate that animosity in the territories outside of our main domain. But eliminating it entirely? Such a thing hasn¡¯t happened even between humans of differing ethnicities and races.


    The blunt truth is this: all I can promise is that at some point, orcs the world over will be able to eke out something for themselves. Either in official nations or in communities, established and operating in broad daylight. All the while working alongside them will be humans of some capacity and number. Though I will admit your dependence on us for children will present certain challenges as far as family structures go.¡±


    Gula nodded, that hope in her eyes dimming slightly.


    ¡°I appreciate the honesty. When you¡¯ve gotten the connector thing rebuilt and all those mountains of glass and steel reaching the sky, I suppose using those things on you neck to forcibly insert the fact that orcs aren¡¯t a threat to humans anymore wouldn¡¯t work?¡±


    A sad shake of my head was all I could give her.


    ¡°You can give people all sorts of facts, but how they interpret or categorize them is often a matter personality and experiences. Re-wiring their brains to the point that their attitudes and beliefs shift from you forcing the change through neural remapping would effectively kill them. At least by my peoples standards and that is one area where we were in agreement. To say nothing of how many problems could arise from setting up such a system when I inevitably hand it over to regular workers.¡±


    ¡°I suppose the universe wouldn¡¯t allow things to be that easy,¡± She said, walking forward and stealing a kiss from my lips. After a moment of savoring the smokey heat, we pulled back. I took a moment to look towards the shower then turned back to Gula with a meaningful nod towards my destination.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Gula said with a bit lip before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m quite ready.¡±


    I nodded as I planted another kiss on her lips. After my farewell kiss, I went into the room by myself and waved her goodbye before closing the door. Taking off my clothes, I set them in a wooden box to my right before walking up to the wooden flower on the opposite side of the room. With the golden glow coming from the square lump of mana crystal above, I took a moment to really appreciate the warm water on my skin before the door behind me opened. Thinking Gula had found her nerve, I was a bit surprised when Salamede came in. She was appropriately dressed for the occasion as her bare breasts swayed from her half sprint up to me.


    No words were exchanged. We knew what we needed and took it from each other, both in the shower and on the bed. Salamede ended up having to do most of the work due to my exhaustive trip here, but she went about her labor with glee. As we lay in a sweaty heap on the bed with her chest pressed against mine, we idly kissed each other for a few minutes before getting up to meet the rest of the day.


    ¡°Any problems since I¡¯ve been gone?¡± I asked as I slipped on my pants to the right of the now mussed bed.


    ¡°Some food worries, but we¡¯ve more than made do.¡± My wife said as she pulled her green dress over her horns while standing near the window. ¡°I¡¯ve been reluctant to rely so heavily on the dwarves but there¡¯s not much choice about it considering how dangerous going out into the wilds is. Not that there would have been much to catch here before necrosis.¡±


    She patted her back where the strings of her dress lay loose.


    Smiling, I walked forwards and started working the strings into a knot.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord. I had thought Gula was aware of her wifely duties enough to at least bathe with you,¡± Salamede grumbled, a cross note in her voice. I finished the knot with a final tug before I grabbed Salamede¡¯s shoulders and rested my cheek on her left one.


    ¡°Her whole life just blew up. Now that she has time to rest, she¡¯ll probably need to process that fact before she can think of her romantic life.¡±


    Salamede huffed.


    ¡°Ancestors, Eli, you¡¯re everything a woman could ever want. At no time or place should you be wanting for company. What shitty wives you¡¯ve gotten with.¡±


    ¡°Salamede¡±


    Her lips quivered for a moment as I pulled her fully against me.


    ¡°I love you. I love you both.¡± I whispered in her ear, making her bite her lips. ¡°Please. Don¡¯t disrespect my love by insulting the women I¡¯ve given it to.¡±


    She got a stiff lip as she put a hand to the back of my head and kissed me, her snout showing the hard flare of her nose. We took a moment to savor the contact before we pulled away. After a moment of taking in her white eyes, she spoke up again.


    ¡°Come. We have lunch and a meeting with the dwarves to prepare for.¡±


    And we did. It was a good hour, after eating a salted pork stew with crackers, that the guests of the day arrived as I was looking out over the deck of my ship. Gashton, the older dwarf with emerald eyes, marched over the snow with a double line of dwarves behind him, a few carrying boxes between them. A few stole a look at the boxes and crafts we had stashed on the right side of the wavy hill before quickly turning back to their duty.


    ¡°Hail, quad mage!¡± The veteran leader bellowed with a twirl of his braided beard that smacked against his red armor and billowing cape. I nodded to the frojan off to my left before moving down the ladder with Gula quickly following behind. Cell came through the air and landed on my white shirts left shoulder as I trudged through the snow laying across the field.


    ¡°Greeting, Gashton.¡± I said with an outstretched hand and a small smile hidden by my cloth wrap, which he promptly took.


    ¡°Greetings in kind, Eli. You¡¯ve been a blessing and a curse these past few weeks. Always some disaster or miracle coming along.¡± He said before shaking Gula¡¯s hand and nodding to his men, who promptly started dropping off the chests to the left. ¡°But you¡¯ve kept things from getting boring at least. There¡¯s never been reports that excited the halls as those concerning you. Both of you.¡±


    At that, he bit his lip, and I noticed the other dwarves were hanging further back. He looked between the two of us with some heavy weight on his mind as he idly thumbed the war axe in his right holster.


    ¡°Eli,¡± He started as he took a deep breath and looked me right in the eyes. ¡°Do you remember how we met?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± I said with a cross of my arms.


    ¡°And do you remember what we discussed?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡±


    His face got some red color as he stomped with his right foot.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need a few more words than that!¡±


    The spat of anger subsided when he saw Gula pull back, her bowl cut of black hair swaying over her white shirt. Gashton pinched the ridge of his nose.


    ¡°Eli, we hadn¡¯t even decided on your kissing games with Gula and now you want to fly off to some far away land with her as your wife? Or has Salamede badly bungled your message?¡±


    Gula held her gaze at him with no malice or hurt, while Gashton acknowledged her with a quick glance before turning back to me. I nodded before a casually stretched my arms.


    ¡°No, that was the gist of it. Of course, it¡¯s not just Gula who could be a future problem. Who knows what could happen. Maybe I¡¯ll slip on a mountainside someday and fall into the hands of an entire orc tribe.¡±


    Gashton took a moment to nod as I motioned him to follow me to the right near the pile of crafts and boxes.


    ¡°Under most circumstances, you¡¯d be bleeding from both ears as my scream rolled over these hills. But I¡¯d like to think my judgement of you wouldn¡¯t be so far off that you would be stupid enough not to have a solution to this problem.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I called behind me as we trudged through the snow and came up closer to the boxes with Gula¡¯s equipment scattered on top. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of being outmatched by an army of quad element orcs with familiars, so, let¡¯s make your people as strong as them.¡±


    Gashton gripped his axe handle and I noticed some of the dwarves in the back unconsciously reach for their cross bows. The air, so cold and dreary, now had a palpable tension as the dwarves took a moment to look me up and down.


    ¡°And how, exactly, would you do that?¡± The veteran said with a guarded look.


    ¡°We, Gashton. Through the power of crafts, we will make any dwarf as powerful as any of my line.¡± I said with a grand sweep of my right arm towards the crafts, trying my best to lighten the mood. While Gashton visibly relaxed as he perused the goods, Gula moved forward and started donning the vambraces, shoulder pads, and reached around the back to pick up a long wooden handle with a water sword enchantment that I had thrown together.


    Armored up, Gula stood opposite of Gashton. When she activated the water shields and sword, Gashton raised a grey eyebrow to me. I motioned him forward with a nod before pulling back. He huffed and drew his axe before stomping forward through the light snow on this part of the field. After sucking in some mana, he formed a fire construct in his left palm before he dashed forward. A gust of heat blasted over Gula as Gashton raised his axe to hit her right shoulder.


    A tactic that quickly failed when her shoulders shield of water crisscrossed with stone deflected the blunt side of his axe and she put the water blade up to his chest. His bushy eyebrows scrunched together as he took a moment to comprehend what had just happened.


    ¡°The enchantment didn¡¯t overload,¡± He said, standing there as he took in every curve of the pads and sword handle. Gula nodded smugly before pulling the sword back.


    ¡°Mana batteries layered into the wood?¡± Gashton asked as Gula handed off the wooden sword handle to him.


    He promptly gave it a hard swing through the air. As the swish still rung out, he looked over the shimmering water of the blade. Using another fire construct, the accompanying gust of heated wind continued for a minute before the sword started leaking water out of the bottom. It took a moment before Gashton finally turned to me.


    ¡°How? No amount of mana batteries would hold that much mana. This stream,¡± He pointed to the now small trickle of water coming out of the bottom of the handle, ¡°Even if you had an infinite amount of mana batteries, they would still spill the mana into the siphoning triangles before they filled up. Which should cause the blade section to fail.¡±


    ¡°With my crafting technique, no amount of mana will kill the enchantment.¡±


    His eyebrows shot up at my statement. A quick look towards the sword was all he had to say at first. After a moments consideration he looked back towards me, a glint of greed unmistakable in his emerald eyes.


    ¡°And what would we need to part with to obtain the how of that crafting technique?¡±


    I smiled before clapping my hands together.


    ¡°An as of now undetermined amount of steel, graphite, and copper. And playing along with my scheme. Once all of that is completed, I¡¯ll instruct anyone you want me to in the art. You can take the sword to test and fiddle with as your higher ups come to terms with my proposal.¡±


    Gashton whistled for one of his dwarves. The big burly fellow with sapphire eyes and brown hair took the water blade from him almost reverently, having seen the demonstration.


    ¡°Protect it with your life.¡± Gashton commanded.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I interrupted, prompting looks from the both of them, ¡°The method behind it can be used by anyone. If it¡¯s you or the piece of wood¡­ well, I would not want your widows tears on my conscience.¡±


    Gashton huffed before waving his soldier away. I noticed the other dwarves had scrunched around the man when he returned back to the line.


    ¡°By the ancestors, Eli. I¡­¡± Gashton struggled for a moment as he wiped his forehead with his leather covered left hand while he had his axe back in the holster and was squeezing its pommel with his right hand. ¡°Do you realize what is happening here? Everything is changing by the hour. Mages aren¡¯t going to be needed anymore aside from support positions. Scions¡­ your power will be severely diminished if this method of crafting is let loose into the world. Are you comfortable with that?¡±


    A bitter taste filled my mouth as I puckered my lips.


    ¡°I have never desired power. What my heart yearns for is family and the love of those who care for me. If I had had any choice in the matter I would have lived as a simple crafter or a one element caster for a few months or years. But fate had other plans and now I have to maneuver around the greedy parasites in the Coalition, Phoenix empire, and some pirates with ambitions.¡±


    ¡°Not just them,¡± Gashton said with a sigh as he strummed his fingers ¡°We got word of a powerful mage from the City and some mages from the Bodring kingdom pairing up with the Rodring kingdom. Everyone is involved now. Every major human power in the world is coming for a piece of you. There was an unspoken relief when Salamede spoke of some plan to divest ourselves of this mess. Your heavy involvement with us has a lot of people on edge now that the hammer is dropping.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. But if I just disappeared, we both know which two groups they¡¯d go after.¡±


    Gashton bit his lip as he nodded, knowing all too well of my misadventures with the Coalition and the Kelton community. At that, Gula stepped forward and pulled down my cloth cover to kiss me. When she finished, she plastered herself against my right side.


    ¡°But he has a way to deal with all of it.¡±


    Gashton raised his eyebrows at her smug tone and looked at me with a hint of eagerness in his eyes. Not keeping him in suspense, I told him of my plan and how the dwarves could help assure that there would be the proper assignment of blame at the end of it.


    ¡°Simple, yet effective.¡± He said at the end.


    ¡°Well, what say you?¡± I asked, a note of eagerness now coming clear through on my end.


    The dwarf veteran nodded with a sway of his grey beard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be eager to accept. This gets you out of our land and someone else gets the executioners axe. Any amount of our materials would be worth trading if it meant getting ahold of your crafting secret. Which will be promptly delivered as I¡¯d bet a year¡¯s pay no one in the council will be dumb enough to hold up the proceedings. Good day to you, quad mage. You¡¯ve certainly given me one.¡± He said with an outstretched hand, which I promptly shook.


    After he shook Gula¡¯s hand, he turned around and went back to his troop. They moved off as the Frojan came from the ship to help us move the boxes and chests. I spent the rest of the day with Cell, various members of the Frojan, and the two brothers making chests with expanded storage. When a dozen space expanded chests, each nearly a full ships hold themselves, were completed, all the casters laid sprawled on the deck from exhaustion.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Jeff moaned to my left, laying near the younger red Frojan while I finished up a swig of water from my cup as I sat on a crate. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you scions keep up with this much spell work.¡±


    Andrew was leaning against the railing to the right and just shrugged.


    ¡°It comes with the turf.¡± He said idly.


    ¡°When it¡¯s as easy as breathing, endurance counts for very little. Though bigger single spells still hurt like hell if the scale is large enough,¡± I said, wincing at the memory of taking out the underground base near the swamps. Hours of agony were worth it in the end, but it didn¡¯t make the memory any less unpleasant.


    ¡°Time heals it better than anything else is what the doctor said,¡± The rough voice of Salamede called out from the hatch on the left. She held a platter of sandwiches and was followed by Durka carrying a pitcher of water. Behind her was Gula carrying a tray of mugs, both mother and daughter were now done up in brown dresses and flowing white shirts.


    ¡°Damn,¡± One of the older brown Frojan exclaimed. ¡°Gula wearing a dress. The winds of change are truly blowing through the world.¡±


    She stiffened her upper lip and gave him a solid kick in the shin before placing a mug in his webbed hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s because my pants got so dirty from carrying your worthless hide across the snow. Now fill your mouth before I ask Salamede to toss your portion of food over the side of the ship.¡±


    A few light chuckles sounded out as we settled in for a lunch. As the meal of sliced bread with chicken in the middle was nearly completed, Salamede got up from my right for an announcement.


    ¡°After we¡¯re done here, I¡¯ll start teaching each of you the technique for making the crafts.¡±


    All the mages eyebrows shot up at that followed by a few of the Frojan and Jeff scurrying forward.


    ¡°How could you?¡± The dual mage asked with a raised right eyebrow.


    Salamede raised her right eyebrow and put her hands to her green dresses hips.


    ¡°By instructing you. I can¡¯t see your crafts, but when I show off mine, you¡¯ll see that I know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°I¡­yes. I know that. How could you have become a crafter? I¡¯m certain the magical resources needed to make you one would be immense.¡±


    Her grey fur ruffled from her smug smile as she turned around.


    ¡°Eli was quite generous in giving out his magical bounty. At least to me. Something that will continue as I need every advantage I can get in the coming trials.¡± Her white eyes met mine as she reached for a few bark pieces behind her crate. The long lick of her lips suggested she fully intended to take that advantage, just as she had earlier. Not trusting myself to keep the mood out of my eyes, I lifted my mug for a long swig.


    For a few days, it continued in much the same manner. Salamede instructed the magically gifted, I worked on chests and some small items for our eventual home. At night, Gula shared our bed but never partook of our marriage bonds, even if they weren¡¯t made official by a ceremony. Their legitimacy was something that I asked her about as we lay in the blue and white bed with both of them in night gowns and using my bare chest as a pillow.


    ¡°Is that really it? Just a simple yes?¡± I asked as I watched the moonlight pour out of the window.


    ¡°Eli, it¡¯s not like marriage is really a thing for orcs. Getting a kid consensually is about as far as romantic aspirations go.¡± Gula idly said as she mussed my hair for a moment before sticking her sharp chin back into my side.


    ¡°You¡¯re not just an orc, you¡¯re my woman. And by god, I want everyone to know it. Everyone who should know it, anyway,¡± I pouted. Her green lips wobbled as she got an uncertain look.


    ¡°Gula,¡± Salamede said with a reach over my chest to rub the soft lace covered shoulder of the orc. ¡°You¡¯re going to be bigger than Borba. Bigger than any orc that has ever come before you. When we have other orcs here, you¡¯re going to be defining what an orc is. Do try to use that power for good and don¡¯t let the bitter thoughts of your mind out. If you say ¡®this is what an orc is¡¯, that will be the truth from then on to all who hear it. For who could say what an orc ought to be if not the one who snagged a marriage vow from the greatest mage in history?¡±


    Gula¡¯s golden eyes went wide as saucers, stretching the vertical scar along her left eye. She bit her lip before burying her face in my shoulder, not saying a word. That prompted a little smile out of me. Kissing her head before turning to kiss Salamede, I drifted to sleep and was awoken by the day all too soon.


    The dwarves had arrived with the needed prisoner.


    Drugged into a coma, the doomed gang member had the needed body frame and with my healing magic, he soon had the needed features and lack of tattoos. This time, Gashton arrived in the morning sun with several carriages piled high with bars of steel, copper, and slabs of graphite. As I walked over the snow-covered field, my breath leaving a fog where it escaped my cloth cover, one dwarf jumped out of the door of one of the carriages to the right.


    He had wild brown hair, a big nose, and a manic look in his ruby eyes as his brown leather coat and grey pants with matching shirt fluttered from his sprint towards me. The newcomer stopped right by Gashton, practically hopping in place with his brown boots. A look passed over the veterans face before he coughed into his hand.


    ¡°Most grand mage, I am pleased to introduce the leader of the Deven League¡¯s magical resource and crafting research initiative, Maldran.¡±


    Not wasting a second, Maldran stepped forward, hand outstretched and the smile of an eager child left undisguised.


    ¡°Well, Maldran, today is the day.¡± I said with a grand gesture towards the crate on my right with  long pieces of bark laying atop it.


    ¡°The craft was most amazing, though your promise was not completely true as it was not totally immune to spell attacks.¡± He said to my right with an eager tone as we started walking to the crate.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, raising an eyebrow over my cloth face mask.


    ¡°Pff!¡± Gashton scoffed to my left, ¡°Yeah, I suppose if you count only barely being overwhelmed by over a dozen earth and fire spells all at once a failing, you could say it was a false promise. I think the council were all the more impressed after that test.¡±


    The sound of moving golems and the grind of metal being moved sounded out as the workers started filling the various chests to the brim. There were a few food items, but I could make whatever food I needed with plant magic or fishing. As the big, almost spherical golems moved my goods, I grabbed the piece of bark off of the crate. Sure, there were probably grander pieces to use for this demonstration. But there was something about using bark pieces to sus out the intricacies of crafting that reminded me of a less¡­ extreme time. Even if that time existed only for a few weeks.


    Gashton struggled through the pulse concept, but Maldran¡¯s red eyes went wider and wider as he grasped the implications of communication between the squares. After a few tries, he got the basics of the concept down. When the enchantment he created on one piece of bark put out a solid bar of fire, I hit it with a blast of wind. After the initial failure period as the mana moved between the squares, the bar of hot flame reformed.


    The look of innocent wonder on his face sent a pang of jealousy through me. As thrilling as it was to implement these techniques and technologies, there was a special wonder about getting to experience it for the first time that I was going to be forever denied. Gashton seemed impressed, though more so for what the practical affects rather than the intricacies behind the technical explanation.


    ¡°Marvelous!,¡± Maldran exclaimed as he put his own gust of heat into the enchantment with a fire construct in his right palm, ¡°To think you came up with this in a basement with nothing to work with but bark pieces! The implications of this. I¡¯m trying to think of all the crafts we could make or change to the forges but the enormity of what I¡¯ve learned these past few minutes¡­ Oh, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be bored for many years hence.¡±


    I gave a gracious bow before turning to Gashton to my right.


    ¡°Am I correct in assuming that our deal has concluded?¡± I said to the two dwarves. A shake of messy brown hair from the researcher confirmed it to Gashton, who promptly stuck out a hand to me again. Taking the hand, I made sure to look him in the emerald eyes before looking over towards the right.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Gashton nodded with a small grin. ¡°If time or circumstance ever allows you to visit us, know you will receive a kings welcome.¡±


    I absently acknowledged the gesture before I found the carriage that held the prisoner.


    ¡°How long until you¡¯re ready to move out?¡± I asked as I turned back to him.


    Gashton bit his lower lip as he followed my gaze.


    ¡°Now, actually.¡±


    I looked back to him with a raised eyebrow. He huffed before he started walking off with Maldran and briefly turned around.


    ¡°You may have had a few light days, but it¡¯s been anything but relaxing for the rest of us. When the armies turned towards here, a lot of the civilians got moved further west while some held up in that backwoods town with big square houses. The affection the undead have for that place pushed the Phoenix Empire and the Mist pirates to take a few longer backroads since such fighting would be a longer delay. Still, they¡¯ll be in this region in the next day or so since the coalitions efforts to slow them down have been side-stepped. I¡¯d suggest you not actually be here. When they find your body, we¡¯ll need to make sure they have nowhere else to look or blame.¡±


    With that he did a light salute before stomping off through the snow back to his men, who were now nearly done with their labor. Despite the long line of carriages, it was only the last one that was left with no chest to dump off its cargo of steel and copper bars. With one final wave goodbye, I helped the Frojan move the chests up the ship and into the hold. As I placed one in the crowded lower hold, I felt a tap on my right shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the last chest coming in now. We¡¯re ready to shove off if you are.¡± One larger blue Frojan said with a shake of his white shirt as he went back into the mid-section. Walking up the stairs, I headed up the main hatch and into the bitter winter cold. While the sudden temperature change was bracing, the cold got a lot better when I came up to the steering wheel and its various levers. Considering we may have one person flying for hours at a time, I made it a wide chair with heating enchantments to warm the cushions and air just above it along with a water repulsion field for rain.


    Around me were the Frojan sprinkled about with the brothers and Andrews familiar to my right and to my left were my wives with their mothers. Lokan lounged around the back of the chair and kept her body temperature up with a thick brown blanket wrapped around her. Cell dropped down from somewhere up in the balloons scaffolding and ropes. After he sent me a spirit connection filled with vague feelings of warmth, I gripped the wheel and pulled down one lever.


    The huge steel pipe in the middle of the flat deck sent up a blast of heated air into the cloth construct wrapped around its end. When the cloth stretched around the steel frame, we lifted off he ground. There was a hard shift to the left as the wind pushed us around from our newfound freedom. Though I was more focused on the cries of the brothers who were hysterically clinging to the thick wooden railing.


    ¡°I thought this thing was a boat!¡± Jeff shouted as he looked on in disbelief at the ground that was now pulling away from us. Andrew didn¡¯t even try to comprehend what was happening, instead opting to run down the hatch and back towards something he could understand.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Baloo called, looking like he wanted to puke, ¡°But Gula said once you get used to it, it is a lot like being in a boat. Just don¡¯t ever look down or throw anything over the side. You¡¯ll only panic yourself when you realize how long it takes to hit the ground.¡±


    Jeff nodded with sucked in lips as he couldn¡¯t look away from the shrinking landscape. I was going to give him a piece of my own advice when I saw his eyes turn up. Looking past him, I saw what drew his gaze. It was a long company comprised of dozens of lines of dwarves with long ballistae¡¯s and magical cannons between them. It would be quite a convincing show of force for anyone questioning their true intentions.


    After some time spent zipping over the landscape, I finally saw the two other guests to the party far, far below me. I was alone now as the others couldn¡¯t stay in the cold and Cell liked playing with his familiar friend down in the bowels of the ship. Which was just as well as this felt like a very private moment. Along the white canvas that laid beyond the railing was a rising mountain of steam with the sharp, hard legs of various smaller crustaceans along the steams edges. Smaller, as they only seemed to be the size of small mansions or larger houses. Occasionally, I could see the swing of some humongous, long leg that had proportions suggesting the mountain had a living center. Each swing was promptly followed by a loud crunch and the sound of churning soil.


    Further off to the right, were the phoenixes. They were blasting waves of fire into the snow-covered grounds to make way for the troops below. A frenzied need had taken hold of them that was so great, they were leveling hills and mounds of dirt as they did so. The two had yet to come to blows as their prey was within¡­


    Turning around, I finally recognized the mountain off in the distance. It was one I had worked around when I had trudged through this region in my earlier days here. My mental map of the area formed in my head, laying out roads, hills, and cliffs as I followed my minds eyes to the two armies targets.


    A multi-story castle with white teeth painted around its walls.


    For all of that miserable gang leaders smarts, Maw, he let obsession get the better of him. He couldn¡¯t let the quad mage go and decided to get his revenge, consequences to his betters be dammed. An all too common thing when magicless peasants get uppity and develop foolish fantasies of getting involved in the lofty heights of magical affairs. Such mighty dreams only cloud their already dim wits.


    Or something to that affect will be said when the torturers are using every trick, tool, and technique of their craft to extract their vengeance out of him. Or when he¡¯s being fed to the giant crabs. Or being pecked to death by the phoenixes. Who knows what inventive and creative energy will be found for his fate when the silver haired, purple eyed body is found under a crumbled wall.


    A wall that the dwarven spies made sure crushes the esteemed prisoner beyond recognition while still leaving a purple eyes off to the side and silver hair plain as day.


    And what objection will he and his compatriots have then?


    After all, when confronted with the fact that the scouts found the bodies of his men left behind at the attack site, along with a few rangers, will he still play the stupid, unknowing man then? What play on words or chain of lies will he and his army of sycophants weave to their captors in the smoking ruins of their stronghold to try and save themselves from their leaders own hubris?


    A cruel smile crept up my face.


    Good luck.


    Assholes.


    The ship paid no heed to my musings, though, and quickly sped past the two marching armies and on towards the western regions. After another long draught of eventless flight, an unexpectedly sad sight greeted me. It was the fields around the academy town. I couldn¡¯t quite make out the gleaming walls and central tower of white from this distance, but I knew enough of the land and curves of the river to establish it was a bit further towards the left, if memory served me well.


    For a brief moment, I saw the places I would have put skyscrapers. I saw the massive airport, universities, server complexes, and hydro farms I would have built here. Along the banks and hills of these lands I could have built a future beyond anything anyone here could have ever dreamed. In this moment of time, I, perhaps for the first time, began to truly feel the loss of that future. All the good I could have done, all the wonders and innovations I could have¡­ would have brought to the every-day lives of the struggling masses through the workings of my own hands.


    It was all gone.


    And it wouldn¡¯t be coming back for a very, very long time.


    At what point was it lost? Was it after the tournament? Or perhaps when the censure came down, that was when the supports gave out and the whole project was destined to fall through. The government going after Salamede? It was well and truly gone then, but the things leading up to it were what set that in motion.


    Maybe if I had been a little more patient, less paranoid. If I had guarded my heart a bit more and not let Salamede and Gula grip it to the point I felt happy just being near them. I wouldn¡¯t put out children from dozens of different women, so maybe that¡­.


    I smirked to myself as I adjusted my position in my seat.


    An old man stuck on the how¡¯s and what if¡¯s of the past. That¡¯s what I was right now. The future is what I needed to be focused on. That provided a decidedly less appealing visage though. Blood, horror, and hatred were what lay before me now.


    I pondered on that for a while before I heard a laugh from below deck. It was a pure thing from Gula, followed by a chortle from Salamede. Stiffening my spine, I shook my head as the ship shot over the landscape. The cloud enchantments continued billowing mist along the hull as the still low sun shined over the white hills and fields below.


    Love.


    And all the bloodshed, pain, and despair I would inflict on this world to protect it.


    That was my future now.


    The deck tilted from a gust of wind before the ship righted itself. With that, we left these lands behind and towards far colder, drearier wastes of freezing seas and meager food. At least, until that day when we would stand tall and return to drag this place into a better future.

 Chapter 106: New Home on A New Shore

    Eli POV


    Salt.


    As my eyes opened to the stone ceiling I had lovingly crafted bathed in a golden glow, that was the first thing I thought of. It was the first thing I tasted, smelled, and thought of every morning. So prevalent was the sensation, I felt the kitchen could go without a single speck of that white rock and serve perfectly seasoned food. Getting up, I pushed the brown blanket forward as I stretched in the flickering light of the mana lamp above. The room was wide and empty even as the stone was smooth and flowing from craftsmanship that would make it look at home in the palaces of royalty. Its lack of furniture had irked Salamede but she understood our wood-making resources were needed elsewhere.


    I was alone this morning, an unusual occurrence nowadays as my two wives had taken great pride in being the ones to warm my bed but they showed me some consideration. Last night we had started working on the heating and laying the bare measurements for the plumbing system. Soaked from the rain and freezing in the cold, I had pushed through to finish the last item that would make this place a bulwark of civilization against the wilds of the Central Continent. The night had gone on far longer than previous working shifts but as the air on my skin didn¡¯t immediately try to slap me with crippling hypothermia, I could only conclude it was worth every second of numbing ache.


    Knowing my wives were seeing to any number of the needed tasks around here, I got up from my warm abode and my feet immediately protested as I stood on the right side of the bed. Taking a moment to acknowledge their objection, I pressed on towards the oak door on the left of the room. Taking a quick shower and seeing to other daily needs, I got dressed in a white shirt and brown pants and moved towards the iron door opposite of my bed, picking up the new smiling metal mask I had made from the floor along the way. After fastening it, I opened the door and came out into a small tunnel. It was a straight shot forward as the sunlight filtered through the holes in the crude glass, water, and iron beams above the stone lower half.


    Having a giant fortress standing out amongst the waves and rocks would be a fantastic way to call every eye for miles towards us. Given that, I made everything just below the surface of the water or covered in a layer of stone made to mimic the natural contours of the island. Long tunnels designed to look like the hard, craggy rocks of the island we landed on now snaked around the outside of the various small pieces of land that dotted this place.


    At least, where the natives hadn¡¯t already staked a claim.


    Walking forward, I came up to the thick iron door at the end of the hallway. As the screech rang out, the door revealed the meeting room. It was wide with jutting columns on the sides, stone walls dotted at the top with mana lamps, and a huge round table in the middle with a dozen seats. It had two entrances, one on the left towards the main hall and one on the right which lead out into the huge workshop that served as a maintenance and unloading area for the vehicle bay it connected to. Taking off to the left, I went through the double doors and into the wide-open hallway that served as the main entrance to the base from the outside through the doors opposite my entrance.


    The iron double doors on the left held the kitchen and long tables, while those on the right took you to either the main sleeping area or the forge depending on where you wanted to go. I had gotten more than enough time in the forge last night and wanted to eat my breakfast. Going toward the kitchen, I opened it to see a few of the Frojan at the corner closest to the door resting around bowls of spicy fish stew and water. The poor frogmen had been earning their meals these past few days despite their lack of magical contribution to the stonework.


    Glass had been a needed component for the windows and they had to go scrape it off the ocean floor, on top of doing the fishing, as they were the only ones who gracefully moved in the water. That was dangerous work, but some new magical crafts I made for them gave a good shock to any passerby looking for a quick meal. Salt, however, disagreed with their skin more than ours and it seemed that no amount of spraying water could get the stuff totally off them.


    ¡°Quad mage!¡± An older brown one called with a raised mug. The rest nodded towards me with smiles across their wide mouths. However hard they had been worked, the introduction of heating through the vents around the base had lifted their moods considerably. Something the wide double vents on the bottom of the left and right walls was providing in abundance.


    ¡°Feels almost like summer when I woke up this morning. Maybe that science stuff has some actual use.¡± Baloo called near the back of his pack of Frojan, the big green fellow laying back in a brown coat. This place apparently induced some desire for new attire in him, but those disk-like amber eyes of his showed the same old laid-back attitude he always had.


    ¡°Only the beginning, gentlemen,¡± I said with a slight nod as I went towards the kitchen on the left. They had worked as hard as I had these past few days but their water element meant setting up the enchantments for the heater near the center of the base and making the smaller tunnels around all of the rooms could only be done by me and Cell, my familiar. It may have been easier to keep using a bunch of smaller heaters with their own copper spheres to power them, but those would take up premium living space and they didn¡¯t scale as well as a central heating station if I wanted to expand my home in the future.


    Going up to the long open face of the kitchen, the grey stone still serving as walls and floors, but magically expanded wood was the top of the bar through which the kitchen behind it would dispense its labors.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I called to Salamede¡¯s mother working at an oven. She was just a head or so taller than her workstation, a comparison that her goat-like head with its stubby brown horns made rather difficult. Though the brown dress that matched her fur had no stains on it that would indicate she was struggling. The setup was more industrial than she was used to, with big stone ovens along the back, wide heaters on the left of the floor to lay down big pots, and frying stations on the right. It was a lot to take in for the small brown Kelton woman at first but any fears about needing to make adjustments were quickly proven unfounded. After a few hours of practice, she worked the stoves, ladles hanging from hooks along the walls, and cutlery with that ease and skill that only a seasoned veteran of the kitchen could.


    She turned from the cakes she was cooking on a flattop in the back to nod towards me. With a quick look to see me take a bowl from the stack on the left and pour myself some oatmeal from a steaming pot, she turned her white eyes back to her work. Quickly stuffing myself and finishing my meal with a quick swig of water from a mug, I made my way back out of the cafeteria and took a left to get a quick peep outside. While not strictly needed, the occasional bit of sunlight helped keep the mind balanced.


    Opening the double iron doors, I came into a rather dreary room with only a single mana lamp in the back of the small place for light. The main item of interest, and the only way into the base from on foot, was the metal ladder with wooden pads on the steps. Taking it up into a slightly darker tunnel above, I reached the top and fumbled for a moment. After a few fruitless seconds, my hand eventually found the handle I was groping for.


    A blast of natural light hit me in the face as I pushed the rocky top upward. The light hit me almost as quickly as the pure, salty air. More seasoning than oxygen, it seized my senses but I was mostly focused on what my eyes were telling me. Out across the wastes were dips and curves of stone with puddles of near white water before the bare hint of waves beyond showed the extent of the unnatural parts of the island near the edge of my vision. A few of the shaggy rocks that made up the actual land could be seen near on the right, while our more distant neighboring lands could be seen off in the distance to the left. Nearer on the left, a large brown fish was thrashing in the sea by the stone outcropping in the water.


    I saw the ocean waves past the splashing but it wasn¡¯t what drew my eyes at first. It was, of course, the barnacles hopping in rocks across the stone wastes. Those crustaceans of this world had taken their magicless cousin''s craft and expanded it with their earth element magic. Between the sharp rocks on the right that made up the islands proper was an endless mass of concrete-like excretions that colonies of the little nuisances made. They seemed to make a whole island out of these rocks, but occasional deep fissures caused the pseudo land to crumble into the sea. When that happened, it took a few hours, but eventually, the barnacles would propel themselves through the water in small balls of mud, remaking lost bridges and shoring up holes in defenses, the latter of which was the reason everything was so salty.


    Whether by special filtering appendages or more use of earth magic, the barnacles would collect the salt in the ocean water and put it in pools sprinkled throughout their home. Anything that managed to break the stone exterior would get a good choking in a white cloud. Something the unfortunate fish on the left was discovering.


    Combined with the razor-sharp stone on land preventing travel over their home, our neighbors had a near-death grip on this corner of the world and made us fight for every damn inch of this place. Fortunately, crafts had no energy requirements beyond mana and gradually pushed them away for our own space. Unlike in the Coalition, mana was so thick here it came in flowing streams and cloud, leaving us with no concerns on that front.


    As I closed the hatch, I remembered where I needed to be. Going down and back through the hallway, past the meeting room, and into the workshop, I saw part of my two wives ¡¯ project for the day. Long racks filled with bars of metal and special wooden slabs clung to both sides of the walls. It was a large room, though. Three long tables designed to hold the immense weights of furnace parts or long sprawling sheets of plant fiber for balloons sat in the middle. The one on the right had my wife Gula and her mother Durka. Gula¡¯s long bang of black hair twirled when she looked at me, her gold eyes filled with pride as her sharp chin pulled with her smile.


    Walking up to her, I was getting ready to say hello when she scrunched up her nose and raised her eyebrows, distorting the horizontal scar on her nose and the vertical scar across her left eye. She was having another one of those moments of hesitation, a very recent and very unwelcome addition to our marriage. Taking the initiative, I pulled down my mask and kissed her, playing her smoky, spicy flavor across my tongue. A satisfying bit of flavor in these spiceless lands.


    After a few seconds of savoring each other¡¯s tastes, she pulled back and turned back towards the two pieces of wood she was working on with her mother. They seemed to be making the steering wheel, with a few of the springs and clumps of metal strewn over the table. The slabs were a smaller part of a time-saving initiative I had brewed up on my way to these waters.


    I could do everything myself, of course. But fobbing off as much work as possible to others if they could make a quality product was preferable when I could spend that time remaking the connector. Each slab of wood had a special black indent on it that would activate the enchantment. On the back of each piece were instructions on what it did burned into the wood. Once several pieces were complete, the assembly instructions would show them how to bring them together and fit them into the destined vehicle, building, soldier¡¯s armor, etc.


    ¡°Damn gears can¡¯t seem to turn right,¡± Durka said with a flare of her ridged nose. The muscular Orc had a leather apron and grey shirt with brown pants to match her daughters. Her three cornrows on the left side of her head were unmoved even as her two long brown braids swayed with her irritated shake as the two gears in front of her wouldn¡¯t quite fit as they should.


    Moving a bit closer to them, the problem was immediately apparent to me.


    ¡°This gear,¡± I said, pointing to the right one, ¡°Is a bit smaller than the other.¡±


    They both looked at the interlocking metal with looks of frustration.


    ¡°I thought it was a large gear.¡± Durka fussed with puckered lips.


    ¡°It is one of the larger ones. But being a large gear is not the same as being the right gear.¡± I explained patiently as I walked them through the whole process again.


    When I had first set up this process of creating all of our machine parts, it had been a pain to explain the steps to everyone. More than eight times I had to burn out some instructions and rewrite them because I used technical terms or made assumptions of knowledge that were far outside the intended user''s scope. Still, it was easier to correct it all now rather than later when we had a few ships or furnaces riddled with unusable junk and I had to correct the thinking of several hundred people rather than a dozen-plus.


    ¡®Mother has been quite adamant on us completing one ship together. I think she spent more time looking over the steering wheel and furnace than anything else on the trip here.¡¯ Gula said in a spirit connection, her words coming into my mind through an electric sensation across my arms skin.


    ¡®Good. Now I know who to stick the teaching job with for the newcomers.¡¯


    Gula got a small smile that went unnoticed by her mother. The bulkier Orc was too busy licking her lips and small tusks as she looked over the instructions again. With a small nod, I walked over to the right towards the wide-open entrance directly opposite the one I had entered through. The vehicle bay was large enough to store three of the house-sized vessels that brought us here. The walls and roof were the ubiquitous stone dotted with mana lamps and a hatch near the back of the right wall.


    With the original in the back of the cavernous space, the makings of the next ship were in the middle. It was more of an interceptor with the girth of something between a regular boat and the hulking mass of its predecessor. A bare hull and a few odd bits of steel sticking out along the sides of the flat-bottomed ship showed considerable progress compared to the empty shell it had been a few days ago.


    On my left were the huge double iron doors connecting the bay to the furnace area, resembling those in a hangar more than the ones used in the rest of the building. They were open and in the adjacent room, I saw the industrial heart of our home. Along the right were two furnaces, each having large heating coils below a graphite bowl in a thick stone frame and behind them were racks of ever whirring copper spheres with wires going into the back of the graphite frame.


    There was an assorted array of iron and steel bars stacked in large neat piles by the left side of the large room. With the great increase in mana here, we could manipulate the metal without making it red hot first and still have multiple large crafts going. Still, future-proofing would require people to become comfortable with using molten metals when we had a large fleet of ships that had to be made and maintained. Mentally noting to put in a smaller forge in the workshop, and all subsequent fire safety measures, I walked forward towards the wide center of the room where Salamede and Lokan were working on the long, flat bars of steel that would eventually become the shell to hold the balloon when the ship was landed but might need to take off in a few minutes. I was looking towards the large doubled doored hatch to the left wall, reliving the freezing hell of last night when my thoughts were interrupted.


    ¡°Ah, Dear.¡± Salamede¡¯s delighted voice called to me as she got up from the middle of the group. Her smooth cheekbones and grey fur were the same as always, though her white shirt and brown pants, borrowed from my wardrobe, were a big divergence from her typical dress. The straight ivory horns above her head moved with her moving over various long bands of metal that the two had been working on with enchantments on the slabs of wood in their hands gradually molding them together.


    My Kelton wife quickly got her morning kiss in, complete with a nose rub, before she turned to look back towards her day''s goal.


    ¡°You know, this-s would go a lot faster if we did it on the s-ship,¡± Lokan said in the usual drawl of her kind. The blue snake woman had a darker blue along the top side of her body, with a lighter, almost sky blue, belly, and lower jaw. Her slitted red eyes would look rather intimidating if they didn¡¯t hold a bored look as she worked the cross-section of two of the steel ribbons together. All the while making sure her purple robe and ever-present grey blanket didn¡¯t get in the way.


    ¡°I know. But sometimes we may have too many other ships coming and going to have construction crews walking around the launch pad. Also, if a ship is damaged enough, teams may need to start making parts and replacements that don¡¯t currently have anything to attach to.¡±


    She huffed but merely nodded.


    ¡°Aye. Should have known better than to question someone s-so experienced.¡±


    I opened my mouth but Salamede put her left hand, distinctly human as was everything from her collar bone down, on my chest.


    ¡°He knows a lot. He also knows enough to listen to others when needed. Don¡¯t hesitate to ask questions about what he¡¯s doing here or tells you to do.¡±


    ¡°What we¡¯re doing here.¡± I quickly put in with a hand on my wife''s hips. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s put in the hours to get things up and running.¡±


    The snake woman smiled before turning back towards her work. Salamede gave me another kiss on the cheek before sitting back down amongst the pile of metal bands. As I took a few steps onward, I did a quick lookover on the latest project. Sitting on the floor to the right of the stacks of metal bars were long troughs of wood. These would act as the garden beds for our magical farms. In each were plant-growing enchantments that would make our crops grow much faster than normal. How much faster and the amount of mana that would be needed wasn¡¯t a precise art but I felt I had a general grasp on the metrics involved.


    Cell and Andrew¡¯s familiar were out surfing around outside somewhere. As dangerous as these lands were, being cooped up in here for so long had been a lot harder on the familiars than the rest of us. The crude surfboard and the air boosted armor I gave the fire ape let him have some fun with Cell and some of the younger Frojan. The fact it also served as a scouting trip to give us a better picture of the surrounding islands meant their time wasn¡¯t totally wasted.


    After a few hours, I had put in all of the enchantments I needed. It was close to lunch, but I wanted to at least get one board up and running to start getting some data on the plants, mana needs, etc. Walking through the smaller double doors of the furnace area, I came into the main living quarters where everyone would be staying. It was row after row of doors with stairs on the left and right leading up to nine open floors. What also drew my attention was the tendrils of smoke crawling along the ceiling.


    Looking further ahead, I saw the two I had put in charge of fire safety. Andrew was on the left side of the third floor while Jeff pulled out air from a smoking room with a green mana construct in his hand. The simple circle with a triangle in the middle was the basis of the wind spell that was trying to suffocate the fire within the room. Walking up the metal stairs, I stopped beside Andrew who was leaning against the rail with both arms crossed.


    ¡°You were right,¡± Andrew said with a shake of his shoulder-length red hair. Those strong cheekbones had some of the hair play across them as the 6¡¯1 man looked at the room with oceanic teal eyes that saw nothing of interest. ¡°Even when we take away the air and suppress the fire with magic, it just re-ignites itself when we stop.¡±


    Jeff was off to the right, his black hair now had the same length as his brothers, though his slight chin didn¡¯t have the same pucker that his brothers had at the moment. Even as he worked the air spell, the man had a certain¡­ lifeless quality about him, accentuated by the mindless stare of his oceanic eyes into the flames. The smooth cheekbones on his face had little color and his frame showed he had only been eating enough to meet his bare needs.


    He was only eighteen or so, yet he had to deal with one of the most painful things a man could be put through. With the loss of his beloved and bloody vengeance extracted, the animating energy of his rage had cooled. I gave a few words of encouragement here and there, but what he decided to do or feel in the coming months was something only he could determine. Still, it was a variable I would have to keep an eye on.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said with a nod ¡°The Frojan can set up the mist spewing suits we¡¯ll give to everyone. Jeff, you can help set up an air bubble for the suits while Andrew starts working on the slabs of wood for fire suppression. Make sure the Frojan know to make the mist quickly disappear after being formed or the suits will only accomplish boiling the wearer to death as opposed to saving them.¡±


    The two brothers nodded before moving back for me to put the fire out properly. After dousing the fire out, I went to the sixth floor. There were three more floors above that as nine floors were as high as I felt comfortable making the dorms even with the solid rock and metal skeletons. At the end of the walkway, I started making using magic to dig into the stone rock.


    I was forming the next big room that would be our mana-fueled farm. It was going to be stacks of long wooden troughs with mana lamps on the bottom to provide light for the plants below it. The whole layout of the base would be rather unconventional, as having massive dedicated rooms was the better choice considering how well generators and electrical equipment scaled with size. For now, though, mana, not electricity, would be fueling most of our devices.


    And since mana was spewed forth from the earth, and not a well-designed machine, things had to be a lot more spread out than I would typically have them. I was thinking layers of civilian manufacturers like woodworkers, tanners, and farmers each with chutes to take things down to the lower floors while potentially dangerous items like furnaces would be kept on the ground floor. As stone was moved and torn, I went over all of the dimensions involved in my head. The idea of hitting a lava vein was thankfully not a concern, as Cell had gone through the hard rock that formed these islands and found no evidence of any active magma coursing through the island. Leaving me to dig through the stone up through the tall island, the brothers promptly vacated the area.


    It was a few more hours of stone shifting, wood growing then enchanting, and strengthening the wooden layers in the stone to make sure our neighbors couldn¡¯t instantly shift our walls. After putting on the needed grooves to fit the troughs into the wall. Getting them here would be a pain, but we would only have to do it once by hand. This new area, and subsequent expansions, would be dug directly into these stony islands. Airflow wasn¡¯t a concern right now, but I had made the needed tunnels for it when I made the central heating as it¡¯s around the third floor of installations that I would guess that a dedicated airflow system would be needed.


    Leaving a hole in the layers of wood by the side opposite of the entrance, it would serve as the entrance to the future shaft that would be transporting all of our goods. For now, I spent the rest of the day moving the long garden beds into their needed positions with magic, sweat, and muscle. After a quick lunch of grains and dried berries, I started the project of filling up the troughs with rich soil from around the island''s sea bed and putting the rest of the finishing touches into place. Untouched by man for thousands of years, endless generations of fish and their bodies fed the rich soil that would in turn be feeding us.


    Magical farming, contrary to most regular farming, was extremely dangerous if done improperly. Sure, the potatoes, carrots, and onions that would make up our first batch of crops would be magically enhanced from the growing spells. But they would mostly be growing fast as opposed to developing their magical enhancement properties. So they wouldn¡¯t be dangerous, but if any worms or other pests started feeding on them, they could kill a regular farmworker.


    After spending a few minutes in the furnaces to burn out any potential future super predators, the soil was moved by the Frojan and me into their homes. As the troughs were fused into their holes in the wall, the two brothers put their fire elements to work making mana lamps. Their main material came from the strips of leather along the vehicle bay that soaked in the ambient mana to make the crystal shell for the inner flame enchantment.


    These weren¡¯t the regular diamond-shaped mana lamps, rather curved long pieces that provided the light of several of its smaller cousins. Fitting along the bottom of the garden beds, they would save a lot of time compared to having to turn off six of the typical lamps. A few seconds saved over several dozen troughs would free up a lot of manpower if we had a few facilities like these in the future. Along the walls and by the doors, several of the more typical diamond-shaped mana lamps were installed. As I was putting in the stone steps beside each stack of the long gardens, Salamede came in with sacks of the seeds.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Nice,¡± She said as she put down the last sack and looked around the barn-sized room with six rows of tube-shaped garden beds. They were spaced evenly apart with a stone staircase between each except for the middle two. I was currently putting the railing on the last staircase and came down to let the frogmen with buckets of soil move up. Walking across the stone floor, Salamede put out her arms to take me in a hug and a kiss. A kiss she took only a moment to savor before pulling away.


    ¡°Dinners ready, in case you were wondering,¡± She said to the chorus of excited grunts from all. Everyone promptly left but I had to stay behind for a minute to magically manipulate the wood of the last few troughs around their long mana lamps but quickly finished.


    Leaving the newest addition to our home, I headed towards the cafeteria. It was a lively affair despite the samey feast. The meal consisted of the always served fish stew, water, and fresh bread. For all of the magic in this world, sea-going cows, pigs, and chickens were apparently too much to ask for. It was a rather routine meal, but as the Frojan scattered around the tables, the brothers sat off to the right with Salamede and her mother, and Gula worked the pots with her mother, I noticed the now tolerable temperature had made everyone a bit livelier.


    It was hard going in the first few days, but the past two or so weeks had seen a cold hole in the stone turn into a proper home. The central heating was a massive project that I took as an opportunity to make some room for future plumbing alongside the small tunnels to move the heater air. As big of a pain as it was, we were much closer to a full setup now. Moving to get my meal from Gula, with a good slap on the Orc servers bum to flesh out that authentic tavern experience, I was accosted by the younger red Frojan on my way to the table.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, with his voice having a bit of the long squeak of mid-teen years. ¡°We did a really good job working on the heating. Though that was a bit out of our element.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but science doesn¡¯t require anyone to be born with any kind of element,¡± I responded with him walking beside me. A smile from Salamede told me I was free to sit with this younger member of our team. ¡°Just because a pump or furnace involves heat, water, or air, doesn¡¯t mean it will work more or less depending on the magical elements of the person building it.¡±


    That was a lesson I was trying to instill into our members at this early stage. Tomorrow I was going to have the two brothers, one a fire scion and the other a lightning caster, work on the plumbing with me to help disassociate what we¡¯re doing here from previous magical workings. Something the Frojan picked up on rather quickly when I was having them put together the heating coils.


    I spent my late lunch regaling the young lad with tales of my time in space, focusing mostly on one job where I worked on extracting liquid iron from a planet that was close to its sun.


    ¡°Really? The sun can get hot enough to turn mountains of iron into slag?¡± He questioned me, in between his bite into a piece of fresh bread.


    ¡°Consider how small things get the farther away they are,¡± I said with a raised finger. ¡°Now think about how big the sun still is in the sky. That sun, so many millions of miles away, still has the raw output needed to kill you if you go without cover for long.¡±


    He got a thoughtful look as I got up from the table. My meal completed, I went to work on getting the basics of the plumbing planned out. Opening the hatch in the workshop and walking down the stone steps brought me to last night''s work. A large square box of metal sat in the back left of the wide room, the ground around it littered with some ashes from the burning incense I had used for the blessing. Laying up against the curved wall and bathed in the golden glow of mana lamps, there was a silent hum and whooshing of fans coming from it as the tunnels beneath delivered heat to the entire base.


    It was a good hour of working on and measuring wooden pipes, a task I had made simpler with wooden crafts molding and growing the wooden tubes to exact sizes, when Salamede came running down the stairs.


    ¡°Eli! Visitors came back with Cell.¡± She said before turning back up towards the workshop. My heart racing, I ran up the stairs and towards the main hallway entrance, moving through the crowd of armed Orcs and Frojan as I did so, and made my way through the door that served as our only entrance above ground. Coming up the ladder and peeking out onto the salty wastes of our home, Cell immediately sent me a spirit connection as a whoosh filled the tunnel from him landing on my shoulder.


    The black mass of shifting geometry was now a little bigger than my fist and the crystal sphere that served as his head had an oblong shape to it. Whatever Cell was growing into, the visions he sent me derailed any lines of thoughts I had.


    Out on the wastes of ice, he and Gretton had come across a small gathering of miserable Keltons. If that had been all of it they would have kept moving, but they were on a large piece of ice in the middle of the freezing ocean. They quickly spotted the reason, a jellyfish the size of a house with sharp barbs flowing along the top like a mohawk had used fire spells from its long tentacles to quietly cut the small groups meager camp away from the rest of the ice sheet. I was expecting a great battle to come through the connection next, but the creature seemed too afraid to fight Cell and the fire ape over its meal and it promptly abandoned the unfortunate souls.


    It took a while after that as Cell looked around to make sure there were no prying eyes. When he saw nobody coming to aid the unfortunates, he started pulling their icy raft towards our base. The tale ended with him moving them off to the left and getting help while Gretton kept them all warm. Pushing the hatch open, the salty air with its soul-sucking cold immediately hit me but I kept on my course over the rocky land to the left.


    In a dip in the stone were a gaggle of goat-headed people and from the looks of them, I could see why the jellyfish hadn¡¯t bothered fighting for its meal. More rags than clothes, bodies with as much bones as flesh, the word destitution was practically written on their furry foreheads. Though the spell the buff fire ape to the right made this hole a bit more livable. He had wood armor over his midsection and was standing on his board near the edge of the dip into the recess below. A few of the men gamely put up sharpened sticks and tried to interpose themselves between me and the women clutching children at their breasts, their white eyes showing fear even without the irises. I wanted to say there were a dozen or so of them, but their panicked movements made a chore of counting them.


    Making no sudden movements as the sun showed a fading orange over the sky above, I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Greetings, welcome to my humble abode. I would ask what brought you here, but my friends already gave me the story. I don¡¯t know about you, but this cold doesn¡¯t agree with me. If you wouldn¡¯t mind, I could bring you in and we could talk in a much more amicable setting.¡±


    One older man huffed in the middle of the pack. He was a bit burlier than the others, with some grey in the black fur that ran down to his color bone. The spiraled brown horns shook with his head.


    ¡°And what guarantee of safety would we have?¡± He demanded with a clutched spear in hand as he whirled his brown ragged cloak and flared his snout to produce a cloud of steam.


    ¡°The guarantee that, if I had wanted to kill you or thought you had anything I want, I could just turn around and come back in the morning to pick it up from your frozen bodies. If that¡¯s not enough, I can bring one of you to make sure this isn¡¯t a trick.¡±


    There was a moment where they all looked at each other, obviously debating in spirit connections, before the older one walked forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± he said in that rough voice typical to Keltons whenever they audibly spoke.


    I raised an eyebrow but he continued.


    ¡°If you wanted to kill us, your pet would have had to do nothing. Still, the ice is not kind to trusting souls.¡±


    I got a small smile as he walked forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of familiars being called pets, but I suppose these lands are different.¡±


    He stopped dead a few feet away from me.


    ¡°Familiars? Several?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve already met mine, Cell. Gretton will keep you warm, though I cannot guarantee his scion will be as welcoming.¡±


    The meager group looked nervously between each other, the older one, conversely, seemed to relax a bit as he moved up the incline to stand in front of me.


    ¡°Well, then. I suppose we have even less reason to worry. Whether you mean us good or ill, there isn¡¯t anything we could do either way.¡± His voice laden with resignation, he followed my finger towards the open hatch. Walking with rags for shoes he had to make sure to avoid the barnavles sharp stone as he kept to the natural stone of the island before he came up to the hatch. The Kelton man looked down the hole for a moment before placing his spear to the right side. I waited a few seconds, watching his movements the entire time as he made his way down the ladder before I followed him.


    A few seconds on our way down, he suddenly stopped. I prepared an earth shield to crush him, thinking he was preparing an attack when I saw he was just flapping his ragged cloak in the warm air with one hand.


    ¡°Sorry, scion. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve felt this warm, I let it get the better of me.¡±


    His apology delivered, we started moving again.


    When we got to the bottom of the ladder, I noticed some of the Frojan and Gula waiting near the iron double doors further ahead. I noticed some questioning looks from my group so I decided to quell the tension.


    ¡°The first of our newcomers. I¡¯ll show him around with Cell. I think our guests will need a lot of food and bedding, so let¡¯s get on that.¡±


    With nods from all around, the group dispersed with Salamede in the back heading to the right towards the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, by the way?¡± I asked our newest arrival.


    ¡°Kantor.¡± He responded with a gracious nod.


    Encouraging him to go through the door, I followed behind him as he took in the huge hallway and immense stone columns on the sides. His nose, however, seemed to be in charge as it pulled him off to the right as I followed behind. Opening the double doors, his eyes took in the long rows of wooden tables though the smell of fish stew and bread quickly turned his head to the left.


    My wives, their mothers, and a few of the culinarily inclined Frojan were working the ovens and soft dough to prepare for our guests, but the days leftover bread drew his eyes as it sat in a basket at the end of the buffet bar. Despite his hunger, he still maintained his dignity and looked at the big pots, ovens, and friers with interest. Cell wasn¡¯t fooled, despite his cool demeanor. My familiar dashed through the air with a wind spell, picked up two loaves of bread in his mass of black geometry, and flew back to Kantor.


    Despite his rags and quick entrance into the cafeteria, I still found myself impressed with his self-control. Taking only a few nibbles, he looked around the room and took in the mana lamps and that omnipresent heat that had so escaped him on those sheets of ice he had previously called home.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, great mage, would it offend if I asked what you were doing in this wonderful fortress of warm stone?¡± He asked, taking only a moment before he bit into the bread again.


    ¡°Starting a new world. Though I feel it would be best if we had this conversation with everyone.¡±


    He nodded, looking at the racks of fish and doughs being prepared around the large table near the window into the kitchen. He was a strong man. But he was near withered, tired, and when those long nights of freezing winds and no food finally broke his will, the snap could almost be physically heard.


    ¡°I¡¯m not foolish enough to pretend this is a meeting of two powers. You saw how starved we are, how thin the children are. The ones who''ve survived so far, anyway.¡± The sadness in his eyes, punctuated by a puckering of his lips that pulled the skin over his smooth cheekbones, told of a slog with its price well paid. ¡°What would we need to do to be allotted even a corner of some warehouse in this place?¡±


    I nodded with a smile as the smell of freshly baked bread started wafting from the kitchen.


    ¡°Work, fighting, and everything else around here that needs doing. But, again, I think the meal would be better served before my words. Let¡¯s get everyone inside.¡±


    He nodded, turning with an eager step from where he had come.


    The next few minutes seemed to repeat on a loop as half-dead Keltons came down the ladder and had a stunned expression as they realized that the heat their meager fires could never provide was now fully encasing their emaciated forms. Then they smelled the food. The adults all had some composure, but the children and young teens paid no mind to my exquisite stonework, the unfathomable amount of mana crystals on the walls, or anything else as they ran towards the kitchen.


    As the day''s leftovers became their first proper meal in what I gathered had been weeks, the new food arrived and previously thin bellies were quickly filled. They were all on the right side of the cafeteria in a tight mass taking every loaf in the serving bowls they could. I didn¡¯t mind feeding them, as my trade with the dwarves had left us well stocked. In truth, I had been stocking supplies for a scenario where our only food income was internally generated. The bounty of edible fish here left us with enough grains, fruits, and vegetables to sustain us well past my initial guesses.


    I approached our newest members with a smile as I came from the kitchen. They looked on sheepishly, bowing their heads and refusing to meet my eyes. The adults did, at least. As they always have and always will, the youth had little regard for propriety and station as they munched away on the bounty set before them. I was going to start speaking when I noticed the black flesh accompanying frost-bite on some of their fingers.


    ¡°All right,¡± I announced to the table. ¡°I think a heavy meal and good rest is in order. But first, I¡¯ll be doing some medical inspections. Salamede! Want to come look?¡±


    The grey-furred woman had been a crafter when we set out from the Coalition. It was when she passed out during the carving of our meeting room that she finally became a caster the day after. Not just any caster, a healer no less. I had overheard some questions about where those magical resources to make her a mage had come from. It had been a bit awkward, trying to fob it off on her clan being a magically gifted one that had been forced to flee the icy wastes. That hadn¡¯t been enough, though. Eventually, to save time and prevent mistrust I had to explain where she was getting it from.


    Suffice to say, the need for us to have a bedroom separate from the rest of them was now an unquestioned aspect of our living arrangements.


    Which was good because Salamede damn near killed me with her constant demands on my bounty. Though, she was far meeker in getting it nowadays.


    My Kelton wife quickly bounded out of the kitchen, wearing her green dress that was only slightly tight against her generous figure. Her eyes, though, were wide as she carried two stools in her hands and promptly sat one beside me and one yellowish furred woman who was missing three fingers along her left hand. As I sat down and sucked in mana, an older Kelton woman with brown fur and stubby ivory horns, coughed before speaking.


    ¡°Will all the servants be so well dressed?¡± She asked, plainly looking Salamede up and down with a bit of jealousy.


    ¡°If you want to,¡± I said before getting to work on the patient''s hand. She didn¡¯t object and stood still as she looked on with mild interest at her reforming flesh. ¡°Though, I don¡¯t think my wife would appreciate you taking her clothes. Might have to look into making your own when our first cotton harvest comes in.¡±


    A slight hiccup accompanied the ¡®wife¡¯ part of my speech, though Salamede was too absorbed by the golden circles forming in my hands to blush. It was a few minutes of work to get the fingers properly grown, but the tears and hug I had gotten from the woman was a payment I gladly accepted. More than a few had to be taken to the side to remove a hopelessly black digit, in most cases several, but those deformities were quickly seen to. As I set my last patient, a small girl with a crushed foot, back onto the table with her mother, I was properly winded.


    Even as great as my magical abilities were, everyone had their limits. Salamede, perhaps for the first time, got a full understanding of my powers when she had met hers. When she saw how easily I took in mana and how long I used it after she had to quit about halfway through the patients, I noticed she sat on my lap with more than a little pride. Well, more pride than usual. That kind of went against the whole point of what we were doing here, but an impressed wife is a hard person to correct.


    I was sitting nearer to the kitchen amongst the group, Salamede on my lap with her head against my shoulder when Gula came up behind me carrying a tray of baked fish. Her white apron covered most of the white shirt and brown pants she wore, attire she had taken from me until more appropriate clothing could be made. Though, as her husband, I was the only one allowed to notice how the clothes tugged on her breasts and thighs.


    When she set the tray down, she looked to me as she passed by. I raised an expecting eyebrow as I put my other leg out for her to sit on.


    ¡®Eli,¡¯ She asked in a spirit connection as a few eyes were drawn to me. ¡®Do you think that¡¯s a good idea? To have an Orc being so close to you.¡¯


    A bit of anger colored my cheeks but I kept my composure.


    ¡®Wife. Lap. Now.¡¯ I demanded, wiggling my leg again.


    She puckered her lips for a moment, stealing a quick side glance towards the others who had stopped to give us their full attention. Finally, she rolled her gold and black eyes before she sat down on my lap. Resting her head against my shoulder, I kissed her forehead affectionately. Looking back towards the main group, I expected horror, fear, or bewilderment.


    What I got were looks of understanding.


    ¡°Ah. So that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing.¡± Kantor said with a nod.


    It took me a bit to adjust my expectations to reality before I responded.


    ¡°What, may I ask, is that?¡±


    There was a look between the assembled guests but Kantor kept to his role as representative of the group.


    ¡°Orc siring to spread magical ability. There are a few men in history that have been known to do that. The most recent was the lord of that healing house who runs Rainbows Piss. Though, you seem quite affectionate towards the two misses, and Keltons aren¡¯t guaranteed to produce magical heirs.¡±


    The odd name was quickly forgotten as my stomach did a flip. That was the worst news I had received in a long time. If there was already a frame for a mage man willingly siring with an Orc, then everyone we talked to and brought in would automatically assume that¡¯s what I was doing here. I guess a clean slate was too much to ask for, but it wasn¡¯t an ideal start to that dance.


    ¡°No.¡± I answered firmly, ¡°I will be having a lot of children with my two wives, but it will be out of love, not a cruel scheme for power.¡±


    My possessive clutching of Salamede¡¯s and Gula¡¯s sides made them both put a hand to my chest. A wave of Hm¡¯s and quizzical looks washed over the crowd as I was thinking on how to best present my case. Which was interrupted when a spirit connection from Salamede and Gula touched my chest.


    ¡®I think the powerful scion is making them a bit nervous. They may only agree with what you¡¯re saying to not offend, not because they support or even understand the cause.¡¯ Salamede said.


    ¡®Yeah¡¯ Gula agreed, ¡®Hearing it from an Orc with an apron and a Kelton woman in a frilly green dress will make them more willing to voice objections.¡¯


    It took me a moment to consider that. I suppose if we were going to have hundreds of people here someday, I couldn¡¯t always be here to give the pitch and this was as good a time as any for the two to work on their salesmanship.


    ¡°Well, my good fellows, I would love to give you the full story, but my two wives will have to give you the explanation. As you could well guess, there are a lot of things to do here and precious little time to do any of it.¡±


    Understanding nods greeted the announcement as Gula and Salamede got off me and sat at the table to begin explaining my history. Leaving the room, I headed back towards the underground area that would serve as the room for the heaters and plumbing. When I got there, Jeff and Andrew were looking over the pipes of magically strengthened wood.


    ¡°I heard we had some guests,¡± Jeff said, his eyes looking at the pipe at his feet, though his expression left no doubt that his mind was only barely considering the question.


    ¡°The first of many. But unless that changes anything here, we should focus on the task at hand.¡±


    Andrew, leaning against the wall to the right, nodded. It took a moment, but Jeff nodded as well. Though he had the same drained manner he always had these days, he took up one of the wooden handles I had given them a few days ago to practice with. Laying down the heating had been hard as I had to finish the exhaust vents in a cave near the back to give the heated air time to cool down before it sent a long column of steam in the air. The plumbing, however, would be installed along the floor as opposed to the walls.


    The rest of the day and some of the night passed pretty painlessly. The two brothers, despite all appearances, still had the mental wherewithal to do their due diligence practicing with the stone chipping tools I had given them and were quickly smoothing out small channels in the stone floors towards the living areas. These would be getting communal showers and toilets, replacing the buckets, and outdoor use of the magical showerheads.


    Still, the work wasn¡¯t as immaculate as I would have liked. Hair thin precision brought about by nanite structures giving details on every crumb of errant stone made for a heavy blow to my neuridian soul when I had to stick to eyeballing it. The brothers, however, hadn¡¯t been baptized in the holy works of a planets cathedral. Works that were designed by artificial intelligence and ordained by the sectors high priest. All in all, I suppose it was more like a stumble for them as opposed to a cliff jump.


    With only the water delivery pipes being worked on, we made it into the living area. The first of its nine floors were converted into full bathrooms, complete with fixtures of wood that the workshop had been molding. While the finishing touches of mana lamps were being installed, I left the two other humans here to go check out the last leg of this journey. Going toward the back of the hangar, I opened a wide hatch to a staircase that led to the cave below.


    This whole area was the only bit of stone that had been even remotely flat. It still required a lot of work, of which the rather thin outer wall of the hangar had been the first. As we worked, I made an easy to expand connection to the sea in case we ever had regular ships and to allow easier access for the Frojan. My imagination wasn¡¯t good enough to see when we could possibly need a regular ship, but it was a bit of future-proofing that was easy to keep hidden and undo if need be. As mana lamps passed by me, I eventually reached the door. Working the long handle, the pho-rock that made up the entrance swung open to reveal a wide-open cave with the waves of the sea crashing against sharp rocks to the left.


    Carefully maneuvering over the algae-strewn stone towards the right, I came to the next false wall that gave a false impression that the cave was only a few dozen feet long. Pulling on the bit of long stone that served as a handle, the wide door revealed a rather steamy section of the cave that was several dozen yards long and wide. On my right, holes in the wall blasted hot air out, providing both warmth and airflow for the base as air was sucked in from the salty wastes on the other end of our home.


    Looking down, the deep hole I had put in yesterday was filled with seawater. Sucking in the seawater directly was a fantastic way to introduce parasites or add a massive workload of changing and making filters to laborers who were needed elsewhere. Instead, I would simply use steam and my limitless electricity to collect the water that was needed.


    I spent a few hours putting a smooth surface across the ceiling of the cave to have the steam collect into drops before sliding into a reservoir on the right, then fetching the pipes needed. Cell had to get the dimensions for drilling into the plumbing room, but that was quickly done as the two brothers started getting the pieces for the pump together. They seemed intrigued by the copper spheres, pumps, and wires. There wasn¡¯t the faintest hint of understanding in their eyes when I explained electromagnetic forces, but they at least understood the instructions that I wrote down and it only took three attempts at making the pieces to get the pistons moving.


    A sigh of relief escaped my lips as water could be heard running through the pipes to the rest of the base. The smaller pumps that would be installed near the endpoints would monitor for low pressure and pump more water into showers, sinks, and toilets to keep the water level up at those junctures, but that was an issue that would be fixed tomorrow. Our beds calling us, an exhausted wave was all we could manage as a farewell. Everyone else had been content to sleep on the ship, which had been outfitted with several beds and the furnace had provided a modicum of heat. Salamede, however, insisted we have our room away from everyone as soon as possible.


    Making my way through the meeting room, I opened the iron door and walked down the dimly lit hallway before opening the door to my room. It was as bare as when I had first woken up, but my two wives on the bed presented a far more tantalizing vision than any art or furniture I could have put in here. Gula wore her typical lacy white nightdress, the thin fabric showing the scars along her body and the curves around her hemp bra and underwear. Salamede was even less modestly dressed, having just the white bra and a piece of underwear.


    With no words spoken, they both got up and walked around the bed to stick to my sides. Gula, however, faltered a bit as she came to my left. It was a regular occurrence now and her next few actions were as predictable as the tide. The Orc looked down for a bit, shame in her eyes, before coming back up to look at me with a puckered lip. She used to be a bit more agreeable when it came to sexual aggression.


    Before Borba, at least.


    As disdainful as . . . as that was, one thing I hated the most about it was how it changed my relationship with my wives. Gula had a hard time being romantic, forget initiating anything. Salamede, likewise, never jested or teased me about sleeping with other women now. While we were putting in the bed, I had made a small joke about Salamede wanting to expand it for more room. Normally, I would have gotten a small quip about me needing to add multiple beds or a light rub to accentuate her agreement. The awkward shake of her head and stumbled no had killed the light mood I was going for.


    ¡®Eli,¡¯ Salamede purred in a spirit connection as she molded against my right side. ¡®Our new guests were quite pleased with the new arrangements. More than one burst into tears from the thought of sleeping on the blankets we provided.¡¯


    ¡®Right, we were wondering if¡­¡¯ Gula faltered as she looked between me and Salamede. It was an awkward moment before she pulled away. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m quite ready.¡¯


    I pulled her in for a kiss.


    ¡®I love you.¡¯ That made her cheeks flush with dark green as my tongue scoured her mouth. ¡®And I¡¯ll wait for you to be ready to consummate that love.¡¯


    She did a light lick on her lips before rubbing my shoulder and heading out the door. Salamede, however, moved closer to the bed and opened her legs with a small smile. I had a flash of bitterness at how she would have normally pushed me onto the bed and forcefully extracted her needs from me, in that way I found most agreeable. I squashed the feeling before I took off the smiling metal mask, though. This young body had its needs and it wasn¡¯t willing to let me go on without sating them, exhaustion be damned.


    The night was longer than any of the others, but god was it more relaxing than a week''s sleep.


    Waking up in a tangled mess of sheets and pillows, I found myself with company this morning. I took a moment to lounge as my face rested on Salamede¡¯s motherly breasts. After a few minutes of letting my baser desires revel in those wonderous pillows, I began idly sucking her brown nipples. That woke her up with a light moan.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Her rough voice called out. ¡°You bastard. Attacking me when I¡¯m weak like this,¡±


    Her objection was undone by the hand she put behind my head. With no ability to pull back, I put the tongue I was playing across her right nipple into overdrive. I was happy just to have a bit of that aggressive side of Salamede back. Happiness I let her know by rubbing her thighs with firm gropes and hard pinching. I looked up and she threw her head back with a particularly hard growl before she got up. Releasing her breast with a loud pop, we got our clothes and went to shower. The cave had been the designated shower area and this would hopefully be the last time it would serve that purpose.


    After getting ready for the day, we headed towards the kitchen. Along the way, we dodged a few of the new children who now littered the place. Coming into the cafeteria, it was a lot more lively with our newest members getting some food in their stomachs. I sat at a long table to the left while Salamede went to get some bowls of oatmeal and mugs of water. As I looked over the room, I saw the Frojan off to the left while the Keltons took up the side closest to the door.


    The two groups weren¡¯t . . . confrontational. They were just unused to the presence of each other. An overly polite ¡®excuse me¡¯ there, a stiff nod in passing here. It appears they could at least work together.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t really understand the science that I explained to them.¡¯ Salamede said in a spirit connection as she set a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of me with an accompanying mug of water.


    ¡®Meh. They¡¯ll understand enough when they start making motors and working furnaces. What about the long term? Are they fully aware of what the end of all this is?¡¯ I asked as I lifted my spoon and blew some steam away.


    ¡®More than aware. They are the remains of a group that was more than thrice their current number. Potentially dying years from now doesn¡¯t scare them.¡¯


    I nodded and finished up my meal before explaining my plan for today to Salamede.


    ¡®This is going to be a new experience for all of you. I will be working on other projects. While I¡¯m working, I want everyone training our newcomers on the processes and machines we¡¯ve been making. Eventually, I will make a large enough wood enchantment that will make hulls so I won¡¯t have to do that anymore. If there is a problem, don¡¯t hesitate to come get me.¡¯


    She nodded and got up with a quick kiss before going to the kitchen to inform the others. Taking a moment to fully appreciate the increase in noise and people in my new home, I pondered on the next course of action. It took a moment before I finally decided I could move onto what I came here to do:


    Remaking the connector and burning this world to the ground.


    I left the noise of the canteen and went to the hangar. Perusing the rows of boxes on the ship containing all of our metals that hadn¡¯t been set aside for regular crafting, I gradually got the list of needed materials sorted. This was a project long in coming, but I finally had the means to complete it and the time to do so. However many months or years that took.

 Chapter 107: The Kelton Lands

    Salamede POV


    It was a brisk morning as I woke from my bed. Eli¡¯s mess of silver hair was splayed across the pillow to my left. Over his muscular form, I saw the green hand of my sister-wife laying on his hip. Pulling myself out of the bed and going to the cabinet on the right, I took out some leather pants and a sturdy grey top. I took a moment to consider using the new shower Eli had lovingly crafted for us, but I decided I¡¯d let them sleep in. The small window above our bed allowed just enough shimmering light through the water to guide me along my way out of the room.


    With the installation of the window and some furniture in place, our little corner of the base now felt like a home as opposed to a well-made cave. Quietly moving across our stone floor, I went out into the hallway leading to the meeting room. Coming into the wide room, I went left towards the main hallway. The wide entryway had more guests than it used to as Kantor¡¯s group settled in. He had also informed us about a few more holdouts with starving Keltons who would be willing to join our cause and weren¡¯t quite as bloodthirsty as most of the people inhabiting the icy wastes, so I suppose expanding the hallway was going to be in order soon.


    Taking a right to the living area, I walked into the chaos that greeted every family first thing in the morning. Children were running about as mothers tried to wrangle their broods with the men heading off to do the day''s work after a quick shower. Still, it was a lot quieter here than the mass of movements would lead most to assume, as we Keltons often used spirit connections to talk between ourselves. Content to wait for a space to open in one of the shower/bathrooms that made up the first floor, I stood off to the right behind a poor mother trying to get a squawking infant prepared for the shower by getting them out of some dirty clothes. It took only a moment before those passing by recognized me and sent me quick spirit connections.


    ¡®Oh. My apologies, great lady. Please tell you¡¯re husband about how wonderful his hold is on my behalf.¡¯ An older man said as he walked by.


    ¡®Thank you, for making a mess of everything and bringing Eli away from his rightful home.¡¯


    ¡®Esteemed wife of the quad mage. I¡¯m honored to meet you.¡¯ One younger slip of a woman squeaked before shuffling off.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing you snaked your way into his heart when he was too emotionally weak to defend himself, else he¡¯d never be in this frozen wasteland.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t bother distinguishing between what words came from my heart and which ones came from my fellow Keltons. I stood there in last night''s work clothes of a white shirt and brown pants, my face blank. It was another minute before the mother realized who she was holding up.


    ¡°My apologies. Please, don¡¯t let us bother you. Most grand mistress.¡±


    She pulled away with her small boy scooting along with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said audibly before moving past them, wanting to make sure everyone knew I bore no ill-will.


    The stories I heard concerning the wives of the various hold''s leaders from the women in the group weren¡¯t pretty. Most were apparently quite brutal in maintaining their social status amongst the other women and regulating their husband''s partners. Combined with our already foul tempers, something I had seen and intervened in these past few days, it made for some downright bloody fighting that even the men out on the field would shirk back from. More than one woman here had been on the receiving end of one man¡¯s attention that the head wife did not pre-approve for adding to his pool of women, leading them to choose certain death in a ditch or eventually find its embrace out on the snowy plains.


    Although, the eagerness some of them had when they insisted that their bodies would be available for Eli¡¯s use at his earliest convenience didn¡¯t leave the impression that they would hesitate to use their sexuality towards their ends.


    Moving into the bathroom, I shut the iron door behind me. There was a mana lamp in the middle of the ceiling that gave a golden glow over the sink to the right, a toilet in the middle, and the glass shower off to the left, all done up in regular grey stone and wooden fixtures. Putting my clothes on the sink, I went into the shower and started rubbing myself down with a bar of soap.


    When I had first told the Keltons how Eli came to be here and his goal, most people would have thought I was a goddess of sensual pleasure with how the men looked at me and the hints of jealousy in the women¡¯s faces. I gathered they thought I was going to be rather smug and gloating about how my charms and looks turned such a powerful man''s head and captured his heart so thoroughly. Especially when I was showing them all of his fantastic inventions, not the least of which was the ¡®miracle¡¯ heater that required no wood or coal.


    I¡¯d imagine they¡¯d be quite shocked to know that as I showed them how to work the machines and wooden slabs that we would use to make them, I had to push through the lessons so that the polite smile and informative talks wouldn¡¯t crack, revealing the crushing disgrace within. All of these wonderful inventions could bring unmatched luxury to even the lowest peasant and they weren¡¯t going to be used for my community back home or anywhere else for a long time. Because. . . .


    There were times when the sheer enormity of my failure hit me. When Eli brought out some new wonder, I felt tremendous pride at my husband''s accomplishment, but what quickly followed was shame over how so many people couldn¡¯t enjoy it because Eli chose to be with me over his siring duty. All because I was too much of a self-centered monster to let him go. Yeah, Eli said it didn¡¯t matter. That no matter what, he was never going to spread his seed out as they demanded.


    But it was being with me that set up the events that lead us here. Maybe if he was single, the government wouldn¡¯t have gone after him so fiercely, maybe if . . .


    Realizing that I was having a rather emotional moment with the wooden flower that served as a showerhead, I quickly turned the handles below it to wash off the bubbles. Changing into the new clothes, I headed out and towards the kitchen. In the back-left kitchen were mother, the blue snake woman Lokan, and a few of the other Kelton women helping get the morning''s breakfast ready. I would normally be helping them, but when I had tried to make some bread with them yesterday, mother took me to the side.


    The people talked freely with her around, likely due to her unassuming manner and slight stature, and I was regarded as some high and important person in the eyes of the Kelton women here, and a matter of respect and intrigue among the men. It would not do to see the high lady of the place covered in flour. There was going to come a disagreement sooner or later, and I needed to have the full measure of my position to deal with it. As would Gula, though making ships was high-minded enough to not draw any bad opinions.


    Taking a bowl of the ever-present oatmeal, I sat down on the left side of the cafeteria. Before my bum had hit the seat, a small group of Kelton women immediately surrounded me. They were younger and all closer to their early twenty¡¯s. The rags they came here in had been replaced with proper dresses of varying colors and the younger members of our newest arrivals put their newfound energy to use learning the various crafts, practicing weapons in the back of the hangar, and some put it towards snatching the prize of our age.


    ¡®Has master Eli been doing well?¡¯ One black-furred woman sitting opposite of me said with her head in her hands. The rest looked at me with anticipation clear on their faces as I felt a spirit connection coming from each of them.


    ¡®Very well¡¯


    They all leaned a bit forward.


    ¡®And what did he say?¡¯


    I sighed but shook my head in denial.


    ¡®He gave me the same answer he gave the Coalition. No.¡¯


    There were some disappointed pouts around the table but I could only shrug. I don¡¯t know what in his story made them think he would suddenly make a triple-sized bed for nighttime fun with several previously unknown women, but they still insisted on having me ask.


    ¡®Are we so¡­ unappealing in his eyes? I¡¯m sure a few more days of good food and warm beds would see us become comfortable company.¡¯ One brown-haired woman to my left asked.


    ¡®His word is final,¡¯ Was all I could say.


    Truth is, I didn¡¯t even ask directly. Just a quick ¡®if the women ask if you¡¯re interested?¡¯ on the way to the kitchen followed by a firm refusal. After the swamps, I would like to think I have the decency to not pressure or tease the man on the subject anymore. No matter how good these women would look with a silver-furred pup on their hips. In fact, I think a pup on each hip would be. . .


    Giving myself a mental slap on the back of the head, I coughed before getting up with my empty bowl.


    ¡®Sorry, ladies. He¡¯s only interested in how skilled you are with your hands and how well you can use them to mold steel and copper. We need as many people installing plumbing and working the furnaces as we can get. To that end, I¡¯ll see you in a few hours. Once I¡¯m done with my work, we¡¯re going to be installing the furnace section of the new ship.¡¯


    With a wave of disappointed nods, I put my dishes by the new sink on the right of the buffet bar. Getting on with the main task of the day, I went towards the hangar. Being the same massive, neck-straining structure it always had been, my job was to make a suitable hospital to house the injured who came off the ships. The location was going to be on the right side of the bay, staying out of the way of the furnace and workshop but still close enough to make the difference when every second counted.


    I spent the rest of the morning putting healing enchantments into the spare beds that had been made. The first crop yield was probably going to be a week from now, something my eyes had trouble believing as the sprouts of the carrots, potatoes, and onions seemed to breach the soil overnight. Being far outside our expectations, the machinery to make the hangar open and finish the second ship had been delayed as we worked to finish the safety measures for the farmworkers.


    Working on healing enchantments had been my sole domain these past few days and I put them into dozens of leather patches destined for worker and soldier outfits. The healing beds now called to me as I used the enchanted boards to grow the wood and plant fibers to provide some cushioning. It was going to be an open-air station with ten beds in two rows along the wall. As I was putting the finishing touches on the right side of the back row, Gula came over from the workshop.


    ¡°The furnace is ready. How did the balloon making go?¡± She asked, her face having a few black flecks of ashes on it, as did the white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°Typical thing. More holes than cloth at first, but we eventually got the sheets to fit what Eli wrote down. Some more testing this afternoon when we get the furnace in place and our project will be complete.¡±


    Gula nodded as she looked over the beds.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve done a good job. Between this and the patches for the suits, I¡¯d say you¡¯ve done more magic than any Kelton in decades.¡±


    I snorted as I put a gold triangle into its slot on one of the pillows.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure if you counted gathering the magical resources needed to be able to do magic, I¡¯ve been on the lazier end of mages. My ancestors would probably have something to say about me using such a convenient shortcut. To say nothing of how much effort Eli has put into my growth and instruction.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± My sister-wife handwaved dismissively, ¡°If the dead have any complaints about our husband''s unfair assistance, they can bring it up in the gathering room. Which is what I came here to tell you. Eli has called a gathering for you, me, Kantor, Baloo, and the two boys.¡±


    Raising my eyebrows to her, she could only shrug her shoulders in response to the obvious question. I got off my knees and followed behind her out of the hangar.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the ash? The furnaces don¡¯t use coal or wood.¡±


    Her snort rang out as we came into the workshop and moved past some of the people being instructed by one Frojan and the blue snake woman Lokan on the left.


    ¡°Aye. But when a clumsy student accidentally drops a handful of plant fibers into them, they still spew black specks everywhere all the same.¡±


    A pitying smile was all I could give her as we approached the door. Opening the iron entry, the room with its wide stone columns on the sides and mana lamps dotted around the walls was the same as always, though the occupation of several seats around the table was something new.


    I sat in the chair immediately to my left, as it was the one directly to the right of Eli. The silver-haired man quickly got his kiss in, followed by another for Gula as she took the seat to his left. Eventually, Baloo sat beside Gula while Kantor, wearing a now repaired brown cloak and pants, sat at my right. It was another minute before the two boys wearing grey shirts and leather pants came in. The table was wide enough to accommodate a good dozen seats, but the two brothers thought sitting anywhere that wasn¡¯t besides Kantor would be like sitting in opposition to Eli. The black-haired lightning mage sat down beside the black and grey-furred Kelton, sweat playing across his slight chin from his day''s labor while his red-headed brother laid back with a bored look in his oceanic eyes.


    A cough from Eli drew everyone¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Welcome to the first official meeting here. The first of many. While the bones of our second ship are getting put together, our newest members are going to help us speed things up. I was thinking of using two ships to retrieve a weakened group out on the wastes, from there getting more information on the surrounding areas. But, they ended up coming to us and we can now skip to setting up an information-gathering network.


    Nothing so dangerous and complicated as spying on heads of state, I want something like getting a feel for our neighbor''s moods, seeing what tavern talk could lead us to our intended future residents, that sort of thing. I don¡¯t want us spending all our time building up our food stocks to take in a bunch of starving people, only to find we have a day to come up with a plan to free a group of Orc mating humans and their families from a mass execution or a mobile hospital and people to play scavengers to filch the injured from various battlefields. Even so, I¡¯d imagine starving masses will be the bulk of our first arriving groups. You said there are several groups of Keltons out in the wastes who would be interested in living here?¡± His purple and gold-flecked eyes turned towards the black-furred Kelton.


    Kantor nodded with a smile that pulled at the fur over his smooth cheekbones.


    ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯d have a harder time keeping them away if I told them how well we¡¯ve been eating. I don¡¯t pretend to know everything about this base and its workings, but I thought you were going to wait until we got the second ship up and running before going out into the world.¡±


    ¡°The ships still a ways off from being completed and we shouldn¡¯t blindly fly our ships around without a better picture of the local situation or any parties who might spot us at a bad moment if we can avoid it. We are only going for the most desperate and destitute groups out there and I¡¯d like to have a list of suitable candidates before we send the ships out a week or two from now.¡±


    Everyone got confused looks before the big green Frojan spoke up in the deep base typical of his kind.


    ¡°I thought the furnace was almost done. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard assembling it in the ship¡±


    Eli shook his head with a rueful smile.


    ¡°If everything just worked the first time it was designed and made, engineers everywhere would weep with joy and walk to their jobs with a dance in their step. I imagine testing and fixing the issues in construction will take as long if not longer than making the hull and components.¡±


    There were some skeptical looks around the table, with Gula having some particularly puckered lips.


    ¡°However long the ship takes, I¡¯d say after an hour or two or stonework, we can easily house a good hundred or more new members even with Kantor''s group.¡± the quad scion said, looking to the man in question with a nod ¡°I suppose it would be too hopeful to expect all the new Keltons to understand the gear workings, furnace procedures, and farming techniques.¡±


    The Kelton man bit his lower lip as he looked down, his white eyes shifting as he mentally went over his various members before he turned back up.


    ¡°It varies. A few seemed to understand as much as the blue Enten woman and Frojan who¡¯ve been teaching us. Some. . . you might as well be speaking gibberish for all they can understand. I think a few won¡¯t ever find a good footing in the workshop or furnaces. Most, though, get bits and pieces of it, even if we don¡¯t understand why the gear needs to be put where it is or why touching the copper wires after a certain point is bad.¡±


    Eli strummed his fingers on the wooden table with an understanding nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s about what I expected. While whatever issues the new ship has get sorted out, there has to be a local settlement that would be a good place to start our little gossip gathering operations. A day or two of listening to the local chatter should be good enough.¡±


    ¡°As¡­ what? I assume whoever went would have to ply some sort of craft to avoid people asking questions.¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Something that won¡¯t draw eyes and let us go anywhere we could want to. With a possible angle of getting us into contact with some humans. Any suggestions?¡± Eli asked with a look to my right. After a moment of thinking, Kantor¡¯s rough voice rang out again.


    ¡°A trader. That¡¯s always a good reason to be somewhere you typically shouldn¡¯t be. The best place to start would be the Messineens. They¡¯re the southernmost clan. They¡¯re also the richest with a small wall and a constant flow of humans looking to barter for fish or the occasional haul of a Kispin.¡±


    The inquiring looks from those around the table prompted Kantor to elaborate further.


    ¡°Huge shelled creature that scours the bottom of the sea for what I would assume to be fish or other shelled brethren. Only saw one when I was a kid visiting the place in years gone far too quickly. The strongest of the bunch wear the shells of their dead parents and when the dead rise at this time of year, their clothes provide growing muscles to help keep them protected from predators. More than a few clans were made from catching just one of them and using their shells to provide free meals in winter as their bodies continually provide fresh meat.¡±


    ¡°That sounds...¡± Gula spent a second struggling for the word. ¡°Appetizing?¡±


    Kantor shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll admit to questioning the taste of the first one who tried it. But if it fills your gut, stays down, and doesn¡¯t kill you. . . well, I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t have tried it when I was out on the ice sheets. However unappealing it sounds, it must have some kind of good flavor considering its meat is only to be eaten by the clan head and his kin. I came close to trying some when I lead a small group in my clan before it fell.


    But, more importantly, a Kispin often acquires a lot of magical strength as they mature and feed. That brings the trade of their various parts into what is considered the realm of magical resources. The beasts are the main reason the humans pay any amount of attention to this region.¡±


    I felt the electric sensation of a spirit connection on my shoulder before Eli¡¯s words reverberated in my head.


    ¡®Besides being a Kelton, you¡¯re the only one who wouldn¡¯t possibly be recognized. The last thing we need is to explain how an impovershied wastelander now has guards following them around. Think you¡¯re up for a trip to the south? It may take a few days or just a few hours depending on what happens.¡¯


    ¡®Sure. Since I¡¯m a mage, I¡¯ll also be the safest out of any of the Keltons.¡¯ I replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Salamede can work with that. But the Keltons are only a part of this equation.¡± Eli declared as he turned to the only other humans here. ¡°We need to get into contact with some Orcs. I read that they¡¯re always found around human settlements in some of the books I got a hold of, but they were referring to decades past.¡±


    Gula¡¯s ears perked up as she shifted forward a bit. Jeff nodded while Andrew gave no indication of approval or disagreement.


    ¡°When we visited, there was a big political dance surrounding our visit as the . . . presidents sons.¡± The pain in Jeff¡¯s voice was impossible to miss, but he soldiered on. ¡°Given how crowded the cities are, you¡¯d think they could easily root them out. But the problems only gotten worse as time has gone on. We weren¡¯t given a reason why, rather our instructor emphasized that we should avoid that issue rather than ask about it.¡±


    He made sure not to look at Gula when he said ¡®problem¡¯. The Orc, however, wasn¡¯t offended. She seemed more intrigued than anything but remained silent as Eli continued sharing his thoughts.


    ¡°When Salamede comes back, do you think you could make our first foray into the human territories?¡±


    The two brothers nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll not give them any reason to knife us,¡± Andrew said with his arms crossed over his stomach. ¡°But the regular ringers are a rather. . . surly lot, from what I¡¯ve heard. I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any way to explain the Frojan coming as guards?¡± His oceanic eyes turned towards Kantor again.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± The Kelton man replied with a shrug. ¡°This far north, the humans can barely make it through the cold in our settlements when they come prospecting. The frogmen? Might as well just come out and tell everyone about this warm little corner of the world cause there¡¯s no way they could make any trip this far north.¡±


    ¡°Cell,¡± Eli declared to the group. ¡°He made a rather convincing piece of jewelry during my stay at the academy and I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind seeing more of the world as a hidden protector. Besides, depending on whether other humans use Kelton guards, you may not need too much personal protection.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad this was brought up,¡± Baloo¡¯s voice boomed across the stone walls as he leaned forward and rested his left elbow on the table with a wave from his blue robe. ¡°We¡¯re tough. But this cold is beyond anything we¡¯ve ever dealt with. Unless you want a fire mage using spells around us all day, every day, we¡¯re going to need some clothes with magical heating.¡±


    I sat up a bit before addressing the room.


    ¡°Mother likes making clothes. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to needle together something for you guys, though we¡¯ll probably have to make cotton or hemp our next crop from the farms.¡±


    ¡°We could help with that by putting some enchantments on their robes or shirts,¡± Jeff volunteered, with another passive wave of nothing emanating from Andrew. Eli nodded, seemingly satisfied with the events of the meeting.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be opening up the top of the hangar to let our main ship out and once Salamede and her group leave, we¡¯re all getting a thorough course in testing safety and suit use. While she¡¯s out there in the holds, I¡¯m going to start using a longer-range communication system for better coordination and so Cell isn¡¯t the only one who can signal for a ship. Which reminds me, Salamede, would you help me make a smaller ship for him when you get back? Traveling long distances on his own power would become exhausting.¡±


    I nodded in agreement.


    With that, our very first meeting here ended. As we got up from the table, I headed towards the door behind Eli to go get my working clothes. Frilly and soft dresses felt fantastic to wear, but I had little doubt what fate they¡¯d meet out there among biting winds and rough roads. Eli left with the rest to start working out the testing, though Gula hung back to follow me to our room. We didn¡¯t say a word as we walked down the hallway, but when we came into our bedroom, she finally coughed.


    ¡°This didn¡¯t come up during the meeting, but I would appreciate it if you got some leather at whatever market they have. As great as this wooden armor is, leather moves with the skin and I''m not aware of any leather seeds we brought for Eli to grow with his magic.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said with a nod as I began taking some shirts and pants out of the cabinet to the left side of the room, the shimmering light above making wave patterns along it and the stone floor. Before the Orc could make a full turn to leave, I asked a question myself.


    ¡°Gula, while I¡¯m gone, will you be tending to our duties as wives?¡± I asked as I folded one white shirt.


    Her black hair and bang over her right eye swung with her nod.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s got someone to teach the simpler stuff while he works on the more complicated bits with the people who have a better grip on the procedures.¡±


    A sigh and closed eyes were all I gave as a reply at first.


    ¡°Gula,¡± I replied with a firm tone like she was receiving her own lesson. ¡°I was talking about making sure his pulp was properly drained.¡±


    ¡°I¡­Um.¡± She bit her lip as her gaze fell to the floor.


    Rubbing my forehead, I pulled away from the pile of clothes and came up to her. Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, her gold irises in her black eyes turned back up.


    ¡°You¡¯re my sister in marriage,¡± I said in as loving a tone as possible, ¡°You helped me and Eli out when no one else would and you¡¯re a good person- Uh! No.¡± I put a finger to her opening lips, ¡°You are. And I want you to be happy. I want us all to be happy. That said, Eli is under a lot of pressure right now and he doesn¡¯t need marriage troubles making his tasks more difficult. It would do him no good to be wondering if you find him attractive when he¡¯s trying to make the things that may very well decide whether we all live or die.¡±


    She scrunched her black eyebrows together.


    ¡°Of course I find him attractive.¡±


    I puckered my lips before sighing.


    ¡°Does he know that? When you shy away from the bed when the time for love comes, are you certain he knows that in the deepest parts of his heart? We are Eli¡¯s wives, Gula. There are a great many joys in that position. I don¡¯t know how it is in the Human or Orc world, but for Kelton women, opening ourselves to a man we love, respect, and hold dear is one of the greatest pleasures there is. Feeling his raw need, seeing the beast within tear away any semblance of the civilized exterior, and knowing it was our body that caused it, there are few greater things in this world and I would not have you deny yourself that pleasure.¡±


    Her lower jaw trembled as she bit her lower lip. There was a trace of tears in her left eye that hovered around the vertical scar.


    ¡°After I messed everything up, do I even deserve that happiness? After I ignored everything he said and led him to Borba? Does a woman like me deserve those pleasures?¡±


    ¡°It was not you who forced him back into the swamps after the fall of the Viper base. If either of us is found wanting, it is me.¡± My voice cracked from self-loathing near the end.


    Something about my bitter tone must have gotten to her because Gula¡¯s jaw stopped quivering. She moved a hand to wipe her moist eyes against her white sleeve.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see about trying to be a bit more. . . open.¡± She finally said as we pulled into a hug. My lower jaw clenched as the urge to tear flesh resurfaced but I decided I wasn¡¯t going to let it ruin this tender moment.


    ¡°We all need to open ourselves to happiness and love, two things that are in short supply the world over,¡± I replied, trying to sound wiser than I felt as we pulled away from each other and I crossed the room to get my clothes back from the bed. As I looked over some of the clothes, I heard a snort from Gula.


    Turning to look at her, I raised an eyebrow to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re always comforting and guiding everyone. I had you as one of those types who was born a mother and it¡¯s nice to see my instincts weren¡¯t wrong.¡± She stated rather plainly before turning around and heading out of the door. Rolling my eyes, I got back to work. Picking out one big leather coat with white, fluffy cotton around the collar, I put it at the top of the bed before retrieving a large sack in the bottom of the cabinet. Stuffing the clothes in, I wrapped myself in the coat before heading out of the room.


    Going down the hallway and through the meeting room to the workshop, I was stopped by Kantor as I came out of the door.


    ¡®Lady Keshton,¡± He said reverently. It was another sign of deference the newcomers showed me, an inclination that only increased when I showed off a water spell to clean some dirt off one child''s legs. I noticed how he made sure to hang ever so slightly behind me as we walked through the workshop. ¡®I have volunteered to accompany you to the hold.¡¯


    ¡®Good. You seemed to be the most knowledgeable one here of the clans and the region.¡¯


    He nodded before giving taking a deep breath.


    ¡®An ill-spent youth wandering between the settlements finally finding its purchase, Ma¡¯m. But that isn¡¯t why I¡¯m here. I don¡¯t mean to impugn on the chief¡¯s wisdom, my lady. But I feel that I should ask. How does he intend for us to get towards the Messineen clan?¡¯


    I stopped to turn towards him. Looking him up and down, I tussled with the apparent answer to the question before outright saying it.


    ¡®The obvious way, I¡¯d imagine. A quick drop-off and a brisk walk to the settlement. I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s an issue with that?¡¯


    ¡®A very deadly one. Out-¡®


    I put up a hand to stop him.


    ¡®Let¡¯s not waste our time explaining something twice, just tell both at the same time. Why didn¡¯t you bring this up in the meeting?¡¯


    He looked down with a bit lower lip, his chin smacking against his brown cloak top.


    ¡®Would he be open to such. . . correction at gatherings? Most clan heads would make an example of anyone who would disagree with them so openly.¡¯


    I shook my head.


    ¡®Well, Kantor, he¡¯s going to be the first clan leader you¡¯ve dealt with who wasn¡¯t a fool. Next time, don¡¯t keep potential problems to yourself.¡¯


    With that, we left the work tables and various Keltons being instructed by the Frojan behind as we went into the wide-open space of the hangar. The giant man-made cave was rife with the banging of hammers and shouting of work crews. In the back was our first ship, but the focus of our attention was the new hull in front of it. It was nearly as long as a regular ship, but its front had a blade-like aspect, as opposed to the fat body of Eli¡¯s first working and was a three or four feet smaller. The tubes along its side that provided thrust were also a bit smaller than the original ships, though, they were a bigger portion of the overall ship. Gula was on top of the deck, yelling at and directing a dozen or so Keltons around a pipe of steel coming out of the floor. They worked tirelessly around it while some went below deck with hands full of gears or sacks of copper spheres couched in dirt.


    My sister-wife waved at me before taking a moment to realize why I was here. She pointed towards the back of the hangar before turning to inspect the work one Kelton man was doing around the steering wheel near the back of the ship. Walking between the two ships bathed in the golden glow of the mana lamps that dotted the stone ceiling, I found Eli on some stone steps near the back of the bay. I saw him taking in mana and noticed some of the stones around the sides shifting.


    ¡°Eli!¡± I called, my rough voice still catching his ear amongst the sounds of industry around us. His silver hair swayed with his turn to me. His eyes got a bit of lust in them when he first noticed me, as they always should, but he kept himself in check as Kantor stepped forward.


    ¡°Quad mage. There¡¯s a problem.¡±


    Eli took a deep breath in annoyance but moved from his position on the walls and came down the steps. When he got off the stairs, he walked up to us with a raised eyebrow. Kantor cleared his throat before he started speaking.


    ¡°It occurred to me that your ships wouldn¡¯t fit in among other ships at port. If they even float. So, I assume you don¡¯t mean to approach the settlement in the ship.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d be quickly marked as an item of interest, yes. A quick look around from Cell, followed by dropping a small party off on land with a quick walk up to the main gate was how we intended to go about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem,¡± Kantor said with a bit lip.


    ¡°Someone would spot us getting off the ship? We could use a mist to-¡°


    Kantor shook his head of black fur and twirled brown horns.


    ¡°Not the ship. I¡¯d imagine most would just assume it¡¯s the hunger or some form of madness even if we set down right in front of them. It¡¯s the walking that¡¯s the problem.¡±


    That made both our eyebrows shoot up.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Was all Eli said at first.


    Feeling that was permission to continue, Kantor explained further.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°We¡¯re not out here on the ice-covered fields because we like the colorful landscape. We stay here because it¡¯s the only place where we won¡¯t instantly be killed,¡±


    ¡°By what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°By. . . everything.¡± Kantor shrugged. ¡°Half the bushes, trees, and weeds seem to have a taste for meat. The animals all shoot lightning, fire, or stone shards, and some are as large as houses or even hills. Even if we aren¡¯t attacked, coming in through the forest will draw every eye to you and since most consider traveling on land to be either a death sentence or the domain of mages, we may as well come through blasting spells everywhere. I¡¯m surprised my lady didn¡¯t know.¡±


    I bit my lip before looking down at my feet.


    ¡°Our tales mostly told of how we left, not how we lived. It was said going out into the forest without being attacked was remarkable when we first arrived in the coalition, but I thought it merely dangerous here, not impossible.¡±


    Eli put a hand to his head as his face scrunched up in frustration.


    ¡°All the books I read were mostly concerned with the travels and dealings of mages. How the peasant got his stock to market never came up. Even under the worst circumstances, I¡¯m assuming that the entire northern part of the continent isn¡¯t left totally inaccessible to the rest of the world.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Kantor nodded as he spoke. ¡°Smaller boats move everyone over the seas and wider rivers. They typically leave late in the morning after the predators in the sea gave gotten their breakfast. It¡¯s just about the only way to get anywhere for people without any magic to their names. I know a few spots where we could meet up for trading and travel to some of the southern clans. If we have something to offer in exchange, of course.¡±


    ¡°All right. It¡¯ll take a few more steps, but we can still use the original plan. Salamede, get with Cell and start making some of the weapons. I want the one ship we know is ready to have some armaments out there in the wastes. Kantor, tell the brothers to get the wooden half-tubes for spewing molten stone ready to be installed below the ship. Durka will be flying you around, so go to her afterward and start laying out where she needs to go, where is safe to land, and anything else she needs to know.¡±


    Nodding, I returned my coat to the room and got to work. The weapons for the ships were going to be three long tubes on each side of the decks. Working with Cell, he molded a half-cocoon of enhanced wood on the right side of our main ship. Sticking out of it was going to be a long tube of wood on a swivel that shot out needles of stone. Eli gave me a few ideas, such as making the needles spin and building up pressure in the back of the tube to release the spike into the air.


    I had wanted to make something that launched water or air blades, but Eli showed me how quickly they veered off course from even a light breeze. The image of a water blade getting caught up in a strong wind and cutting the ropes holding the hull to the balloon had thoroughly dispelled any desire I had to change his designs. After a few minutes of working on the long tube the workshop provided me, I set out across the hangar to conduct the first test.


    As I passed by, I noticed the two brothers were installing two long half tubes on the sides of the ship. Their craft was almost as long as the bow and dotted with a line of holes suggesting a hollow inside. Going down the hatch with my long tube slung over my shoulder, I came into the wide-open cave. A moment of nostalgia hit me as I remembered the spot on the far right that I had used for bathing. That long, long time ago of a few weeks. As I moved over the slippery rocks and got a lungful of air that was more salt than anything else, I eventually set down my labors a bit past the longboards along the wall that had the heating enchantments to keep everyone in this cave from instantly freezing when using it.


    It was a bit longer than I was and the removable back had an earth enchantment that made the needle. But it was fastened with enough locks and straps around the seals to handle the pressures I would be testing. Eli had asked that I get the needle to shoot out as far and as fast as I could get it, and it was after a good hour of testing air pressure, stopping to warm up behind the heating boards, and having Cell remake the earth enchantment for the pad on the back of the needle that I got a stable stone needle to shoot out over the churning sea like an arrow.


    Now I only had to do that five more times.


    It was a long day¡¯s labor, but I only just got the tubes and their mechanical swivels finished as the spiderweb of pain started lancing through my body. As I walked across the workshop and up to the door leading into the meeting room, the two other parts of my heart met me there. Between the adjustments to the old ship, putting together the new ship, and making the roof open up, sleep called to all of us. We collapsed on the bed without a word spoken. After a long night of well-earned sleep, I woke up to see my family had returned the favor this morning and let me sleep in.


    Getting out of the warm bed with a long stretch, I took a quick shower in the addition to our bedroom. My heart was racing as the prospect of seeing the lands of my ancestors finally became real in my mind, something that had such a tight grip on my thoughts I barely paid attention to what I was doing as I twisted the knobs below the wooden tube that served as our showerhead. A quick rub of soap and blast of water was all the time I could spare before quickly stepping out and drying down with a white towel. My fur still having some drops of water, I left the bathroom and went back to the cabinet to don my fluffy coat with a white collar and sling the sack of clothes over my shoulder.


    Heading out of the room, I walked down the hallway and towards the meeting room. The large room of stone with pillars along the sides was as empty as ever, but moving to the left, I could hear the sounds of a scuffle through the iron door. When I opened it and came into the hallway, a crowd of Keltons ambled around near the kitchen entrance to the left. They were all agitated and jostling around but the lack of screaming would make an outsider think things were more peaceful than they were.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked audibly.


    The ones closest to me all pulled back, but it was a second or two before Kantor came out of the kitchen. He quickly pushed through the crowd and did a light bow.


    ¡®Sorry, lady Keshton. We were discussing which groups out on the wastes to retrieve first.¡¯


    The slight cut along his left arm and the occasional bloody nose among the crowd told of how calm the discussion was. Which it very well could have been by Kelton standards. I was an outsider among my kind. Sure I looked the same, talked the same, and had the same violent impulses but our upbringings couldn¡¯t have been more different. Warm springs and good food had made it a lot easier for me to control the demon''s call, but hunger made even the gentlest souls violent, and having to spend so much time around humans meant we had to reign in our impulses.


    As understanding as I was to their inclinations, this was our home and the bits of blood on the floor made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    ¡°I understand our passionate nature often requires. . . a certain release. So, I will overlook this little incident this one time. But make no mistake, if this happens again there will be severe punishments. We did not make this place just so it could get trashed in a brawl or develop weapons only to have you use them on each other. You¡¯re all getting used to full bellies and warm beds and I will be patient for it to help cool your tempers. But patience always has its end.¡± I put up a finger like I was reprimanding a small child. ¡°Now get to work. Eli is the one who will decide who gets pulled in first and you can make your case then.¡±


    I pushed through the crowd as some of the women got rags to clean up the blood.


    The open canteen had a few Keltons past the entrance but it was otherwise empty, save for my mother in the back near the buffet bar putting out some fresh bread. A simple nod was all she gave me as I took two loaves and sat down at one of the long tables with a hard smack of my bag hitting the floor. As my final bit of breakfast was washed down, my sister-wife came through the door.


    ¡°Hey, Salamede. We got some of your goods ready.¡± She yelled with a wave that shifted the sleeve of her white shirt and crinkled her brown slacks, though it would be more accurate to say Eli¡¯s slacks. For a virgin woman, she was certainly fond of getting into Eli¡¯s pants.


    I sat there, bread half-chewed in my mouth, thinking over what she could be talking about. It was another second before I remembered what my disguise was. Quickly finishing my breakfast, I pulled up my sack of clothes and took off towards her. We walked side by side as the maids finished their clean-up of the hallway.


    ¡°What am I bringing along?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Fish since we can¡¯t readily explain vegetables coming from up north and we need all the metal we have,¡± She answered as she opened the door to the meeting room for me. A gesture I accepted with a gracious nod. ¡°You do know how to gut, clean, and store them, right?¡±


    I stopped dead and a slight groan escaped my lips before I could stop myself. Gula raised a black eyebrow that stretched the vertical scar over her left eye.


    ¡°Yes. I know more than I ever wanted to.¡±


    She looked me up and down but said nothing further before I started moving again. Making our way around the table and through the door. The workshop was all abuzz as the workers were fitting together straps and metal armor pieces onto three Kelton men near the back left, one of whom was Kantor. As we came into the main hangar bay, I could see into the forge area where Eli was holding several shields of metal in mid-air with a spell as he worked the steel around some wooden handles. Gula, however, lead me further on towards our first ship.


    It seemed a bit more intimidating now. I knew all too well what the three tubes along each side of the deck could do, and there wasn¡¯t much imagination needed to see the fate of any soldiers caught under the molten stone rain that would spew from the long half tubes hugging the undersides of the ship. Still, as I climbed up the right side ladder, it felt like the same old home it had been for weeks.


    Durka, Gula¡¯s mother and a bulkier member of her species, was at the steering wheel near the back of the ship with one of the newcomers. Her two brown braids twirled with her practiced spinning of the wheel, something the early twenties, brown-furred Kelton lad was taking in with enthusiasm. Good, most approached the concept of flight with trepidation and we needed as many enthused souls as we could get. It was a half-hour of waiting around as the guard''s armor and weapons were made ready, but when they walked up the ladder El¡¯s trademark craftsmanship shined through even in that small amount of time.


    Kantor and two buff Kelton men with brown fur stood on the right side of the deck. The three men were clad in shining steel armor that had leather padding under the plates with white plant fibers providing some cover and warmth between the joints. The suits weren¡¯t the full body armor of the Coalitions troops, but out here their metal shoulder pads, leg guards, and steel helmets would be more than most had. Intimidating enough to scare off any thugs, but not embellished or lavish enough to draw undue interest.


    ¡°Feels weird, being in so much steel.¡± The man to the left said.


    Kantor huffed as he hoisted his shield from its strap.


    ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t embarrass miss Gula with poor swordsmanship. I¡¯d hate for her to have to put us through some of the practice she had.¡± The older Kelton said as he took out his sword with a metal ring. The other men took out their swords and started rehearsing the various forms Gula had taught them.


    It wasn¡¯t the graceful dance I had seen my sister-wife perform, but it¡¯d scare off anyone wielding a club or pitchfork.


    It was a few more minutes of waiting before the crates of salted fish arrived. With it, my husband.


    ¡°The ship will be in the air, waiting to render aid if need be. Though that will be for big attacks, otherwise, Cell will be your best protection. I also brought you these.¡± He said as he handed me two wooden braces. He used his spirit connection to start them, prompting a water blade to shoot out of one and a water shield to form around the other. It reminded me of the first pair he gave me, in what seemed like a lifetime ago.


    I took his strong chin in my hand and kissed him. We dueled in forms far more practiced than the men¡¯s swordsmanship, but our exercise ended sooner.


    ¡®Keep Gula in good company. I fear that with us being closer to bringing in Orcs, she will be more eager to meet her kin. However that turns out.¡¯ I said in a spirit connection as I hugged him. He nodded as he stop the enchantments and squeezed me back.


    ¡®I do worry how they¡¯ll take her not carrying my child yet. But I suppose we¡¯ll just have to see how it goes.¡¯ He agreed.


    We both savored the moment, but eventually, the three crates of fish came up. Our time for departure had finally arrived and Eli pulled back with worry plain in his purple eyes.


    ¡®Hey, don¡¯t be like that.¡¯ I reprimanded softly. ¡®I¡¯m only going to a settlement with an armed guard to listen to tavern talk and gauge moods. Now imagine what it¡¯s like for me whenever you shoot off to go blast someone.¡¯


    ¡®I know. It¡¯s needed and all that. Can¡¯t stop me from worrying though.¡¯ He said with a huff and a bit lip before sighing and pulling out a few silver coins to put in my coat pocket. ¡®Stay safe love.¡¯


    We came together for one final kiss before he pulled back and went down the ladder. As I heard his steps, a whoosh of air came up the side of the ship followed by the black mass of Cell landing on the rail beside me. He sent his spirit connection out containing greetings and joy as he used metal magic to hoist a metal necklace towards me. Fitting it around my neck, he quickly fastened himself into the hole in the middle, near my collarbone. After a minute, a loud creaking sound rang out as a beam of light cut through the middle of the bay. A bitter wind and flecks of freezing seawater came down from the opening ceiling as the Frojan working the guns came up the ladders.


    They were all well dressed in thick coats that my mage eyes occasionally saw mana get sucked into. Taking positions at the six gunnery stations behind the wide wooden shields, Durka nodded as she pulled on one of the levers next to the wheel, making sure to keep an eye on her prot¨¦g¨¦ to her left as she did so. As I walked towards the front of the ship, the tube of steel in the middle of the deck blasted out heat into the mass of cloth resting on the steel frame above. The loud grinding continued as the retractable roof revealed the orange sky above.


    Kantor and his two men yelped when the ships lisped to the right as we left the bay, but I was too busy waving Gula goodbye to pay attention. The green-skinned woman was on the deck of the newer ship, directing the work crew around the steering wheel, furnace parts, and putting in the metal frame to hold the balloon when the ship was idle. Rising into the sky, I saw her wave me back with a wide smile.


    The string of curses coming from my fellow Keltons undid the wholesome image just a bit.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± One of the big brown Frojan close to them said with a hint of sympathy.


    The two other men went below deck almost immediately while poor Kantor had to stay our among the clouds with me to direct us. As the mountain took up less of the view, the water spells on the hull of the ship activated. We must have looked like a plume of fog rising out of the mountainside but a few holes centered around the pilot would provide adequate vision in this world of swirling mist. As I moved back to that position, I saw my new home for what could be considered the first time.


    In the forward and right side holes of the mist, I saw a windswept plain of rough concrete with pools of white water stretching on for what looked like miles. To the left and back was the ever-churning sea, the end of which would never be seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming straight ahead?¡± Durka shouted.


    ¡°Ye- Yes.¡± Kantor stammered out, looking over the plains from a view he probably assumed only the birds knew of.


    The ship tipped upward as the thrusters engaged, pushing the expanse of windswept snow along as we slipped over the endless tundra below. The rock of the barnacles home was quickly left behind as the sea turned into land in a few minutes. Something my innate sense of time told me would still probably be a grueling row or walk. But my mind was too busy taking in the lands of my ancestors to work out the distances involved. It was captivating in its beauty of white rolling hills and slabs of ice making the start of the frozen ocean and proper land almost impossible to distinguish at this height. Accompanying its beauty was the complete lack of life anywhere to be seen among the plains bathed in the golden glow of the early morning sun. Not a speck of green or shuffle of any living thing could be seen at any spot of this vast place now fully open before me.


    It was a lovely wasteland.


    ¡°Where are we going and for how long, Kantor?¡± Our pilot shouted, her strained voice meant it probably wasn¡¯t her first time this last minute. This was a wonderful experience but it was probably more stressful than anything else when you were the one having to keep everyone in the air.


    ¡°Um . . . follow the coastline. The best spot for us to drop off will be the second biggest meeting ground. It¡¯s around a deep ravine in the stone and helps keep out predators. More importantly, it will provide a lot of places for us to land and keep prying eyes too busy on keeping their feet from being torn up on the rocks.¡±


    She nodded as she put the ship along the rough coastline. Kantor, having seen and lived on these lands his whole life, quickly lost interest in the scenery as he went back to practicing his amateur swordsmanship. I would probably grow tired of the countryside at some point, but for now, the lands told of in my childhood were before me and I wanted to take in as much of it as I could. After a good thirty minutes, we came up to deep rends in what was certainly stone. Kantor quickly retrieved his men as the ship started turning right. The two other guards were still nervous, but they seemed to calm down a bit as we all came up to the left side of the ship.


    ¡°A mole pack tore through here decades ago.¡± One of them said to my right.


    My eyebrows raised as I took in what very well could have been a natural mountainscape if not for the sharp points. As we made our way around the side of the first stone peak, the mountain turned out to be almost cut in half. Continuing our flight, we saw it was true for most of the other mountains in this patch as well. Another odd aspect was these giant slabs of jutting earth also twisted and contorted in different directions, some even flowed right into each other. Seeing certain holes and rubs along the sides, I guessed the moles had to be between the size of houses and mansions.


    Cell jumped from his spot in my necklace and his black spot zipped across the landscape until he was lost to my eyes. A good fifteen or so minutes later, he came back with the all-clear. Durka moved the ship closer to the mountain range and set the vessel down in between two long walls of torn stone at the topside of one of the peaks. Which was when we took a hard shift leftward with a gust of wind over the ship.


    ¡°Bastards Beard!¡± Our pilot cursed with the type of enthusiasm and energy that should never come from the person navigating the ship. The buff Orc pulled one lever and cut the furnace¡¯s power off as her prot¨¦g¨¦ stood still, taking in her every movement. A whooshing sound accompanied the air cushion enchantments below the ship firing. For my part, I gritted my teeth and started going over various air spells. The accompanying crunch of rocks set my heart racing as the bottom of the ship settled into position with a slight wobble before stilling. When the ship¡¯s movement stopped completely, more than one Frojan sighed in relief while the Kelton men sucked in air with a giant gasp as their need to breathe finally reasserted itself.


    ¡°See? Nothing to worry about you babies.¡± Durka declared to the surrounding crew before turning to look at us with a swing of her brown twin braids ¡°What time should we come back? Kantor said to follow the first ships leaving.¡± She asked as my group began moving to the ladder, though the wobbly legs of the men made the project slower than it usually was.


    ¡°Two days after our arrival to the hold. It shouldn¡¯t be too much effort to see what the local dockworkers and merchants are whining about.¡± With that, I took my turn down the ladder.


    As we made our way down the side of the ship, the Frojan on our side waved goodbye after setting our three chests down with the long piece of enchanted wood Eli used to quickly get on the ship in the swamps. Their task finished, the rocks creaked and moaned with the ship taking off again, this time without any incident as what now looked like a cloud of fog rolled up off the stone mountainside and went straight up to the clouds. Cell went to work cutting out a path for us to safely walk down. As the small cloud grew more and more distant, I tried to follow it with my eyes but the white cloud became a pillow of fluffy mist, then a dot, then nothing as far as my eye could see. Giving up on tracking its movements, I turned back to my group of guards behind me.


    ¡°So, Kantor. Tell me, are there any special hand gestures or phrases that need to be said in greeting or to conduct business.¡±


    He huffed as the crunch of stone below us told of Cell¡¯s efforts.


    ¡°Time spent on pleasantries is time that could be spent doing whatever you need to do to see the next sunrise. Just don¡¯t tilt your head directly forward and you¡¯ll be fine. Unless you do intend to challenge them.¡±


    Turning around towards the empty valley below, I closed my eyes and moved my head skyward with a sour puckering of my lips. It was a small thing, but growing up in human territory had made the slight nod a staple of unspoken agreements. I suppose if that was all I had to watch for, it wasn¡¯t too much to ask. After a few minutes, Cell came back with a mental map of the trail towards the end of the ravine.


    The trail down the mountainside wasn¡¯t too bad aside from the wind. Bits of snow would slap my face and the bits of my skin that weren¡¯t covered by thick clothing. The steps were sturdy enough that I never worried about tipping over with the chest I was carrying and it was a half-hour before we came to the proper ground. I had been a bit worried about being spotted since we¡¯d be so close to the main area for the traders, but looking up, the jutting walls of stone provided some comfort for future visits as I couldn¡¯t see past the narrow slit of the sky open to me. As a minute of walking became several and several became another half-hour, the light chests felt like they were filled with lead.


    It was only when the sounds of haggling and shoving began reverberating over the sharp mountainside that my tired arms found new life. We quickly moved through the stony passages until we came up to the gathering of the local Keltons. Along the sides of the market were sentries wearing black robes and brandishing bows as they patrolled along the stone ledges of the ravine walls and looked out towards the various passages in and out this abode. They, along with their spear-wielding brethren, kept order in the seething mass of bartering, shouting, and the occasional brawl that made up the only thing close to civilization I had seen out here aside from us.


    It was a wide-open place with a half-moon of beach being the only docking area for the wide expanse of various boats in the water. The cold morning left foggy clouds coming out of every snout in the crowd of women haggling for fish or cloth from the merchants with their good sprawled out on blankets, men plying whatever craft a meager corner of the stone wall would let them, and children scurrying underfoot. Ice hugged the jutting masses of stone pinning the Keltons in, which when combined with the wind blowing in from the frigid sea, meant this place felt barely any warmer than the plains. Though the food mongers along the stone walls near the beach made sure the heat of their cooking fires was a central part of their dining experience as most had huge black pots and roaring fires at the center of their meager tents, around which various stools and customers sat.


    ¡°Miss, please move along.¡± One of the sentries to the right shouted.


    He was a mid-twenties lad and his brown fur covered a strained smile. I had no doubt he¡¯d like to use more colorful language, but my guards were clad in solid steel and he didn¡¯t look eager to see how well his black robes would defend against their shining blades.


    ¡°All right,¡± I yelled back as I pushed forward. The crowd was of a similar opinion and did not attempt to get in our way as we pushed towards the beach. Along the way, I saw masses of children spread throughout the place. They were scrawny things kept busy moving sacks, cutting up hard red triangles that seemed to be a vegetable of some kind, and eating whatever scraps of food could be found. The ribs showing through most of their rags were gravely offensive to me and the stress their hungry forms evoked in my heart was greater than the landing of the ship.


    Born a mother, indeed.


    As we moved halfway through the crowd with Cell sending me a spirit connection filled with curiosity and wonder, one of the scrawny boys wearing a grey sack for a robe moved in front of us.


    ¡®Ma¡¯am I could help carry that chest, for some copper or bread. If it¡¯d please you.¡¯ He said in a spirit connection as his small brown horns barely reached up to my chest. My burden was nearly half as big as he was, but even if it was made to size, his lean stomach and thin arms would make such a job almost impossible.


    ¡®Instead of that,¡¯ I said as I fished around my coats pocket for a single coin from the fistful Eli had put in earlier ¡®How about you show me where the best boat to get to the Messineen hold is,¡¯ Pulling out a silver coin, his eyes went wide as I held the metal to his face. The poor boy was stunned for a moment before he did a gracious sideways nod and waved towards the beach area.


    ¡®O-Of course. . .My lady. If you would follow me.¡¯ He said like he had just gotten a new chance at life. Kantor huffed behind me as we followed our new guide.


    ¡®The pup will eat better than the guards on that coin. That will put some attention on us.¡¯ He warned.


    My mind was running at full speed, trying to rationalize and put a pretense of logic on the emotionally motivated action I had just taken.


    ¡®I will be visiting rather regularly and a single silver isn¡¯t slinging out dragon hides to every passerby. If I can get some of the kids here to think of me more favorably, that will help us expand our recruitment pool. Especially from those with less motivation than most to betray us. Besides, unless the poor traders here have a habit of being guarded by men in steel, I¡¯d say any facade of poverty would be a lost cause.¡¯


    A quick look back told me Kantor saw through my justification as he raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes.


    ¡®It¡¯s Eli¡¯s coin. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t scold his wife about how she spends it.¡¯


    ¡®Very wise,¡¯ I agreed with a simple sideways nod.


    The crowd parted for us and our newest companion. A cold wind blew through the camp and caused everyone to shirk from the cold, including the little boy. This time, however, I kept my heart in check and prevented myself from offering him my coat. Moving towards the sea, I saw more of the boats. They were long things with wide bottoms. Rowers were tending to each of the boats and more than one was laid up with massive sacks of cloth, fish, and whatever bits of goods the people of the ice plains could scrounge up. A few were even heading to the three ships that were waiting further out to sea.


    Our guide took us along to the three longest boats. What I guessed was the first mate took on a smile as we approached. His blue jacket was a bit damp around the bottom as were his black pants and brown boots but his long sideburns of grey fur were a bit more well-maintained than most here.


    ¡®Hello. What brings you to our vessel?¡¯ he asked, looking at the wooden chests we carried.


    ¡®Fish. The haul of a disappointing trip that may cover our costs but the price at the Messineens hold will be what it will be.¡¯ I said, making sure to put a disappointed note in my voice.


    Nodding in agreement he coughed into a leather-gloved hand.


    ¡®A silver for the trip there¡¯ He offered.


    I licked my lips, pretending to think over the offer.


    ¡®Does the silver cover food as well?¡¯


    ¡®Naturally,¡¯ he said.


    A moment of impulse almost made me lean my head forward, but I saved it with a twirl of my head.


    ¡®Deal.¡¯ I said, turning to my guide. I handed over the silver coin to him, which he took with a tear in his right eye.


    ¡®May lady summer watch over you,¡¯ he said before bounding off to the line food stalls further ahead of the beach.


    One of the workers, a strong man wearing a leather vest and brown pants, took my chest and set it down under a seat I presumed to be our spot while I signed some papers. Kantor and his men chose to be the silent and dangerous types, handing their burdens off without a word spoken or gesture wasted before Kantor sat in front of me and the other two on each of my sides. The boat was one of the larger ones but it still dipped from the three men''s armor. After some reshuffling of the other cargo and passengers, the time to take off quickly approached. With one last yell for disembarking passengers, the first-mate had the crew take to their oars and start rowing us out to sea.


    The other passengers looked me over curiously, but the hunters, merchants, and other travelers were too focused on their own affairs to spend a lot of time on the rich trader woman. After a minute, we passed through the two sides of the stone walls and approached the open water. Just a few dozen feet past the entrance was some ships anchored to the seafloor below. The three vessels were long, drab things covered in algae and tar on the outside of what looked to be three stories worth of hull. Their main method of movement was the two masts each had in the middle, though the small holes in the sides said rowing was a rather permanent part of the crew''s duties. Coming up to the side of the ship, a rope ladder was dropped down as workers began lifting chests, bags, and boxes into rope baskets for the crew to haul upward. Though one long slab of salted ribs in a white cloth wrap made for an awkward thing to strap on properly. We made our way up one by one before standing in a clump in the middle of the ship''s seemingly chaotic deck. A situation that lasted only for a moment before a cabin boy directed us below deck through a staircase on the right.


    Our little group of travelers headed down into the lower deck. It was a rather drab affair with the hammocks being put up wherever they would stay in place while some of the crew deposited our cargo further below deck. My mind wasn¡¯t focused on the flickering candles or meager living space, though. I was too busy concentrating on the floorboard beneath my foot moving as I pressed on it with my foot. After a few seconds, we moved to a corner on the left of the staircase.


    Flying in the airship was nerve-wracking, but you felt the solid construction everywhere you went. From the privy to the rails, there wasn¡¯t so much as a loose splinter to be found. This. . . thing, however, seemed to be made up of wishes, hope, and prayer as much as it was wood and nails. Thick black goo was slapped in every crevice of the walls as the rocking back and forth was worse than anything I had felt in the sky. Sure, there was a lot less to go wrong out on the ocean, but as I made my way over to the three hammocks we sectioned off for ourselves, I counted no less than five boards that I wasn¡¯t confident would hold my weight.


    It was still fine for my fellow passengers. One hunter set his bow and fishing spear down beside our corner while two parents directed their three children to sit down in the hammocks further off to the right of the staircase. After a few more minutes of getting settled in, the first mate came back to stand in the middle of the room.


    ¡°All right!¡± He said audibly, the typical rough Kelton voice becoming even more strained as he yelled. ¡°We are a typical crew for a typical ship. So, let¡¯s make this a typical voyage. All right? No thieving, raping, or fighting. If you have any trouble with another passenger, come talk to me or fetch one of the crew. I have a list of who owns what so don¡¯t try any funny business. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had to whip a guest on the deck. That might sound fun, but it takes a lot of time and a lot of space and those are two things we don¡¯t have a lot of. Keep your noses where they belong and we can all get to where we¡¯re going with minimal beatings.¡±


    With that, he did a sideways nod before turning back around to go up the steps.


    ¡®Ah, there¡¯s our famed hospitality. I had almost forgotten it after my stay in paradise.¡¯ The guard to the right said in a spirit connection.


    We all chuckled at that before the guards moved to sit on their haunches. I gathered they were setting up a routine for sleeping and keeping watch, something their time in the wastes always demanded. After a few minutes, there was the sound of unfurling cloth coming from above followed by a slight pullback as the ship started moving.


    A few hours passed when the crew went to eat with the passengers on the middle floor of the ship. Two of the cabin boys handed out plates with that hard triangular vegetable I had seen in the market. Kantor must have seen the question on my face because he coughed as he sat in a hammock to my right.


    ¡®It¡¯s typically called dragon¡¯s scale due to its hardness. They grow in the soil between the freezing ice and slightly warmer section where the Messineens stay. You can¡¯t eat them without boiling them to soften the flesh.¡¯


    I put my mouth forward a bit and took a bite out of my meal. It was like biting into a ball of slimy cotton, with a few black seeds that needed to be spat up immediately.


    ¡®Not the worst.¡¯ Was the greatest compliment I could give it. The taste was like a baked potato with a bit of spinach thrown in, but the weirdness of how it felt in my mouth made it hard to concentrate on what my tongue was registering. Kantor nodded as he bit into his portion and took a mug from one of the passing cabin boys.


    ¡®What do you know of the area?¡¯ I asked Kantor and his two men.


    The guard to the right of Kantor spoke first.


    ¡®There are several smaller human settlements south of the Messineens. Scattered about for one task or another. Some mine the metals and stone churned up from mole packs, others hunt the seas for whatever fish won¡¯t kill them. Others are more like outposts. To the north is more Kelton clans, all of one trade, strength, or tradition of one type or another.¡¯


    ¡®And where is this. . . Rainbows Piss? That is what Kantor called it.¡¯


    That got a few childish smiles out of the men. Kantor, as the man who was namd, decided to take charge.


    ¡®That¡¯s obviously not what they put on their maps. But its little acts of pettiness that make the day more bearable. We call it that because they¡¯re south of the snail fields. The snail''s waste often produces colors as varied as their plants and shells. Waste that often finds its way into the humans¡¯ bay. I can¡¯t say I know what the proper name of the place is, though.¡¯


    Feeling a bit of excitement at the prospect of seeing those fabled fields, I chugged down my mug of water. The rest of the day passed in boredom as we set in for the night. As the sky peeking out of the hole in the ceiling turned from orange to black, I decided to turn in early for the night. When I laid down in the rope hammock, one of the guards started a spirit connection with me and the others as he started his watch.


    ¡®I forgot to ask. What would we be allowed to do as far as. . . protection goes?¡¯


    I blinked and thought about it for a moment. Personally, I had a lot of reservations about using the swords on any aggressors who weren¡¯t outright killers, but I was in a strange land and a moment of hesitation could cost them their lives. I decided to go with the most tested and practical method of getting around moral dilemmas; blaming the husband.


    ¡®I would like to talk things out in a peaceful and respectful manner. But Eli would be a lot more direct and I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be too happy if I got hurt. So, make people keep their distance and put those swords to use if you have to.¡¯


    Kantor was settling into the hammock below me but he stuck his head out with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®Oh? What would he do?¡¯


    I bit my lip before answering, remembering that we skipped over a lot of details in our explanation of Eli¡¯s time in the Coalition.


    ¡®The last group who threatened his people were smeared across stone roads. They were properly warned, though. So don¡¯t lop heads off at the first sign of trouble.¡¯


    The other man on the hammock to the right joined his fellows in staring with questions in their gazes.


    ¡®What warning was that?¡¯ Kantor asked.


    ¡®He flayed a man alive. Splayed him out on a table like a slab of meat and gave him a look to match.¡¯


    The guards puckered their lips while Kantor nodded.


    ¡®And killing him didn¡¯t send the message?¡¯ The black-furred Kelton inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®He¡¯s still alive. Eli inserted healing stakes into his body so that he could survive the. . . procedure.¡¯


    ¡®Healing. . . stakes.¡¯ The still armored guard numbly stated with a numb look.


    ¡®Aye. Don¡¯t be concerned that Eli will take you to task for going overboard to keep me safe. Though, I certainly will if you hurt a pup and could have prevented it. Good night.¡¯


    They were staring at me as I turned around and went to sleep in my coat.


    A child crying was the next thing I heard. The next thing I felt was my back and neck letting me know what they thought of these sleeping arrangements. Pushing down the pain, I looked out over the other hammocks in the light of the early morning. Through the crowd and rope hammocks, I could see a mother was tending to a crying baby off to the right of the ship. Blinking away what could barely be considered sleep, I carefully got out of my hammock. When I stood up, I felt that something was wrong.


    ¡®They dock the ship around nighttime. Keeps us out of the morning feeding frenzy.¡¯ Kantor said in a spirit connection behind me. Realizing that the ship was still, I stretched in place. The expected breakfast arrived, and all ate their dried nuts and hot beans in silence. It was miserable compared to the food I had gotten used to, but when I remembered that showers weren¡¯t a thing on this voyage, my mood became properly sour. Water spells helped me sneak in a bit of hygiene for me and the men, but if the trip went on for long, this place was going to become uninhabitable. Fortunately, the first-mate came down around mid-day.


    ¡°Congratulations. We have arrived at Zeedans Peak and we had a good time of it as well. We¡¯ll start undocking soon so pick up anything in your spots that you don¡¯t want to be left behind else it will be considered official ship property.¡±


    Our voyage finally over, a few of the more lightly packed passengers left immediately while the families had to wrangle their broods into action. We immediately moved out between these two groups and out onto the decks. When my head turned towards the hold, I had two immediate reactions: awe and disgust.


    The walls around the perimeter were rather tall, with long logs lashed together where the stone wasn¡¯t molded into a crude defense. Even from this distance, I could see archers patrolling their tops. That same middling craftsmanship was applied to the docks. There were six piers, three of which on the left were taken up with larger ships while the other two ships in our fleet were on the right.


    My disgust first came from my nose, as it was readily apparent that the dock''s water was an open sewer. Then I noticed the houses. I had thought our homes back in the Coalition were drab before Eli came, but we apparently lived like kings. What I assumed was the chief''s house was on the far right on a slight hill with thick beams of wood and large blocks of stone for a foundation. Around it was a sizable yard that had a wall and a gate around it.


    The rest of the houses were ramshackle wooden hovels, stacked on top of each other like blocks. There was only a single street leading from the wall to the chief¡¯s house and coming back around to the dock. The only other way I could see to move between the buildings was walking on the cramped blocks of staircases that seemed to have been haphazardly put wherever they could fit. On each step and bit of land was a Kelton going about their day, moving to a job or shop of any number of descriptions in a swarming mass of my kind.


    The fact that such a lack of planning could be so apparent meant the place wasn¡¯t well run or Eli¡¯s mechanical analysis has started slipping into me.


    My eyes followed the path down the dock and I couldn¡¯t quite tell where I could step off the road into a tavern as stores were often thrown in amongst the houses. Looking to the right and left, I couldn¡¯t see a single piece of land inside the walls that hadn¡¯t been slapped with a house or shop. Even the land right up to the docks and its warehouses was taken up with the shabby wooden walls of some dwelling.


    ¡®Follow us, lady.¡¯ Kantor said behind me as our chests were pulled out of the lower deck and set on the pier in front of us. I took up my chest but my mind was too busy taking in the sounds of hundreds of footsteps and banging of pots from cooks stationed at various points in the forest of shabby boards.


    The older black-furred man lead us down the dock to the main street. We kept to ourselves and that steel armor kept away potential pickpockets and trouble makers. For as crowded as this place was, the noise was surprisingly minimal with only the pound of hammers and sizzling of food making an impression in my ears aside from the constant patter of feet hitting dirt. Sure, we preferred the use of spirit connections when we were talking privately or in small groups. But having lived my whole life among humans, there was a certain level of chatter my mind was searching for and not finding.


    As we walked, I looked over at the people. They were a bit more well-fed than the wastelanders and their clothes were shirts and pants as opposed to cloaks and robes fashioned from rags. The ever underfoot children spent some time playing as opposed to trying to scrape a meal together. Still, as one of the wealthiest holds of the Keltons, it was a meager place. The occasional Human was seen, haggling for some snail or moving wagons of food from various ships.


    Kantor suddenly took a hard left into an alley. Following behind him, we eventually came up to a wide stall with various fish caked in salt.


    ¡®What¡¯ll the miss be having today?¡¯ The pudgy fishmonger in a bloody white apron behind the bar of seafood asked with a raised eyebrow of grey fur.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be selling.¡¯ I declared through the spirit connection as I opened my chest and my three guards quickly followed suit.


    He leaned forward with a sniff.


    ¡®Ah, properly preserved. Too many people don¡¯t know how to handle their catch.¡¯ He said as he reached under the counter and produced two silver coins. Keeping the surprise off my face, I took the coins and set the chests down as he began taking their contents. Back home, these fish would have gone for a few dozen coppers. Sure, the salt added some extra value, but as I started doing the math in my head a ball of worry dropped in my stomach.


    I¡¯d have slowly starved to death back home on the diet I could afford here, to say nothing of what rent prices could be. But I was a very wealthy merchant, so I kept the indignation at spending so much in the coming days off my face. The transaction completed, we moved off towards our real target of the day. Leaving the stall, we headed back towards the docks and stopped near the tavern that served the sailors. It was right up against the wood of the docks and as cramped as anything else here but the windows had glass and a few burly men near the entrance kept order.


    As we came up, one disorderly patron was thrown headfirst into the mud by two such guards. We kept walking forward as they gave a respectful nod to us as we went inside. It was as cramped as the rest of the hold, with tables bursting with thirsty sailors as maids tried to squeeze past with trays of beers, bread, and soup. We quickly took a seat in a dark corner with the other sailors giving the steel-clad men a wide berth as the candlelight made their armor shine in the flickering golden flames stationed along the walls.


    As I sat at a small table between Kantor and another one of the men, a maid with black fur and small curled horns in a grey dress came up.


    ¡® E¡¯llo. What can we offer you today?¡¯


    ¡®A trio of wat-¡®


    Kantor shook his head and leaned into me.


    ¡®Light beer. Ancestors only know what¡¯s in the water here, but the process of making beer kills almost anything that would churn your stomach.¡¯


    I took a moment to acknowledge the ¡®almost¡¯ part of his sentence before continuing our order.


    ¡®Three of your lightest beers and a serving of whatever stew is best around here.¡¯


    ¡®Three white beers with fish soups coming right up.¡¯ She finished with a sideways nod before turning around and heading towards the kitchen. I saw her casually swat the groping palm of a sailor before getting up to the bar at the back of the tavern. After a few minutes of resting, our food eventually came. As I set down two silver coins, she reached into a breast pocket.


    ¡®If I said to keep the change, would you be willing to tell me where I could go to find the latest news and gossip?¡¯ I asked with a hand around a mug of white, frothy liquid. That gave her a wide smile as she palmed coins.


    ¡®The harbor master Gigrand is more fond of talk than sailing and he gets the latest grumblings from the ship.¡¯ From there she listed off a long list of warehouse directors and large vendors that had a lot of contact with the human settlements. Once she finished, I dismissed her with a handwave.


    We ate in silence for a bit before finishing with a final swig of the white beer, whose ingredients I would bet consisted of the white flesh of the dragon''s scale vegetable. As we sat around our empty mugs and bowls, I looked outside to see the sun shining down over the hold.


    ¡®I¡¯d say the harbor master sounds like the best option to start asking around. After that, we¡¯ve got two days to get whatever information we can scrounge up,¡¯ I declared to my group.


    With nods all around, we got up. As we did so, I felt the need to use a latrine. Standing there in the middle of the tavern, it occurred to me how dependent I had gotten on the comforts my home back north had provided me. Unable to decide if I wanted to love Eli even more for the luxuries he had gifted me or curse him for making the fall so much harder, I resigned myself to several days of hardship before heading out into the main street.

 Calm Before the Storm

    Jeff woke up from his bed to see black nothingness before fumbling his hands to the left. When he finally felt the familiar crystal tip, his vision returned. Not for the first time, he thought on the contradiction his room represented. His whole life among the Coalition he had been surrounded by luxurious carpeting, attending maids, and the finest silk clothes. If he had been the same person he had been a year ago, he would have mentally scoffed at the rough clothing, bare stone room, and austere wooden bed. Though, the mana lamp just to his left giving off a light golden glow would have gotten some approval. But this place was the first to ever wake him up with a fully heated room. Even the Diamond academy with its posh luxuries was limited by the local mana and couldn¡¯t provide heating enchantments to warm his home as thoroughly as Eli had done here.


    Of course, he was still a lot happier back in those cold rooms with the company of...


    Shirking away from the gaping abyss in his soul, Jeff pushed his brown blanket forward and rubbed his slight chin. Getting a grey shirt and leather pants from a chest at the foot of his bed, he opened the wooden door to his room and went out onto the walkway with a shake of his almost shoulder-length black hair. He was on the middle floor of the housing areas nine stories and below he could see the various goat-headed people moving about getting ready for their day. Walking down, he came to the ground floor and picked up a towel from a large communal basket.


    Waiting in line for his morning duties, the surrounding crowd paid him no mind with only the occasional passerby giving him that weird sideways nod. They had all learned of his and his brother''s abilities, but none of the women had pestered them. Andrew was decidedly not interested and Jeff was at a point where he knew his mental state was blaring out for all to see and he couldn¡¯t give a troll¡¯s rotten toenail who did. Quickly getting showered and dressed, Jeff put his dirty clothes in another big communal bin on his way to the door and across the open hallway of bare stone.


    Coming into the kitchen, he took a left and went up to the open bar. Taking a bowl of the ever-present fish stew he turned back around towards the rows of long tables. Moving a bit closer to the door, the lightning mage sat down with nothing but the glow of mana lamps above to accompany him. He had heard that the farms would be producing their first crops in the next few days but today¡¯s meal reflected few vegetables. Sometimes he felt positively normal, other times, he wondered how he found the energy to move. Feeling lucky that today was one of the former, he ate in silence until his older brother sat in front of him wearing the same clothes and eating the same meal. Though his red hair provided a bigger contrast with the grey shirt.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gretton?¡± Jeff asked before putting in his last spoonful of stew.


    ¡°Probably in the workshop. He likes to go there after we train or when he¡¯s not outside with Cell.¡± Andrew quietly answered.


    Jeff felt the simmering tension between him and his brother, but he still tried to act like everything was fine.


    ¡°I heard we¡¯ll be heading out to a human settlement later today when Salamede comes back.¡±


    Andrew got a slight smile and his shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°Aye. Where or how I don¡¯t know yet. But I don¡¯t think it will involve one of the more northern Kelton ships. ¡±


    The black-haired brother nodded in agreement.


    ¡®Based on how aggressive some of the Keltons are, I don¡¯t think I want to sail on one of their ships anyway.¡¯ Jeff said in a spirit connection. Though, given the circumstances, a human vessel may not be any friendlier than any other.


    With that, their morning conversation ended. Getting up, they both headed towards the exit but as they came up to the double iron doors, the exemplar of everything humanity aspired to become blocked them. The quad mage''s purple eyes looked between them with a nod before he coughed into the hand he put over his strong chin.


    ¡°Before we send you out, we have a few items we need to see to. If you have the time.¡± He said gently. The two brothers looked between each other for a moment before nodding. Following him, they eventually came into the meeting room. It was bright enough with the mana lamps around the stone walls and columns. What drew their eyes was the chair on the right pulled away from the large table in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Going out into the world will require you to interact with humans. I don¡¯t think anyone in the backwater villages here will recognize you, but if you ever meet someone with knowledge of the Coalition or its leadership¡­ Well, I hope I don¡¯t need to expound on how your curious features will become an item of great interest.¡±


    ¡°Our features?¡± Andrew scoffed, looking at the man''s silver hair and purple eyes with raised eyebrows and puckered lips.


    Eli smiled as he motioned towards the empty chair with a wave of his right arm.


    ¡°I assure you, I would not subject you to anything I would not be willing to go through myself.¡±


    ¡®What do you think?¡¯ Jeff asked his brother in a spirit connection. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I want mothers eyes gone.¡¯


    ¡®If mother knew about what we¡¯re doing here, the last thing she¡¯d have a problem with is changing the color of our eyes.¡¯


    The verbal sting made Jeff visibly flinch, but he knew his brother''s temperament was not one of malice. Taking a moment to collect himself, he moved forward.


    ¡°Fine, but will you be able to change it back afterward?¡± The black-haired man said as he sat backward in the chair.


    ¡°I will take as long as is needed to get the right shade once the time for secrecy ends. But I think remaking the irises and Andrews''s hair to brown is all that is required.¡±


    Warm eyeballs were never something Jeff thought he¡¯d experience. But as Eli continued to suck in mana, an odd heat seeped into his spheres. The weirdness of the sensation quickly passed as he got up and stepped to the right to let Andrew have his turn. After a few minutes, Jeff had a hard time not laughing. Andrews''s face of a normal chin and strong cheekbones was the same as ever, but in Jeff¡¯s eyes, the brown color in his hair made it look like a wig. Something that kept trying to force a chuckle up his throat.


    After a quick glare of pure malice, Andrew turned back to the quad mage on his left.


    ¡°I suppose Gretton is staying here on all of our adventures.¡±


    Eli shook his head, causing the former red-head to raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked with the Keltons. The mountains farther out west are home to a permanent settlement of Orcs. It¡¯s also home to a wide array of apes. I don¡¯t know how similar to Gretton they are but once we have a good idea of their fur colorings and body structure, I¡¯ll have him accompany you as a pet or animal guard. In the meantime, Cell is going to be doing more guard duty around one of your necks.¡±


    ¡°He has more experience with familiar communication¡± Jeff offered with a swing of his black hair towards Andrew.


    With their changes made, the two men left the meeting room and went about their day''s work. Between helping out with the new ship and its tests, an issue that had been every bit as painful as Eli predicted, and all of the other smaller jobs around their stone home, the two never struggled with boredom. When late midday/early afternoon rolled around, the large ship finally came back as they stood by the workshop door. The black mass of Cell came up through the cave and landed on Eli¡¯s shoulder. After a few seconds, Eli nodded as a mirth-ridden smile crossed his face.


    As the large ceiling lifted open, the bow of the larger ship came through. Cell must have relayed some message, because as Salamede came down the ladder on its left, Eli didn¡¯t move to kiss and hug the grey-furred Kelton woman. Her leather coat with white fluff flapped as she shot across the hangar towards the workshop. They didn¡¯t see anything suggesting an injury, but she still ran like a starving troll was right on her heels. Shrugging between themselves, they continued their work on the ship for a few more minutes before Eli called for them in the meeting room.


    As they went through the iron door, they saw the quad mage sitting in the chair closest to his room''s door while a steamy Salamede sat on his left with a towel around her neck that made her goatish head look like she had a puffy collar.


    ¡°Things went well.¡± Salamede¡¯s announced with the rough voice typical of her kind as the two brothers moved to sit opposite of the couple. ¡°I have a few good leads on where we could send you. Miles East of Crasden, the official title of the local capital and a name that was quite the pain to track down, is a large island that acts as a base for the local fleet. The humans have several smaller villages doing whatever small jobs need doing. Most are focused on mining, though some are dedicated to tanneries, farms, or smithing.¡±


    Jeff raised an eyebrow, making her stop.


    ¡°Entire settlements dedicated to leather tanning?¡±


    Salamede shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°That¡¯s what a few of the humans said. But for our purposes, the main item of interest was a particular settlement called Mole Hill. Despite its name, it¡¯s one of the bigger settlements and acts as a stop for larger ships going through the area. Most of which are military vessels coming into port from Passtoons Watch, a large naval base that houses something between a military and police force that patrols the ocean.¡±


    Salamede then rubbed her grey fur against the white towel and Eli took that as an opportunity to take over.


    ¡°You two are going to be one of the many, many sailors who were lost at sea. Get with Kantor and the older Keltons for whatever scraps of knowledge they have about northern sailing, but your mainly going to sell yourselves as men from the Coalition whose ship got pulled into an ill-fated trade in these cold lands.¡±


    Andrew nodded as he leaned back with a rub of his now brown hair.


    ¡°That¡¯ll explain why we need to ask about everything like we¡¯re newborns. But I don¡¯t think ¡®What shade of green do you like your women¡¯ will be a very good conversation starter. Did you find out anything that would help us figure out where we should start looking for Orcs?¡±


    Salamede coughed, taking a moment to rub her moist grey fur before she turned back to us.


    ¡°There is a group who is most notorious for such an association. Waveborn is their common name, after the fact that their lives are defined by the seas. Orc plowers are what the few humans I could talk to called them. They sail the ocean in massive ships that hold their families as they move goods, fish, and do whatever else they need to do to stay alive. As such, I¡¯d say they¡¯d be willing to take on some passengers with silver. We¡¯ll see if we can find one that¡¯s good to drop you in front of. Though the way to tell takes time and I don¡¯t know how long you¡¯ll be twiddling your thumbs in the sky. One item of interest that might come up, a lot of the humans I talked to praised the lack of kings in the north. Use that bit how you see fit if it ever comes up.¡±


    ¡°As far as our time in Mole Hill goes,¡± Jeff said with a bit of hope. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose meager sailors would have sacks of silver on them.¡±


    Eli and Salamede gave him a pitying look.


    ¡°Sadly, no.¡± The quad mage gently replied with some sympathy. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that well-off members of society would have a lot of Orcs around them. You¡¯ll have to earn your way but Cell will be there to help you through any problems and provide magical healing if that is any consolation.¡±


    The two brothers'' faces soured, but the void where any counterpoint could have been left them nodding in defeat. A small clap from Eli brought the meeting to a close.


    ¡°All right. Get your clothes and best sailor impressions ready. Good luck.¡±


    With that, the two brothers got up and left the room to get changed and see what tidbits of knowledge the Keltons have to offer. They eventually got themselves into loose, ill-kept white shirts and black pants that the Keltons said was the typical dress of the poor sailors, though the three silver they were each given would deliver them from the jaws of poverty for the first few days. With nothing left on their end, the two men idled on the deck of the working ship. As they practiced moving around the turrets on the right side of the ship, an item of particular interest to Andrew came on board.


    Gula wore Eli¡¯s white shirt and brown pants, though her bowl-cut of black hair only lightly grazed the white fabric. As she walked across the deck, the brothers stopped moving around the tubes in the wooden half shields. Her sharp green chin was being rubbed with her right hand as she worked on the steering wheel, fiddling with the wheels working and its levers. When she saw the fire scion looking at her with a puzzled face, she scrunched up her nose, making the horizontal scar scrunch with the skin.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked in a defensive tone. ¡°I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be used to seeing an Orc by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking at an Orc. I¡¯m trying to see the woman Eli sees.¡± Andrew responded casually.


    That caught her off guard, making her head snap back and black eyebrows scrunch together. It was a rather blunt way of stating things, but Jeff could understand Andrew¡¯s curiosity. Salamede was the reason Eli took the course he did, but Gula had captured his heart as well, as the man had made obvious from the kisses and rubs he gave the green woman. Neither was a great beauty, between Salamede¡¯s goatish features and Gula¡¯s scars, average face and somewhat plain manner, the wonder of their age had settled for women decidedly below his station. Keltons, however, weren¡¯t the eternal enemy of mankind.


    And as an ever-present feature of human struggle, it was that forbidden aspect that made their curiosity about her all the stronger even with her violent nature.


    She quickly recovered with a roll of her gold eyes and crossing of white-sleeved arms.


    ¡°I know no bards will sing of my enrapturing charms. Perhaps he likes me for who I am, as opposed to how I look.¡± She idly suggested.


    Jeff huffed, drawing her gaze to him.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s your positive outlook on life that he looks at when you pass him.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he continued.


    ¡°Your marriage aside, we have other things to discuss. If we should encounter your kind, are there any kinds of greetings or etiquettes to be observed?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Gula refuted, ¡°At least in the swamps a simple hello will do. Though, I wouldn¡¯t put too much stock in that. Orcs change with distance and time just like humans. Still, basic manners go far no matter the place.¡±


    They both nodded at her answer, as predictable as it was. With a stretch and falling of his arms, Andrew moved to finish the conversation.


    ¡°Ok. A simple ¡®how¡¯s your day?¡¯ followed by some praise for the great Garren to round-¡°


    The speed at which Gula¡¯s face contorted with rage-induced lines along her cheeks and curling nose made both brothers shirk back up against the wooden tubes. Combined with the sharp rise in her breathing and bared teeth, her visage held such a pure fury that Jeff¡¯s animal instincts screamed of a coming attack.


    ¡°Unless you want a fist in your mouth, don¡¯t ever foul the air with that cursed name.¡± The acid in her voice underlined the fury in her golden eyes.


    Such raw emotion caught the brothers off-guard, something that Gula didn¡¯t seem prepared for either. A quick look between the two made Gula relax a bit as she slacked her face. Puckering her lips, she took a deep breath followed by an unclenching of her fists to calmly continue the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never heard his name spoken of kindly,¡± With that, she leaned against the steering wheel and her cooler demeanor returned. ¡°Eli told me he wasn¡¯t taught anything beyond the bare story of how we came about. Can I assume it¡¯s the same for you?¡±


    Andrew nodded, but Jeff bit his lips for a moment before answering.


    ¡°I heard you weren¡¯t always a female-only species. You had a few males amongst yourselves in the beginning but they¡¯ve since gone the way of myth and legend.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Gula agreed with a nod, but her golden eyes regained their hardness. ¡°While that was a long, long time ago, things are the same for us as they¡¯ve always been. However long ago it was or how many generations are birthed and die, know that our hatred for the Bastard is as strong today as it was from our first breath. Except for situations when you¡¯re trying to upset us, don¡¯t darken our day with his memory.¡±


    Jeff took a moment of consideration, trying to formulate questions he had never thought to ask. When he finally found one he thought wouldn¡¯t send her into a violent rage, he coughed into his hand, drawing her gaze on him.


    ¡°Is that why Orcs hate humans? Because he released you to smite us with no support or care.¡±


    Her head shake surprised him, but he remained silent as she closed her eyes and worked through something in her mind. When she finished, her black eyes opened again and those golden irises looked exhausted.


    ¡°We don¡¯t hate you. Most don¡¯t, at least. We need you to make children but you can¡¯t give them freely to us because if we get with a mage it¡¯s a very quick road to the subjugation of your species and expecting you to accept such a risk would be ridiculous. Maybe we could all go live in far-flung mountains away from you, but those that took up that lifestyle aren¡¯t of our bloodline. All this war, carnage, and death isn¡¯t something either side is in the wrong for. In most cases, anyway. No. The one who forced us all into this mess is¡­ him.¡±


    The black-haired man¡¯s mind had trouble merging her words with every story he had ever heard about Garren''s most infamous creation. His time spent at various diplomatic functions left the impression that most on the central continent considered the Keltons and Entens to be shaped by his hands due to their human-like features but their point of existence hadn¡¯t come with any instructions and they didn¡¯t rely solely on humans to reproduce.


    He had made the Orcs dependent on using humans for making children yet no one with any sense would conclude their relationship with their sires would be a good one. Jeff had always assumed he molded them to be happy at the prospect of slaughter and rape without end. If, however, he still left them the full mental capacity to understand that what they were born to do was evil¡­


    The hair on the back of his neck started to rise before Gula interrupted his thoughts with a wave of her hand to bring them closer.


    ¡°And all of that might get better with Eli¡¯s arrival. Now that our bit of cultural exchange is finished, it would do you two well to learn more about flying the ships.¡±


    After an hour of fiddling with levers and working the wheel, the brothers felt familiar with its subtle graces and particularly unprepared for careers as pilots. As Jeff pulled away from the pilot seat, Cell and Eli hoisted a long slab of wood onto the deck. It looked like a broken slab of wood that was already of questionable make before meeting its ruin. As Eli set it down, he took out a long medallion. The circle of iron had a loop on the top through which a long piece of rope was threaded. In the center was an almost oval depression with a few smaller holes to allow Cell to move his black mass into the hollow metal shell.


    ¡°All right, lads.¡± Eli declared as he approached the steering wheel, ¡°Salamede¡¯s mother will be taking you to one of the settlements above Mole Hill while Gula helps look over finishing the second ship. She has some general suggestions from her time talking with the other Keltons, but this is your show. Good luck.¡±


    With that, the brothers relaxed back into their idling with the turret positions.


    The quad mage¡¯s hands took the large circle of wood while his eyes immediately went about their usual work and absorbed Gulas retreating form getting ready to climb down the side of the ship. The fact that the now blushing Orc was looking right back at him as she stood atop the ladder did not deter him from his course as he boldly took in her female aspect with unapologetic interest. A roll of her golden eyes was all she gave him before climbing down the side of the ship.


    In a few short minutes, the small, brown-furred Kelton woman came on board. While Eli took a bit to adjust the seat to her height, the typical pack of coated Frojan came on board to man the gunnery positions. While Cell began fitting into his medallion, the roof pulled back to reveal the grey sky above. Between that and the smattering of rain now falling into the hangar, the two brothers offered a silent prayer to whatever gods would deign to take their pittance of an offering for safety.


    With the ship lifting upward, Andrew fitted the rope medallion around his neck. Left with nothing to do, the two brothers walked towards the pilot''s seat to peak out of the holes in the shell of mist surrounding the ship. While it was a strange new land, the snow-laden plains past the rocky home of the barnacles looked the same as the endless wastes outside the Diamond academy to Jeff¡¯s untrained vision. The bored look in Andrews''s brown eyes said he was similarly disinterested. Still, they stuck with it for no other reason than to give themselves some visual references if they were ever forced to travel on foot.


    Eventually, the land under the snow shifted from rock and ice to dirt and bark scars. Along the way, they saw several large rivers flowing inland with settlements here and there. Kelton or human, it was a coin toss as this height. Flying by them all, the brothers still tried to keep a mental map of the area forming but the task was quickly becoming impossible before the ship finally started circling in the ocean a few miles out from a town that was sufficiently south.


    After that, it was another full day of waiting out among the seas. These Waveborn would only show their Orc women late in the day and since they had the best chance of working with them in the future, they would wait as long as needed. When the usual rounds in the grey sky were being run, they finally happened upon a single ship heading towards the smaller settlement that they saw had the required green women and was close enough to port that they wouldn¡¯t consider killing the castaways so close to civilization. The brothers couldn¡¯t quite get a good sight for either between the holes in the clouds of mist, but the pilot felt confident enough to start getting ahead of them.


    Between the cloudy skies and lack of eyes, the time for playing sailors finally came. Andrew got on the long slab of wood with less enthusiasm than Jeff even though he took up the slightly larger portion on the shabby raft.


    ¡°Before you lot shove off,¡± The rough voice of their elderly Kelton pilot sounded out, ¡°We¡¯ll be up in the air with Cell keeping tabs on both of us. Get as much information as you can and make as many friends as you can before taking a trip south to look for any ¡®survivors¡¯ from your lost ship. Once you¡¯ve gotten enough information in Mole Hill, head to a smaller southern settlement and slink off without being spotted whenever you¡¯re ready to leave.¡±


    With nothing left to say, the two brothers nodded. The sound of waves was now coming clear through the surrounding mist. Clutching his wooden handhold even harder, a sense of weightlessness made Jeff''s stomach turn before he looked down and saw the wooden deck get further and further away. His attempt to see where the black mass of Cell was proved fruitless as the wood raft suddenly jerked over the rail. Air rushed around his face and hands before they began rolling with the waves and his fingers felt the cold sting of the water. It wasn¡¯t the slap of instant frozen death back at the base, but it was close enough. A whoosh of air over his head made him look left.


    Andrew was seizing the wooden plank with all his strength while the mass of black shapes that made up Cell¡¯s body fixed itself into the medallion. He was a bit more like an oval now as opposed to a sphere, but that shimmering slit of light that shifted between all the colors of the magical elements was the same as ever.


    ¡°Ho-¡° Jeff quickly closed his mouth as the raft of immaculate wreckage zipped forward. The lightning caster had been worried about coming onto the ship dry but between the waves and spray of salty seawater, his concern was quickly addressed. Tossed around like refuse, the two brothers clutched the wood beneath them like it was a lifeline with no noise heard but the splashing of water and bits of frustration in their spirit connection as they worked out any holes in their story. The world became the rise and crash of waves for several minutes before a voice was heard.


    ¡°Men overboard!¡±


    Looking up, there was the long belly of a ship in front of them. Taking in the bits of stone from barnacles on it, the only word that could properly describe the ship was pregnant. With a wide hull of dark, algae-strewn wood, the mass of the ship was a bit wider in the middle than most vessels. Along its rail were several men getting long ropes over the sides. It was quite a show on the deck as a hail of thick hemp rained down on them. After getting splashed by a few misses, one finally landed close enough for Jeff to grab it.


    Pulling on it, Andrew kept down on his side of the raft while Jeff brought them both towards the hull. While the waves weren¡¯t the worst, they were still powerful enough to knock them off the raft if chance deemed it so. Jeff quickly pulled himself up on the rope as the ship came within reach with his hand grasping a ladder step on the right, followed quickly by Andrew as the telltale crunch of wood below them sounded off. Making their way up the side of the ship, the two brothers quickly found themselves surrounded by burly men on the dirty deck of a wide ship.


    What they assumed was the stairs leading up to the captain''s quarters stood on their right rising a separate floor above the lower decks with a raised portion further on their left for scouting. In front of the captain''s quarters was a steering wheel with the ship''s navigator looking quite unmoved at their disruption. It was more typical of the ships found on the seas and was a stark contrast to the flat floor plan they had been used to. The pully and lever system with hooks holding up a boat on the right side of the ship was also a change from their experience on Eli¡¯s ship. Of course, the gathering of curious humans was the most immediate difference.


    ¡°What happened?¡± A voice shouted from the back end of the crowd. Pushing through the mass of sweaty tanned men, what had to be the captain or first mate presented himself. A mid-30s man with a clean-shaven face and long blonde hair, his blue coat and top hat had only a few stains that showed on the arms he was using to shove past his subordinates. When he got a good look at the two brothers, his green eyes looked curious as he rubbed his sharp chin.


    ¡°Unless I¡¯m losing my mind, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen you boys here before.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯s castaways, sir. Clinging to a piece of driftwood, they was.¡± One of the men on the rope rigging said to the left.


    ¡°Ah, well, first mate Nate. At your service.¡± He said with a slight bow that had an almost mocking tone to it. ¡°Would it be too much to ask what you lot were doing out here on your own?¡±


    Andrew coughed as he stood a bit straighter, affecting his attempt to undo days of exhaustion.


    ¡°Our ship disappeared. We were transporting food and leather somewhere up near the ice sheets when¡­ I can¡¯t really say what happened, sir. Went to sleep in my hammock then the next thing I know, there was crashing and tearing wood all around me. Before I could even get my bearings, I¡¯m clutching a piece of wood with my brother in a black sea.¡±


    The knowing nod Nate gave said he bought the story.


    ¡°Whales, squids, sharks, large fish, too many culprits to say. All right, ladies.¡± He announced with a turn to the gathered men. ¡°Show¡¯s over. We¡¯re almost to port and we need these metal shipments ready to go as soon as we throw anchor. Get on it!¡±


    His shouts got the men moving again as he turned towards his newest crew members.


    ¡°From how dainty your hands are, I can see you haven¡¯t worked the seas before.¡±


    Andrew nodded before Jeff stepped forward.


    ¡°She was our maiden voyage, sir.¡±


    That got a snort from him before he turned back to look over the wide deck.


    ¡°Damned way to lose your virginity. Well, you¡¯re above the waves and that¡¯s what''s important. Get on the pallets and make them ready for transport and we¡¯ll call saving your lives repaid. Though, once we make land I can¡¯t guarantee that the captain will agree with keeping you on if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    What followed was more exhausting labor than either brother had experienced in their lives. Sure, they worked themselves to the bone hunting and working magic. But shooting off lightning and flames was a lot more fulfilling than moving an endless stream of crates laden with iron blades. It also came with far fewer splinters as they moved out the payload from a line of sailors flowing from door that was placed on the raised scouting platform on the front of the ship.


    When the wide deck was almost full of crates, the town finally came into view. The dock was along the right side of the river with a burnt area outside the tall wall that surrounded everything including a good dozen feet into the water. Three large ships near the end of the pier helped give a sense of spaciousness that was quickly dispelled. The buildings, be they houses or shops, were long, shabby things packed as tightly as could be allowed. With not a single alley or open spot outside of lanes barely large enough for two people to walk past each other, Jeff felt claustrophobic just looking at it from the deck.


    Everything was done up with dull grey stone blocks and a tiled roof, with two exceptions: The bigger three-story house near the three ships docked at the right side of the pier and the houses towards the back end of town and both for very different reasons. The large house was nearly a mansion with thick wooden beams along its edges and across each floor, while those in the back of the town were more ramshackle wood slapped together than proper housing. There was also something wrong with the place, but the exact reason why he felt that way escaped him.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s very pretty,¡± Nate''s voice from near the captain''s quarters called out to them. ¡°But if you would get the cargo unloaded, why, that would just be wonderful for all of us,¡±


    The biting sarcasm snapped the two out of their stupor and got in the line of men handing off boxes. As grueling as the work of getting it all into a smaller side boat was, it left Jeff a lot of time to take things in and think. After ten minutes of passing crates down a line of sailors towards a pallet on the wide boat, he looked up above the sails. On the tip of the pole running through the basket that served as the spotter''s nest, there was a white sheet with crudely painted blue waves on it. It was that worn, flapping piece of cloth that made Jeff truly realize where he was. The base, with its wonders and oddities, had felt almost like a fever dream. A small corner of some forgotten world that he was merely drifting through. But the crude weather vane fluttering in the breeze, a dirty rag compared to the fine cloth he had been so used to seeing in banners and flags, popped that bubble of surrealism and suddenly brought home just how far he was from everything and everyone he had ever known.


    ¡°Lad!¡± One irritated sailor growled with a frown through his brown beard, his hands holding a crate waiting to be handed off.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jeff apologized as he relieved the man of his burden.


    Things continued in the same manner for a while until the man who had to be the captain finally showed himself. Coming out of the doors on the upper deck cabin, he had a thick grey beard that covered some of his blue coat and white undershirt. Sharp cheekbones showed over his grey beard while smaller ears became hard to see beside it. Despite being older, his muscular frame showed years of hard labor leaving their mark. The brown eyes showing below grey eyebrows displayed a certain alacrity and intelligence as he came down the steps towards the boat held up on thick ropes tied to a pulley system. When he got closer, the hardness in those eyes became clearer.


    Moving past the sailors, his black boots stepped onto the boat like it was solid land. A veteran of the seas if there ever was one. Jeff looked down the line of workers to see an impressed face on his brother, a sentiment he shared.


    ¡°I heard we had some visitors wishing to depart.¡± His deep voice called out. Coming up to the rail, the two brothers looked down to see him sitting on the right of six crates.


    ¡°That would be us, sir,¡± Jeff responded in as respectful a tone as he could manage.


    A simple nod was all he offered back before waving to empty seats near the other sailors by the oars. Taking up the two seats with far less grace than the captain, the pulled system let out a long series of clacks as the boat was lowered into the sea below. As the other sailors started rowing them into port, the captain spoke up again.


    ¡°Beaton¡¯s the name. I can see you lads are as fresh as a newborn to the seas. What made you take up this life?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in our blood. Not much else for work in our home port back in the Coalition.¡± Andrew idly shrugged.


    ¡°Yet you still look for your lost companions despite being so new to this?¡± Beaton asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Seems only right,¡± Jeff responded, ¡°Besides, we¡¯ll need someone to vouch for our citizenship when we return home.¡±


    The captain nodded as he turned his head right towards the coming pier. After a minute, a spirit connection from Andrew left a tingling sensation on Jeff¡¯s right arm.


    ¡®I¡¯m guessing the reason they don¡¯t pull directly into port is so that they can make a quick escape.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. They should be hiding Orcs, so I guess these are the Waveborn we¡¯ve been looking for.¡¯ Jeff agreed.


    A small huff was all Andrew said as they came up to the algae-strewn wood of the pier. Helping unload the last of the boat, the two brothers waved goodbye to their erstwhile companions. Walking down the pier, it finally occurred to Jeff what was wrong with this place.


    There was no mana. For as far as the eye could see, the place was devoid of those small blue lights. He wanted to know why, but there was no way he could ask anyone who would know. Consigning himself to ignorance, he went to work with his brother.


    From there they spent a good half hour talking to various merchants and dockworkers about sightings of the sailors who don¡¯t exist. It was when they were talking with a fishmonger by the pier that they got their first taste of Rodring''s peasant life. With Andrew on his left, Jeff did an elongated stretch as his formerly red-headed brother talked with the chubby man. That was when he felt the hard smack of a pole on his right leg.


    ¡°Damn!¡± He yelled, turning around with a scowl. What greeted him was a trio of sneering guards in red leather armor with black edges.


    ¡°Oi, you little shit. Go back to yer Orc fuckers boat,¡± A grizzled man with black hair spat as he looked the brothers up and down like they were an unpleasant bug stuck beneath his boot.


    ¡°What¡¯s this loser''s problem?¡± Andrew growled as he came beside his brother. That drew yet more eyes from the surrounding crowd.


    The bullies were taken aback at the remark. Their surprise quickly faded before turning into indignation.


    ¡°You dare speak to men of the law like that?¡± Their leader growled.


    Before Jeff could properly respond with a lightning bolt two things happened. The first was he remembered that there was no mana here, the second was the captain coming up behind the guards with three sailors.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the interruption, good sirs.¡± The captain offered mildly, ¡°But we¡¯ll have to shove off now.¡±


    The thugs looked to be guards and while they had swords at their hips, they were outnumbered and, oddly, the surrounding onlookers comprised of their own people seemed quite eager to see them beaten. Sensing they were at a disadvantage, the guards spat on the ground before pulling away without a word.


    ¡°Well, lads. Looks like you¡¯re stuck with us for a while longer.¡± Beaton said with a nod.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s all for the better,¡± Jeff offered with a step forward. ¡°We can¡¯t find any sign of our former comrades and we¡¯re thinking of trying our luck elsewhere. I¡¯ve heard talk of a bigger settlement called Mole Hill.¡±


    Beaton got a small frown. It wasn¡¯t an exaggerated thing, but the immediacy of its arrival after mentioning its name made Jeff raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m not terribly fond of the place,¡± The captain said with a shrug.


    Coughing, Jeff continued his pitch.


    ¡°Be that as it may, do you plan on visiting it?¡±


    This time the captain showed no reaction beyond a merchant''s cold calculus.


    ¡°Aye. They¡¯re the only reliable source of grain, cloth, and tar in this whole region. Once we¡¯re done trading our weapons stock here, we¡¯ll be stopping by Tanners Pit for some food.¡±


    ¡°How much for two guests on the way there?¡± The lightning mage offered eagerly.


    As the grizzled veteran bit his lips in consideration, the sailors behind him looked a little peeved but didn¡¯t say anything. Jeff would bet his life they were having a very heated exchange in some spirit connections, though. After a few more seconds of silence, Beaton took in a deep breath.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a silver each to pay for passage, and labor to compensate for food. If you work hard enough, you may almost make up for the cost of the rooms.¡±


    Nodding, Jeff took out two silver from his pocket. Scratching his grey beard, the captain had a moment of hesitation before he took the silver out of his passenger''s hand.


    ¡°Welcome aboard. We¡¯ll get you situated once we¡¯re ready to shove off.¡±


    Their transaction completed, the two brothers quickly bought a few items of clothing from the surrounding shops before heading back towards the boat. Shirts, pants, and underwear clutched beneath their arms, the two brothers waited by the pier until the last crate of the last shipment was handed off. Getting back in the boat, they helped row it back onto the ship much to the appreciation of two tired sailors. Fastening the hooks on two iron loops around the ends boat, they were gradually lifted into the air before coming back onto the deck.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Nate!¡± Beaton shouted as he came stepped back into his little kingdom on the seas. ¡°Show our guests to their quarters. They¡¯ll be working for their food.¡±


    The blonde man in question stepped forward from his place on the scouting deck to the right.


    ¡°Aye, captain.¡± He said before nodding to the brothers. Following him towards the captain''s quarters, they took a left off the wide doors and came up to another pair behind Beaton¡¯s residence. Waving his hands for them to go in, the two brothers found themselves in a tidy little room with a bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you lot to decide who gets which, but they¡¯re both the same. Now, once you get settled in this is the routine. A morning of work pays for the meals. In the afternoon, we¡¯ll be seeing to some sensitive work with the mast and riggings and we can¡¯t afford to be watching for passengers underfoot. You¡¯ll have to stay in the rooms and call for a sailor to escort you if you want to relieve yourself.¡± Nate said with an idle thumb pointing towards the left.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Andrew responded with a strained smile.


    Looking up at the grey sky, Jeff felt it should be mid-day.


    ¡°How much work do we have to do today to get a lunch and dinner?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Despite the staring contest you had with the town, you two still pulled your weight this morning. Lunch on docking days is a bit later but we¡¯ll come get you when the time comes.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left the two to figure out their arrangements.


    ¡®Sensitive work.¡¯ Andrew mocked in a spirit connection. ¡®We certainly bumped into the right ship. Still, it seems like a pointless exercise. Especially considering how the Orcs would rampage if they knew a male mage was near.¡¯


    ¡®Even obvious secrets need some form of deniability, for both them and us. Besides, they have no reason to suspect our abilities and even if they did, Gula and her mother were able to keep themselves off us. So whatever Garren stuck in them to mate mages is controllable.¡¯ Jeff countered with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®With Eli around,¡¯ Andrew corrected with a raised finger. ¡®There was no way they¡¯d bother with us when the mighty scion of our age is in arms reach. A problem he¡¯ll no doubt have to deal with eventually. But if we get outed, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be too gentle about it.¡¯


    Another spirit connection started across Jeff¡¯s belly. His mind quickly filled with a ¡­ sense of protection. Familiar communication was an odd thing with odd emotions being forced into the mind instead of words to be interpreted. So primal yet all the more intriguing for it.


    ¡®See?¡¯ Jeff countered, ¡®We have Cell. Worst come to worst, we¡¯ll burn the ship down and scoot back to the one watching over us.¡¯


    It was a bit crueler sounding than he intended, but that seemed to pacify his brother.


    ¡®Fine. But if it comes to that, you¡¯re the one telling Gula what happened.¡¯


    Their conversation finished, Andrew turned around and went towards the other room. Cell jumped out of the medallion and shot over the railing before using a wind and mist spell to mask his ascent into the sky. Left by himself, Jeff turned back towards his room. The bare thing had a single bed of rough brown hemp in the back with a chest beneath for his belongings. Walking over the crude, brown wood, he set his clothes down and started putting them into the chest.


    Through the window facing out to the sea, the grey sky went on for as far as his vision would go. Content to wait, a lunch of bread and a gruel with bits of¡­ meat was served. With the flesh of some animal salted to the point of tastelessness and hard grains softened enough to be positively edible, the chef produced a decent meal with the narrow pickings available to sea goers. With the passing of the day, Jeff slept in the tight quarters. It wasn¡¯t the next day, but the day after, that a break in routine happened.


    As Jeff was about to go into his door for the afternoon before dinner, Nate came up with a greeting.


    ¡°Evening lads. The Captain was wondering if you lot would like a meal with him. He¡¯s interested to hear about happenings in the Coalition.¡± His hand waved towards the front of the deck towards the door to the captain''s quarters as the sunny sky above played sunlight across his blonde locks.


    Jeff turned to a tired Andrew, who nodded.


    Following the first mate, the two boys went through the double doors into a rather wide room. In the center was a rough map of the central continent on a table and a bed with red blankets in the back. Above the bed and near the door¡¯s left were plain windows letting in the fading light with some dirt and dust on its warped panes. It was the table, however, that was being cleaned by the captain.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s rather sudden.¡± He said with a slight nod of respect as he rolled up the map, ¡°I was wondering about the various goings-on with the Coalition and figured a meal would be worth your time. Though you will have to retire to your rooms immediately after.¡±


    Two chairs that looked a bit more rugged than the one by the captain were resting close to them near the table and with a quick walk the two brothers promptly sat themselves down. Two days under the sun had left some sunburns that the waning sun shining through the windows highlighted. Cell meant they were never in danger, but he couldn¡¯t magically do all of the rope tying, rowing, and deck washing for them. Jeff had suffered through it well enough even as Andrew¡¯s mood fouled by the hour.


    The fire scion did a good job of hiding his increasingly bitter mood, but a brother was not so easily fooled.


    Beaton sipped on a bottle of ale before a slightly pudgy man in a white apron and a bald spot surrounded with short black hair came in. He carried a tray with three steaming bowls of creamy fish soup and bread, all to be washed down with a lukewarm beer. His face was clean-shaven while his brown eyes immediately went to the open table.


    ¡°Only the best food from the Pickets best chef for our esteemed guests tonight.¡± He pronounced as he put down the tray and put down the bowls in front of the men.


    ¡°Well, considering you¡¯re the only chef here I don¡¯t think the competition was fierce¡± Beaton teased, with a wise tug on his greying beard.


    ¡°Bah!¡± The chef scoffed as he waved a pudgy hand while his bulbous nose turned up, ¡°The best on the Picket and the best for many miles around if that¡¯s not enough.¡±


    A slight smile played across Jeff¡¯s lips as he received his mug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d know any Coalition recipes? Our chef stuck to a spicy fish stew, but they didn¡¯t have the peppers or onions we typically have.¡±


    The chef thumbed his nose as he put his tray between his right arm.


    ¡°A few, though the royal kitchens provided the ingredients that made those thick stews and grilled shrimps shine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jeff offered as he sipped the beer, light yet still holding a good flavor of its sugar base¡­ or was it honey? His inquiry into his tastebuds was quickly interrupted by the chef.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. ¡®He worked in a royal kitchen? Does the crap flying out of his mouth land in the food?¡¯. As good a question as any.¡±


    Andrew did a light head bob before answering.


    ¡°We would never voice such thoughts.¡±


    The captain had a light laugh at that, while the chef nodded.


    ¡°Aye. You two have manners far surpassing the typical louts here. Sign of a good mother and all that.¡±


    Beaton also nodded.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Jeff thought to himself, ¡®I wouldn¡¯t call the three tutors we had motherly.¡¯


    ¡°Still,¡± The chef continued, ¡°You¡¯d think after bad-mouthing the lord of the castle and winding up here, I¡¯d have enough sense to pull out my tongue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right,¡± Beaton announced with a firm wave of his hand and his voice had a more forceful tone in it this time. Taking the hint, the chef gave a light bow before walking out of the room.


    ¡°Speaking of the powerful,¡± Beaton continued as he took a sip of the white soup. ¡°Do you two have any word of what madness took over your home?¡±


    Of course, they both instantly knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°I heard there was a big battle in the sea,¡± Andrew offered mildly. Jeff, however, saw through the calm as Andrew gripped his spoon with all his might.


    ¡°Large enough to screw everything up south,¡± Beaton agreed with a tired sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve lived up in these lands these past twenty-five¡­ or was it thirty? However many years it was since I put up my soldier''s attire from the southern coasts. And I¡¯ve never heard the tales from the south like this. Warehouses at various villages at times bursting with backed-up stock and others barer than the snowy wastes up north.


    No idea when Rodring will get whatever¡¯s left of its fleet in order, but until then the Pirates out of the misty Islands will have a reign over the seas not seen in my lifetime.¡±


    Taking a sip of his soup, Jeff took a moment before asking a question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the south like?¡±


    Beaton got a slight smile as he put his elbows on the wooden table.


    ¡°Hot. Muggy. The lands down there have plants that spew poison deadly enough to kill just from being around them. Entens, the name for snake people, frogmen, and half-beast people far fouler than the Keltons all run through the land and seas. Not hostile, mind you. But neither are the fairy folk yet they still manage to be a pain in the ass. Gotta small colony of them around here close to the northern wastes.¡±


    The captain leaned back into his chair before taking his mug in his hands.


    ¡°But enough about the faraway lands south of here. I want to hear about the place from where you set out on your ill-fated voyage and the recent sorrows that have befallen it.¡±


    Andrew coughed as he proceeded to lay out the fake life he and his brother lived.


    ¡°The town was the same as ever. Ships coming in and going out as they pleased. We played along the streets and banks of the rivers as all the other kids did. Mother was always quite strict in maintaining manners at the table. You¡¯d think she was a member of the government or a local noble with how quickly dad fell in line around her. To your question, the truth is¡­ we don¡¯t know.


    We were getting ready to make for the southern coast on our maiden voyage when we started hearing rumors of a powerful mage. Then the trip south turned into a cold slog north for some meager profits. The why or who¡¯s of it all were beyond the likes of us.¡±


    Beaton nodded with a long drink of his ale. Jeff took the moment to make sure Andrew wasn¡¯t going to act out. Whatever he was feeling, the shimmering light in Cell reflected none of the scion''s emotions. The two ate in silence as Beaton was content with no more questions. The three completed their meal and bid each other good night. As the two brothers went around back with the orange sky above, Jeff stopped his now brown-haired brother to his left before he went into his room.


    ¡®What¡¯s your problem? If you got any angrier you may very well have blown our entire cover.¡¯ Jeff asked with his hand on the door to his room.


    ¡®Eli,¡¯ Andrew growled bitterly as he turned around. ¡®So far away and a good month dead and everything is still about Eli.¡¯


    ¡®Andrew,¡¯ Jeff turned left and walked forward. The unfamiliar brown eyes, despite their change, had an all too familiar stubbornness that a color shift could never hide. His brother was a good person, but when something struck him wrong it was always his task to talk him down.


    ¡®Like it or not, Eli¡¯s fame will only grow. Do you think fewer people will be discussing him or nations less interested when he¡¯s¡­ putting up mountains of steel or making ships among the stars or whatever else he was talking about? I lived in your shadow as a mere caster or crafter until my mana pathways developed enough to show I was a dual element.


    It was not fun, suffice it to say. Seeing the love and praise the servants foisted on you then seeing that pride in their master''s son drop a level when they looked at me.


    But I got through it because¡­¡¯ There was a moment where he thought about trying to speak the name, but the pain in his chest held his mental tongue. Taking a deep breath, he soldiered on. ¡°And you will have to get over this thing with Eli just as I did. Because like it or not, he is the big dog of the pack. Spirits help us all, but that is the simple plain truth.¡¯


    Andrew sighed as his aggrievement quickly gave way to appeasement. The scion nodded and put up his hands in surrender.


    ¡®You¡¯re right. I know¡­ I just¡­ Damn. I think I need to get with a good wench and that¡¯ll set me right.¡¯


    Jeff smirked as he turned back to his door.


    ¡®Throw a fireball out and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have all the release you need.¡¯


    With that, the two turned in for the night. Though, Jeff looked like he had struggled to sleep come morning. The typical morning of a quick breakfast and hard labor passed before the ship took off during a bright sunny mid-day. It was on this day, however, that Tanner¡¯s Pit should be coming into view. Coasting along miles of endless bark and bushes, it was after an hour of sailing that the first plume of smoke came into view over the horizon.


    The place was going to be their only source of food for days and couldn¡¯t pass up coming into port over what could very well be a single fire. The logic, as sound as it was, did nothing to quell the trepidation of the crew or the ball of worry in Jeff¡¯s stomach as he watched along the scouting deck at the front of the ship. While the crew was pulling up some of the sails to slow the ship, any hope of getting resupplied was quickly dashed when they came around a bend in the coastline and the logs of a pier presented themselves beside the stone walkway. Looking further along, Jeff realized they had come to a graveyard for the freshly damned.


    The wall that was omnipresent in settlements on this continent had been crushed and the surrounding buildings had either burned or reduced to kindling which would quickly join their neighbors. Bodies were seen along the pier but most could be seen getting torn into by big wolves that were almost the size of horses. So far away from the shore, the magical flames that played along tails and snouts wouldn¡¯t have much of an effect considering that the total lack of mana around the place meant they couldn¡¯t use much if any magic. Something that did little to comfort the magicless crew who wouldn¡¯t know anything of such matters.


    Before the cascade of curses could ring out, Nate called out from in front of the captain''s quarters.


    ¡°Shut up! Let me get a good look at the place before we all start panicking.¡±


    The blonde-haired man came up to the scouting deck, his blue jacket flapping with his run across the deck. Putting up a hand to block the sun, he took in the wreckage as Jeff waited nervously on the right. Nate pulled back, perplexed at what he was seeing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I should ask,¡± Jeff whispered cautiously.


    Instead of screaming or yelling, the first mate bit his lip before seemingly talking to himself.


    ¡°The mana-sucking leathers been torn up. Judging by the ship''s wreckage strewn around the pier, they didn¡¯t make it to the escape boat in time. But they should have-¡°


    A rumbling off in the distance provided the answer he sought. Between two large mounds that used to be ramshackle houses, a small mountain of leathery skin moved. It wasn¡¯t until it flowed around the ruin that Jeff beheld something he was sure could only be found in the nightmares of small children.


    What could be assumed to be the head was a smooth dome of wriggling grey flesh with skin that was wrapped around the fleshy grey pole. The mind struggled to get a good feeling for the dimensions of the thing as large sacks of leather strung along the wriggling flesh that made up the center of its body made it hard to see where the body within started or stopped. The small forest of protruding limbs waved back and forth like a centipede, each of which had more of the leathery, brown skin affixed between it and its neighbor. It gave the nightmare an almost graceful flow as it moved like an intricate dance of meaty leaves around the ruins of some now surely dead peasant¡¯s home. The sacks swung around the fleshy center with the suggestion of liquid, adding to the orchestra of motion that defined the beast.


    ¡°Skinner.¡± Nate gasped breathlessly. He turned to his right towards the pilot, giving only a nod before the rest of the crew sprung into action. Moving to fully unfurl the sails and get down below to row, they moved like death itself had come knocking. When the pulsating mass of grey flesh moved towards them like a predator sniffing out a wounded animal, the ship took to the wind in earnest.


    As Jeff began weighing his options, both mundane and magical, a doomed savior arrived.


    ¡°UAGHHH!¡±


    Before the leather-clad monster could decide if it wanted to make a meal of them, the scream of an unfortunate child rang out somewhere amongst the wreckage to the right.


    Deciding to go for the easier meal, it quickly turned and moved off towards the source of the noise with sharp cracks accompanying each sharp foot as it punctured the wooden mess beneath it. Jeff had a moment where he struggled not to sigh in relief, but he quickly focused his mind on what just happened to the town that was quickly leaving their vision.


    ¡°Nate!¡± He called towards the first mate who was making his way down the steps of the scouting deck.


    The man turned around, looking happy to just be alive. His eyes were bereft of their typical arrogance and as Andrew came up beside Jeff, he seemed positively friendly.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Andrew demanded, the newly brown eyebrows furrowed as his tongue ran over his lips.


    ¡°First time seeing a Skinner? Well, you lads have been losing all kinds of virginities these past few days.¡± He said jokingly, a light manner that was slightly undone by the sweat around his brow.


    They both looked at him in silence for a long moment before he finally spoke.


    ¡°One of nature''s gifts. During this time of year, it collects bodies and allows the ambient healing mana to provide it with a limitless supply of meat. Probably some type of bug, but I¡¯ve never bothered getting close enough to one to find out.¡±


    Jeff took a moment to process that while Andrew pressed him for more details.


    ¡°Ok¡­ But I¡¯m assuming¡­ how did it take out an entire town?¡±


    It was now Nate''s turn to look at the fire scion with a question.


    ¡°What do you mean how?¡± He asked with a confused tone.


    ¡°How did it sneak into the town to do so much damage?¡±


    A look of comprehension stole across the man¡¯s face, his sharp chin getting a light rub as his green eyes took in both of the brothers.


    ¡°Lad, it doesn¡¯t need to sneak. If it decides to come upon a settlement, we can¡¯t stop it. At least without any mages, we can¡¯t.¡±


    They both looked at him with deadpan faces for a moment.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jeff asked, trying to comprehend what he was saying. Andrew, however, spelled out the impossible thoughts.


    ¡°So, if we stay at one of the settlements¡­ What? We just hope the local animals aren¡¯t too hungry.¡±


    The light nod and shrug Nate gave was more devastating than any troll¡¯s rage or sword to the gut.


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite that simple. We have all kinds of contingencies in place. I¡¯m sure you lot were too busy looking at all the bodies to notice the leather bits sticking out of the ground. Those suck out all of the mana, making the place undesirable for the beasts. Between the lack of mana and a big wall, that¡¯s typically enough to make us an unworthy meal.


    If that fails¡­ well a reserve of boats is kept on hand for people to escape with. Now, I¡¯ve got to go get the orders from the captain. We¡¯ll have to head straight to Mole Hill, but now he¡¯ll have less time to get ready for it.¡±


    His explanation finished, he headed past the sailors tugging on ropes or heading below deck to start rowing. Jeff and Andrew stood stone still, ignoring everything around them as they processed the fact that out here in the wonderful, rich central continent, the place where the dreams and aspirations of humanity''s best mages were born and the highest members of society could always be heard gushing over, the peasantry got by on hoping they were too inconvenient of a meal for the local predators.


    ¡®Jeff,¡¯ Andrew calmly stated in a spirit connection that also had some of that raw fear from Cell coming through. ¡®If my ass is on land and one of those things comes to slowly eat my undead corpse in one of its leather sacks, I am blasting it. I don¡¯t care about the consequences, secrecy, or what the poorly hidden Orcs will think.¡¯


    There was no objection from Jeff or Cell. Though, a nagging question prodded Jeff to speak through their connection.


    ¡®Cell, did you see any healing mana?¡¯


    The familiar quickly sent an impression of rejection, prompting Andrew to raise an eyebrow before he turned and leaned against the railing.


    ¡®Too many bodies. I doubt even the plumes of mana here could inject life into that many bodies that quickly, so yeah, there isn¡¯t going to be any healing mana.¡¯


    Jeff came up to Andrews''s right, looking at the plumes of smoke rising in the otherwise clear sky behind them.


    ¡®Of course. But all the bodies were on the docks. What about outside the walls? Or on the river banks? Did you see any there Cell?¡¯


    Again, the impression of rejection came through. Feeling more confident in his musings, Jeff pressed onward.


    ¡®Ah, so where did that mana go? There weren¡¯t any bodies around those areas and necrosis has been going on long enough to get any fossils hidden there moving. Magical beasts also can¡¯t take in mana that isn¡¯t of their affinity and those fire wolves certainly wouldn¡¯t have used it.¡¯


    Andrews took a moment to consider the implications of that. When he worked through it, he bit his lower lip as he turned around and looked over the rail.


    ¡®Mages.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. You want to ask our skyward overseers to look for them?¡¯


    ¡®No. We¡¯re not sending our only sure way out of here on a scouting trip. Cell should go up to keep tabs on any attacking parties in the afternoon and nights, though. He can come down quickly enough if he needs to.¡¯


    With nothing left to say, the brothers went about their day''s work. As the afternoon sun started falling, Nate stopped them with a tip of his blue hat as they came near the captain''s door to get to their rooms.


    ¡°I just finished talking with our kitchen staff and captain a few minutes ago. Half rations until we get to Mole Hill. Though, you can try to snag some fish if you get up early enough.¡±


    Tight smiles was the most polite response they could manage before turning in for the afternoon.


    The pain of those two sentences came into full effect over the next few days. Hard days were one thing, doing them on what felt like an ever emptier stomach quickly became unbearable. After one morning of working on the decks and coming back to their rooms with nothing more than a meager bowl of porridge accompanied by a single bite of bread in their bellies, Andrew finally came into Jeff¡¯s room.


    ¡®I going to have Cell catch us a few fish.¡¯ His brooding brown eyes left no room for disagreement as the bright sun behind him shined through the doorway. Not that Jeff would have. Of all the challenges thrown at them throughout their lifetimes, hunger was never one of them and both men felt utterly unprepared to face this foe. They quickly moved to the left side of the ship where there was a collection of long poles with tough string that served as fishing rods. The sailor in charge of keeping track of the poles and the bait raised an eyebrow at them trying so late in the day, but his misgivings were not enough to prevent them from trying.


    Resting along the backside of the ship near the doors to their rooms, the brothers sat on stools as the black mass of Cell quickly found one unfortunate fish after another to place on their hooks.


    ¡°Damn!¡± One sailor exclaimed, his roughly shaven jaw breaking out into a grin as he saw the full bucket of fish between the brothers. That drew a few more men up, all looking at the bounty. Hunger was clear on their faces and the brothers were not such great fools that they even considered keeping it to themselves.


    ¡°Go tell the chef to get ready for some fish stew,¡± Andrew proclaimed, to a cheer from the grateful men.


    ¡°In fact,¡± Jeff said as he picked up one of the clubs used to kill the fish as he went up to the rail. ¡°Tell him to prepare for fish steak.¡±


    ¡°Someone, get some ro-¡°Andrews''s voice became a distant noise as Jeff leaped over the side, all the while telling Cell to get the biggest fish he could find. As the waves rose to meet him, Jeff felt the cold sea wash away the grime of several days'' labor. Swimming below the surface, it was a few seconds before a huge tuna nearly half his size swam up to him. No, the shimmering light being distorted by the waves showed a gash in its head, an injury it no doubt received from the small black mass along its side.


    Gripping the rope that was now dangling to his right, Jeff wrapped it around his arm and torso as he began being pulled back towards the ship. The crashing of waves filled his ears for a second before he realized he was above water.


    ¡°There he is! Crazy bastard.¡± A rough voice shouted above. Using his legs to push against the side of the ship, he struggled with his heavy payload before Cell used a few wind spells to propel him upward. Coming over the railing and spitting seawater off his face, Jeff flopped down his prize like a hammer onto the deck. Andrew quickly came up to him to look him over and let Cell get back in the medallion.


    ¡°Look at the size of that beast!¡± The sailor from earlier gasped.


    A whooping and raising of fists in cheer rang out before Beaton pushed through the crowd with both hands in his blue coat pockets. His brown eyes looked at the sopping wet sailor in front of him and tried to look rather disapproving. But, he failed in that attempt.


    ¡°You just violated all kinds of sea rules, lad. As captain, I should¡­¡± He tugged his grey beard with his right hand before shrugging in his blue coat. ¡°Oh, let Balluds wisdom take me. Time to eat!¡±


    To the cheers of a grateful crew and steaming bowls of fish stew, the afternoon quickly passed with the first decent meal in days. Being the heroes of the hour, the two brothers were allowed to retire early. As the lightning caster laid down in his rough bed, the sky outside his open door quickly went from orange to black. Content to put the day to rest, he closed his door and made his way to the bed of rough hemp cloth as he fell into slumber.


    ¡°Pfff! Nuffing.¡± A small voice to his right exclaimed to the sound of rummaging. Getting off his back, he rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his white shirt.


    When Jeff started using his sight, the pitch-black darkness was all that greeted him at first. It took a moment for the starlight shining out of his door on the left to find its purchase in his eyes. When it did, what it revealed was the bane of all humanity on her knees and looking under his bed. She was a squat thing, not more than five years old with two pigtails of brown hair and a sack over her body that served as a crude dress. It was hard to make out her features, but when her face turned up to look at him with now wide golden eyes and the general dark green of her skin in the night light made it impossible to mistake her species.


    ¡°EEK!¡± The small girl squealed as she dashed through the door. Jeff quickly got up and began mentally preparing some story about how he always got with Orc women on the side to mollify the crew. Which was when the little girl slipped on the deck as she made her left turn.


    The next few seconds were a blur. Within a moment, Jeff saw she was going to slip in between the rails and when she went overboard there would be no finding her among the black waves. Nearly a dozen decisions were made in a split second as he leaped off the bed and quickly followed her over the rail. For the second time that day, a cry above rang out as the waves ran up to meet him.


    Fortunately, he was close enough to hear her spluttering and splashing. There were more calls above followed by thrown rope. Making his way through the soft waves, it was a brief flash of gold that set him on his course. Floundering in the water with what could only be described as passable swimming, it was a few more precious seconds of groping the water that he got ahold of something solid. Finally getting his hand on something that felt like a shoulder, he hoisted the girl close to him. Having retrieved his prize in the black night as torchlights started shining above, it occurred to the lightning caster that the little girl was using his body for leverage and pushing his head beneath the waves.


    Instead of fighting her, he grabbed one of the ropes and started pulling them both to safety away from the salty sea. When his body hit the side of the ship, he used his feet to move over onto the ladder on the left. Against his shoulder, the little girl was still shivering. Whether from chills or fear, Jeff didn¡¯t have the mental space to decide. Climbing his way up the ladder with limbs that felt like they were on fire, he finally made it over the rail.


    Laying on the ground, the two were exhausted and lay in a panting heap. Jeff vaguely saw torchlight off to his left, but the task of getting air into his veins was more important than anything else at this moment.


    ¡°Oh yeah, what a scandal.¡± A distinctly feminine voice was heard to the left.


    Turning his head, he saw the little girl was being smothered by a mid-30s Orc in a brown dress and shoulder-length hair of the same color as her daughters. More importantly, to their right was Beaton holding a lantern and looking at Jeff with a blank expression. His white shirt was disheveled from just getting out of bed and while his left hand held up the metal box, his right was around a knife handle holstered on his belt. Looking around, it was a blank face shared by the rest of the male crew as well, though the green women sprinkled about were considerably calmer.


    ¡°Well,¡± The captain sighed, ¡°This was a good day.¡±


    ¡°Come off it!¡± The mother turned with lips pursed in spite and sharp cheekbones holding some previously shed tears from her gold and black eyes ¡°Look! Everyone!¡± She put out her right hand to the black skies above as she yelled over the dead waters. ¡°Waveborn lay with Orcs! Gather the fleet and prepare the armies. What will the world do now that such a secret has been unleashed?¡±


    The women all smirked at that while a sheepish look stole over most of the men¡¯s faces.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Nate moaned somewhere behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s get them warm before they freeze to death.¡±


    Jeff still felt a little weak from his ordeal, but a hand behind him pulled him up. The voice accompanying it was all too familiar.


    ¡°Yeah, no sense in letting you die after you¡¯ve been saved,¡± Andrew said, calm and collected even as he stayed behind as Jeff walked forward. A quick look back showed Andrew wasn¡¯t wearing his medallion and had no reason to considering Cell was on the ship above. Not that he would be needed, as no hostility could be felt from the crowd.


    Moving towards the door by the scouting deck, he finally went to the lower holds. Recovering enough to walk on his own, Jeff took in the kitchen in the back and array of tables with lit candles at just enough points to give the surrounding walls a flickering light. On his immediate right was a large hatch with another pulley and lever system to bring cargo from the floor below. What was more immediate in its importance to him was the small pile of blankets and a change of clothes on the closest table.


    Quickly stripping and changing into a grey shirt with dull blue pants, he moved to take a seat and wrap a layer of rough cloth around himself. After a few seconds, the mother and her child came down and immediately sat opposite of him. Both victims of the night''s circumstance sat in silence as they tried to fight the cold still clinging to their limbs. When they were both finished getting properly dressed for the occasion, the small child was wrapped like a newborn with green ears and puffy cheeks sticking out between the blankets.


    ¡°Mah! I¡¯m fine,¡± The little thief moaned as her mother worked bits of hair away from her face.


    ¡°I love you, dear,¡± The tired Orc said sweetly before she took her child''s small chin ¡°But you disobeyed a lot of rules and made me very upset. Now I can choose to be very relieved at you being safe or I can be furious at your recklessness and you fussing like this is pushing me in one distinct direction.


    Honestly, girl. What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Fish,¡± The pup squeaked.


    The two adults raised an eyebrow at her. A small sniff accompanied her moaning as Andrew came down and sat on Jeff¡¯s left.


    ¡°There¡¯s so little to eat and I heard that the people we brought got some fish. Someone said they might have stashed a few for themselves, and¡­ I¡¯m just so hungry.¡±


    The mother gave a sympathetic tut as she took her child''s face in her hands.


    ¡°I know. But we¡¯re so close to the port. Just bear with it for a little while longer, love. You¡¯re lucky to be alive. If it wasn¡¯t for this young man, it¡¯d be you in the fish''s belly not the other way around.¡±


    The girl''s chin quivered before she pressed against her mother''s chest like a huge, pouting sausage.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She moaned.


    It was quite a heartwarming scene but it was quickly interrupted by Beaton as he came down the steps.


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s been an adventure for all of us. But the morning will not be kind to tired bodies.¡± His voice was sympathetic as the rest of the crew started filing downstairs. The two brothers nodded in agreement as they got up from the table as the mother did one last tearful wave goodbye. Moving up the stairs, Jeff got some appreciative nods from the men and green women. Now out on the deck, the only other souls about were the few late-night watchmen and the navigator, all of whom nodded towards their guests as they made their way over the wood floor to their rooms. When Jeff put his hand to his door, he looked left to see what his brother''s true reaction would be.


    Without so much as a backways glance, Andrew shut the door. A second later, the sound of him flopping on the bed came through the thin wooden walls. Smiling to himself, Jeff went inside his room. The night, contrary to all expectations, was better than previous ones. Waking up to a good mood thought long lost, Jeff quickly got up with a change of clothes and headed out of his door. Turning left, he meant to get what counted as a bath here with warm rags.


    Beaton, however, was waiting for him. His grey beard flapped with his blue coat and white shirt in the soft morning wind. Those piercing brown eyes measured him, though as prey or friend, Jeff couldn''t tell.


    ¡°Well,¡± The captain finally said in his typical rough, even tone, ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t need to ask how you processed last night.¡±


    Jeff could only nod. He knew he should feel awful, saving an Orc and nearly dying in the attempt, but despite the entirety of his upbringing, he felt good from the praise and gratefulness of the mother and child.


    ¡°I suppose you can let them come above deck in the mornings now.¡± Jeff offered with a shrug.


    Beaton, for the first time, smiled.


    ¡°You think that was for your benefit? No, we always do that no matter the guests. Outsiders who come to us are desperate or have an established relationship with us. ¡± He turned his weathered face out towards the open ocean with its crashing waves and salty breeze. ¡°The mornings are too bright and anyone spotting us would easily make out their green skin. Out there among the waves and blasted monstrosities, there¡¯s space. More space than you could ever imagine.


    But there are only so many places to wait out the early morning feasting. Once night rolls around, they all stay below deck until we can get out on the seas proper.¡±


    ¡°Is there a bounty for your kind? Something that would make the other ships sink you if they knew.¡±


    A scratch of his beard was Beaton¡¯s first answer before he turned back towards Jeff.


    ¡°There¡¯s no bounty out on us, but that¡¯s still no guarantee. Some people couldn¡¯t care less, some have such a hatred of Orcs that they would attack us on sight if they knew. Others have a green-skinned lass back home even if they aren¡¯t Waveborn. And all of those possibilities can be safely ignored if we manage to pass off as a regular trading ship and act like we weren¡¯t designed to dock in small piers.¡±


    Jeff raised an eyebrow as he looked at him with disbelief.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember our first time in port being a stealthy affair. The guards got on us right quick.¡±


    The grizzled veteran smirked as he nodded ruefully.


    ¡°Once you make port in the same place so often, people begin to notice how you never pull into port and how worn your ship looks. When things are rough and the proper authorities can¡¯t keep order or respectable merchants won¡¯t risk the voyage, we move in to fill in the gaps. In that way, you could say we¡¯re more like a disease than anything else, and some think of us as a bad omen. Still, we made the difference enough times that most guards will look the other way if it means our goods still come in. That scuffle was more due to the change in the local situation than our lack of care.¡±


    A raised eyebrow from Jeff prompted Beaton to continue.


    ¡°Some rebellion. Maybe the taxes weren¡¯t getting sorted, maybe some dragon hides went missing. All I know is, the landlocked got spanked and I guess some of the guards that typically stay further out west aren¡¯t happy getting stuck out here so close to Ballud¡¯s Folly.¡±


    His explanation finished, Beaton went back to looking out over the seas in silence. Standing still with an awkward bundle in hand, Jeff made no sound until the captain finally spoke again.


    ¡°And the decisions about how to navigate all of these events are informed by decades of life on these waters. That time also informs me about other things.¡±


    The burly man turned around, his shoulders relaxed and lips pursed in thought.


    ¡°I know how long it takes for someone to trip off a ship and the kid said you were still in the bed when she ran out of the door. Saving that girl required you not even think about throwing yourself overboard before she fell in the water. I¡¯d think you a partaker of the forbidden pleasure, but there seems to be some reluctance when you look at them nor did you try to press the new gratitude among the women for a night''s play.¡±


    The question was plain enough, but the maelstrom in Jeff¡¯s gut was anything but straightforward. After seconds of mental wrangling, the lightning caster put forth his most honest feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s more my lack of loyalty towards my kind right now than it is the appeal of the Orcs.¡±


    Beaton gave him the last look he expected, understanding. Taken slightly aback, Jeff stood there clothes in hand for an awkward moment before the captain moved forward and put a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a hole in you. Fill it with something, work, love, or charity if you can. Booze won¡¯t help, though. Whatever happened, just keep pushing on. Day by day if you have to.¡±


    Without another word, the captain turned to the left to go about his duties. Jeff took a moment to try and process such an obvious statement but that giant chasm in his soul wasn¡¯t quite ready to be confronted. His mood slightly darkened, the rest of the day passed all the same. He was allowed to eat amongst the rest of the crew below deck now, as was his brother. In a past life, sitting at a table only for a bunch of Orcs to come around would send the two brothers into a frenzy of slinging fireballs everywhere. Their time with Gula and her mother, however, had calmed their inner panic to mere discomfort.


    Days went by in both rain and sun, misery and joy before they finally came into the mouth of the river leading towards their destination. Unlike the previous two settlements, the place was a bit further inland. Coming up the channel, the sides of the riverbanks were far enough away to allow the passage of multiple ships. Which was good because the pilot was clearly struggling to maneuver the ship through the water as he avoided sand bars and worked the winds. After some nautical anguish, they finally arrived in port. The docks were long with the left side being taken up by what the brothers now knew to be escape ships while a few actual merchant ships were sprinkled about.


    The lightning caster looked down to get ready to board the small boat with his brother before he noticed the ship turning into the pier. Realizing that they were going to properly disembark, Jeff got an idea of why Beaton disliked this place. The river meant they couldn¡¯t use their usual boat to transport goods. Coming up to the docks, sailors quickly took out the gangplank to allow safe passage on land as the shining sun bored down on the merchants and passersby moving beyond their little world.


    When they were getting ready to cross the plank, Beaton came up from the brother¡¯s right with a hand raised for a shake.


    ¡°You did well, lads.¡±


    Taking their compliment in stride, they walked off the plank only to run into a party coming on board, and in them, Jeff felt he found another reason Beaton held this place in such disdain. A few guards with the red leather armor edged in black hung around a central man who looked like a man of importance. A tan sleeveless vest and white undershirt around muscular arms showed off considerable craftsmanship, which served to accentuate its wearer''s vanity. The man in question was an older gentleman, but the years had clearly been kind to him. His well-kept black pants moved with the clacks of the leather shoes done up with iron bottoms.


    His head of grey hair barely moved as a smug grin stole over his handsome face complete with a strong chin and sturdy cheekbones. The finery of his display was somewhat undone by the thuggish nature of his steps and cruel joy in his blue eyes.


    ¡°Beaton. Old friend.¡± He exclaimed as he walked across the deck. The blank face and rigid shoulders that Beaton immediately assumed made it obvious that the joke was anything but lighthearted.


    ¡°Dex.¡± Beaton greeted back with a strained smile.


    The captain kept his cool until his evident rival stepped on the plank. As simple an action as that was, it set off the crew of the Picket like a hornet''s nest as swords were drawn or quickly retrieved. Amidst the downpour of shouting and cursing, Dex meekly put up his hands in surrender with a mocking smile that was reflected in his companion''s faces.


    ¡°We have a situation. My fellow, ever loyal, citizens of our great kingdom, it has been discovered that items of a magical nature have been lost from the reclaimed hold of the traitorous lord Kenden who previously called these lands his and his alone. Three dragon hides, two Skinner shafts, five blue barrels containing preserved fire wolf sides, and no less than six sacks of fire-red potatoes. All will be accounted for. In the meantime, you will be provided coin for food and necessities until a task force from the local guard can be dispatched to thoroughly investigate the situation. We estimate they are ten days out, all ships will be looked over on their arrival and then we can all get on with our lives.


    If you have any information on the location of these items, you will be rewarded with a hundred gold pieces. Any further questions can be directed towards the harbor office.¡± His blue eyes looked at the surrounding crowd unimpressed. When he looked at Beaton, he contented himself with a smirk before leaving the ship. The captain gripped the knife at his side before turning towards his men.


    ¡°What are you waiting around for? The pantry¡¯s been empty these past few days unless all that moaning my ears endured was just you lot pretending to be starving. Get moving and if I don¡¯t see vegetables and meat moving across the decks when I get back from informing the harbors office, it¡¯ll be a while longer before anyone eats.¡±


    As the sailors got back to work, Beaton gave a quick nod to the brothers before they moved away from the ship.


    Mole Hill was the center point for all the transport and military moves up north to the icy lands and it had the capacity to fulfill that function. Along the right side of the docks was row after row of warehouses hugging the wall of stone nearly four stories high while near the back of the residencies was a larger house among the assorted ramshackle dens that made up much of the city, though larger stone blocks used in some of the better houses helped make better use of the space with multi-story buildings along the shoreline. Around these houses and the docks were stone brick roads while the peasantry was left with their typical mud and dirt roads that fit wherever the meager room to walk was present. Moving throughout a place stuck between a town and city, they got a good mental map of the area while Cell was let loose to look around.


    As the late-day sun basted the town in a fading orange glow, Jeff and Andrew finished their excursion in the largest bar they could find. Sitting in the back corner of a smoky room, plates of grilled chicken legs never tasted so sumptuous as the lightning mage dug in with his brother feasting opposite of him at their table. Candlelight flickered over the weak beer in their mugs, just as it did the other denizens of the tavern. Even the occasional snacking they did on their tour of this place did little to blunt the hunger that had defined their existence these past few days.


    Fortunately, the rowdy, drunken mayhem that accompanied all dens of pent-up sailors covered for any lack of manners they were displaying. As Jeff brought up what had to be the juiciest chicken thigh in existence, he suddenly felt a spirit connection from the open window to his right. It had the typical impression of images and feelings that accompanied familiar communication and content to welcome Cell back in a few seconds, Jeff stuck his teeth into the juicy skin of his meal when the first image came through.


    Dragon hides, smoking potatoes, and six blue barrels. Treasures beyond compare back home. All laying in a musty wooden corner atop bricks.


    ¡®Damn, which ship has them?¡¯ Andrew asked as he put out his hand through the window to imitate a long stretch. When he moved his arms back in front of his chest, the jewel in the medallion hanging inside his shirt was now present. The movement of the two brothers suddenly stopped as the next few images came through their minds.


    The vision of the wooden corner gradually pulled back to reveal three red and black-edged guards standing watch. Going further back, it was revealed to be a large storeroom. Not a ship. Cell then sent images of him turning around to reveal he was sitting atop the edge of a window, on the other side of which lay the roofs of the other warehouses and the docks beyond. All the who¡¯s and how¡¯s were quickly answered as Cell sent them a mental image of Dex and the men¡¯s mouths moving.


    ¡®They were discussing Dex?¡¯ Jeff asked with a raised eyebrow.


    The notion of semi-agreement came through.


    ¡®Did anything they talk about suggest Dex knows that¡¯s where the magical resources are?¡¯ Andrew demanded as he gripped his mug of ale tightly.


    When a strong agreement blasted into their minds, the two brothers stared into each other''s unfamiliar brown eyes. Pieces began falling into place and when Jeff finally spoke, Andrew looked like he wanted to throw up.


    ¡®Those inspectors coming here¡­ I suppose those are more of those mages who burned down Tanner¡¯s pit. He probably cut some deal to split the goods with them and disappear in the carnage.¡¯


    ¡®We don¡¯t know if what happened is connected to whatever Dex is planning.¡¯ Andrew warned as he drew back before he looked around the room. His new eyes inspected the crowd before he strained his neck and found his target.


    ¡®There¡¯s Nate. Let¡¯s get a better idea of who we¡¯re dealing with here before we commit to anything.¡¯


    Following his brother''s lead, he left the table and followed him until they got to a near-empty table by the door. Whether he had always been there or that hunger had driven Jeff to be reckless, it still left the lightning mage peeved that he hadn¡¯t noticed him earlier.


    ¡°Evening, sir.¡± Andrew greeted in as warm a tone as he could manage.


    ¡°Ah, the two newest sailors in the world,¡± The blonde man said with a swing of his arms. That the mug of ale in his right hand didn¡¯t spill on his white shirt or the blue jacket laying on the back of chair he sat in was an impressive feat.


    ¡°I suppose Beaton is back on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I had to do a very thorough and very long session with the harbor authorities on the fate of Tanner¡¯s pit. Only recently finished and the old grouch will be done soon enough.¡±


    He puckered his lips and rubbed his cheeks as the two men sat down with him.


    ¡°What do you know about this Dex person?¡± Jeff asked.


    Nate rubbed his chin sagely as he plopped his mug down on the table.


    ¡°Truth is he¡¯s some mage type who can¡¯t cast spells. Don¡¯t ask me anything about how magic works. The world turns on it but they don¡¯t exactly hand out papers explaining the stuff.¡±


    The brothers had probably forgotten more about magic than anyone in this tavern would ever know, but semi-full belies had brought about a new patience as they nodded in seeming agreement.


    ¡°Anyway, all I know is that Beaton used to be a harbormaster here. Some disagreement happened and¡­ well, let¡¯s say he hates the man more than a bear hates anything that messes with their pups. The details of it he¡¯s never discussed with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But what about his as a person?¡± Jeff asked patiently, ¡°Is he a patriot? Kind? What, exactly, is his job?¡±


    Nate bobbed his head before he took a long swig.


    ¡°He¡¯s as much of an asshole as any government official, I suppose. I do know why he¡¯s here, though. His type of mage does something with the strips of leather. That, apparently, allows them to suck in the mana. As recompense, all that mana is then fed into their house and condensed into crystals as payment for maintaining the strips of leather.


    You¡¯d think working with leather a few hours a week and getting all the food, housing, and women they could want in return would be enough. But from what I¡¯ve seen, they tend to be some of the meanest people you¡¯ll ever meet. Bitterness in every word and abuse in every hand wave is what they¡¯re typically known for. They do keep us all from dying, at least.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, thank you for your time,¡± Andrew said as he got up. Jeff quickly followed as Nate waved them both goodbye.


    Both men got their meals in their guts as fast as their necks would allow and promptly scurried out of the tavern as a black sky took over. For a minute they contended themselves with walking along the docks and looking over the various ships and houses that were probably going to soon be piles of dead people and burning ruins. Then the real conversation began.


    ¡®Are we leaving?¡¯ Jeff pondered to his brother walking on his right.


    ¡®I¡¯d¡­Hmm.¡¯


    It seems living as a peasant with actual consequences was beginning to wisen his brother up and forcing him to think over his actions more carefully.


    ¡®If we did leave, what would we do after that?¡¯ Andrew asked as a breeze of the cool night air blew over them.


    ¡®Well, apparently a lot of the human settlements are going to be ash in the coming weeks. Such events would make people more suspicious. And if settlements are getting torched, I doubt any of the Orcs at the capital or anywhere else would be willing to let us into their private little world. The only ones they¡¯d trust to meet with would be Gula and her mother, but we need to know where to safely talk with the Orcs for that meeting to happen. It¡¯s a self-causing problem we currently have the solution to.


    We have a connection with the Orcs now and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be getting one again.¡¯ Jeff idly countered as he looked over the water


    ¡®Great. A bitter crafter is going to end up blowing up an ultimate quad mage''s dream of helping Orcs along with all of us.¡¯


    Jeff got a little smile as he turned to his brother.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that pretty similar to how this all started? Seems like a poetic end to things.¡¯


    Andrew huffed before he turned to meet his brother¡¯s eyes. They both stood there for a moment as the fire scion weighed life and death.


    ¡®Are we seriously thinking about staying?¡¯


    The lightning caster shrugged.


    ¡®We have the familiar of a quad mage, a ship that can get reinforcements within a few hours, and the element of surprise. If we have to try getting in touch with Orcs again, the next time will probably be in the capital. A bigger city with more guards, mages, and we might not have Cell on hand when things blow up. We know how to make crafts that don¡¯t fail from spells and Cell can leave to retrieve mana. While waiting for Eli¡¯s response, we can get a chest and store a lot of¡­ future proofing weapons for the sailors if it comes to that.


    Who knows, maybe being out here for so long has made us paranoid. But even if Dex has sold his town out I still think this is the best course of action since he wouldn¡¯t part with the coin to feed the sailors if his fellows were just a day or two out. It''s risky, but taking that bear in the neck back in Elves Clay with a flame spear was risky and you still did it.¡¯


    Andrew couldn¡¯t suppress a smile at the memory. It was a cheap rub of his ego, but it did its job as his brother started speaking audibly.


    ¡°Fine. But if I end up having a stone spear chucked at my head, I expect you to take full responsibility for the course of events and step in front of me.¡±


    Jeff rolled his eyes as they started walking down the docks towards the Picket.


    ¡°Tragically, being a bit shorter than you, it would probably graze my hair and still kill you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll name my firstborn son after you.¡±


    A shove on his shoulder was all Andrew offered in retort as the night pressed against the two souls strolling alone in an unfamiliar town, in a foreign kingdom, on a continent they had only been to once before and seen through the windows of the embassy.

 Chapter 109: Sweetest Sin (R 18+)

    Eli POV


    I stretched on my stool in the early morning. It was a simple thing, but the grey stone of the surrounding walls only had the soft golden glow of the mana lamp above me to break the dull monotony of their textures. Though, the metal case in front of me was at once exhilarating and equally mundane.


    The simple steel shell had various racks spaced inside its 5-foot height while being only a foot wide. Squares representing input and output ports were cut out along the top while the back had a hole for a power plug. A computer had many components but I wanted to get the voltage measurements down first. Spending months making circuits only to turn them into small black heaps of metal was not the general trajectory I wanted for this project.


    It was a straightforward thing with all the steps, tests, and endless fine details laid out before me. On the other hand, the end of the project was more heart-pumping than any battle I had in this world. Pulling my head out of the future, I went over towards the table on my right. Spread across it were jars filled with assortments of refined carbon and resins along with the magnetic disk and copper wiring for a crude voltmeter. The general requirements of the power brick and resistors needed to fine-tune the electricity being delivered wasn¡¯t a problem, but getting the mixtures of their various components down was a matter of some trial and error. Since electric current was also involved in radio communications, setting up these meters was the best use of my time.


    With my little den of experimentation and fiddling giving me no way to tell time and letting my mind fully engross itself in the process of creation, the sudden knock on the hatch sitting in the right corner almost made me drop the box I was assembling. As the small hatch swung open, the ivory horns of Salamede rose through the hole, quickly followed by my beloved wife¡¯s face.


    ¡°They¡¯re back,¡± Her rough voice had a hint of panic in it.


    My mind quickly reached for the most obvious reasons for her reaction.


    ¡°Were we discovered or did someone die?¡± I responded as I set my crude voltmeter down.


    ¡°Neither. At least, not yet.¡± Her hand wave prompted me to come to her as she left. Coming down into our bedroom, the hatch opened by the corner near the dresser on my right. Pushing the ladder up and sealing the false bit of stone in place, I turned towards my wife who was nervously playing with her hands even as she retrieved my smiling metal mask from the bedside and took care to fix its straps on me. A little thing she had begun insisting on doing when she could.


    With a final snap, she swung her head towards the meeting room. I moved with a tremor of worry thumping in my chest as I walked across the stone floor and closed the stone door behind me. Following her down the hallway that quickly twisted right, I came into the wide stone room with columns along the wall. The mana lamps dotting the walls shined down over the wide circular table in the middle of the room and the people sitting at it. On the right was the small, brown-furred Kelton woman that was Salamede¡¯s mother.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked as I moved forward and took a seat.


    ¡°Mole Hill is probably going to be a pile of ash in a week or so.¡± The pilot replied in as plain a manner as possible.


    She went on to explain everything that had happened on the men¡¯s journey and the location of Passtoons Watch. Taking it all in, I could only tap on the table with my fingers while she proceeded to lay out the tale that was both encouraging and disheartening. In spite of the problems presented, I still had to commend the brothers for their measured response to the situation. It wasn¡¯t easy to stay in a doomed town for the sake of the mission.


    ¡°All right,¡± I declared to the two Kelton¡¯s present, ¡°Who else knows what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I sent the Frojan to tell the Orcs and Baloo.¡± The older Kelton quickly stated as she leaned forward.


    ¡°Tell Kantor as well. We¡¯ll need to get some shock troop equipment up and running but the first item is getting a better idea of what we¡¯re dealing with. How long did it take for you to get back here?¡±


    A huff was her first answer.


    ¡°Short enough to do another scouting trip. Honestly, we spent more time flying in circles around that slug of a boat than anything else.¡±


    Nodding, I got up as did the other two.


    ¡°It seems that worked out for the best. We have another ship ready to perform scouting duties but you¡¯ll need to head back immediately.¡±


    An excited nod from Salamede emphasized the achievement.


    ¡°Is that hunk of crap finally ready to fly?¡± The pilot asked with excitement that her rough voice couldn¡¯t hide.


    Hunk of crap?


    Before I could list off several improvements I had made to the ship''s design, her daughter spoke up.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Salamede scolded patiently ¡°Eli has untold expertise and ability, even his laziest efforts would surpass the greatest workings of the world.¡±


    Taking a moment to soak in my beloved wife¡¯s praise, I turned to thank her.


    ¡°Besides, you know how Eli gets over his craftsmanship. Don¡¯t disparage his works.¡±


    Women. They¡¯ll make you feel like the master of the universe then cut you down for your hubris all in one breath.


    ¡°The point being,¡± I said, trying to steer the conversation back on course. ¡°We now have the means to conduct two operations at once. I¡¯m not trusting the timetable given by a likely sellout. Head back to the town with a few extra Frojan armed with magical guns. The interceptor will do a quick look around the local military base to see what the Rodring fleet has as far as strength goes. Once that¡¯s back, I¡¯ll have come with the Interceptor and a proper assortment of weapons, armor, and Kelton fighters.¡±


    They both turned to me with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Dear, are you sure you want to be so close to the danger?¡± Salamede asked as she put a hand on my left shoulder. The nod I gave her seemed to only make her more worried.


    ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t take the risk but the boys have the right of it. Getting in touch with the Orcs is going to be impossible if panic and mayhem start taking hold. Maybe the local fleet can handle this flare-up of piracy, but we need everyone ready to deal with whatever situation arises. Even if nothing happens, a wasted day or two is worth making sure everything goes right here.¡±


    Satisfied, she gave me a light kiss. Her sweetness played on my lips for a moment far too short before we pulled away and got to work. She accompanied me into the main hangar as we worked on various measurements for bracers, shields, and helmets. We only stopped as the blade-like ship on our right lifted into the air. The thinner hull, large spear gun on the front, and strips of wood along the sides meant to spew molten stone below gave the ship a predatory look. Considering it was specifically designed to move fast and kill other airships, form and function were in perfect union.


    As big of a pain as it was to make sure the thrusters didn¡¯t sheer off the side of the ship at full speed, the bigger gun on the tip didn¡¯t crack the hull, and the furnace fit inside the smaller inner space, it was all worth it as the balloon above filled with heated air and the wooden deck lifted into the air. The majesty of the moment was lost on the young Kelton pilot, who was sweating as Gula¡¯s mother, Durka, kept her student under a strict eye as he worked the levers controlling the furnace output and the minor air enchantments designed to provide meager backward thrust.


    When the blast of cold air came inside from the parting of the roof, the Kelton man whose wrist I was measuring drew back before giving me a sheepish look and staring at the floor.


    ¡®Sorry, grand mage.¡¯ He apologized in a spirit connection.


    ¡®It¡¯s quite alright. Just don¡¯t let yourself get distracted when you¡¯re out there on the battlefield. A single moment is all it takes for both opportunity and death to come your way.¡¯


    I continued working on various steel pieces of armor until one of the farm workers came into the workshop from my left through the meeting room. Unlike so many who tended the Coalitions fields, her black-furred head was covered in thick leather and her body was protected in a special suit of armor.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a problem with the crops.¡± She bluntly stated before turning around. Salamede was off to my right working on the healing enchantments going around the neck and midsection pieces of the leather harnasses and I promptly left the soldier I was fitting armor on to talk with her.


    ¡°If you know of any good metal workers, get them to start fitting the armor around the men. It¡¯s past time they learned the finer points of working metal that isn¡¯t instantly ready to use.¡±


    A quick nod was all she gave me as she placed a triangle of golden mana in a long leather backstrap. Moving between the large shelves on the sides filled with wooden slabs and the various goat-headed people sitting at tables in the middle of the room while they worked with pieces of metal or wood, my path took had me walk behind Gula as her white sleeved arm propped her up on the table. Sitting opposite of her was the blue snake woman and the fire ape, though both seemed to be in their own little world as the familiar helped the Enten heat up a long rod of steel.


    The Orc had her bang of black hair across her right eye limping down as she instructed a younger Kelton lad on the workings of a shaft for turning the wheel. I waited to get behind her before I stretched out my hand.


    ¡°But the gears won¡¯t- hmm?!¡±


    When my palm collided with her black pants-covered bum, she quickly turned to me with furrowed eyebrows. Keeping a stern look in my eyes, my first response was a simple handwave.


    ¡°As you were, soldier.¡± My commanding voice sounded out as I started walking off.


    Her golden eyes had a pouty air and she stuck out her sharp chin, but the smile she couldn¡¯t keep down meant the universe was now back on its center. Raising an eyebrow to ask what her objection was, she could only roll her eyes before she turned back to her student. Though she now seemed a bit happier and her small smile remained. My main task for the day finished, I made my way through the meeting room and into the hallway.


    Of the three doors to choose from, I took the right iron door as the kitchen entrance on my left sounded out with what sounded like a decently packed canteen. Moving into the housing area, I looked up to find the farmhand from earlier heading into the garden area on the sixth floor as a few maids cleaned around the three floors above her and five below her.


    Making my way up the staircase on the side until I got to the right floor, I walked past the rows of iron doors until I finally got to the one leading into the farming complex at the end of the walkway. As I came into what would hopefully be our main source of food going forward, the long rows of wooden troughs fixed into the walls drew my eyes, as did the stone staircases beside them allowing workers to harvest their bounty. As the mana lamps above illuminated the large room with its stone walls and smooth rock floor, the item that immediately drew my interest was the table on the left filled with a colorful array of vegetables in front of which were four farmhands decked out in near full plate armor.


    The potatoes on the left end were a mix of blue, red, and a brown far darker than what they should be. In the middle was a small stack of red carrots with bits of smoke coming off their green leaves, though the beans at the right end helped cool down the carrot''s temperature with a spout of water occasionally coming out of the pile.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked the group of onlookers as I came forward and prodded one of the blue potatoes. My first reaction was visceral disgust as the spud squished and moved in what millions of years of instincts told me was a late state of decay. It took a moment before I realized that it was perfectly fine, the magical qualities making it move like the unbroken potato skin was filled with water as opposed to starchy flesh.


    ¡°I guess the magic doesn¡¯t make them bigger past maturity,¡± a burly Kelton man said to my left. The black-furred Kelton woman from earlier came up on my left.


    ¡°They were reaching the time for peak harvest last night. But when we came in this morning, they started taking on all of these various properties.¡±


    She took up one of the carrots and held it to my face. When the heat brushed against my face, I looked at her hands to see how calloused they were, because there was no way touching them barehanded like that could be done without serious insulation.


    ¡°Interesting, but they¡¯re still edible despite their appearance. What about parasites? Any incidents with those?¡± I enquired as I looked at the other Keltons all done up in metal plate armor and thick leather. The head shakes in denial at least set that worry to rest. ¡°All right, this is good and bad.¡±


    A sea of furrowed brows and puckered lips greeted me but I pushed ahead before they voiced their objections.


    ¡°I¡¯m not outfitting you in these suits because they go with the d¨¦cor of the room. The crop''s magical qualities weren¡¯t harmful this time, but we were supposed to catch them before that could ever be a problem. I¡¯m going to make a few more fire extinguishers, water weapons, and set up a watch. You¡¯ve been handling our farms this whole time, so I¡¯ll leave it to you lot to decide on the times and shifts.


    What about the rest of the harvest? How have they turned out?¡±


    The woman turned around towards the rest of the hanging garden beds.


    ¡°We turned off the growing enchantments, but I suggested we get these from several different troughs to get a better picture of the whole yield.¡±


    Well, it looks like I found my head of agriculture for now.


    ¡°Smart. I¡¯m leaving you in charge to maximize yields in as safe a manner as possible.¡±


    The lack of objections or irritation from the others further solidified my decision before I nodded to all of them and went back to the workshop to retrieve the needed wood and metal. It was a good hour of setting up the needed weapons on racks just outside the farm door along with the long tubes of wood for fires, but fires and closed spaces don¡¯t mix well so I considered it time well spent.


    As the afternoon came, the Interceptor came back. I had a scout in the cave who would keep an eye out for a ball of mist hovering around the hangar and when the blast of cold whirled through the workshop and forge, no one seemed to mind. So eager to get news of the outside world, several workers stopped to look at the sleek, blade-like hull floating down into its designated spot.


    The soldier I was working a steel breastplate around was having a particularly hard time getting comfortable around the shoulders and I was content for the scout to come to me with their report.


    ¡°My lord,¡± The Kelton somewhere between lad and his prime insisted for the third time over the course of his armor fitting. ¡°It¡¯s merely uncomfortable. Wasting so much time on-¡°


    ¡°If it¡¯s uncomfortable now, it¡¯ll be hell after a few hours of nonstop use in bloody battle or marching.¡± I refuted in a patient tone. ¡°I¡¯m almost done ¨C¡°


    ¡°Great mage!¡± A rough voice called to my right.


    Taking my eyes off the metal casing, I turned to see the young pilot who Durka was apprenticing. Between the look of fear in his brown-furred face and the breaking of the typical deference all the younger ones showed me, a ball of worry dropped in my stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad.¡± Was all he managed to say before he put his hands to his leather pants and started gulping down air.


    ¡°Gather Salamede, Baloo, Kantor, and Gula,¡± I responded before turning back to my work. Whatever it was, I needed just a few more seconds to buff out the sharp edges on the internal surface of the breastplate. When the armor finished, I gave the Kelton man a firm pat on the shoulder before leaving to attend the debriefing. Moving through the workshop and into the meeting room, I saw Kantor on the right in a suit of steel but the room was otherwise barren.


    Walking towards the left and taking my usual seat by the bedroom door, it was a few minutes later when the other wooden chairs started getting filled. Salamede sat on my right, wearing a white shirt and brown pants, while Gula sat on my left with her mother plopping down beside her. The last member, Baloo, finally arrived. When the big green frogman plopped down in his seat beside Durka, a simple wave of his blue robe initiated the meeting.


    ¡°So,¡± I announced, ¡°I guess the Rodring forces have not faired well.¡±


    Gula¡¯s mother snorted, drawing all eyes to her. The Orc mothers¡¯ ridged nose and bone piercing moved as did her twin brown braids when she shook her head sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯d say there are no more forces.¡±


    I leaned back into my chair, taking a deep breath as I prepared myself for the coming blow.


    ¡°How is the fort holding out? Could they at least-¡°


    Her shaking head hit my stomach harder than that damn troll in the woods in what seemed like a lifetime ago.


    ¡°The fort is, for all intents and purposes, gone. The docks were mostly smashed and the ruins of a mighty castle with a giant hole in the left side were all that remained. Though, the giant beasts in shells with claws that were scattered about the place were more than enough to make up for the failing walls. Combined with the bouts of steam everywhere, I¡¯d say those misty pirates have taken the place for themselves.¡±


    Meshing my hands together, I pulled my head behind the chair as I covered my eyes.


    ¡°They bet it all.¡± My dead voice said to no one in particular. ¡°They took their forces and dashed them on a fool''s hope in the southern seas of the Coalition. My fucking god.¡±


    ¡°If I may, sir.¡± Kantor''s rough voice bounced throughout the room.


    Putting my hands down, I nodded to the older, black-furred Kelton man dressed in metal armor. An outfit that was almost impossible to get him out of nowadays.


    ¡°To be totally fair to them, my lord, it may not be all of their forces as Rainbow¡¯s Piss is a rather large port city if what I¡¯ve heard from the occasional trader is true. Even if they did, given what I¡¯ve seen here, I can¡¯t say it was a risk ill-taken. Not if it meant having you in their ranks.¡± He complimented in a serious tone. The nodding faces around the table only made me scoff.


    ¡°Pff. Flattery will get you far, but-¡° I put up a finger as I leaned forward and put my elbows on the wooden table. ¡°It won¡¯t crush the skulls of the pirates currently slitting all of our future neighbor''s throats. I suppose we¡¯ll need to start preparing then.¡±


    ¡°The north is going to die,¡± Salamede responded, sounding as upset as the statement warranted. ¡°All the towns get by on trading ore and magical items for food. If the trading lanes get cut, they¡¯ll all starve in short order.¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Kantor who shook his head in disagreement.


    ¡°No. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time things in the south have gone sour. The families who can¡¯t survive here will make for the warmer coasts along the southern shores called Pirates Call. If they have the means to do so.¡±


    Salamede furrowed her grey eyebrows as she crossed her white-sleeved arms.


    ¡°And what of those too poor to get passage on a ship? What of those orphans in those settlements only just getting by?¡±


    Kantor sat still for a moment, the black fur with grey flecks staying still over his pursed lips and smooth cheekbones.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°They will have to make do with what they can get. No matter how little that may be.¡±


    I had a distinct feeling he was saying they were going to die, an assessment I grew more confident in when I looked right and saw Salamede¡¯s grey fur pull back to reveal her teeth and her lower jaw pull into a frown.


    ¡°That,¡± I interrupted, pulling all eyes back to me. ¡°Can be dealt with next now that we have two ships. In the meantime, we have to get ready for whatever happens in Mole Hill. All of the Frojan aside from one or two will be heading out with the magical guns and dropped off on the main ship. When they get back, we¡¯ll have some properly armed Kelton troops to bolster our numbers.¡±


    A cough from Gula on my left stopped my train of thought as she threw in her concerns.


    ¡°What about the Orcs on the Waveborn ship? And their husbands, of course. How are we going to evacuate them if it comes to a slugging match?¡±


    Her golden eyes got a bit more worried when I bit my lip in concentration. It took a moment before I had the right way to say what needed to be said.


    ¡°What we¡¯re doing here will uplift millions of people in the future, both Orc and Humans. One of the biggest threats to that future is us bringing in one of the Orc mating men who turns out to be a spy. If they get threatened by the pirates and the spy¡¯s all try to abandon their posts, we can bring them in. Otherwise, for the sake of millions of others, Jeff and Andrew will just have to jump ship and the fate of those left behind will be what it will be.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of newcomers,¡± Baloo interrupted, the deep bass of his voice reverberating around the stone walls. ¡°What is the plan if every settlement in the north gets a spear in the eye? Will the Keltons out on the wastes be enough for whatever future projects we need?¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, strumming my fingers on the wood table as I went over the figures in my head.


    ¡°Why do we need more people?¡± Kantor asked the group. ¡°Can¡¯t we just hole up here for a few years until we¡¯re ready to sally out?¡±


    ¡°We may not have years,¡± I dismissed as every eye turned to me. ¡°Ultimate mage''s bodies eventually breakdown and in a far more agonizing manner than regular old age. I won¡¯t die and I may be able to simply lay still while I direct Cell in finishing my work. Or the pain could be constant, crippling my ability to think.


    It¡¯s not a risk I¡¯m willing to take. We need somewhere between hundreds or a thousand plus people depending on the details.¡±


    Durka leaned forward and raised a brown eyebrow at me from behind her daughter.


    ¡°What kind of details?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Mostly based on how many external resource outposts we¡¯ll need to set up.¡±


    Salamede took the opportunity to interject her thoughts.


    ¡°We¡¯re about halfway through our metal reserves. The regular food is still holding strong and should be fine until we get our farms up and running. But we don¡¯t have the means to make leather. More than simply acquiring resources, our goal isn¡¯t to drop out of the sky and blow everything up.


    If we show up as a fleet of ghosts a few years from now with no connections to the Orcs or the people we¡¯re trying to help, we¡¯ll still have to do the work of ingratiating ourselves into the public. Better to do it as fellow neighbors rather than conquerors.¡±


    ¡°More than that,¡± Gula offered, ¡°We still need to know what¡¯s happening around us. Ignoring the rest of the world doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t still affect us.¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± Kantor grumbled, ¡°What a painful dance this all is.¡±


    I nodded before I stood up from my chair and turned to Baloo sitting opposite of me.


    ¡°Select two of your men for crafting water shields and enchanted range weapons. Get the rest ready to move south. We need everyone in the workshop focused on making as much armor as they can.¡±


    With our meeting closed, we all rushed out of the room. Baloo and Kantor got their fighters in order while the rest of us started fashioning a small strike force. Gula had gotten some basic training done for the soldiers, but they were still too inexperienced in basic group tactics. Giving them magical guns was asking to get their heads cut off, so we stuck to water blades, both as swords and axs.


    Gula took on the role of commander, as these forces were almost exact copies of her wayfarer role back in the swamps. She had also cut down on volunteers as a few eager souls offered to come fight. An offer she politely rejected, as having so many people with not even a bit of training would only make things harder to coordinate. When the last piece of armor was forged, I headed back into the living area. The Frojan except for two had left on the Interceptor, leaving running drills on the soldiers the only thing left for them to do. Likewise, I spent my free time making a simple wooden armor for me and Gula.


    As the ship still hadn¡¯t come back, I decided to spend the rest of my time working on a new section of housing for our potential newcomers. It was going to be another nine-story affair with a hallway entrance directly on the right of the first housing section. As I was moving stone in the soft glow of the crystal star behind me, its inner flame bathing the smooth rock in soft, orange light, I heard someone come in through the hallway with iron doors that provided eighteen or so feet of distance from the other housing section.


    ¡°Eli.¡±


    Gula¡¯s voice was soft, both eager and uncertain. Turning around, I saw she was wearing the typical white shirt and brown pants. What really drew my eyes was the stalk of yellow-tinged celery in her right hand. When she brought it up to her mouth, she made sure to look at me as she chewed on the vegetable. Her nervous expression twisted with distaste as she struggled to swallow her meal.


    ¡°UGH!¡± She threw the yook root down as she swirled her tongue ¡°How does Salamede eat this so often? It¡¯s more bitter than the bad winter we had a few years back.¡±


    I knew what she was doing and why. There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask her, but curiosity was quickly laid to rest. All my mind could concentrate on was that my wife was finally ready to receive me and I could practically feel my frontal cortex hand the reigns over to my loins.


    Moving across the room and pulling my mask down, Gula opened her mouth to say something, but I caught her lips before she could say anything. That wondrous sensation of heat and vinegar flooded my mouth as I plundered her with my tongue. Pulling her body into mine, I molded her hips and butt with grasping palms as her moans reverberated around the room.


    When her lower jaw started quivering, I finally pulled back a bit. Her golden eyes held a forlorn hope while she bit her now free lips in worry.


    ¡°Is that too much?¡± I asked, trying to slow myself down even as my hands kept going about their work.


    ¡°No. Never,¡± The Orc whispered, her eyes doing a roll into her head as I squeezed her bum. When she looked back at me, her eyes had some concern that was hard to pin down. ¡°Look. I know this is a stupid thing to ask, what with all the kissing, slapping, and pinching you¡¯ve been giving me.¡±


    ¡°And constant leering.¡±


    She puckered her lips as she raised an eyebrow, a face she struggled to maintain as I ran a finger up her spine.


    ¡°Really?¡± Gula demanded.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± I said sagely as I wrapped an arm around her back. ¡°I assure you, everytime you walk by, my eyes are getting their full satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°Pff. You beast.¡± She scolded even as she put her hands on my chest with a lick of her lips. ¡°Are you sure the problem in the Coalition was that you weren¡¯t laying with the women?¡±


    I smiled as I pulled her closer and took her chin with my right hand.


    ¡°I can keep my pants on when I need to. But when you love a woman, it does things to a man that are hard for even the best of us to control.¡±


    Those golden eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Pulling her close to me, I planted a kiss on her forehead before whispering in her sharp green ears.


    ¡°Why the fuss? You already know my feelings for you.¡±


    Gula put a hand around the back of my head as she took a moment to collect her thoughts.


    ¡°Even after the swamps?¡±


    I pulled back and made sure to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°That was a mistake. An honest mistake. I don¡¯t blame you or anyone else but Borba for what happened.¡±


    Hearing the cursed name drew Gula up short, her face going blank for a moment before she pressed forward and kissed me again. This time, we paced ourselves. After a few minutes of making sucking sounds reverberate around the small cave we both came back up for air. Taking in each other¡¯s eyes, we stood there with wet lips and heaving chests.


    ¡°Salamede said she¡¯d get us if the ship came back before we finished. How long will that leave us?¡± Gula asked as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be sending out the new troops when the Interceptor gets back. But between travel time and dropping off frogmen on another ship one at a time, we should be able to see our task through to a satisfying conclusion.¡±


    Nodding, she stopped as she looked around the half-formed room.


    ¡°Eli¡­ are the other Orcs going to be staying in the base with the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll send the wrong message if we go on this long monologue about bringing humans and Orcs together peacefully under the auspices of science, only to then push them away to a separate base. ¡®Yes we said all that stuff about magical potential not mattering in the long run, but let¡¯s not pretend you¡¯ll be able to control yourselves around the quad mage¡¯ would undo whatever other words come out of our mouths. As¡­ ambitious some of them may be, it¡¯s better to work out this issue now rather than later.¡±


    My wife¡¯s breath suddenly steadied as she stuck out her sharp jaw. She crouched down for the briefest of moments, leaving me only just enough time to catch her as she hopped onto me and wrapped her legs around my stomach with a hard squeeze.


    ¡°or your wives could drain you dry, leaving not a single drop for them to take.¡± Her voice was a low growl as her eyes took on a positively feral hunger. This time, she shoved her mouth into mine. Unlike our first encounter all those weeks ago, she had enough patience to scour my tongue and cheeks as she sucked out all of the salivae in my mouth. A task her hot, vinegary taste made very pleasant to be on the receiving end of. When I started moving us towards the iron double doors out of the new housing area, Gula shook her head.


    ¡®Blankets,¡¯ She said in a spirit connection as we continued our duel. ¡®I am not waiting for us to get to the room.¡¯


    Looking down the hallway, I saw a small pile of blue blankets and sheets she had laid down on the right side of the stone hallway. That she had placed them between two mana lamps showed she had put some thought into their placement.


    ¡®Are you sure?¡¯ I asked. It was her first time and I had wanted to give her the best experience possible.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ She almost screamed into our connection. ¡®I¡¯m not going to die a sexless wife and by the bastard''s beard you will relieve me of my virginity here and now.¡¯


    A hiccup came up my throat as I pulled away.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you die. Not if I have anything to say about it,¡± I firmly responded, my hard tone bouncing all over the walls.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Gula said, looking me up and down with clear interest as lust and impatience battled for their due on her face. ¡°I¡¯m a soldier and have been my whole life. All it takes is one arrow from a farmer boy. Sure, with your abilities and crafts, that chance is almost zero. But it¡¯s not, nor will it ever be, zero. This I know without a doubt, as do you.¡±


    Begrudgingly accepting what my pride would not, I grabbed her face and pulled her into a kiss. Another long moment of heated oral play and tongue lashing, she pulled away.


    ¡°All right,¡± Gula announced. She didn¡¯t say anything after that, instead she was content to stand still as her eyes stared at my crotch.


    ¡°Gula, if you want to see it, just come over and take what you need.¡± I teased with a smug raise of my eyebrow.


    Her golden eyes rose to meet mine and in them I saw some pain. It occurred to me, given her anguish over her existence and how her kind came to be, and still manage to come into the world, that asking her to do anything aggressive when it came to sex itself might be too much. Affection and kissing were probably alien enough to her that she could avoid those thoughts. The act of assertively consummating those things, though, was probably too close to the horror stories for her.


    Hooking two thumbs around my pants, I pulled down the brown fabric along with my underwear. Of course, this play with my beloved wife had the unavoidable effect of bringing me to full mast. As my erection swung out of its cage and the tip touched the white shirt I still wore, I noticed Gula idly put a hand to her own brown pants where her privates lay. Her eyebrows furrowed, pulling the vertical scar across her left eye as she looked on with fascination in equal parts to lust.


    ¡°Is this your first time seeing such things?¡± I asked.


    Another roll of her eyes was her first response.


    ¡°I was familiar with the concept, it''s just actually seeing one and it being¡­ ready is another thing altogether.¡±


    ¡°Conceptual penises?¡± I teased with a raised eyebrow.


    She pursed her lips, making the horizontal cut across her nose stretch. But she didn¡¯t say anything else for a second before speaking up again.


    ¡°Is it ok if I touch it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping you do a lot of that, so sure.¡±


    Walking forward, she got down on her knees and before I could talk about how she didn¡¯t need to skip right to a blowjob, she put her hand under my sack. Lifting it up to a bolt of pleasure through my loins, she looked at the stretched skin beneath. She wasn¡¯t in a sex-crazed haze, it was more like she had found a particularly interesting-looking branch or bug on a hike and was now inspecting it. Even then, her dark green cheeks and hard breathing said her instincts knew well what the purpose of this curiosity was. Running her hands along my balls, I had to ask a question before I decided on how loud to be.


    ¡°Is anyone in the housing area?¡±


    ¡°No. Even if there were, Salamede made some noise deadening crafts.¡± She replied, taking in the item of interest. When she did another push on my balls to look at the sides, I decided to not hold back. Letting loose a low grunt of pleasure as she went about her inspection, her black bowl-cut of hair swung with her head as she looked up.


    ¡°Are those sensitive too?¡±


    A nod with a bit lip was my first response as I took in the pleasure of her hands on my sack.


    ¡°Damn sensitive, especially when a beautiful woman is touching them.¡±


    She raised both eyebrows in surprise before going back to her examination. When those green fingertips wrapped around my stem, sending a bolt of pleasure shooting through my nervous system, she jerked back in surprise.


    ¡°It moved.¡± The shock was clear in her voice. I could only chuckle as her astonishment caught me off guard.


    ¡°Yeah, when a woman grabs it, it will pulse as more blood is pushed into it.¡± I did a little hip shake to emphasize my point as Gula looked on with furrowed eyebrows. That lick across her lips as my manhood swung near her face made my ego expand thrice over. When she looked up at me and saw my teasing face, her green hand swatted my stomach.


    ¡°It moves, twitches, and every part is waiting for pleasure. Do you finish just from walking? How do you even sit down?¡± She demanded like an expectant teacher.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle of biology,¡± I declared as I bent down to her eye level. Her gaze was still on the stem pointing up at her, but she quickly shifted her eyes to mine when I put my hands down her shirt to work the buttons. Once that was done, I pulled up on her white top. She offered no resistance to any of my efforts, but her breath caught and the trepidation was plain on her face when I lifted the white fabric over her head.


    The first thing I noticed, as any proper man would, was her breasts. While they mostly matched the green skin around the rest of her body, the areolas were small plates of dark green around smaller nipples, though the breasts themselves were barely a handful for me to palm. It occurred to me how different they were from Salamede¡¯s while being still as tantalizing in their own way even with the long scar above the top of the left breast.


    My eye¡¯s having gotten their fill of the wonderous orbs, I looked over the rest of her. Her abs, sides, and stomach now had some fat mixed in with the muscle. Gone was the lean frame stuck between firmness and emaciation, though the long faded vertical cut on her left was still present. I got a bit of a hiccup in my throat for a moment, the pride at having given her such a better life than what she had when I found her catching me unawares.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not as lean as I used to be or as well endowed as Salamede. So, don¡¯t feel bad for making the comparison.¡± Gula said nervously. Despite her words, her ears were perked and her eyes looked more vulnerable than any time during battle that I had seen them. My moment of hesitation had clearly been misinterpreted.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± I said as I took her face in my hands and kissed her. ¡°We¡¯re here to have fun, Gula. You¡¯re not a sex goddess and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a man out there with a bigger dick, better hands, blah blah blah. Don¡¯t compare yourself to Salamede or anyone else. Let¡¯s just enjoy ourselves. That said, I think I need to show you how much I want you.¡±


    Kissing down her chin, then her neck, the small gasps and coos above made my blood boil with need even as I schooled myself to patience. When I approached her breasts, I stopped to give her right one a proper suck. Capturing her nipple in my mouth, I ran my tongue over the dark green. I looked up to see her throw back her head with a moan escaping her mouth in a long drawl of pleasure.


    ¡°Damn. Salamede warned me you¡¯d go right to sucking. Shit. That¡­ Ooh. That¡¯s new.¡±


    Her words devolved into a slur of animals grunts as I continued my licks. After a few more seconds, I let her tit fall from my mouth as I started moving southward again. When I got to her brown pants, I lifted my head to meet hers. Putting my hand behind her head and raising her up, I moved us both to the blanket pile a foot away. Her golden eyes were wide and she looked at me with raw need, though she still wouldn¡¯t act on it even as I put her on top of the blankets.


    ¡°You-you want this, right?¡± She asked, with a quick look down towards my exposed dick.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I answered as I pulled the white shirt over my head and flung it to the left. I resumed my kissing until I got to her belt. Pulling her pants down, I found there were still more scars along the legs and thighs. Making sure to give each one its own kiss, I eventually moved towards my destination as I pulled her pants completely off.


    As I came up towards her opening, I made sure to look her in the eyes as I made my approach. She looked confused at first, clearly not getting what I was doing as I kissed up her inner thigh. The pubic hair around her vagina was ill-kempt and as I approached the fluffy mound, her eyes went wide as saucers.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ do men really-EEK!¡±


    Darting forward, I silenced her with a long lick of her lips. Though no duel of tongues followed this time.


    ¡°We ¡­ if, there¡± An outpouring of gibberish from my wife was the first reward of my efforts. Pushing my tongue forward across her inner folds, I took my time savoring the salty flavor and the jerking motion of her hips as I went about my work. Slow and methodical, I worked around her inner domain while making sure to only lightly brush the pea-sized clit.


    Gula, for her part, had no idea what to do. Her hands first went to her thighs to spread them further apart for me. But that must not have felt right for her because she quickly pulled them back even as her chest rose and fell like she was sprinting. Those golden eyes were hungry now and I could tell she was struggling not to be more forceful as her hands pawed at the blue blankets beneath us. I was certain she would get some sexual advice and some cruel little voice in my head said to give her something she might not have even considered doing before.


    Grabbing her hands, I pulled them down to rest on the back of my head.


    ¡®Gula,¡¯ I commanded in a spirit connection ¡®Pull my head into you. Force me into your inner sanctum.¡¯


    She looked at me for a long moment, her breasts still swaying from her heavy breathing as she lay paralyzed. The only movement she gave me was her face puckering, followed by a loud moan, as I worked her inner tunnel. Realizing I wasn¡¯t going to get any kind of aggression from her no matter our positions or demands, I decided that I would take on the sole responsibility of domination.


    Putting my hands underneath her bum, I lifted her lower half into the air as I got on my knees.


    ¡°Ooh! Eli!¡± Gula squealed, the delight in her voice unable to be contained. Using her elbows to stabilize herself, her face was a mess of rapturous pleasure and lust. As her legs slapped against my bare backside, I couldn¡¯t tell how many times she came. Her body didn¡¯t seem to become more lubricated as the seconds became minutes and she had been twisting with ecstasy since my tongue had made its first lick in her depths.


    After a few minutes of wonderous cooing and moaning, my tongue reached exhaustion and my stem was demanding its turn at penetrating the sumptuous green woman. I removed my mouth from her channel and set her below me. Drool rolled down the right side of her mouth and down her sharp jaw. With a heaving chest and her breaths reverberating over the stone walls, she put her shaky hands on my sides as our loins lined up for their destinies.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you want this, Eli?¡± She asked again.


    There was a faint stab of annoyance at the question that I quickly surpressed. As grating as it was to have to give consent on every position change, I couldn¡¯t deny her what she needed. Besides, her circumstance demanded more sensitivity around the issue than Salamede or Beth had. As I lowered myself to give a speech about my boundless love and desire, a sour memory re-asserted itself. Far clearer than the cloud of bodies and rainbow lights, the smell of misty lands and a feeling of shame at having so many onlookers came back to me as bile rose in my throat.


    Perhaps we both needed that reassurance.


    Leaning down to kiss Gula, I banished the memory of the other green woman. Pulling away, I moved my head into her left ear.


    ¡°Yes, Gula. By god, I want you,¡± I whispered before I pulled back. Looking down, I grabbed my stem at put the point up to her entrance. Getting only the edge of the tip in, I pulled my arms up and took my wife in a loving hug. Her lips quivered as the moment of consummation drew near. Taking her lips in for one more kiss, I savored the smoky flavor before pushing forward as I kept our eyes locked. Wet heat enveloped my cap before Gula took a sharp breath.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    I stopped and was getting ready to offer to wait when she put her hands up to my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop. I was just¡­ you can keep going. If you want to.¡±


    Given the all-clear, I shifted my legs to move forward again.


    ¡°Gula. Ooh.¡± I moaned excitedly as her wet heat moved inch by inch until she took my full length, ¡°Damn what a phenomenal pussy.¡±


    Her bit lip and rolled eyes told me the compliment was appreciated. She still couldn¡¯t figure out what to do with her arms, however. They whirled around aimlessly until I put them up to my sides. I stole her lips again before releasing her and pressing my hands against the pile of blue blankets around her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start thrusting. Just hold on and squeeze whatever parts of me you want.¡±


    With that, I pumped my hips forward. An electric ecstasy shot up through my spine, as it did on the second and third thrust. Each time I made sure to punctuate each movement with a low growl to make sure she knew what her body was doing to me. Around the fourth pump, I shifted to laying more fully on Gula. Continuing on our journey, my wet thrusts reverberated around the fine cave as Gula started moaning. Finding our preferred positions, my hands started their work.


    Feeling her up and down with varying pressure, force involving anything harder than what dough would require to mold seemed to not excite her. However, the light grazes on the skin made her breath catch each time no matter where I did it. Laying kisses on her lips, breasts, and neck, it was when I was just above her collar bone that she let out a proper growl.


    Finding a weakness in her defenses, I attacked the opening with everything I had. Between that, the thrusts, and my hands softly molding her body, she was shaking like there was an earthquake going off right beneath her. Her body didn¡¯t seem to have one peak, rather she remained on a constant high of pleasure. All the while, I soaked in all the love and joy her golden eyes had to offer as sweat started falling down my nose and cheeks.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Gula moaned like a mewling cat, ¡°How dare you.¡±


    She pulled up to take a kiss from me before continuing with fiery eyes and pouty lips.


    ¡°All this time we could have been doing this. All those cold nights I could have had this heat and you let me get by on back rubs and kisses.¡±


    I laughed as I thrust my dick into her with increasing abandon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my desires quite clear these past few weeks. Besides, we haven¡¯t had a cold night in a long time.¡±


    Her hands went to my chest, feeling up my pecks and shoulders.


    ¡°Sooner. That night we met in the fort when you were dressed in that ridiculous getup. You should have taken me right there on that burning lawn.¡± Gula growled, her teeth bared as spit flew from her mouth and those green hands kept feeling me up and down. I smiled before I took her mouth as my fingers rubbed her backside. After a few seconds of savoring her taste, I pulled back with a loud pop.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was ridiculous at the time.¡± Was all I could manage to say before I realized what was stirring in my balls. That familiar tingling mixed with approaching release. ¡°Gula, I¡¯m near my limit.¡±


    She furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at my knees stretching the blankets then the sweat dripping down my bare chest.


    ¡°Not that,¡± I yelled with primal need. ¡°Fuck! I¡¯m going to drown your womb in my seed.¡±


    The Orc got a determined look as she pulled herself up to fully press herself against me, pushing those lovely green pillows against my skin as our nipples rubbed together.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours to take. Do with it as you please.¡± She roared as she fully pressed herself against me. Our bodies now totally fused, I looked into those golden depths and shoved my tongue down her throat as I felt the pressure build to its peak.


    When the moment of release approached, my deepthroated scream was muffled as it traveled throughout my wife''s body and only some of its volume escaped to the surrounding air. Seed shot up through my stem, leaving my mind floating in a whirl of colors, smells, and textures. As the pressure finally released in my balls, it occurred to some corner of my fevered mind that I was committing the greatest crime my new world had ever known.


    Taking the time to really savor this moment, forcing my manhood to shoot as hard as it could for as long as it could, my only thought was how delightful sin in this world was.


    Collapsing in a heap, I laid on top of her as we both gasped for air and our sweat mingled on the mound of now-soaked blankets. All the while, we never broke eye contact as we took in each other¡¯s every move.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡± Gula moaned below me as she ran her hands up and down my neck.


    I started moving my right arm to get off her when she caught my jaw with a single finger.


    ¡°No. I want to feel the difference in our height and muscle. Stay on top of me.¡±


    Nodding, I let my legs and arms out from under me. Laying on the smaller woman like she was a pillow, her light smile and coo of delight assured me the dominant position was most welcome. Putting my hand through her hair, I took her lips for that smoky flavor.


    ¡®How was it?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection as we dueled tongues.


    Instead of answering, I felt some tears fall from her eyes and onto my cheeks. The look of pure joy on her face left me regretting my new world¡¯s lack of cameras. We continued kissing for a while as everything aside from her smile and moans of joy faded from my mind.

 Chapter 110: Long Lost Sisters(1)

    Gula POV


    Warm water dripped down my body from the wood flower in front of me. Standing still as the sweat, spit, and soreness from sex was washed down the drain in the stone floor below me, my mind still had a warm fog making it hard to concentrate. I had thought about having Eli in here, but we needed to get a move on if we wanted to head out as soon as the ship arrived and there was no way I could hurry if he had his grasping palms on me.


    Taking some soap from the alcove on the right, a regular fixture for all of the showers in the housing area, I started rubbing the white block all over me. As my hands worked over my body, there were phantom sensations of strong fingers molding my green skin like it was a delicate dough. When I went down to scrub my womanhood, the weirdness of how¡­ full it felt preoccupied me for a few seconds.


    It took an act of great will to knock my mind off that feeling. Along with images of Eli''s face. That face of pure, primal need as he¡­


    "Come on, Gula." I scolded as pulled myself out of a staring contest with the grey stone wall. "You might as well have brought him in at this rate."


    Shaking my head, I cleaned myself from head to toe. After washing myself down, I found a fresh pair of the typical white shirt and brown pants waiting just outside the door for me where my regular clothes had been. When I had left our pile of blankets, it occurred to me that I hadn''t brought a change of clothes. Coming out of the shower on the first floor of the housing area, I walked over the stone floor as diamond crystal mana lamps dotting the walls lit up the rows of railing and iron doors on the floors above in a golden glow.


    Getting to the end of the housing and taking a left, I ran my hands through my wet, black hair cut to its usual bowl cut as I opened the iron doors. When I pushed them to the sides, I noticed that the two wood blocks with noise-deadening enchantments were gone. Looking down the hallway, another mystery presented itself in the missing pile of blankets that had helped me lose my virginity. Going further down the hall, I saw Eli working the stone again as he used his magic to rip chunks of the grey rock out of the surrounding mountain.


    Feeling a little miffed that he had gotten back to work so quickly, I walked forward to ask him where my stuff was. When he turned around with a wave of his short silver hair, the slight limp in his legs cooled my anger. I was certain I''d be sporting a few love bites after our session and it felt gratifying to leave my own mark on him.


    "Ah," He said as I came up to him. A quick kiss and a deep hug that felt cozier than any other he had given me was all we said at first as I gazed into his purple eyes. "Salamede came by earlier. The ship hasn''t come back, but she cleaned up after us."


    "Hmm," I responded dumbly as I felt my brain shutting off. Taking in his muscular chest and handsome face, I found my hands running through his silver hair without having decided to do so. "Thanks, Eli."


    He raised an eyebrow as I lost myself in the moment, letting my heart beat like a drum from his touch as he ran a hand down my backside.


    "I should be thanking you." My husband whispered.


    "Thank you. For making me a woman."


    He bit his lips, which I quickly undid with another kiss. When a loud pop from us finishing sounded out, Eli responded.


    "You were already a woman, Gula. I wouldn''t have married you otherwise."


    Being a woman. Responsibility, obligations, and duty.


    I moaned as the demands of life started intruding on my bubble of happiness. Closing my eyes and sighing, I ran my hands over his chest one last time before pulling back.


    "I''ll head back to the workshop. We still need to see to some finishings for the armor. Once we''re on the ship, I will expect a thorough explanation of the new the equipment you made for me."


    My task finished, I headed out of the cave and towards the workshop. As I was coming through the meeting room, Salamede came through the door wearing her typical green dress.


    "Ah," she said happily as she came up and took me in a hug. "Sister. How was it?"


    "Wonderful. I''d say I gave as good as I got," I responded with a satisfied grin that I couldn''t keep down. "Though, he did catch me off-guard with one really¡­ adventurous move."


    She raised a grey eyebrow as she picked off a stray hair from my white-sleeved shoulder.


    "Well, well. I''ll have to get the details later. We can''t let Eli have total mastery of the bed, but skills of another kind are needed right now. I need your experience fighting in and around water for deciding on how to make the water-blade shooters."


    With that, I spent an hour or two going over how leather wristbands could chafe against skin and where best to put them. Over the course of working with the Keltons to practice the crafts, I saw Lokan and the fire-ape in the forge area. Not surprising, considering how well the heat of those black cauldrons filled with molten metal agreed with them.


    After a few blocks of stone got chipped into rubble with flying water blades shot with varying accuracy, the newest addition to our fleet finally came back in the late afternoon. The ship was thinner than the one we came to these cold, salty lands in. More like a long wooden blade compared to the hulking house with a balloon that was our first airship. Still, my only other experience with vessels was rickety rowboats, and even if it was smaller it was still bigger than my home back in the swamps thrice over. Directing the troops and the two remaining Frojan, an older brown fellow and a midsized green frogman, we got our people up the ladder on the side and into the hold.


    A dozen-plus fighting Keltons combined with a smaller hold meant we had to spread out on the main deck. Gretton and mother came with us, but Lokan stayed behind with the children and elderly. After helping the last of our troops into their armor, I left them all to practice their forms while I met my husband above deck. We were just lifting off when Eli called to me from the right. Salamede was with him on his left, wearing and holding wooden armor that had a smooth flow to it that left the impression that the tree had formed the shape naturally rather than by a human hand. That same look expertise carried over to the breastplate as well as the wrist and shin guards on top of the large piece.


    "We''re ready for the fitting," He called.


    Coming over, the swirling mist behind him made it look like nothing was moving even as my legs had to fight to keep me upright. Aside from that, I knew all too well what the heat blasting from the central heating pipe and into the balloon above meant. Taking the shin guards from Salamede, I fitted the straps around me as Eli began using some plant magic on Salamede''s helmet. When he finished with hers, he handed me my headgear as Salamede helped fasten the breastplate on. As she fit it around me, a question came to mind when I didn''t see any straps on it.


    "How do you intend to-"


    She opened the side of it with two small hinges on the left. When the piece was fitted on, my sister-wife lifted two small hidden compartments on each side and pressed inside each. Looking down, I saw the open sides grow together into a solid piece. I then noticed Eli holding a wood helmet out to me.


    "I suppose I don''t need to elaborate on my lack of experience with wooden crafting," I said as I donned the piece. "How tough are these?"


    "As strong or even slightly stronger than steel." Eli declared.


    My hand immediately went to my right side to test that statement with my sword. It occurred to me, that after living so many years in the swamps, this was probably the first time I had spent so long without having a weapon on hand. Over the next hour, Eli flitted between perfecting a handle for a water sword to go with me and one of those gun things for Salamede as she apparently favored ranged combat. When I had a good midsized sword of shimmering liquid that could cut through woodblocks easily enough, Eli went to work on getting rid of any imperfections in the breastplates and helmets.


    "Honestly," Salamede chided as our husband moved some of the wood around her horns. "This is good enough. You should get to making your own armor."


    The quad mage''s huff made us both raise eyebrows.


    "Enough for my wives isn''t enough." He refuted as he began working the shoulder guard of Salamede''s weapon. Those purple eyes were hard and allowed for no argument even as Salamede bit her lower lip.


    "Eli," The Kelton woman''s serious tone stopped him. "You do know that you''re more important than us. Our entire movement is ultimately depending on you and what''s in those chips. If it came down to it-"


    "No," Eli put up a hand, silencing her. He took a moment to look between us both before he continued. "When we were just friends, that was one thing. But we''re married now¡­ and¡­ It''s a cruel thing, to ask a man to let his family get hit for him. No matter the justification. Just let me finish this and let''s leave the future out of the present."


    I looked at Salamede, whose lower jaw was quivering as she gripped the long piece of wood in her arms. Years of warfare and training meant I had a better handle on my emotions, but I felt much the same. There was a small, irritated voice that objected to all of my combat experience being shoved to the side by his male need to protect. Whatever irritation I was feeling, the warmth in my cheeks and ache in my heart blotted out all other emotions. I had known my mother''s love, sure. But this was different, more passionate and intoxicating than that simple warmth in the soul. Was marriage supposed to be like this? Always having someone around who could play your heart like an instrument with a few words?


    "Pff, men" Salamede scoffed as she turned to me with some mirth in her white eyes, "They''re so emotional."


    I nodded in agreement, trying to not wrap Eli in a hug.


    "As long as you understand. Not that I ever intend for that to happen to any of us, mind you." Eli announced as he started working her breastplate. After another half hour, he got the wood down to where it felt like a second skin. Swinging my liquid sword around, I finally nodded when I did a full swans twirl, a move designed to push the limits of the warrior''s flexibility with long, wide slashes carried out in two spins. Finding no point in the exercise where the armor hindered my movements, I nodded in satisfaction.


    "All right," The quad mage announced in satisfaction. "I''ll start on my pieces and your mothers. If we have time, I''ll start making more items but we have the basic protections now."


    With that, he kissed us both before heading to the hatch behind the pilot, a young Kelton man who was slightly moving the wheel now and then. Watching Eli go, we both took a moment to stare at our husband''s backside while he made his way below deck. It was only when he made it below deck that the irritated voice came out.


    "Damn him."


    Salamede raised an eyebrow at me, but the small smile on her goat-like face didn''t leave the impression she was upset.


    "Lovingly, of course." I offered in defense as I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Aye," Salamede agreed. "But we still have some work to do. Let''s start getting those water shields up and going."


    The Kelton woman and Eli must have agreed on her making the healing enchantments and water shields because for what felt like an hour I watched her waving her hands over the wood and looking quite tired from her efforts. Bored as I was, I kept practicing my forms until Eli came up in his own brown, wood armor. As he was walking across the deck, the young Pilot finally gave out the announcement that was both overdue and too soon.


    "We''re here."


    Moving over to him, Eli put up a hand.


    "From his viewpoint, you''ll only see bits and pieces. I''ll make a hole in the mist so we can see enough to make plans."


    When he was near the railing on my left, he stuck out a hand. I couldn''t see anything at first but the hole in the whirling mist beyond our ship showed the town below. It was after a few seconds of looking down over the docks at the river''s edge that I found the line of ships, one of whom held so many of my kind. Forcing my stomach to stop twisting, I looked down at the rest of the town.


    Surrounded by a tall wall, the place was nearer to a city than a town. Multistory buildings of stone were along the river bank and flanked by either wooden houses that had a ''Where ever it will fit'' look to them or long rows of warehouses, the latter of which took up most of what was the right side of the settlement from our position. As the late-day sun splashed the place in an orange glow, I felt that typical surge in my veins that accompanied approaching battle.


    "The brothers said that one of the warehouses held magical resources," Eli idly threw out.


    "Which one?" Salamede asked to my left.


    He looked down with squinting eyes.


    "Does it matter?" I asked as I perused the patch of uniform grey tiled roofs. "We don''t need any magical resources."


    "Yeah, but we may need to burn it down for a distraction at some point."


    "Oh?" I asked, turning to him. His purple eyes stuck out between the nose guard as he bit his lip in concentration.


    "We need metal." The quad mage finally declared, "If we have a choice about it, I''d like to filch some from these storehouses, and using some burning dragonhide as a distraction is too good of a trap not to use. Even if we can''t get anything, one fire to draw the enemy into firing lines is a good trick to have up our sleeves. As unlikely as it is that we''ll have time for some money-free shopping."


    We spent a few more minutes going over the various routes such bait would funnel attackers into.


    "That central walkway along the docks would be too far away to-" Eli was interrupted when a black mass flew out of the mist on the right and slammed into his chest. "Hey, buddy."


    The crystal oval rubbed against his neck before hopping between me and Salamedes''s shoulder. A spirit connection filled with joy and greeting made me smile as he went back and forth on our shoulders. I got a few images of him eating fish and the boys sitting at tables with the sailors and Orc women.


    Happy to have Cell back, we took a few minutes to talk with him, get a general idea of the situation, and other idle matters while we continued planning. It was after a few hours that we felt we worked out everything that we could. Salamede with her water and wind magic, would accompany Eli as he crushed any ships while I would use my expertise to lead the ground troops if it came to a slugging match. The hows, whens, and wheres would have to be decided when the situation finally reached its conclusion.


    It didn''t that day, even as I tucked into a blanket on the floor of the lower deck with my muscular mother on my left. It didn''t the next day or the day after. The Keltons didn''t idle well and I had to break up two fights that they at least had the good sense not to slug out around our heating furnace. Aside from that, Eli spent his time enchanting and instructing. On the fourth day, as the dying sun cast a red and orange glow over the sky, the show finally started. When we were on another patrol in the sky, as was our regular duty considering our larger sister ship had all of the most valuable troops and was considerably slower, the sleek shapes of a small pirate fleet came up near the mouth of the river.


    Surprisingly, four of them waited around the outflow of the waterway while one sailed on further ahead. My breath caught as I took in the ship now that we had a proper view of it. It had a copper look to it with long, bulbous sides. What was the oddest thing about it was the odd spikes on both sides. Some had balls of water, fire, or blocks of wood on their tips. I couldn''t see any reason for the protruding spikes of metal holding these odd bits of material, but the ship''s sails, ballistae''s on the front and sides, and a full deck of pirates had obvious enough uses. Looking down through a hole in the mist, I had Eli on my right along with every other Kelton on the ship behind us trying to get a peek at the coming carnage. Along the back of the ship the water churned and from the way it went headlong against the current, it was obvious that enchantments on the bottom were propelling it forward.


    When they pulled into port, they immediately got to work. I couldn''t make out all the details of what was happening from the height, but the occasional bolt into a building and the fighting on the docks was clear enough. A few specks fell, a few gathered in masses of bodies from fighting and dying, others were too far away to make out at this distance.


    "We need to get down there before they kill the Waveborn." My mother shouted as she came from the back end of the crowd to my right, her long twin braids of brown hair twirling. Her thick green lips curled in anger around her tusks as her bone nose piercing twitched with her irritation.


    "Not before we''ve tested the men," Eli refuted with a raised hand, keeping his eyes on the town. A nod from me made mother huff in irritation. After a few seconds, the black mass of Cell came up through the mist. He only communicated with Eli, who promptly spun around after a few seconds of staring into the shifting slit of light in his familiar''s crystal head.


    "The captain is moving his crew into an underground hideaway. They are currently going into a special cave beneath the pier. Jeff and Andrew will be with them, but Gula and Durka are the only ones who they''ll trust once the brothers use their magic." He turned to me; his eyes filled with worry even as his face had the hardness of stone. "Once you''ve gotten situated, wait for the last possible moment to reveal yourselves. Keep calm and if it comes down to it, we may have to leave them to their fate."


    Nodding and keeping my nerves calm, I went to the side of the rail with mother. Days of idling away hour after hour and all the sluggishness that induced disappeared as I felt that familiar tingle of excitement run up my spine. Cell was keeping tabs on the battle and coming back with semi-regular reports.


    There were no protectors for the citizenry. Mobs of shopkeepers with clubs and small swords were putting up a fight in the streets, but the proper guard was nowhere to be seen. Even with their immense advantage, the pirates were taking their time clearing the place out. They were going door to door, slaughtering any living thing they could find and taking whatever valuables were to be found. Out of all of us, Salamede was dealing with our inaction the worst. Gripping her weapons and strumming her fingers on the railing, her grey fur moving with the faint wind beneath her wooden armor and nose guard was getting rubbed constantly while Eli and I focused on the tactical situation.


    While no real fight was being given, the pirates weren''t going after the ships at the docks. Instead, they were being visited by their other ships, and, oddly enough, the Waveborn ship was left untouched. Whatever the reason for that, it was giving Beaton time to move his people into a hidden passageway below the docks while being unseen as the pirate ship was content to wait near the opposite end of the pier with the larger escape ships squatting between the two.


    Local guards betraying their station, which the reports made abundantly clear is what happened, wasn''t something I was familiar enough with to make any real judgments on. Maybe they were just trying to be spared a heroic death? Our green skin meant treason to our cause was never an option and the subject wasn''t something I had really chewed on before.


    Still, the fact the guards felt better going rogue rather than sticking it out meant the situation in our corner of the world was probably a lot worse than I had feared.


    As the sun faded and shadows playing across the buildings became proper night, the pirates started placing large barrels around various street corners, their purpose or reason for doing so not readily apparent. Cell came back up with another report, only this time it was to tell us the captain had finally snuck his people into the hideaway, the entrance of which was under the pier they weighed anchor at. Looking towards Eli, those purple eyes looked worried even as the time for action had come. I looked down to the docks, trying to memorize where things were with one last bird''s eye view if I got caught above ground. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, Eli''s face took up my world as he pulled me into a kiss.


    I savored the moment, taking in everything he had to offer before pulling away to the side of the deck.


    "Don''t let him do anything stupid," I called to Salamede, who was hanging back on his right. She pushed him aside before taking me in a hug.


    "Only if you promise to do the same if we get separated." She agreed.


    Eli huffed.


    "I can look after myself," He grumbled. That made the men chuckle as he puckered his lips.


    Salamede turned around and patted his cheek.


    "Sure, you can, dear. When we''re around, you can look after yourself all you want but don''t think we''ll let you do anything too dangerous under our supervision."


    I couldn''t keep the smile off my face even as Cell jumped from the railing and onto my chest. With one final wave goodbye, I worked my feet over the edge of oblivion. The moment of trepidation was lessened when I felt air push against me as I lowered my feet. Taking a moment to collect myself, I didn''t so much as jump as I did just let go of the railing. Mist whirled around me as the familiar on my chest used air spells to make it feel like I was falling through something between mud and water even as all of my exposed skin only felt the rush of air.


    Eventually, the cool rush of liquid over my feet told me we were at ground level. Much like traveling with the Frojan, my world was quickly changed from fog to churning water. It wasn''t as cold as the water at our base, but not a lot in this world was. Heat still sapped from my limbs and I had to fight the urge to curl up. After a few more seconds, a stone wall suddenly ran up to me. Just before I smacked into it, I was jerked upward and onto a ledge. As the black mass below my breasts used more water spells to pull the icy death off my skin, I looked around as I leaned against the stone wall.


    Having better night vision than humans, the surrounding woodwork of the pier was still distinguishable from the night and I could make out the waves just below my feet. By the time I realized that I was in the support beams of the docks pier and the wood wall on my right was the hull of a ship, Cell took off again. Left to my idleness once again, I tried to hear what was going on in the town. Aside from the occasional crack of breaking wood and odd curse as the pirates sacked the meager buildings, the only sound was the patter of the river water smacking against the stone below me. It was downright peaceful until I looked to the right and saw a trickle of blood trickling between the rough stone.


    When Cell brought mother back, I was worried about her taking deep, loud breaths but she was as professional as I had hoped. Plopping down on my right, she made no audible noise even as she rubbed her lips with the back of her right hand.


    ''Damn, I can''t believe you did that crap every day.'' She growled in a spirit connection as the water around her began pushing off her skin with the source coming below her chest. Cell finished after a few seconds then zipped over my legs and onto the stone on my left. He moved around the various blocks, that shifting slit of colors that served as an eye in his crystal head clearly looking for something.


    ''You ready, mom? Or will you need a moment to warm back up?'' I asked in the spirit connection as I looked over the muscular woman.


    Her nose flared as she took out two handles from her belt, two items I knew to be a water shield and ax.


    ''The only time you''ll be slowing down for me is when I''m dead, girl. Your mother still has a few more years in her.'' She scolded before she pointed her chin towards Cell.


    Following her gaze, I saw him slowly lifting what had been a false wall. Going inside, it was only after mother stepped into the cave that Cell let down the false wall and took his position inside my breastplate near my collar bone. Looking around, I had to say I was less than impressed.


    The walls were crudely hacked brown dirt mixed with wood supports and it was only a faint light near the end of the long tunnel ahead that provided any guidance on where to go. Creeping forward on the uneven mud floor as quietly as I could, I heard some faint voices further ahead as I neared the corner.


    ''Cell, scout it out for us.''


    His orders received, he zipped out from my breastplate and over the ceiling. It was a few more minutes before he came back. When he did, I felt some joy coming through the connection that accompanied the images. He gave me a vision of a wide cavern with an open center, the entrance to which had a downward slope, and two tunnels, one on the right and a left side one nearly opposite of the brothers. Around it was sailors and Orcs strewn about clutching various swords, clubs, and sack of goods or seeing to a crying babe. Torches dotting the walls or gripped by a sweaty hand showed panicked and worried faces. Jeff and Andrew were leaning against the right-side wall. Wearing white shirts and black pants, no one seemed to notice they were more tired than panicked as a big, grey-bearded man matching the description of the captain directed some meager catches of supplies and maneuvered people onto one spot or another. Cell also gave me the impression of a spirit connection along a cut by the wall.


    Not seeing what he had to be so happy about, I looked up to see the cut on the upper side of the wall as it went into the main room. Pushing a spirit connection near it, I suddenly found my extension of electrical feeling bumping into another hanging in the air.


    ''I assume this is Gula?'' Jeff''s voice bounced through my mind.


    ''Yeah. What has Cell so happy? Unless he gets by on the ambient energy of suffering and misery, the image he showed me wasn''t a joyous one.''


    A small smack of black liquid against my chest let me know the familiar was listening to our conversation.


    ''Everyone here has almost certainly passed the spy test'' He said.


    I raised an eyebrow at the dirt wall. While he couldn''t see my face, my silence was telling enough.


    ''Nate. He was ordered to take some men and scout ahead to watch for traps. What he didn''t know was that Cell followed behind him and the scouts he assembled. They were shaking hands with some of the pirates near the entrance and talking about finally getting away from the green menace. Between that and the resurgence of mana here, I''d say they''re ready to finish things.'' A sense of agreement from Cell confirmed Jeff''s explanation.


    I bit my lower lip. The potential fate of my entire species was riding on what I did in the next few minutes, not to mention the lives of my newly formed family. There was a flash of irritation, a fleeting thought about how much less stressful wading into certain death was. Back in the good old days when if I screwed up, I would just starve or take an arrow through the eye.


    ''That''s not good enough,'' I finally responded. ''Until the troops get in here, we won''t know if there are some spies he left behind in case the Orcs escaped. We wait until it looks dire enough.''


    A long sigh was all I heard for a few seconds.


    ''Unless you want us to verify the innocence of burnt corpses, I don''t think we can afford to wait if there are any mages here. All it will take is one or two of the right fire spells and everyone here is ash or dies choking on smoke.'' He countered with a slight raise in his pitch near the end, the irritation clear in his voice. I suppose being in a death trap would be rather unnerving. Moments of juggling the needs of the situation became seconds. Far too long, it turns out.


    ''Crap,'' Jeff said through the spirit connection, ''Footsteps are coming from the tunnel. A lot of them.''


    My mind raced with the energy surging in my veins as the few seconds I had to figure out what to do ticked down. We couldn''t let our two main means of forming contacts in human settlements die along with the others. To say nothing of losing the other people here. Letting my training take over as I always did in approaching combat, I looked back towards mother with a head bob towards the cave. Sounds of panic were already starting to come through. Getting up, I went into the main cave and onto a scene of pandemonium as sailors and Orc milled about seeing to their goods or trying to get a previously dropped weapon as the sounds of footsteps became louder.


    No one had any time to notice us as we moved through the panicked crowd towards the two brothers leaning against the back of the wall. Jeff nodded towards us with a swish of his black hair while the brown eyes he and his brother now shared looked on. Before I could even consider leaving, Beaton started dishing out orders


    "Form up!" Beaton called from somewhere in the sweaty mass of panicked flesh. Even as well-armed and quick as they were, it was hard to move as a surge of the Orcs carrying their young towards the only escape. While the first thing that we saw was torches flickering across the walls, the Misty pirates quickly revealed themselves.


    Aside from tan skin, good leather armor, and being well-fed, I couldn''t pick out any consistency among them as they came out of the tunnel. For shirts, some had gold and purple striped cloth, others plain red or yellow. Pants of every color and make were present, each having a belt on which was an assortment of daggers.


    In addition to the regular swords and maces favored by all fighters, I couldn''t find any one of the men coming down the tunnel who didn''t have at least three daggers tucked away on a hip, boot, or shoulder. The garb wasn''t the sort you''d find in any proper army, but it advertised what they wanted.


    They were good at their job. Good enough to bring a sense of fashion to the battlefield and good enough at killing that they felt the need to compete with their fellows on clothing if only to distinguish themselves. All the men and fighting Orcs on our side of the room looked like cornered animals as they tried to cover the retreating non-combatants, but it was too late. The newcomers quickly moved to the right and boxed in those attempting to flee. With rusty swords and wooden clubs, the defenders didn''t stand any more chance than the people they were trying to protect. Still, they gamely put themselves between the pirates and their families.


    "All right." One of the fellows sporting a wide, red-furred hat with a white feather in it shouted over the den. He came forward in a purple shirt with gold shoulder guards. His black pants had the usual assortment of daggers, but the sword he twirled in his right hand had some gold leaves and finery in its hilt that put it just above the rest.


    "Looks like we got some like throwing practice today lads. Make sure you keep track of where you hit, cause I''m not tolerating any fussing over who owns what." His wide face of leathery skin broke out in a grin as his green eyes lit up in glee. At that, the men started taking out daggers with cruel smiles.


    In the corner of my right vision, I saw a flash of steel in the air followed by a shout from a sailor. While the wounded man went down with a yell of pain, the enemy leader got an annoyed face as he turned to his left.


    "Oi!" The pirate commander yelled, making his way through the crowd and stopping at one younger lad who looked about seventeen. "I said we could kill these ones. Did I say to do it now?"


    The black-haired teen looked down and puckered his lips.


    "No, sir."


    A smack on the back of the head accompanied the last word.


    "No, I didn''t. Ten gold for insubordination and no nights with the whores for a week."


    His correction finished, he started walking back to his spot near the mouth of the tunnel. When he got to where he wanted to be, he took a deep breath before he straightened out his purple shirt.


    Damn, he was the type to talk his enemies to death. Content to let him play his bit of theater, I took the opportunity to start a spirit connection with my three companions.


    ''I''d say they''ve passed the test, so if there are no objections, I''d like to get onto the how of saving these people.''


    Jeff spoke up in a panicked tone.


    ''How will we explain this? The sailors and Orcs would never-''


    ''How will we get away now?'' Mother rebuffed ''This ends with either us or the pirates dead and life is still a sweet thing for me.''


    When a pall of silence followed, I took that as agreement while my breathing quickened and my palms sweated.


    ''We''ll need a distraction to let Cell get behind them. He''ll subdue the spies and block their exit. Mother and I will cover you guys while you batter them.''


    ''Sure,'' Jeff agreed as he clenched sweaty fists ''Shield us from the daggers and we''ll finish it in a few seconds.''


    ''Just don''t slow me down, pup.'' Mother responded in her typically friendly tone.


    ''I have the mana absorbed and ready to go.'' Andrew put in, his voice having a high, almost panicked note.


    Nodding to myself, I walked forward through the crowd with my gang in tow. The people were too scared to bother us as we pushed through the mass and no one objected to us getting closer to the frontlines. When the commander finally finished wiping down his black shirt, he pushed the back of his sword''s handle. Flames sprang up and played around the steel, shining a flickering light on the holder''s cruel smile


    "A mage," One terrified man on my left moaned with a somber misery. Not that everyone was standing still. I looked around the room and found the captain, Beaton. The taller gentleman with a long grey beard was still quietly handing out any last-minute weapons he could to his people in the back. Smart and capable of keeping his head even as death approached, I thought as I turned ahead.


    "A mage?" The pirate commander mocked, to the low laughs of his men. "No. A mighty existence like that of a caster wouldn''t soil their hands with the blood of scum like you. But I have earned a gift from such a-"


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A laugh from my right stopped his speech. Turning towards the source, I saw Andrew clutching his stomach and whooping like the commander had just delivered the finest line of comedy the fire scion had ever heard. His thrown-back head of brown hair whirled about him in the torchlight as chuckles started coming out of our throats as the tension in our group finally broke.


    ''Cell. Move around the back and block their escape before you get the spies.'' I instructed in a spirit connection to the black mass on my chest as I took out my wooden sword and shield handles in between my derisive snorts. He quickly shot down my shirt and moved down through the crowd of feet that was gradually pulling away from us. Everyone looked at us like we were crazy. After noticing the wooden armor on me and my mother, of course.


    But none of us cared. These past few weeks had made us complacent about the true power of Eli''s abilities. Having him sit by us at lunch or slog through a grueling workday with the rest of the workers had humanized him. Perhaps too much. The notion that a caster would be too high and exalted to even be in the same room as an Orc was too absurd after our time with someone whose titles read like a list.


    It was only after one pirate on the commander''s right drew back his arm for a dagger throw that we finally made ourselves properly known. By the time the dagger was flying through the air, mother had her shield of water ready and blocked the fatal blade with a clang against the shimmering surface. The surrounding crowd was pulling back a bit faster as she lowered her shield.


    Educated on magical matters, the pirates knew what they were seeing and instead of fear, they looked angry. Their commander more than any other. His lips pursed in sour disgust as he stuck out his flaming sword like an accusing finger.


    "Where did filth like you get that?" He demanded with some spittle flying from between his clenched teeth.


    A huff from Jeff on my left was all I heard before a blast of wind swept through the room. Shirts, pants, and head wraps blew about in the breeze and when it hit the flaming sword, its enchantment sputtered for a moment before dying. The pirates pulled back towards the wall like death itself was hovering around the now barren blade. Their commanders'' green eyes stared dumbly at his sword, not comprehending what had happened to it.


    The lightning caster stepped forward and in a flash three bars of yellow lightning appeared above his head. Andrew also gamely pushed ahead with a cloud of flickering flames swirling through his hands. Not to be outdone, mother moved in front of Jeff with a water ax in her right hand and the wide shield of liquid in her left playing the surrounding torchlight off itself.


    "Pff. Couldn''t wait?" I asked my group as I activated my sword and shield.


    Jeff shrugged while I walked in front of his brother.


    "Their escape is blocked. Might as well finish this quickly before more show up."


    All eyes turned behind the pirates towards their entrance. It took a moment before the realization that the smooth wall was once a tunnel finally hit home. For most, that was the last thought they ever had as fire and lightning slammed into them. Their daggers could still kill, so I was pinned down as a small shower of sharp metal from the more quick-witted among them banged against my shield while Andrew launched his own volley of death. What looked like a swarm of crackling fireflies burst from the air around me as they rushed towards the enemy.


    While the embers didn''t seem like anything special, the heat they gave off matched any bonfire. Heat that quickly scorched the skin of the doomed men as their fine garments burned like dry straw where the small holes seared through their armor, quickly followed by their flesh. The only consolation for some was that an ember directly flew into their head, burning through the bone beneath and killing them instantly. Jeff, however, seemed to have to be a bit more deliberate with the magic he was throwing out from behind my mother''s shield. His bolts of lightning slammed into the fine livery, bursting brains and charring limbs. As horrifying as the carnage was, the lightning caster couldn''t immediately kill everything in a wide area and Andrew was too busy finishing off the right side of the room to help him. This gap in magical ability allowed a group of five pirates and their commander to do a desperate last charge.


    A large boulder from my mother''s shoulder earth enchantment and a loud crunch of three of their number was the first reward the group got. One pirate on the commander''s right got the privilege of being the first kill of my blade. The commander was one of the last two remaining pirates, the other being a lad around fifteen years of age wearing an ill-fitted black shirt and gold embroidered black pants. The important member now within arm''s reach, I used a spirit connection to activate my boulder launching enchantment. With a whistle followed by a loud crunch, the pirate commander''s legs were shattered. Leaving the last shaking combatant with tears streaking down his cheeks as he threw down his sword.


    "P-Please! I''ve sired no children and am the last of my famil-"


    The shimmering edge of mother''s water ax took him between the eyes. Now that I wasn''t in any immediate danger of dying, the rush of battle was wearing off. I had a brief hint of moral anguish in this moment of calm as his body slid off the blade and fell to the floor, but the naked bloodlust and glee he and his crewmates showed when they thought they had the upper hand on us had deadened any inner conflict I may have had. With nothing of the battle left but the screams of the commander reverberating over his slain crew, I turned back towards the false wall.


    Seeing it was now a tunnel again, I found Cell dragging two men over the piles of burned corpses. When the blonde man and the other sailor were dropped in front of us with stone cuffs on their legs and arms, Cell jumped back onto my shoulder. Smoke was now rising from the piles of burned flesh, which was quickly put out with a stream of water from the familiar.


    When his task was finished, he sent me images of his attack in the back of the cave. While he was subduing the spies, he was forced to kill one of them to keep him silent but otherwise there was no indication that our presence had been compromised to those on the surface. Nodding, I instructed him to return to his scion and inform him of the situation.


    The situation.


    Looking over all of the charred bodies, it hit me then that there wasn''t any way to explain this to the other pirates.


    The sailors would never have massacred them and there would have to be some Orc corpses in any wreckage we left behind. My rising panic must have come clear through the spirit connection because a feeling of calming empathy poured from the familiar. My only response was to push him to return to the airship.


    He agreed and shot down the tunnel that we had arrived through on my left. A clacking sound rang out and it surprised me to find my right foot tapping on the ground. The realization that I had properly screwed things up, that years of training on how to kill the enemy and not on whether I should kill them had potentially damned the only shot my entire species had at a good life along with my new family washed over me. The flips my stomach was doing made me want to vomit, but it got sidelined when I heard a shuffle of feet on my right.


    Looking towards the crowd, I noticed a split in the reactions. The men looked properly terrified. While the emotion was present in the women, it was competing with awe and curiosity. Coughing into my hand, I had a moment to collect myself before I moved forward to talk with the captain of the formerly doomed crew. He was at the forefront wielding a crude sword in his right hand that he was now idly holding up as his left hand was on the hip of his brown pants and beneath his blue coat.


    As I walked up to him, I saw a look of sharp mistrust in his brown eyes when he looked towards the boys, who were now gagging and tying up our prisoners as mother used a patch of leather with a healing enchantment, previously stored in her pants pocket, to stop the pirate leader from bleeding out. That mistrust almost disappeared when I came up to him. Putting aside the weird notion that he would trust an unfamiliar Orc more than any member of his kind, I put on my most diplomatic face.


    "Beaton, correct?" I offered with a friendly hand outstretched before looking up to him with a face that hopefully didn''t convey my frayed nerves. His brown eyes were still darting between me and the other members of my group as his sharp cheekbones above the grey beard pulled with his pursed lips.


    After some hesitation, he stepped forward and took my hand.


    "Indeed," He said with a numb voice before he looked down the tunnel where the newest slaughter took place. "Am¡­ Did my eyes lie or are the two boys mages?"


    I smiled as I shook his palm. His eyes were now guarded and even though his hand was near twice the size of mine, the sweaty, nervous shake was unmistakable. I politely offered the only possible answer.


    "Aye. A lightning mage and a fire scion."


    His grey eyebrows shot up so high at the last word you would have mistaken them for hair that found its way into his otherwise bald head. An errant hand seemed to move behind his small left ear of its own free will as he idly scratched it.


    "Scion. What''s that?" One Orc with a left-side scar on her sharp chin and short brown hair asked with curious red eyes.


    "Princess Palta and her squad. He''s that kind of mage." He then got a serious look before turning towards the back. "Is everyone all right?"


    There were a few looks around but the only one among them who got hurt was the sailor who took a dagger, a man who now rested with blood-soaked rags on the wall to my right. Noticing some of them had a death grip on their weapons, I coughed to draw everyone''s eyes back to me.


    "Whoever that is, Andrew and Jeff are on our side. But-"


    "A mage," One of the buff orcs in a leather vest and shaking, ragged black hair scoffed on Beaton''s right. "On our side? I''ve heard of some using us for guaranteed magical talent. But they ain''t on our side."


    Deciding to put on a more benevolent magical display, I turned towards the sailor who had been struck earlier. Moving through the crowd, I took out my own special patch of leather from a side pocket. A healing craft designed to be used on others, rather than just the one carrying it. It took a bit of doing, what with the sharp dagger still stuck in his shoulder. Getting the dagger out was the hardest part of helping the man whose green eyes were wide in fear and sweat poured from his skin, but once it was free of his flesh and I applied the leather patch, the bleeding stopped and those wide eyes went calmed down as his previously torn skin took on the smooth, pristine texture of a newborn.


    Pulling back up, I returned to my spot in front of the captain.


    "If they meant you any harm, they would have burned your ship down out on the sea and they certainly wouldn''t have stayed here. More than that, we need to figure out where to go from here. Would I be wrong in assuming you had an escape route down there?" I asked with a nod towards the empty tunnel behind him.


    Beaton gulped, not even shifting his eyes while he looked me up and down. When he stopped, he seemed to resign him to whatever fate had handed him this day.


    "Yeah, this is an old underground base used for the Orcs who used to live here."


    He tried to hide the pain in those last few words, but his eyes couldn''t lie. Still, he pushed on.


    "The tunnel leads to a small cove on another riverfront. We were going to head there before-"


    He waved his right hand towards the now silent left side tunnel and piles of burned corpses.


    "This."


    "So where did the pirates come from?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "My old office is a few feet above. It had a hatch that led down here for when going past the walls was too great a risk or would take too long."


    Nodding, I was about to formally introduce myself when a whoosh of air from the riverside tunnel drew everyone''s attention. The quad mage''s familiar was back and landed on my shoulder, prompting the swords and clubs of the onlookers to come back up. As the crew took in what I had to admit was one of the oddest sights in the world, he sent me Eli''s response.


    An image of Andrew using a massive fire spell to reduce this part of town to molten slag wasn''t the tool of secrecy I was expecting, but I wasn''t going to waste time questioning it. I then supplied him with the information about an escape tunnel. Turning towards Beaton, the man got some sweat as the slit of shifting colors in Cell''s slightly oblong crystal head now fixed him with its


    "What, by the seas, is that thing?" One sailor on my left asked in a whisper that carried over the otherwise silent room. The black mass of shifting shapes flew off my shoulder and bounced between the various onlookers. Every shoulder he landed on jerked from the contact even when they saw him coming, though none dared object to being his stool.


    I took a deep breath, mentally preparing for whatever happened next.


    "My husband is a scion and this is his familiar. Though, he''s currently waiting elsewhere."


    Eyebrows shot up all around. Beaton even went so far as to slacken his jaw while hiccups from several women filled the shocked silence. Most noticeably of all, every pair of golden and red irises in black eyes immediately went to my stomach.


    Well, we did always get to the point.


    "We''re on a time limit," I reminded everyone as I turned toward the captain. "Familiars communicate with images so try to show him where the exit of the cave is if that''s any faster."


    Some looked towards their leader who shrugged before putting his sword in its holster.


    "If they wanted us dead, they could have just left. Show the¡­thing where the tunnel leads outside."


    It took a bit as they got the hang of communicating with the bobbing black mass jumping between the three or four bystanders who had a good idea of where this tunnel met the proper sea. When all the needed information was gathered, Cell zipped back into the dockside tunnel and towards the airship with our destination.


    Having a few seconds to arrange things, we dragged the two spies and pirate commander towards our escape tunnel. More than a few looked like they wanted to stab them but said nothing. At some point during my conversation with the captain, my companions must have decided that the prisoners would be easier to move if they were knocked out. Laying limp against the stone wall, the three stood over our prizes while I moved about offering the use of the healing patch to any who needed them.


    Most were too reluctant to outright ask me for anything, but a few children only saw a woman in ''weird barrel armor'' and gladly accepted the healing service. As I was kneeling to see to a few scratches on a child''s arm, a great wind blew through the cavern again. Cell landed on my arm and gave me the all-clear to leave.


    Getting everyone into the tunnel, I went over to Andrew and explained what we were going to do. His brown eyes rolled and a light groan escaped his lips, but the words ''I can''t'' never came from them. The goods all accounted for, the men and Orcs went down the tunnel while the fire scion waited near the back. When he judged us all to be far enough away, clouds of hot embers once again flowed through the air. Instead of laying into pirates, they buried into the surrounding walls this time. Mud baked, then cracked while supports burned into black ruin as more embers flew into the sides of the cavern.


    When an orange glow was all we could see of the room, Jeff used an air spell to keep the heat out as we moved down the tunnel. As I turned the corner with the two brothers coming up beside me, there was a sudden groan in the land as the buildings above collapsed into what was now a furnace. One loud crunch of wood and a field of now burning pillars and walls was all I could see of the cave. Leaving the smoking ruin behind, we all walked down the path dug into the soil.


    As I made my way through the crowd illuminated in the torchlight, I noticed a few pull back with deferential looks while others, mostly Orcs, looked me up and down like I was a mystery. The floor wasn''t remotely smooth but it had a slight decline so the smoke all went outside as opposed to filling up our air.


    It took a while to maneuver through the crowd as mothers moved with babes on their hips and sacks on their back along with their husbands carrying whatever they could, but it still felt like we were going a bit slower than we should be. After a minute of moving through the crowd, I finally found the reason. Along the left side of the wall was another cavern entrance but people went from double file to single when they came near it. I couldn''t see anything wrong with it until I came up to the entrance. The walls had alcoves where beds had lain and, more importantly, skeletons with the blood long faded littered the stone beds and floor.


    Scraps of ragged dresses left no doubt as to their gender and judging from the size of most of them, there were more children than adults. Looking to my right, I saw a look of pain in a few of the older men walking by. My curiosity satisfied, in that way that left one feeling like ignorance was a blessing, I moved on. With that obstruction cleared, the pace sped up and I was able to start properly moving even as there was a shift from a slight decline to an incline in the floor. When I had gotten near the front, Beaton pulled back from his position at the lead of the pack to walk beside me on my left.


    "I appreciate the rescue," He said as the flickering light from the torch in his left hand played across his face and big grey beard. Even as dire as the situation was, he still had a faint smile on his lips. "But perhaps you could inform me about what you''re doing here? Better yet, who you are?"


    I took in a deep breath and decided on what bits to cut out before giving the pitch. A pitch that several heads were now leaning closer to hear.


    "Do you know about the big battle that happened near the south of the Coalition? The one the Rodring kingdom sent all of its ships on?"


    "Odd whispers from taverns these past few days. No one knows why."


    "It was over a mage. My husband, more specifically."


    His brown eyes went wide and I could feel some of the eavesdroppers get closer. One of them in a brown dress, an older Orc woman with short red hair and a cut along her sharp chin, even made herself known.


    "What kind of mage would be worth all of that effort? I don''t know if they''d do that even for a member of the royal family."


    I turned to her with a shrug.


    "He is very powerful. Being a scion also gives him more power than the caster who gave that fool back there a gift."


    She gave a nod and the rest looked on with pursed lips, clearly not getting the significance of what I was saying. Fair enough. I spent the past few weeks learning about magic and I couldn''t say I fully understood how important those abilities were to the wider world. Still, I didn''t want to give away too much before I went over what to say with Salamede.


    "He has great gifts, both magical and otherwise. He''s also on our-"


    I stopped as we all walked forward in total silence. ''Our side'' wasn''t really the right description. Sure, he wanted to help my kind. But simply being for or against us didn''t capture his vision for the future and I had to make sure that the women didn''t think a good stuffing from my husband was going to be a part of that future.


    "Events have not gone as favorably for the nations of humanity when it comes to him. For all the powers of magic at his fingertips, my husband has decided to upend the current system. Our desire is to see a world where humans and Orcs can live together in peace."


    Disbelief was their first reaction, but none voiced it. Some no doubt dismissed it, had their own objections, or couldn''t process such a bold statement. Beaton searched my face for something, perhaps a hint of deception or a small smirk that indicated this was all an elaborate joke. Whatever concerns they all had, the end of the tunnel silenced them. Beaton walked forward and looked towards the smooth wall before pulling on a stalagmite near the floor.


    Seeing that it was a hatch, I ran forward and put a finger to my lips as I prepared a spirit connection.


    ''Let Cell check the outside first. I don''t want any more surprises.''


    He raised a grey eyebrow as he pursed his lips in between his thick grey beard. Looking back towards Jeff, Andrew, and mother for a moment as they all helped carry the prisoners, he turned back towards me.


    ''Yes. We certainly wouldn''t want events to steer too far off course.''


    Keeping a smile down, I rolled my eyes before sending Cell out to scout the area. It took a few minutes and more than enough for my stomach to start churning. Far longer than if there was nothing out there to worry about. When the children started getting restless, the black mass finally came back up the hatch and landed on the floor between me and Beaton.


    The riverbank had a bunch of guards waiting for us to come out. Former guards if the ripped patches where their insignias used to be was anything to go by. After looking over them all, Cell went to the ships hovering above to speak with Eli. He gave a mental image of Cell killing the guards and us moving onto the beach afterward. When Cell shared this information with Beaton, his eyes got a cold look. As the oval shape of Cell''s head turned towards the hatch, it suddenly jerked back towards Beaton. The captain was clearly having a spirit conversation with him.


    Whatever the request was, Cell readily accepted. Shooting down the hole and onto the dirt below, the sounds of slaughter soon filled the air. Men screaming, metal banging, and wails of the damned were all too familiar. As was the slow death of the chorus until silence reasserted itself.


    Preparing to go down, I was a bit too slow as Beaton threw himself down the hole with an almost rabid look in the flickering torchlight that pushed back the surrounding night. Following after him, I plunged a good five or so feet before coming out onto a rather typical riverside before Cell landed on my left shoulder. Bark scars plastered the land where the bushes couldn''t hold sway. Though some were twice my height making giant balls of green leaves obscure almost everything like their now-dormant neighbors. Ahead was a large river and the land would look downright peaceful if not for all of the bodies.


    Looking past the blood, guts, and torches scattered about, I found Beaton running further ahead on the left near the river. He wasn''t in the best shape and I caught up to him easily enough, though he still ran forward with a look of a predator chasing its next victim. His brown eyes were dead as he came onto the muddy embankment and up to one of the men laying on his back in the mud. Still breathing, oddly enough. Any concerns about his escape I had were dismissed by the boulder crushing his left leg.


    He had leather armor and a full head of grey hair that had clearly been seen to with care. Like the fine leather top and black pants he wore, his finer features were disheveled to ruin as could only be expected when waist-deep in the muck and sporting a freshly mangled leg. Even with his poor position, the torchlight reflected nothing but contempt in his blue eyes.


    "I knew it," He spat towards us.


    Beaton chuckled. He walked forward for a single step before stopping again with a feral smile on his lips.


    "What was it you said at their executions?" The captain idly pondered like this was just another talk between bar buddies. "''Endangering us all by undermining our means of survival'' is what I remember. You were quite indignant when that tunnel under our wall was discovered. How many hours was the whole town forced to sit and listen as you raved about how compromised our security was due to the green scourge and their sexless losers? Well, I suppose we did have a stroke of luck when you couldn''t prove any of us were connected. Those of us who didn''t join our lost families after the ceremony, anyway."


    "Filth. The lot of you." The man spat back with bared teeth. Then his eyes turned to me as I walked a bit further ahead to get between the two men. "How dare you look at me. I have been graced with mana sight, yet you stand before me like you''re fit to breathe my air. Cursed spawn of a madman and a blight on all good things."


    Contempt of this kind had always been present in the humans, but there was always a certain layer of added malice when it came from the mages. Back in the swamps such looks typically accompanied volleys of death and mayhem. Here and now, though, all he could do was squat miserably in the mud with a sullen snarl.


    Beaton only smiled as he took another step forward.


    "I had it checked a while ago, of course. Not that I believed the story you put out about our old home. Filling in that tunnel couldn''t be done in a month, and I suppose you understood what a good smuggling route it was. To think it was holding onto our old Orc hold that got you killed. Maybe fate has entwined us? Perhaps to show the common humanity between Orc fuckers and mages."


    Despite his position or lack thereof, the injured man got a cruel smile as his blue eyes gleamed with a cold joy.


    "Oh, there''s one big difference between us. My children are still alive. And human. They cried for you, you know. Too busy filling out paperwork to keep your putrid spawn alive. I suppose being such a good harbor master ate up just a bit too much of your time."


    My blood chilled as the hairs on my arms and neck stood straight up. A dull wind blew over the now silent riverbank, taking with it any heat I had on my skin and the captain''s smile. He stood still with a face of blank stone and brown eyes that seemed to be looking somewhere hundreds of miles away. Taking one deep breath, he dropped the torch into the muck. It landed bottom first and the flame still gave enough light to bask Beaton''s face in a golden glow.


    "I know," Beaton droned on with a dead voice. "When you came into my office and shoved their heads in my face asking if I had ever seen them before, I knew that''s how they died. They had that same vulnerable look they always had when they wanted dad to sleep with them after getting a nightmare or when a bad storm above was raging."


    The two men stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving until Beaton finally ran forward. Dex only got the chance to widen his eyes before the sailor was on top of him and had his hands around his throat.


    "WAS IT WORTH IT DEX?!" Beaton screamed in pain even as it was his hands pushing Dex''s head into the mud. "DID YOU HAVE FUN EXECUTING OUR WIVES AND CHILDREN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US KNOWING THERE WASN''T A FUCKING THING WE COULD DO ABOUT IT?! WHEN YOU CAME AROUND DROPPING SNIDE LITTLE COMMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY FOR DAYS AFTERWARDS, WAS IT WORTH ALL OF THIS?!"


    No answer came, of course. Dex feebly put up his arms to hit and pull on his attackers'' hands, but between his injury and bad standing, the outcome was already decided. Looking away to get a better idea of what we were going to do next, the only sound I could hear was the soft wind blowing and the occasional sputter from the man being murdered. Leaving Beaton to sort out debts long unpaid, I walked back towards the sailors and their families.


    Across the field of carnage, I saw the rest of our group coming out of the cave''s ceiling with a few already looking around in the light of their torches. Before I could start coordinating them, a ball of mist came down from the sky. Only we Orcs could see it with our better night vision, even so, it caught a lot of them off guard when the mist suddenly disappeared to reveal our hulking mass of a ship.


    It was still hard to see out into the night but when a three-story vessel with a huge balloon on top suddenly appears, even the humans noticed. As its flat bottom touched down into the surrounding muck, people pulled away in fear. When mother, Andrew, and Jeff pushed through the crowd with the prisoners in tow, the surrounding crowd became a little less afraid.


    When I saw Salamede coming down the ladder on my side, I walked up to her. Meeting up halfway, we took each other in a hug that was made slightly difficult by our wooden armor.


    ''Are you ok?'' She asked in a spirit connection while she wiped my shoulders with a flap of her white shirt. After I went over the events in the cave, she had a relieved sigh before giving me another quick hug. Her concern was touching, but the mission had to come first.


    ''What about the pirates back at Mole Hill? How are we going to explain what happened?''


    Salamede pulled back and looked me up and down with concern that even her white eyes couldn''t hide.


    ''Those barrels hold some kind of hot burning oil. Burning the underground like that will hide the fact that all the corpses are human and make them think one of the barrels tipped or leaked. Though, they all turned around right quick when the fire started. I''m surprised they didn''t even bother saving their recruits.''


    Turning to my right, I saw a pillar of smoke flecked with embers rising in the sky that had escaped my notice.


    ''Eli brought us here earlier when we saw one of the ships pull away towards one of the rivers further away. They dropped off some rowboats filled with the ex-guards then turned around towards the main fleet.''


    Nodding, I worked through the situation in my head.


    ''They probably put the new crew on killing off any runaways then have them come back towards the town through the tunnel. I have to say, this seems like a lot of effort to put down the Waveborn. Especially when you''re on a time limit to loot the place before any actual predators come sniffing around or the Rodring navy shows up.''


    Salamede could only shrug as some armored Kelton''s came down the ladder. I was a bit miffed when the onlookers at the mouth of the cave looked a bit more impressed at their appearances than they were with my own or mother''s. They had the same water shields and axes or swords, but I suppose full plate armor was easier to appreciate than magically enhanced wood.


    ''Speaking of, predators is how we''re going to cover things on this end,'' Salamede told me in the spirit connection as we took ''We''re going to burn the corpses and make it look like a pack of fire boars roamed through here. We don''t know how hot the boars will burn the place, but there are enough unknown factors to cover our tracks.'' Salamede finished as the bravest among the Sailors made their way up the side of the ship. When one of the Keltons came down the ladder and moved to our left with a long wooden pole and set it against the bodies, a spout of flames engulfed the corpses before he moved on to the surrounding grass and bushes. When the long blades of grass singed, the green carpet recoiled like a single mass.


    He was looking at the grass pulling back in fascination, and the lack of training was clear despite my best efforts these past few days. As fascinating as the moving blades of vegetation were, the limbs of the bush on his right moving forward in a grasping motion were far more pertinent. We both dashed towards him as we pulled out our weapons.


    "Get back!" I yelled.


    By the time he understood he was in danger, the bush struck like a dozen snakes to wrap around his arms and legs.


    "AAHH!" His rough voice called out as branches started pulling around the black fur of his neck. Salamede sliced through the vines with a sword of her own while I used my boulder enchantment to crush the surrounding foliage with some flaming bolts from Cell. Which was when the dandelion weeds started shooting seeds at us. It would be comical if not for the fact that one got between my shoulder plates and embedded itself in what felt like an inch of my flesh.


    Ignoring the piercing pain, the next few seconds were a blur as my mind moved ahead of my thoughts. I felt the seed moving in my body and whatever it was going to do, it wasn''t going to be benevolent. Ordering Cell to suck the life out of it, I felt that small bit of matter growing as the speck became a pea. It was starting to tear at the skin before Cell got his plant spell on it as we all pulled away from the irritated shrubbery. We collapsed in a disheveled mess while Cell pulled the now dried husk of a weed out of my flesh and healed the wound. Naturally, the others who had those burning poles stuck to the corpses.


    "Forget burning the woods," Salamede''s rough voice sounded out over three sets of heavy breathing. Which is when Kantor, the black and gray haired, goat-headed man with twirling brown horns, came over as he helped lift Salamede.


    "Stupid boy!" He spat at the soldier sitting on the ground rubbing his throat. "The lady nearly died saving you from your own stupidity. Next time throw yourself into the bush and save us all the hassle."


    "I''m sorry, I''ve never been this far south and¡­" the lad''s feeble voice faded as he took in a gulp of air.


    "Enough!" I commanded with a raised voice as the older man pulled me up by my hand. "Focus on getting everyone on board. We''ll just do a pass or two over the area with the ship raining molten stone. It won''t leave anything behind, right?"


    Salamede took one more deep breath across from me before she stood straight up.


    "No, the stone will disappear after a few seconds."


    Nodding to her, we turned towards the main group trickling out of the hatch in the small cave I the hillside. Putting away the long poles with flame enchantments, the rest of the Keltons got to work helping the men and women through the choke point while I had to stand back to help get people settled in. While moving through the first half of the tunnel had been slow, getting so many people through a single hatch and up the ladders was pure agony. I had thought to expand the hatch, but getting tired, panicked men, women, and children up an almost three-story high ladder was so time-consuming that it would mean expending spells for nothing. The time delay also meant each of the forty or so people we were bringing on had time to voice their concerns to us and the soldiers.


    "No, the furnace isn''t going to catch the ship alight."


    "Don''t stand near the railing. Just trust me."


    "Yes, we''re not going to charge you for this trip or the food."


    And many, many variants on those words were constantly heard over the field as people made their way towards and up the weird ship. As I was standing near what had been our wooden home with Salamede shouting orders, Beaton finally came back. He had some mud on his knees, but more than anything he seemed drained with a dull look in his eyes and an idle rub across his pants being the most noticeable change in his figure. Not elated or enraged. It was like the animating energy behind him had been siphoned off, which only lasted until he saw the people moving about. Whatever he was going through mentally, his look upward seemed to blow life back into him. Looking at the rising smokestack in the night''s sky with fear, he pulled out of his stupor and ran to help his people get to safety.


    I thought to ask him what the problem was, but one of the children decided to fall off the ladder at that point and I had to apply my healing patch. After several frustratingly long minutes of wrangling and pushing, a low rumbling broke through the ground. When it stopped after several seconds, Cell dropped the chest he was pulling up the side of the ship and flew into the air. Frustrated at my lack of options, I moved towards the back of the crowd gathering on the sides of the ship.


    "Devourer!" An older man shouted from somewhere n the crowd


    "Move!" I shouted over the panicked mob.


    That made people run up a bit faster, but not by much. Getting their throats sliced open by the Misty pirates had been a good motivator and people were already going up the ladders as quickly as they could. After a few minutes, Cell came back down from the clouds and landed on my hand to deliver his report to me and Salamede.


    Images of the pirates heading out over the waves into obscurity were the first thing he sent through the spirit connection. A smile broke out over my face before he showed me why. In the middle of the town was, for a lack of a more fitting description, a giant worm. Nearly five stories tall, its hide had the color of deep mud with small limbs around its sides that resembled tree branches. From its head to the tip of its tail, it stretched from the dock, up towards the more impoverished north, and clear through to the other side of the river.


    Magically summoned boulders were being spewed everywhere, ripping through the homes and shops of the poor and previously rich alike while to its right a giant whirlpool of mud sloshed through the as of yet untouched parts of town. Sucking in the river''s water and the ground beneath the ruined buildings, rooftops swirled in the moving slurry of dirt before falling towards the center and who knows how far below the surface. All of which was covered in a layer of smoke as the now lit barrels spewed flames out of their tops and onto everywhere the stirring mud hadn''t consumed them.


    "Beaton!" I called towards my left as the captain was pulling some luggage along. The older man got up rather quickly even as sweat ran down his bald head and flecked into his grey beard. "What is that thing?"


    Shoving the black mass forward with the surrounding torchlight flickering over us both, the look of terror on Beaton''s face as Cell showed him the images did not fill me with confidence.


    "It''s here." He whispered with a nervous shake of his hefty frame.


    "Beaton. What is it?" I repeated with less patience.


    His brown eyes looked like a dead man who just had the noose affixed around his neck, but he pushed onward.


    "The Devourer. This is its territory, and it doesn''t like fires. One building wouldn''t do it but with the town being all ablaze like the image... We need to move."


    He then turned towards the crowd and started directing the crowd, but we still had a dozen or so people near the bottom of the ship to say nothing of those still on the ladders. Cell, rather impatient at the speed of progress, started tossing the sturdier souls up the ship with wind magic. Sadly, as the last few were making it up the wooden steps, the rumbling started back up.


    It was a single shake at first, distant and far. But another came, stronger and closer. Another, stronger still. The third rocked the ship and shook the bushes as a far-off crunching of wood came over the den of panicked screams. When a lower rumbling accompanied the stronger shakes, Cell shot off the side of the ship and into the night sky. Everyone was on board but it still took a minute or two for the balloon to heat up as the civilians all hustled below deck. Only a few had made it below deck when a clap of tortured air split the night.


    Over the leafy balls and rolling hills, I couldn''t see what was happening. But the occasional great bolt of yellow lightning and a small mountain of rock falling through the stars told of a great battle. One we were fortunate enough to leave as the deck swayed from the ship lifting off the ground to the sounds of crushing landscapes and breaking worlds. As we pulled into the sky, I finally saw the source of the ruckus with my own eyes.


    The flickering flames of the burning town splashed a soft glow across the moving mountains'' left side. Vast blocks of interlocking stone encased it like armor as the hollow gaping maw of its mouth turned more inland away from us. The sheer size of the thing meant the air around its body pushed away trees and debris like a storm every time it wiggled further ahead.


    "It''s injured." One Orc woman with long black hair and puffy cheeks said on my left.


    Looking it over, I saw a long gash along the left side of the thing, bleeding into the soil. Across its surface were other spots of char and cracks in its natural armor, but the gash was the most noticeable wound. All the others looked stunned, the Keltons because of the sheer size of the thing, the Orcs and sailors, however, had some awe mixed in with the horror. Down the line of people leaning over the deck, none seemed to comment on the fact that we were in the sky. The show continued until a veil of mist surrounded the ship.


    Beaton was a few feet to my left, his brown eyes still staring at the spot in the mist where the monster was.


    "It was hurt. The Devourer ran away." He said, breaking the silence over the rest of the ship.


    Taking in the crowd that didn''t make it down into the lower decks, they looked pretty relaxed for this being the first time in an airship. I put it down to the shock and feeling how solid the ship was built. When I opened my mouth to start giving orders, the distinctive black mass of my husband''s familiar shot through the mist a few feet above me to land on my right shoulder.


    "What happened?" Beaton demanded before Cell could start the spirit connection to give me the images. It hit me then that I might not want to throw out all of Eli''s abilities on a whim or at all. Focusing too much on Eli''s abilities could undermine our whole science spiel. Getting on my toes, I saw Salamede helping a woman with three children move her belongings below deck through the staircase off to my left.


    "Salamede," I called, "A word, please."


    Her grey-furred face turned towards me before she turned towards one of the soldiers in the gunner positions. When she was relieved of her sack of clothes, she walked over to me with swings of her ivory horns accentuating each step. The fact we were wearing similar armor was not lost on the newest members of our little colony, but they all remained silent. When she was right up on my side, I felt her spirit connection touch my left shoulder.


    ''What''s the problem?'' She asked with a raised eyebrow. I turned around so that our faces would remain hidden.


    ''How much of Eli''s abilities should we reveal? Telling them he took on the Devourer would set their hearts at ease as far as safety goes, but this wasn''t a ''let''s get more worshippers for Eli'' trip. If we talk him up too much, it would undermine our whole pitch.''


    She looked behind us for a second before speaking again.


    ''Humility is a virtue, but I think that ship has sunk. Besides, any spies will want to see what all the fuss is about and we want the Orcs to understand the need to keep their husbands in the base. They may not be as compliant if they think all we''re hiding is some fuelless heaters.''


    My eyebrows furrowed as I looked her up and down.


    ''Nate, the other spy, and the pirate commander are tied up and guarded. We won''t need to worry about them getting away or-''


    ''What makes you think they''re the only spies?'' The Kelton woman asked.


    ''Nate took all the spies with him when he met up with the pirates.''


    She shook her head as my heart raced at the anticipation of whatever was coming.


    ''He took all the ones he knew about. What if the City, the Bodring, or some other smaller country had spies among the Waveborn? Spies who didn''t have any connections or contacts with his network.''


    Bastards beard.


    The question hit me like a hammer to the gut. I was glad we were turned around because I felt like throwing up as bile filled my throat. Which is when comforting hands squeezed my shoulders accompanied by Salamede''s motherly voice filling my head.


    ''I talked about it with Eli through Cell. Even after emphasizing that we might have to leave them to their fate, we both knew asking that of you was going to be a lot, and leaving the brothers to die wasn''t an option. He''s going to work on getting things ready for the situation when we get back home. It''s more of that ''need to know'' principle he talked about, and he was going to do it anyway, only it''s going to be a bit sooner than expected.


    The big thing is we have more Orcs and people who can tell us what we need to do to get in touch with more. I''ll ask some of the women about our concerns about spies and see what they have to say. You did a great job, especially considering how little time you had to think things over.''


    Nodding, I took the compliment without objection in spite of my now sweaty palms. Turning around, we looked out over the crowd. Men and women looked on with curious faces. Even the Keltons stationed at the half circles of wood that served as the gun turrets seemed intrigued.


    "Our husband saw to the Devourer." I put my hand forward as Cell used his spirit connection to show them the battle. Soaring through the air, he had a thread of spirit connection on his scion through the clouds. I had no notion of what allowed him to find him so quickly but my mind was too busy going over the rushing clouds. Taking a brief look down, there was nothing but the verdant landscape of dark trees and the flowing river.


    Overtaking all natural features in its wake, the giant worm was moving towards what had been our position. With most of the town swirled into the mud, only the ramshackle section could now be seen as the rest of this beachhead of civilization was pulled below the dirt. A long spear of stone fell through the night''s sky tip first into the side of the beast as Eli started the fight before falling below onto the riverbank. The stone spear cracked the side of the beast''s armor but the armor reformed and it''s head pulled up towards the sky. Which is when a thin line of white-hot flame took it in the jaw from along the shore. Turning down, it looked around before stopping near the riverbank.


    A hail of smaller spears materialized around it before shooting off towards its attacker like a swarm of angry bees. When Cell diverted them off course, a flash of lightning and two house-sized balls of fire flew up from a far-off figure in the ramshackle section. A wide burning scar tore through the crack in the armor and along the exposed skin towards the mouth while the balls of flame blew away whatever remained of humanity''s footprint here. Surprisingly, the ramshackle houses didn''t burn. Whatever resin or plaster they were soaked in, though, wasn''t applied on the trees that had been sucked into the town.


    A moment of hesitation came, the monster laying still in the dirt while it worked through the run or fight response in every living thing. It was a few more seconds before it decided that tangling with this unknown thing that now stood on the riverbank while being baked to death wasn''t appealing. Turning away from the ocean, it pushed forward in the wriggling motion of its smaller cousins before pulling fully into the dirt and leaving behind the patch of ruined land formerly called Mole Hill.


    I had seen Eli do something similar to the underground base back in that more innocent time before the world was turned on its head, so I only smiled while Salamede got a look of pride. The onlookers, however, were both less and more animated. Some stood like statues even as the ship beneath them swayed with a gust of wind. Most of those were human men. The Orcs, on the other hand, moved closer with eager glee in their gold or red eyes. Before the cascade of questions sounded out, Salamede put up a hand to stop them.


    "I''m sure you have a lot you want to ask. But this day has not been a kind one. There are several beds prepared and plenty of blankets so let''s get things in order before we start."


    The women looked a bit put out at that, but they quickly joined the sailors. Being surrounded by mist, I only had my exhaustion and inner sense of time to guess how long it took to get every family settled in a bed or blanket. A few of the older ones needed help moving a big chest of items or keeping a squabbling babe preoccupied and as I worked amongst my kind for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I felt like I was both with peers and a stranger among what should be familiar faces.

 Chapter 110: Long Lost Sisters(2)

    Gula POV


    There were a few oddities that stood out from what I knew of my kind in the swamps in both attire and behavior. I noticed a good many clutching a necklace with an odd X shape that was sideways and had one leg longer than the others. Seeing men among them, men who were unbounded, not dead, and whose faces were filled with worry and relief instead of fear or bloodlust, also threw me off.


    Another oddity was how¡­ vigorous the women were in bringing in new life. Back in the swamps, the main way to make children was by taking some injured soldier against his will. It was many things, but romantic wasn''t one of them and most couldn''t bear to make more than three children. Here, gifted with not just willing men but full-on husbands, families typically had three or four daughters at the least while a few had six or seven.


    As I was helping get some blankets from the main back room that had served as a makeshift storage unit, Salamede came through the door with a smile.


    ''I''ve talked with three Orcs who represent the women of the Waveborn.'' She said happily as she took the pile of blankets out of my arms. ''The nations of the Central Continent got sick of the guards and military of others mistaking their spies as the real thing before killing them. They all work under a single organization called the Watch imbued with the authority to conduct operations across borders. Not an imaginative name, but they do their job and they do it well.


    If there were any other spies among them, Nate would have known.''


    Throwing my head upward, I felt a weight come off my chest.


    ''Saved by national convenience.''


    The huff from her snout made me raise my eyebrows.


    ''It may make you feel better, but Eli was not so easily swayed. The captain murdering that Dex fellow has made him more trustworthy, the others, however, not so much. At least as far as Eli is concerned. He''s worried about a bureaucratic error or unknown organization slipping in.''


    I raised an eyebrow as I rubbed and stretched my tired arms.


    ''That seems a bit paranoid. If we trust the Orc women to carry out missions, surely, we could trust them on this.''


    ''I said as much,'' She responded with a roll of her eyes, ''But then the letter Cell brought back talked about protecting the two keys to his heart and¡­ Damn him.''


    A shrug and a knowing smile were all I gave her before we both left the room.


    With a weight lifted off my shoulders, the work of getting some forty people in place and comfortable went on. The next interruption came when I was in the lowest level below the furnace helping put away one stack of clothes. One of the older women came down the steps and stayed near the top. A blonde with short hair, a stubby chin, and faded green pants with a white shirt stood on the steps with a blank face.


    "We would like to talk. Your two mage friends are staying above deck but we-" She put her right hand to her face, those red eyes staring off into the distance while she thumbed the odd X-shaped piece of wood on her necklace.


    "What is it?" I asked as I approached with my hand rifling through my side bag for the healing patch. She put up her left hand to stop me.


    "Mages are near me. I could go up the stairs and see mages. Male mages. Right there. I''ve been on the waves for near forty years, but it seems there''s always something new to experience. Speaking of male mages, we need to talk. Names Hursa, by the way."


    The gulp that came down my throat told her I knew what the discussion was going to be about. Still, manners had to be observed.


    "Gula, if you didn''t know."


    I walked up with her before coming onto the middle deck. Sitting on the floor was a large number of the Orc women and a few of their older children, all between toddlers and the dawn of their twenties, like me. Though the sudden shift of all their eyes towards me was a significant difference. Looking through the crowd, those by doors or the long piece of metal through the middle that served as the furnaces heat outlet, and a few sitting on the stairs leading into the open deck, I immediately noticed the lack of men. On my left, I saw mother giving me a reassuring nod. Salamede coming down the stairs to walk up to my right took a bit but they allowed her that time before the older woman who brought me and two others stood opposite of me amongst the squatters.


    Standing in the middle, an older Orc with long braids of grey and black hair and a bandanna of grey that matched her dress coughed into her wrinkly hand to start our little forum.


    "First," She proclaimed with a deferential look in her gold irises surrounded by black. "We must thank you. Without your intervention, we would have been practice posts for those monsters in fine silk. For that, you have our undying thanks. For both us and our children." A wave of nods went through the small crowd.


    "I did what any decent person would do," I dismissed with a small smile as I looked around the room. "But I also saved the men and my trained eyes have concluded there aren''t any here."


    The last standing Orc on my right, an early 30''s woman spoke up with a wave of her shoulder-length black hair over her brown dress. I could tell there was some strain from the look in her red eyes and the force she was putting behind the smile above her sharp chin.


    "This is a discussion between those blessed with ovaries."


    I couldn''t keep my smile down as small chuckles broke out among those sitting on the floor.


    ''Salamede,'' I said to the Kelton woman in a spirit connection. ''I think it''s best we establish your position first.''


    "I''d have to disagree." She proclaimed to the crowd, "For all that my sister in marriage has done, I don''t think it''s the¡­ feminine side of our marriage that has you all so interested."


    That drew some gazes towards her, but most still stuck towards me.


    "Your marriage?" The middle Orc asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked between us and rubbed her sharp cheekbones. "How full is his bed? Between you two and his human wives, are his reproductive resources fully claimed?"


    Looks of hope blossomed in the faces of the younger Orcs, with most leaning further ahead on their knees with expressions of rapt attention.


    "He has no human wives, and he has no interest in crowding his bed," I answered with a steady tone.


    Furrowed eyebrows and a sea of frowns greeted the statement. It was the blonde on the left, now leaning against the wall, who asked the next question with a gleam in her eyes.


    "Will he only be taking concubines on the side then?"


    Before I could respond, the speaker on the right put up her hand for silence.


    "What, exactly, is he? There are all types of mages."


    A huff from the older, braided Orc drew all eyes towards her.


    "He''s a mage powerful enough to cast spells. I didn''t realize we had such a bounty of them that we could start being picky."


    "We''ve had a few for more than a week," Someone from the back called. Nods of agreement went all around the crowd. Seeing an opening to get towards the discussion I wanted to have, I seized the moment.


    "And one of those was a scion. The same as that Palta princess. Even one such as he follows our husband." I proclaimed, bringing the sea of faces on me. "We are here to bring a new way of things. A world where magical ability is not the end of all ambitions."


    More than a few scrunched up their noses in confusion.


    "What do you mean?" The blonde Orc asked with crossed arms.


    "This ship is not held aloft by magic," I responded. "I don''t expect you to fully believe what I''m saying right now, but we have a power called science that relies on metal, wood, and knowledge. We use magic for convenience, but as we grow and expand, we will move away from magic to make our tools. These tools will allow us to make weapons that are more powerful than any spell, ships that move faster than any in the sky or on the seas, and cities grander that the best of what any earth mage could summon.


    All of this, with no consideration of birth.


    That''s what we''re offering. A society where your life isn''t determined from the first moment you left the womb. Where what the Bastard did to us doesn''t matter. At least, not enough to make a huge difference."


    "The Bastard?" The Orc in the middle asked with a raise of her black and grey eyebrow. "Who are you talking about?"


    I puckered my lips, trying to understand what she was missing.


    "Him. The cur who gave us our skin and made us what we are."


    A head tilt from Hursa on the left drew my gaze as she ran a hand over her stubby chin before words that never occurred to me spilled forth from her mouth.


    "Why call Garren that? Seems a bit ungrateful."


    "What?" Was all I could get out as the air fled my lungs.


    The black-haired Orc started talking but I kept my eyes locked on their original target.


    "He made us. He gave us life. Not the best life, but a life. If it wasn''t for him, our daughters'' smiles would not exist, no food would pass our lips, nor would we ever feel the bright morning sun on our skin. And having all of our future children be mages means we will eventually win. Our history has been a harsh one but not without a purpose."


    I didn''t scream. I didn''t swing my water sword into anyone''s neck. I didn''t do anything. My mind blotted out all noise as it struggled to comprehend the nonsense that just assaulted my ears. It was only the touch on my left shoulder that finally got my mind off those impossible words.


    ''Dear,'' Salamede''s voice sounded out in my head through a spirit connection. ''They''ve asked you three different questions and you''ve just been staring at the wall. Maybe I should take over while you work through this patch of cultural friction.''


    I idly nodded before stepping back as I wrangled my emotions.


    "Like we said," My sister wife said to the crowd, most of whom were looking at me with concerned faces. "We''re here to bring on a new system. It won''t be perfect, as anything involving people always will be. But the course of your life won''t be decided at conception. That is what our husband is offering, not his magical ability."


    "But without his abilities, would he be able to deliver on this vision?" The blonde asked with a handwave. "Would spreading his seed with a few of our daughters not speed along the creation of this system? Besides, he has sired with you lot so why would he refuse any charms from us?"


    "Ungrateful?"


    My word cut through the air like a knife as I took a step forward. Salamede moved to the side, content to let me speak now that my tongue had found its will.


    "What do we owe that monster?"


    They seemed surprised by the venom in the last word even as it came out at the same volume as the rest. While most seemed confused, some were downright offended that I called the bane of our entire existence what he was.


    "Our lives," The blonde stated. Mother was on her feet now and coming up to me.


    "Despite his best efforts," I corrected with a sweep over the crowd. "Tell me, when he made us reliant on human men to keep our species going, did he do it for our good? I suppose when he made it so we would easily overtake the humans if given the slightest chance, it was to ingratiate us to the people we couldn''t live without."


    Hardened eyes softened all around as doubt replaced anger to one degree or another. The older braided Orc had some pity in her gold eyes before she coughed into her hand.


    "I''d say the motives of our species sire is known only to him. And while some may think we are destined to win out over the human race" A measured look towards her brown-dressed compatriot was given before she turned back towards me. "That is a matter for those born far after we''ll all be gone."


    Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and calmed myself. Debating the appropriate levels of hatred for the Bastard, the fact there was anything to debate at all, was a verbal punch I had been unprepared for. As my indignation subsided, the realization came to me that just because we shared skin, that didn''t mean they were my people of the swamps dropped on another continent.


    As Mother reach across my back and patted my right shoulder, I collected my thoughts. When I prepared what I was going to say to them, most of what I came up with involved spite for¡­him. A store of emotional motivation that had been universal among my kind for as long as I remembered. With that gone, I decided to pull on a thread they had presented.


    "After we''re gone? What about us? What about the children? Are we going to wait for some far-off time when a male mage blunders into one of our settlements? How many hundreds or thousands of years will it be before that happens?


    Even if we do get one mage, we''ll need to kidnap other mages to replace him after he''s gone. Mages are not so abundant that any significant amount going missing would be written off as accidents. And to fight toe-to-toe with the humans, we''ll need thousands, all of various abilities to compete with them"


    "She''s right," The Orc in the middle said with a nod that swung her braids of black and grey hair across her grey dress. "There''s a lot of luck required for us to win this little species brawl. Relying on chance isn''t what kept my bones off the seafloor for all these years."


    A huff from the Orc on my right drew everyone''s attention. She ran a hand through her shoulder-length black hair before using it to dismissively wave.


    "Luck?" She mocked in a dismissive tone. "It wasn''t luck that brought about the Cradle nor the Plains. We already have the infrastructure to hide and care for any captured mages."


    With that, she turned her rather angry-looking red eyes on me and my mother.


    "Of course, that relies on us doing our jobs and catching them when we can. Why do you have the two mages blundering around the seas and not strapped to a table in the Cradle? We could make this ''science'' thing after we''ve won."


    "Because" Mother scoffed, "We''re new to these lands, they''re more powerful than us, and my daughter''s husband has more power than anything our species could hope to offer. And don''t misunderstand, just because he''s an ultimate mage, that doesn''t mean magic is his sole gift. Eli''s the only one who knows how all this works and we can''t afford to try and clobber him."


    "Ultimate?!" Hursa gawked. The rest had slacked jaws while the Orc on the right stepped closer with fire in her red eyes.


    ''You didn''t tell them?'' Mother gruffly asked in a spirit connection.


    ''I was focusing on keeping them alive. A prickly subject like that and our lack of child was something I was hoping to wait until we were back in the base to discuss.'' I responded.


    "He''s an ultimate mage?" The older Orc asked, her golden eyes sharp enough to cut steel as they tore into me.


    "Yes," I bluntly admitted with an outstretched chin.


    The crowd burst into whispers while the three said nothing as they looked me and mother up and down. Daughters turned to mothers with a thousand questions as various toddlers looked around at all the excitement with wonder or trepidation. One of them from somewhere in the crowd shouted and it silenced the rest.


    "Do we take on his abilities?"


    Hursa turned back towards the sitting onlookers.


    "Quiet! This isn''t an open discussion." There were looks of irritation among the Orcs as a few looked ready to argue the point. The older Orc did so as well, but the red-eyed one hadn''t moved as she continued to stare at us.


    "What makes an ultimate mage?" Another shouted question came


    Hursa looked ready to loose a verbal volley when Salamede summoned a swarm of bubbles and shot them through the crowd. The accompanying wind blew them around before they disappeared. It worked as the little show drew everyone to the Kelton woman stepping forward, idly wiping some dust off her wood armor.


    "All magic is fueled by mana," My sister in marriage spoke like she was lecturing a gathering of children, though her students listened with rapt attention. "Without it, mages have no power, no spells, and no strength beyond that in their arms."


    A nod from Hursa made us look towards her.


    "We know that. It''s why the Bloody Plains have trees and grass that won''t instantly kill anything that touches them."


    "But did you know how mages counter that issue?" Salamede asked with a raised finger.


    They all shook their heads until one of the older Orcs spoke up.


    "I heard it involved crystals. But what does that have to do with ultimate mages?"


    "They can make mana. It still costs them some effort to summon it from their skin, but they''re almost unstoppable until that strain becomes too much."


    Hursa nodded along with a few others who seemed to get a bit of it, though most just stared blankly at her. Then the big question dropped from the one person who had stayed still this entire time.


    "Do we inherit this mana making like we inherit magical ability?" The brown-dressed Orc demanded, never once taking her red eyes off me. Like taking the first dip in the water of a cold day, this was best done quickly.


    "We don''t know," I responded.


    It took a second before they understood what that meant. Frowns and furrowed eyebrows of disapproval showed all around the room. Hursa, however, got ahead of the pack.


    "How long have you been married?" She asked with pursed lips and arms crossed.


    "He took my virginity just a few days ago." I offered truthfully.


    That seemed to mollify everyone aside from the Orc who was still drilling her eyes into me. She tapped her foot impatiently like I was a child lazing about when I should have already cut the weeds or dumped the trash. A comparison that became more apt when she spoke with the tone of an annoyed mother.


    "And what of you, Durka?" She demanded.


    "What of me, Ugak?" mother responded with her apparent name. Mother emphasized her point with a cross of her muscular arms and a flare of the bone nose ring.


    "How far along in your pregnancy are you? Does he perform well?"


    A long moment of silence continued until mother got onto the main event with a voice holding more trepidation than any other time I had ever heard it.


    "I''m not laying with my daughters'' husband."


    "We''ve decided to hold off on making any children for a while yet," I stated, if for no other reason than to get that thorn out.


    Even Hursa and the older Orc got deep frowns at that, but it was Salamede who had the first word in.


    "Gula is the wife of an Ultimate mage, as am I. Of all the women in this world, we have been chosen as his beloveds. Think long and hard about what you say concerning our relationship. Eli is a patient man, but it runs short and thin when it comes to mistreatment of those he cares for."


    Pissing off someone who sent the Devourer away stifled their anger, but it only served to embolden Ugak.


    "We''re not mistreating his wives. We are simply asking why two of our kind have failed so thoroughly in their basic duties. I was mistaken when I said this was between those with ovaries. This is a discussion between Orcs."


    There was a bit of ambition in those red eyes of hers. In the crowd, I saw a few more who had the look of greed on their faces. A quick dousing of those thoughts was in order.


    "It''s not happening," I said with a shrug. That seemed to anger all of them, but I pressed on. "The whole reason Eli is here is because the humans tried to use him as a stud, his ability to be a father to those children be damned. They kept pushing the issue and now¡­ well he''s helping us. If you have any aims on his bed, remember that he decided to betray his entire species before siring a bunch of children he could not be there for."


    A moment of hesitation seeped into the crowd. None of them knew how to respond to that, but it seems Hursa was willing to wait.


    "It''s been a long day and we''re all pretty hungry. What with almost dying in horrific agony and discovering mages among us. How long until we get wherever we''re going?"


    "A few hours." Mother responded with a blank face.


    Hursa nodded before giving a performative, long stretch upwards.


    "Let''s put this issue to rest for now. We''re talking about a person we can''t meet and a science¡­ thing we can''t see for ourselves. Any objections?"


    Ugak made hers known well enough as she finally turned from me towards her two compatriots.


    "I don''t like it. Our birthright is to make mage children without fail. If magic is chucked to the side for that thing, are we not throwing away our greatest gift?"


    A mixed reaction greeted the words, with some nodding and others raising their eyebrows in doubt. With the meeting drawing to a close, I threw out my best pitch.


    "Could," was all I said before I had the crowd''s attention. "We could get mages. We could use mage Orcs to get more male mages. And at some point in the future, we could be able to freely live among the cities of the now chained humans.


    Could.


    I offer will.


    Science WILL let us walk among human cities without being immediately killed. We WILL have lives that are not decided before we''re even out of the womb and we WILL lead those long, happy lives among our fathers, brothers, and uncles just like the human women. And it WILL happen because it doesn''t rely on us getting lucky or the humans being stupid. That is the fundamental difference between our visions."


    It worked. There were quite a few nods all around and most seemed interested. Ugak didn''t seem impressed, but most of the people who were nodding earlier contemplated my words either quietly or among trusted friends. With our meeting closed, the crowd dispersed. The sailors came down, the meager rations we brought were distributed, and people fell asleep on blankets wherever the space could be found. A few tried the showers that Eli had installed for long rides, but I waited until everyone settled in before falling asleep with mother and Salamede at my side beneath the stairs.


    "Oi. Miss Gula."


    The words stirred me from the land of half-remembered dreams as my lungs pulled in air so salty it could only mean we were back home. Looking up I saw an Orc no more than ten wearing the usual sack that the young ones wore. Her wild blonde hair and sharp chin filtered through the steps while her nose and mouth were blocked.


    "Someone above deck was asking for you."


    Getting up, I moved from between Salamede and my mother who were laying in their armor on my right and left. The child nodded to me before going back to the left wall and leaning against her mother to sleep. Coming up the stairs, the first thing I saw was Eli on the left going down the ladder.


    "Leaving without saying goodbye?" I lightly teased, trying to keep my voice down. His silver hair swirled as he looked around before those purple eyes locked on me. He shot up and almost ran across the deck, flapping his white shirt and grey pants from the resulting wind while he took off his smiling mask. I was a few steps from the entrance below deck when he got to me.


    "A little girl said you were asking ab-"


    He took my mouth before I could say anything else. My eyes rolled up and took in the stone ceiling with its mana lamps as my spine vibrated from his touch.


    ''I love you.'' Was all he said in a spirit connection.


    I was a bit irritated at being accosted so early in what I assumed was morning, but feeling his hands mold my body and the constant stream of ''I love you'' through our spirit connection quickly appeased any complaints I may have made. After some more oral play, he finally pulled back. There was some drool coming down his strong chin, but he didn''t notice as his eyes wandered all over me.


    "Any problems? Any injuries?" He asked, emphasizing the point with a squeeze on my hips.


    "No. We''re all good." I replied. It had been demoralizing to hear how so many of the Orcs didn''t approve of how I handled my position as his wife, though I couldn''t blame them based on what they knew of the situation. But seeing the concern and lust in his eyes, I felt some confidence seep into me when it came to our family. Speaking of.


    "I''ll get Salamede. She probably wants a quick hello as well." I offered. He nodded, giving my bum one last pinch before I walked away. Taking the first three steps below deck, I started a spirit connection with the Kelton woman leaning against the wall.


    ''Salamede''


    She stirred awake with a stretch of her arms upward.


    ''What?'' She asked as she wiped the grey fur around her left cheek.


    ''Eli''s here. Be ready, he''s damn frisky right now.''


    Her quick shot up from the floor and brisk walk over my still sleeping mother made it clear Eli wasn''t the only morning person here. She quickly moved up the stairs and past me with a speed that would have been impossible in any metal armor or made with less precision than what Eli gave it. I couldn''t help but smile when Eli and Salamede tore into each other like starving beasts. It occurred to me that the deck was empty and looking further beyond it, I saw the open expanse of the hangar.


    The concrete walls and the mana lamps that dotted them were the same as ever, but the large doors to the forge on the right were closed and I noticed all of the goods in the workshop ahead had been moved out aside from a few beds and blankets made with plant crafts. When the light moans subsided, I turned back towards the two. Salamede''s wooden armor did little to hide the difference in height between the two as she leaned on his chest while they stood still enjoying one another''s company.


    "It''s great to see you again Eli," I said as I came forward. "But I was wondering how-"


    Salamede grabbed my right hand and pulled me into their hug as Eli opened his left arm. Squished on the sides of the two, I could do nothing but listen to my beating heart. Eli kissed my cheek while Salamede rubbed my backside as we soaked in each other''s presence. I knew there were a thousand different things that needed doing, but none of them seemed as important as feeling this moment in our little corner of the world. When the time to pull back came, we were still close enough to hold hands.


    "Do you know where the rest of the people went?" I asked Eli as he rubbed my back along with Salamede.


    "A fair few went to get showers. Some went to the kitchen to prepare a feast of a breakfast. I have guards stationed around the place and I''ve been too busy trying to segment the workplaces so that the men can be employed in the more basic jobs. Working the farms and using tools to mold the armor are going to be their main jobs, nothing that tells them how our stuff works. Segmenting those two functions off from the main production chains is going to be a pain, but the peace of mind will be worth it."


    "All right," I agreed before turning to Salamede. "I don''t know about you, but I could do with a shower."


    "You''ve stolen my thoughts, sister. See you at breakfast, Eli." She gave Eli one long last kiss before pulling back. I followed her lead, kiss and all. Our husband gave one final wave before he took off down the side of the ship.


    "Should we both stay here?" I asked as we approached the wide hatch leading below deck.


    She bit her lip as her white eyes moved between the hatch and the workshop before she made her decision.


    "I don''t think it will get disorderly. Get a shower in our room and check on how breakfast is coming along."


    Nodding, I bid her farewell with a wave before climbing down the ladder.


    Walking across the stone floor with the golden glow flickering everywhere, I looked behind me to see the interceptor resting behind its bulkier cousin. Making my way across the open room, I came past the wide tables in the center of the workshop. A few Keltons were seeing to one bed or item of clothing, but the metal that had been scattered about was gone.


    Feeling a bit nervous given how our conversation with the Orcs went, I went through the meeting room with a wide circular table and into our main room. Going to the cabinet on the left of my bed, I fetched some black pants and a white shirt from the right side that served as the storage for my and Eli''s clothes. Pulling the wooden armor off my chest, legs, and arms, I went for a shower in the room on my right. A quick wash under the wooden flower and I was out of the room. Walking down the hallway into the meeting room, I took a left into the main hallway. The stone walls were the same grey bathed in golden light from the crystal diamonds dotting the walls, but the noise of the kitchen coming out of the double doors to the left was different. Going through them, the long tables with benches were also the same but along the left wall I saw a lot of green skin moving around in the kitchen window above the bar that typically held our food. Scattered among them were a few Kelton''s directing people.


    "How could you?!" A man yelled from somewhere in the kitchen.


    Walking forward and taking in the smell of breads baking and onions crisping in oil, I came through the door to the kitchen on the left side of the room and into the cooking area proper. The assorted array of ovens along the back was the same as ever, though the number of pots heating on them was far larger than normal. On the right side was a long series of fryers with metal baskets all holding cut potatoes. The bigger heaters for man-sized pots along the wall on the left were not being used but neither was anything else at the moment.


    All the work had stopped as people gathered around the center where a pudgy man with short black hair and a bald cap was standing over a teary-eyed Orc. He held a squishy blue potato in his hand and his brown eyes were furious, an emotion accentuated by the flare in his bulbous nose and shake in his generous jowls.


    "What happened?" Salamede''s mother on his left asked, her small brown dress having flour on it as she had turned away from the dough balls on the table behind her. Her pointy brown spikes moved with her looking between him and the blonde Orc with a quivering sharp chin and tears in her golden eyes.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "She cut some skin off and almost threw it away." The chef declared with an elaborate slap on his white apron and brown pants.


    "We were skinning the potatoes!" The blonde refuted with a pullback of her head cover drenched with sweat.


    He took a step forward and held out the squishy blue potato with the offending cut along its top.


    "Do you have the faintest notion of what these are?" He asked with a swing of his right arm to the floor on her left. Getting on my tiptoes, I saw it was a basket filled with magically enhanced vegetables. No one had any idea what to do with them and someone lower on the chain must have stuck them with the rest of the food stocks. It took a moment for her golden eyes to look over the basket of carrots and multi-colored potatoes before she seemed to realize what they were.


    "Magical food?"


    The chef nodded with a solemn look in his eyes.


    "Aye. These would probably go for ten gold."


    That caused a stir among the crowd as the offending Orc went pale.


    "Ten gold for just that basket?" Someone on the left asked.


    Red heat now blotched the pudgy man''s skin as he turned to the curious voice with the blue potato raised in outrage.


    "Per, you blind fools! Per!"


    The poor girl bit her lips as she looked ready to cry while the rest whispered among themselves. Taking the moment to intervene, I moved forward with a cough. All eyes turned to me, and the chef seemed irritated until he recognized the face that was behind the wooden helmet. Standing a bit straighter, he did a slight bow as I came up to the two of them.


    "My lady. I''m sorry for that unseemly sight. Please inform your husband that we didn''t mean to pilfer his stock of magical resources."


    Worried whispers and pursed lips filled the crowd, all surrounding the blonde Orc who looked like she wanted to throw up. A quick dismissal with a handwave assuaged their fears, though.


    "He won''t care. In fact, I''ll ask him if he wants to distribute the mana-rich food to the men. We could do with some more mages around here to help with the enchanting."


    The Orcs all looked very intrigued at that proposal, but the chef let loose a sigh of relief before turning towards the unfortunate vegetable peeler.


    "Be very grateful. Most lords would have had you beheaded if they were in a good mood."


    "Ah," I interrupted as I took a stool on the right and pulled it up near the blonde woman. "I think most lords would have asked what an Orc was doing in their mansion then executed them."


    That got a round of laughs as the chef fought down a smile. But he raised an eyebrow as I pulled a sack of potatoes from near the ovens.


    "My lady." He said with a note of heavy deference. "Having the lord''s wife perform such basic tasks could be viewed as unseemly."


    "Bah!" I scoffed as I took up a sharp peeling knife from the assortment near the blonde Orc. "I spent enough time on my butt doing nothing but watch my husband run himself ragged when the only tasks to be done involved earth or plant magic. We are here to work, one and all."


    A moment of odd hesitation came over the crowd as I started peeling, but the chef started getting everyone moving.


    "Spice the fish!" He exclaimed as he turned to a pair of Orcs near the right-side ovens. "I know it''s all the meat we have, but that doesn''t mean we can''t have some variety with it. Get those-"


    I couldn''t hear the rest as the kitchen came alive with a chorus of sizzles, chops, and shouts. It took a while until the meal was finished but with the sheer size of the meal being served, my meager experience and kitchen sense couldn''t properly appreciate how much faster it went with the large ovens and child-sized pots. Along the serving bar between the long tables and kitchen were long wooden trays of spiced fish fillets, oatmeal, rolls, and a hearty vegetable soup with a creamy base.


    People started coming in and looking rather fresh despite the long night some of them had. The big frogmen and Kelton''s weren''t perturbed by the newcomers and understood that we needed to have a long discussion with them. Most had a quick meal and left for their daily duties while some of the younger Keltons and Orcs played together at the empty tables on the left side of the room, though the green girls still looked a bit tired from yesterday''s adventure.


    The sailors and the women were all happy just to be alive last night, but as I sat at the head of the middle table, I heard some talk more about this magical place and not just because of the mages present. It''s amazing how quickly luxury becomes unnoticeable to those who have it. Looking at all the women rubbing their wet hair in excitement and chatting amongst themselves about how clean they felt, a small ember of pride bloomed in my chest.


    Waking up every morning in a thoroughly warm room and getting to take a shower straight away without having to heat the water beforehand was a miracle of daily living, but it seems I had begun to take such things for granted. When Salamede came with a simple wooden chair from the meeting room and sat opposite of me, wearing her green dress frilled with white, she had a smug smile that pulled her grey fur over her smooth cheekbones. Mother quickly joined on my right, though the grunt she gave before plowing into her breakfast was barely heard in the crowd. After my sister in marriage set the chair down and the meal got started with plates of steaming food and mugs of water, the main item of interest still hadn''t arrived.


    ''Salamede,'' I asked in a spirit connection. ''Where''s Eli?''


    She shrugged for a moment before putting down her mug of water.


    ''He should have been here already. I wonder-''


    It was at that moment that he came in through the double iron doors a few rows behind Salamede. The words I was getting ready to shout died in my throat  when I saw what was laying on his head. With a thin cheek resting in his silver hair, an Orc no more than five years old was riding his shoulders with eyes closed and a slight snore coming out of her mouth as her black hair spilled into my husband''s silver locks. Her clothes, contrasting with her peers, was a simple brown dress. It was one of the items we were making with our magically grown cloth from those we use for the balloons, and it fit her frame far better than the typical sack most her age wore. Green legs smacked against his grey shirt while his black pants moved with a steady walk. The girl''s hands swung over his smiling metal mask as he retrieved a plate of fish, potatoes, and cutlery from the bar and moved between the tables towards our position.


    A few looked askance at his weird features, as his purple eyes surveyed the room and took in those looking at him. It wasn''t until he was up to our spot that a lot of people started looking at him. When he took the seat between the two of us and set down his breakfast of potatoes and fish, all the noise and commotion stopped as people finally realized who had just arrived. Except for a panicked squeal off somewhere to the right, nothing disrupted the void of sound and motion that fell upon the onlookers.


    "Get a good sleep last night?" Eli asked as he took in the company at breakfast and put a hand on the girl''s back to make sure she didn''t fall over.


    I didn''t say anything as I felt butterflies in my chest. Fatherly. Seeing him care for the young girl so thoughtfully and casually holding her on his shoulders, that was the only word I could think of. Out of all his abilities, that was probably the weakest word to describe him. But him acting that way with a green-skinned child made my heart thump with a tangle of emotions that I couldn''t begin to sort out.


    When he reached out to get a roll from his plate, the little girl''s sharp nose twitched. As he brought the steaming bread up to his face, his burden''s golden eyes shot open. Taking only a moment to get her bearings, she quickly snatched the treat from his hand. Sitting up, she munched on the stolen prize with a snort from her victim being the only sound heard.


    "Is it good, little one?" Eli asked with an indulgent smile and a look upwards.


    "Hmm. Yesh," She exclaimed with a mouthful of bread.


    "Welub!" One woman yelped off to the right. It was a rather harried-looking Orc with long black hair. She was standing up with an equally nervous sailor. Both wore white shirts, but the woman was scrunching up her brown pants nervously.


    "Ah," Eli exclaimed. "I assume she''s yours. She was looking over the dresses and distracting the workers when I arrived in the workshop."


    Quite unmoved at the rudeness of her actions, Welub gulped down the last piece of bread and shrugged at her violation of protocol.


    "They said they was for us." She stated rather defiantly.


    "That they are." Eli agreed as he took her hips and lifted her off his shoulders. "But I think you''ve worried your mother enough for today."


    She nodded before taking off to the right. As her head of black hair bounced with her run around the tables, Eli turned to me with a raised eyebrow. It hit me then that a disappointed groan had escaped my lips without me meaning to.


    "Something caught in my throat." I weakly offered before looking down at the plate of fish and potatoes before me.


    I heard some shuffling on my right and saw the sailor who had been sitting next to mother move to make way for Beaton. His large grey beard wasn''t disheveled now and the bits of mud on his face had been washed away. The blue coat, white shirt, and brown pants he typically wore also had a newer feel to them since being washed.


    "Thank you for the rescue, good sir." The captain said with a low bow. His brown eyes had an air of resignation as he idly rubbed the sharp cheekbones above his grey beard. "But I heard you had some proposal."


    "That I do," Eli said idly as he brandished a fork and took out a chunk of fish. "But I think long discussions are better had on full stomachs."


    Beaton nodded, looking rather nervous as he retrieved his meal and drink from his original spot to sit back down on my mother''s right. The rest were still stuck on the fact Eli was there. While men looked on in fear, the women looked more confused than anything else. A male mage was sitting right there. They could go up and touch a male mage eating his breakfast. The brothers had quickly eaten their meal and left to work on their daily chores of testing fire safety before the main group had woken up, apparently concerned about their safety now that their magical abilities were known. Even if they were here, they weren''t in the same space of legends as the ultimate mages.


    On the left, a small group of Orc children came up to him with curious looks in their eyes.


    "Are you a mage?" One particularly bold red-haired child asked with big gold eyes.


    Eli chewed on his fish for a moment before swallowing. Putting up his hand towards the newcomers, he twirled his index finger as a circle of sparks and mist started trailing the digit. Wide-eyed, the children stood still until the rings of mist and sparks shot out and whirled through the group. The magical constructs dodged a few of them, but they collided with one black-haired girl in the middle and exploded in a shower of flickering lights and mist.


    The delighted wave of giggles brought smiles all around the table, but I mostly focused on the weird ball of emotion in my stomach. Looking over towards Salamede, her face was taking in the scene with an interest at least as great as mine. When the magical show ended, one girl with black pigtails and a mole under her left eye pushed through the crowd.


    "Are we too young for you?" She asked in a delighted tone.


    There were some disapproving grunts from the men around the table. Eli just sat there with a stone face as his lips thinned from a frown, clearly at a loss for words. Personally, it was the funniest thing I had heard in weeks, and had no problem letting others know it. My laugh joined the other Orcs and Salamede''s.


    ''Really?'' Eli lightheartedly scolded in a spirit connection, his voice carrying a bit of exaggerated hurt. ''Aren''t they a bit young to be thinking of such things?''


    ''It''s damn funny.'' Salamede disagreed as our laughter died down.


    ''If they can speak, they can be told why they humans are so afraid of us. It''s kind of hard to avoid the subject.'' I offered.


    For their part, the kids looked positively offended at the assault on their sensible question. More than a few were frowning and the one who asked the question looked at me with her hands on the hips of her sack dress. She didn''t seem capable of articulating her objection and Eli didn''t give her the chance.


    "If you are ever with a man, be with him based on how nice he treats your parents or the serving staff. His ability to shoot rocks out of his fist will not tell you much about him as a person."


    She thought about it for a moment before walking forward. His chair wasn''t right up to the table, leaving the small girl all the room she needed to wiggle between him and his breakfast. Climbing up onto his lap with an awkward shimmy, she squatted on his left leg as she looked up at him. A few others quickly joined her, either on Eli''s lap or sitting on the arms of his chair. He even helped a few with a pull on an arm or pat on the head even as green hands went through his hair or over the teeth of his smiling metal mask. After a few seconds, there was more Orc in the chair than there was Eli.


    "But mom said Garren made us to make mage babies." One blonde with choppy hair on the right said as her legs hung from the armrest and laid into Eli''s side, along with another Orc on her left who was content to thread her legs under the seat. The man in the center took a deep breath as he prepared a speech. This wasn''t how we thought this conversation would start or with who, but the moment came all the same.


    "Whatever he made you for, it''s not what you have to be. I''m going to make a world where the peasant has the same opportunities as a scion. Also, don''t be in a rush to grow up. Play and enjoy these years. When the time to leave your parents and be a big strong woman comes, you''ll look back on these days and wish you hadn''t tried to grow up so fast."


    "Pff." One redhead on his right leg scoffed. "I know how to tie ropes and dad said I scrub the deck like I was born for it."


    Eli smiled as he patted the girl''s head. Taking the moment to steal a look around, the Orcs were hanging on every word. Most of the men looked intrigued at the bold claim Eli made, though a few couples wore panicked faces as their child sat atop a powerful mage.


    "You''re certainly capable," Eli said with an indulgent tone. Then several large blocks of water sprung up behind him. "But you still need to have fun."


    That seemed to properly distract the squatters, who abandoned their living seat as they went up to the blocks of shimmering liquid scattered about the back of the room. It started with a smack or two, but eventually, they started punching the soft blocks and running through them with that whimsical abandon that only those in the domain of childhood could ever have.


    With his captors now distracted, Eli picked up his fork and resumed eating his fish and potatoes. The rest of the room was still silent aside from the occasional slap of water, with everyone still staring at him. He knew, of course. Taking only a few seconds more to attend to his meal, he wiped a cloth across his mouth before leaning back and addressing the crowd.


    "Have you found the accommodations satisfying?"


    There was a wave of nods all around, but it was Beaton who spoke.


    "Better than we could have ever imagined." Despite his gratitude, his brown eyes still had some hesitation as he strummed his fingers beside an empty plate.


    "Well then," Eli proclaimed, "I am the leader of this little corner of the world. And, as I''ve been told, you already know I''m an ultimate mage like Rodring and Bodding. What has brought me here is a long tale of government neglect and societal entitlement."


    "We heard some of it." Hursa called to the right. The blond Orc was coming along the tables with Ugak and the older Orc from earlier in tow. I had expected rabid lust from the three, but they seemed more intrigued than anything else. When they were on Eli''s left, the older Orc looked him up and down with gold eyes that gave away no emotion. After a few seconds, she took a step forward.


    "You don''t hate us." She declared. "There''s no revulsion in your eyes and any mother could spot a man feigning sweetness with pups."


    "Well, I''m not from around here. Getting long tales of the green menace wasn''t a staple of my people''s storytelling."


    In the sea of raised eyebrows, none rose as quickly as Hursa''s. She was also the first to voice her thoughts.


    "Is there really a place where we are not reviled?"


    "Yes," Eli nodded as he continued his explanation. "Though that was due more to there being no magic where I''m from."


    It was kind of funny how everyone leaned forward because of such a simple statement. But Eli disappointed them by not immediately elaborating.


    "My tale is not a short one. Let''s see what chairs we can get-"


    "It''s fine." I declared.


    Drawing all eyes on me, I got up from my seat and moved to take a spot on Eli''s right leg. Salamede quickly followed my lead and plopped herself down on his left leg. It was a bold thing, bolder than I would typically be comfortable with doing in such a public space. But I needed to feel him. I wanted those firm hands that had been so playful with the kids on me. Besides, he was my husband, and the children aren''t the only ones who should get to enjoy using him as furniture.


    The three Orcs sat in our seats, with Hursa taking mine, Ugak on Eli''s left and the older Orc sitting beside her. They were all dressed in the ubiquitous white shirts and brown pants found here and they seemed a lot more relaxed than they did last night. Even Ugak seemed positively friendly as she sat down, though we were in Eli''s presence now, so that was probably more for his benefit than anything else.


    Once they were seated, the long tale began.


    I had heard, dissected, and pondered over it enough to let my mind wander during the story. Throughout re-telling his story, he had to stop at the obvious objections. Yes, he had ships among the stars. No, he had no magic in his home¡­dimension? An odd word that only barely took me out of my stroking of his arms and chest. His time in the coalition itself was glossed over, focusing mostly on his adventures hunting necromancers and his actions in the swamps while his time in the ''proper'' Coalition lands was left to a few words about being discarded. When he reached the end, the crowd had its expected range of reactions.


    Then something unexpected happened. An obvious question, previously unasked, was presented.


    "A mighty tale." Ugak offered in a respectful tone, despite her lips being pursed and the doubts clear in her red eyes "But why exactly was increasing your¡­mind such a grievous crime? Surely, such a thing would only make your people stronger."


    It was an obvious question, in hindsight, but I hadn''t bothered trying to explore the intricacies of Eli''s culture as it would probably involve more things that bent the mind and defied all sense. That or it was a simple religious dogma. The deep breath Eli took as my hands rested on his shoulder and chest, however, was as clear as it could be in showing hesitation. After a moment, he finally gave the answer.


    "Overminds." He said with a nod and a far-off look. "Once the threshold of thirty-two point eight is breached, the person starts taking over everything around them. Guessing the timing of markets becomes a lot easier, working ships and designing buildings is almost trivial. More importantly, it starts a snowball effect. It allows you to more easily break or evade the constraints on further improvements, which allows you to increase your mental ability further.


    I''m sure you can see the loop there. The people who do this are called Overminds. Now, this could be a great boon to humanity and people everywhere. But the curve of growth is exponential. The first person who went through with it would be so far ahead of everyone that laws become strongly worded suggestions.


    More than that, the people who have such aims haven''t been benevolent. I''ve heard tales of hideaways where groups of people tried to take that step. Most failed and were subsequently blown away by a company''s patrols or the local government, if they were fortunate. Those that did succeed ended up being slaves to the one person who got their chips hooked up in a blink of an eye faster than the others or some random piece of code saw them get a calculation done one nanosecond faster."


    I looked at Salamede to see the same conflict in her face before turning back to Eli. There was a pain in my husband''s face, a long look in his eyes, and a bit lip above the strong chin.


    "Eli." I gently prodded as those purple irises turned to me. "I¡­ Knowing that. It doesn''t seem like they were¡­"


    I struggled to find a word less abrasive than ''wrong'', but he understood what I meant all the same.


    "I never tried to conquer any nation, build any kingdom, or bring any planet under my boot. The only thing I wanted was the information I needed to look for my family. To at least remember those who should always be at the forefront of my mind. I am not the best, nor the most faithful follower there ever was.


    ''Luke 14 verse 26: If a man should come to me, and not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, even yet, and his own life also, he is at fault in the eyes of the lord.''


    But I''d like to think God is forgiving in his follower''s failures and will allow me this indulgence. I know why my people did what they did. I can''t say that they were even wrong in doing what they did. It''s perfectly obvious what my network of influence in the galaxy looked like to them. For all that, though, I was still forced to choose between them and my family. I made my decision, and I don''t regret it."


    There was a bitter note in his voice at the end. Hursa, however, had a question of her own.


    "You know the scriptures?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and swish of her blonde hair that swung the odd X hanging from her necklace. That seemed to lighten Eli''s mood a bit.


    "Yes, as a part of the spirit codex. Saint Adia, I assume?" He asked as he sipped from his cup.


    There were nods from around the tables. Beaton, however, just shrugged.


    "I thought you lot didn''t have magic. So how would that Jesus fellow have risen from Necrosis?"


    Hursa pursed her lips and turned to the muscled, older man with furrowed eyebrows while Ugak and the older Orc smiled.


    "He didn''t rise from-"


    A cough from Eli brought all eyes back to him.


    "As fascinating as cross-dimensional theological discussions can be, I feel we have more pertinent issues to discuss."


    A round of nods let him move forward with the proposal that would save my entire species, all to a backdrop of children chuckling and the splashing of water.


    "All that I have done is for my family and that is what has brought me here today. We are here to supplant magic. To give the technology that saw my people travel the stars the chance it deserves. To allow the potential of people everywhere to go beyond how many fire-lizard steaks they managed to eat before they turned ten. I will not, nor will I ever, promise perfection. But I do promise something better than the system you have known."


    "And what will we need to do to make that happen?" Ugak asked with crossed arms.


    "For right now?" Eli responded with a shrug, "Mostly more work. Hopefully, we can just sit still, picking up the desperate masses falling through the guardrails of society until I have airplanes with enough missiles to answer any complaints. The big part of that is knowing how things work here. To that end, is there anything from your discussion with Kantor that you''d like to add?" He finished with a look towards the captain. The older man stroked his beard with a solemn look before nodding and sitting a bit straighter.


    "I didn''t understand why you wanted us to go over our experiences together, but having talked with him I can see the wisdom. Sadly, I think his time in the cold wastes has given him a more favorable impression of the green lands than is warranted. It''s warmer, but his kind doesn''t have to deal with King Beasts. Like the¡­"


    He fumbled for a bit. His eyes looked between the three of us for a moment before he spoke again.


    "That was you in the black things spirit connection, correct?"


    Eli raised an eyebrow but simply nodded. Beaton continued, with a bit of sweat coming down his forehead.


    "I mean no offense, but you¡­ do you appreciate that? What that means for everything and everyone."


    The quad mage puckered his lips while Salamede and I looked around the table. Green or tanned, the faces all had this eager look in them. Something between the relief of a coming rescue and finding a long-sought treasure.


    "I thought I did," Eli admitted with another nod. "But the energy of the room says sending the big worm packing is more significant than just bragging rights."


    "The Devourer is a King Beast," Ugak exclaimed with a now palpable eagerness. They seemed to think that answered it, but my husband only shrugged.


    "The books my academy had told only the bare minimum needed when it came to history. Most were on spell crafting and the various uses and gathering techniques around magical resources. When discussions of the Central Continent came up, it was always to spin poetry about their magical resources and the actions of my fellow Ultimates. Even finding a bare map was a¡­ painful endeavor."


    A dawning look of comprehension stole over their faces, leaving Beaton to continue the conversation.


    "King Beasts are the top predators, monsters who''ve lived many decades or even centuries and grew more powerful as they feasted across the wilds. Outside of the capital Casdan, we live by their grace and mercifully full belies. On the more northern coasts, it is the Devourer that marks its territory, in the southern shores near the Poison fields, it is the Thousand-Screams Toad who holds sway. Before Rodring brought the nations together, it wasn''t by the sword or armies that some nations died, but by the irritation of such beasts. The fact that the Burning Mist Pirates can control theirs is one of the many reasons they''ve been a staunch thorn in everyone''s sides."


    ''Eli,'' I asked my husband in a spirit connection, making little effort to hide my irritation ''Why are we only finding out about this now? Didn''t those brothers visit these lands?''


    ''I''ll ask them about it, but I doubt they knew. Jeff just had his beloved open her legs for him and Andrew isn''t the most curious soul even when he was awake from gestation. More importantly, the beasts here mostly kill peasants. The psychopathy of mages has never left much concern on that front in books or conversation. Even with all that, this isn''t new. We already knew humans weren''t the top killers here and even if it was brought up, they probably dismissed it as another big local monster.¡¯


    ''I don''t think it''s the same.'' Salamede disagreed. ''There are things out there that can kill small towns is a lot different from ones who can kill off nations.''


    Eli bit his lip for a second, thinking things over until he spoke in our spirit connection again.


    ''Could. In times long past when the countries were small feuding towns with a castle or two. For all we know, letting a bunch of magicless curs die to the monsters isn''t an issue for the government and the King Beasts are only a threat to the lower classes. Come to think of it, what about these northern lands?''


    Salamede shook her head.


    ''I doubt it. Aside from the occasional mole migration and sea creature, nothing big lives up here from what all the shopkeepers and dockworkers said. At least nothing Kantor and any of the other Kelton''s heard of.''


    Furrowing my eyebrows, a restrained smile stole over my face as I spoke to Salamede.


    ''Everyone living and dying by the hunger of giant monsters seems like a big item to miss. Are you sure no one said anything about a giant bear or something out on the icy wastes during your time in the Kelton hold?''


    Salamede took a deep breath before answering with an equally restrained voice.


    ''Gula. No. There was no mention of giant beasts or imminent destruction by mountain-sized monsters. When the humans talked about the lack of kings, I clearly misinterpreted it.  If you''ve forgotten, they are from the more southern regions while we are in the most northward tip of the frozen lands. You can''t expect them to have the same information and experiences.''


    ''A lot of the food is brought in from the south and almost every living thing is along the coast.'' Eli offered in a light tone, ''If there was a King Beast here, it would have snacked on a Kelton settlement by now and they''d talk about it. Part of the reason I chose these lands is that they are so remote and disconnected from the rest of the continent. That has a lot of strengths and a few weaknesses, as we have just learned. But there''s something else we need to know.''


    He coughed before audibly speaking to the crowd, all of whom were watching with rapt attention even as we talked without sound.


    "What about the King Beasts near the local capital? Will we need to take any special precautions when visiting there?"


    Beaton and the rest of the onlookers considered the notion but didn''t come up with anything. That was until a younger lad with brown hair and a white bandanna in the back spoke up.


    "My Pa and I visited to deliver leather a few times. They''re north of the Devourer and don''t have to worry about its hunger. The upper fields of snails, however, are dangerous and give them shells as well as magical resources. Besides being too barren to sustain a King Beast, Crasdan also has the best place for collecting the harvest of Kispin. That''s the only reason they send any real amount of support up here from what I''ve heard."


    Eli sighed he pondered various figures and calculations but the older Orc with braided black and grey hair leaned forward.


    "Since you can take them on, will you be pushing them out to make room for us?" her gold eyes shimmered with hope, as did most of the others around her. It dimmed a bit when Eli put up his hand and shook his head.


    "Declarations of absolute supremacy are most often found on tombstones and crypts. I promise I''ll get you away to safety if the time comes. But since we know about the Devourer and that there are no King beasts near the capital, let''s put this subject to rest for now."


    They all seemed a bit miffed at him casually pushing aside the King beasts. Obviously, none voiced such an objection as he continued speaking.


    "We want to get closer to the local Orc communities. I don''t suppose you''d know how to do that?"


    His playful tone elicited a few smiles, making those around the table relax a bit more. Ugak was the first one to speak, her voice soft and supplicating as she pulled her black shoulder-length hair aside with a wave of her hand.


    "As you well know, spies among the incoming men are always a concern. Sadly, we can''t just give you the location of the Orcs in Casdan as such knowledge is kept privy only to those who need it. Instead, we will need to go to Baker''s port. It''s the main base of operations for us Waveborn. Once we''ve gotten you introduced, I''m sure we''ll have enough volunteers for whatever project you have here."


    Eli raised an eyebrow along with an indulgent smile.


    "Sadly, I am needed here for my own projects. Of course, that has its own needs. Beaton." His head turned towards the captain who respectfully nodded back, ignoring the strained smile from Ugak as he did so. "Your craft has taken you all up and down the coasts, correct?"


    "I''d probably find my way around in my sleep if I could run the ship myself. More than that, I was involved in some military jaunts in my more willful days." He finished with a cross of his arms, letting the blue coat and white shirt crumple up with his lean forward.


    "If I wanted to acquire more metal from a mine owner of flexible character who didn''t ask too many questions about where his money came from or to who his goods went, where would I go about meeting them?"


    The sad smile under the grey beard spoke of nothing good coming.


    "The only reliable sources these days is what you have on hand. The pirates have been pillaging, raping, and killing across the seas with abandon. The warehouses are low on what they need and stuffed with crap they can''t do anything with. It''ll be months before it all gets sorted out if we''re lucky.


    In the past when the pirates managed to get organized enough to start serious trouble like this, the disruptions lasted for months or even a year or two. I''m not going to pretend to know what it is you can and can''t do. But, in my blunt opinion, if you want a stable supply of metal, you''d be better off mining it yourself."


    A sigh and look downward was my husband''s first move. This was an opening that Salamede took for all it was worth.


    "The icy wastes have a lot of untapped veins. Too far away to be mined, but if we had another ship and the workers, we could make it happen. We''d just need to get the people."


    I knew the fate of the poor souls on the icy wastes was weighing heavily on her. Nodding, I moved to support her idea when Hursa spoke up in a desperate tone.


    "There are also a lot of eager Orcs, hungry and desperate to work for a scrap of bread and a solid roof. We could have a lot of hard-working hands ready in days if we did a run at Bakers."


    Salamede''s snout flared and her grey fur pulled with her puckered lips. Worst of all, a lot of the red and gold eyes turned to me. Sensing this was going towards a Kelton and Orc slugging match, I quickly struck down any notion that I would be a part of it.


    "Hursa," I said in as firm a tone as I could manage, drawing all eyes to me. Some were hopeful, some eager, and all were expectant. "Our work here will save our species. Our entire species. You want Eli to slay the big scary monsters?"


    Looking around the room, I saw a lot of heads nodding in agreement.


    "Do you want abundant food and warm homes?" I asked again and received the same answer. "Then we need to work towards the common good. We have several groups we can easily pick up on the wastes. Groups we won''t have to spend time looking for spies slipping through."


    The blonde Orc bit her lips for a moment until the older, braided Orc spoke up.


    "Could we not get both?"


    A sad shake from Eli''s head flattened her hopes.


    "We need metal to expand our base." He explained. "The local barnacles could ruin any building we make if it''s not encased in layers of wood and iron or steel. We have enough for now, but I want to solve the shortage before it manifests."


    Salamede dipped her head as she rubbed her half of Eli.


    "We will still need as much help as we can get. The faster we help the Kelton''s here, the quicker we can get to bringing in Orcs and their families."


    I nodded in agreement, making sure to leave no doubt that this was coming from both of us. Hursa bowed as the others seemed satisfied.


    Beaton coughed as he leaned back a bit.


    "Speaking of spies, how do you intend to deal with Nate and the others?".


    The captain seemed resigned, and the rest of the people got hard eyes with pursed lips or scowls. In the back, I saw a few women put their heads down as they pushed food around on their plates.


    Eli puckered his mouth for a bit as he looked between us. If the stories he told me were anything to go by, I had a general idea of what their fates were. It had sickened me a bit, hearing how Eli had tortured captives in the past. And I knew enough about how Eli to see he had already decided the spy''s fate.


    "We can be harsh," I cut in, "If you have any objections as to their treatment, say them now."


    Surprisingly, a lot of the people looked offended at the offer. Beaton, however, took a deep breath and put his hands out onto the table as he meshed the fingers together. Clearing his throat, his eyes held a rage similar to that on the riverbank


    "A common practice among the spies is to kill their families before they leave. There isn''t a member of the crew or on Baker''s who hasn''t walked in on a mother over her children, their bodies mangled together as she tried to protect the little ones against their father.


    No, we don''t care how you treat them."


    Eli nodded while I pressed myself closer to him, looking around and seeing the women who were looking down a little pale in the face.


    "Excellent." The quad mage pronounced to the canteen. "But these concerns are behind us now. For the next few hours, I''m going to finish setting up the shops. In the meantime, workers and farmers will be coming by to explain their professions and you can decide which you will want. Sadly, I must announce that I have decided to restrict the men from working the ships, heating and water systems."


    Thankfully, the nods from around the table included all the men. Then Eli turned to Beaton.


    "I understand working together will be easier if you''re there to mediate disputes and direct people in your group. The Kelton''s I''ve brought in had a patriarch and I''ve let him keep that role to a certain degree, but at the end of the day, my word trumps all others. Do you have any objections?"


    He shook his head as he leaned back.


    "I''d like to think mother didn''t raise too big of a fool. I''ll keep an eye to make sure any arguments stay verbal, but, of course, you decide what to do and where."


    Satisfied, Eli relaxed in his chair while Salamede pushed up his mask and fed him a forkful of fish. When I gave him his water, he looked me in the eyes for a moment before pulling up and stealing a kiss. The men nodded before turning to eat, but the women seemed intrigued. No doubt wondering what romance with a mage was like.


    But work had to be done and our breakfast was eaten in short order. The three Orc matriarchs left the table and went to get food. I reluctantly pulled back and got up, leaving Eli enough time to kiss Salamede as well before turning towards our meal. It passed with some idle chatter, though most kept stealing glances at the man who headed our table.


    It was a few more minutes before he had to leave with one last bow.


    "Ah!" One of the small red-headed girls cried when her block of water became smaller and smaller before Eli made it dissolve into nothingness.


    To the wave of disappointed moans, Eli raised both hands. Shooting bubbles all over the kids before running to the doors, he gave me and Salamede one final wave goodbye as he made his escape. When he was out the canteen, mothers started calling their brood from the mass of children, who promptly filtered through the tables in an excited tide of green flesh and rough cloth sacks.


    Eventually, the first meal ended. Content to have a light workday, Salamede and I took it slow. We finished our food and left the tables as farmers in armor and a few workers with basic tools from the workshops began coming in. The plates and dishes were being washed in big tubs on the right side of the kitchen with bars of soap and cleaning rags.


    As we handed off our dishes, the three Orc matriarchs stopped us just outside the door and Hursa motioned us towards the now deserted left-most table. We walked over the stone floor and sat down on the wood bench with Salamede on my left, Hursa on my right, and the other two sitting opposite of me.


    "Well, he certainly presented a compelling argument." Hursa proclaimed to the group.


    Everyone nodded, though Ugak quickly spoke in a rather sultry tone as her shoulder-length black hair whirled from a thrown back head.


    "He did more than present his vision, he got into the good graces of all the women. Using magic just to make children giggle, what a scandalous thing. He should use his grand gift to forge nations and legends of glory."


    I raised an eyebrow at that, while everyone else was decidedly neutral on the statement. The Orcs took a moment, looking around the large room and vaulted ceiling sprinkled with mana lamps.


    "Why?" Salamede asked with a shrug that crinkled her green dress, "Does everything have to be about power? Can''t we just be happy and enjoy the company of others?"


    That got some guarded looks from those around the table.


    "Miss," the older Orc interrupted with a lean forward and a tired expression exasperating the lines in her face. "Power is what keeps you alive. I think having such a force of nature as a husband has made you complacent about the necessity of taking every advantage you can."


    Salamede puckered her lips as she straightened her back.


    "He didn''t seem like a force of nature when I tended to him from crippling pain brought about by casting magic. Perhaps you should give what he''s offering you a chance before making any judgments."


    They all nodded, but Ugak puckered her lips before turning to me.


    "Perhaps. But we have another item to discuss. You said he took your virginity just a few days ago."


    I nodded, making sure to meet her red eyes as the other two Orcs joined her. A huff on my right made me turn to Hursa.


    "You''ve barely lost your maidenhood then. I''d be more inclined to say you''ve merely been pierced, but it''s not your fault. You''re still quite young and need to be instructed on how to properly drain a man. Making sure his legs wobble in the morning when he''s been good with the kids or kept a promise is a skill every wife should have."


    Looking around, I saw Salamede regarding me with a passive face and a nod, the same look of coming instruction she had when she taught some of the workers. Realizing I had lost my teammate to the enemy, I boldly leaned forward with a stuck-out chin.


    "He didn''t have any objections when he was on top of me, his face like a wild animal as he ravaged me with every thrust between my legs."


    Their small head shakes were the most profoundly annoying head movements that had ever graced my eyes. It was Salamede who delivered the killing blow.


    "You have much to learn, dear sister."


    "No worries," The older Orc exclaimed, "We''ve discussed it with your mother, and she''s given us her blessing to show you down this path. But don''t worry, like all things, sex is a skill that improves with practice. So don''t beat yourself up if it doesn''t go perfectly the first time."


    Crossing my arms over the table, I made sure to wear a smug face as they started. I had seen the man''s very tip and felt it enter me, what difference would their words do to my sensibilities?


    A lot, it turns out.


    As I made my way out of the canteen with my face feeling like it was on fire, I couldn''t bring myself to look at any of the men as I made my way to the communal room for Eli and us. It turns out my experience had only put images to their words, making them more real and my blood pump all the hotter for it. After dousing my head in the water of our shower, I returned to the workshop.


    Eli was still putting in the added space in the workshop connected to the meeting room and sending workers to make way for another workshop directly connected to the forge. The day, as slow as it was to start, picked up and people got to work on one task or another. Even the brothers came around as I was instructing a few of the Orc women in the basics of swordsmanship and aiming these long wooden weapons Eli offhandedly called ''rifles''.


    When they realized they weren''t going to be hogtied by the green women, the two mages went about their usual work on the heating and helping with fire safety. At dinner, when everyone was gathering at the tables, a few of the younger women and kids still bothered them. Andrew in particular when his familiar was around. Between the kids playing with the fire ape and the noise of the canteen, the place was livelier than any time in memory.


    The day coming to its close, we all eventually retired for the night as the sailor''s families went about the various beds spread out across the hangar and a lucky few went to the available rooms in the living area next to the unfinished expansion. In our room, bathed in that golden glow under a mana lamp, I stretched my hands over Eli''s bare chest while Salamede rubbed his now exposed chin and cheeks with her snout.


    "So, what''s the verdict?" He asked, looking at me with love clear in those purple eyes. Pushing the morning''s advice from the women away, I cleared my throat and gave my honest opinion.


    "Not as well as I had anticipated. Given¡­ everything about our lives, I thought they''d jump at the chance to chuck this world overboard. Some of them, despite how hard things are for us, seemed to have latched on to some far-flung future. A future of us winning out over the humans.


    It''s a fever dream, in my opinion, but it gives them hope. Hope that goes against upending magic. Honestly, I don''t think the Orcs as going to be as unshakeable a pillar as we thought."


    Eli took it in like any other report, though the hand he rubbed down my white-laced spine was anything but professional.


    "It is an incredible ability on a societal level," Salamede put in as she looked at me from over Eli''s chest. "The humans have turned their every resource towards expanding magical talent. Being able to sling out mages at will is pretty amazing when you think about the mountains of gold the Coalition expends just to get a few casters."


    She meant well and she wasn''t the object of my rising tide of anger, so I forced down my scowl before it showed on my face and dug my head into Eli''s side.


    "It came from him," I said with a tremor of hate and despair.


    A hand rubbed my shoulder, far softer than Eli''s.


    "We love you, Gula." Salamede offered in a soothing voice. Eli reaffirmed her position by pulling me closer.


    Mentally chiding my weakness, I could only lay there as Salamede took my hand and held it over Eli''s chest before Eli used a long pole of summoned stone to turn off the mana lamp. Feeling the warmth of those I loved and the bonds of marriage in my soul, the room freshly plunged into darkness felt lovelier than any palace I had dreamed of as a little girl. A thought that preoccupied me as I drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 111: Bad Guests

    Eli POV


    Waking up, I took a deep breath of the salty air as my mind processed the typical sensations. Light from the mana lamp above playing across the wall on my right, something warm and hard beneath me, and the lethargy that accompanied coming into the land of the living. While I was processing the fact I forgot to remove my shirt and pants from yesterday¡¯s long slog of work, there was a push against my shoulder.


    ¡°HMM? Too soon, Eli,¡± Gula moaned. Looking beneath me, I saw my green wife with her bowl cut of black hair splayed across the white pillows. The vertical cut along her left eye and the scar across her nose scrunched as she reluctantly woke up. It was at that point that I knew where I was and why.


    My Orc wife had demanded that I use her as my personal pillow ever since her kin had arrived. While I had been very reluctant to do that, I was a good head taller than her and a fair bit heavier, she had persisted. I quickly came to admire the sturdiness of Garren¡¯s handiwork, despite my previous objections. Getting off her with a few threads of her white nightgown still sticking to me, her green hands shot up and groped for my neck before pulling me back down. Tilting her head up, she exposed her neck to me as she stuck her sharp chin out.


    Those golden eyes finally opened and looked up to me with a mix of impatience and embarrassment as I surveyed the small bruises of my previous work until I found an open spot. Raising an eyebrow with a smirk that I couldn¡¯t keep down, I went to work sucking on the upper skin of her right collar bone. At the same time, I concentrated on my frontal cortex and started a spirit connection with her.


    ¡®How often do they think we play? I¡¯d think they¡¯d understand if our loins rested for one night.¡¯


    She shook her head slightly even as her breathing quickened from our routine nibbling.


    ¡®If I come out of this room without your scent on me or some new love brand, they¡¯d give me so much grief over it. It¡¯s not unpleasant for you, is it?¡¯


    ¡®Never,¡¯ I quickly corrected in a firm tone, ¡®I was worried about hurting you at first, but I must say Orcs being so well built has had more utility than I initially thought.¡¯


    She snorted but said nothing as I continued filling the soundscape with wet sucking.


    ¡®Still, you are my wife. If they are speaking ill of you, that will need to be addressed.¡¯


    Gula shook her head as I finished bruising her lower neck with my lips.


    ¡®I¡¯m just being surly more than anything.¡¯ She said as I lifted myself to meet her eyes. ¡®They¡¯re not doing it intentionally; it¡¯s just showing in their faces. All the older women purse their lips before turning away and when I talk to the ones near my age, I can see a little disappointment in their eyes.¡¯


    Our special morning ritual now finished, we moved to get a shower. Salamede and Gula took turns getting up early to help make the morning meals, and today it was the Orc''s turn in the shower with me. After a few minutes of rubbing, with both soap and hands, we were ready to meet the day. I had to take a minute to kiss and smother her to make sure she still reeked of me, but we were out the door in fresh, matching white shirts and brown pants in what still felt like the early morning.


    Coming out of our room and down the hallway, the next morning ritual began. Even before I finished opening the door to the main meeting room, I could see the small Orcs waiting by the door. Wearing proper dresses instead of sacks, their red or gold eyes had the same excitement I had seen in them on their first day. As I opened the door all the way, I found the usual entourage of their older sisters on the right.


    Somewhere in the range of sixteen and early twenties, the more mature Orcs were all staring sullenly at their younger sisters. One with long brown hair came up to her younger sister who was rubbing her own bun of hair.


    ¡°Shena,¡± The older sister said patiently with a strained smile above her stubby chin. ¡°We still have to get a lot of clothes made and repaired. Go to mother and help her with the needlework while we see to the quad mage.¡±


    Clearly not getting the subtext, the child scrunched her eyebrows together and puckered her lips in concentration.


    ¡°Why would I help mother with fixing dresses? Don¡¯t you need the help?¡± She asked as she pointed toward her sister¡¯s grey dress, specifically the part covering her chest.


    The fabric had been hacked with a knife in a crude manner that was hidden with some skillful stitching, though the portion exposing her breasts was still left unattended. It was an unfortunate accident that had befallen the rest of the older Orcs, most of whom got some dark green in their cheeks. In the first few days, there had been a lot of mistakes by the Orcs. Their necklines getting pulled down long enough to expose their nipples, a stray wind lifting the hem of their dresses to expose their thighs or what lay between, and absent-mindedly rubbing their bodies against me were the typical mishaps found around the base.


    I had seen more green this past week than anytime I had spent flying through the forest.


    Fortunately, the younger ones were mostly concerned about playing with water or wanted me to shower them with some spell of harmless magic. A few had asked the Frojan or Salamede for some playthings and were no doubt playing with bubble crafts around the housing area under the supervision of one or more frogmen. In spite of that distraction, the little Orcs sensed that I was the center of attention and the bolder among them insisted on being where the action was.


    A light chuckle from Gula on my left interrupted the sibling feud.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the dresses that need work around here,¡± She chided as she moved to the right while I walked to the kitchen. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of chores to get done today. I want each of you plying growing crafts on the-¡°


    The shuffle of small feet blotted out her voice for a second as my entourage of co-conspirators accompanied me towards my breakfast. Opening the iron door, I let the little ones out first and turned towards my wife. Sure enough, her white shirt was pulled down to expose her collar bone. She had spent almost every morning talking with the women on what the day¡¯s work would be and it was obvious that they were inspecting her for new love bites as much as they were receiving instruction.


    When the last little one came through, I followed them with a shut of the door behind me. Going into the main hallway with the golden glow of the mana lamps beaming on every bit of grey stone along the walls and floor, my group took a left into the double iron doors. A small green girl rushed forward and pulled open one of them with a puff of her cheeks. Her blonde pigtails swinging from the effort, she proudly held the door open for us. I went through last and did an exaggerated bow to her. A small chorus of giggles to the right drew my eyes as I took the door from the girl, who promptly abandoned her post to join her friends.


    Four Orc mothers were smiling at me with mirth and some interest in their red or gold eyes. Doing small nods as they passed by, a few looked me up and down appreciatively before moving to get the morning meal in with the children. It was all a part of the delicate dance we had established where I would let the children hang around my more mundane work in the first half of the day while I worked on the radio in the afternoon by myself. The mid-twenties and older Orcs had been rather restrained in their push for my bed. Partly because they were all married, their own husbands might become mages, and partly because I had shown affection towards the children, and they were reluctant to upset their young one¡¯s by stealing me away from them. That left the green women around Gula¡¯s age struggling to maneuver around their younger sisters without arousing the wrath of their mother¡¯s.


    I followed the women down the left side of the rows of tables towards the kitchens buffet of various food stuffs, behind which was an open window showing the still busy kitchen. The mothers started directing the little ones while I picked up my own cutlery and plate from the stack at the left side of the buffet. Picking up a steaming biscuit and baked potatoes, I maneuvered around the children trying to get their pudgy little fingers around the large spoons and forks used to put the various treats on their plates. They all moved quickly as the next group came in, looking equally hungry and eager. Covered in rags, the thirty or so skinny Kelton¡¯s arrived from the icy wastes late yesterday on the dual airships. Despite having a decent meal the night before, they still seemed as ravenous as they had been when the Intrepid first picked them up.


    Most plied their plates with stacks of hot cakes, potatoes, and gravy simply because moving a few feet to the rest of the dishes was too long for their appetites to wait. With my meal already gathered, I moved towards the back end of the middle table, a section that had been reserved for me and my immediate family. I sat down in the chair of plain brown wood at the end of the table and looked at the goings on. Despite their hunger, the Kelton¡¯s maintained manners and worked around the Orcs. They had been shocked when they saw them among human mages, but the newest additions to our now not so little family quickly adapted. If for no other reason than they would do nothing that threatened their ability to stay in this little paradise.


    Most of the newcomers, besides the typical stories of hardship being exiles, told of shortages straining already thin supplies of bread and wheat. It was a hard tale that had stressed out Salamede to no end. Speaking of, my Kelton wife was coming out of the kitchen with a blue dress. A smear of flour on her left leg was particularly eye catching as it told of a rushed frenzy to make the breakfast spread.


    She made her way to sit on my left and gave me a deep kiss before sitting down with a rub of the grey fur along her neck. Her tall ivory horns moved with her head as she ate in silence for a moment before she spoke in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Have you made a decision?¡¯ She asked with bit of hope coming through the exhaustion.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know if we can get away with you dropping food out of nowhere. What I¡¯m thinking we do is have a large amount of driftwood get pushed into the markets with big chests of food. They¡¯ll get what they need and will put it down to smugglers meeting a poor fate.¡¯


    She gave a sigh of relief before rubbing her goat head against my shoulder.


    ¡®Thanks, Eli.¡¯


    A bloom of warmth in my chest was all the reward I needed, though the change in our situation probably demanded the action anyway. Which was when Gula quickly joined the morning rush. Once she retrieved a bowl of soup and mug of water, she sat down on my right with a small smile as she joined our mutual spirit connection.


    ¡®He said yes?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®Yep.¡¯ Salamede responded with a big smile.


    I took a moment enjoying my family¡¯s company and our food before getting on to business.


    ¡®Part of the reason I accepted is because it looks like we¡¯ll need the Kelton¡¯s more than I initially thought we would. To that point, have your talks this past week have changed anything?¡¯ I asked with a pointed turn to Gula.


    She pursed her lips, thinking it over for a moment before giving her verdict.


    ¡®It¡¯s a split. The Orcs in the church seem to have put their future in the hands of that Adia saint and her religion. Overall, I¡¯d say they are our best bet since having magical children makes little difference to them. The others are more determined to slug it out with humanity and think the Bastard¡¯s vision for us is the only way forward. Why they would ever want to¡­¡¯


    Gula stumbled for the words in the same manner she usually did whenever this subject came up. That the Orcs here didn¡¯t have the seething hatred of her species sire was an interesting psychological turn, but I could only be there for her and help her work through this confusing time for her. My Orc wife closed her eyes before opening them and resuming her report.


    ¡®Of course, there¡¯s a whole range of opinions between these two groups among a lot of the women.


    Fortunately, our proposal to feed the men magical vegetables has pacified the latter faction with even Ugak becoming downright friendly. But that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll live and breathe the cause. For our purposes, I¡¯d say there are only five or seven I¡¯d trust not to run screaming to the local Orcs about you.¡¯


    I nodded, but Salamede¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together. She rubbed her smooth cheekbones before she spoke up in a rather offended voice.


    ¡®All of this and so few have any gratitude. How many miracles does Eli need to pull out of the air before they see sense?¡¯


    Gula bit her lip before sighing, her eyes looking tired as she looked into the Kelton¡¯s white orbs.


    ¡®I think spending all of your time with an Orc carrying a traitor¡¯s blood has obscured your view of the situation. Every minute they spend not forcing Eli¡¯s gift into them is an unfathomable betrayal of everything our kind has fought and died for since we were first released onto the world. I¡¯m not going to pretend to know what obligations a Kelton has but getting with a male mage is what every Orc mother talks to their daughters about. It¡¯s what drives our people, and it is the explicit purpose of our entire species. I understand that it¡¯s frustrating that they haven¡¯t dropped all of that at a moment¡¯s notice, but the fact they¡¯ve not forced their way into our room shows they are trying their best.¡¯


    The Kelton woman¡¯s snout flared while I sat back and continued eating in silence, content to let them work through this issue until the time was right.


    ¡®What¡¯s frustrating is starving to death, sister.¡¯ Salamede refuted in a tired voice. ¡®The new arrivals from the wastes need time to adjust and learn how to work. If we can¡¯t reliably send out the Orcs, we¡¯re going to have a glut of workers for the ships and weapons but not enough hands to use them.¡¯


    I sat a bit straighter, drawing both their eyes to me as the noise of the dining hall picked up with more arrivals.


    ¡®We can¡¯t reliably send the Orcs to human settlements,¡¯ I announced to both of them, ¡®but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll make a run for it out on the wastes. Have them supplement a crew of Frojan and Kelton¡¯s for the extraction missions. Also, every operation typically has few people on the actual front lines. Most of our labor force is going to be focused on making, maintaining, and deploying ships, equipment, and basic niceties of life.


    All that said, there¡¯s a bigger problem. Having the base be the only place for the humans and Orcs to stay will prevent us from properly establishing contact with the rest of them in the years to come. In the far future when we wanted to give out information that an Ultimate mage was willing to work with the Waveborn, who among those outside of our home would we turn to?¡¯


    Gula nodded with a shift of her black hair as she took a bite out of a biscuit.


    ¡®The Orcs are the ones who mostly deal with any sensitive information and the ones we could talk to are all at Baker¡¯s port. They aren¡¯t really told much beyond what they need for that precise moment of time. A long chain of messengers maintains communication with the capital Stand in the Bloody Plains, a long swathe of mana-less land between the Rodring Kingdom and the group with some glue spitting grass and the well of holy water. How they talk with the Cradle, or Baluds¡¯s Folly as the humans know it, is beyond them.¡¯


    I spent a minute, eating in silence as I fussed over the situation in my head. When no alternatives to the needed course came to me, I coughed to draw my wives¡¯ attention.


    ¡®I had hoped to make the Orcs and their human husbands our main force, but if that foundation isn¡¯t as solid as we hoped we¡¯ll have to put more focus on the local Kelton¡¯s.¡¯


    Gula bit her lower lip. Even if she didn¡¯t say anything, the worry playing across her face was plain to see. Salamede, despite her concern these past few days, didn¡¯t seem to be relieved at the news.


    ¡®Those on the wastes are exiles from clans. A few are freshly expunged and die quickly, some linger for weeks or months as Kantor¡¯s group had, and others have been there for generations. To our purposes, they have no loyalty for the clans that kicked them out but there aren¡¯t that many of them. Which is a shame because I don¡¯t think we want to start taking people directly from the clans who might still have some allegiance to their tribe. There are a lot of grudges in these northern lands. Feuds and personal slights going back hundreds of years. Disputes that an airship raining down molten stone would resolve in short order.¡¯


    Rubbing the mug next to my plate, I let loose a long sigh but said nothing. Pondering on what to do, it was Gula who put forth an idea.


    ¡®We can¡¯t bring the Orcs in directly, or at least let them know about us. But what if we filtered them before bringing them here?¡¯


    ¡®A business venture acting as a front?¡¯ I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Gula nodded as she elaborated futher. ¡®I¡¯ll need to talk with Beaton to see what kind we act as, but I¡¯m sure we could set up a charity or shipping venture that would let us cycle through a bunch of workers.¡¯


    It was an idea worth exploring, since I would need several plastics, rubbers, and ores I couldn¡¯t get from one or two mines and farms. A risky idea, but a possibility all the same.


    ¡®Whatever we¡¯re doing, it¡¯s not happening until I get the radios working.¡¯ I declared.


    They both nodded at that, going back to finishing their meals. After a minute, I noticed the regular Kelton¡¯s coming in. Among the more well fed and relaxed goat-people, a stark contrast to the new arrivals, I saw the two brothers among the crowd. With the arrival of the Waveborn, the two would abscond to the Kelton section of the living area at night and keep among them during the early morning.


    Despite the more relentless Orcs who insisted on showing themselves off to me, we male mages had gotten through these past few days relatively unmolested. In fact, only twice has the brother¡¯s room been crowded with green women trying to score a night¡¯s play. And whatever concerns we three had, the first few days had been a lot harder on the regular men than us.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Fears of being cuckolded were plain to see, and occasionally hear when they thought I was far enough away. Thankfully, the ability to sire mage children Garren gave the Orcs didn¡¯t come with a physical compulsion and the women seemed quite approving Gula¡¯s idea to feed the men magical vegetables. The wives didn¡¯t toss the fathers of their children overboard for the promise of magical seed and an uneasy normality set in. Not totally based on scientific wonder, as I had hoped, but the way their eyes lit up from looking at the forges or seeing the ships lift off told of an ember burning brighter with each lesson and new trinket.


    As the breakfast went on, Orc children started gathering around my chair as they finished their meals. Taking a swig of my water, I suddenly felt the pressure of small hands and feet on my thighs. The small girls began taking up their usual spots on me and the chairs arm rests.


    ¡°Hey, Usax.¡± I said to the small, brown-haired girl on my right leg. ¡°So how did the shower go?¡±


    The skinny thing shook her head with such vigor that her hair moved like a wave along her sides.


    ¡°You was right. The one ball-thing on the right made it warmer.¡±


    From there, the rest began informing me of their various adventures, questions, and accidents around the base. Not near the forge, of course, but there was still a lot of places they could scamper about. I had the time to indulge them today, as I had decided to put some stone crafting tools into the hands of the regular workers to finish out the newest addition to the farms.


    The looks of love and need my wives gave me after playing with the children also played a part in my indulgence.


    A few minutes spent talking passed before the day¡¯s work called to me.


    Getting up with my regular entourage, the small mass of girls followed me out of the room. Going out of the double iron doors with a wave to those left behind, I walked across the main hallway to the living quarters directly ahead. Coming through the iron entrance, the wide expanse of nine floors with railing opened up. There was some commotion here and there, particularly around the large baskets holding the used near the edges of the first floor that held all the showers and bathrooms.


    On the right was the second newest addition to our abode, with another set of double doors leading to the living area for the Waveborn. But that wasn¡¯t my destination for the day. Going up the right set of stairs on the sides of the levels, my feet slapped against the floor boards along with a small stampede of softer pats as my little caravan moved up to the door at the end of the middle floor.


    Moving along and out of the way of a few stragglers, I came up to the iron door and opened it. The room was a large one, about as wide as the first room though a bit shorter. While I was trying to take on a bit more hands-off approach to expansion, that didn¡¯t mean I was going to throw the workers into the deep end at the start. Using small wooden stakes and pads carrying earth enchantments, I had the sailors working on chipping away at the walls and squaring the corners to make a new room.


    Some things weren¡¯t exact, of course. A few rough edges, the walls on the right being a bit further than needed, as well as a full head shorter than its counterpart. Still, it was a lot of time saved on my end. Mentally noting to do more to provide proper measurements, I got to work buffing out the issues. A task worked towards by me and the little ones, who were carrying out the debris one piece at a time and stopped to gawk at the occasional shower of sparks and bubbles.


    With the rough outline of the room already finished, I was far ahead of where I would be if I had done it myself like I had the living area. While it had its sister rooms dimensions, the plan was for it to be only half focused on regular crops. Once the metal skin was finished, half of the room would have the long stacks of garden troughs, while the other half would hold specialized boxes designed to grow magically enhanced vegetables. They would take a lot more mana as their plant growing enchantments would be more powerful and concentrated, but most of that would be done at night under the eyes of the night crew from the Waveborn.


    ¡°Eli!¡± Salamede¡¯s voice called out from somewhere near the door. I was on the far side cutting the last piece of stone away from the wall when I turned to her. She still had her blue dress on, though the hands on her hips told of a mood fouler than before. ¡°Is this the quality time you¡¯ve been spending with the kids?¡±


    Looking around, the small squads of small girls moving bits of chipped stone did resemble a work gang, but their smiles told of labor joyfully carried out. Something that seemed lost on Salamede as she moved to the left to let a small group of girls clutching fist-sized stones move past.


    ¡°It¡¯s character-building quality time they¡¯ll tell their grandkids about.¡± I proclaimed with a raised chin. She didn¡¯t seem convinced as she gave me a tilted head and pursed lip. ¡°Besides, you think I work them any less in the workshop?¡±


    That got a suppressed smile from my beloved as she did a head roll with that dramatic flair only a woman could give.


    ¡°Lunch is ready.¡± The Kelton woman declared. Her message delivered, she turned around and left, though not before taking a particularly large chunk of stone out of a small child¡¯s hands.


    I followed her along with my troop of laborers.


    Lunch was the typical affair of fish this and fish that interspersed with some vegetable or bread. The chefs were doing their best to make variety out of the same dozen ingredients, but the soul demanded some variety and I was seriously tempted to go on a hunting expedition. Sadly, the cold logic of the situation demanded I work on the radios, which is what I did after my meal and a wave goodbye to my child workers. All of whom insisted on forming a line by the door and getting a personal farewell hug from the great mage.


    Much to the sullen stares of their older siblings sitting at the tables.


    The next few hours were spent in my workshop working around two boxes of wood with foot-long poles of copper wires sticking out of the top. I was standing against the wall with the magnet-making table, its two squares of steel and ever-present copper sphere on my left. Opposite of me, sitting atop the other worktable, was the other handheld radio. Along its edges were shifting masses of black, shifting shapes. The oval head of Cell was behind it, out of my vision as I instructed him in carrying out the small adjustments.


    Each had a smaller version of the copper spheres in them, which freed me from the constraints of having batteries. Using my considerable experience, I was able to guide Cell in making the crude circuitry with his black mass of shapes which were able to guide the pieces into place with a precision my unenhanced human eyes couldn¡¯t hope to compete with. My typical style of testing seemed needless for this invention as aside from the power source, there were no magical components aside from the power source and the partitioning of the AM radio frequencies.


    And if the flow of electrons, magnetic field calculations, or other fundamental laws of electrical engineering were different in this universe, I had a lot more problems than a dud radio.


    As Cell was fitting the pieces that served as the voice receiver into place, the floor hatch on my right slammed open.


    ¡°Eli! Ship!¡± Gula¡¯s voice called out of the hole with a note of panic.


    Running towards the hole, I started going over our healing implements and where to triage the cases.


    ¡°Was it the Intrepid or-¡°


    ¡°Not ours. It¡¯s a water-bound ship on its way here.¡±


    My stomach squeezed as my palms started sweating. Moving the ladder beside the hole into place, I made my way down as Cell shot onto my shoulder. When I was down in my room, I turned to see a panicked Gula behind me. My instincts told me to comfort her, but every second counted as we both ran out of the room and through the hallway. When I came onto the main meeting room, Salamede was nervously waiting on the left while Baloo and Beaton stood on the right, the former captain rubbing his large grey beard nervously.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked the group.


    Salamede stepped forward.


    ¡°Durka was heading out on patrol and showing the Orcs the local landscape when they spotted two ships sailing here. They¡¯ve dropped off a soldier to deliver the message and took back to the skies.¡±


    ¡°What about our other ship?¡± I asked the group. It was Beaton who coughed before answering.


    ¡°Still in the dock and ready to fly. I¡¯d say we could take them out easily enough, but there¡¯s another problem.¡± His brown eyes shifted nervously back towards the hangar.


    I nodded for him to continue.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t merchant vessels. One has the hard, copper-like hull and spikes of the Mist pirates, but the other is a thicker, dark beast of a ship. I¡¯ve only seen or heard of one group that uses those, the Kispin harvesters. A specially made brute designed to rip the giant crustaceans from the seafloor and all the punishment they can give on the way up.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I told Cell to go cover up any trace of our presence outside and then tag alongside their ships. After they arrived, he was to meet me at the cave. His instructions received; he took a brief moment to prepare a wind spell. Everyone jerked back as he shot into the air and through the open door on the right, but I quickly pressed the conversation forward.


    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting, Beaton. But what, by all the graces of God, are they doing up here? These waters are too barren to sustain such beasts.¡±


    Beaton nodded as his hands ran over his blue coat in a nervous tick.


    ¡°I have a good idea, but if it¡¯s really why they¡¯re here, we¡¯d best make sure nothing around the base will give away our position.¡±


    Having reached a point of agreement, we all parsed out our tasks before breaking into smaller groups. Gula and Salamede left to still whatever work was going on and check around the outer hatch to make sure it was properly covered. I went to the cave to double-check for anything that might give away our presence and to fully seal the side entrance. As I ran through the workshop with its long tables, Beaton kept pace behind me and spat out his theory on our uninvited guests, an impressive feat considering his age and size.


    ¡°I¡¯d say they¡¯re probably here to set up shop. Or at least start the measurements for it.¡±


    My legs nearly gave out at the wretched words, but I kept on, moving past confused workers while the usual chorus of hammers and ripping cloth gradually died with people running around telling others to cease their labor. Though Beaton still talked as we came into the wide expanse of the hangar with my first ship in the back left.


    ¡°There¡¯s always some spat between the kingdom and the Burning Mist. But the seas would run dry before either let it get in the way of gathering magical meat or plants, lest those mages without borders take their lost investment in lives. The pirates hold a few islands outside of their mountain of burning steam on the seas and when the fighting looks like it will impede a harvest from either end, one of the opposing side''s ships will escort around the laborer''s ships to find somewhere else to set up shop. If such an operation can be moved. Otherwise, a ceasefire is worked out.¡±


    As I came towards the hatch on the right corner that led to the caves below, my stomach was doing flips.


    ¡°Get with your men,¡± I commanded as I prepared an earth spell, ¡°I want every scrap of knowledge they have about the Kispin haulers.¡± Beaton promptly obeyed as he nodded before running off.


    Going down into the cave, I quickly scoured for any pieces of cloth or discarded food. Fortunately, the people were either immaculate cleaners or too mentally close to destitution from their previous lives to consider throwing anything away. Walking across the slippery stone floor as the ocean on my left went back and forth with the waves inside the cave walls, I pulled on the stalagmite that served as the door handle to our water room.


    Not taking any chances, I shut down our water intake and heating pool before filling in the underwater wall that brought in seawater from the open cave. Once that was finished, I closed the door again and used an earth spell to stop the door handle from moving again. I didn¡¯t want to have to kill these ships and their crew by them finding us, but I still needed to know as much as I could. Sealing the door into the cave, I stood still behind it as a mana lamp above bath me in a golden glow.


    Using an earth spell to make a small hole in the wall with a ninety-degree turn to prevent the escape of light, I was almost finished when I hear the hatch above open.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Gula said quietly somewhere behind me from atop the stairs. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±


    I didn¡¯t turn around, instead only nodding to the stone wall in front of me.


    ¡°Get those noise-deadening crafts and put them over the hatch. I want to find out as much as I can, and I¡¯d stake my life on them checking out the cave for additional storage.¡±


    The smacking of shoes on stone told me she left to see finish her task. As I was making the small entrance for Cell to spy on the newcomers, my animal instincts started running wild. It was that moment of panic, when the fragile glass chalice slipped from the fingers and the mind struggled to find the right motions to keep it from crashing into the floor, that started clouding my mind.


    But this wasn¡¯t a momentary accident, and the stream of questions was corralled while I made the entrance for Cell. Once that was finished, all I could do was go over what would give us away. The outer hatch was covered and any holes for air circulation were being seen to. With nothing to do but wait, it was only a few more minutes of idle agony before Cell knocked on the door.


    Sending a blast of wind through the hole, my familiar black oval head peeked out with a spirit connection quickly running across my skin. It was largely what the flight crew described, though the presence of a pirate on the Kispin hauler was an added detail. He also showed me that they had stopped outside the cave after making a few rounds around the island and the barnacle''s concrete-like fields of stone. All tasks finished, Cell went back through the hole and covered the top with a fake rock cap.


    It was a good thirty minutes or so before the new guests arrived. I was getting the image of the cave from Cell who was around eye level and, more importantly, could see the small boat being rowed through the waves as the two larger ships behind it anchored in place. The big, almost black ship dwarfed the one on the right, but it lacked the lethality of its copper-skinned companion. More towering laborer than killer.


    The rowboat had four decent-looking sailors and two men, one on the right wearing a long grey coat and tipped hat that contrasted with his tan skin. The other was older and rather pale, having the grey robes and skinny form of an office worker. Between the two men in the middle were long poles of varying sizes. When they finally made landfall, the two quickly went about their work while I prepared a discreet wind spell to listen in on their conversations.


    Putting the poles at different spots along the floor and walls, they were clearly measuring for something to be put in. Their verbal sniping and irritated faces made their mood equally clear. After a good hour of work and the scribe writing on a piece of paper with a quill and well of ink chained on his hip, they both finished their respective tasks with a nod near the entrance of the cave. As the sailors were putting the poles back into the boat, the two gentlemen had their first words that weren¡¯t based on measuring some section of stone.


    ¡°Now back to the ray of sunshine squatting on the ship.¡± The scribe moaned. A snort from the first mate drew his head to the right.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s rough, but we may not have to put up with them if things hold together.¡±


    The scribe disappointedly shook his head.


    ¡°Lad, one of life¡¯s lessons is to expect the worst as it will usually come. It¡¯s been pure wisdom these past few decades. An undeniable truth these past few months.¡±


    With that, they both got in their boat. It was an uneventful trip back to their ship, as was their turnaround and move back onto the other side of the island as the afternoon sun played across their white sails and the shifting waves. Seeing the wide berth they were taking out onto the open sea away from the island, I waited until the ships left Cell¡¯s view before I told him to help our ship in the air follow them. He promptly flew out and with the spirit connection cut, I had my tasks to see to.


    Going back up the stairs, I went towards the meeting room. Along the way, I stopped at one of the Orc workers nervously standing to the side.


    ¡°Tell my wives, Kantor, Beaton and Baloo I want them in the meeting room.¡±


    Her heavy leather apron swayed with her eager head nod.


    Once I moved past the workshop tables and the expansion on the left, I went into the room and sat at the round wooden table. I looked at the columns and the surrounding grey walls. The metal and wood skin that buffered our stonework from the barnacles would be a monster of a task to rip out. As I pondered various logistics of moving the base, our home''s top members began arriving.


    Gula sat at my left with Baloo beside her. The Frojans¡¯ blue robe was brushing up against Beaton¡¯s blue coat who sat on his left. On my right was Salamede wearing her blue dress from this morning. At her right was Kantor, the older, black-furred Kelton man with swirling brown horns that curled around his metal armor. At his right were the two magical brothers, Jeff and Andrew. Uninvited, but not unwelcome.


    ¡°What have you heard?¡± I asked without preamble as my gaze fixed on the sea captain.


    ¡°Not much.¡± Beaton shrugged sadly. ¡°The Kispin harvesters are from the respectable side of society and I only knew of those who harvest magical resources from my days as a soldier. One of the crew who had some bragging extended family said that they won¡¯t set up shop in the Kelton lands.¡±


    Kantor snorted with a flare of his snout.


    ¡°I¡¯d say so. The clan heads all know what will happen if the humans move in on one clan¡¯s turf.¡±


    I had feared as much. Having recognized our sparse knowledge, I got to the painful subject.


    ¡°Since we can¡¯t say for certain what¡¯s driving them, we¡¯ll have to consider moving.¡±


    There were grimaces all-around at that. It was obvious how painful that would be even to the newcomers. Not as painful as getting our heads chopped off if we were discovered, but quite a thorn all the same.


    ¡°To that end,¡± I continued, ¡°Does any of you know somewhere else we could go?¡±


    There were shifting gazes all around the table. Sadly, they were looking for answers rather than giving them.


    ¡°Could we move to the mainland?¡± Baloo asked the assembled attendees around the table. ¡°Out on the snowy wastes?¡±


    Kantor pondered on it for a bit before throwing his opinion about his former home out.


    ¡°What if we dug deep enough? We might be able to hide our activity. But being on the mainland, we¡¯d draw the undead unless we have some magic to hide us from them.¡±


    I shook my head, something the two brothers unconsciously mirrored.


    ¡°Not unless Eli has some science technique.¡± Jeff put in with a wave of his black hair. ¡°No mage at any academy knows how they detect the living, and no magical element blocks whatever that sense is.¡±


    ¡°Another problem with that is the construction,¡± I said. ¡°I could have some decent arches and workings in place, but if I went deep enough I¡¯d have to put in special vents to maintain airflow. Something that would draw interested parties in, if only for the heat.¡±


    His suggestion crushed to a fine powder, Kantor offered a defeated shrug to the assembly.


    ¡°Well, the mainland is no good then. Not if you don¡¯t want to start drawing eyes to the giant spot of the undead ambling around a single area.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, keeping my bitter impatience in check.


    ¡°What about going further west? The ice caps between the northern Rodring and Bodding kingdoms might have some shelter for us there.¡±


    It was a good idea that the Kelton man immediately killed.


    ¡°Those waters are heavily patrolled, and not just because of a sibling rivalry between two dead men who lived thousands of years ago. Our estranged cousins from the Demon Coast will occasionally wash up on shores far away from our homeland. Between that and making sure the Orcs from Ballud¡¯s Folly don¡¯t start a navy, those seas are constantly under watch.¡±


    Sighing from emotional exhaustion, I looked up into the golden glow of the mana lamp above, trying to find the answer to this mess in its soft radiance. My skin crawled with a nervous energy that seemed to seep into the room. People began to realize what a problem this was and beads of sweat were seen on every face and chin now as furrowed eyes looked for answers in the other''s equally lost faces. It was Beaton whose deep voice then sounded out.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably considering this place for the same reasons you did.¡± He announced as I turned to him, along with everyone else. ¡°The undead or natural wildlife would clobber them if they settled on the mainland. There¡¯re no other major island chains around aside from the one the kingdom was using as a patrol base and it¡¯s too close to the fighting to be considered.¡±


    My teeth clenched as I moved forward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose a few accidents would deter them?¡±


    Beaton leaned back with a sad smile and raised eyebrows.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking how many dead peasants the great powers would expend to get their magical meat, the answer is all of them. Throwing bodies at the problem until it fixes itself is a time-honored tradition on the seas. Not that I¡¯d doubt your ability to kill them, but I¡¯d imagine killing whole fleets of ships around our secret hideaway would defeat the purpose of attacking them.¡±


    The pall of fear in the room began to squeeze all the souls present while I completed my lean forward by putting my head in my tired hands. Ignoring some of the shuffling and whispers, I groped for the essential item we needed. It took only a few seconds before the answer came to me. We didn¡¯t know what the math behind the hauler¡¯s actions was and that was what we needed first and foremost. The path forward was now clear. Painful, risky, and time-consuming, but we were taking it all the same. Pulling myself up, I turned towards the two brothers in grey shirts.


    ¡°Well, lads, it looks like the theater is calling you again.¡±


    Andrew closed his eyes behind his brown hair for a moment before opening them as Jeff sat mute.


    ¡°What joy.¡± The former redhead exclaimed with phony excitement, ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll be doing some more log riding?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I refuted. ¡°We need to know what the haulers are doing and why. You¡¯ll be two young enterprising mages, looking to offload a cache of mana crystals, expanded bags, and whatever else we can kill out in the wilds for magical resources. Bad times suck in coin like air, and I¡¯ll bet they¡¯re desperate for some new financial lubricant. If they¡¯re not, try to invest in some taverns or other businesses that deal with them. If we can¡¯t get it straight from their mouths, we¡¯ll get it from their barmaids and shipbuilders.¡±


    The brothers both nodded at my proposal, though Jeff put up a hand.


    ¡°We¡¯d better not bring any space expanded bags. I know you sling them out with all the ceremony of a blacksmith forging horseshoes, but only a few of the highest members of society have those. I remember it was noteworthy that the king¡¯s family has one such heirloom. It¡¯s considered a priceless treasure of their lineage and if we have even one, it¡¯ll raise too many questions that we can¡¯t answer.¡±


    Nodding at the suggestion, I looked between Kanto and Beaton.


    ¡°I want you two to get together and look for anything we can kill for a quick bit of magical resources. Cell will help you when he returns. While that gets sorted out, I¡¯m going to be focusing on a special task.¡±


    There were intrigued looks all around, but I only nodded in return. There were a lot of tasks to assign and finish in the wake of the newest disaster, but there were one or two that only I could complete. That thought propelled me forward as the other attendants got up to see to the various chores that had now shoved aside all others. Heading back into my room, I spent the rest of the day getting the radio system working while I left all other issues to those I had entrusted them to.

 Chapter 112: Crasden

    The red collar around Jeff¡¯s neck was a bit too tight as he adjusted his gray hair. Being of magically grown cotton, it had a fineness that rivaled the priciest silk. It was that feeling of quality cloth that brought him back to his earliest days. The stone room was bathed in gold light from the mana lamp above with a simple wooden bed on his right but his mind went back to those times when reaching a double-digit age was an accomplishment. Maids, butlers, and attendants swirled around him as he criticized every detail of his attire. Or he was too busy feeling trapped as he looked fondly out of a window on a sunny day, depending on how his developing mind flipped from one extreme to another.


    ¡°Is it all good?¡± The older Orc on his left asked, bringing him back to the present. Her skin had a fair number of wrinkles contained in her squat face, a stark contrast to the fabric she and several others had woven from the magically grown cloth and plant fibers. The elder seamstress had been the best candidate for putting the final touches on the new clothes for Jeff and his brother.


    ¡°Perfect. My compliments to the tailor.¡± Jeff replied in a lighthearted tone.


    Her black hair shifted from a slight bow as she took a coat and a few measuring sticks that she had brought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them as much. We¡¯ll have a few good changes of clothes ready for you two before you shove off.¡±


    Their little exchange played out, the woman turned and left the room. The Orc woman.


    ¡®Is this how every muttering lunatic starts out?¡¯ Jeff mused to himself as he looked over his white shirt.


    There was still some part of his mind, brought up through the relentless tutelage and stories from his first memories, that rebelled against having green women around. Gula and her mother had been an oddity. While still Orcs, the daughter''s grasp on the heart of an ultimate mage made her a mystical being in some ways. Something above the base clay of her kind that had ascended to some new height, perhaps surpassing the whole of her gender.


    Her Central Continent cousins, however, were mundane enough to closely resemble what the stories of his youth told of. Most regarded him with open interest and there had been two incidents where they had gotten into his and Andrew¡¯s rooms. Even with that, there had been an odd constraint from the mortal enemy of his species. No gangs came for him when he walked alone in the corridors nor was his abode broken into at night.


    And here he was, talking to the great terror while he adjusted collars like any other day he had back home in the capital.


    It was this great melting pot of past horror, lived experience, and contradictions therein that threatened to crush the right order of the world. Most disturbing of all these things, he felt fine. And it was that inner peace that so perturbed him.


    Brushing off some dust from his black pants, he turned around and left his room. The past two days had been a mad rush, but the various rows of open floor-length balconies below him were relatively peaceful now. Getting the magical beasts hunted, enhanced vegetables grown, and dingy boat to hold all of it had been a chore. The threat of being found out, however, had been a fire under everyone¡¯s butts to work as hard as they could.


    His last piece of clothing now finished; Jeff turned with a whirl of his grey hair, a change Eli insisted on. As he turned right and saw his brother leaning over the rail with a new mole on his left cheek, Jeff admitted to himself that it was a good disguise. Being no name sailors was one thing, but playing the part of rich mage brothers, sipping wine with the high tiers of society, might lead them to a diplomat or well-known members of the Coalition. Someone who was bound to have a passing knowledge of what the president¡¯s sons looked like.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Jeff asked.


    Andrew¡¯s brown eyes turned to him before he sighed and lifted himself off the rail. His stretch was unimpeded by his white shirt though his gut pressed slightly against his black vest. With one last swipe across his black pants, his brother nodded and the two set out towards the Hangar. It was a few hours after breakfast as the brothers walked through the base and came into the bay from the main workshop. The place was as busy as ever with small work teams putting the beams in place for a third ship on the right side of the massive hangar.


    Their eyes naturally drew towards the tall man with silver hair standing between the new construction and the Intrepid. He was directing the various Orcs and Keltons putting the boards and gears scattered about together in a cohesive whole while he stood next to Gula. Both wore the typical white shirt and brown pants, though her clothes were a bit more unkempt with some dirt and wood chips along her knees and hands. Those purple eyes turned to the two brothers as they approached.


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Eli greeted, nodding to Gula as he did so. The Orc then took up his position as the leader of the build as she walked forward and started shouting orders. It was the former red head who responded as his eyes went over the crude bones of the slim hull.


    ¡°So, you went through with building a new ship.¡± Andrew casually said. The quad mage nodded as he kept his eyes between the two.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have one ship patrolling this area nonstop. Between that and our little excursion to the capital, the need was obvious if we wanted to keep up our recruiting runs. It¡¯ll be a lot of headaches considering I won¡¯t be here to personally monitor it, but they learned a lot from our misadventures getting the Intrepid in the air. Speaking of my handiwork, I have a new device for you two.¡±


    Walking towards the intrepid, Eli went towards a previously unnoticed chest near the hull and picked it up. When the quad mage came back up to the brothers, he opened the small container, and inside was an even smaller box. This one, however, had a copper pole sticking out of the top and two odd disks of cloth magically folded into solid pieces at the top and bottom with a metal cap in the middle behind a metal mesh. The encouraging nod from Eli made Jeff pick it up and look it up and down.


    Not getting how you were supposed to kill someone with this, Jeff was about to voice his question when a faint crackle came from the top disk of the box.


    ¡°Testing. One, two, three.¡±


    He dropped the box in a panicked jolt, quickly followed by it smacking into the stone floor with a solid thud. Eli looked amused, but his Orc wife turned with a swirl of her bowl-cut of black hair. The scowl on her lips went across her entire jaw.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights he spent making that?!¡± She demanded with wide gold irises in her black orbs, the work still going on behind her. Eli kept smirking as he waved her off.


    ¡°And the first thing I did was make the metal enchantments and instructions to manufacture more. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Jeff gave an apologetic nod to both of them as he leaned down to pick it back up. Now back in hand, he realized that it was Salamede¡¯s rough voice coming through the box. Looking towards Eli, Jeff furrowed his now grey eyebrows.


    ¡°Is¡­How did you get her in there? Is that safe?¡±


    Eli threw back his head with a laugh unsullied with propriety or composure before looking over towards the back end of the hangar. Near the hatch for the cave entrance was Salamede, wearing her typical green dress and noticeably not in a handheld box like the one she had near her ears.


    ¡°It allows long-range communication,¡± Eli explained as he turned back toward the brothers. Andrew was right on Jeff''s shoulder, his eyes wide like a dragon head had sprouted from the box. ¡°Push the button on the back. And speak into it.¡±


    Using his index finger to peruse the back of the box, it took a bit before Jeff finally found what he was looking for. When he pressed his ear near where he saw Salamede put her head, there was an odd crackling sound coming out of the top circle.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He spoke uncertainly into the device.


    The wave from Salamede made his brown eyes widen.


    ¡°One important part of radio etiquette,¡± Eli interrupted. ¡°Is that when you finish speaking, say ¡®Finished¡¯. This prevents both sides from potentially interfering with each other¡¯s radio waves.¡±


    The furrowed eyebrows that greeted his statement made the quad mage shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s all very complicated and I could give you a course on it all later. But the most important thing is that it¡¯s not instant, infinitely ranged communication. It works fine from a boat on the sea to a ship in the air. However, if you go deep underground or even in a single building, depending on its materials and composition, the transmission can¡¯t get through.


    Keep that in mind when you decide on which mini-mansion you decide to hole up in. Try for something sporting a top lounging deck with an open-faced gazebo or anything else that will obstruct prying eyes when you¡¯re talking with us through the radio. The most important part of all of this is Cell won¡¯t have to waste his time playing messenger boy now.¡±


    ¡°Mansion? We¡¯re going to be that rich?¡± Andrew quietly asked, the ray of hope clear in his voice.


    Eli nodded, his eyes looking up at the Intrepid.


    ¡°Poor, lost sailors couldn¡¯t fork over the coin meet with the Kispin haulers. You two will be mages specializing in investing and heard through gossip that the Kispin harvest, due to end in two or three months, will be requiring more financial liquidity than usual. That will justify your interest in the local happenings and why you¡¯re so inquisitive about their status. More than that, it will provide a cover for how you keep getting mana crystals and magical meats coming in.¡±


    A somber look stole over Eli¡¯s face as he rubbed his chin.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be a day¡¯s excursion or even a week.¡± He started again, keeping his gaze on Andrew in particular. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you two down there to keep an eye on local happenings. How stable the local situation is, what is making the haulers want to move, and what we could do behind the scenes to fix it will be at the top of the list. Besides that, not drawing attention will also be a priority.


    We aren¡¯t doing this halfway. This assignment will be months or even years long. The next time you two come here, it might well be when we¡¯re moving out in force. That means we¡¯ll need to work out your story for a very extended stay.


    Since being studs is an omnipresent duty for male mages and it¡¯s hit or miss if changes from magical cosmetic spells show up in children, stick to the story that your families all looked similar to your ¡®proper¡¯ selves and being aberrations among your kind is what brought you two lost souls together in case our other precautions fail. As an additional misdirection, you will be a wind mage only.¡±


    He then turned to Andrew.


    ¡°And you will be a fire caster. If you find yourself among those high up in government, try to maneuver out of their orbits. Invest, listen, and don¡¯t stand out.¡±


    Jeff¡¯s palms started sweating. That family part was almost entirely for Andrew, who looked like he was getting a surprise vacation with all expenses paid.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I would be infertile?¡± The lightning mage offered with a bit lip.


    Eli turned to him with a gleam of understanding.


    ¡°You both will, the story is just preparation for all eventualities. I know the Front is on this continent and they¡¯ll no doubt pry into your nighttime activities. For the first few weeks, we may have to provide you some yook root to slip into the woman¡¯s drinks, but Cell will help you with that as he¡¯ll be accompanying you for the first few days as a safety measure. Speaking of familiars.¡±


    Eli turned back towards the new ship being built and let loose a long whistle. From the left side of the wooden skeleton, a mass of white fur came bounding towards them. It took a moment for Jeff to recognize the now more than knee-high ape that was his brother¡¯s life partner. Andrew, having known of the transformation, was unperturbed as the now snowy primate climbed atop his shoulders.


    ¡°There are colonies of apes bearing white furs in the mountains far west of here that a few of our newest guests have seen. In addition to further burnishing your story of being travelers, people might be willing to say or do things in front of an animal that they wouldn¡¯t in the presence of a familiar that could report it to their scion.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, the brothers spread about the base, trying out the invention while the finishing touches on the new equipment for a halfway base were brought on board the Intrepid. It was impossible to hide that¡¯s what they were doing with all of the stone crafts, food, and boxes of clothes, but when they asked Eli where they were setting up shop, a patient ¡®The answer is on a need-to-know basis¡¯ was all they got.


    As the time of departure approached, an assortment of Kelton guards in metal armor, two Frojan, and a dozen-plus of sailors scurried onto the Intrepid¡¯s slim deck. When the brothers came up the left side of the ship, they were surprised to see on the right near the steering wheel was Salamede, done up in a metal suit, complete with a steel helm that had her ivory horns sticking out. Another interesting item was a boat strapped down on the left side of the ship. It had individual boards instead of being a solid piece like the rest of the woodwork around the base.


    When the time to leave came, a few of the sailors waved goodbye to their wives, as did the Keltons. As the last kisses were given and hugs retracted, the brothers kept to the side near the smaller boat that was now accompanied by two large chests. Bored of watching the constant farewells, Jeff had a moment of curiosity before he pushed back against the railing he was leaning against to look into the chest on his right that held his false life¡¯s work.


    ¡°EUUP!¡±


    Looking over the various goods and paying no mind to the croak that forced its way out of his throat, his brother shuffled beside him.


    ¡°What?!¡± Andrew exclaimed like he was struggling to take in air.


    The brothers paid no mind to the eyes that briefly turned to them. Blue, salted steaks in fine cloth were dispersed around a small mound of jagged mana crystals in the middle of the chest but they were far from the only items. In the corners were some odd bits of ruby red bug shells, yellow horns that still had the occasional crack of lightning between them, and a few jarred filets of fish that had a mesmerizing show of rainbows around the jar from a small cloud of mist catching the light.


    Wealth beyond any they had laid hands on before sat in the rough chest. Going over the known figures in his head and judging by how some of the pieces had enough power to give off magical effects, the estimated value of the corner bits was easily within several thousand gold coins. Mesmerized by the sight, the two brothers didn¡¯t hear their benefactor walking up beside them.


    ¡°Enough for a good while,¡± Eli exclaimed, jerking the brothers out of their stupor. Getting up, the two looked on as the next chest was brought up the side of the ship by two Kelton guardsmen. They wondered what other riches were coming towards them when Eli reached down into the first chest and took out one of the blue steaks wrapped in white cloth.


    ¡°These don¡¯t have the magical qualities of the others besides the color, so I subsidized them with mana crystals.¡±


    Jeff¡¯s heart went up his throat when Eli tossed the clothed steak into the container as the new chest was placed beside the old one. The meaty treasure gave off a loud cascade of clinks as it smashed against the small heap of mana crystals. It was that moment, that casual toss of a vaunted treasure into a pile of magical goods most mages would only dream of obtaining, on a ship powered by even more valuable space-expanded bags, that the absurdity of the situation became clear.


    And again, it was his peace with the situation that was the most peculiar part of it all.


    ¡°Just to make sure,¡± the quad mage said, ¡°If asked, do you two know enough if anyone asks about these items?¡±


    When told of the animals¡¯ descriptions before their dissection, they could recite the various creatures¡¯ parts and harvesting methods like a holy verse repeated before every meal as any mage could. Satisfied with their expertise, Eli opened the next chest to show the rows of folded clothes. While not as eye-watering in sheer value, the fine, silky textures still held up against the finest products of the Diamond academy or Coalition capital.


    With their story now brought together, the brothers went through their new belongings while Eli bid his Orc wife goodbye. Once the quad mage had sufficiently groped the green woman, the ceiling opened and the Intrepid rose into a grey mid-day sky. As the world became a swirling mass of mist, Jeff fit a medallion around his neck. This time, the chain was fine steel links while the disk was silver with an oval indent in the middle for Cell.


    Keeping off to the left side near their boat and chests, the brothers idled about as Cell made some adjustments into his new home for the next few days or Gretton showed off his new white fur to his scion. The trip, as dire and nerve-wracking as its destination was, proved uneventful as the brothers and crew ambled around with little to do but practice their various crafts, exchange information on what they knew of the local situation and life on the docks, or hone the story of their made up lives.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± The pilot announced, the young Kelton lad sounding far surer of himself now than he did in his previous flights.


    The boat was unstrapped from the sides and dragged through the mist by the black mass of Cell. When it was the brother''s turn to follow, Andrew was unceremoniously yanked out into the swirling cloud covering the ship. It must have gone smoothly because a few seconds later as Jeff was waving everyone goodbye, he felt a cocoon of air encircle him before pulling him out to meet his brother. It was only a brief flash before he fell towards the ocean below his feet.


    The air pushed him up and left him feeling like a leaf falling from a tree, though it was more controlled as he felt himself being directed towards the boat that was growing from a spot in the waves to its full size. Andrew was near the front as Cell angled Jeff towards the back, culminating in a plop into the seat with a small fall near the end. A single nod was exchanged between them, though not having the wind element like Jeff left Andrew nowhere near as well trained in descending from such heights. Something that the sweat across his brow and nervous jitter showed off well enough. Cell ignored the shaken man and jumped off Jeff¡¯s back to fly back to the ship. As the total haul of their fanciful life north was dropped in the boat between the brothers, Cell brought down the white ape onto the boxes before fixing himself into the indent in Jeff¡¯s medallion.


    The time of hard labor had come for him as he braced himself in the small boat. Having the wind element, he would use his spell work to push them into the harbor only a few miles away. A simple solution for a simple task. When the lightning mage''s lack of seamanship showed itself by nearly capsizing the boat no less than three times, disasters avoided only by Cell¡¯s water and plant magic, Jeff had a new respect for the sailors who had kept such a rowboat steady during his years of traveling. Thankfully, a fourth correction was not needed as they moved past a rocky field that seemed to stretch for the entire shore and finally arrived at Crasden.


    Even this far north, the grey marbled stone of the waterfront was pristine, a considerable feat considering the big half-moon that served as the port of the city was bustling with life on the left side they were coming towards. It seemed like every pier was taken with one multi-story ship of all sizes and makes. The bigger ships were offloading goods to the rows and rows of four-story warehouses on this side of the harbor. Even these buildings of burden had tile roofs of light brown and their near man-sized blocks of stone showed fine craftsmanship that was displayed in every building.


    While not as busy, going further along the right of the pier had a small fleet of smaller ships in its piers, storefronts along the piers, and in the far back stood stacks of houses with light-grey bricks on a rising hill that stretched from that near center point to the back of the right sideo f the pillar. Between these residencies and the larger harbor district was a wall of grey marble thrice the height of a man. It was also the direction where their destination lay.


    Near the center of the giant half-moon of a harbor was a long, blocky building, done up in more of the grey stone, nearing the size of a full mansion. It had the brown tiled roofs on its first and second floor roofs and balconies, though the mini-tower with open sides and wood railing sticking out of the middle had a red roof. This, Jeff knew, was to help newcomers easily pick out where the harbor master¡¯s domain was.


    Between each of the houses and the sides of this large office building was a high pole of black painted metal with a long yellow rectangle at the top. In each of these boxes were three holes spaced atop each other with glass coverings, a central piece of Rodring¡¯s city design. It was far from the last, however. Most of the buildings, aside from the warehouses, had thick, double-paned glass fronts with iron frames supported by stone columns and arches.


    What was newer to him was the other half of the docks. It looked to be the military side of the harbor with thicker piers and wide skeletons of ships that would be getting assembled. But despite the obvious work that needed doing, no hammers rang out, yells of foremen directing work crews went unsung, and the soft plops of tar being applied to hulls were absent in the near dead soundscape emanating from the right side of the city. Aside from one or two men inspecting one unfinished hull or another, the right section of the harbor was as dead as any graveyard. Even then, the stone ground and few workshops sprinkled throughout maintained the same high level of craftsmanship as all the others.


    For all the finery, it was the new arrivals to the city that drew attention. Blasting wind all over the water as they pushed towards the section between the warehouses and shops of the half-moon port, every eye from every dock worker, sailor, and messenger boy drew toward them. Near their destination was a lower pier meant for smaller vessels or rafts and it was the only one the brothers had a prayer of tying their boat to.


    Coming up to the pier of solid, dark wood, a smaller lad with a blue shirt and dark blue pants gave a nervous bow.


    ¡°G-good sirs,¡± He yelped with sweat running down his tan face and blonde hair, though the grey clouds and northern climate blew a cool breeze over the land. ¡°Welcome to Crasden. Though we don¡¯t have any preparations for esteemed ones such as yourself-¡°


    Andrew waved his hand, showing off the fine white cloth of his attire that matched his now not familiar who was jumping onto the safety of the pier.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t prepare for our ship to sink either. It looks like the fates have been unkind to both our schedules.¡±


    Their first explanation delivered; the brothers got out and pulled their haul from the dingy.


    ¡°My lords, I could-¡°


    ¡°No.¡± Jeff¡¯s firm no came swiftly. As mages, they would broker no potential threat to those most divine of resources. His natural possessiveness for the treasure helped sell the act that was only partly a performance. ¡°We will carry our goods. Take us to the harbor master''s office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The young lad said with a bow and a step back. Their feet now on solid land, the brothers pushed onward. Being mages, no lowly port inspector would risk their wrath inspecting their goods and only the harbor master had the position to begin discussing expenses.


    With the show now over, the rest of the dock¡¯s denizens got back to work. Gretton, however, still drew eyes as he lumbered forward between Andrew and Jeff. Their station also meant no one dared hold them up. Coming up the pier¡¯s steps and onto ground level, the main road lay ahead as it splintered off into various branches. Like blood in veins, donkeys or horses pulled carts of food, wood, cloth, and every other good that delivered life to the trappings of civilization. Sprinkled throughout the crowds of animal-drawn carts were pedestrians or cleaners dealing with the dung of the animals. All stepped through small clouds of blue specks called mana, unseen by the magicless denizens.


    Against the backdrop of noise, off to the left and behind the warehouses stood the main castle and heart of the local government. It was still a fair distance from the port, but the thick walls of its outer perimeter were unmistakable. As was the tall, rectangular tower looming out of the center. The four sides were mostly thick sheets of glass with metal frames supporting the square glass panels that were nearly twice the size of a man. Between that and the flat roof, the structure exemplified the exotic look that so characterized the nation and the tastes of its sire.


    Following the young lad along the ocean-side of the port, the local shops slung their various goods to passerby. Even those most mercenary of people dared not accost mages, though. Passing through the crowds and seaside shops unmolested, Jeff glanced over the rows of shops. While their fronts were less bulky than the warehouses, they were still unmistakably of the Rodring nation. Along the fronts or sides were meshes of square metal rods in the sides of the structure. Unlike the metal frames holding in the glass fronts that displayed goods of one make or another, these were purely decorative with most only coming up to eye level as the mesh of metal squares hugged the building¡¯s exterior.


    As solid as the buildings seemed to be, it only made the weakness of the people''s spirit more noticeable. Everywhere haggling took on a desperate frenzy, food prices were higher than they had any right to be, and the poorer among the crowd clung to a bag of meager coins with harried eyes as they tried to get whatever scraps they could lay their hands on. Despite the setting, Jeff could feel himself back in the most desperate times at the Diamond academy. Perhaps, it was even worse.


    Walking along the ocean front, the center of the harbor¡¯s operations came within arm¡¯s reach. Going through the double oak doors, they came onto a wide hallway of grey stone walls with red carpet and a row of kiosks and captains in a wide room to the right. Their young guide ignored all of it, taking an immediate left up a staircase. Messengers, maids, and officials in good shirts and pants of blue let him pass by unchallenged until he had to push past a bald, older gentleman, pudgy with white lamb chops and a snarl as strong as his temper. Almost as strong as the hand he raised to slap the young lad.


    ¡°Stupid-¡°


    A small burst of flames over Andrew¡¯s head silenced him. The accompanying hard stares from the two mages made his brown eyes look between them and the small boy. It took only a moment for him to realize who¡¯s guide he had just rudely stopped in the middle of the staircase. Something the surrounding crowd of staring onlookers also quickly acknowledged as they pulled back.


    ¡°My¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I would never mean to-¡±


    Andrew cut him off with a huff.


    ¡°You¡¯ve delayed us for a word and now you delay us for a speech.¡±


    With that rebuke, the older man shuffled to the side, sweat falling with his head as he bowed. The obstruction now cowed, they pressed onwards. Reaching the second floor, the lad took them to the right and through another pair of double doors. This set, however, was watched over by two guards in metal chest plates, shin, and arm guards. The rest of their bodies were covered by leather armor, and all were of the highest quality.


    The highest non-magical quality, at least.


    ¡°Inspection.¡± The gruff guard on the left said, his brown eyes taking in the two newcomers as he idly rubbed his black beard.


    Jeff quickly offered his chest of clothes to the guard on the right. Rummaging through the fine attire and taking the radio as parts of the lid''s inner bracing that they were intended to look like, the guard did not comment or give any indication of surprise as he rummaged through the fine clothes and only nodded when he finished his inspection. When he looked expectantly at Andrew, the fire scion shook his head of now brown hair.


    ¡°Magical resources.¡±


    With those two words, the guard on the left nodded and walked off to retrieve the needed inspector and start the examination the two brothers had seen several times on their previous trips to and from this country. He quickly returned with a skinny man sporting a bald head, thick pair of glasses, and brown, skintight pants. Being a professional, he didn¡¯t flinch when Andrew summoned two lines of flame above his head and aimed them downward. Taking note of it, the accountant¡¯s only reaction was to tighten the human muzzle in his right hand. The introduction finished, he donned the leather mouth guard and sat on the floor as Andrew placed down his chest in front of him. The lines of fire above his head stayed fixed atop his skull all the while.


    It was a well-established procedure, that would begin when an errand boy arrived with a small wooden stool, scales, ink well, and needed papers. With no way to hide a stray crystal in his sleeves, steal a bite of the meat, or survive the attempt of either sin, those most precious of goods could be weighed and measured to the satisfaction of both guests and state. When the needed implements arrived and were carefully set to the counters left, he coughed before looking up at the brothers.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    With nods from both, he lifted the chest¡¯s lid and sucked in air through his mask. That small gasp seemed to intrigue the guards more than anything else about the new guests. As seconds of weighing crystals and asking for animal descriptions became minutes, a growing line of frustrated officials and messengers formed on the lower level of the staircase. None dared object, of course. Nor did they break protocol by coming up the stairs and risk being killed by the mages who might take them for thieves making a pass at their treasure.


    Finally, the counter assessed the last bit of blue steak and wrote down the final item to his satisfaction.


    ¡°We are finished here,¡± He pronounced as Andrew shut the chest lid.


    Scooting back from the chest, he got up off the floor and handed the paper to what Jeff now assumed to be the senior guard on the left. The armored man¡¯s black eyebrows shot up as his eyes trailed down the list.


    ¡°Damn. I thought I was well off.¡± He proclaimed to the two brothers, who only nodded as the guard turned around and walked through the double doors. It was only a second or two of silence before he came back and waved them in. As the brothers went into the main office, there was a small stampede behind them as the held-up line was finally released.


    The room had windows all along the walls, through which the dreary clouds and soft rolling sea came clear through on the left while the right gave a commanding view of the docks and all its workings. Aside from the wood floor and a cabinet with stacks of papers off to the left, the only other piece of furniture was a desk in the middle of the wide room. Sitting at it was a early-30¡¯s woman with tanned skin in a grey dress, though there was no finery to her attire.


    Her looks were below average, having thick lips, wide ears, and short cut of black hair that went to her shoulders were all without a hint of fuss or care beyond basic hygiene. She had no affectations of softness or grace that her gender typically tried to display but it was those piercing green eyes of hers looking over the paper in her right hand that drew Jeff¡¯s attention. As did the tapping of her tanned left hands fingers as she strummed the desk in quiet contemplation.


    ¡°I¡¯d call you fools for coming here,¡± She finally pronounced as she put down the page to lean back into her chair. ¡°But results don¡¯t lie. Would I be amiss to assume you¡¯ve invested into this Kispin season?¡± She finished with a look towards the white ape squatting between the two brothers.


    Her brash manner had unbalanced Andrew, whose brown eyebrows were furrowed at this crude display that was quite far from what the fairer sex had ever shown him. Jeff, however, only lightly smiled and nodded with a wave of his grey hair.


    ¡°Looking to before it starts in a few months. We travel far and wide for the whispers of fortune.¡± He answered with a step onward as he set his burden down. Walking forward with an outstretched hand, the harbor master raised an eyebrow but returned the gesture all the same. Her hand''s roughness was between a regular office worker and a sailor, though Jeff only continued smiling as they finished the greeting.


    ¡°You heard the north was going to shit and thought that it was opportunity calling?¡± She responded incredulously. A snort from her crooked nose reverberated around the room.


    ¡°Results don¡¯t lie. An ancient proverb of our people.¡± Jeff intoned with a smile. That got another snort, though the small laugh underneath it was new. ¡°Desperation is opportunity by another name if you have the means to provide for that panicked need.¡±


    A slow nod from the woman was all that she gave him for a few seconds until she leaned forward.


    ¡°Bert will be glad to hear there is someone interested in helping him plug his fleets holes. I¡¯ll tell him of your interest, but in the meantime, I¡¯m sure you want to put a long day behind you if the dingy I saw you come in is any indication. I¡¯ll have you escorted to an unclaimed house and once you¡¯re settled in, come back here and we¡¯ll work out pricing and the details of your voyage.¡±


    With their discussion finished, for now, the woman turned down and started going over her other papers as she lifted the counters receipt to Jeff. Taking the document, Jeff walked back over to his chest and slid the paper on top of the clothes. Giving one final bow, the two brothers left. As the same boy from earlier guided them out of the building, Andrew established a spirit connection with Jeff.


    ¡®You know, I was looking forward to sampling the women here. I was really looking forward to it. But if that¡¯s what the local offerings are, I think a life of chastity sounds a bit more appealing.¡¯


    Jeff continued looking forward as they came down the stairs but couldn¡¯t keep the amusement out of his voice.


    ¡®I was looking forward to you not being so surly. Two dreams shattered in less than five minutes.¡¯


    The uneven chortling from Gretton loping between them drew some eyes as they came down onto the main hallway. That only made Andrew pucker his lips as his brown eyes narrowed on his brother''s now foreign face.


    ¡®Of course you¡¯d be happy with the options. Older, pushy women are the only reason you even went through puberty in the first place.¡¯


    Jeff raised an eyebrow, but before he could give a biting quip, the wide double doors opened and the lad leading them onto the wider street stopped as a man with a light coat and stacks of papers came up to them. Going over the available houses and their various specifications, all the while trying to not make the hidden upper terrace seem like the necessity it was, the brothers eventually found one that was fit for their deceptive livelihood.


    Their faithful squire escorted them around the back of the office building and towards the wall. Lording over the lower portions of the city on their elevated hill, the houses were square things with two or three floors. Carts pulled by donkeys or horses moved through the only entrance into this highly coveted section of the city. Walking under the raised portcullis, overseen by four guards, they walked through the gate and into the rows of houses with small gardens sprinkled about the neighborhood.


    There were no yards, as each had a face of glass and a door leading directly onto the sidewalk or grey cobbled stone, though most were empty and showed a lifeless interior. Between each was one of the light poles with yellow boxes, each like all the others. Going further up the hill, they were near the top when they took a left. As they walked along the streets, they saw that most passersby were servants. Only a few had the fine embellishments of gold accentuating one element or another in their shirts or robes despite this being a strictly mage district.


    Being so far from the gate was considered undesirable, which made getting a home with no higher neighbors trivial. The one they stopped at was a few houses left from the tail end of the main road, assuring a bit more privacy. It was a two-story affair, with thick glass panes covering the front that exposed the sitting room that took up most of the first floor and the grey stone flecked with black serving as pillars on the sides. On top of the house was a white gazebo surrounded by green shrubbery. With a gift of a pair of keys from their young guide, they bid the lad farewell as they went up to the oak door in the middle of the building.


    Opening it, the room had a fireplace in the middle of the back with a staircase on the right corner leading to the second floor. On the left, a doorway lead into what a stove on the left said was the kitchen for one servant or another. The wall''s interior that wasn¡¯t glass on the left and the right had the patchwork of steel squares sunk halfway into the stone. It was all quite unimpressive to the brothers, but it was brand new to the familiars. After closing the drapes that wrapped around the entire front of the room, the two immediately sprinted around the house.


    Jeff, however, plopped his burden down on the right side of the door and sat on a wide leather couch on the left side of the room. Finally sitting down, the most immediate thing he sensed was how pure the air tasted here. Being a bit farther from the ocean and above sea level, his lungs sucked in what felt like the freshest spring water. Which, compared to the abode up north, the weeks on sailing ships surrounded by people who brought the salty air with them in their clothes, and smelling it in his own, it practically was.


    Andrew soon joined him, though he kept his precious burden in his lap.


    ¡°Should we call for a cook?¡± Jeff asked as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling.


    ¡°Pff!¡± Andrew scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if we let anyone in here before I¡¯ve done a thorough inspection. Once we get our riches put away and rent paid, we can head to a local restaurant.¡±


    Getting up, Andrew took the provided safe key and brought his prized possessions up the staircase. Beneath one of the beds would be a safe that would only open with the supplied key. Complete with a lining of leather that connected to a system of air enchantments that would blare out over the rooftops, it was as secure a place to store their magical prizes as anything could be. When his brown-haired brother came down the steps now empty-handed, the two brothers nodded as they made for the door. Cell fixed himself back into the medallion, but Gretton was content to explore his new home.


    Leaving the house, the brothers walked down to the harbor master¡¯s office. As they approached the wide mansion, it was a surprise to find the harbor master with a companion, both accompanied by the guards. He was a thinner man with black robes and a purple scarf. It was of a finer make, nearly as good as their attire, something the long grey hairs on the sides of his otherwise bald scalp did nothing to hide. His grey eyes, however, were steely even as he looked the boys up and down with mute interest.


    ¡°Ah, there are our newest arrivals and perhaps your latest benefactors.¡± The harbor master exclaimed to her companion.


    The flash in Bert¡¯s face was one of desperation. A fraction of a moment, but enough to compromise the visage of confidence.


    ¡°Bert Greyson¡± The man said politely as he stuck out his hand towards Andrew. When it was Jeff¡¯s turn, the clammy, sweaty palm that squeezed his gave away a hint of the fear in the leader of the Kispin haulers. With the greeting out of the way, Bert started walking beside Andrew and asking various small questions while the harbor master took up beside Jeff¡¯s left. It occurred to the lightning mage that, being the one who handled the magical resources, they would naturally assume Andrew to be the leading brother.


    ¡°How did you find your accommodations?¡± The harbor master asked the small group turned right towards the lines of shops. The grey sky hid the falling sun, though enough light still trickled through to let them walk without a torch.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Jeff replied as he offered his arm. The woman raised a black eyebrow as her green eyes took him in.


    She took the arm after a moment¡¯s consideration, causing a small sway in the shoulder-length hair running down her neck.


    ¡°A mage, a man, and considerate. What a rare find to wash up on these shores.¡±


    They walked in silence for a few minutes until a wide tavern came into view. The sign above read ¡®Sigard¡¯s spout¡¯ and the good condition of the sign matched the building. It sported the same glass exterior and metal patchwork of steel rods all the others had, but it was a wider rectangle with an open side for those who wished to dine in the ocean breeze. Walking through the double doors, the bar along the left wall was crowded with the well-off people of the city while rows of darker, curtained-off booths on the right provided some privacy. All of them had heavy cushions and lining that muddled whatever small amount of noise came from within.


    However well-built or fine the decorations, the nervous air was unmistakable. The drinkers stared into their drinks like they were gazing into the abyss itself. Not faring any better, barmaids and a few guards had strained smiles and a few hung around the back near the bar whispering in a huddled group.


    Taking off over the dark oak floorboards, the two brothers were quickly separated by their partners. Andrew and Bert went up a staircase on the left corner while Jeff was pulled by the harbor master to the right corner booth. When they arrived, Jeff got in on the right side while the harbormaster sat opposite of him. The lightning mage was worried for a moment until he saw Andrew and Bert sit at an open table by the stairs.


    ¡°A plan of his,¡± The harbormaster scoffed as she leaned her elbows onto the table. ¡°He decided to separate you two and hope that makes his negotiation easier.¡±


    Jeff raised a grey eyebrow as he turned to his dining companion. The brothers had grown up surrounded by negotiations on a national level, and while Andrew was no great intellect, he could still spar with the stingiest of hagglers.


    ¡°If he wanted to get a better bargaining posture, he should have sent an underling. After the negotiations come to an impasse, have us walk to his abode. That would put us on a back foot and him at the height of his position.¡±


    That made her thick lips widen with a smile.


    ¡°As expected of such enterprising gentlemen. Still, the current situation makes that route inadvisable.¡±


    A barmaid came by setting down a tray of two black beers, an order the harbormaster had apparently put in frequently enough that the alcohol was brought over without being asked. Her task quickly finished; the server scurried off to leave the two alone. Taking a swig from the wooden mug that would impress most sailors, the harbor master''s moist lips let loose a long sigh as Jeff set his mug down before him.


    ¡°Why?¡± The lightning mage asked.


    Her piercing green eyes looked down into the depths of her drink with a scowl that would peel paint.


    ¡°Bert wanted me to try and pull some troll shit to make you feel more comfortable. But you¡¯re here now, by choice. And there¡¯s probably no leaving considering how many people have already been selected for the next ship out¡­ if one can even get through with the Watch in pirate hands. So, I¡¯m just going to give you the hard truth of what this port is going through.


    Damned pirates turned one of the shipbuilders. The traitor burned all of our wood crafts before scurrying over the night¡¯s waves. With our fleet providing housing for fish on the Coalitions southern sea floor and all the other builders, aside from a few apprentices, sent south to rebuild our fleet, the only defense we have is house Kraton¡¯s ships. Even so, the attack has everyone nervous and Bert¡¯s not going to risk handing the only potential spot of good news to an underling for some minute gain.¡±


    Jeff felt a tingle up his spine as the barmaid came back to take their orders. He couldn¡¯t put too much thought into this choice of meal, though. Time spent at docks in the capital back home showed him that ships were essentially giant puzzle pieces that had the wood grown together at the seams. Custom ships were relegated to luxury cruise boats for the well-to-do. All boding ill for a return to normalcy. After asking for some spicy fish mixed with pasta and bread, to match the harbor master¡¯s order, the lightning mage looked back to his companion.


    ¡°Did he burn the replacements as well? And is Kraton¡¯s fleet strong enough to pick up the slack?¡±


    ¡°Aye, all the wooden crafts are currently bits of ash around the pier. And now the shipbuilding apprentices have no instructions to follow. Hundreds of gold pieces, all feeding the weeds now.¡± Her eyes had a bit of steel in them, the words seeming to only harden her resolve before she answered the second half.


    ¡°The Kraton fleet is a match for our former one and the majority stay in their harbor to be called upon. Safer in their docks, too, considering their port is a bit inland. Big, gold-painted things with a special blue cloth for sails. They¡¯ll be patrolling the waters and pushing off pirates where they can, but numbers-wise it¡¯s a far closer thing than it should be. Given the situation and the local leadership, I¡¯d have advised you to never come here. But you¡¯re here now and this place, for a time at least, is the safest place to be in the whole region.¡± The harbor master finished with a confidence that only slightly wobbled towards the end.


    Going over everything he had seen on the ships and heard from the sailors, he couldn¡¯t recall a word or sight of any such ships matching that description. That sent a bolt of worry through his nerves before he decided to find out more.


    ¡°But?¡± Jeff pressed.


    She raised a black eyebrow and puckered her lips.


    ¡°But, what? Mister¡­¡±


    ¡°Harold.¡± Jeff lied.


    ¡°Well, Harold, what do you mean but?¡± She demanded with a strumming hand on the table.


    ¡°You seemed a bit uncertain near the end.¡± Jeff pressed.


    She snorted again as she looked to her right and at the crowd of bar attendees.


    ¡°I have absolute faith in the Kraton¡¯s hulls if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. It¡¯s the girl directing them that concerns me. A willful young seed looking to grow tall and grand. She envisions herself as an oak tree, but she¡¯s more like a very ambitious weed.¡±


    ¡°Not a great admirer of hers, I assume. Is she so unbearable?¡± Jeff asked with a gulp from his mug. It had been the fact that they hadn¡¯t seen any such ships on their patrols over the seas that concerned him, but information on their leader would be pertinent as well.


    The lightning casters question got a dry chuckle from the harbormaster who rolled her eyes.


    ¡°What do you think a brash young lass has to say to an older, ugly woman who¡¯s constantly getting in the way of her sprint towards ¡®greatness¡¯? She¡¯ll choke everything in her path, sense or reason be damned. Still, she came out of the right woman, whose mother laid with the right man, which lead them all to have an ancestor who was a part of Rodring¡¯s original party. A birthright not easily cast aside.¡±


    She puckered her lips and tapped a foot beneath the dark oak table. That gave time for Jeff to concentrate on loosening the icy hand that just gripped his heart along with a sneaking suspicion of the cities true peril. Fortunately, his fellow diner was distracted by some internal struggle, else she would have seen the wide brown eyes and bit lip from a horrible thought, which Jeff gradually relaxed. It took a moment longer before she asked a question of her own.


    ¡°Do you know how lucky men have it?¡±


    Caught off guard, Jeff could only smile as he leaned back with arms crossed.


    ¡°Oh? How so, miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Pache. Not common, but it¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Pache. How did you draw that conclusion?¡±


    ¡°Because you can be good-looking no matter what.¡± She declared with a finger raised in accusation towards him, her green eyes having a playful air.


    ¡°Really?¡± He exclaimed with a wide sweep of his arms, glad to have a lighthearted distraction. ¡°A woman is complaining about how good men have it in looks?¡±


    The harbormaster stuck out her chin in defiance.


    ¡°If you get muscles, sharpen your tongue, or work at some craft and let us see, you can be attractive. Our cast is a far crueler one. If you get a bad face when you pop into the world, that¡¯s it. You¡¯re just ugly. Try to put some makeup on or buy some paste from gods only know where all you want, you¡¯re still just dreadful.¡±


    There was no hurt in her voice. It had a tone closer to friendly ribbing, though looking her up and down, Jeff couldn¡¯t see why this would be an issue.


    ¡°You¡¯re not ugly.¡± He declared as he leaned back into his cushioned booth.


    That made her huff again, puckering her lips as she crossed her arms under her breasts. Taking the opportunity, Jeff made his case.


    ¡°Looks are all relative. Women may have a harder time becoming more beautiful, but that¡¯s because you already start so high up. The universe crafted all women with a splendor innate to their kind. You are no great beauty, that I will concede. However, from the softness of your cheeks to the shape of your figure, by the virtue of your gender, you still have a loveliness that none but the worst of deformities could undo.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at that. Lifting her mug to her lips, she shook her head as their food arrived.


    ¡°And he has a way with words. Mister Harold, you are quite capable for such a young lad.¡±


    Jeff took his turn to huff as he strummed his fingers along the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Pache put up a hand on mock surrender, ¡°I forgot how surly men get when you don¡¯t treat them like they¡¯re old, withered husks.¡±


    That got a laugh from both parties. Plying into their meal, the conversation wove through various small details of their lives, both real and fictitious, for a while as the knot of worry in Jeff''s gut gradually unfurled. One item of interest was the re-affirmation that the Kispin harvest was two or so months away. The conversation continued until it was interrupted by the two chief negotiators coming down the stairs. Both looked like their bout had drained them of life, but Bert seemed happy and the piece of paper in Andrews''s hand along with his nod said he got the items they needed.


    ¡°Well,¡± Bert announced to the booth with hands clasped together. ¡°I must say your brother gives as good as he can get. But with our arrangements finished, I must see to my people''s affairs. Don¡¯t worry about the bill, I already saw to it.¡±


    With his generous gift delivered, he turned right and started walking out.


    ¡°The harbor is no less busy, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Pache proclaimed as she got up from her empty plate. Giving a final nod, she walked behind the black-robed man.


    Their task finished, the brothers quickly followed and walked out into a black world punctuated by the occasional torch or weak beam of moonlight piercing the clouds. Walking along the ocean side until they turned to go behind the harbormaster¡¯s office, the houses on the hills presented a very different display. The guards from earlier recognized them in the torchlight and let them through into the pulsing light show of the mage district.


    Those poles between the houses were a part of a vast network of enchanted leather strands woven underneath the stone. Each had mana show through the top glass disk of the yellow box fixed atop the pole, which was then sucked into the middle section for a few seconds before moving into the bottom one. Jeff knew the colors of the glass varied from city to city, with the ones here using light purples, pinks, and teals that molded together into glows pushing away the night.


    As they walked down the main street bathed in lights that provided more illumination than the afternoon sun they had arrived under and neared the turn to their house, an older maid was stumbling along the sidewalk. Her feet were testing each brick like it may betray her frail balance as her brown eyes peered around with no indication of seeing anything. Looking further ahead, a carriage with two torches and being pulled by as many horses was moving down the road towards them.


    ¡°Miss, you seem to be without a torch,¡± Jeff asked the near fifty-year-old woman.


    ¡°Ah,¡± She exclaimed. The maid immediately realized who would be able to casually walk in what must be a black void to her and pulled back with a wave of her grey flecked amber hair.


    ¡°Please forgive this old fool for getting in your way.¡±


    Andrew huffed but the only move he made was to cup his hands over his mouth.


    ¡°OI! Driver! There¡¯s a lost soul here. Come escort her to the gate.¡±


    Her look of relief and gratitude was plain to see in the purple and teal lights. When the carriage came down, the driver had to take one of the lanterns and hold it out. Looking down, Jeff realized the light of the flames was just short of their spot.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± He coughed gently.


    Looking towards what had to be near pitch-black darkness for him, the driver left his seat and approached the spot from where the cough came. Once the orange glow joined the others playing across the brother''s faces, he finally smiled and did a light bow.


    ¡°She needs help getting home,¡± Jeff said with a look to the woman.


    ¡°Thank you, great mages.¡± The older woman exclaimed breathlessly before moving into the carriage. The driver did another light bow before moving back into his seat and taking his reigns. Taking the turn towards their home with the neighing of horses behind them, the brothers walked with only the occasional light in a house to punctuate the otherwise still landscape as the outwardly lifeless one that was their abode came up to them.


    ¡°Bert said the house would be seven gold a month.¡± Andrew offered with a final brisk walk up to their door. Jeff nodded, feeling that was a generally fair price for this place. Coming through the oak door, the white ape familiar ran up to Andrew. The deep imprint on the couch to the left showed where Gretton had been laying, something Jeff sorely wanted to imitate at this moment. But their day was far from over.


    Walking up the stairs on the right, Jeff went onto the upper floor. The ground was the same hard oak here and it stayed the same as it flowed into the rooms to the right and left, but it was the spiral staircase on the corner left that drew his attention in the glows coming from the open window ahead. Going up it and onto the terrace, the gazebo surrounded by shrubbery was to his left. Inside were two chairs and a small table. The left of which Jeff promptly walked towards and sat in.


    When Andrew came up, the purple, pink, and teal glow splashed across his face with a mole on the left cheek. What drew Jeff¡¯s eyes was the long metal box with a copper rod in his hands. When his brown-haired brother sat opposite him, there was a moment of hesitation before he started bringing It up to his mouth, which was when Cell leaped out of his medallion and landed near the wooden box''s lower metal mesh.


    Jeff had a moment of panic as he looked around. Seeing nothing but bushes in clay pots and a dark night sky all around with only the faint wisps of pink, purple, and teal to tell of the presence of civilization, he relaxed again as Andrew brought the radio up to his mouth.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The fire scion said uncertainly.


    ¡°The button,¡± Jeff quietly reminded him.


    Andrew gave a quick nod before pressing the button on the back.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He tried again.


    It was a few more seconds before Eli¡¯s voice came through.


    ¡°Well, you survived your first day. Not significant, but not trivial either. How are things? Finished.¡±


    Andrew relaxed a bit as he leaned back into his chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s about what you¡¯d expect. The main concern the Kispin haulers have is the food riots that are probably coming. They weren¡¯t terribly concerned about the pirates. Um¡­Finished.¡±


    Jeff waved his hand to have Andrew hand him the radio.


    ¡°Eli? This is Jeff. While they might not be too concerned about the pirates because of their potential partnership and the security of the city, the remaining defenses of the Rodring kingdom are a fleet from the Kraton house. Gold painted things with blue sails to reflect their house''s healing magic. Have you or the other pilots spotted any such ships of the seas? Finished.¡±


    The brothers nervously idled for a few minutes before Eli finally responded.


    ¡°No. None of the crew has on this trip or any other. I have a few sailors here who know the region like the back of their hand and can take us on a quick look around. Would there be any other harbors such a fleet would stay at? Finished.¡±


    ¡°Their home port is a bit inland, and they are commanded to keep the larger part of the fleet there to help the capital in an attack. Finished.¡±


    ¡°All right, we¡¯ll look into it. But why are you so concerned about them? It sounds like they have a good reason to be absent on the seas. Finished.¡±


    Jeff took a deep breath as he shared the knot of worry in his gut.


    ¡°Their leader, from what the harbormaster told me, is an ambitious and strong-willed thing. If such a person was told to keep her fleet back while others sailed to the Coalition to retrieve the prize of our lifetimes¡­ Combined with none of the ships being spotted so far¡­ Well, I¡¯m worried the Kranton fleet was possibly destroyed in an ill-conceived act of greed. Finished.¡±


    The silence from the radio was positively painful. After a few seconds, the tired voice finally came through.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    Waiting for the word ¡®Finished¡¯, everyone sat in silence for a moment longer.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do a flyover in the early morning when they should be in port. Contact us after breakfast. Finished.¡±


    Looking over to Andrew, he shook his head and got up from the table. As he was getting ready to call it a night, Cell sent a wave of loneliness through a spirit connection.


    ¡°Cell also says hello. Finished.¡±


    The wave of joy sent through him was the last thing he felt before the connection cut.


    ¡°I miss him too. Keep them safe Cell. Finished.¡±


    With that, Jeff took his finger off the radio as the conversation ended for the night. Handing the wooden box over to Andrew for him to put back from where he got it, Jeff got out of his chair and left the gazebo. The sky above was black from the clouds blocking all natural light but here and there the soft lights of the mage district played across the grey stone as he went down the spiral staircase. Taking a right into his room, the place was as fine as the city could provide. While the rug of white fur provided a soft center for the floor, the dresser on the left side of the room was a whiter marble. On the left corner was a dead fireplace with a wide arch of seamless stone. The right side of the room was almost entirely claimed by the soft, white bed with a fine chest at its foot.


    All bathed in waves of purple, pink, and teal from the window directly ahead.


    Loosening the curtain held up over the glass panels, the cloth fell to almost totally block the outside light. Making no pretension of grace, Jeff threw himself onto what his mind¡¯s eye positioned the bed in the near pitch-black room. Wrapping himself into the blankets to expel the cold of the northern night, Jeff quickly fell to sleep with his worries still churning through his stomach.


    When he woke up in the morning, his first thought, as heretical as it was to any decent person¡¯s moral sense, was how much he missed being back at the base even with the Orcs. Eli¡¯s science didn¡¯t make much sense to him, but the constant warmth his heaters provided was undeniable. Stretching with a beam of morning light across his chest, he licked his lips as he got up from his bed. Stringing up the cloth curtain, the sunlight flooded his room. The golden beams were a stark contrast compared to the shifting colors of the street lights, something lost on Jeff¡¯s half-awakened senses.


    Coming out of his room and into the hallway, he turned towards the staircase on his right and went down to find something to eat in the kitchen. He came down the stairs and walked past the main fireplace, only stopping when he heard the distinctive crunching of an ax splitting wood out the back side of the house. Walking over the kitchen¡¯s oak floor and over to a door in the back, he opened the white-painted entrance and looked out over the lawn to see a bare-chested man swinging an ax into a log that swiftly joined its cleaved brethren. It was the creak of the door that drew the middle-aged man out of his work.


    ¡°My lord!¡± He exclaimed with a deep bow and sweat that dripped down his nose and pecks. ¡°Deepest apologies. I thought you were stationed one house over.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wake me.¡± Jeff nonchalantly offered as he waved the apology away. ¡°I was told the staff came with the house. Does that come with food as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± The man responded, seemingly surprised at the gentle manner of his superior. The lightning mage looked over the back lawn, seeing a smooth grey wall around the place and a sizeable shed in the back.


    ¡°The shower house, great mage.¡± The worker said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the maids prepare the water.¡±


    ¡°After making breakfast. Served on the gazebo.¡± Jeff corrected with a nod.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± The man finished before putting his ax down on the pile of his morning work and running between the alley to get the workers ready.


    Going back into the house, the lightning caster walked into the main living room and stretched onto the couch for a minute before a knock came at the door. Getting up and letting in a trio of maids and a chef, he put in the order of the day''s breakfast before heading upstairs. Andrew was only just coming out of his room with an equally tired-looking Gretton behind him before Jeff shook his head towards the spiral staircase ahead.


    With a nod of agreement, Andrew locked the door behind him and followed Jeff onto the terrace above. The sun rose over the harbor and the faint clouds of mist near the water, but the beauty was lost on the brothers as they retreated from the world into their gazebo''s small abode. Sitting around the table without a word spoken, Jeff sat still as the morning wind blew over the bushes surrounding them and took the faint heat on their skin with it.


    Sitting there, unsettling energy seized them as they both sat like statues in their chairs. Neither needed to say what the issue was or what they wanted to do but doing so with others in the house wasn¡¯t going to happen. After several minutes, a maid came up the stairs and deposited plates of sausages and eggs, with steaming loaves of bread to accompany. Another maid came up with a tray of water and empty mugs and a sack of fruits for the white ape. All ordered by Jeff for the speed with which they could be made.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re done setting up the heated water, that will be all for this morning,¡± Jeff commanded as the last dish was placed down.


    The maids bowed before both left the terrace. It was a good meal they had prepared, but anticipation made the pleasantries of the moment hard to appreciate. When the last bit of scrambled egg passed between Andrews''s lips, he practically jumped out of his seat to make sure the staff was gone and retrieve the radio while his familiar continued munching on an orange.


    When he came back with the wood block in hand, Jeff swallowed a bit of spit in nervous anticipation. His fingers strummed impatiently as his brother sat down. The second Andrew had the radio up to his ears, Jeff leaned forward to make sure he didn¡¯t miss a single word.


    ¡°Eli. Any news?¡± The fire scion asked uncertainly.


    The static continued for a moment before a tired voice belonging to the world''s greatest mage came through.


    ¡°Is Jeff there? Finished.¡± The wooden box asked.


    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± The man in question answered, his voice wobbling in anticipation.


    ¡°Sadly, I have no prizes to give for your correct guess. But maybe I¡¯ll grant you this whole northern region when we take over.¡±


    The sarcasm did nothing to hide the current of bitterness beneath the words. Jeff, however, was trying to not throw up the food he had just eaten.


    ¡°The fleet¡¯s not so much gone as it is being rebuilt. One badly burned specimen was the only ship that we saw. The rest are new skeletons being worked on. In the next few days, we¡¯ll see if we can drop off a few wood-growing enchantments in Crasden to help them-¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± Jeff interrupted with bit lips.


    ¡°Is something wrong with that? Finished.¡±


    ¡°A lot.¡± He responded as he took the radio. ¡°The ships are made to be mass-produced, but the enchantments used to make them are custom jobs. As are the supports, sails, and gears. The people who make ships here are apprentices who only follow the written instructions for putting the ships together. Asking them to design whole new hulls with only general wood-growing enchantments isn¡¯t going to happen. Finished.¡±


    The silence stretched on for a few seconds until a tired sigh came through the radio.


    ¡°Fine. Say you¡¯ve contracted for shipbuilding kits-¡°


    A rough cough from the fire scion silenced Eli.


    ¡°Yes, Andrew?¡± The box asked before Jeff handed it over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can wait a few weeks for a shipment of enchantments if how nervous their leader was is anything to go by. Right now, the Kispin hauler''s big concern is food riots because some security on the seas is being taken for granted. Even with that, they still have a grip on our front door handle. If it gets out that the Rodring kingdom¡¯s shield is wet paper with an iron coating, they will run headlong up north to our island. Finished.¡±


    ¡°Food and security,¡± Eli intoned. ¡°It always seems to come back to those. Are there any local plant mages who you could bribe to start making a small fleet or magical farm for yourselves? Finished.¡±


    Jeff shook his head, prompting Andrew to hand over the radio.


    ¡°I think you overestimate how abundant dual elements are and what they¡¯d be willing to do. If there were any here, they would have been contracted by now. Even if some were laying about, using magic to make tools for the mere mundane is considered shameful.


    I know you don¡¯t care about your reputation but convincing a regular plant mage to work for ships is already a hard thing. Asking one to make the enchantments to feed the people? That¡¯s not going to happen. A mage''s pride would never allow them to soil their hands growing food for the smelly peasants. Not unless they¡¯d be willing to endure a lifetime of snickering and jabs from their fellows. Which is a big reason why mana dead zones and the Coalition are major sources of food.¡±


    Jeff closed his eyes as he mentally prepared to deliver his solution to this disaster of a situation.


    ¡°Eli, considering how long it would take to even order such enchantments from some anonymous benefactor of ours, we¡¯ve come far too late to this game to just dump off a bunch of enchantments and have them finish their work before the wheels come off this carriage. The Kispin are the only worthwhile thing this region has, and I¡¯d imagine the pirates are going to do everything they can to get the haulers under their thumb in the next month or two before the harvest begins.


    If we want to head off the coming disaster things have to stabilize before the Kispin season starts in earnest. We need a plant mage to do a lot of dirty, undignified work and we need them NOW. Not next month or in a few weeks. NOW. Finished.¡±


    The pall of dead silence from the familiars, radio, and Andrew suggested they all instantly understood what he was suggesting. A long moment of staring at the wooden box stretched on until a crackle came through.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t everyone just fuck off?¡±


    A suppressed smile stole across both men¡¯s faces, while Gretton chuckled as Cell emenated amusement.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll work out a story and see to the other implications of the pirates moves. Make sure to not hesitate in sneering or dismissing me like all the others. Still, perhaps this could work out in our favor. There are rubbers, chemicals, and metals I need that I might be able to trade for. Gather a list of all available goods for me when I arrive. Finished.¡±


    Andrew took the moment to get a rib in, leaning closer to the box with a swing of his brown, shoulder-length hair.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to play a strong, unsociable mage with a psychotic hatred of bandits and pirates. Are you sure you can act out such a drastic departure from your personality? Finished.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see if my theater skills can rise to the hour''s need.¡±


    A faint smile could almost be heard over the radio.


    ¡°Goodbye. Finished.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye. Finished.¡± Jeff said before he took his finger off the button.


    The brothers looked between each other, a thousand words exchanged in a few glances. Admitting that the situation was now beyond their control, the brothers got up to get a shower and see what else the local capital had to offer two enterprising young mages.

 Chapter 113: New Lifes Start

    Veronica laid in a posh bed, her blue eyes staring up at a fine wood ceiling with a lifeless gaze. Her blonde hair splayed haphazardly over a wide white pillow with only a few gold strands mixing with the morning sun playing over her red blanket. She spent a moment puffing out the cheeks on her heart-shaped face, trying to force herself to get up. After a few seconds of resisting the soft bed, the needed willpower finally welled up inside her.


    Getting out of bed, her body was fresh from a night¡¯s sleep that wasn¡¯t spent avoiding rats or sweating into ripped blankets. Looking out the window to the right, the moving landscape below was a rolling floor of wood only occasionally interrupted by a patch of bushes or some large beast. A faint whistle could be heard as her transport cut through the morning sky.


    Being so high up, her mind had to adjust as the ship moved over the legendary Sea Tree. Named so because during necrosis the ancient thing retreated underground, but instead of a single patch of bark in the dirt, one of the natural wonders of the central continent spread over the land like it was subsuming the very world itself. Looking over it now, she could only judge the tales from travelers who purported to have seen it as lacking.


    Turning to the left, Veronica took a new set of clothes from the wardrobe on the left of the wooden room. Slinging a red vest, white undershirt, and grey pants in her arms as she left the room. Coming into a wide hallway, fine oak took up the ceiling, floor and walls. In the center of the floor was a white rug trimmed in gold stretching to both ends. Looking over the several doors, two of which held her friends, she turned left towards the end where the morning would properly begin.


    At the end was a wide door, through which she entered the restroom and showers. Given the finery of the ship, she had half expected to stroll into a pristine abode of the finest marble and metal fixtures. While still of the highest quality, the rows of stalls with toilets on the left and showers on the right were all smooth wood bathed in the rays of sunlight coming out of the windows above. Getting a white towel from the stack on a stand on the right, she quickly saw to her morning wash.


    When she was fully undressed and tried to turn the wooden handles for the exact temperature she wanted, she had a moment of confusion. Her mind was still in that awful tavern near the back end of some non-descript town down south. The awful pricks on her skin from bugs getting their nightly feast were now gone, as was the smell of the questionable water they had been using to wash. Steaming, clear water now scoured her skin out of a bucket-looking showerhead. It was such a drastic departure from her recent life, and so familiar to the one back home, that she was left feeling like a fish flung into the air only to land back in the water. Once she was washed and finally dressed in the clothes she brought, Veronica left her nightgown in a basket to the left of the towel stand.


    Walking through the door, Eska approached from the hallway. Her long-time friend¡¯s black hair was now a bit past her shoulders, though her sharp nose and glasses were the same as always. Both nodded to each other, the dull look in Eska¡¯s brown eyes being perfectly reflected in Veronica¡¯s blue ones. Moving down the hallway towards the opposite end, she turned right. Following the hallway for a bit with the occasional window providing light, she eventually turned left and into a big dining room. In the center was a large table while the staff still bustled about getting a plate or utensil in place while the surrounding landscape showed through the wide windows surrounding the room.


    She moved past a maid who bowed with no small reverence. The water scion felt like it was a return to her days at the academy, and despite the circumstances that had brought her here, the stark contrast to her treatment during her time at sea or in dirty taverns would have comforted her if it could pierce the shell of numbing ache around her soul.


    When she ordered a plain bowl of oatmeal with fruits and water, Eska came through the door to sit opposite of her. After a few more minutes, Mia arrived to complete the trio. The caramel-skinned redhead had let her hair grow to shoulder length and moved the unusually long hair out of the way to take in the growing spread of breads, jams, and eggs with her brown eyes. All three donned the same red vest, white shirt, and grey pants.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Veronica greeted, speaking the first word thought or said today. Mia rubbed her smooth cheekbones idly as she nodded back before sitting on the right of Eska. With their greeting finished, the three began eating in silence. As they all ate food their tongues didn¡¯t taste, Chattox came in through the door opposite from the one the women used.


    The bird familiars cruel red eyes would look out of place on what most would assume to be a seagull, but between the stripes of blue mana along its wings and tuft of sharp feathers on its head, it was a mistake that could only be made from afar. Flying around the room once, he landed on his scions¡¯ shoulders. Despite his fierce appearance, a gentle beak rub along Veronica¡¯s head showed his concern for the tangled web of self-loathing, sadness, and disgust that had been coming clear through their spirit connection these past few weeks.


    Veronica thought back to when her mood had first soured. It had been at one such meal, in far less pristine accommodations, that they had heard the results of their cowardice. Most of it was troll shit, of course. The Orcs almost getting their hands on Eli would have been too explosive and disastrous for the government, so they made up some garbage about the gangs launching the attack. It was a good plan that rumors said had badly bled the Mist pirates and Phoenix empire in their pointless slog north.


    But thinking about it still made the blonde grip her spoon in anger and crush an apple slice between her grinding teeth. After everything that had happened, they still couldn¡¯t bring themselves to just tell the truth. All of the potential the quad mage could have brought to the world, squandered on pointless stupidity and thuggish government officials. That was even without considering his status as an ultimate¡­


    At this point in the routine of self-flagellation, her mental track stopped at its usual spot. Whatever the government did, however badly those in power screwed things up, they didn¡¯t commit the final sin. They didn¡¯t leave an ultimate mage in the hands of the Orcs. There was no religion so generous as to forgive such an act, no love so pure that it wouldn¡¯t sour at the confession of such weakness, and no historian so detached that they could document such an event without recoiling in disgust. Left to stare into the black abyss residing in her chest, she barely noticed as their captor entered the room.


    Walking out of the door Chattox came through, a mid-40¡¯s man entered. He was a pudgier fellow with a grey coat and vest over a white shirt. The grey pants were as well-ironed as the rest. A bald cap accentuated his age as did the grey flecks mixed in with his brown hair. Like Eska, he had a pair of glasses, though his green eyes had a far harder look.


    ¡°Morning, my dears. I hope it was a peaceful sleep.¡± He said with a rub of his wide nose as he sat down at the head of the table. Around him the rays from morning sun creeping up on the right bathed the wooden floors and bits of wall between the windows.


    They all nodded politely, if a bit strained in their smiles. However well accommodated or fed, being surrounded by guards and forced into a carriage like criminals didn¡¯t sit any better with them now than it did when it happened on the street of the southern city they had been holding up in. They had assumed they would be whisked back to the Coalition when they first arrived at the royal air base. When instead their ship turned northward, the obvious question fell on deaf ears. But this was the first time their self-appointed host had met with them, and the answer now seemed close.


    ¡°Most ships aren¡¯t usually this well stocked, but her majesty Nestel has proclaimed you are to be afforded every possible luxury.¡±


    The name made the women look between each other. She was the wife of the late Rodring and the last surviving member of his party, a woman of no little fame even in the Coalition. Drawing the eyes of such a person was at once thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. The host''s green eyes looked between them like a hawk as he took in their reactions.


    ¡°Her heart has gone out to your situation, both now and during your time with the quad mage. However, it is not entirely unheard of here and her own daughter is in a similar circumstance. While events surrounding your arrival were not the best, know she understands your fears and you will find a more tolerating situation among her daughter¡¯s company.¡±


    Veronica bit her lip as the lance of her former infertility shoved itself into her heart. Since not being able to bear children was the only situation he could be referring to, it must have meant that the sordid tale about her tea either didn¡¯t leak out this far or was so insignificant that it didn¡¯t merit reporting. Pushing aside any possible thought for that woman who birthed her, the blonde brought herself back into the conversation.


    ¡°But as her right hand,¡± he continued. ¡°I have been left with the final judgement. The hard work you three demonstrated and creativity in evading capture has shown you to be of some ability.¡±


    A huff from Mia stopped him as all turned towards her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel very capable when your men showed us how we¡¯d been tracked for weeks before you scooped us up.¡±


    A wide smile stole over his face as he nodded with some sympathy.


    ¡°Inexperienced, that I will grant. Still, you showed enough forethought and wits to get out of the Coalition. Expecting you to go unnoticed when the entire world was watching your every move would be far too much to ask of anyone. Do not judge yourself too harshly because you couldn¡¯t beat a swordsman with a twig.¡±


    He did a small cough into his hands before continuing.


    ¡°And as unsharpened individuals, you will need to be put against the whetstone. We are coming up to the royal airbase where you three will then be taken to the Eschers. They reside in the sticky grasslands and provide a neutral ground for operations concerning the local Orc problems. Once we touch down, you will be accompanied by a guide to instruct you in the local culture and the dangers there.


    It¡¯s not nearly as dangerous as going out in the wilds, but it¡¯s still a less gentle place than your homeland. From there, you¡¯ll start on your journey towards joining princess Palta¡¯s ranks. Unless you have somewhere else to be.¡± With the last word, he leaned back with the look of coming battle.


    The three guests understood their position perfectly well. Palta¡¯s squad primarily dealt with the Orcs, as well as any other areas of major concern for the Rodring kingdom and they were being pressganged into joining with golden chains. Generally speaking, government-employed mages were looked down upon in the gifted circles as being ¡®bound¡¯. Being free to focus on their true calling, gathering magical resources, was the only respectable form of labor in their level of society. That, combined with the fact that great jobs don¡¯t require forced labor, made it clear how lowly a position they were taking. A reality far-flung from the dreams and wishes of what seemed to be a lifetime ago.


    ¡®Sounds dangerous and thankless. What do you guy¡¯s think?¡¯ Mia asked the other two women in a spirit connection.


    ¡®As opposed to what?¡¯ Veronica responded bitterly, devoid of her usual cheer. ¡®Running off and failing everyone again? Maybe this time we¡¯ll do it properly and get the Orcs some scion babies.¡¯


    Looking around the table, they could see no fight or will left in each other. Content in the knowledge that whatever fate awaited them at this roads end was deserved a hundred times over, they all turned towards the man at the end of the table and Eska spoke up.


    ¡°Fine. When will we be shadowing the princess?¡±


    Unprepared to have his victory in hand so easily, his eyes slightly widened, and he hid a hiccup with a cough into his sleeve. The man straightened his clothes for a moment before assuming an easygoing lean back into his chair.


    ¡°That is very¡­ patriotic of you. However, being in her forces is not the same as being her guards. Scions and skilled mages work directly with her, but it will be a while yet before you have the skills and training needed to take such a position. We will arrive in an hour, and I would advise you to enjoy the luxury provided. Palta¡¯s troop is many things, indulgent isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    His work finished; he did a light bow to the ladies before getting up to let the women finish their meals. Fruits were picked at, fine glass cups were occasionally refilled, and silence was the main conversation around the table. As the minutes ticked by, the lands below turned from solid wood to patches of bark with tall bushes and a grass carpet between them all. The journey continued for a while longer. Veronica was still mildly interested in the ship, especially with how fast it must have been taking them, but it had been made abundantly clear that the rooms and dining area were their grand prison and travel elsewhere on the ship had been forbidden.


    It was all rather dull even with the previously unvisited heights. The three alternated between pacing around the circular room or sitting at the table. That was until Veronica on a strong clockwise walk around the room finally spotted their destination. Coming up on what looked like a flower blossom of shining steel, they flew over what she knew to be the Literrean''s stronghold.


    Her mother had taught her a lot about the ways of the Central Continent in the clear expectation that it would be where she would make her fortunes one day, the families and their feuds in the Rodring kingdom being a big part of that instruction. While other houses were renowned for being descendants of members of Rodring¡¯s party, the Literreans¡¯ were the undisputed pillar of the nation as they were the fruits of the man himself. The Kanton house had been more co-equal at some point, but Ballud the Fool had seen their hold on power wane into subservience. Between their unassailable pedigree, the distinction of having the only living wife of Rodring among their ranks, and their characteristic metal magic, the Literreans were more THE Rodring kingdom than they were a part of it. Especially with the house of water mages in the south being taken over by a clan of pirates turned onto the straight path.


    Their magic was on full display as Veronica took in a solid wall of steel that looked like a cresting wave of liquid metal radiating out from the city. Buildings in the same weird style of the nation were common here instead of the singular piece that they were in other cities. Big rectangles of square glass and metal frames jutted into the sky with eight or nine stories to each building. Between each was a web of streets and a larger single highway running through the center of the city and around the inner side of the wall. Standing in the middle of the Literrean hold was one specimen larger and taller than all the others and, unlike its siblings, the main highway moved around it in a circle with a wide slab of stone on the ground. It pointed skyward like a finger accusing the heavens and the gold trims over the metal of its twenty or so floors made it stand out further among its kin.


    Soaring past the impressive city, the ship came onto a walled-off base in the plains past the main settlement. Now joined by her companions, the three women and Chattox, perched contently on his scion¡¯s golden head, stood still as statues while the stone ground below the ship came closer. A soft creak could be heard when the soft shifting that had been present for a few days stopped. The door from which their host entered opened again, only this time a maid came in with a light bow and an arm pointing through the door.


    Following her directions, the group went through a wood hallway with three directions. Taking a left towards where they first came on the ship, they came onto a wide entrance area with an open door in the center and rows of hanging hooks for coats or spare clothing items along the right of the main exit. On the right wall was a line of three workers holding chests filled with clothes. Walking through the oval door, the morning sun played over the wooden platform that held up the ship as the wave of heated air stole over Veronica¡¯s skin.


    Moving to the right, the blonde took in the mansion of a ship that they had arrived in. It looked like a log with spherical ends. Dotted with smaller windows around the ship, the bulge in the middle where they ate dinner was the only interruption in its smooth surface. Around its sides were flicks of blue mana being sucked into what had to be air enchantments along the hull. While she wasn¡¯t a wind mage, the gold circles, squares, and triangles painted on the hull showed where the air enchantments that moved the ship up and down were placed.


    Coming out of the door, their host sauntered past them with a few messenger boys and paper-carrying secretaries in tow, looking to soothe his impatient manner.


    ¡°I bid you all fare well,¡± He called over his shoulder as he went down the wooden staircase on the left side of the platform. ¡°If anyone hassles you, tell them to take it up with Hansell¡¯s office.¡±


    With that, he walked down the stairs while one lad wearing a red shirt and grey pants waited near the steps. The three women looked between each other before they moved like a herd of deer in wolves¡¯ territory. When they were at the bottom of the ramp, their far vision was nothing but walls of shining steel blocking their site of the natural world beyond. Smooth stone floor smacked on their shoes, its unnatural smoothness only possible from magic. A task made far easier by the clouds of blue flecks that blew here and there.


    Combined with the rows of buildings along the wall bearing glass fronts, it was all so weird yet vaguely suggestive of the more mundane lives they had previously lived. Words on pages describing the lives and places of the Central continent leaped into Veronica¡¯s mind, but again she could only fuss at the limits of her imagination when confronted with the truth. A troupe of escorting maids and a few guards in red armor with grey stripes accompanied them towards the palisade gate. While it was clearly a military base, it still had the typical comings and goings associated with any large blight of civilization. Carts carrying food, messenger boys running underfoot, and the occasional troop of guards went in and out of the palisade gate they were approaching.


    The guards posted above didn¡¯t even stop them, clearly already told of their arrival. Coming out onto the plains proper, the young guide led them to the right. Tall stalks of green grass stood out where the dirt paths had not been worn into the soil. A bit off the beaten path towards the right rested a metal carriage, and more worryingly for the newcomers, there were dog-sized black beetles with long-bladed tusks scurrying about their way forward.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear.¡± The lad said when he noticed his charges had slowed to a stop. ¡°They mostly cut and eat the grass. They also help keep the monsters away and the weeds from growing over our walls and we provide them with water at various basins.¡±


    Noticing that the large black bugs didn¡¯t even deign them worthy of attention, they quickly moved forward towards the large, metal carriage. Taking a quick look at the local animals, Veronica saw bits of stone or pulsing water along the backs of the beetles. She spent so much time gazing at the wildlife, they were nearly at the carriage when she looked up and felt a sense of weirdness about it.


    While the iron frame was easy to see from afar, the metal chains on the sides of the four horses and the metal belly covering the entire bottom were only now visible. The sides had winds and horses artistically etched into it with strips of gold outlining the animals and their riders galloping over grass plains. A far more elaborate thing than the ones back at the Diamond academy, yet it still seemed as sturdy. It took a moment before she realized what was odd about the carriage. Flickers of red flame played around the manes and hoofs of the brown and white horses. The heat coming off them made whisps of vapor play over the carriage¡¯s chains around their harnesses while a metal shield covering their front emitted a sizzle wherever it touched the grass.


    ¡°Our finest breeds,¡± A feminine voice called from inside the carriage.


    The side door swung open to reveal a man in a sturdy purple vest with white pants. He quickly moved to the side and inside they saw a darker skinned woman with a puff of black hair on her head. Her brown eyes took in the new arrivals as the guide moved forward and held the door open for them.


    Walking forward while the maids loaded down the carriage with chests of clothes and other necessities, Mia took up a spot by the new woman while Veronica sat on the right with Chattox in her lap. Eska plopped down beside her onto the soft red cushions of the wooden bench. Their newest guide sat patiently in her vest of red with a gold trim that matched her looping earrings and necklaces. Her pants were the same white as the driver, who gave a soft smack with the reins as the carriage took off with a slow start that gradually came up to a decent sprint.


    ¡°Welcome to Escher. I am Pestona.¡± The dark-skinned woman said, rubbing her wide nose with a casual flick as she took in the girls. ¡°I was told of your arrival just a few days ago. I¡¯m sorry if the accommodations are lacking for a scion and two casters, but know we provided as well as we could with as little time as we had.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Veronica stated. ¡°We didn¡¯t know we would be-¡°


    A sudden wave of pops around the carriage stopped her. Leaning over to look outside, a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder. Turning around, Veronica saw the Escher woman had a grip on her with a bit lip.


    ¡°Great scion, I would not advise that. Unless you mean to make your hair a single, large piece.¡± The woman pulled back and then looked out her side window before her hand shot out like a whip. What she brought in looked like a bloated stem of grass, though the burned sides and bits of leaking sap on the sides were what demanded the most attention. Mixed in the leaking ooze were flecks of black that looked to be seeds, all of which slowly dripped onto the floor. Before a drop of the waxy substance could touch the wooden boards, she quickly threw it back out.


    ¡°Glue grass.¡± Eska pronounced. ¡°The greatest asset of the Escher people.¡±


    Pestona got a wide grin at that, a jangle of her gold earrings accentuating the obvious pride she had on the subject.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± She practically purred. ¡°For someone so removed from these lands, your knowledge and name suggest some history with us.¡±


    ¡°Only a mother¡¯s fanciful interest. She read extensively about your people and gave me a name reminiscent of the land through which the books brought her.¡± Eska offered indifferently. A raised eyebrow of black hair greeted the words.


    ¡°And what do the books in the soft lands of the Coalition say of us.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Veronica¡¯s friend pushed up her glasses, puckering her lips in concentration before speaking.


    ¡°Our land used to be quite destitute, a place that people with means and wealth had to go through to get to somewhere that mattered. Bodding stopped by in one of the poorer local villages for a time. The seeds he planted among the local women led to a swelling of earth mages, one of whom would eventually be called Harradin the conqueror. She used giant stone walls to create pens, in which she selectively bred the local wildlife. Eventually, she refined a type of grass whose sticky sap chocked out everything else, plant or animal.


    Accompanying the new crop were horses who spewed intense heat out of their legs and backs. With those horses, she was the only one who could move wherever the grass held sway. Was it true she never had to actually fight any battles?¡±


    ¡°Not a one.¡± Pestona crowed with a puffed chest. ¡°Before Bodding¡¯s plan went into motion, the cities would use huge caravans to cut through the dangerous wildlife and deliver goods. While the lack of water and abundant heat meant the near desert drifts weren¡¯t as dangerous as the south, it was still a hard thing. Made all the harder when some regions suddenly became impassable due to a dangerous new plant sprouting up everywhere.


    Harradin had been using small children with sacks to spread the seeds as they ¡®begged¡¯ for food around the outside of the targeted city. By the time the overseers of their pathetic plots of land understood what was happening, Harradin had all the plains under her thumb. Working with discontent locals, each was overthrown from blockades in short order. While the grass doesn¡¯t grow outside of our hot fields, we¡¯ve not had an invasion from outsiders ever since. The petty squabbles of generations past since relegated to skulls thrown into the waves of sand, we have prospered as one people. All due to Bodding¡¯s wisdom.¡±


    Mia lightly coughed out the hot, dry air as the tall grass whipped by in the window beside her and the morning sun filtered through the middle of the carriage. Drawing all eyes to her, she spoke for the first time on the trip.


    ¡°Bodding¡¯s plan? Are you suggesting this was all a part of some grand scheme of his?¡±


    Pestona nodded.


    ¡°He planted his offspring in time for the people of the north to be too distracted with his conquests to deal with us. Is that a coincidence? Perhaps. But he didn¡¯t move against us afterward when we staked out territory that would have been his by right of conquering our former lords to the north. Combined with the divine vision of ultimate mages, is it wrong to assume he saw the greatness our line could reach?¡±


    Veronica nodded along with her friends while Pestona went over the decades of insults, bargaining, and spats between the Escher people and their neighbors. However, it was the divine part that had anchored her thoughts.


    Where was the great vision heralded in the Ultimate mages these past few months when it was needed most?


    She knew an ultimate mage built the great City further west, the details of his life lost outside the scattered scraps she could find in the books she read. Such endeavors took more planning than she dared imagine, but with the free flow of mana, what couldn¡¯t be accomplished? So, why did destiny abandon its child now? The answer that came was as horrible as it was obvious.


    There was no great guiding hand for those who shaped the world. Bodding needed a release and found no small number of open legs to receive him. Did he know what greatness he would spawn, or did the earth scion overtake the richer parts of the area and simply disregard what had been an impoverished wasteland in favor of moving onto greater prizes? Veronica felt she knew the answer, but it would be too long, and potentially too deadly, to explain how she could know such things to her host. Leaving the depressing reality behind, she waited for a lull in the conversation to break in.


    ¡°While that is interesting,¡± The water scion said, drawing eyes to her. ¡°It is recent events that have me more interested. Why were your people chosen to be the main base of operations against the Orcs?¡±


    Pestona gave a sage nod as she leaned back against the bench, though she had the scowl that always came up when humanity¡¯s enemy came up.


    ¡°We¡¯re the closest of the three human nations. More than that, we have reason to loathe both parties, in much the same way they have good cause to see our cities burn.¡±


    A heavy snort from Mia put smirks on all the attendants faces.


    ¡°You hate everyone equally? I guess we¡¯re not forging new bonds of fellowship to meet the challenge.¡±


    A smile stole over the Escher woman¡¯s dark lips.


    ¡°If slaying the green menace isn¡¯t enough to assure the peace, then trade is. The Bodding empire is deathly afraid of any disruption to the flow of holy water out of our hold in the west region. A vital resource in their fight against the demons on their coast bordering the Lost Lands. Even if they do see us as delinquents with a long overdue tax that needs to be collected. We are bereft of major ore veins and rely on the Rodring kingdom''s forges for almost all of our metals while they enjoy the grains, we produce on our stone-raised farms out east. A major part of which they¡¯ve been unable to steal. Not a heart-warming tale of heroics, but it keeps bellies full and houses well furnished.¡±


    Nodding, the carriage fell silent. It was a hours long trip, interspersed with stops for leg stretching or bathroom breaks. They spent that day and the next on long stone roads filled with carriages going to or from some prospect of fortune. All the while, the popping of grass pregnant with sap and black seeds could be heard. The more well-traveled roads didn¡¯t have as much of the Escher people''s defense around their edges, but the grass grew quickly and could cover a road to all but the most discerning eye.


    After a long night at a decent inn, it was on the third day of hard travel with the afternoon sun beating down on them that they finally arrived at their new residence. Coming down the main road along with long carriages pulling troops and goods, the training facility was half a low-cut stadium on the right and on the left was a wide structure like a half moon of sandy stone. Each floor had wide panels of glass facing towards the open side of the stadium and the occasional shrubbery from a garden around the edges.


    The housing structure had a pyramid scheme with each level one block thinner than the one below. The gardens on each edge became almost full lawns around the back where a slope of stone on the back side showed the various levels of gardens where gazebos and small patios provided some lush greenery compared to the drier surroundings. It pointed towards the top three layers of blocks that served as the very tip of the pyramid. Aside from their position, the gold trim and lush gardens on both sides established their special place in the pecking order. Veronica quickly counted out the lowest floor and came up with twenty houses.


    It didn¡¯t seem that impressive until they came closer. When the realization that the blocks were somewhere between a large house and a mansion hit them, they sat in silence with wide eyes. They spent so long taking in the magnificence of the building that Pestona brought them out of their stupor with a chuckle.


    ¡°The glass sides are for viewing bouts. We had our expertise in keeping cool at the harshest times of day, the Bodding¡¯s deft hand for stone and that Rodring eye for steel and glass all combine into the ¡®roost¡¯. Enjoy seeing it for the first time, because after today you¡¯ll be too sore to appreciate it when you arrive.¡±


    Their guide coughed, drawing everyone¡¯s eyes to her.


    ¡°With our arrival, we¡¯ll have to decide on where to put you three. Crafters are put on the first and second floors. As you can imagine, the higher your floor, the greater your achievements. At the highest levels, you¡¯ll have the same luxuries you¡¯d have in proper society. It will take some time for you to find your places in the stack but generally, scions start on the fifth floor and casters start on-¡°


    Veronica shook her head as she sat across from the dark-skinned woman.


    ¡°We stick together.¡±


    Pestona looked askance at her before turning to Eska on her left and then to Mia on Veronica¡¯s right.


    ¡°Scion, you can be brought down to stay in a group or association if you wish. But those same bonds cannot be used to drag anyone up. Your kind typically get half the space to themselves, on the third from the top and up it¡¯s a section to a person. Casters start out having to do with a single bedroom, washroom, and a communal dining area.¡±


    The brown eyes of her friends looked at her, their gazes clearly telling her to take this opportunity. Veronica, however, shook her head to let them know she would broker no argument. The blonde had always been the unspoken leader of the group due to her ascended status, and it was that exaltation that added to her shame. Of the three, she should have been the one who charged first against the green menace on that snow-covered road. Yet, it was her hands who pulled them away. There would be no shirking of the penance that had now come, no matter how small or inconvenient.


    ¡°No. We stay together.¡± Veronica repeated with a stuck-out jaw.


    That seemed to impress the Escher woman, who nodded with a bit lip.


    ¡°Loyalty. Rarer than gold and twice as valuable. Very well, I¡¯ll show you to your rooms.¡±


    With that, they came up to the ¡®roost¡¯. The stone road had a scattered number of carriages going along the sides of the building where food, clothes, and weapons were taken out back. The mages were dropped off at the front. Wearing the typical clothing of the Rodring kingdom, the three stood out among the flowing white robes of the maids who came out of a wide glass door to their left. With their goods being taken care of, Pestona guided them into their home for the foreseeable future.


    The floor around the building was made up entirely of sandy stone, with the sap laden grass being further off the building proper. Going through the glass doors, they came onto what looked like a reception area. Wood staircases went up on the left and right sides of the walls to the various rooms within. In the center, opposite of the entrance was a large open walkway with rows of weapons on the walls and stands so numerous they seemed to take up the whole room. Between the weapons room and the entrance to the block were couches and small tables with women chatting about. Pestona didn¡¯t give them time to really inspect any of it, though.


    Leading the women like a mother duck through a double wide door of shining steel on the right, Veronica came into a singular room with a mana lamp above. With floors and walls of fine wood unobstructed by windows or doors, the three turned to Pestona with questioning looks before the Escher woman spun a dial on the left and pulled on the lever beside it. Veronica¡¯s stomach lurched as her whole body jerked downward. Having adjusted to the odd sense of momentum, the slight clanging above filled their ears for a moment before Pestona¡¯s chuckle rang out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She offered, sounding rather unrepentant ¡°We¡¯re supposed to warn you about that, but you only get to see a person¡¯s first reaction once.¡±


    Eska huffed while Mia giggled with the girl. Veronica took a moment to calm her heart and feel the weirdness of this sensation before she smiled at her host. After a minute, their skyward carriage finally stopped. When the doors opened again, they stepped out into a similar-looking room, though the field through the glass on the left told of a height far from the ground. Though, the wood was a bit finer and there were bits of gold around the edges of the furniture.


    Taking a right and up the staircase, they were led into a long hallway with wooden doors and smooth marble flooring. Each entrance was marked with a golden number and it was at the ninth door that Pestona stopped.


    ¡°The eighth and tenth have also been reserved for you three if you wish to stay separate or you can bunk together if you wish.¡±


    The expected nods came, prompting her to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from your long journeys. There¡¯s a conversation we need to have, but long talks are never well conducted on empty stomachs. The maids will have your things put in the proper place when we come back.¡±


    With the introduction out of the way, the group moved further down the hall until they came to an open canteen. It was well furnished with wood walls and tables sprinkled about the middle section. Seated or moving around with trays of food or drinks, women filled the room with an array of skin tones, facial features, and clothing that had been previously unimaginable to the three former members of the Diamond academy. For all the diversity of the female sex on display, it was the prominence of puffy hair, disregard for any clothing beyond light leather armor for those seated at the tables, and lack of male counterparts that stood out the most.


    Sitting down in the middle of the room with Pestona on the right, Eska on the left, and Mia opposite Veronica, a server in a flowing white dress quickly came by with mugs of water and took their orders. Their chaperone suggested a loaf of flat bread and some spicy beans for each, a hearty meal and quickly made. Sipping their water, the four women sat in silence for a minute. Looking around, Veronica saw a lot of the women admiring each other¡¯s clothes or sitting in friendly duos. It took only a few moments of further inspection before one of the more curious elements of this place prompted her to speak.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the curly hair?¡± The blonde asked. Looking around it was obvious that some of the women went out of their way to make their hair that way, with bits of long strands left tucked behind shirts or some in the process of unfurling.


    Pestona got a smug smile as she stroked her own cloud of black hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sign of Bodding¡¯s blood. While a few ignore the look entirely, having your hair curled like this is a sign of wealth and good lineage. I was fortunate enough to have been blessed from birth with it.¡±


    She absorbed the askance looks from around the table but only shrugged in defense.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve helped a friend who burned her hair off trying to get those coveted curls, it¡¯s easier to see the prestige of it. But from what your reports told, you three hail from the Coalition, correct? You seem to have strayed a bit away from home and no knowledge of our ways means you didn¡¯t have your hearts set on joining our eschewed ranks.¡±


    The three looked between each other while Chattox looked around the room from his perch atop Veronica¡¯s shoulder. Pestona didn¡¯t press the question, only nodding when it became clear silence was the only answer they would be giving. As they ate and came to terms with using their fingers instead of any utensils, Veronica asked her second question.


    ¡°Where are the men?¡±


    Pestona spat water into her cup, an accident that did little to hinder her chuckle. The joke was lost on the three newcomers, who idly sipped water and munched on bread. After a second, the girl calmed down.


    ¡°Despite the Coalitions failings with the quad mage, I assume they taught you about keeping the male mages away from the green doom?¡±


    Her verbal gut punch went unnoticed by the dark-skinned woman as her three dining companions nodded with strained smiles or small frowns.


    ¡°That and the lack of anything for them to do here means this is a lady¡¯s commune. Aside from a few chefs or backroom laborers. No matter how strong your magic, men¡¯s backs always seem to be better for sacks of grain or slabs of salted meat. ¡°


    That seemed a bit odd. Bringing in the next generation of mages was one of the biggest obligations drilled into young girls¡¯ heads, even in the earliest years. Veronica assumed the families were kept elsewhere or in the inner blocks, but if that wasn¡¯t the case it only prompted more questions. One of which Mia immediately followed up on.


    ¡°There are plenty of women here, yet I¡¯ve not seen a single pup or heard a babes cry. Are there really no mothers here?¡±


    Her two friends leaned forward with equally questioning eyes. Children were common in the dorms that they lived, visited, or walked through, and so many of their associates in the academy were managing a brood or two, it felt¡­off not having any scampering munchkins underfoot with so many mages around. Even to those who had been wanting to wait a few years to do their duty. A look of dawning comprehension stole over Pestona¡¯s face, though what revelation came to her was a mystery to the three. She took a moment to collect her words, tapping the mug before taking a long wig and setting it down as she leaned forward with a lowered voice.


    ¡°Princess Palta is a very duty-bound woman. Both from birth and her sense of righteousness. She has managed to get three children with a few men she found worthy, in spite of her inclinations. While we all may not have a taste for men, know she will not let you shirk your duties. Even if the lady of the house is not here, she expects you to make up for your lost obligation to society with labor and bloodshed.¡±


    Brown and blue eyes darted around the room. Taking in the scene with fresh eyes, they saw the duo¡¯s as the obvious couples they were, and the admiration of the clothes melted into what was now interest in the flesh beneath. None of the three could meet each other¡¯s eyes after looking around. Veronica could only think back to the words of Hansel. Something about the queen having sympathy for their plight or situation. Like her daughters.


    ¡°Well, I must say you¡¯ve been one of the better groups I¡¯ve helped shepherd here.¡± Pestona pronounced with a small clap as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would like some time alone. Enjoy your time together, because come morning you¡¯ll be cursing the sun for daring to rise. You¡¯ll know the morning siren when it comes, but tomorrow morning you¡¯ll be given some leniency to get some weapons of your choosing. After that, head directly onto the field for training.¡±


    Her task finished, she walked off leaving a cross-looking Eska to pucker her lips after the chocolate-skinned woman. An odd hiccup from Mia sitting opposite Veronica drew the group''s eyes. The redhead was buried in her arm and her shoulders were shaking as barely contained sputtering came from her. Which was when Veronica felt a spirit connection from Eska on her left.


    ¡®A lesbian sanctuary! I knew such inclinations existed but¡­¡¯


    The blonde picked up the conversation as she disinterestedly rubbed her mug of now lukewarm water.


    ¡®Well, if you aren¡¯t inclined to take a dicking, I¡¯d imagine you have to make up for it by doing the jobs no other mage wants to do. One way or another, the powers above expect their investment to be paid back.¡¯


    Her friend¡¯s black eyebrows furrowed as she turned on her scion friend.


    ¡®Fine. But just because we don¡¯t throw open our legs to every passing man who can work mana, that doesn¡¯t mean¡­ that we¡­¡¯


    Mia pulled herself up, still looking like she was on the verge of laughing as she good-naturedly patted her perturbed friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®We had the chance to go down in history as heroes and goddesses by bearing the quad mage¡¯s children. But we didn¡¯t do that, and it was totally of our own free will. Veronica had a good excuse, as far as the rest of the world knew, but you and I have the needed parts. Anyone without any personal knowledge of the situation would assume that we passed up on such a legendary opportunity because we couldn¡¯t stomach the thought of going through the act.¡¯


    Veronica felt her throat tighten at the thought of the quad mage. She didn¡¯t care about the mistaken assumption. She hadn¡¯t really cared about much of anything these days. Running her finger around the lip of her mug, the scion looked her two friends in the eyes.


    ¡®Eli. His name was Eli. And if they knew a tenth of what we didn¡¯t do, the only invitation we would have gotten was a straight ride to a noose overlooking a cliff.¡¯


    No argument came through the spirit connection. A ruffling on the left side of her head from Chattox drew her out of her foul mood. Her lack of consideration for him sent a stab of guilt through her heart. Indulging in dark thoughts wasn¡¯t healthy, but it was doubly so for scions who had their emotions filter through to their familiars, no matter how far away.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ She apologized tiredly as she rubbed the tuft of feathers on his head.


    The group sat in silence for a second before they all looked down at their plates. Looking between each other, an unspoken agreement to leave was reached. Going out of the dining hall, they went back to their rooms, with Veronica taking the ninth room. Too tired from a long day¡¯s ride, the blonde stumbled into her room with only a flash of the bed from the hallway lights showing her where to flop down before she shut the door.


    A blaring noise with low whines cresting into high screeches assaulted her ears. Looking around the room, the mana lamp sent a soft gold glow on a stand to her left and the door further ahead. Realizing that it could only be the morning call for training, Veronica practically leaped out of the bed. Going into the washroom, she quickly made herself ready for the day. As she stripped off her clothes and replaced them with a provided white shirt and grey pants, her spine tingled with anticipation. Her mind felt clear for the first time in what felt like months.


    Having finally found a focus for all her anguish and anger, she practically ran out of her room with Chattox digging his talons into her right shoulder to hold on. Moving down the hall, a few others were moving towards the main room of the block with varying degrees of lethargy. More than a few rooms opened to let two women out of what was supposed to be individual accommodations. Veronica ignored all of her fellow travelers, instead running headlong until she came up to the staircase leading to the main window.


    The sky above the grassy plains was only just barely lit with strokes of gold suggesting the rise of the sun off to the right. Turning right, she immediately went into the armory. A wide kiosk was to the left with some secretaries in white robes with silver sashes on their hips that reflected the golden glow of the mana lamps dotting the wooden ceiling. Each attendant had a basket with dark bars of some edible that each of the women took. Veronica took one and had only a moment to savor the fruity taste before swallowing and moving on to her business.


    The blonde scion immediately knew what type of weapon she wanted from the displays. Hanging around the spear section near the back, the water scion fussed over what kind of spear to take. She wanted one that had a good heft to it but was also light enough that Chattox could lift it in the air for a dive bomb into an unsuspecting eye socket. After a few minutes of lifting, swinging, and light jabbing one spear or polearm after another, one of the kiosk attendants came over.


    ¡°Miss, pets are not allowed in the armory,¡± She said with a slight bow of her head that accentuated her puffy black hair that contrasted with her lightly tanned skin.


    It was Veronica¡¯s turn to feel emotion thrust upon her. Chattox leaped off Veronica¡¯s shoulder and landed on a spear shaft in a display near the right of the attendant¡¯s head, all the while sending small blasts of mist from his wings that went over the object of his rage. It was at that moment that her grey eyes went wide as she realized what she had just insulted. His cruel red eyes burned into the poor woman while sweat started falling down her mocha skin, matching the anger Veronica felt infecting her mind. She pushed the fiery emotion aside with a chuckle as she strode forward.


    ¡°Chattox.¡± The water scion chided as she grabbed her white bird familiar like a sack of potatoes. ¡°She didn¡¯t mean it. Now help me find a spear you can lift.¡±


    She carried him away even as his head moved like it was on a pivot, so intent was he to stare down the offending woman. A rage the offending attendant was deathly afraid of if the deep bow and sweat coming down her face was anything to go by.


    ¡°I¡­ Scion, I have no words to fully express-¡°


    Veronica put up her hand with a knowing nod.


    ¡°He¡¯s a fickle thing even among his kind. Most other familiars he¡¯s been around didn¡¯t mind such mistakes. Still, he¡¯s mine and I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without him. Would you know of any spears that he could fly into the air on his own with?¡±


    ¡°Javelin!¡± The woman exclaimed, her head raising up with an expression of hope. Clearly looking to make up for the previous insult, she waved her arms towards the center of the room with a reverent bow. Following behind her, Veronica arrived at a stand closer to the middle of the room. Along its shelves were what to her eyes looked to be small spears, each with a clean, sharp point on the end, and most were as long or a bit longer than her arm.


    Taking a few seconds to try out various models, she eventually settled on one with a smooth oak shaft with a steel band and point. The outstanding feature being a long oval ring on the bottom, something that she felt would make it easier to whip around with a water spell or pull out of a body. As she slung a backpack around her backside, Veronica nodded to the relieved attendant. A relaxed nod from Chattox gave the poor woman the permission she needed to vacate the area.


    Picking up a long spear near the size of her body, made with the same oak shaft and steel band near the top, the main difference was a diamond-shaped head. She noticed a few women who looked to be finished in their preparation walking towards the right side of the room and going through a wide entrance to a smooth stone wall. Moving forward, it wasn¡¯t until she was through the entrance that she saw a wide staircase on the left. It led up while the one on the right led further down.


    On both sets, women were walking down. Bearing leather armor and assortments of shields, blades, or arrows, the clanking of their weapons rang out in a hail of small tings and metal clacks. Hearing more off in the distance with an odd reverberation to them, Veronica moved towards the wooden rail along the walkway between the two sets of stairs. Looking down, she saw the spiral staircase of smooth stone go on for a while, with a small chorus of the metal clanging coming up from the depths below. Mentally bracing herself, the blonde scion started her slog down.


    Most of the women were professional fighters and kept the business end of their weaponry out of their companions¡¯ sides as they all marched down with nothing but the occasional changing of the mana lamp above to break the monotony. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes, a ray of sunlight splashed across the floor as the wide entrance to the ground came into view. Walking onto the main slab of stone that served as the open area between the ¡®roost¡¯ and the arena.


    Walking across the stone field, it took a minute before her two companions strode up to her on the right. Mia had a sword and shield, while Eska carried a bow and quiver of arrows on her back. Nodding to each other, they kept marching forward as they approached the open side of the arena.


    As they neared the first grey pillar, a bigger woman with muscles ripping out of a leather vest and black pants came up to them from the shadows of the stadium. Her brown eyes looked on dispassionately, while her wide chin was rubbed in thought. Her wide hand was as deeply tanned as the rest of her exposed skin while her single braid of black hair swung with her stride.


    ¡°I have to say, I would have thought that the scion had already demanded to move higher up the chain. Neddie is my name and I¡¯ll be your trainer. Typically, we take girls in batches but since you¡¯ve arrived outside of our regular recruitment times, you¡¯ll be getting some special attention. First item of business, do you lot have any objections to working with magicless men?¡±


    The three furrowed their eyebrows at the odd question, but each shook their heads. Her smile accentuated a few wrinkles around her eyes.


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s usually the biggest problem with the new recruits. Most have a hard time understanding how combat works in the bloody plains.¡± She explained as she ushered them forward. ¡°While we may not have the physical strength of men, our greater aptitude for magic usually makes up for that weakness tenfold. But when you work in a mana dead zone, that card isn¡¯t easily played. Combined with Garren making his spawn lack our delicate feminine charms,¡±


    She sent her brood a small grin, something that made the women chuckle despite their best efforts.


    ¡°That means we need men to do a lot of the heavy fighting, with us occasionally dropping a big spell or two to move things along. Since you lot didn¡¯t give me a surly look just now, I¡¯ll skip the usual beating from a local laborer and get on with your personal training.¡±


    Her lecture finished, they stopped near the middle of the field as people dueled or practiced various forms on the left and archers trained their aim on dummies with green paint on the right.


    For the next hour, Neddie had them perform various stretches or slashes with their weapon of choice, or a dagger for Eska. With her spear outstretched, Veronica could only smile as beads of sweat started dripping down her forehead. The deep reservoir of pain and loathing that had seized her soul lessened with each stroke of her spear like she was siphoning all her darkest thoughts into the blade.


    As the morning sun continued beating down on the field, the rising heat went almost unnoticed by the three friends as they poured themselves into their new craft.

 Chapter 114: Crasdens Newest Headache.

    Eli POV


    Sitting at the large, circular wooden table in the meeting room, I went over a few papers in my hands as the mana lamps dotted along the stone walls bathed all the pages and my smiling metal mask in a golden glow along. Scrawled on the sheets of paper were outlines and measurements for an outpost in the snail dominated lands. After a few minutes of looking over the designs, I settled on three that had the most stable base. Seeing as this was more Salamede¡¯s project than mine, it would fall to her to make the final decisions.


    Stretching, I folded the three ordained pages and went back into my room. It took only a moment, as the clothes I selected were woven plant fibers of white for the top and long woven leaves for pants. Walking back to the meeting room, I took a right and walked into the workshop. The place was busier than ever, with five long central tables being totally taken up. Even the expansion on the right was full, with several of the standard tables in the middle and shelves of wooden blocks and papers around the workers. Walking among them was the burly form of Beaton. His blue coat slung on the table he with a few of his former crew around him. In front of them were various enchantments and sheets of paper, each holding their own designs for a vessel travelling the seas.


    Pushing further ahead, I came into the hangar. After waiting for the boys to get comfortably settled in for two days, I decided to come back and start setting up the next phase of our operations near the capital. Looking at the sharp hull of the Intrepid on the left and the ladders on the sides with workers moving up stores of food and blocks of enchanted wood, I took in the sounds of feet shuffling over the smooth stone floor, clanging of metal, and shouting that slightly reverberated on the high ceiling above. Along that roof with a crease in the middle where it opened, were mana lamps spaced out in intervals to shine golden rays on the workers below and the objects of their labor.


    Off to the right was the Intrepid¡¯s twin. Without a name and only half a hull to its sides, it wasn¡¯t much to look at, but it was coming along nicely. Having the pain and agony from the first ship made here fresh in their minds, the Kelton¡¯s helped guide the Orc and human workers away from a lot of their previous mistakes. Combined with Durka overseeing things, I was confident that we would have a new ship in a week or two. Which was good, because with one needed to ferry or spy in the south and one for watching the skies here, our ability to respond to any other situations was gone until the mass of wood was made proper. Moving forward, I came into a congestion between the two ships as their operations brushed up against each other. Something that sent one member almost colliding with me.


    ¡°My lord!¡± One of the Kelton¡¯s we had recently picked up yelped to my right. The young lad with curling brown horns that matched his fur did a light bow as he scrambled out of the way, almost dropping his plank of wood as his did so. The chuckle that came out of my mouth made him bite his lip.


    ¡°As you were.¡± I idly offered as I moved forward.


    The rest made some space for me, though it seemed that most did it out of respect rather than fear. Kelton clan heads and their wives were apparently quite harsh in handing out punishments for the slightest offense and the tight spaces meant banishment was the preferred method of correction. Most Kelton¡¯s recently taken from the wastes were still not totally adjusted to the more relaxed discipline here but like most things, culture shock was best remedied with time.


    Finally getting to my ship, I waited for a gap in the workers on the ladder before shimmying up to the deck myself. It was a flat thing, with only the black tube of iron sticking out of the middle to blow heat into the canopy of cloth suspended on a steel frame above, a steering wheel behind it sticking out, and the wooden half-shield turrets providing any obstructions on the deck. The slight blocking of the pilot¡¯s vision had been unnoticeable in most situations and adding more weight on the back end for a raised platform or half level wasn¡¯t an issue I had the time to fix for now. Taking the papers out of my pants and testing the strength of the pants leaves as I did so, I looked over the designs again.


    The first was a large shell, like a snails¡¯, on a long stone base. The second was a pyramid structure with a wooden top. As the last, the final design was the most complicated paired with the greatest promise in my eyes. It would be a wide dome with six turrets spaced around its edge. Combined with a wall a fair distance from it with buildings along the inner defense, it seemed to be the best fit for our requirements.


    While I was perusing the three papers, I heard footsteps approaching me among the other noise. Coming from my right, I saw Gula walking to me with a slight wave in her bowl cut of black hair. Her vertical cut along her left eye and horizontal cut along her nose were the same as ever, but as she casually scratched her side through her own white shirt and brown pants, she seemed far more relaxed than usual. Most importantly, she had a slight wobble in her step that forced a small smile on my face beneath the mask and no doubt showed up in my eyes.


    Her green lips puckered as she came up to me. My impudence went unpunished, however, as she hugged me. Putting my hands on her hips, I shifted her lower half to fully press against me. The Orc responded by lightly moaning like a cat as her hands gripped my shoulders. A strength that was out of proportion to her frame backed up her grip, but I countered with dexterity by lowering my mask and stealing her lips.


    As a spicy, vinegar flavor with smoky undercurrents assaulted my tongue, I nearly sighed in relief. Drawn from my observations and discussions, I found a lot of women were very particular about space and being touched even when married, especially when in view of other women in public. Gula had been one such specimen of the female gender, but it seems she was finally letting those barriers down and allowing me a bit more affection outside of the bedroom. Pulling my lips away, I put my smiling metal mask back up.


    ¡°I was thinking I need to get in as much as I can before going to the local capital.¡± I declared.


    She bit her green lower lip at that, looking down at my groin with trepidation.


    ¡°Salamede is going to have something to say about that.¡± She warned with a raised eyebrow and slight frown, making it clear she wasn¡¯t thrilled at the prospect either.


    I knew the young were quite attached to their bodies and willingly removing parts from it was considered taboo or the realm of the unstable. But once you¡¯ve gone through the process of getting old and restarting in a teen vessel a few hundred times, the flesh you use to get about starts being another tool. And tools are only as useful as the function they provided.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing all of¡­this,¡± I exclaimed with a wide sweep of my arms to everything around me ¡°Because no child of mine will ever know a lack of fatherly love. It kind of defeats the point of it all if I go and stud out as a plant mage.¡±


    Gula looked me in the eye with a continued bite of her lip before she shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Salamede will be very understanding.¡± Was all she said as she took in the work going on around us.


    It took a few more minutes before the sacks of food, mana crystals, and steel were loaded up. As the younger lad who served as Durka¡¯s apprentice took the steering wheel and heat blew into the balloon frame above, the workers below started waving goodbye as the rays of faint sun above broke through the creaking ceiling. The typical chocking salt in the air gave way to a semi-fresh morning breeze as the ship took into the sky. Its mist enchantments engaged and turned the world into a cloud all around us even as the momentum on our bodies gave us a general notion of movement.


    The trip was several hours and since all the work I wanted to do would have unbalanced the ship, I spent my time cuddling with my wife by the railing. She may have fussed in times past at such open affection, but from her pushing her against me and leaning into the occasional kiss, I could tell she needed the comfort herself. Normally, I¡¯d have been ecstatic but there was a bit of worry in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked as I had her pinned against the guard rail with all the workers below deck. She looked down for a moment before turning to me with a conflicted expression.


    ¡°Your vision for my people is a great one. But I can¡¯t help but wonder if we¡¯re doing the right thing. What with them already having willing men.¡±


    That was an odd bit of psychology. The peasant men hadn¡¯t really talked about their lives pre-Orc laying, and I had been far too busy to get into the particulars of such lives. Still, I knew enough about their current situation to assuage her worries.


    ¡°All well and good. Unless you like seeing the sun or breathing fresh air. Or mind living in constant fear that you and your daughters¡¯ throats will be slit because the husband¡¯s a spy or the local governor finds your hiding hole. Aside from all that, I suppose it¡¯s paradise.¡±


    The Orc nodded, putting a hand to her forehead.


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s just¡­ you don¡¯t know, Eli. Seeing little green girls running up to a human yelling ¡®papa¡¯ and getting a hug from the man instead of a blade in the throat¡­ I can¡¯t help but worry that us being here might destroy all of that. If you¡¯re discovered, they¡¯ll kill every Orc in this region cost be dammned. It may even go beyond that. From what a lot of the women say, the governments have a flare up of trying to purge the Orc¡¯s from their lands every few years or decade but give up because it quickly becomes a lost cause. Having you among us might be the impetus they need to see the job through.¡±


    Her free hand was gripping the railing now. Leaning forward, I pulled her into my embrace. When I had the green woman snuggly up against my chest and thighs, I finally gave my opinion.


    ¡°Having all the answers isn¡¯t my area of expertise, especially when it comes to a messy subject like people. But that last bit, to me, only reaffirms the need to bring science here. Living by the dictates of some bureaucrat who may not have the political resources to see you as dead as they would like is no way to live. We may be putting them at greater risk for now, but things change Gula and not always for the better. In a few hundred or thousand years, they¡¯ll almost certainly find that impetus in one form or another. And they may be more cooperative with their neighbors when they make that decision.¡±


    She looked at me, disbelief, fear, and doubt swirled in those golden pools before she bit her lip and nodded with a wobble in her sharp chin. After another second of contemplation, Gula put her head against my shoulder.


    ¡°A thousand years of joy doesn¡¯t seem bad.¡±


    I may have been worried about her resolve if not for the joking tone in her voice. We took in each other¡¯s company, sitting on the deck and rubbing each other¡¯s various parts for a while, a minute or hour longer, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The pilot announced, taking us out of our mutual bliss.


    Getting off the floor, we moved towards one of the ladders near the back when a soft crunch surrounded the ship. With a satisfied nod, the pilot pulled a lever and the ball of mist that made up the world lingered for a moment before quickly disappearing in the faint sunlight peeking out of the clouds above. The world beyond the deck was now mostly fields of rocks with snails moving about on the right side.


    Far removed from their milder brothers, the shells on their backs had sharp edges around the sides or bloomed like a coral reef with a dazzling display of teals, yellows, reds, and pinks. Sporting sizes from anywhere to a dog to a horse, their need for food in the morning made them very aggressive with using spells against whatever or whoever would fit in their mouths, including younger members of their own species. Even with the afternoon feeding frenzy gone, it was easy to see why the Keltons and humans had left this place to its natural custodians.


    Aside from one attempt on the left.


    A wide tower of smooth stone colored red with grey flecks and dotted with a ring of windows was on the other side of the ship, though our vessel was still on the wide stone slab supporting both. A vain attempt of Salamede¡¯s ancestors to put these lands under their thumb that was spotted on one of our scouting trips. It was a small curio in the scouting reports, but seeing it firsthand made the attempt all the more impressive considering they had no air ships to aid them. They may have succeeded if not for the treachery of their neighbors. Or perhaps the snails would have sent them all packing in time. However their venture would have turned out, it bore needed fruit for us and perhaps a home for their glorious return.


    Nearly the size of a mansion, its stone was badly worn with chips, cracks, and a deep fissure on the right side, and the empty hole where the gate of the main entrance used to be was a distant memory of security. Combined with the back end being almost totally caved in, it was a lost ruin. But as well as I did on the last dilapidated tower I holed up in, it was the base that had been the deciding factor when compared to a few rocky outcroppings that we had considered. A square slab that I wanted to say was around the size of a large town provided the foundation for the tower and told of a grand ambition left unrealized.


    Coming out of the left side of the ruin, Salamede power walked towards us with a leather top over a white shirt and metal greaves covering her brown pants. It would have lent her a military look if not for the skip in her step. Running up to us, I only had enough time to get a hand on her side before she took me in a hug. Following it up with a kiss sending a sweetness across my tongue, I put a hand up to her grey neck fur. Her long ivory horns shifted with her head before she pulled back to take Gula in a similarly enthusiastic hug.


    With no kiss in the greeting, the two quickly pulled back while workers walked by with loads of goods being offloaded. The Orc was as enthused as Salamede as they both turned to take in the ruin. Walking forward, I looked over the landscape to take in the various bits of sun reflecting off a pool or shiny shell amidst the clouds of gold mana flecks playing over the land.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Was the basement a total loss?¡± Gula asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Salamede said with a bit of pride. ¡°The snails haven¡¯t given us any trouble since Eli covered the whole area in flame and I was able to give it a thorough look over. I think it can be saved but the rest isn¡¯t fit for vagabonds.¡±


    ¡°You went below?¡± I asked, quickly turning my head to raise an eyebrow at my Kelton wife. Her nonchalant shrug was unrepentant.


    ¡°Only the first few rooms near the entrance.¡±


    I took in a long breath between my teeth as I fixed her with my most withering frown.


    ¡°Just because I reinforced the tower walls doesn¡¯t mean going below is safe. As I said. Many times.¡±


    The Kelton woman had the shame to look away. Though an apology or promise to not do it again was conspicuously absent. She fumbled in one of her leather pockets on her right side until her hand pulled out a mana crystal and placed it in my hands. The long disk had horns twirling along the outside as the ridges spun inward. Hefting what would be a great treasure to most mages, I looked up towards Salamede as our trek took us near the tower.


    ¡°We thought them all lost,¡± Salamede said, her low tone still showing excited energy. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they used these to help deal with our tempers. A mage seeking to duel with a rival party had to get two of these, one for the opponent and one for the chief. They were expensive enough that it kept the Kelton mages from killing each other over small slights.¡±


    ¡°But not worth one of my people, much less my wife.¡± I countered while the side of the tower cast a small shadow over us. Moving further along, we walked behind the ruin as the campsite came into view. I had moved a lot of the stone to mimic a fallen side of the tower that conveniently blocked the view of the camp from the rocky plains and made it harder for any of the snails to come up to our hidden corner. A large central canvas surrounded the inner expanse while bedsheets and small tents were scattered around a few feet from either side of the pile of misshaped stone that was far sturdier than it looked.


    Salamede rubbed my side in appreciation while Gula snorted.


    ¡°Quite the charmer, this one,¡± The Orc scoffed.


    The people going back and forth around the camp were several guards, a select few elders along with Kantor, and some of the Frojan being led by Baloo. Whatever musings or conversation was going on stopped as I approached the center of the camp and sat on a boulder.


    ¡°Any word of travelers or enterprising scavengers since we last came?¡± I asked the group with a particular look to the older, black and grey furred Kelton man, Kantor, on my left. His steel armor plating was looking like a second skin these days, so smooth were his movements that when he bowed to me his curled brown horns didn¡¯t hinder his rise back up.


    ¡°None. These lands were long considered the sole domain of the snails. That our kind managed to get so far into their territory is a feat that would be sung of in song if the bards knew of it. Though, I am curious as to why you requested the elders for this mission.¡±


    Baloo stepped forward with his long staff tapping on the stone floor, his long blue robe now accompanied by a thick white shirt and pants. Clothing that also adorned the two large brown frogmen behind him.


    ¡°We were wondering what we were doing here as well.¡± He asked, his amber eyes looking up and down as his deep voice reverberated around the camp.


    Nodding to the group, I looked them all over. Despite being so far away from civilization, the healing crafts Salamede had fashioned for the older Keltons seemed to have undone some of the nastier sides of aging in this world. The lack of shivering in the Frojan also belayed any concerns about them being able to stay here.


    ¡°While you all know why we¡¯re this far down south, I¡¯ve waited until now to tell you the true scope of our problems,¡± I announced as Gula went to the Frojan on the right while Salamede stood with the Keltons on the left. ¡°The Mist pirates are making a play for these lands, causing the Kispin haulers to look at our new home as a potential site for their harbor to escape the carnage. This, you all know. But the brothers have brought back new dimensions to this headache.


    The Rodring kingdom''s flotilla has been decimated and they are now relying on the house of healer¡¯s navy to contend with the invaders. That fleet is accompanying the main armada on the sea floor.¡±


    Bit lips and sharp intakes of breath took over for a moment before I continued.


    ¡°The Rodring kingdom is swinging a sword they don¡¯t know is made of paper. Even with that, the haulers are still considering a move north due to concerns over food and supply shortages accompanied by riots. Our task here is to solve their known and unknown problems. As monumental an undertaking as that is, I feel there is a third problem that will spawn from solving those two.


    If we turn the tide, fortifying the Rodring position and filling their stores all the while them being none the wiser to our direct involvement, the rest of the kingdom is still too weak and the pirates too invested for the bandits to just shrug and go home. Even if they miss the chance to pull the haulers under their thumb this year, there¡¯s no reason they won¡¯t try to make it happen for next year¡¯s harvest. Since their main base is further south, I think it is rather likely they¡¯ll try to make a foothold in the Kelton lands. Being farther north, that would give them a good position to harass future harvests and fully encircle the local capital.


    Hell, they¡¯d probably do it so they don¡¯t have to share the bounty. Most importantly, I can¡¯t do much to supply the Rodring kingdom the troops to do offensive operations so far north. If the Mist pirates make such a move, the Kelton lands must have the strength to resist them, or the pirates will have free reign to sally onto the shipping lanes from both the north and south. That would likely force the haulers to cut a deal. I can¡¯t say what that deal would exactly entail, but the haulers would probably have to find an area away from the capital and murderous Kelton¡¯s to run their business. As they are doing now.¡±


    Wide white eyes and flared snouts stole over the Kelton¡¯s faces. The group started turning to their companions with scowls, each getting more and more irritated as what had to be spirit connection conversations got hotter with each passing second. One brown-furred man even started shaking his fists in the air before Salamede turned to him. Her ivory horns twirled as she drew back her head. Even being a bit shorter than him, she still managed to stagger him with a headbutt that sent a solid smack flying through the air.


    ¡°Enough!¡± My wife finally yelled over the group, ¡°My husband didn¡¯t come here to deliver a speech and then fly away. Let him finish before we let our tempers ruin whatever plans he has.¡±


    She nodded to me as the commotion died down. Though some still fiddled with their swords or twirled their fur nervously, the Keltons were settled enough to let me continue.


    ¡°With that in mind, I want to set up a system and narrative that we can expand as needed to meet these challenges. I doubt they¡¯ll expend any real effort in such ventures while the main capital is seemingly ripe for the taking. But the pace of coming events demands we lay the groundwork now. At first, I want this to be a place for smugglers,¡± I did a wave towards Gula and her Frojan. ¡°We¡¯ll start by weaving a network of contacts that we can sell food to the Keltons, Orcs, and possibly humans through if my efforts alone cannot meet the demand. This will be a base of operations where they store their ¡®ill-gotten goods¡¯.


    If the Keltons can¡¯t keep the pirates off their lands, it will have to be upgraded to the site of Salamede¡¯s tribe rising from the grave. While I¡¯m working in Crasden, you will be laying the foundation for a return of the Kelton mage clan with the smuggling being a scheme to prepare their lands for their glorious return.¡±


    Wide eyes greeted such a ridiculous announcement, but no objection to its plausibility came forward. Taking that as permission to continue, I expounded on my vision.


    ¡°Since it would be a big problem if the people on the council of this fabricated land were recognized by some of the visitors, I¡¯ve brought you Kelton¡¯s here because anyone who knew you from your old life has died but you still know enough about the other clans. Salamede will be giving you magical lessons while we start making a new foundation for this grand deception. The first order of business is, of course, making Kelton mages. When I arrive in Crasden, Cell will get with me before he starts hunting out in the wilds and bringing you back magical resources to consume.


    Our story needs to be flexible. If we don¡¯t get enough mages in time, we can say the blood of the clan is in decline and that¡¯s why they are coming back onto the scene now. Or perhaps you will be newcomers who took up the mantle of a dead people. But we¡¯ll work out those details if we decide to go down this route. Right now, I want a fully functional oasis of civilization before potentially selling this fabrication to the rest of the world.¡±


    Turning towards Gula, the Orc and Frojan were clearly wondering what their portion of all this work was.


    ¡°The single biggest protection against compromise is making sure that nothing we ride or carry can be traced back to the main base. Any ships, food, weapons, metal, or cloth put into our smuggling venture needs to be first sourced from the initial cargo or if the need is great enough, the mysterious benefactor in the snail plains. This means we need to get the forges, harbor, and buildings in place with the appropriate sign of aging and grand decor. We are lying an entire civilization into existence and the details are everything.¡±


    No great cheer went up, even from the excited Keltons. They all stood still with a heavy air and looked around. I could only nod in approval. I was asking them to reanimate a long dead people and the energy was appropriate for such a heavy task. Baloo stepped forward; his rough right hand rubbing his green backside.


    ¡°I see the why of them being here. But our water element isn¡¯t going to be much use and we aren¡¯t very good for hard labor.¡±


    Moving my hand to the left, I waved over the rocky landscape past the stone slab.


    ¡°Sailors who can¡¯t work a ship would raise questions. You¡¯ll be practicing with Beaton in the basics of sea-bound travel when Cell is back here and he¡¯s gotten the enchanted tools he needs to make a sea-faring ship. After you¡¯re trained, your troop and Gula will be traveling towards Baker¡¯s port. From there, you¡¯ll quickly get information about the local happenings, trade food smuggled from the ¡®Coalition¡¯, and get the connection you need to immediately come back to work in Crasden.¡±


    One of the older, brown Frojan on Baloo¡¯s left huffed.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re the brothers, only poor and dodging murderous cutthroats.¡±


    A pitying smile stole over my face as I did a light nod to them.


    ¡°A necessity of the moment. Though, I¡¯d imagine your stock will reap good profit. Enough to start hiring more workers.¡±


    That got them all back on track as both groups stood rigid in anticipation.


    ¡°I had hoped the Orc people and their husbands would fill out the bulk of our workers and soldiers directly, but we need a screen for those who are determined to see Garren¡¯s vision made manifest. When we have the story here ready to sell, Gula¡¯s group can start bringing in people from the outside followed by Salamede if need be.¡±


    Salamede nodded in agreement while Gula¡¯s golden eyes practically shined in anticipation.


    ¡°With all that, are there any questions?¡± I asked the group.


    A few rubbed their chins but most idled around until Kantor spoke up.


    ¡°I think we need a few moments to ponder, chief.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, I dismissed them all with a wave of my hand. Which then began the hard part of my day. While the rest went about their chores or rested by a wooden heater, I moved back towards the center of the ruined tower. The sunlight that managed to get past the clouds shined out of the row of windows on top of the rim of the tower. In the middle of the empty space was a double-doored hatch of wood wide enough to allow a carriage through.


    Along the sides of the walls were bits of worn paint. Long faded reds and pinks told of a painter''s work that had either peeled away or barely clung to its canvas. Even with the artistic merits of what looked to be swords or snails half-finished on the walls, it was far from an artist¡¯s peaceful abode. Horned skeletons scattered about the various corners suggested some of the reds may not be derived from oils or a brush.


    Opening the hatch, I started using an earth spell to carefully lift the floor above the first level. Looking over the six rooms and the hallway between them leading to a staircase going a level lower, I used my magic to reinforce the chipped stone floor and firmly graft it into the wall of smooth rock. After a few minutes of planting down a few stone blocks and not having the floor give out, I felt the underlying structure of the first floor was sound.


    Even so, testing the lower levels would require Cell to go below and stress test floors and pillars. Since he wasn¡¯t here, I filled in the stone walkway leading to the depths of the basement. Looking over the now exposed floor from above, there were a few more stacks of those mana coins near the front while the back had a mixture of cloth sacks and boxes of bright pink or yellow cloth. With husks of grains and bones of dead rats scattered around some of the bags, the only remaining vestige of the lost people were the surprisingly bright cloths that my bare eyes said largely missed the touch of time.


    As I was perusing the lost history, Salamede and Gula approached me from the open side of the tower. The Kelton woman on the right was vibrating with energy while Gula had a light skip in her step. When they got close, they both rushed me in a hug with some unshed tears in their eyes.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t given up on us.¡± Gula choked out while Salamede vibrated with joy against my chest.


    Rubbing both their backs, I kissed their foreheads as they likewise removed my mask.


    ¡°Never did nor ever will. The situation has only forced me to help our people a bit quicker than planned.¡±


    They returned the affection twice over, taking my lips and cheeks in a whirlwind of kisses for a few seconds before settling their heads against my chest in a way that pressed their bodies fully against mine. As they rubbed the tears out of their eyes, I took the moment to have the other discussion I flew here to have.


    ¡°All that I do, I do for this family. Even if that means taking precautions some might consider extreme.¡±


    Gula looked at Salamede with a bit lip as I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Salamede¡­I-¡±


    A grey-skinned finger came up to my lips.


    ¡°Eli, are you talking about doing some precautionary cutting down there? Like you did during your final visit to the Diamond academy?¡± She asked with a rub of her snout across my neck.


    Thankfully, my hands were too busy rubbing their backs to slap my forehead.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose you had enough personal time with it to see the difference. Though, you didn¡¯t comment on it at all, so I thought the lighting was too dim for you to notice.¡±


    Salamede stiffened her chin before putting a hand on my chest.


    ¡°Eli, it is very big and delightfully impressive.¡±


    I closed my eyes as I pivoted my head upward. For a few glorious seconds, I was the king of the world and I suppose I should be grateful for that. Turning back to them, Salamede was nodding to me while Gula wore a small smile. The Kelton woman turned to the Orc with a look of a teacher giving instruction.


    ¡°Whenever talking with a man about this, make sure to lead with compliments about his member. Thinking there is any deficiency down there can destroy their confidence.¡±


    Gula took the advice to heart, nodding before looking me in the eyes with a hard stare.


    ¡°And you¡¯re incredible with how you use it.¡± The green woman purred with a small smile.


    An eye roll and puckering of my lips was my only response. Waiting for a minute and enjoying the light atmosphere, we stood together before Salamede got a bit more serious.


    ¡°I understand,¡± She said in a voice whose roughness did nothing to hide her hesitance. ¡°But I have something else I want to discuss that involves you. In the days leading up to birthing Cell, you said there was some pain.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the question while my mind groped through the memories of that distant time.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, ¡°It was a pain that came and went in my chest.¡±


    Her white eyes widened a bit as her lips puckered with a question.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Gula asked with a raised black eyebrow ¡°Cell came into the world like¡­¡±


    She waved at my gut.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, furrowing my eyebrows at the insinuation. ¡°Salamede saw how it happened, but it wasn¡¯t a womanly birth if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    The grey-furred Kelton bit her lip as she looked around the room.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say what kind of birth it was, Eli. The vine suit was obstructing the proceedings.¡±


    Taking a moment to notice the small smirk on her lips, I made a mental note to exact revenge in the future before continuing the subject.


    ¡°It was a while ago. What brought this on?¡± I finished.


    Salamede bit her lip, her gaze still taking in the surrounding stonework and the padded paintings.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m a scion.¡±


    I nodded but Gula was far more animated in her glee as she took her sister-wife in a hug. The Orc woman¡¯s strong arms wrapped around the Kelton woman¡¯s leather tunic and white shirt with both patting each other. Looking her over, her new status didn¡¯t seem to bring her any joy.


    ¡°It might be that,¡± Salamede said, taking Gula in her right arm. The position put her in the center of our three-way hug. A change I embraced by taking her open arm and rubbing her neck with my right hand. ¡°But all I have to go on is some pain in my sides, back, and shoulders. At first, I thought it was just me pushing too hard, but it comes and goes, and it doesn¡¯t matter how much I¡¯ve worked.


    There are no scions among our people. The ones who were all held up in the rubble of our former home and now their bones adorn the ocean floor. I¡¯m not sure how such a position is supposed to behave. There are a few mages among the Kelton clans but they¡¯ll no doubt expect me to be this great figure if we bring my people back to the world.¡±


    She stopped perusing the walls, turning to me with a bit lip.


    ¡°More than that, there¡¯s the issue of promoting the magical bloodlines among my people. I can say I¡¯m infertile when the clan heads come sniffing around. But some of them will no doubt still try to see if they can bring me into their marriage through progeny.¡±


    The hair on my neck stood up. After my experience at the Diamond academy, I had already considered such an angle, but it didn¡¯t make the thought any less egregious. At that moment, I decided her guard would have to have a few extra bits of attention. Gula seemed equally concerned as she patted the Kelton¡¯s left shoulder.


    ¡°I suppose there isn¡¯t any way we could pass you off as a man.¡± She offered with a look down to the generous slopes of Salamede¡¯s leather tunic.


    ¡°Gula,¡± I said with a serious face, drawing the attention of both women. ¡°Your breasts are some of the most delightful and supple mom bags to ever grace the female form.¡±


    My display of linguistic mastery, like most great art, went unappreciated as my green wife¡¯s left hand swatted my belly. A few light chuckles bounced around the stone walls as we relaxed in each other¡¯s presence. As the three main pillars of our group, we didn¡¯t have much time to just be together. And we weren¡¯t going to have any in the weeks to come. We spent a few minutes discussing Salamede¡¯s time here and the gonging¡¯s on at the main base, but as we sat in a small circle the main point of discussion was what base design to go with. The future queen of this possible domain was studying and comparing the pages with an excitement that wasn¡¯t so different from her perusing the options for our first home.


    ¡°The snail shells are a no in my opinion.¡± Gula chimed with a lazy perusing of the painted walls. ¡°Too much work for no real benefit. Can¡¯t put archers on the top or any siege equipment.¡±


    ¡°It was the more decorative one.¡± I conceded with a shrug.


    ¡°First impressions mean a lot.¡± Salamede countered. She had the pyramid paper in her left hand and the dome in her right. Her lips were pursed in concentration as she looked between the two. ¡°Eli, how much is this decision going to influence how we build the rest of the city?¡±


    ¡°A lot. Are we going to pack out the refugees into slums? That seems to be the preferred method here.¡±


    Her head shot up with a swing of her ivory horns. That white stripe from her snout to her forehead scrunched with irritation.


    ¡°No. We are most definitely not. There¡¯s more than enough of that in the holds.¡±


    ¡°Not without reason,¡± I said, keeping my tone a light argument. ¡°Being cramped in a shabby wooden house is better than being inside a monster¡¯s spacious gut.¡±


    She bit her lips as she silently nodded. The task before her was not an easy one, but she was the only one with the history, fur, and magical ability to see this task to its end. Even so, I would provide her with as much relief as I could.


    ¡°Then we should probably go with the domed bazaar with towers. It would show off enough craftsmanship that we could justify putting in a little city for all the starving widows and orphans. But-¡±


    The Kelton looked up at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I was serious about bringing nothing from our main home when the time comes. Take as many enchanted items as you need. We can always say the mages who made them died long ago if none of those elements show up in our upcoming crop of mages. But once that first load of newcomers arrives, the only thing coming out of our main base will be scouting reports.¡±


    The Kelton woman nodded before Gula coughed for our attention.


    ¡°Whatever you think you need, triple it. If I learned anything in my campaigns, enough food and cloth is almost half of what you¡¯ll need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need some metal crafts as well.¡± I chimed in. ¡°Stick to general manipulators and simple brick forges. I¡¯ll start making a canal around the stone edge and fill out a stone harbor to make as much of the day as I can.¡±


    And I did precisely that for a few hours. The snails weren¡¯t eager to go near the place so many of their fellows perished in flames earlier and when I used spells to rip the stone out of the way, none tried to swim over the growing pool for a meal. A few skittered across the surface of the water, seemingly testing the open area with a few spells, but from what I saw of their habits the exposed waves in the sea didn¡¯t suit them and the smaller version here was likewise avoided.


    My original intention was to dig down to the base of the stone block upon which our false kingdom could one day fully occupy and fortify it against erosion. After plunging several dozen feet below water and finding no bottom or trace of wear on the massive, square body of rock, I decided to confirm a suspicion. Using an earth spell to lift the surface of the stone floor, the bit of rock was quickly replaced with the same red and grey flecked stone. Seeing the mana get sucked in by some layer of wood or mana crystal holding a summoning enchantment beneath, I could only nod my head in approval at the long-dead people¡¯s devotion to good craftsmanship.


    I stuck with a simple wooden walkway supported by stone pillars of smooth grey stone. We were probably going to have to remake it with new decoration to match the as-of-yet unmade city, so I kept it to the bare bones with no artistry to speak of. When that was finished, I made two paths in the snail-riddled rocks of clear water leading towards the unseen ocean. Marking the intake section with a wide arch of stone that would later spew molten stone on attackers, the sun finally faded as I put in the last stone brick. But the night''s task was not yet finished.


    Using a flame spell for light, I crafted a wooden enchantment on a long board and attached it to the side of the pier. It would slowly grow and mold a simple ship from the mass of wooden pieces I put in front of it with any failing ship edges being a project for the morning. Thinking I was going to get a night¡¯s sleep among the main camp, I walked up to the stone outcropping near the tower when I was stopped by a pair of the steel-plated Kelton¡¯s.


    ¡°The lady has instructed you to sleep in the tower.¡± He gave a light bow that shifted his brown hair as he gave the command.


    I raised an eyebrow but followed my wife¡¯s second-hand instructions. Coming into the tower through the open back, the first thing I noticed was the pitched tent over one of the exposed rooms. The golden glow of an inner mana lamp made it hard to miss. After looking it over, I looked to the right and saw the glow reflecting a bit off Gula¡¯s form. A naughty smile covered her face as I approached.


    ¡°I thought you were a bit worn out from last nigh-¡°


    Her hands did a rough pull down on my mask before she stole my lips with a vinegar heat covering my tongue. I was content to enjoy the sensation for a second before she broke the kiss.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Was all she said as she re-adjusted my mask. The Orc then gave me a swat on the bum before walking past my left towards the main camp.


    My curiosity now thoroughly peaked, I took the appropriate moment to linger on my Orc wife¡¯s body shining under the moonlight above before turning down the open hole where the hatch had been. Taking the stone steps down, I looked down the rows of open doorways save for the one directly on my left, the entrance of which was covered by a white cloth with the golden glow playing behind it. As my head went through the fabric obstruction, the first thing that hit me was the smell. A sharp slap of cinnamon being cooked with flowers assaulted my senses.


    A smell that quickly faded from my mind.


    On top of a spread of blue and white pillows was Salamede sitting upright with her legs crossed. She was as bare as the day she was born and if that wasn¡¯t distracting enough, she had lathered her motherly body in oil. It was clear liquid with flecks of red that covered every inch of her grey skin and doused the fur above her shoulders and those pubes doing nothing to disguise the presentation of her womanhood. The mana lamp she placed behind her added to the appeal as the rays of light shined off her edges, the most enticing of which were droplets of the thick liquid trickling down the tips of her brown nipples.


    ¡°I would have run here to restore this place with nothing but my hands and feet if I knew you¡¯d like it this much.¡± I casually teased, my clothes of crafted leaves and plant fibers suddenly feeling rather stuffy.


    She shook her head, getting off the floor from her goddess-like pose.


    ¡°No,¡± She said in a spirit connection I was too distracted to realize she had made. Her firm tone dripped with confidence that extended to her stride forward. An attitude I found almost as intoxicating as everything else I was seeing. ¡®This is a special oil that I had the older women whip up as thanks for saving so many of my kind and as a going away present.¡¯


    Salamede pressed her body right up against me, taking special care to squeeze her chest against mine. I could only smile as her sparkling right arm moved past me to press a wooden block on the wall. A loud whoosh fell over the room. The Kelton woman followed the movement up with a reach into my shirt, rubbing my chest and that slick, red flecked oil over my pecks.


    ¡®Saving the whole of the Kelton lands?¡¯ The Kelton woman asked with a languorous lick of her lips below her flaring snout. Something I found particularly appealing as she removed my smiling metal mask with graceful movements until she had it down and around my lower neck. ¡®A thousand pleasant nights wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡¯


    ¡®Well-¡®


    An oiled finger shot up to my lips, flooding my nostrils with the rich cinnamon and floral scent.


    ¡°No more words.¡± Her rough voice did nothing to make her less mesmerizing. ¡°They would only make me moan of my debt to you. Those are not the sounds I want filling my tent this night. Come, let¡¯s see just how much endurance two scions can display in this arena of battle.¡± She commanded, unclasping my mask and throwing it to the floor with a loud clang of metal. Salamede wasted no time in pulling me by my pants towards the stacks of pillows and pointedly not turning the lamp off as we landed on the pile.


    Following her lead, the night quickly faded in a lot of whooping, kissing, and a thorough dousing in that scented oil.


    Meat. That ancient signal was coming clear through my nose as I returned to the land of the living. Opening my eyes to see a landscape of white cloth, I stretched as I felt the brush of pillows against my bare flesh. Looking down, two logs giving off heat from their enchantments were by the door, totally unnoticed from last night¡¯s play. The lamp above me was off as a faint light filtered through the tent ceiling. Stretching again with a low moan, the sound of the tent flaps moving made me grab a pillow to cover my loins.


    ¡°Eli.¡±


    The ivory horns of Salamede touched the stone wall as her head peaked out between the sheets that served as a door.


    ¡°Breakfast will be done soon.¡± She chimed with a little smile playing across her lips.


    I nodded as my body demanded a third stretch. The Kelton woman eyed me up and down with a long glance towards my covered goods, finally looking up to have her white orbs meet my eyes.


    ¡°Very impressive.¡± She said seriously with a deep nod.


    Taking the pillow closest to my right hand, I threw it at her with a chuckle. We both laughed as she pulled back and walked off down the hallway, her footsteps saying the noise-deadening craft was turned off or out of mana. Finally giving in to the need to get up, I pulled myself up and collected my clothes along with my mask before heading up the steps and to the abandoned side of the camp. There, I made myself decent and saw to my morning duties.


    Dressed for the day and making my way back through the tower, I saw the faintest sunrays pushing away the early morning clouds above. Which was a real shame, as dreary billows and miserable rain were far more fitting for the day I was going to have. Off to the right of the tower¡¯s ruined entrance sat Salamede in the green, frilly dress.


    ¡°Eli,¡± She called and motioned me forward with a wave to her.


    Gula likewise approached from the main camp wearing the typical white shirt and green dress, her eyes looking a little sad, yet eager energy still clung to her.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Gula and I wanted to work on changing your features.¡± My Kelton wife explained as she patted the stretch of boulder supporting her.


    ¡°Face by committee?¡± I teased with a smile as I sat down. When I tried to undo the mask, Gula¡¯s powerful hands stopped me.


    ¡°We¡¯re not changing your face. Especially since you¡¯ve covered your face in public with only a few seeing what lay beneath.¡± The Orc stated with a firm lip. ¡°But your hair and eyes have to have some work done to them.¡±


    She finished by sitting on my lap. Salamede took my head in her hands, perusing my features with the same intensity as she had the bazaar plans. After a minute of contemplation, the Kelton finally nodded to my laps occupant.


    ¡°All right. Do you want the eyes or hair?¡±


    Gula puckered her lips in concentration, her golden irises shifting in her black orbs over my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. His hair wouldn¡¯t make a good black.¡±


    ¡°But a homeless plant scion wouldn¡¯t have access to a healing mage to change his eyes gold. I know he¡¯s bringing one healing enchantment, but it¡¯s a general use one.¡± Salamede pointed out.


    ¡°Green.¡± I offered. ¡°Make my eyes her green.¡±


    The Orc drew back like she had been stung, but she didn¡¯t seem hurt or offended at the suggestion.


    ¡°Are¡­you sure?¡± She asked, looking over her green arms with a face that was clearly forced into being passive.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I reaffirmed with a loving rub across the black hairs and skin on her arm. ¡°They¡¯ll be the most beautiful eyes in the kingdom. I¡¯ll get stopped every minute with compliments from the ladies.¡±


    Her sharp chin wobbled for a moment before she nodded with a wipe across her right eye.


    ¡°If only they knew the source.¡± She agreed, rubbing my shoulders and pressing herself further against my chest.


    ¡°PFF!¡± Salamede scoffed. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t do a good job last night if you can be romantic so soon after.¡±


    Taking her hand moving across my face, I squeezed her palm with a tender vice.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    The Kelton puckered her lips briefly, doing nothing to resist my capture of her hand. We savored the feeling for a second before she pulled back her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old to be this easily flattered.¡± She grumbled before she started rummaging through my hair, pulling back a bit to kiss my left cheek, something Gula quickly followed up on my right. When they finished, Salamede sighed as she looked me up and down.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Salamede declared. ¡°Green eyes and grey hair, coming right up.¡±


    With the decision made, I quickly felt a warmth touch my eyes. It took a bit as Salamede brought a golden series of squares, circles, and triangles up to my face a few times, only to stop to look over Gula¡¯s skin. The changing of my hair went a bit more smoothly, with only one pause to comb through my hair for silver strands hiding among what my peripheral vision said with now grey hair. After she did the same for the hair over the rest of my body, her spells went over my skin. When she was finished, I rubbed my hands over the spots where she had stretched the skin to make me look older, feeling previously smooth skin stained with one or two wrinkles. Finished with their main task, the two left me to eat while they saw to one task or another.


    Getting out of the tower, I joined a line of Frojan and Keltons waiting for a meal from a man-sized pot in the center of the camp. In a minute I was served a bowl of creamy soup with bits of meat that I wanted to say belonged to a member of the avian family. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me check if that they would keep hunting after the brothers were set for their deception, but as long as they kept to the same protocols for keeping hidden, I was too busy wolfing down my breakfast on the way to my new ship to give it much thought.


    Coming up to the new harbor, I looked over the new ship I left the enchantments to work on overnight. It had the typical long bow of a large river boat, but the top was covered in a flat floor of wood with a domed center that had slits for the pilot to see where he was going. Looking over the sides and edges, I could find no deficiency or hole that blemished the wooden structure. Putting down my bowl and lifting the ship in the air, I dropped it into the water beside one of the fresh piers. As the boat bobbed and dipped in the soft waves, a horrible realization hit me.


    It was perfect.


    Looking inside the empty interior, no water seeped in. Pushing it back and forth failed to produce so much as a creak of protest. Desperate for some sort of flaw, I put in the air and water enchantments around the back and near the cockpit. But my heart¡¯s desire abandoned me. It handled on the water like a fish and the water-repelling enchantments kept a solid bubble of air around the dome when the waves pushed over the ship or even when briefly submerged.


    Putting in a wooden seat with grown plant fibers for padding, I tried to find some need to adjust the design of the ship. Sitting in the cushioned chair merged into the body of the ship and fiddling with two keyboards enchanted with spirit magic squares designed to adjust course and speed, I found my craft to be a seamless creation. As I sat in the boat looking for some kind of failure, my two wives came up to the pier. Salamede was on the left in the green dress and holding a leather sack while Gula walked with her on the right.


    I fancied spending a half hour or so with them, going over the construction and working out some problem with the boat. But now I was ready to go just a few minutes into the morning. It was the most efficient, supremely logical, and absolute last situation I had wanted. The worry on their faces said the feeling was shared. Left with no recourse, I got onto the pier with gratitude that the metal mask was hiding some of my discontent. Walking up to them, they both took me in a group hug.


    Their hands groped my body while their lips danced on my neck. My wives were so skilled in loving me that they both worked the clasps around my mask in perfect unison. When the obstruction was taken away and held between the two of them, I sat down and let them get to work.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Gula finally said with a tremble.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Salamede said. Being the older woman, she had a slightly better handle on her emotions, but she couldn¡¯t hide them completely. For a few seconds or minutes, we filled our space with kissing and ¡®I love you¡¯. When the time finally came, I pulled back with my mask in their hands and the sack Salamede brought in my own. Feeling the wet air across my bare jaw, I nodded one final time before turning back to the ship. Going into my seat, looked back one last time at my two wives, committing as much of their faces and bodies to memory as I could.


    Had I made a similar farewell to my last family?


    The thought blended my heart into a fine puree as I pulled the dome over me. Working the colored squares on the two boards, the ship zoomed forward as I numbed myself to the pain and doubts. Using the sun as a guide, I made a large earth spell to push the random rocks ahead out of the way and replace them with a lowered array of jagged rocks behind me. It took a few seconds before I realized that I wasn¡¯t breathing.


    Sucking in the air, I pushed the horrible thoughts away and absorbed the solitude. At least, for a minute.


    ¡®You ready to lose a second family while you fly away on another ship to avoid them?¡¯ My guilt asked me as I came onto the ocean and took a right towards Crasden. I faintly registered some movements out on the ocean as I stuck to the shore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what happened. It¡¯s the reason I¡¯m trying to fix these chips.¡± I said to the empty wood and the rays of sunlight that shifted up and down on it.


    ¡®You don¡¯t know shit about what happened. You had a fucking family and you forgot about them. Monster.¡¯ Guilt countered with particular venom in the last word.


    ¡°The human mind has around 2.5 petabytes of information capacity. AI chips only have-


    ¡®A dozen, a hundred, or a thousand petabytes. They still got the same amount in the end.¡¯


    ¡°Many bytes. All put in the chips so I would never forget them.¡±


    ¡®Yet you still did.¡¯


    ¡°I would have died if I didn¡¯t. My corpse flying through deep space along with thousands of others wouldn¡¯t have helped them.¡± I refuted, rubbing my sweaty palms on my pants as I had to remind myself to keep breathing for the second time.


    ¡®Help? They haven¡¯t needed your help for thousands of years. And now they never will. Where¡¯s the great husband or father you ¡®know¡¯ yourself to be?¡¯


    ¡°I did what I could! Goddammit!¡± I spat out, pressing the wooden console squares with such force that veins started bulging in my hands.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure your wife did the best she could with the kids to raise all on her own. No help or-¡¯


    A tap above stopped my conversation with the control panel in its tracks.


    Looking around, I saw a stone wall and wet wooden pillars through the slits. Most of all, my nose was registering a distinctly foul smell. Pushing the upper hatch open, a clear blue sky above shined sun over me and the guards looking down at me from the pier I had autopiloted into. One man with a spear coughed, his steel chest plate painted red with black edges reflecting the sunlight above. His lips curled with his brown beard and mustache as sweat dripped down his thin nose and cheeks, all displaying the sprint he took over here.


    ¡°Um¡­ We heard a yell. Is there¡­¡± The confused man tried to ask, his brown eyes having trouble deciding whether to look at me, the odd clothes, or the even weirder ship.


    Getting off my seat, I looked around to see I was on the right side of a crescent harbor. The tide was low, with the remaining water having an oily sheen of purple with yellow or blue spots. Around the docks were smaller boats and a few big ones, most of which had poor-looking workers taking time to stop gathering the oily water in buckets to stare at me. Most looked quite irritated at me sailing into the harbor at full speed and shifting their boats. Though the magical nature of my ship quelled any complaints. Now fully aware of where I was and how, I turned back to the men on the pier.


    ¡°I bumped my head against the side.¡± I offered nonchalantly.


    Growing a handle into the side of the ship, I looked up with a wave towards one younger lad on the left with a rope in hand. The tanned kid in nothing but blue shorts looked at the guard for permission. He got the nod he needed and promptly tossed the rope down. After tying my boat to the wooden pier, I fashioned handholds into the beams and made my way up.


    When I was on the dock, the surrounding guards looked on with suspicion but my status as a mage kept them respectful.


    ¡°I need to see your chief,¡± I said with a look over the men.


    Confusion replaced mistrust as they all looked between each other.


    ¡°Whoever I need to speak with to bring my vengeance against the wave riders.¡±


    The closest person I could be talking about was their king or queen, or perhaps mayor, but they wisely didn¡¯t seem eager to bring a plant-wearing madman straight into the heart of the local government. Left with no recourse, he turned to one of the leather-bound guards.


    ¡°Get the harbor master.¡± He commanded.


    I waited for a few minutes, the seconds wasting away as my feet dangled over the edge of the pier. All the workers around the dock quickly got their fill of the new oddity and went back to their daily labor. When the harbor master came, the tan-skinned woman walked up with a no-nonsense face. She scratched her wide ears and wiped down the light blue dress that contrasted with the metal and leather armor of the two dangerous-looking guards behind her.


    ¡°Hello, mage.¡± She offered with a light bow. Despite the clear irritation in her brown eyes, she kept her face passive. ¡°What is it that you want that is so much more important than following docking procedures?¡±


    Looking up at her, I raised an eyebrow in feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Why do the wall-bound need procedures to come on land? You either let them in or kill the intruder on the spot.¡±


    She raised a bushy eyebrow to me with a bite of her thick lips.


    ¡°Wall-bound?¡±


    ¡°Those who hide from the grass and trees inside their stone hideaways.¡±


    They seemed to reach the conclusion I wanted them to. Her two guards tried to interpose themselves between us along with the others who were gripping their swords in worry. For her part, the only reaction I merited was rolled eyes.


    ¡°You know how to make a lady feel special, lads.¡± She said to the crowd before elbowing her way to the front in a quite unrefined fashion. ¡°But if he lives in the wild, he¡¯s almost certainly a scion.¡±


    The ¡®and there¡¯s nothing we could do to stop him¡¯ part went unsaid by both parties. Keeping to my role, I nodded uncertainly.


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s what you call it. My partner passed into the next cycle long ago, but my magic has not yet left my body.¡± I announced as I got up and walked to the end of the pier. They all still regarded me suspiciously, but only the woman reacted as I summoned a large construct of blue mana. When the spell went off, it unleashed a force that pushed back the already receded ocean a dozen feet or so.


    Most regarded this with an unimpressed face until I used another spell to start molding the freshly exposed rock beneath the sand. In a few minutes, I had molded a small island of seamless stone just outside the half circle of the harbor¡¯s grey stone.


    ¡°Is that going to fuck up our ship flow?¡± One of the harbor attendees asked in a very unprofessional manner.


    ¡°No, any captain who couldn¡¯t navigate around that deserves to lose their ship.¡± The harbor master answered, coming forward with a serious look. ¡°We could fit a smaller harbor around it. Call it the ¡®eye¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of a weapon.¡± I put in, watching the ocean push back as my water spell failed. The rushing tide quickly enveloped the sides of the near hundred-foot spot of land now pocking out of the water.


    ¡°Ah yes,¡± The harbor master said with a turn to me. ¡°I was told of some feud with the ¡®wave-riders¡¯ as you called them.¡±


    I nodded, keeping my eyes on my handiwork.


    ¡°I¡¯ve traveled through these cold lands all my life. Talked with a few survivors and lead a few back to their safe holes.¡± I waved around towards the city. ¡°More than one gave me books to read, my favorite being those on architecture principles. But the tangle of their lives was never my concern. Until one small girl, too weak to survive on her own and left to feed the wilds found her way to me. I¡¯ve lacked the equipment to bring my own young into the world and lived out such paternal impulses through¡­her.¡±


    I made sure to harden my eyes at the last word.


    ¡°In the natural course of things, she grew strong and wanted to find a worthy man to give her child. She eventually settled into one of your stone mounds. Mole hill.¡±


    The harbor master took in a deep breath at the name. Turning towards her, I made sure to imbue my face with simmering anger.


    ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t need to tell you of her fate. My life has always been a simple one and my purpose here is equally straightforward. Tell me what you need so that I may exact my blood debt on those who took what was so precious to me.¡±


    I wanted to slap myself. The plan was to perform the surgery on the seas, but my mind had other plans for the trip and now, I had to wait until I was alone again. Fortunately, she accepted with a nod, motioning me back towards the main area of the dock.


    ¡°Your services will be greatly appreciated.¡±


    The steel-plated guard stepped forward.


    ¡°Harbormaster. That is up to princess Palta to decide.¡±


    Her teeth clenched as she regarded him with a strained smile. My stomach responded to the name whispered among the sailors and their green wives with a flip. What was the princess who spent all her free time killing Orcs doing here? My goals were rather against such a person¡¯s aims and regicide had a nasty tendency to draw attention.


    ¡°She can decide after he¡¯s at least helped us restore our ship-building enchantments.¡± She said with thin patience. The guards let loose a deep breath before nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let one apprentice come over to give him something to do. But you¡¯re already giving him a seat at our table before the master of the house has decided to let him in.¡±


    The harbormaster shrugged, quite unconcerned at the seeming breach in protocol.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. I¡¯ve got to find out what we can do with our new expansion. Thank you, for that mister-¡°


    ¡°Tilvor Laperict.¡± I answered.


    She puckered her lips at the name, taking only a moment before doing a light bow.


    ¡°May we meet again, Tilvor.¡±


    With our brief meeting concluded, she walked through the small crowd of red-leather-painted guards along with the two who followed her. Following the guard leader, I gave small nods to the poor souls collecting the colorful sludge. Their crop hadn¡¯t been too affected by the pushing of the ocean water, the shifting mass instead mostly stuck to the bottom of the water rather than be a part of it. Still, courtesy and all that.


    The panicked faces and quick looks downward were a bit more than I expected but paid it no mind as we left the wooden part of the piers. I looked away from the water to start taking in the city proper. Which is when something so absurd assaulted my eyes that my feet stopped moving completely.


    The buildings were the same grey stone, but the fronts were glass and along the sides were patchworks of steel beams. Something even the warehouses to the left shared, though the shops were the most well put together with their steel having a light shine.


    ¡°Quite impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± My guide asked with a proud smile.


    I turned away from him and looked over the rooftops. In the distance on the left was a tower of steel frames and glass panels. The thing was large enough to be a castle tower and had no doubt buffed out the architects¡¯ credentials, but all my mind could do was think of what it looked like compared to the real thing back in my universe. A birth defect-riddled runt of the litter was the most appropriate description I could ascribe to the thing.


    Taking it all in, my builder¡¯s mind rebelled against the sight as the specks I saw on the ship above now presented themselves in full. The glass was a poor insulator, and the steel would no doubt rust from the sea air without constant replacement or spell work. Wracking my brains for some kind of sense to the madness, a vision came to my mind¡¯s eye. Rodring, a man from my universe, no doubt covered up to his eyes in women and slurping wine from a gold chalice, describing a proper cityscape and skyscrapers. The adoring listeners staring with ignorant bliss as they absorbed the otherworldly knowledge with plans to implement such a grand vision in their cities. Children, playing with ideas and concepts based on the few words they could understand, stripped of all context and wider purpose.


    ¡°It is¡­very imaginative.¡± I offered before turning towards him. ¡°I find myself in need of some privacy. My girl told me that you lot relieved yourselves in dedicated shacks.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°We do a bit better than shacks.¡± His hand directed me to one of the alleys between the shops. Near the end of the lane was a small shack snugly fit between the two buildings. Unlike the backwoods outhouses, this one had a measure of pride in its frame and construction. Without any loose boards and a brown paint job, I quickly accepted the thing and forward to see to my business. It had a good-looking stone seat with a hole that a stream of water flowed beneath.


    However, my true business involved a sharp blade of water and a numbing healing spell. When the job was finished, I made sure to burn the leftovers into ash and scatter the black dust into the stream of foul-smelling water. Taking a moment for the residual pain to pass, I came out of the stall. The steel-plated guard was patiently standing at the end of the alley, not irritated but eager to get on with the trip.


    Following him through the crowd, most of whom briefly stopped to look at the odd man in plant clothes before going about their day, I briefly looked over the stores hawking clothes, overpriced food, and the occasional high-class restaurant. Moving past them and a mansion with two levels and a brown tiled roof with two yellow boxes on poles to each side, we came up to a space with various boat hulls stuck in various stages of completion. Walking up to one younger-looking lad in a frilly white top and blue pants, my guide cleared his throat before speaking.


    ¡°Fates have favored you today.¡± He explained with a nod. ¡°A plant mage wants to bloody the pirates¡¯ noses and is offering his services, paid for in the bodies of our enemies. Provide him with whatever he requires. I¡¯ll have Palta¡¯s expectations for completing the ships by the end of the day.¡±


    The lad¡¯s blue eyes went wide as his blonde hair shifted with an over-eager nod to both of us. He ran towards the back of the harbor towards one of the larger shacks. My helper quickly came back with wide papers showing the outlines of various boards, hinges, cloth, and ropes and how they all came together. Each came with a special board designed and marked out for the placements of the enchantments.


    ¡°How long will we have your services, great one?¡± The kid asked with careful placement of the sacred texts.


    ¡°As long as needed.¡± I idly replied, looking over the designs. Several flaws sprung out to me, but I had already explained how I knew to make buildings. Having great ability in sea craft beyond rafts would be a bit too much for a homeless nomad to know. Content with their designs, I started placing spirit-magic triangles, circles, and squares into their places marked with black paint. While my work progressed, other ship-building apprentices came along to give me more work or gather piles of wood for the manipulators.


    When I handed off the first enchanted tool, the kid took the smooth square board like a holy relic. The pace of work kept up until what felt like an hour past midday. I didn¡¯t take any breaks or stop for even a morsel of food, pushing my hunger aside to get this vital project off the ground as soon as possible. As I was putting the finishing touches on my third sail-making longboard a courier came forward.


    ¡°Lady Palta is ready to see you.¡± The younger gentlemen said, clearly unused to being at the foul-smelling docks at this time of day as his fine red shirt and pants sporting embroidered gold stood him out among the travelers. Nodding to the apprentices now eagerly going over one enchanted piece or another, I left the area to follow my next chaperone. Moving past the mansion near the harbor, we maneuvered around one animal cart or another as we trod over the stone road. It was the main vein of traffic for the haulers, carriages, and walkers allowing the citizens to move between the major organs of their city. Accommodating seven lanes of commuter traffic, it was only when we were past the mage houses on the hill that the major source of my headache came into view.


    From what the boys had been able to find out about the area, it was called the ¡°Rains Drip¡±. Named so for the massive slopes downward towards outgoings rivers that split off in the middle of the place, working in conjunction with the lack of sunlight and stacking of the houses, that meant that any rainfall would drip onto roofs for hours as it worked its ways towards the river.


    A pretty name for an ugly slum.


    Back in the Coalition, the poorer houses shared a similar mixture of chipped stone foundation and shabby board construction. But those buildings at least had some breathing room in between them. Here, it was shoddy construction stacked on questionable work. I wasn¡¯t claustrophobic, but I felt a tinge of that fear just looking at the place where even the roads looked more like alleyways.


    The mass of wood and bodies stretched on for a small valley and even beyond. Poor souls massed around the vast hill past the river, and I presumed up to the wall in the distance. Finishing off the ensemble were the ragged clothes most of the denizens wore and the occasional cry of a beggar to round out the miserable vision.


    Turning away and to my left, the mockery of a skyscraper stood out above the wall just a stone¡¯s throw from the road. Leading me through the crowd, it occurred to me that the clouds of mana were now gone. I didn¡¯t give it too much thought as we came up to the shining metal gate nearly twice the height of a man. An obstacle they quickly opened for us with a wave from the courier.


    We walked over the dual road of smooth stone that had flecks of black in it. It all looked nice, with shrubbery and clean-cut grass on the lawn, but it was the lack of what my eyes were seeing that perturbed me. No great palisades dotted the open area and the lack of construction for ballistae or those magma cannons told me this was a place unprepared for war.


    The stone base for the tower only had one flight of stairs up and at the double glass doors stood two men in almost white metal. Beyond the typical mass-produced attire, their armor had near the level of embroidery that I had put on my hawk-inspired suit. Only theirs was modeled after lions with fur etched into the chest and a lion maw for a helmet opening that would close with a pull on the helmet face plate. Coming closer, I could see that they were more decoration than tool. They sported long fine cloth weaved along their arms with gold accents that went up their arms and sides. It accentuated the color of a lion¡¯s fur, but no serious fighter would risk getting tangled on such a thing.


    When I was inside the first thing I noticed was the wide-open hall and a staircase that took up the left side of the room. I was given little time to take in the crowds or stone walls as the courier stood in front of me to usher me through a double door of wood on the immediate right. Coming into a rather small room of glass walls and wood flooring, the mana lamp above gave me enough lighting to look around before the tell-tale motion of elevator movement pulled down my body.


    ¡°Have you taken these before?¡± The courier asked behind me.


    Turning towards his voice, I saw a metal key slotted into the wall with a dial below.


    Ah. Trying to intimidate the savage, are we? He¡¯d never do so without his liege¡¯s permission, so I guess Palta was already probing me.


    ¡°Pff,¡± I scoffed as I casually slung my leather sack over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve faced far worse surprises in my sleep. When the ground beneath your bed gives out and you find yourself laying on a skinner, you will know true fear.¡±


    The lad gulped before nodding. After a few seconds, the elevator finally took us to the appropriate floor. Walking out, the first thing that stood out was the view on the left. It must be very impressive to the maids, workers, and officials who worked here, to see so many people like ants. Across from me was the top of the staircase, through which a few messenger boys were going up and down.


    ¡°If you please.¡± The courier asked, beckoning me to follow him to the right. I came into a hallway at the end of which stood more of the lion guards. The hallway had a decent number of messenger boys and officials in fine clothes, but my attendant must have had a special position because no one got in our way as we moved towards the steel double doors. When we arrived, the lion guard on the right put up a hand with his open palm towards my leather bag. Nodding, I handed off my load before he and his companion pushed open the door, letting me into the heart of the local government.


    A wide grey stone table sat in the middle, its gold edge and white top showing a luxury that covered the rest of the room. Gold-plated steel was held in the glass walls and a smaller table on the left held a variety of snacks and pitchers of wine or water. All around were finely dressed messenger boys with one item or another, an official carrying a stack of documents, or a maid seeing to the refreshments. The midday sun provided all the light needed, though a few mana lamps on the sides showed the place could be run during the night. At the central table sat the focus of every attendant¡¯s attention.


    Sitting with her hands clasped, the black-haired woman had a thin nose and sharp jaw. Her clothes were brown and green leather with matching steel shoulder, shin, and arm guards. Her black hair had a long, flowing wave that matched the texture of the horse-sized otter¡¯s fur lounging behind her. The large beast lounged on its back, munching on a large fish sending an occasional snap of bone through the air. On her right was a thin woman with shoulder-length brown hair while off towards the snack table was another black-haired woman with pigtails. The two were wearing the same armor as the woman I assumed to be Palta, whose green eyes looked me up and down like I was another tool.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re the newest mage in town. Time is of the essence, so I¡¯ll skip going over the story you gave and get to the point. What would we need to get your services?¡±


    A cough from the left of the brown-haired woman came from a man in gold embroidered dark-green robes with emeralds lining his hood.


    ¡°He¡¯s already performed more than enough.¡± He put in, his short nose barely showing past his hood while he rubbed a tanned chin.


    I raised an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°I still have a few enchantments for the ship parts.¡± I refuted.


    He put a clenched fist on the table, the gold rings on his hand clanging against the white stone.


    ¡°Your lack of consideration certainly bolsters your story. But-¡°


    ¡°How did you survive, by the way?¡± The brown-haired woman said with puckered lips as her brown eyes looked me up and down. ¡°Even as a scion, it must be rough out there by yourself.¡±


    The man looked pissed as he turned toward her.


    ¡°Bella.¡± Palta corrected with a motherly tone and a sharp look in her green eyes.


    The woman shrugged with an unapologetic face.


    ¡°But,¡± The man continued as he turned back to me ¡°We have a certain way of doing things. Making sure mages are properly compensated for their work is an integral part of my association. We have all the plant mages worth anything in our ranks. Though I suppose we¡¯ll have to add ¡®known plant mages¡¯ as a clause.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I impatiently asked.


    His black eyebrows furrowed as he closed his eyes. Strumming his fingers on the table, he opened his eyes with irritation clear in his brown irises.


    ¡°Your work ethic is commendable, but such plant magic workings are solely handled by my people.¡±


    Well, at least I got the shipbuilders running again. Jeff thought there were no plant mages here and he certainly hadn¡¯t brought up anything about labor contracts. I had a flash of irritation but suppressed it. There could be a hundred plant mages about, and it would have still counted for nothing if they were withholding their abilities to gouge the government.


    ¡°Fine. But I saw a lot of worried people at the food boxes in the harbor. Do you get all your food locally or is it shipped in?¡± I asked the group.


    ¡°The food situation is-¡°


    The man took his turn to interrupt with another strike on the table.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to just let him roam around the city? No identity check or a bit of skepticism of his sudden arrival.¡±


    Palta sighed, her sharp chin pulling with her puckered lips as she looked him up and down with thinning patience.


    ¡°Percy,¡± She explained like she was talking to a slow child. ¡°We both know monitoring plant-based mages outside of our great houses is the Seed''s responsibility, not ours. As has long been agreed between the kingdom and its associations.¡±


    Percy nodded as his verbal opponent leaned back with a hand against her hair.


    ¡°The fact that he has evaded our monitoring for so long, as a scion no less, is-¡°


    ¡°A horrific failing.¡± Palta finished, twirling a blade of her long black hair between her thumb and index finger. ¡°But one of your own making.¡±


    The man clenched his teeth at the jab, but Palta merely turned back to me with an indifferent air.


    ¡°And if he was hostile, all he would have had to do is shake the harbor into ruin and take off back into the sea. On a more petty and personal level, know dealing with an unknown factor is infinitely preferable to dealing with your association.¡± She pronounced before looking at me. ¡°Our food situation is bad. I¡¯m sure I could put you to sleep with food store figures and inflow rates but it¡¯s bad is a sufficient description.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start getting some farms up and go-¡°


    Percy stood straight up from the table.


    ¡°Mister Tilvor.¡± He proclaimed with an accusing look in his eyes. ¡°Are you suggesting we use magic to feed the dross?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him, a growing feeling that it was going to be the default expression when dealing with this quarrelsome bug.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    His tan cheeks reddened as he curled his mouth like he bit into an unexpectedly sour candy.


    ¡°I can be patient, Laperict. But only to a point. Having a plant mage work FOR rubbish would undermine the pride of our kind everywhere.¡±


    ¡°When a wolf the size of a house has you in its jaws, stab it with your pride and see if that keeps you out of its stomach,¡± I replied with an indifferent tone. Percy got redder but the three women suppressed smiles. The attendants stood rock still, waiting for the gods to stop their fighting so they could get back to their earthly toils. ¡°I came here to bleed the pirates and if I want their skin deathly white, I need you wall-bound. However, your men need to be busy using their swords, not thinking about how hungry they are.¡±


    Palta nodded.


    ¡°Do you not have an agreement to use your enchantments to grow food in the mana dead zones?¡± She asked with a pointed look towards the green-clothed man.


    Percy stuck out his chin in defiance.


    ¡°In order to make gathering the surrounding resources easier and bringing in food would take up valuable space in the ships or caravans. Making the extra food is just the price of the kingdom¡¯s cooperation. And part of that cooperation is we deal with all plant-based magical tasks concerning food and wood growing. This helps assure our people only receive a fair wage for our work.¡±


    The urge to decide the conversation with a water blade to his throat was growing more tempting. But I kept my anger in check, concentrating on making this as painless as possible.


    ¡°Even those with no relation to your organization?¡± I asked with waning patience.


    Percy gave me a strained smile, folding his hands together.


    ¡°Those inside the kingdom¡¯s bounds must adhere to the Growing Accord. Even those not in the Seeds caring embrace.¡± He intoned like a priest.


    Here I was, offering a solution to everything on a silver platter and this ant droned on about pride and labor agreements.


    ¡°I suppose we wouldn¡¯t want to solve our problems too quickly,¡± I said sarcastically. Percy puckered his lips again as the women bit their lips to hold in their laughter. Palta sipped wine from a mug as I looked at her.


    ¡°What about outside the wall? Have any of the other plant mages claimed any of the spaces beyond the safe zones?¡± I asked already knowing the answer.


    She shook her head with a sad look.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t enough here to do any work. They were sent south to help recover our fleet losses in the south.¡±


    My eyes went to Percy, furrowed eyebrows showing my phony surprise at the news.


    ¡°What about you? What¡­ If there are no plant mages here, then how are you keeping the work contract in order when you have no means of providing it?¡±


    The Seed association representative straightened his back.


    ¡°My presence alone is enough to bring this city under our jurisdiction and to keep collecting our fee for services rendered. As for my labors, even the lowest-level job requires at least three people to perform.¡±


    Heat crawled along my neck as I began weighing whether I should nullify his association''s hold on the city by throwing him headfirst out the nearest window. More than his opportunistic laziness endangering lives, it was the fact his actions forced me away from my loved ones that made his neck look so well suited for my hands. After a few seconds of pulling in my emotions, I looked back toward Palta who was clearly the only worthwhile person in this conversation.


    ¡°Again, what about working outside the city walls?¡±


    She leaned back into her chair, her finger running around the lip of the mug.


    ¡°We consider the rocky outcropping to be a part of our territory. However, a bit further south near the woods is officially wild territory. Normally, I¡¯d say it was too far for you to try setting up there, but you seem capable. However, if the pirates come, I can¡¯t guarantee we¡¯ll ride out to save you.¡±


    I nodded in satisfaction while Percy rolled his eyes.


    ¡°If the pirates come, the rescue won¡¯t be for me.¡± Was all I said as I turned around to leave.


    Scratching quills on paper quickly refilled the room as I went through the double doors and was handed back my bag. My guide took me down the elevator again and saw me off the premises with a courteous wave goodbye out of the wall gates. Back on the street with the sun somewhere between midday and afternoon, I steeled my will for the long journey ahead. Taking a right on the main road, I came back to the harbor area. Using a few silver coins in my bag, I purchased several days¡¯ worth of bread, dried meat, and cheese along with the chest to carry them all. My time in the city was now at a close as I approached the pier with my ship. Nodding to the harbor attendant, I unfastened the rope from my vessel before opening the hatch and tossing my belongings into it.


    Zooming forward and pulling a U-turn in the harbor¡¯s now less smelly water, I went out past my newest addition to the landscape. I could see a few surveyors looking it over on a boat trying to see what could and couldn¡¯t fit on it. When I was out of the proper harbor, I brought the boat up to a quick pace with water shooting out the back. It took a minute or two for the rocky field to give way to bark patches and grass. It was a gradual enough change that I could see it from the water and slowed down enough to take in the surrounding landscape. Despite the afternoon sun beating down, I could hear no birds chirping or insects buzzing as winter still had these lands firmly in its grasp. The seemingly dead lands stretched on for a while with only the occasional bush interrupting an otherwise flat plane.


    Bringing my ship up to the rocky shore, I encased my vessel in stone before moving on land. The rocky plains were mostly chunks of stone between a pebble and a man. The sailors from the region said it was due to a mole pack moving through here that the plants had been beaten back and humanity had been able to set up a city with relatively little pain. But tendrils of grass were starting to grow between the stone to reclaim the land. Normally that would be a great obstacle for the earth mages who typically built the settlements, but my plant magic sucked the life out of the green beachheads with little fuss. After reducing a good four hundred and fifty or so feet of greenery to withered husks, I got down to the hard work.


    While a more vertical construction is my preferred method, I had to account for changes in the political situation. If my abode was built to an exact amount of room with the idea it was solely going to be a farm and I suddenly had a few hundred or even a thousand people looking for refuge, I might have to turn them away. But I also had to make sure that the goods I was supplying could be stolen by the right people. When Gula showed up, we were going to have some of my food be ¡®misplaced¡¯ into her people¡¯s stores. Something that was going to be a pain in the butt to do if all of our food was placed in plain sight where everyone could see.


    Beaton said the Orcs lived underground here and tunneling was something almost all the green women here had mastered. Building an underground network under massive walls was a dangerous thing, even without loose stone above. With that in mind, I decided to make the wall three stories high with a wraparound that would feature a gate near the road leading towards Crasden. When I decided on that, the design I wanted finally came to me.


    A smaller outer wall covering everything while the inner spaces would be higher walled mini-cities like Lilly pads on a lake. Enchanted boards on the bottom of the outer walls would suck dry any attempts by the flora to invade while inside the brick I would have more of the spider web thin water strands cutting anything trying to knock it down. Ballista would be mounted on the walls so each mini-city could provide support to each other in case anything big enough got in. Most importantly, the place could be easily expanded to meet any current or future needs. A bonus was that there would certainly be enough hidden corners to let the Orcs appropriate whatever goods they needed.


    Molding the surrounding rock into a solid foundation took some time, but using existing rock was a lot less arduous than summoning it from the magical ether. Pulling on the chunks of stone to form the base eventually led me to the solid rock left untouched by the moles. Naturally, pulling three stories of stone out of the ground was going to leave a big dip in the land so I pulled from in front of the wall to make an almost as deep moat.


    I added an imperceptible slope in the moat to make sure the water wouldn¡¯t stagnate into a cesspool. Wrapping it all the way around the wall would make tunneling under it impossible, so I kept the moat going only until it covered everything but the direction towards Crasden. Instead, it would cut back through the wall under a grate and act as a sewage outlet. Something I had to make a separate channel for a mile southward to prevent contamination of the local water. Sea water wasn¡¯t sparkling clean, but it was still easier to treat without human waste.


    All of that took a few hours. The wall was crude, but it would keep the lightweights out. A small contingent of archers backed up by siege weapons could deal with mid-level threats like trolls. But my wife was going to be visiting here. If it couldn¡¯t hold up against a dragon or skinner attack, then I would rather scrap the whole thing and start over. As I started putting in ramps for men to scale the walls, I began to realize why this place was unsettled by the humans even as space was at a premium.


    The loose stones were heavy enough to be a pain to move, but not so large that you could easily mold them into a cohesive whole or the air pockets between them so small that it wouldn¡¯t create problems. Molding them into a single piece meant whatever floor you put in to rest on the bedrock was going to be a dozen or so feet below sea level.


    A terrible thing for a city right next to the ocean in a land with frequent rains.


    Instead, the stone had to be taken from around whatever you wanted to build if you wanted it to come up to the proper height. As I was putting the third inner ramp in, I looked around what was increasingly a sinkhole the size of a town surrounded by a raised wall. Getting down, I took a few of the dead trees past my wall and molded them into boards. Putting them near the open side, they would gradually summon blocks of stone for me to fill out the missing material. Enchantments were slow, but they consumed less mana and required no effort beyond the initial setup.


    It was at the day''s dying hours when the orange glow of the sun was playing across the few clouds in the blue sky as night began its approach, that I got my first visitor as I was moving a dog-sized stone block away from the enchanted board. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t some beast from the woods, rather a figure came from the direction of the city. A wind mage, if the elongated leaps, gusts of sea mist around them, and green mana constructs around their hands and feet were anything to go by. When they were close enough for me to see the black pigtails, green and brown leather armor, I dropped my burden into the sunken soil.


    As she did her final leap to land in front of me, the green wind constructs faded as her blue eyes looked around with interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, this is a lot more impressive than I would have expected.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the statement, content to stare at her for a long moment.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡­um.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes looking over the ground as her face was contorted in thought for a few seconds.


    ¡°Palta!¡± She exclaimed, her right hand smacking her forehead. ¡°She said to make the road to here now by going around the wall towards the warehouse side of the harbor. The Mountain Top association has the right to build walls and other major infrastructure in the city, including out on the rocky plains. Palta is holding them off for as long as she can but if you want a road between here and the city, you need to finish it now.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Was all I said as I dropped the stone my spell was moving along and ran forward.


    Using two massive earth spells, I spliced the stone into a webwork that served as a solid enough base for carriages to run over, while the second simpler one flattened the top. As I ran forward, the woman followed me with some interest. She looked at me with a pouty lip, though I was too busy to guess her emotions. It was an arduous thing, with the only saving grace being me spiderwebbing the stone into the surrounding chunks instead of doing it the proper way as I had with the wall. But the proper way took time, and I was racing against one of the greatest forces in existence: Bureaucracy.


    My hands began shaking a bit past the halfway point. Already a bit exerted from my previous labors, I had to force myself forward as I kept up the pace with the road forming only a foot in front of me. As the cold breeze of winter and approaching night blew across my sweat-drenched face, it occurred to me that the timing was probably planned. After working all day on a mini city, the association probably thought I¡¯d be too tired to do the job in the time Palta could give me. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to have a good gauge for a scion¡¯s power or how far I would go to get this new source of food and housing to the desperate masses who needed them.


    The fact that this would also determine whether I could bring my Orc wife to bed also helped quicken my pace.


    Not that a serious or pious man like myself would ever admit to such a motive.


    A sudden resistance in my step was brought about by a horse-sized boulder of some less pliant material colored black and silver, bringing me out of my lighter thoughts. It took a few seconds before the mass of stone was stretched into a proper road and I could start walking again, but it was seconds I couldn¡¯t afford to spend as the obstruction finally cleared and I started moving again. The two earth spells sent a spiderweb of pain along my body even as the city walls came into view. Atop them, archers looked down with curiosity as the stone in front of me molded into a road covering the jagged mess. But the wall had no gate leading to the outside, forcing me to turn right towards the coast.


    Coming along the wall, I had to stop as the stone field gave way to sharp, jagged rocks on the shore. The waves spewed out from the sea with thunderous slams against the land as the arduous work ahead presented itself. I could only growl under my breath as I had to start a new spell to mold the rock into a proper base. Pushing a small mountain of stone across the open air towards the side of the pier, my tired mind pushed forward the first thought outside of spell craft in what felt like hours.


    ¡°Won¡¯t this create a hole in the defenses?¡± I asked the wind mage gliding alongside my right, my voice barely carrying over the loud waves of high tide crashing against the shore.


    ¡°Trust Palta,¡± Was all I got in response.


    My feet screamed in protest as I molded the surrounding stone into a road that was now hugging the side of the wall. The open-air on the tower side facing towards the ocean was filled with a grey stone mound with a wide flat top for one carriage each way. Sweat dripped down my forehead and even the winter breeze couldn¡¯t cool my limbs as my work came up to the lisp of the pier.


    ¡°Stop!¡± A female voice screamed out.


    A brown mana construct stopped the molding stone just an arm¡¯s length from the proper floor. Looking toward the source, I saw a pale-looking woman with muscular arms sticking out of a leather tunic that matched her fine brown jeans. All decked out in gold embroidered mountain peaks and a rainbow of jewels along her hands, sides, and torso, I could only pin her as being the Mountain Top representative.


    ¡°Thank you for your work, great plant mage.¡± Her square jaw stuck out with a smile that only had a thin veneer of friendliness. Those blue eyes told of the beating she would love to give me, which no strand of hair on her bald head obscured. ¡°But there¡¯s been a miscommunication.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Palta called from the left as she and her guards came through the crowd of onlookers too curious to scurry away. ¡°I meant to tell him to consult with your people before putting it in.¡±


    The earth woman spat on the ground.


    ¡°If I wanted my ears soaked in shit, I¡¯d swim in the sewer tunnel. This-¡°


    Noise. Useless prattle that served no purpose. Every inch of my body had some pain or ache to report, the strain from my run and my spell use now taking its due, the latter in thin lines of pain. The fact I didn¡¯t have to summon fresh stone from nothing was the only reason I wasn¡¯t keeled over in agony. It was damn close though. Content to let them cry and fuss, I plopped my butt onto the road and looked out over the sea towards the faint orange glow in the distance. I was content to squat in place with only some small part of my mind tracking the conversation, only keeping tabs to see when I would be dragged into the conversation.


    Looking over my work, there was a lot not to love about it. It was a rough thing that was a good step or so too high from the dock floor, which meant getting a carriage moving directly from the warehouses was going to be difficult. Boxes of whatever food or cloth I made would have to be hoisted by hand or moved along a custom ramp. If the associations would let them make such a construction. My tired mind began formulating plans to massacre them all down to the last man and woman if the need arose when a soft, furry thing brushed against my arms.


    Sitting next to me was a white, toddler-sized moth with green stripes. Though after a second look, I wanted to say its wings and body were more streamlined than its smaller cousins. It was putting one of its limbs against me, but the most noticeable thing was the electric sensation of a spirit connection I felt coming from it.


    ¡°Zigget!¡± The wind mage from earlier pouted on my right, her twin ponytails swaying with her nod towards what was now obviously her familiar. A feeling of indifference from the familiar made me smile while the wind scion puffed out her cheeks.


    A laugh from Palta standing behind her drew everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yet you dare lecture me when Pipkin runs off.¡± The water scion prodded as she sat on my left. Her green eyes looked me up and down with something approaching praise. Behind her, the crowd and bald woman were gone with a few of those lion guards in their place. I wondered what she wanted until a spirit connection from her delivered the answer.


    ¡®Thank you. For not being useless.¡¯ Her womanly voice declared in my mind. Her sharp nose flared as her green eyes met mine.


    ¡®Could you talk to the sun for a bit? I¡¯m sure your flattering tongue would make it rise high enough to give me the time to finish my work.¡¯ I replied with a straight face. ¡®But putting aside my refreshed spirits, I¡¯m not blind to the consequences of such disregard. Smacking the associations in the face like this won¡¯t bode well for your political career.¡¯


    Palta puckered her lips in an expression that was distinctly trying to not be amused as she nodded.


    ¡®A shame, especially since I only just arrived yesterday. But my reputation is better where it matters. My people and home are further out west near deserts where the waves are arid grass or shifting sands. We were brought in because the seas are almost totally blocked, and our kind are the only ones who can travel the wilds alone. Once we have this place secured, I¡¯ll go back to where I belong.¡¯


    We sat in silence, her taking in the roiling sea and me petting the moth in silent relief at her coming exit from these lands. Even with her recent arrival, it was a bit soon to tell her that the entire defensive posture she was relying on had a body of wet paper considering I didn¡¯t have any of the countermeasures up yet. Though as I pictured her squad traveling far over the land with a high flying familiar to scour the earth, an errant thought occurred to me. Something I had to be careful with when putting into a bit of misdirection.


    ¡®How strong do you think the city is? Will we be expecting any aid from elsewhere?¡¯


    Her thin, pink lips puckered as she looked out further south past the rocky shoreline. It took only a second before she moved further down to look at me.


    ¡®We are almost totally alone. Any ship small enough to slip past the pirates couldn¡¯t bring enough of anything to make a difference. They¡¯ve picked off as many settlements as they want and stopped the butchery a week ago, probably cutting the local stock down to size so they can manage these lands if they kick us off. But our helper is the Kraton house which is close enough to render us aid. Tell me, would you be willing to render your services to them?¡¯


    My raised eyebrows conveyed the appropriate confusion at the request.


    ¡®If it gets the pirates killed, I¡¯ll only ask for lodging in compensation. After I¡¯ve gotten one of my towns finished. I¡¯d like to say the day after tomorrow, but that depends on whether the local mana reserves fail me.¡¯ I finished, relieved that an avenue to fix one of the biggest problems presented itself in such a tidy package.


    ¡®Of course!¡¯ She said a hair too eagerly. Palta realized what she did a moment too late and coughed into her hand before continuing. ¡®Indeed, I¡¯ll have Bella aid in finishing the¡­ you said town.¡¯


    ¡®One of several. Think of a pen to keep out the smaller threats while raised sections scattered around the inside attack anything barging in. If it all works out and I don¡¯t see why it wouldn¡¯t, any trolls that try to barge in would have more ballista bolts in it than flesh.¡¯


    The water scion raised an eyebrow at that, her green eyes turning off towards the distance where the faintest sight of my wall barely showed over the curve of the world.


    ¡®An interesting idea. Why not slap a huge wall down and call it a day?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s great if humans ever become infertile. But if the population ever goes up, it¡¯s a lot easier to expand a three-story wall than one with nine or ten. Details like how to retrieve the soldiers on the wall are thorny, but I hope that anything that gets inside will be too busy with the mini cities to scour for a free meal.¡¯


    Palta bit her lower lip, gears in her mind turning as her mind¡¯s eye constructed my words.


    ¡®An interesting idea. It would probably never work in the southern regions where anything less than five stories gets immediately run over, but here? It may yet come to pass.


    But that is the future. The now has a falling sun and a long walk is ahead of you. We could hold you up in our finest accommodations. I know Nina is going to be very interested to see if we could help you overcome your infertility.¡¯


    I shook my head at the offer.


    ¡®No and no, I¡¯m afraid. I have a hard time sleeping in buildings I didn¡¯t build. As for the otherwise pleasant proposition from this Nina, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more me lacking the equipment for such a venture than its function.¡¯


    Her green eyes struggled not to steal a look at the joining of my two legs but her professionality came through.


    ¡®Even with a healing scion¡¯s efforts? We could work some arrangements.¡¯


    I shook my head again, making sure to effect a small, sad smile to round out the performance.


    ¡®You cannot restore what was never there. This, I know all too well.¡¯


    My growing ability to lie and put on false displays disturbed me as she nodded with a sad look and her green eyes went back to ponder the ocean waves. It was a skill I had only rarely used back in my universe¡¯s lonely workshops or spaceports and the quickness with which I could deploy such schemes these days felt deeply at odds with my ¡®here¡¯s the truth and nothing but¡¯ approach I typically lived by.


    ¡°Still,¡± Palta said audibly, her voice barely carrying over the waves. ¡°You have much to give the world. Thank you, again. May you find your peace, in the slit throat of the Mist pirates Brood Mother or a rocking chair sipping good wine. Good day.¡±


    With our exchange finished. Which is when the twin-tailed woman with blue eyes stood between me and Palta. She was a good foot shorter than me which made the white and green moth¡¯s flutter onto her shoulder a bit easier.


    ¡°Your eyes.¡± She declared.


    We both raised an eyebrow to her.


    ¡°They look¡­ Familiar. But I can¡¯t quite put a word to it.¡±


    The water scion gazed into my eyes, the two faces now looking at me with curious expressions.


    ¡°Bah!¡± Palta scoffed after a second, rolling her green eyes as she turned to the city. ¡°Come, Harrah. We have a lot to do.¡±


    When the wind scion stood still, her lips puckered in concentration, Palta strode forward and put a gentle hand on the brown and green armor hanging around Harrah¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Come. Or do you have so little work waiting for you back at the tower? I¡¯m beginning to think I¡¯ve not kept you busy enough. Mustn¡¯t let my underlings get too bored, now, should I?¡±


    That snapped the errant woman¡¯s blue eyes to her superior. Straightening her back, Harrah briskly walked alongside Palta as the two left with the lion guard in tow. The ocean was reflecting the rays of the dying sun and as peaceful as it was, I needed to get back to my little abode as staying in the hotels that the upset associations could easily ¡®visit¡¯ didn¡¯t seem like such a good idea. Reluctantly getting off my butt, every inch of my being protesting the movement as I did so, I began a slow walk back to my mini abode.


    It was a fair bit faster as my feet now had an even surface to walk on. The flat top of my quick work had enough space for two carriages, but with the bottleneck near the dock the space would be mostly wasted. Unless¡­


    Turning around towards the city wall, I could envision a pulley system lifting supplies into the city from the edge of the wall. It was a pleasant thought that a grey-skinned wolf off to my right with no fur made largely irrelevant. The beast was making a decent pace over the uneven rocks and took only a few seconds to get within a stone''s throw of me. But before I could even consider using an earth spell to send one of the boulders on the side of the road through its skull, one head-sized rock shot up through its jaw taking the entire skull with it.


    Looking around, it was only when I felt a spirit connection along with the image of a location nearby that I looked further to my left. Resting on a boulder was the slightly oval head of Cell.


    ¡®Hey, Cell.¡¯ I responded, more than a bit relieved to be back in my familiar¡¯s company. ¡®How are things?¡¯


    We both moved further ahead on the road, though he had to stay hidden among the rocks beside my clearer path. I was treated to a slide show and varying emotions coming accompanying them. Most were night images, owing to that being the only time he could safely travel. Hungry eyes and thin-cheeked children, of both human and Orc variety, flashed by in my mind like something out of a charity advertisement. I¡¯d have thought the green women to be a distinctly underclass existence, but from what Cell had seen they were more or less in the same boat as the average human citizenry.


    As average as one could be living underground and hiding like fugitives in the vast tunnel network beneath the poorer section of the city.


    The guards were totally compromised, with only one or two sporting human wives. All the others were ¡®bachelors¡¯. Cell had seen an argument break out between the steel-plated guard I had first seen and a tan-skinned man in front of the guard station near the top of one of the hills. He didn¡¯t get a good enough look to see anything beyond a few snippets, but I wanted to say the other man was foreign to these lands considering his lack of facial hair and fuller frame bereft of the typical hunger here.


    ¡®What of the brothers?¡¯ I asked as I turned around to look towards the city. Sure enough, a small gate was being formed around the new road by a few earth mages. Whatever bureaucratic trickery Palta used to force their hand; I was just glad that piece of this puzzle was put in place.


    It was at that moment I was treated to the image of Andrew kissing some woman above the point of view of Cell. The fire scion had apparently come up with the scheme of holding a small swig of yook-root-laden tea in his mouth before kissing the girls. This allowed him to shag every woman in sight with reckless abandon. With the local Front representative supplying him with all he would need to see such purpose through.


    A dutiful soul seeing to his burden as a mage.


    I was surprised when the next image was Jeff, his hair a darker grey than my own now. It wasn¡¯t so much his appearance that caught me off-guard but the fact that every image was him talking with that harbor master, a woman of no great looks. I would have said it was a part of his information-gathering duties, but the man was as honest as I wanted to be. His eyes told of his intent and the object of his affection was likewise receptive to his interests, though, unlike the expedient pace such dalliances typically took in this world, they had yet to share a bed. I thought it odd how the harbormaster wasn¡¯t pushing the lad for a ticket to the easy life, but such concerns were beneath me at this point.


    Walking up to the stone wall with the sun quickly fading, I came through the unfinished back end. Now almost totally out of sight of the city, Cell was able to help me build a quick house for the night. Coming up one of the finished ramps, we worked in tandem to bring the stone up and mold it into a solid box with air holes. Taking my leather sack and chest with food, cloth, and other smaller goods, we finished sealing it with a final brown mana construct before the flickering lights faded.


    Left to look at the cold stone floor of my box with faint starlight peeping through the holes above, I could only think back to my previous night¡¯s initiation. How sensual, exciting, fun, and¡­ very much not this, it was. Grumbling to Cell hanging on my shoulder, I had him mold a decent curved bed into the floor before laying in it. It took a while to fall asleep despite my bed being quite comfortable with my clothes on and the place decently warm. Thoughts of my family, both here and back in my universe, the one remembered and the one forgotten, ran through my mind before exhaustion from the day''s labor finally took me into the void.

 Chapter 115: A Long Road Back to the Start

    Gula POV


    Sweat dripped down my neck and face with a long bang of black hair sticking to my right cheek. I paid it no mind though as the minutes went by with my sore hands idly thumbing the sword handles on my left hip or wrapping around a mug of cold water, like the rest of my fellow workers. We were all sitting on a long wooden bench with similarly tired Frojan and Kelton guards on my right and left. No one talked while my eyes lingered over the open water before me as it gently lapped against the stone base that served as the foundation for this soon-to-be city. The reflective surface was interrupted only by the occasional snail gliding over the new lake or gust of wind with the grey sky above giving the scene an eerily calm atmosphere. Breezes I would have called freezing at any other time blew through my white shirt as the clouds above provided almost as much relief from my heat. The sweat that drenched the cloth had also helped cool me down, a small mercy that I could only wish I had during my hard day''s training as a wayfarer.


    The sky above the swamps wasn¡¯t nearly as generous in how often it blocked the sun¡¯s gaze, but those labors were done in leather armor. Not that Beaton hadn¡¯t tried his best to make up for that comfort in his slave-driving. Being Eli¡¯s wife had afforded me a degree of respect that bordered on fawning from some, recently perhaps too much, but the instant my foot stepped on the ship the older captain became God-King-Emperor-Master of all existence and he had no issue with enforcing his divine rule. But he was even-handed in his iron grip as he drove me and the others in an egalitarian spirit.


    That spirit wasn¡¯t in everyone, though. One of the newest Kelton additions to our group had made a very unsavory comment that still lingered in my head during the early days that, for some reason that was no doubt very stupid, I was still wrestling with. Fortunately, I was among old friends and suffering along with them in that way that kept the mind too tired to ponder.


    Our group also included Lokan, who sat on the stone''s edge further away to my left. The blue snake woman with a frill along her neck and a purple robe, now accompanied by a thick cloth vest and pants, had been eager to visit the southern lands. Eagerness that had seen her take the last supply ship here and sent Kantor back to oversee the main base with the rest of my kind and the newer Kelton recruits. Though the tiredness in her eyes, including the one with a vertical scar along her left, said she was quite done with preparing for this trip.


    Looking further toward the left, I saw the past week''s work taking shape in the form of six wide pillars with a round wall between them standing tall over the other half-finished buildings. Gone was the ruined tower, with its collapsed sides and dreary interior. Cell was coming and going constantly these days, but he had scoured the basement on his first visit here. The first three floors had been empty, presumably where a lot of the housing would be. It was on the last floor where the great treasure of the dead people had been found. Stores of gold bricks, scoured from the churned earth of mole packs, accompanied by several mana crystal tools had been laid to rest in the open space. A space that was quickly pilfered and then filled in with the rest of the basement. I thought it would make a fine addition to our holdings, but Eli had written back about load-bearing walls and tensile strength and a whole lot of other words that meant ¡®not a good idea¡¯.


    I had also heard of some weapons and assorted items among the goods, but these past few days had been spent mastering knots and ship rigging. Glancing at my hands and taking in the sore calluses, I was both irritated that I had to spend so much time on what was going to be a fake career and proud that I had risen to ¡®passing¡¯ in Beaton¡¯s eyes in such a short amount of time.  Swigging down the last of my mug''s water, I got off the bench and walked towards the construction going on a few stone tosses away.


    It took less than a minute before I was in the main vein of traffic and rubbing elbows with Kelton laborers. All around me people were molding bricks into smooth walls or giant ovens for bakeries using boards of wood enchanted with earth molding spells. Foremen shouted, bricks smacked against each other, and workers complained, but overall, it was far quieter than what putting up a small town should have produced. I remembered the constant hammering and sounds of axes whenever the local market in my homelands required a repair or expansion and compared it to the construction several times larger going on around me. The conspicuous absence of loud noise continued until I came up to the center of the soon-to-be city and the sounds of clanging utensils and chatter ahead raised to what my mind said was an appropriate level.


    The source of the chorus was the thick, circular wall towering at nearly five floors with six towers evenly spaced along its perimeter. The place was going to look quite grand if the paper Eli showed us was anything to go by, but the soldier in me still had some reservations. The future domed roof wasn¡¯t going to be strong enough to hold up to any kind of real bombardment even when the walls were supposedly thicker than anything a caster earth mage could easily wreck. As I walked through the crowd, I noticed almost all of them were Kelton¡¯s bringing wood and bricks from enchanted boards around the walls to one of the buildings being put together around the vast expanse of flat stone that served as the floor.


    Coming through the wide arch that stood above an entrance wide enough to allow four carriages through with space, the crowd only barely died down as people ate at various benches stacked in rows on all sides. Most of the feasters were positively pudgy, taking to their task of consuming magical resources with gusto. At the center was a massive cauldron of soup nearly thrice the size of a man, its steam wafting through the open air before the chilling breeze above the walls killed the white whisps. Below the giant black bowl of iron was a square brick oven with a mana crystal disk inside bellowing out heat from its fire enchantment.


    On the tables to its sides was a wide variety of meats, all salted white, mixed with vegetables, and being prepared by knife-wielding cooks. Most of whom were looking as full-figured as their patrons. Perusing the food and the stoves further to the right as I walked to the center, I saw a wide array of reds, blues, yellows, and greens in the meats and vegetables being prepared. Cell had hauled in quite a catch since he arrived and now the main task was just getting it all down these people¡¯s throats.


    However, it was the space behind the pot that I was walking up to. Salamede was standing at a table covered in a single long sheet of paper. Drawn on it was the general layout of the future city, but for now, it was all bricks, wooden planks, and dreams. Her white shirt and brown pants flapped with her hands as she directed the Keltons around her to one labor or another. Motions that stopped when I came up to the table. When her white eyes looked at me, she quickly left her position among the surrounding attendants to take me in a hug.


    ¡®Hello, sister. Are you a lady of the seas now?¡¯ She asked in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Pff. More like a girl of the pond, but I¡¯m passing as far as Beaton is concerned.¡¯ I said before looking towards the written plans for this place laying on the table. Salamede pulled back and looked it over with me.


    ¡®We finally settled on the arrangement when we got Eli¡¯s advice to have the metal and crafting markets separate from the food section. Anything you¡¯d like to say?¡¯


    It looked pretty standard, with warehouses by the docks, houses and towers in the middle, and forges by the water. I noticed a few good choke points for the rings of streets outside of the denser inner circle and the bazaar, but right now it was all black squares and lines whose subtleties escaped me. Perhaps if I had the time to look it over in-depth, I could find some flaw like Eli could with just a glance, but time was something I didn¡¯t have much of.


    ¡®Looks good. This domed building isn¡¯t to my liking, but that¡¯s been said already.¡¯


    Salamede shrugged.


    ¡®It¡¯s a government building. Not a military one. A place for debates and discussing the latest disaster.¡¯


    I rolled my eyes, the phrase ¡®Pretty and useless. A fitting building.¡¯ on the edge of my mental tongue. Fortunately, I had the sense to keep it there considering this was going to be her main residence. Thinking of that, I looked her up and down. The Kelton mage seemed fine until I saw her left hand clutching her brown pants. I wasn¡¯t too familiar with the contours of her snout, but I would bet she was biting her tongue.


    ¡®Do you see any problems with it?¡¯ I asked.


    She shook her head.


    ¡®I spent my whole childhood hearing tales of these lands. How our ancestors hunted giant moles and even the bigger snails here for wealth and prestige. We used to have traders drop off bits of these tales in shells and colorful rocks from the mainland, most of which were probably painted fakes, but it was the imagination behind them that counted.¡¯


    My puckered lips stopped the chuckle trying to force itself out of my throat as she continued.


    ¡®And now¡­ we very well might bring it back. A lie at heart, but back all the same.¡¯


    Her grey hands waved around the table and wider room.


    ¡®A dream brought into the waking world.¡¯ I offered with a nod. Instead of agreeing with my sentiment, she turned to me with a blank face on her goatish features.


    ¡®The dreams of a maid. Directed by someone who should be changing the sheets of the people she¡¯s ordering around.¡¯


    I raised an eyebrow at her, thinking back to when Eli first brought up this crazy plan.


    ¡®You didn¡¯t seem very low on the totem when you head-butted that guard and yelled at everyone to shut up.¡¯


    Salamede furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡®That was as the ¡®chiefs¡¯ wife, supporting his decisions. Now I¡¯m only working under my authority.¡¯ She said in the same tone one would have to declare the color of the sky.


    I could only give her a blank stare as I tried to parse out how being Eli¡¯s wife would make her more right or wrong. Alongside it was the flicker of anger from the Kelton lad¡¯s comment from earlier. The task and emotions eventually became too much and I pushed them aside to attend to the task at hand.


    Self-confidence had been an ongoing issue with her, but as overwhelmed as Salamede felt, putting everything in Eli¡¯s lap would be impossible. He was too far away and too busy trying to put the other pieces of this mess back together. Besides our marriage to him, another bond I had with my sister-wife was the knowledge that our actions had marked us irredeemable by all merits of sense, altruism, and duty. A mutual wound we took turns mending when the need arose.


    I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a soft hug. A difficult thing considering I had to shift to avoid poking her with my sword''s handle.


    ¡®Few start great. I was pond scum back home and rose all the way to dirt. It takes time, but we eventually fit into the positions we have. As for being a lie, you are a descendant of those skeletons. You have the birthright and magical ability to claim these lands and if things get as bad as everyone thinks they will, you¡¯ll be walking on the clouds and commanding the stars to the masses when the time comes.¡¯


    She snorted before pulling away. Her white eyes looked me up and down as she straightened her back.


    ¡®We¡¯ll see. You¡¯ve been working a lot and those clothes need a change. I¡¯ve made sure we have enough supplies at the showers for you to grab a shirt and pants.¡¯


    All this moaning about not fitting into roles and she slipped into motherhood without a thought.


    There was the errant notion that I was a grown woman, but I suppressed it as Salamede began walking closer to the table. With a wave goodbye, I turned around and walked around the large center kitchen. Coming out of the wide walls, I walked to the left and around the back to a makeshift camp.


    Not nearly as polished or as organized as the growing town, the only advantage the mass of tents and quick stone shacks had was that it was finished. In the back by the edge of the stone foundation were several stone boxes that served as outhouses and showers, the latter of which was on the further right and easily distinguishable by the steam coming out of them. Walking by several of the workers, I made sure to pay attention to how they treated me.


    When I went up to the table near the showers that sported freshly clean unisex clothes for everyone and an accompanying towel, most did a light bow or nod as they scurried out of my way. Comparing it to how they treated Salamede, I wanted to say it was about the same amount of respect she got. Still, an errant thought dug into me as I approached one of the open stalls.


    Closing the door behind me and stripping, I couldn¡¯t help but think about how Salamede saw so much of herself in being Eli¡¯s wife and my observations of people these past few weeks. Turning the handles on the sides of the wood flower fused into the back wall, my thoughts pondered on what people thought of me. I was scum for most of my life, but I was scum on my terms. My own person. But now was I more ¡®Eli¡¯s wife¡¯ than I was ¡®Gula¡¯?


    Some horrible voice in the back of my mind said yes and the image of the young Kelton lad with black fur asking his innocuous, outrageous question seemed to confirm it.


    Biting my lip as I retrieved a soap bar from a bench on the left, I pushed the voice and thought away. Quickly scrubbing myself down and washing the soapy bubbles through the slits in the floorboards, I quickly shut off the water and rubbed myself down with the towel. Donning the white shirt and grey pants, I quickly made my way out of the showers. Walking to the right, I stopped in the stone shacks that served as outhouses. It was a clean affair, as the waste was kept in a wood trough and carted off at the end of the day to feed our magically grown crops.


    My business in this stone oasis now finished, I walked further ahead to the side of the stone foundation facing out towards the ocean on the right. The docks were a bare thing, having only plain wooden totems and floorboards that were at odds with the flowing grace a lot of the other buildings were looking to affect. As bare as the harbor was, it was the large ship in the middle pier that had been the center of my world these past few days.


    It bore the typical thick head and wide back of an ocean-faring ship, but it looked more like a mansion on water to my eyes. The back end had a dark wood siding of what was the captain¡¯s quarters while the rest of the dark oak ship bore a supple look of finished furniture. The row boats with pulleys in the back had a similar level of craftsmanship. Sporting three masts and a heavy set build, if it wasn¡¯t for the flag atop the spotter''s nest sporting waves marking it of the Waveborn, most would assume it to be a central piece of some grand navy.


    The pristine craftsmanship of the boat was far above anything the other Orc ships and their human husbands had. That had been a point of worry considering we were supposed to be smugglers. Beaton just laughed when I brought it up, though, waving away the concern and saying a few days on the sea would ¡®settle her in¡¯. The sudden onset of gender into our vessel had raised eyebrows from Lokan and me but we didn¡¯t say anything about it. Even if it was a ¡®she¡¯, the ballista at the end, middle, and back clashed with the femininity of the vessel.


    Off further to left was another ship, the starkest difference being the balloon above it and the fact it was out of the water and on the stone foundation. It had been my home for weeks and raised an eyebrow at the figure coming down its side. After a few seconds of walking to me, the thick leather coat, glasses, and leather cap became the form of my mother as she opened her typical pilot suit designed to handle poor rain and cold winds.


    ¡°Hey, pup¡± She called as her long brown braids twirled behind her. I quickened my step, only just giving her enough time to raise her thick glasses before I was in front of her.


    ¡°The pup just became an official sailor,¡± I responded in a light tone.


    She nodded and her red eyes in the black spheres looked amused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you, so don¡¯t do anything to stress your poor mother out too much.¡±


    I stared at her for a second, the look of worry on her face unhidden. We were sailing out to a potentially dangerous situation but I had been doing risky missions my whole life. She had always kept her obvious worry buried deep down and I suppose the easy life here had softened my mother''s hard shell.


    Grabbing mom into a hug, I squeezed as hard as I could around the muscular woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. As always. This is just a glorified trip to the market.¡±


    Her light chuckle lightened the mood with its rarity and lighthearted nature.


    ¡°Fine, brat. But make sure to tell me when you bring anyone on board.¡±


    I nodded as I pulled back.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that, we pulled back and left for our respective homes for the next few weeks.


    As I came up to the ship, the sailors looked positively giddy as they worked the crates of vegetables and grains onto the ship. Some of the food was grown here or harvested in the wilds elsewhere but most had been sourced from pirate ships that had met a monster at sea or fell to bad weather or whatever other stories they would come up with to explain the disappearances. Whatever tale they used to explain the losses, the truth of their demise died with the crews who had the air sucked out of their lungs by Salamede and Cell. We hadn¡¯t intended to use the pirates as a source of supplies, but when we were discussing how many ships to disappear to slow the bandits down and Beaton casually mentioned that the Mist pirates didn¡¯t keep slaves onboard their regular forward ships and main fighters, we decided we could hunt them in enough numbers to make a proper harvest of their supplies.


    While I walked along the pier and up to the side of the ship past smiling sailors and haulers, the energy was enthusiastic as more than one of them rubbed the hull with appreciation. Waiting for my turn to go up the ladder, a crane near the end of the pier helped hoist a pallet of goods skyward and onto the deck. As the ladder finally cleared for me, I shimmied up and onto the main area of action on the ship.


    It was flat save for the back end and a half floor on the front with a ballista sporting a metal tip. Between the three massive wooden pillars were men moving goods off pallets and directing the madness stood Beaton, keeping near the steering wheel in front of his cabin in the back. His large white beard slightly blew in the soft breeze, but his brown eyes had a joy I hadn¡¯t seen in them before. It was clear this was a dream project for the seasoned captain and his crew and they certainly reveled in it.


    ¡°Are we going to be ready to shove off soon?¡± I called as I moved to the right and out of the way of the line of traffic coming up the ladder.


    His muscular hand rubbed his beard while his nose sucked in the wet air.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be ready to move in the next hour.¡±


    Again, ¡®she¡¯.


    A light chuckle further to my right made me turn toward the source.


    ¡°Are we s-sure its breasts won¡¯t get damaged on the rock below the waves?¡± Lokan lightheartedly asked, her blue frill shifting with her head nod towards the captain. She wore a long grey robe, a garment she insisted on no matter the weather, over a fluffy inner coat.


    Beaton gave a low bow.


    ¡°We only want to show the utmost respect for you and the quad mage''s ship, my ladies.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as a smirk stole over my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think ¡®she¡¯ was ever mine. Or Eli¡¯s.¡± I called up as I walked closer to my friend.


    The older, muscular man didn¡¯t even bother denying it, only treating me to another low bow before returning to his duties with a look back towards the deck. I looked into Lokans¡¯ slitted red eyes and we both could only shrug. Dream projects tended to grip people in ways the chain of command didn¡¯t. Still, despite the joyous mutiny we were ahead of schedule due to their enthusiasm and I was willing to indulge them.


    ¡°Keeping warm, Lefty?¡± I asked my old friend.


    ¡°As-s well as could be expected. But business calls. Ah, pockets-s are such a wonderful invention.¡± She mused as she took a roll of paper from her robe''s inner fold. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure to have them stitched into all my robes.¡±


    Her list showed storage capacities, maintenance costs, and general wages for our business venture. The second and last were lies, but we still needed to pretend to have certain limitations. I had a lot of confidence in our ability to do it as the logistics were very similar to our drug running days. But as we went over it, the differences between the two ventures quickly became apparent.


    We weren¡¯t looking for too much profit this time around and we had to factor in the far longer shipping times. Starving masses would give us a fortune for the food, but the Kelton¡¯s were eating enough magical resources to buy a small kingdom and a few bowls of their soup would probably net thrice any profit we would make in this venture. For the first time in my life, we were doing business without trying to scrape up as much money as we could, and it took a few minutes before we realized we were planning for maximizing price as opposed to keeping it as low as we feasibly could without drawing too much suspicion.


    While we were putting the general food prices back in the Coalition into our calculations, Beaton¡¯s voice yelled out over the workers.


    ¡°Time to shove off lads!¡±


    With our earlier shift still in our tired muscles, Lokan followed me down to the lower decks. Going down the double doored hatch on the front of the ship, the fine woodwork kept up down here. Smooth walls of oak had the same high quality as the floors. Smaller windows near the ceiling let a breeze in and would no doubt let in the sunlight on clear days. Right now the middle had a wide open hole that crewmen were closing.


    Kelton men and the few human males on our trip scattered about as they pulled the panels in the floor to cover the hole with a loud, metallic click as the room became properly closed to the outside world. Off to the sides were tables and chairs that the workers quickly put back into place to re-establish the dining room for the kitchen opposite the entrance. Turning left, we went down the next set of stairs to the top of the two sleeping levels.


    My new home was a large space with bunk beds in stacks of three, apparently a great luxury on the seas. More windows were along the wall and in the middle of the room was a communal meeting area that already had its floor put back in. We moved off to the left and took up one of the bunks by the wall and under one of the windows. While the mostly Kelton workers left to see to the day''s work, several frogmen came down to slouch onto one of the larger beds towards the right while I plopped into a bottom bed on the left. Getting onto the upper bed, Lokans¡¯ blue tail swatted my head as she pulled herself into the alcove above.


    ¡°S-sorry.¡± She said as I leaned back into my fluffy pillow.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I accepted before she started shifting on the sheets above.


    As I stretched on the bed, a sudden shift in the ship said we were leaving port. Tired from the previous work, the remaining fussing over our business plan was left unfinished as the faint afternoon light shined through the window above and the world went black.


    A faint knock above my bunk brought me out of my lovely slumber.


    Turning to my right, the blurry visage of Beaton standing beside me presented itself in a respectful bow. It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the faint starlight shining through the window. When the man came into proper focus, his right hand stuck out a radio towards me with its copper pole attached.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to do a small check-up every night. I¡¯m afraid I spent the time I was supposed to use mastering this thing working on the ship.¡± His brown eyes had an apologetic look as he held out the box with two metal meshes on one side.


    Nodding and getting up, I relieved him of the impossible wonder. Motioning towards the walkway leading upstairs, we both walked  for a second when I heard a slight patter behind me. Turning around, I saw Lokan gingerly walking across the floor to us. When she finally caught up, the three of us made the trip up to the main deck.


    Stars littered the black sky as we made our way onto the main deck. Two lanterns lighted the floor and some of the ropes of the sails, but beyond those dim glows, the air was almost black. Waves smashed against the hull and a light spray could be heard pattering against the wood as we moved closer to a lamp on the left.


    When the flickering light of the wax candle covered all three of us, I held the radio up to my mouth and pressed the button on the side.


    ¡°Evening report coming in. Over,¡± I said into the bottom mesh.


    Beaton nodded as I handed it over to him.


    As he started giving a quick rundown of the supplies and general situation, Lokan took out the page with our logistic plans from earlier. Life started coming back into her eyes as her intellectual side took over. While we were going over some of the food prices, Beaton finished what was a minute-long report.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be it¡­ O-over¡± He finished, nearly forgetting the final word. Those brown eyes turned to me as he hefted the wooden box into his blue coat. ¡°Thank you, Mrs.¡±


    I nodded but Lokan took a step closer to him with the paper.


    ¡°We need to go over the math for our venture. I as-s-sume you know what venturing smugglers would expect in Baker¡¯s port.¡± The snake woman insisted.


    The captain nodded with a stroke of his wide grey beard. Going over the figures, the numbers we arrived at were in the range of what we had during the mayhem of the Phoenix empires invasion. Some dissatisfaction must have shown on my face because Beaton raised a bushy eyebrow at me with an unspoken question.


    ¡°These are pretty rough as far as food goes. Twenty-five copper for a bushel of wheat is robbery with taxes.¡± I answered.


    The older captain chuckled. His laugh played against the backdrop of wind and waves while I tried to figure out what was so funny.


    ¡°Those prices are near what the poor pay during a regular bad season. They¡¯ll eat far better than they were, even if it won¡¯t be the buffets you¡¯re used to.¡±


    Heat came up my neck and into my cheeks at the familiar insinuation.


    ¡°Just what do you mean by that?!¡± I growled at him as the anger took control of my tongue.


    That snide little comment had set off some deep well of resentment in me. Beaton quickly stood straight with a blank face; the soldier getting ready to take some crap from his superior.


    ¡°Eli wasn¡¯t there when I had to hunt for crawdads and fish at the ripe old age of five. You think I¡¯ve spent my life eating steaks and sweets while getting looked over like royalty? I was getting used as arrow fodder when he first dropped from the trees. Do you have any idea how many times I starved and froze? Or went out to the market and hid my face in shame because my clothes were more patch than cloth.¡±


    He took the tongue lashing well, only giving a light nod as I wrangled myself back into propriety with a look down. Lokan, however, knew me well enough to be a bit freer around me.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know your life story. It was-s natural to assume you were used to the base¡¯s indulgence considering how much we¡¯d taken its luxuries-s for granted before they arrived.¡±


    The blue snake woman¡¯s words were a verbal ice bath for my anger. Taking a deep breath, I took a moment to release my anger and followed it up with a small nod to Beaton.


    ¡°My apologies, captain.¡±


    He huffed as he moved his right hand over the bald cap of his head.


    ¡°I was a big lad growing up, despite our scant offerings at the dinner table. Took a fishing job at ten that most fishermen only allow at fifteen. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m proud of my lackluster youth, but anyone who treated me like I grew up in the royal house would get full ears worth.¡±


    A smirk stole over my face, but I moved up to the rail without a word. My stomach churned like the sea as the other two joined me leaning against the wooden beam, with Lokan on the left and Beaton on the right.


    ¡°Well¡­ we grow a bit faster than you humans, so I guess it¡¯s roughly the same.¡± I moaned as the two waited patiently.


    Lokan was a good friend and Beaton always had a fatherly air around all the Orcs. Like the green women were all his lost daughters. When he wasn¡¯t being the captain, at least. It was a stupid reason to be more trusting towards him, but I needed someone who knew about relationships and was a bit more detached from my situation than Salamede.


    ¡°Look, I get it,¡± I said with puckered lips ¡°Eli¡¯s the big dog. He¡¯s ¡­¡± My hands waved in the air trying to find the words. ¡°Everything. And I¡¯m just a woman. A woman who should know their fortune to be with him in any capacity, romantically or as a follower. And I do. Gods, do I thank the heavens for meeting him.


    But people barely seem to register me. Everything I do revolves around my husband. Anytime anyone talks to me, it¡¯s to ask about him or trying to get closer to him. Even that I can understand. But to question my abilities is so beyond¡­ Just.¡±


    My words failed as I looked at my companions, both clearly lost due to not sharing my memories.


    ¡°One of the new lads we took off the icy wastes. I offered to teach him some swordwork. You know what he said to me? ¡®The quad mages lady knows the blade?¡¯¡­ As if I spent my life on my ass. Like I got these scars from paper cuts writing to heads of state.¡±


    Lokan did a light cough to hide what I knew was a chuckle. However angry I felt, I could feel how petty the words coming out of my mouth were. Especially considering how many people were starving and dying. But for all the senseless illogic of it, my identity crisis didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I love him, but I do have skills and abilities I can bring to the table. And I spent too much pain and agony in training to just be Eli¡¯s request messenger. Is this what marriage for a woman is? Just being a man¡¯s external limb?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Beaton responded as he strummed his fingers on the railing. ¡°No. I can say my wife never felt like that. Though she was probably too busy trying to wrangle me into being a decent man to even consider it. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what was marriage for you before you accepted?¡±


    I shrugged, thinking back to those frantic days, when it seemed like it was only our small group hanging by a finger on the edge of a cliff.


    ¡°Love. A universal scream to the world that we belong together. Contractually bound to the hip for sex and baby making.¡±


    A few snickering huffs to my left made us both turn to Lokan. Her tongue flickered in the ocean breeze as her grey robe covered the arm she used to rest against the rail.


    ¡°That is a delightfully possessive view.¡±


    I puckered my lips before she continued.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think your ascension into wifehood is the problem. Beaton, how did Rodring come to power?¡±


    We were both thrown off by the sudden change in direction. Beaton, however, centered himself.


    ¡°He arose from the lands where the royal family now resides. His metal magic made quick work of his foes as he forged them into the kingdom we now struggle under. Though, his brother had a different complexion and left him due to some squabble. Why?¡±


    ¡°What about those people he ¡®forged¡¯? What is remembered about them before he put them on the anvil?¡±


    The older man shrugged.


    ¡°I remember that one of the southern kings got the nickname ¡®the Complimented King¡¯ due to Rodring¡¯s praise. Aside from that? Nothing.¡±


    Lokan raised a scaly eyebrow, her red slitted eyes looking amused.


    ¡°Do you think all the other chieftains, kings, and leaders he conquered sat on their bums the whole time? What about the soldiers or staff? Rodring didn¡¯t personally fight every battle by himself.¡±


    I strummed my fingers on the rail, the sign for her to get to the point.


    ¡°Pff. Such impatience,¡± She huffed before finally getting it out. ¡°When someone reaches a certain level of fame, everyone around them stops being an individual. Any interests or characteristics they had is wiped away and their lives become solely seen through whatever interactions they had with that person who mattered.¡±


    As horrifying as it was, I had the personal experience to see the truth in it. When we took out the big viper base near the swamps, the only people talked about were Borba and the giant golem crashing through the gate. Most damning of all, I had cheerfully extolled to Baloo on how we helped lead the Orc fire mage to victory. Not ours, hers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not being married to him that¡¯s causing this. I just stopped being an individual the moment I talked to him.¡± My emotionless voice rang out.


    Lokan puckered her lips as she lightly shook her head.


    ¡°Jus-st not as much of one. Make no mistake, no songs will be written about the quad mage''s wife¡¯s friends. Little boys will not wonder how sensuous a woman I was when the woman the quad mage risked his very life to save is around. We are all side characters in this play. That you get to be so close to the center is a great privilege.¡±


    As impossibly stupid as it sounds, I did feel a bit better. I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think I stood on equal ground with an ultimate mage and the removal of uncertainty in the order of the world softened my anguish. Making a mental note to get an armor suit that I could comfortably wear anywhere, we went over the last few items and decided on the prices we would charge.


    Our task finished, Beaton bid us goodnight before heading towards his cabin and past the navigator manning the steering wheel. Moving towards the opposite side of the ship, Lokan walked on my right as we left the candlelight and moved under the stars. Descending the stairs in darkness, a question came to me.


    ¡°You really think men will be wondering over my beauty in the future?¡± I asked as my feet tested the barely seen stairs with a soft creak.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lokkan snorted. ¡°Anyone would have to wonder just how full-breasted a woman would have to be to make a man with the world in his palm risk his life to rescue her.¡±


    I stopped dead on the last step and turned towards her. It was dark, but I was pretty sure she was cupping her chest and shaking her top. A swatting hand took her in the side before I could even think of a proper response.


    ¡°It is too late for us to be talking about this. If you fall, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll pull your ass up.¡±


    With that, we went down the steps and towards our bunk. Night took us both into the land of dreams and horrors in short order. As it did the next day and the day after and so on and so on.


    Thrilling as the seas were, it couldn¡¯t compete with the bird¡¯s eye view and speed of an airship. Beaton and his crew were quite skilled in their work and I heard more than one of them remark on how quickly we were moving. How they knew of the ship''s speed among the same endless waves was a mystery to me, but curiosity wasn¡¯t an indulgence I had the energy to give. Working the rigging, sails, or swabbing the deck took up a lot of my time. Beaton had made sure I wasn¡¯t treated any differently than the other crewmen and the hard life of a sailor pressed on for what I wanted to say was three days, but the water, sweat, and aches all blended into a long stream of consciousness by the second sunrise.


    On the fourth day, when the sun was shining down through a clear sky, I was pulling on the ropes to shift the sails on the side of the ship. My mind was elsewhere, trying not to focus on the soreness in my hands or the feeling of sweat in my grey shirt and brown pants. Even then, the sudden stop of orders from Beaton at the helm far away to my right broke me out of my laboring stupor.


    Everyone stood still as a voice sounded out from the radio in his hand. I was too far away to hear what was being said, but after a bit of back and forth, the captain got a hard look. Well, harder. From stone to steel. The biggest surprise was the sudden pull he did on the spoked wheel, making the ship take a hard turn to the right.


    ¡°All fresh sailors,¡± Beaton called. ¡°Form up in front of me.¡±


    A lot of us abandoned our tasks while a small stampede formed a small mob in front of the raised level holding the steering wheel when all were present, Beaton took a deep breath before explaining.


    ¡°Our guardians above have spotted a net of pirate ships further ahead and out to the wider sea. They haven¡¯t spotted us yet, but they soon will. As glorious battle on the waves isn¡¯t what we¡¯re here for, we¡¯ll have to tack into the poisonous coasts¡¯ waters. It¡¯s the sovereign territory of Thousand Screams Toad and when we get into his domain his spanning spirit connection will cover everything. Under no circumstances are you to use your spirit magic while in his embrace because¡­¡±


    His brown eyes looked over us before his blue coat lifted with his shrug.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so stupid that you can¡¯t put those pieces together, you have no business doing anything but peeling vegetables and working the mops. Back at it, lads! We¡¯re officially behind schedule now.¡±


    A hesitant moment passed between all of us, with shaggy-furred heads looking worried. Beaton immediately noticed the tell-tale signs of conversations in spirit magic.


    ¡°Oi!¡± The captain yelled down with some red creeping up into his face. ¡°Have you curs already forgotten? If you get stuck writhing in agony on the floor, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be putting your sorry hide in the beds. You¡¯ll be tucked into a comfortable corner until the shakes pass.¡±


    That snapped them out of the habit. Rough voices started talking between each other as the crowd dispersed. Seeing as I rarely used spirit connections outside of special operations, I didn¡¯t give it much thought as I went back to my rope pulling. The doldrums of labor continued for an hour longer until my shift finally ended.


    Making my way down the stairs, I walked up to one of the long tables on the right towards the back near the kitchen. A decision informed by the agony of trying to eat in peace while in the main flow of traffic. Placing my head in my arms, I waited for the kitchen staff to drop off a bowl of soup as the light from the falling sun came through the windows near the top of the walls.


    ¡°Damn,¡± One of the sailors at another table said ¡°I still can¡¯t get over having full beds. It¡¯s like we¡¯re in the royal navy.¡±


    God. If this is luxury on the seas, keep my ass on the dirt. Baloo plopped down to my right and was quickly joined by the other Frojan. Their large bodies moved through the crowd as the conversations in the room made a background chorus of noise before the bench creaked from their sitting down.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t meant to be working this hard.¡± One of the older brown Frojan moaned.


    It was true. Frojan¡¯s bones and muscles don¡¯t do well with heavy lifting and walking for long periods of time, the price for their mastery in the water. Still, whiners must be shown their place.


    ¡°If it¡¯s-¡°


    A sudden silence from the left made me stop. Looking toward the front of the ship, the crowd had come to a complete stop. The servers and patrons all stared forwards with eyes that peered at something far away in front of them even when they all looked in opposite directions. A change that moved through the crowd towards us. Knowing what was coming and fully accepting it as the tide of stiffened spines and head jerks moved in a wave towards us, I could only take a deep breath before it finally came to my corner of the room.


    The odd sensation that accompanied walking over a carpet and raising the hairs on the back of my neck rolled over my skin. However, touching the metal of the sword on my hip did nothing to dissipate the sensation. Most spirit connections had the size of a finger or so to the skin. This, however, covered every inch of my body, from the tip of my toes, the inner fold of my armpits, and the top of my scalp.


    Moving my arms, there wasn¡¯t any place in the air where I could escape the sensation. Clanks in bowls around the room marked a few people returning to the world. Their noise helped return the rest of us to our senses as the expected sensation began to be accepted into our psyches. I opened my mouth to talk and the all-consuming spirit connection went around my lips until stopping just near my teeth.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I announced.


    Surprisingly, the Frojan seemed a bit more relaxed. I watched Baloo, his shoulders now looser and the others casually stretched to accentuate their leisure. It took a few more seconds of stretching before the big green frogman¡¯s amber eyes looked at me.


    ¡°Does this feel¡­bad to you?¡± His deep voice rang out as he took a bowl of soup from a server.


    ¡°It feels like a spirit connection all over my body. I assume it feels a bit better for you guys.¡±


    He nodded, though one of the blue guys to my left let out a warm moan before answering.


    ¡°It has that odd energy but there¡¯s a warm tinge to it. Like a blanket only unrestrained.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I pondered openly while I took my bowl from a server and dug into the spicy stew. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from some of the sailors he might be your species'' sire. Is it like ours or are you more cordial?¡±


    The indifferent shrugs from Baloo and the rest made me raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°From what little we know, it¡¯s more likely that we descend from the regular frogs only with magical growth giving us thought,¡± Baloo explained as he swigged from his large mug that would be a pitcher in any other hands. ¡°Even if he is, he was a whole continent way. Aside from a few tales of him slugging it out with the Devourer, we gave his presence little thought.¡±


    I poked a fish filet in the red liquid as I absorbed his indifference towards the Thousand-Screams Toad and my peoples struggle with¡­him. Of course, the giant toad hadn¡¯t made his children¡¯s lives torture, so maybe it was understandable that they wouldn¡¯t be so focused on such matters. Baloo seemed to pick up on some of my thoughts as he coughed into a webbed fist.


    ¡°It looks like we both have some roots to explore in these lands.¡± He offered.


    A smile and a nod were all I responded with as my eyes continued staring into the red liquid. These were the southern lands where we were unleashed all those untold years ago. Something both enticing and repulsive.


    Despite the interruption to the meal, life soldiered on. As is did for days after when we pulled out of the massive spirit connection. While the foray into the poison coast seas was an unforeseen delay, we didn¡¯t have to go deep into the territory and not anywhere near close enough to brush up against the yellow clouds that were said to waft around its shores. After riding the clouds like a lazy bird, the trip was a crawl to my sense of time. The insistence of the sailors and Beaton that our ship was among the fastest in the waters, owing to the indulgence of its designers and the fact we had the crew to run all night long, did little to make me feel the time at sea wasn¡¯t stretching into wasteful. Until the day to touch soil again finally came while I was swabbing the deck.


    ¡°Gula!¡± Beaton called from his steering wheel. The shining sun played over him and my moist white shirt. ¡°We should be in port by the end of the day. Wouldn¡¯t do for our Orc boss to be caught doing grunt work in rags.¡±


    A smile stole over my face as the prospect of sitting around and not working presented itself. Handing off my mop to a coming worker, I walked over to the front of the ship past the sailors working on the deck. Going down to my bunk bed, I took out a change of clothes from the chest below my spot and took them to the stall near the stairs by the wall. Sweat was still on my body, but most of it was soaked in the pants and shirt I threw to the floor. My new attire was a fresh white shirt beneath a good red coat and some black pants that played well with my sword holster ever present on my hip. Slick leather boots and a rimmed brown hat helped fill out my ensemble.


    It was odd, not having certain bits tug at my shoulders and breasts. Custom wear wasn¡¯t something I had considered in my time at the base, but if this was what Salamede felt like in her dresses, a trip to our tailor for some personal items would be in order. As convenient as filching Eli¡¯s clothes have been.


    Coming back onto the deck, I made my way past the massive pillars of our three masts toward the captains¡¯ quarters. Beaton had the steering wheel manned by another sailor while he sat on a barrel near the rail off to the right, watching the rolling waves of the sea. I had a moment where I wanted to tease him about getting old, but he was the captain right now and he probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate me ribbing him while he was acting in that station.


    ¡°Captain,¡± I announced.


    His large beard and blue coat shifted with his move to look at me. A faint nod was all he gave as he remained in place.


    ¡°Please forgive me, lady. While it isn¡¯t as animated as deck work, standing in place takes a toll even on the younger bodies.¡±


    Glad that I had made the correct social move, I came up to the rail right of him.


    ¡°I wanted to discuss what I should expect about in the port.¡±


    He nodded again as he leaned his back against the rail.


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    I shrugged, moving my longer right bang out of my eye.


    ¡°How bad is the crime? How do they deal with monsters and plant life if there are no mages around?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Beaton exclaimed as he wiped the knee of his black pants. ¡°It¡¯s relatively peaceful. Not paradise, but if you want a real adventure go to the gangs just past the fairy lands. That¡¯ll put some notches in your sword. Or head in a shark¡¯s stomach. As for how we carved it out, it¡¯s like most things on the seas. The island is mostly rocks and even then, it took a lot of blood and funerals to make the rare wildlife in the small jungle on the east end see the port as anything other than a lunchbox.¡±


    I strummed my fingers on the wood as I felt my respect for these people rise a bit.


    ¡°A tough land for a tough people. What about port taxes and other government entanglements?¡±


    ¡°That depends on how things have been recently. During good years the pirates aren¡¯t a big pain, and they don¡¯t need to deploy too many ships. I¡¯d imagine the taxes are quite a big pinch this time of year unless things are so bad that they need as much food in as they can get. In all my decades on the water, I¡¯ve only remembered two times where things got so desperate they waved the fees.¡±


    Keeping in mind that I would need to be appropriately grumpy when the tax bill came, I shifted in place as I put a hand to my sword hilt.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a big problem,¡± Beaton continued ¡°But the bigger issue may be unsettling the local council by taking away too many of their people. If this smuggling venture is to be used as a screen for people we¡¯d deem untrustworthy with the knowledge of your husband, we¡¯ll have to employ a large workforce. Both at Crasden and on the ship. Some established types may bristle at having a new player suddenly arrive and start throwing their weight around.¡±


    I could only smile at the notion.


    ¡°Even if Eli can¡¯t come in and bash their skulls to paste, we have the upper hand. A stable supply of food isn¡¯t anything they¡¯ll risk over some petty spat. Besides, there should be a lot of new space in the coming days.¡±


    A raised grey eyebrow greeted my words even as the man kept his lean against the rail.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word on how big a city he can make in a week or two. How much space will we need? We¡¯re not keeping people on with those contract-things.¡±


    That had been a confusing point for a lot of the sailors. Sea-life typically had the understanding that you either saved enough to get your own ship or died in the one you signed up on. Working only for a fixed time and then being discharged wasn¡¯t an offensive concept to them, it just defied the common sense of their lives. But we were trying to find people who weren¡¯t caught up in the fervor of the Bastard¡¯s vision and we needed to cycle through the crews to make that happen. Some paranoia about people learning too much of my ship and workings would easily explain such an arrangement to outsiders. But Beaton was still trying to wrap his head around the concept.


    ¡°A warehouse or two. I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll have to see what they immediately buy from us.¡±


    With that settled, he gave me a few more bits of advice before I left him to go practice my sword moves near an empty corner of the lower deck. When I was surrounded by wood walls and ceiling, I started some of the basic swings and forms. Despite my lack of practice these past few days, the impeccable craftsmanship of my blade more than made up for it. Perfectly balanced with a custom fit for my hand, it was a divine craft compared to the crude job I could only just barely afford back in the swamps. Combined with the quality of my clothes, a smile crept up my face at how well I did despite being out of shape by a near week.


    My time was not very productive, but it was relaxing, which I needed if I was going to pull off the swagger of a daring captain. A role for our deception that fell to me. Beaton might very well be recognized by some of the older higher-ups and mother was one of our only pilots, a skill resource we were desperately short on. Between that, and not wanting any potential traitors to be given the opportunity to compromise our real purpose when they were negotiating alone, the burden of fake leadership fell to me.


    As the streaks of orange began playing over the clouds, we finally came into the Waveborns home. Where it was on a map was lost to me, but wherever we were it was pretty chilly. Larger than the big town I visited saving the Waveborn, it rested on a rocky outcropping near a larger island, though it looked like a single wooden mass. Houses stood atop rock slabs that stuck out of the waves, their construction showing decent craftsmanship. Not shabby, but not well off.


    Despite our ship''s size, the middle of the small city was obscured by the houses and shops as we approached the left side of the town. Speaking of, as we came up to one of the piers that jutted from the wooden mass like a tentacle it was obvious that our vessel was a full floor higher than even the largest ship here.


    Our fort on the water drew more than a few eyes as we came up to embark. My time to play the part of sea captain finally arrived. When we came closer, an Orc woman in brown overalls and a white shirt waved us away at the tip of the pier. Her long brown hair flapped with her arms and a faint ¡®Too big¡¯ could be heard above the waves.


    ¡°I was afraid of that,¡± Beaton called as he maneuvered the ship to the side. ¡°Get the dingeys. We¡¯ll be giving the Kelton lads some practice coming ashore. Captain!¡±


    I turned away from the rail facing the town towards the big man.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°I stand relieved,¡± Beaton intoned with a sad voice. I nodded in sympathy as I moved out of the workmen¡¯s way while the big man moved below deck to help move cargo.


    The crew moved like ants opening the hole in the middle of the ship and getting the rafts in the back towards the front. When they brought up our boat along with several boxes, we fastened it into the pulley system and one man went down into the waves with it. Beaton said it was good diligence for a captain to get the initial prices agreed upon and then leave a trusted worker to oversee the transfer.


    For now, it was me and several of the Kelton crew coming along, with boxes of vegetables and salted meats placed in the middle that we moved around as we filed into the raft from the side ladder one person at a time. When we were all ready to go, the goat men seized their oars and started taking us into port. With the spray of the seas wafting over us, the chill air added to its sting as it fell on my face and exposed hands. As the lower section of the pier closer to land came closer, we were all eager to make landfall.


    When the sailor tied the rope to the pole, I almost leaned down to help move the goods. But at the last second, I made it look like I was wiping my pants before standing straight again. Stepping on the wooden platform and savoring the first solid step I had taken in what felt like a lifetime, I started walking up the stairs to the regular section of the pier.


    ¡°Captain!¡± A voice called from my right. It was the woman from earlier, her red eyes looked me up and down over her sharp nose. She opened her mouth to speak but when her eyes looked at our cargo with its vegetable greens sticking out the sides and the jiggle of the fatty meat, her jaw was still open as her tongue licked her lips.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked as I stood still with my left hand casually resting on my sword hilt.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± She said, snapping out of her stupor. Her subsequent bow was a few degrees steeper than simple respect. ¡°Sorry, mistress of the sea. Welcome to Baker¡¯s port. Will you require any help in offloading your cargo?¡±


    Damn, the harbor official is more concerned with the food than collecting the tax. Well, I suppose that¡¯s just more leverage for me.


    ¡°I¡¯m very particular about who I let onto my ship. We¡¯ll have to drop it off with the dingeys. Though I can¡¯t start until I¡¯m done figuring out what the local cut of taxes for the transaction is.¡±


    Another low bow accompanied my final word as some harbor workers came from the left side of the pier.


    ¡°I have a list of food exchanges that I am permitted to offer here and now. In order to encourage trade, all levies for food have been suspended.¡± She offered. Looking over her chart holding the rates for meat, fish, and vegetables, I saw it was a significant bump from what we were going to charge. My palms sweated at the prices getting into silver as memories of my desperate days counting every copper at vendor stalls came back. If I had to subsist on these rates, there was no doubt in my mind that I would have been long dead from such costs.


    Between that and waving the taxes, Beaton¡¯s worst-case scenario had been made manifest.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I declared with a smile, though inside my heart was getting squeezed from guilt at  such lavish profit.


    Looking back towards the city, I saw a few Orcs and men walking back and forth. Logically, I knew that I needed to be a ruthless smuggler concerned only with my benefit. But if a child with ribs showing came up to me begging for food, I don¡¯t think I could be mercenary enough to turn them away. Some of the workers standing by weren¡¯t far off from such emaciation themselves.


    We were quickly offered some scales and paid out in a hand-sized sack of seventeen silver. At another time, in another life, I wouldn¡¯t have dared dream of such wealth. It was the first of what I wanted to say would be nine or ten hauls, but my mind was on another topic. A simple cough drew the harbor attendants¡¯ eyes from the crates being hauled into the city by the workers to me.


    ¡°I hail from the Coalition and am unfamiliar with these lands. My interests lead me to our people in the northern city of Crasden and I¡¯ve heard I can¡¯t just stroll up to them like I can here. Would you know where I could go to get the how of meeting them?¡±


    That last question made her stop stealing glances at the food to look me properly in the eyes. Her bit lip was the first bit of defiance she had shown.


    ¡°That can be a¡­ It¡¯s beyond my station. I will ask the council to see if they could set up a special allowance. Though they will probably barter some compensation for such expedience.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I declared. ¡°Up to a certain point, of course. I will be sending an associate to overlook more of these transactions with the next load.¡±


    Her long brown hair moved in a wave with her excited head bob before bowing again and walking past me. The attendant immediately began ordering the workers to move the haul faster and prepare space. Turning around, I went back down the steps to the lower section of the pier. I stepped back into the now empty boat and my crewmen took to their oars. Rowing away from the dock, the wet breeze of the sea pushed itself back into my face as I waited near the back of the boat. It took a few minutes of crawling up to the mansion on the water, but when we finally arrived, I wasted no time speeding up the ladder toward the deck above.


    When I made it up onto the floor, Lokan approached from the right as men started working crates out of the hold through the open hole in the middle of the two back masts. Making my way to the captain¡¯s quarters, I went towards the double wooden doors as Beaton stood at the helm. Opening the entrance to my home going forward, my leather boots smacked across the smooth wooden floor with my walk towards the desk opposite the entrance near the wide window taking up half of the entire backside of the room.


    On my left was a bed of fluffy red blankets and white pillows, while a table for private dining sitting on my right sat opposite it. The white of the tablecloth and pillows was spotless and as well arranged for what I would have felt belonged to royalty if seen in isolation. Moving across the room, I sat behind the desk in the wide leather chair with so much cushioning it felt like a second bed.


    Leaning back, I had to spend a minute adjusting to the softer chair. Looking through the drawers, I pulled out a paper quill, an ink well, and a previously done-up report. Even if this whole thing was a farce, it had to be a convincing one to anyone monitoring our goings-on or stealing our papers. Going over the figures involved, including the Coalition side provided by me and Lokan, with wages and ¡®maintenance¡¯ already provided by Beaton¡¯s scratching, the spread of expenses made my skin crawl. Seeing firsthand how worthless a few dozen silver was with my own eyes left me speechless. Lifetimes of wealth were bought, gained, and exchanged in weeks.


    ¡°Geoff!¡± I called.


    It was only a few seconds before an older gentleman with long strands of grey hair sticking out of the sides of a bald cap poked his heads through the door. His sharp chin and green eyes looked me up and down with a raised eyebrow. His leathery brown skin had cracks everywhere and his skinny frame told of poor prospects on the battlefield. Still, he came with Beaton¡¯s highest recommendation.


    ¡°These expenses. We need to work out how much we can justify bringing back.¡±


    He came forward with a nod, his loose white shirt with blue stripes and grey pants swaying with his walk. It was a simple thing that continued for a while as the sun above gradually moved toward the horizon and bathed my new room in rays of golden light. While I was working through the projected food expenses, one of the Kelton workers interrupted me with a knock.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I yelled.


    ¡°They¡¯re asking to allow a representative on board.¡± He yelled through the door.


    My head jerked up before looking at my new advisor. The consultant''s simple shrug left me feeling his services were lacking.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say they¡¯ve ever asked for that before. But I¡¯d accept if you don¡¯t want to raise suspicions.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the¡­¡± My tongue was on the verge of a scathing put-down, but I was the captain now and I couldn¡¯t let my thoughts run so free. Turning towards the door, I contended myself with a sigh before giving the order.


    ¡°Let them in. Tell Beaton so he knows to stay below deck.¡±


    The worker left with his task received.


    Seconds became minutes before the guest arrived. Two men escorted her through the doors before I put down my paper to look her up and down. Her green skin was as wrinkly as Geoff¡¯s but her long grey hair was in a single braid.


    The brown dress around her frame was a bit loose, though her body was more wiry muscle than emaciation and the brown walking stick in her right hand had a gnarled top that looked like it could do some damage if directed at a knee or rib. Her light bow showed respect but those gold eyes in black orbs told me she was measuring every facet of my being.


    ¡°Greetings.¡± I offered politely. ¡°Geoff, move the dining table chair for her.¡±


    Her grey eyebrows shot up in surprise as my assistant retrieved the chair for her. When it was in place, she strode forward at a pace unhindered by age or past injury.


    ¡°I am the official representative of the government of Baker¡¯s port. In that capacity, I am fully authorized to bargain with you to any extent I see fit. If only because the others couldn¡¯t do  the job. Rocks are all they got between their ears.


    But I¡¯m not very interesting. You are a mystery wrapped in a question, and that is an exciting thing.¡± Her soft voice rang out as she sat into the chair. ¡°Almost certainly from the Coalition or Far Shores and unquestionably skilled. Though your crew is from the north.¡±


    I played off the observation with a bemused lean back into my chair, making sure to be as casual as possible.


    ¡°What are you basing your assumptions on?¡±


    She scrunched her nose before sending another piercing look my way.


    ¡°And polite. Quite the treasure. You have Kelton crewmen who¡¯re still burning under the sun, so your crew¡¯s origin is no secret. As for you personally, you want passage into our holds in the human cities north, no one has seen this ship here before, and if you were from the western seas or anywhere past, you¡¯d never have the snake woman in your crew.¡±


    I pursed my lips together. Lokan was a good friend of mine and if there was a war between the Waveborn and her kind, it wasn¡¯t coming onto this ship.


    ¡°She¡¯s a good friend of mine. If you have problems with her kind, leave them on the shore.¡± I commanded in a firm tone.


    Her stubby chin pulled up with her small frown. I wanted to prepare for some verbal scuffle, but those golden eyes told more of pity than anger.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s sane and away from her kind. Though your lack of knowledge about her condition is understandable as only those like me with history on the other side of the fairy lands would see her kinds entanglement. Tell me, did her parents raise her by themselves away from civilization, or was she an orphan?¡±


    My palms started sweating and suddenly the red coat felt almost suffocating. Yes, her parents died when she was quite young. I didn¡¯t know much about her mother¡¯s demise and hadn¡¯t asked, but one day her father died and mom came home with a sad look before she explained how we needed to help Lokan out as she was now alone in the world. Leaning forward, I made my best attempt to control my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s my place to divulge such information. But to what are you specifically referring?¡±


    She nodded before leaning back.


    ¡°Consider this education a gift for future relations. Entens are solitary creatures. Some perhaps by choice but necessity mandates the nomad life for all of them. Every single one of them is different as far as tolerances go, but the end is the same. After puberty, if Entens come into contact with other Entens enough times, their minds go. And they don¡¯t go peacefully. The part of them that does math, talks, or can be reasoned with dies. What is left behind is blind animal aggression.


    I¡¯ve worked with a few of them before. Good people, but I¡¯ve also seen their fallen forms. A word of advice from a dear, caring old lady. If you see one and they look at you with an animal¡¯s eyes, get your sword out or run. There are a few colonies of them in or near the Beastmen lands further west. Whole mobs of animals wielding the weapons of previous victims. Worst part is, they work in tandem like a highly trained army. Coordination brought about by some mastery of their spirit connections.¡±


    I had pulled my hands inward to cover my chest, keeping my face stone as best as I could. The imagery was almost too horrible to accept but her foreknowledge of Lokan¡¯s lonely childhood was hard to deny.


    ¡°That is quite an interesting tale,¡± I admitted as I pulled myself together. ¡°But such speculation doesn¡¯t change the situation here. I need passage to the northern colonies, and you need my food. And judging from the situation outside, I¡¯d say affirming the agreement as soon as possible is in everyone¡¯s best interest.¡±


    She nodded with a small smile.


    ¡°Of course. Whatever slack diligence with the Enten woman, you clearly have a lot to offer. But we also have some other needs and getting you that passage will take time. Time of yours I would like to borrow.¡±


    She coughed into a hand and when I offered no objection, the older Orc continued.


    ¡°We had a group leave out to the islands further west. The land place has been growing recently and some of our people went to catch the local fish or smaller crabs bubbling up. They have not yet returned and normally we¡¯d send some ships to retrieve them or confirm the deaths. However, those ships were sent out to retrieve food from some promising prospects, and using the ones we have now, for even a day, would invite attack. But your ship is so large, I have no doubt it could handle bringing them back.


    Not for free, mind you. While the stream of food from the Coalition has stopped this has left us with a back stop of iron and leather. Perhaps a discount for these could be worked out in exchange for a three-day trip west?¡±


    I took a breath and cleared my throat to answer. Which was when a spirit connection from Geoff gave me pause.


    ¡®Look over our cargo manifests before answering. It should be in the right drawer.¡¯ His thin voice rang out in my head.


    My temper in check, I calmy gave out a measured response.


    ¡®We have enough room for a few loads.¡¯


    ¡®For now. Trade routes are scheduled out several steps in advance and taking on a load out of nowhere must be carefully worked around. Which we would have to plan for if we were actual smugglers.¡¯


    Coughing into my hand, I reached below the desk to retrieve the needed item. Taking the ledger out, I perused several sections and pretended to work out a suitable number of crates.


    ¡°Five,¡± I finally proclaimed. ¡°I can take five full pallets of iron.¡±


    The older woman nodded.


    ¡°Thirty-five silver per two-dozen bars. Sounds fair?¡±


    ¡®Yes. Very much so.¡¯ Geoff quickly sounded off in my head.


    A bit pushy, this one. But perhaps that¡¯s what¡¯s needed right now.


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said with a hand outstretched. We shook on it, her hand having the texture of wrinkled leather before she pulled back. Our business concluded, she got up and left. When she went out the door, the nervous energy left my body. Even then my mind was still in tangles over Lokan. A thousand questions rushed me, though I was too busy to give them any attention.


    My time was quickly taken up by overlooking the offloading of the cargo and informing the crew of our unexpected trip west. I was playing captain and it wouldn¡¯t do for me to not have a basic knowledge of how these usual workings on the sea were done from the leader¡¯s perspective. After an hour or two, the sun finished dying in the sky and the stars took back their hold. We decided to get a few hours of sailing in before we stopped at one of the dead islands to avoid the morning feeding frenzy.


    Sitting back at my desk with nothing but a candle on the left side of the desk and the schedule ledger laying in front of me and my assistant, the ship gently rocked back and forth. The gentle dips seemed to synch up with my churning stomach. When we were finished, Geoff was finally leaving and making for the door when I stopped him halfway there.


    ¡°Could you call Lokan in?¡± I asked in a firm voice.


    He gave a light bow before making his way through the door. My time was spent looking over the figures as the thoughts about my best friend refused to let me focus on my fake work. When the door finally opened, the sight of the blue snake woman coming through was not the comforting sight it usually was. She didn¡¯t say anything as she came forward and pulled back her grey robes to sit down in the chair still on the opposite side of my desk.


    ¡°The prices-s were the same as when you first agreed.¡± She offered casually. Her slitted red eyes took in the room ¡°Did we sell too much of the food?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I refuted with a small wipe across the ledger on the desk. ¡°It¡¯s something else. When we negotiated our arrival into the Orc hold north, the old lady brought up a certain issue with having an Enten on board. Is-¡°


    Her immediate look down stopped me. So, it was true. I felt the hair on my neck stand up at being deceived for so long and by someone so close. Anger that died when her lower jaw started shaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­.S-sorry.¡± She moaned in a shaken voice. Her clawed hands pawed at her eyes, but the falling tears were easily seen in the candlelight. Without thinking, I got out of my chair and came up to her on the right. My hands wrapped her in a proper hug as I rubbed my cheek on her downturned frill.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Lefty. I¡¯m not mad, just worried.¡±


    My consoling words had little effect as she leaned into my hug. Her body shook with each sob for a few seconds before she looked up at me. Tears were around those red eyes and her jaw was still shaking.


    ¡°You should be. Having a friend who could turn on you at a moment¡¯s notice. No one should have to constantly watch your back around someone you should trust.¡±


    I shook my head as I put my hat on the table, my right bang falling to my cheek as I started patting her back.


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ve never thought about that around you. I didn¡¯t even know and even if you told me, I would never think you¡¯d try to hurt me.¡±


    Her jaw stilled for a second, her eyes peering into my soul for a second longer before she finally spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends, Gula. But bonds don¡¯t matter when the time comes. My mother loved me so much. Kindest woman you¡¯ve ever met and would give a hungry soul her last fist of grain. It didn¡¯t count for much when I woke up one morning and she was sniffing around the kitchen. There I was, walking up to give her a morning hug and she hissed at me. The worst was the eyes. There was nothing there. Whatever was in her skull, it wasn¡¯t her.


    She¡­It. Lunged at me. Dad came off the floor and wrestled her away before she could finish the job. S-Still, she gave me a gift for the occasion.¡± She pointed to her left eye and the vertical scar. I just numbly stared at her, trying to process what she was saying. As unprepared as my mind was for her to go on, there was no way I was stopping her.


    ¡°I had no idea what was going on. All I remember was running out of the house while screams from my dad and some beast¡¯s roar sounded out behind me. Your mother was there, delivering some wooden fishing poles. She ran in with her axe and helped dad finish the thing off.¡±


    My mind felt like it was trying to push through sludge. Only the worried look on my mother¡¯s face as she asked about talking to me when letting others onboard here could penetrate the fog in my mind. Taking a deep breath, I made a commitment to myself to offer her a special mother-daughter dinner.


    Giving Lokan another pat on her back, I took her in a hug. When we had finally gotten enough, I pulled back. She was drying her tears with swipes of her hands while I moved to get my own chair beside her. When I was sitting to her left, I pulled my shirt down to sit in silence as she pulled herself together with a similar tug on her grey robe.


    ¡°Honestly, as hard as it was on me for the next few years, Dad had it a lot worse. He and mother ran across continents to get away from that madness and the ¡®water¡¯ and it took her all the same. Physically, he was left with a pained leg. Emotionally? He died along with mother a year before that gator took him.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow to her.


    ¡°Water?¡±


    She pursed her lips before slumping back into her chair looking totally drained as she looked to the ceiling.


    ¡°Contact with others of our kind and being a bit older are the only reliable causes. That hasn¡¯t stopped every theory and drunken thought from taking root. Some think it¡¯s an interaction between the poison clouds and our skin. Others say feeling with the spirit connection of the Thousand-Screams Toad. My parent¡¯s believed it was something in the water. How that was supposed to work never came up, but they believed in it enough to drag us to the other side of the world. All for nothing.¡±


    Her voice dripped with the bitterness of a lifetime of happiness spent and lost. My mouth opened to talk to her about how strong she was when a horrible realization rolled over me. Of course she never told me about this. I¡¯ve been dumping so many little comments about Orcs and the Bastard on her for years. She had been alone for a long time and when her mother died, I had assumed it was because of the thousand reasons people died out on the swamps like her father. But if it was from this natural cause, why would she think I would be accepting of her when I couldn¡¯t accept myself?


    Sitting there in mute disgust at myself, I could only offer the small comfort that came to me. Getting up, I came forward and pulled her into another hug. One she gladly returned.


    ¡°Lokan, even if the worst should pass, I would still be by your side. Even if you turned, you would only be restrained until¡­ Eli could find a way to fix whatever caused it until you came back into the world.¡± I offered, grasping for the only idea at hand.


    ¡°Could he?¡± She asked as she pulled back a bit, those slitted red eyes filled with hope instead of tears. ¡°His skills only seem to be concerned with big ships and machines. How would he heal the mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it couldn¡¯t hurt to ask. Even if he can¡¯t fix it, maybe he could make a suit or machine to prevent it.¡±


    Despite the emotional anguish, the snake woman looked a bit better as one would when an old wound has been made right.


    ¡°Perhaps. But¡­ Thank you, Lefty.¡± She pulled me in another hug to accentuate the point before pulling back to stand in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ve dreaded this conversation for so long. Or worse, we¡¯d never have it and I¡¯d die of age while living as a fraud. Spirits, it feels like a sack has been lifted off my shoulders.¡±


    A stretch sold the point as I forced a smile on my face. I had no idea where to take this conversation, partly because I was too distracted going over all of our past ones. In them, I couldn¡¯t see any signs of discomfort from her. Was I socially inept or was she that good? As I pondered these things, Lokan coughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m out of soul-destroying secrets. Unless you have any other questions, do I have permission to turn in for the night, captain?¡±


    Standing a bit straighter, I nodded to her before taking her in a final hug. Our farewells said, Lokan turned and walked out of the door. Nodding to me one final time, she shut the door with a small thud to leave me alone. I swayed in place for a second before sitting back into the bed. My mind kept going over all the conversations I had with Lokan as I undid my boots. Still, I couldn¡¯t say there was any indication that I was making her uncomfortable. Nor did any come to me as I pulled open the blankets.


    When I saw the golden glow playing across the red fabric, I turned back to the candle on my desk.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± I moaned to the open air as I forced myself from the cozy bed. When I was up to the desk, I thought about talking with mother about this. My hand even reached across the desk to retrieve it before I stopped myself. Tired from a long day¡¯s work, I shook my head and licked my fingers. Extinguishing the light with a pinch, I turned back to my cozy abode. Moving in the faint starlight, I resigned to having that conversation in person sometime later.


    The next day was pretty standard after we left the bare rock of an island that served as our shelter from the morning feeding. Even as I looked up and down the ship, trying to affect the captain I was pretending to be, all my senses were clogged up with a sense of shame. All centered around what a bad friend I had been and not even having the decency to know it.


    Fortunately, the world didn¡¯t turn on me and our trip eventually came to its destination with me on the right edge of the boat. Over the horizon were large pillars reaching into the sky like the towers of a castle with no walls. The ones on the right were half destroyed and the local barnacles and crabs were molding the mass of crumbled stones into a pocketed mass of stone with each staking out a little fiefdom for their own.


    ¡°Seen it a good dozen times,¡± Geoff said casually to my right on the rail that we were both leaning over. ¡°If the lands stick, we¡¯ll have a new base if we can move in before the plant seeds arrive. Most, however, eventually get obliterated by the current or large monsters.¡±


    An ominous creek could be heard as one of the pillars on the left pushed out of the sea. Cracks and falling rocks announced the protests from its fellows but all the soft patter was drowned out as one of the pillars on the right finally gave out. It teetered for a second before plunging like a giant tree into the mass of stone bits behind it, joining its fallen brothers.


    As insanely dangerous as this place was, the temptation was plain to see as the expanding stone pillar pulled up an entire coral reef in its wake. Fish, octopuses, lobsters, and shrimp were stuck in the rocks now jutting into the air. But we were good on food and the bounty we came for wouldn¡¯t be very appetizing on any dinner plate. It took several passes around the place before the two hulls sticking between three sizable pillars near the back was finally spotted.


    The dual masses of boards had as many holes in them as wood and I feared that we had come upon a makeshift graveyard. I looked around and turned back towards the dingeys before one of the sailors yelled.


    ¡°Survivors!¡±


    Looking back to the wreckage, I saw an Orc in a yellow dress standing on top of the hulls. Her arm waves showed off frantic energy as other Orcs and men started coming out of the holds.


    ¡°Form up!¡± I yelled, ¡°Get the boats in the water. Baloo! Make sure the trip over there will be safe. Afterward, catch whatever you can. Let¡¯s see if we can get some of the catch they came for.¡±


    The big frogmen was already moving down to the sides of the ship before the first word left my mouth. By the time the dingeys were freed from their locks, the squad of Frojan was on ready and leaped off the side of the ship into the choppy waves. A minute later the boats loaded with sailors followed.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the boats¡± Mother''s voice called from the inside of my coat.


    Taking out the radio, I put the lower metal mesh to my lips.


    ¡°Picking up survivors. All Orcs and humans.¡±


    A second of silence stretched into several and I knew right away what mother was trying to ask.


    ¡°Mom, there are no Enten¡¯s among them.¡±


    More silence. After a few more seconds, she finally responded.


    ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep a smile down as I pressed the button.


    ¡°Better. Thanks, mom. I love you. I want to have this conversation face-to-face, so if that¡¯s all¡­Over.¡±


    ¡°Over.¡±


    With that finished, I put my mind back to the seas in front of me instead of someplace up in the clouds. Our people arrived in only a few minutes of rowing. The survivors promptly came onto the forming shore far away from the dangerous pillars. Most of the sailors came between the rocks close to the shore while a few of the more sure-footed almost sprinted right up to the boats. From my view, two dozen sailors were working their way to the ship. As the first of our boats came back with survivors, I had thought to set up guards for security but looking at them in the approaching raft and struggling to get up the side ladder, the only threat they presented was falling on us from starvation or exhaustion.


    ¡°Tell the kitchen to get a few dozen meals ready,¡± I ordered a sailor to my left. He nodded before shuffling off toward the hatch at the end of the deck.


    Our guests came up the ladder and over the rail, the first was a young, brown-haired man with a shirt that looked a few sizes too big on his skinny frame. He had some tears in his eyes as he moved to the right to let those behind him come on board.


    ¡°Bless you! We thought the Rodring navy had come to really put us in the shitter.¡±


    ¡°Ron!¡± One of the older women coming up the ladder yelled. Her grey dress flapped in the soft wind as her loose black and grey hair moved with her shimmy onto the deck. ¡°By all that is good in the world, if you don¡¯t grow some manners, I¡¯ll ask the captain to let the dirty pots and pans do it.¡±


    Her red eyes resembled my mother¡¯s when I had done something stupid. The respect in them when she turned to me was new, however. As was the small bow she afforded me.


    ¡°A thousand thanks over a thousand lifetimes, captain.¡± That was as far as she got before moving out of the way of the newcomers. The men knew what to do with harried castaways, handing out blankets as they lead the lost souls below deck for some quick meals. I was standing to the side overlooking the last few arrivals of this load when a hard ¡®Thwap¡± rang out on my right.


    My head jerked towards one of the ballistae near the back. The one missing an iron-tipped spear had a sailor pointing to the shore. Following his finger, the spear of wood was sticking out of a wide slab of a shell that made it hard to distinguish from among the rocks. It took a second before the form of a horse-sized crab finally presented itself from the rough stone. The man''s aim had been true, taking it square in the front near the eyes and the limp legs twitched in the water.


    I turned to him with an approving nod.


    The people on the shore weren¡¯t so appreciative. A mass of people started packing closer to where the boats had landed.


    ¡°Baloo! Keep them in order.¡± I called over the seas. I didn¡¯t know where he was, but he always kept in earshot when he wasn¡¯t personally needed. It took a few seconds before the water around the boats shifted and three of the large frogmen came onto the new land, keeping at least one old tradition alive. The survivors looked askance at the big Frojan in fine robes and shirts but they all filed away on the arriving boats in a more disciplined fashion.


    Finally on solid ground and among friendlies, the starved workers took turns giving praise or helping us move one of the poor wretches too injured to move on their own. When the last lost soul in the last boat came aboard, we quickly cast about for the stranded food. Ruined bits of dog-sized fish and lobster were scattered about from the morning frenzy but there was still a bounty of whole specimens to be speared or netted. The live catch was kept in barrels of water that would last until we came back to port and the rest were sent to the larder to fill out our stocks.


    The task finally finished, we headed back out to sea, leaving the growing and falling mass of stone pillars behind to crumble into a new island or eventually join the rocks on the seabed. On the way, I had been stopped for fervent thanks at almost every spot on the ship by recovering survivors. Most marveled at how fast we moved on the seas and how we had the crew to keep sailing in the night. Though I suspect us not having to cut back on meal portions impressed them the most.


    The desire to sign up with us was barely hidden by the newcomers. Alas, the contract with the official defense fleet of the Waveborn was still in effect and none were foolish enough to try and break their agreed term of employment. Truth is, I was grateful for the distraction. Lokan seemed happier now and I got a hug from her in the early morning, but I was wrestling with how terrible a friend I had been to her for years.


    When the sun was at its full height in the sky, beating down on the ship and the rest of us with little mercy and no clouds to block its fury, the port finally came into view from my perch at the steering wheel. As we came close to the docks, sailors began preparing the boats for the water. Survivors quickly moved out onto the deck, bearing the oppressive sun with little fuss. As fine as our ship was, it didn¡¯t have their family and friends.


    When we finally got the last of our guests off board, the old lady came back with the boat. Her smile sent a few more wrinkles into her skin as she came up the side of the ship and onto the deck.


    ¡°A rescue and haul of food brought in.¡± She called as I came down the steps towards her. ¡°You¡¯re quite the miracle worker.¡±


    ¡°We all are.¡±


    The surrounding crew did some slight nods, but most were only barely listening as they help load the fish barrels into the boats. As I finally came within arm¡¯s reach of the older woman, she put a hand to her chin to affect a look of deep thought.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d imagine it was a lot easier for the Frojan than those of us who could only crudely slosh forward.¡±


    Standing there, I put my hands behind my back, my red coat and grey undershirt swaying over my sword handle on my left hip. Her piercing red eyes looked me up and down like a predator, the questions only just stopping at her lips as we both stood in silence for a moment.


    ¡°Valuable members of our crew, one and all.¡± Was all I offered to explain their presence.


    Her smile never left her face as her hand left her chin to grope her dress''s side pocket.


    ¡°As promised. The key to the north.¡±


    Those wrinkly hands pulled out a flute of dark wood with four holes along the side and a piece of paper. Looking it over, I could only look back up at her.


    ¡°What kind of lock does that key go with?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The ears.¡± The older woman mused like she had pulled a trick on a small child. ¡°But it only works in certain places. Go north of Crasden and once out of sight of the city by a mile or two, play it over the rocky plains as described in the page.¡±


    I had a moment where I wanted to know more, but her shrewd nature was as clear as the sky. All it would take for me to screw this whole thing up was letting loose one scrap of knowledge I shouldn¡¯t know. Not trusting myself with such a responsibility, I decided to merely nod.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With a final bow, she turned to leave the ship before looking at me one more time.


    ¡°If you want to make a more established arrangement here, ask for Duluk. I won¡¯t guarantee you a great deal, but I''ll make sure you get it quickly.¡±


    Those final words fought among the bumps and yells, though the hope they were tinged with made them stand out. Perhaps it would be a good idea. Even if I thought it was, I had spent most of my time as captain scouring the new and perilous depths of my poor judgment. So, I would leave it to Eli¡¯s future discretion.


    ¡°Perhaps. We¡¯ll see how Crasden goes.¡±


    Our business concluded, she turned back towards the railing. Waiting patiently for the traffic to let her go down the side handholds that formed a permanent ladder, she looked at the masts and floorboards of the ships as she stood idle. Her face had an approving aspect, though those eyes were still taking in every detail. It took only a second for a space to open for her, which she promptly took. A few more minutes of waiting and idly thumbing the steering wheel ambled by before the last boat was brought back onboard and fastened.


    My first foray into being a captain was near its end as I swung the steering wheel and took us back out to sea. When we were beyond sight of the town, Beaton came up from below deck. His grey beard was well-kept, and the blue coat waved in the wind as he came up the stairs on the left.


    ¡°How was your time on the throne?¡± He asked with a small smile as he came up to my left.


    ¡°Hmm. Ok. I¡¯m still learning a few things but I feel like I could make a go of it if needed.¡± I offered as I pulled back to offer the wheel. He nodded before he stepped forward. His hands squeezed the wheel and its spokes like it was an old pet being lovingly fawned over.


    ¡°I stand relieved. Captain.¡±


    Beaton stood a bit straighter as he took in the deck below and started mentally going over the thousands of tasks that needed doing. Geoff left his usual spot near the right side of the captains¡¯ quarters, his babysitting duties now completed.


    From there, I spent a minute getting back into my laborer¡¯s clothes.


    The trip back was about the same amount of time as the one south, but it felt a lot longer. I made sure to watch my tongue around Lokan, taking every care that none of my usual little remarks about my people or the Bastard slipped in. Inversely, the blue snake woman seemed happier than she had been in many months.


    Talking freely with the crew and rubbing shoulders with me came a bit more naturally to her and as the good friend I apparently never was, I encouraged her. She didn¡¯t see any others of her kind during this trip as she had hoped and dreaded, but it was still a nice excursion for both of us.


    The voyage continued for a good week, this time without any interruptions or detours. No announcement came when we returned to the snowy lands. A slight drop in temperature was all the warning I got before waking up one morning with icy air trying to claw its way down my throat and steal the life from my exposed arms. The typical greeting these lands gave to newcomers. Despite being ¡®Home¡¯, we weren¡¯t going anywhere familiar, and we stayed far away from any city or other ships. As I was pulling on some ropes for the sails on the left side of the ship, Beaton suddenly yelled over the typical den of noise accompanying a working ship.


    ¡°We¡¯re close to shore. Will the ¡®captain¡¯ get ready for making landfall?¡±


    I looked towards the steering wheel, seeing an indulgent smile steal across his face as he looked at me with a simple nod. Handing off the rope to a waiting sailor, I dashed towards the end of the ship and down the stairs with whatever faint light could seep between the clouds guiding me.


    Redressed in my red coat with a white shirt and black pants, I went back up the steps and halfway there I met up with Lokan. No words were exchanged before she took me in a hug.


    ¡°Now remember to mind your manners-s and don¡¯t put your elbows on the table during supper.¡± She teased as we walked up the stairs.


    I could only smile as we came onto the deck. Excitement ran up my spine in anticipation of seeing my husband again after two weeks on the seas. Waiting off to the side with a few Kelton men, the boat was gradually lowered into the water. Looking past it, I could see a faint hint of the rocky shore. This was supposed to be north of Crasden, but no feature on the landscape or position of the unseen midday sun could tell me what corner of the world I was being dumped off on.


    The time for landfall came with the splash of wood in the ocean. Getting one last hug in, I walked off towards the rails. Geoff waved to me from the side of the steering wheel halfway, a small smile playing across his lips before looking back out over the deck. When the goods for our trip were loaded up, four crates of food, I shimmied down the side hand holds. As I approached the boat, the fact that I had adapted to sea life enough to not even notice the shifting of the ship left a spark of pride in my chest. The sailors still had to help me get into the boat safely, but small victories counted all the same.


    Taking the oars, the men started rowing us away from the ship. I, as captain and leader, sat in the back idly thumbing my sword hilt. The rocky shore gradually came into proper view until the stone-riddled land finally brushed up against our boat with a thunk. I didn¡¯t want our men caught with luggage if an undead monster came by, so I headed forward with two guards armed with swords on the hip.


    I walked a few dozen feet forward before taking out the flute and paper from a coat pocket. Looking over the order of holes it wanted me to unplug with my fingers, I remembered the sequence and put my lips to the cold tip of the wood. Perhaps my lack of musical talent was my fatal flaw in the assessment but I couldn¡¯t say the blaring and short chirps coming out of my flute were anything approaching artistic. Stealing a look back towards the men, they all shrugged while one of the younger lads clapped with all the speed of a man half awake.


    Looking back over the rock-strewn plains, I couldn¡¯t see any change when a bit of the stone to my left shifted. My hand was on the sword on my left hip before I even decided to be scared. Luckily, the long blonde hair and green face that peered from below the slab was friendly looking. Her squat face and long nose accentuated the lines of her greater years.


    "Can''t say I¡¯ve seen you¡¯se around here before.¡± She offered in a rough voice before looking over towards the Kelton men. ¡°The goat fellas.¡± Her red eyes looked at them with a raised eyebrow before she turned to me.


    ¡°You run that far north?¡±


    I responded with my warmest smile even as I felt totally exposed out in the open like this.


    ¡°There, the south, a bit of everywhere but here until now. As pleasant as conversation can be on windswept plains in the middle of winter, I would most like to get onto my business. Preferably before I get my face bitten off by an undead bear.¡±


    The older woman nodded, pushing open her lid and letting out a big bellow of hot air behind her as the warmer air was sucked away by the forces of nature. I nodded to the sailors and they moved to get our goods in place. When the first crate of vegetables came in, the woman gave a low whistle.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a perfect view for yearning stomachs. You might be new but you¡¯re in for a warm welcome.¡± She moved to the side to allow the workers down the stone steps. ¡°Please hurry, I¡¯d hate to call for people to hang around other sections of the tunnels to distract the undead. Christ knows we¡¯ve been too busy these past few days.¡±


    A raised eyebrow was all I gave the barely remembered name, but I quickly dismissed it. Years of being a wayfarer and soldier made me nervous about an unwatched back in unfamiliar territory. The guide was distracted by the four crates of food, leaving me to monitor the surrounding landscape. It was all the same dead rock, with the snail home starting another mile or so north from what I remember of the maps.


    Three of the sailors stuck with me, bigger Kelton men with swords, while the other two went back to the ship. Going down into the surprisingly well-lit tunnel, the walls had a rough texture that the lamps dotting the ceiling every dozen feet or so made very easy to see. Unlike everything else I had experienced these past few weeks, it was also quite dry.


    ¡°Walk down the tunnel and to the main hall. A guard will be there to escort you to the trader''s welcome area. Given how few goods we¡¯ve managed to bring in these past few days, I¡¯d imagine it will be a quick affair.¡± The lady called as she squatted on a chair on the right of the stairs.


    Our destination given, we started lugging our goods towards the residence of my kind under Crasden. Footsteps echoed over the walls while the occasional creak of a box interrupted the monotonous sounds. Along the way, several long slits had been placed along the sides with some indistinct movement behind them. Murder holes with archers ready to pincushion any attackers, if I had to guess.


    After ten minutes of marching, the sounds of a crowd began filtering through our noise. The official announcement of civilization came when a brown-haired Orc with a metal helm, study shield, and short knife greeted us near a turn in the tunnel.


    ¡°Greetings.¡± She announced with a blank stare in her golden eyes. ¡°First time here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded.


    She nodded, pointing her head further down the tunnel towards the increasing noise. Following her lead, I turned the corner and came onto a wide set of stairs serving as the entrance to a small village. In the center of a rough circle were stalls selling an assortment of every good needed for daily life. On the sides of the market were buildings going three or sometimes four floors high into the rock, all sporting wooden doors and windows along the central alleyway used to move between them. Aside from the candles in the back of the building¡¯s alleyways, the only illumination was the occasional beam of light filtering through the ceiling above.


    Towards the back was another tunnel that was wide enough to allow two carts through. Coming down the steps, the state of the crowd became a bit more apparent as well. Not filthy, but after being spoiled by the daily showers and towels of the base, my gag reflex was being tested by the swirl of sweat and grime. Mothers went about buying whatever scraps of food the stalls still had and workers plowed carts of dung with dead faces. All seemed used to the humid air and choking sense of tight space that was readily presenting itself. As we moved through the crowd and came up to one of the larger buildings set into the wall on the left, our clean clothes and fully-fed frames made us an almost otherworldly existence here.


    The guard held the door open for us, ushering us into a wide room with a stone floor and candles on the walls. It was the table across from us that drew the greatest interest. A scale with bricks off to the left shined in the golden flames while the thin orc with grey hair done up in a ponytail sat with a bored look to the right of the instrument.


    ¡°Cargo.¡± The guard announced idly.


    That livened the worker up, her gold eyes getting new energy as she sat straight up and adjust her black tunic.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± She beckoned with a handwave. Marching forward, I nodded to the men who place the four crates in front of the worker. Taking out some papers from a drawer, she went about her work. After having weighed out every potato, carrot, and onion, she nodded before handing me a paper. The figures for a dozen silver made me stop for a second. It was still a good stack of coin, but the figures suggested a much better situation here than our stop in the south.


    ¡°I know,¡± The worker announced with a hand towards the chair on the opposite side of the desk. ¡°It¡¯s not as much as you were expecting.¡±


    I nodded as I took my seat.


    ¡°I have to say, you¡¯re a lot better off than Baker¡¯s port. Must have piled up good stores for a hard season.¡± I responded, trying to sound a little put out as I handed the order back to her.


    The small headshake she gave me was a touch playful as the worker promptly handed off the page to the guard. It was a second longer before we were left alone to discuss the local happenings.


    ¡°Sadly, we were caught unprepared like everyone else. That spat months ago stopped food from the Coalition and we¡¯ve all been trying to pull our heads out of the troll¡¯s mouth ever since. Our good fortune has stemmed from a plant mage, believe it or not.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows in genuine surprise. Eli was certainly a hard worker if he was having such a great effect already. Making a mental note to give him a good thanking later, I turned back towards the conversation and what I should naturally assume as an ignorant traveler to new lands. Leaning forward, I made sure to look at her with a bit of hope.


    ¡°Have we captured him? Is it a male mage?¡± I whispered in fervent anticipation, quickly covering up my slight slip near the end.


    She got a small smile, her face having the same eager energy of a small child.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have him. But he¡¯s been helping out the city and that¡¯s filtered down to us. A few expeditions out to sea have seen him bring back a big catch and the guards have even gotten a good look inside his fortress. With our skill we may be able to expand a bit further out and start pilfering from the occasional harvest of magically grown plants. The men he¡¯s hired from the guard say the first crop of onions and wheat is almost ready for the plucking.


    Our husbands describe him as an older gentleman with a muscular frame and green eyes. A few have even said it reminds them of our skin.¡±


    Well, mine, at least. I basked in a moment of smug satisfaction before leaning back.


    ¡°Even if this isn¡¯t the treasure trove I thought it was, I have enough destinations for my food. Tell me, where would I go to start setting up my enterprise here? A bit of land for any goods or a place to recruit prospects.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± She drawled on. Her face had a pensive look for a moment before her answer came. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a permanent home here, I¡¯d say the church is where you want to go. They¡¯re four holds over and their tunnel has a sideways X over the top. They handle all the paperwork because they¡¯re the only place that can keep the pages dry if you don¡¯t mind the company and the history.¡±


    This time, my curious look at her was genuine.


    She also leaned back, this time biting her lips before getting a less easy-going look.


    ¡°A decade or so past, there was an incident and it involved the typical amount of evidence, no one can really say what exactly happened and nothing was written down. But there is an unrelenting rumor that one of the clergy found an unconscious mage. A male mage who had gotten involved in the bad side of some business or another. It ended with their former allies dumping their body in the sewer, only the slight breath still pumping in their chest left the professionalism of the killers in question. The priest slit the throat of the injured man and kicked his body into the river.


    At least, that¡¯s what a few passersby claimed. Most dismissed it at first. Mages are strictly forbidden from visiting our side of town, they have their section guarded by the Lions, and they employ earth magic to cease our digging into the ¡®proper¡¯ side of the city. So, there were a lot of reasons to not believe the rumors. Until one mage, matching the description given by the witnesses, turned up floating in the nearby sea.


    It¡¯s been known that the priesthood isn¡¯t as¡­ enthused about Garren¡¯s vision as those in the Cradle or most elsewhere.¡±


    My throat tightened at the wretched name, though she thankfully missed any reaction on my face.


    ¡°Even with that, it wasn¡¯t very clear what exactly happened. Some people claimed they saw her kill him, others that she came upon a long dead corpse, the loins already cut off. Sadly, dark nights and things seen far away while on walks don¡¯t make for consistent stories. It was a big, long mess with no real conclusion at the end, but it¡¯s still a thorny issue even to this day. The fact that the church doesn¡¯t give a straight answer when asked if they would capture a mage when given the chance doesn¡¯t help matters either.


    My advice, only be with them to the extent you need to. Any who would deny our birthright are no better than those who kill our daughters.¡±


    For the first time in weeks, the breath I sucked in was equal parts hope and air. Finally, a potential destination for my real and fake trip here converged on a single point. I leaned back casually as we discussed the weather and some other gossip of local happenings before the guard returned with my silver.


    My business concluded; I shook the worker''s hand before turning around and walking out the door and onto the main street with my men in tow.


    Back into the fray, we carried forward. Our small group moved to the wider tunnel on the left, maneuvering around the packed masses trying to survive the daily necessities of life. As we went through, I paid a bit closer attention to the walls. It didn¡¯t seem like a natural stone as I could see several sharp corners in what I had to assume was softer rock at one point.


    I was given little time to consider it, though. The throng moved apace towards the thousand different destinations its members were intent on. We came into another open space with buildings riven into the sides of the rocks. While it had the same light from candles and  beams of faint light from the ceiling, the center was taken up by craftsman. Or rather, craftswomen. Seamstresses, carpenters, and leather workers molded their raw materials into proper items. There was a distinct lack of forges and people making the actual leather, almost certainly owing to the tight space.


    The tunnel out was on the opposite side of the entrance this time. Between that and the thickness of the crowd, it took an irritatingly long time to reach the exit. Still, we eventually got through and down to the next hold. Coming out of the long tunnel the first things that hit me were the open light towards the right and how much lighter the air seemed. Windows on the right gave off the sound of sloshing water and a few door handles suggested most of the wall could be opened. As I kept walking, it took a second before my mind registered the sheer size of the space.


    I had come into a proper cavern, with the back end being slightly indistinct. Along the paths between packed brick houses were more of the masses going about their lives. It was the first place that had standing constructions and relied on natural lighting. The buildings were made with hard bricks and thick wooden beams, combined with the cleaner air and increase of guards,  It was plain that this was the better end of the dwellings. Looking along the back I saw several tunnels but the one I had been directed to was near the tail end.


    Moving around the now slightly less pressed crowd, we kept along the wall. Red and gold eyes were naturally drawn to us. A few stared a bit longer than others, including some guards. Whatever curio we were to the masses, none deigned to accost us with some good to ply or other such trouble. Several times we cut through an opening in the carts and walkers moving through the tunnels along the wall, and in brief flashes, I saw more houses, shops, and tunnels to yet other abodes further ahead. My mind tried to grasp the mazelike nature of this place though the task was quickly abandoned as I came to our destination with the sideways X above it.


    When we moved up the steps, the crowd squeezed again as we walked through the tunnel. The end of which opened into what looked like an armory that took up the entire left side of another cavernous space. The walkway lead towards another tunnel on the far right while a gentle slop down on the left opened into a small field where a few dozen archers were practicing their craft on straw dummies and a few younger girls dueled with wooden swords. Further beyond them was a bigger carving into the stone with a lot of guards moving in and out. The tunnel on the right, however, had another cross above it and our group quickly pushed towards it.


    The walkway was a bit looser now as half the crowd veered down onto the lower field and one of the other tunnels on the opposite side of the lower wall. I sighed in relief as we came up to the entrance in decent time. Going through the tunnel that was now large enough for three carts, we walked a while longer over the smooth stone floor with nothing but the chorus of slapping feet to greet our ears. After a few minutes, the sound of chatter reasserted itself before we opened onto another wide pavilion.


    It was a more homely abode with a few tables scattered about while the entire left side of the space was taken up by a single building with open stone windows. A large tunnel to the right showed more paths forward but the big cross near the top of the rooms dug into the stone said we were in the right place.


    The most immediate difference here was the number of children who were talking around the tables and the odd garb of the Orcs. Green women in black robes with white neck guards bounced here and there trying to see to the children or talking with an Orc of one description or another. Maneuvering around the other visitors, I saw most of the children were being taught various mathematics. The inclusion of lines and shapes beyond my understanding of multiplication and division caught my eye for a second. Long enough for one of the Orc priests to intercept us without me noticing.


    ¡°Hello, dears.¡± An older priest with streaks of grey in her black hair welcomed. Her smile pulled on a mole below her left eye and her short nose with ponytail did nothing to hide her generally good looks. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen you here before and it¡¯s been a season or two before Kelton¡¯s have walked these halls.¡±


    Her motherly aura practically radiated out from between the folds of her robes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to Crasden to establish my business and was told to come here.¡±


    She nodded before ushering me towards the big door near the center of the building. It led to a long hallway with other doors but the priest ushered us through another door on my immediate left. I briefly took in the hall and the stairs showing further down the hall lit with candles before following her direction. Inside the room was an oak table with a stack of papers plopped on its right side. The priest moved towards the table and took a seat while holding out my hand to sit in the one opposite of her.


    ¡°You were directed to the right place,¡± She declared. ¡°I deal with the business matters handed down to us by the city council. Typically, we are a bit more professional here, but we¡¯ve had so many orphans come in that we¡¯ve had to make room wherever we can.¡±


    I nodded patiently, trying to find some way of talking about mages before it occurred to me to bring up the local situation.


    ¡°I had intended to make my fortune bringing in food from¡­ elsewhere. But even if it¡¯s not as profitable here as I had anticipated, there¡¯s always money to be made when you have a ship. I¡¯d like to set up a special shop to sell whatever extra cargo I can haul in and take special orders from interested parties here willing to pay.¡±


    She nodded as she took a page from one of the stacks to her right.


    ¡°Who knows, our fortune may yet wilt back into your boon.¡± Her dry wit rang out.


    I raised an eyebrow at her while her hands started preparing a quill and inkwell. Her slight shrug barely showed under her robes.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t been told already, a mage has been the source of the good news recently. He¡¯s helped bring in a few hauls from the sea and flooded the local food markets with fish, crabs, and shrimp. Even expanded the docks.¡±


    She started looking over her page and writing on it while continuing to elaborate.


    ¡°As good as that all is, he¡¯s still a mage. For now, at least, he¡¯s more the other mages'' problems than ours. He¡¯s been flicking their noses over one issue or another and I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s going to be a rumble over his work sometime soon. Despite that and his charitable nature, he¡¯s on the wrong side of our survival all the same. If he starts getting too invested in this place, part of his charity will be expunging the green scourge from the bones of this city. And unlike the fools they¡¯ve been sending, he¡¯ll have the earth magic to pull us out for a year or two.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t worried about losing the city forever?¡±


    The scratching of her quill stopped with her head still facing down. It was a long moment before the priest took a deep breath and continued her work.


    ¡°They¡¯ve never been able to get rid of us for good. We always have a hold somewhere else and if the worst should pass here, it¡¯ll be many years before we fully recover. But they can¡¯t keep what little space the monsters and ravenous trees don¡¯t occupy on lockdown forever nor fund a city that¡¯s half guards.


    Not that it would do them any good considering almost all of the watch sired our daughters. As encouraging as that may be, our return provides little comfort to the children we have to pull out of the rubble after the purge subsides. As nauseating and feckless as Waveborn life may seem, I suppose knowing where your home will always be has its appeal.¡±


    Her slight smile made me nod before she handed the page off to me.


    ¡°We have some space here, but before you¡¯re shown around we require your signature and a fee of five silver before selecting the desired building.¡±


    Handing off the required coin and signing my name to the line, I returned the page with a satisfied smile. My acquisition completed; we left the room as the priest lead us out of the church''s hold. She waved to a few of the children as we went back to the main area. The girls all looked a little thin, dancing the line of hunger though their eyes still had some energy about them.


    Leading us past the tables, we were led back to the larger hold by what I assumed to be the river. While the crowd was less oppressive here, the streets were still unkind to anyone trying to idle around and take in the sights. Going over the offerings, it was obvious the seas had seen more than one fortune consigned to oblivion. Worn-out signs of associations with paint fading in the moist air adorned all of the abandoned buildings.


    Even so, there were few signs of unemployment typically accompanying such closures. While standing at the side of the road and looking over a two-story warehouse missing a few boards on its windows after poking around its insides, I decided to pry the priest for an answer as she stood to my right.


    ¡°For all the closed businesses, I¡¯m not seeing too many people going without work. Have they left for better lands?¡±


    She shook her head


    ¡°The council has approved a massive work project to start making tunnels towards the mage¡¯s town. We¡¯re not desperate enough to start making holds under it just yet, but space is getting a bigger premium than it already demanded. Without the need for so many miners and concrete workers, these buildings would be filled with poor souls struggling for a day¡¯s meal.¡±


    A small part of me was tempted to ask more about the work site, but I didn¡¯t trust myself to effectively broach a subject no smuggler would be interested in. Taking a deep breath, I looked over the wooden flats poking out of the stone wall and to the right where the tunnel towards the entrance was only a stone¡¯s throw away. Nodding in satisfaction, I turned to the priest with a smile.


    ¡°The niceties need some work, but it looks like what I need.¡±


    The priest nodded. Taking me back to her office, we went over the needed paperwork and the final prices. Considering the investment needed for digging into the stone and regulations concerning fires and materials that could fill the closed space outside with smoke, the arrangement was that the city itself owned the land. A far cry from the more carefree approach back in the swamps, but it certainly made my purchase more straightforward.


    When I was walking out of the church¡¯s office with a new deed to my property, I felt a bit of pride. Totally unearned, but it was my name on the paper and the first place that was ever ¡®mine¡¯ alone. We had planned to spend the night here and get ready for the needed scouring come morning, but since our acquisition of a front had gone so smoothly a swift exit was our next move. Getting back out to the tunnel where our whole tour had begun took a while longer as the crowds rushed for the long cavern.


    On our trip through the big hold, the sun had properly set and the doors to the outside opened. A few men started coming in from the dark river, most getting swamped by two or three little girls and a loving Orc wife. An absurd scene. All these green women being with their children¡¯s sire or father and the men so happy to be around them. It was a picture of happiness and love I had dreamed about many times before, but seeing it firsthand made some part of me wonder if I was dreaming or had stopped for booze along the way and forgotten. Fortunately, I was able to keep moving, having seen somewhat similar acts with the Waveborn.


    Our time underneath Crasden now finished, we pressed forward until we came back to the tunnel from where we had first entered. Walking down the tunnel with only faint flickers of light from the cloudy sky seeping in through slits in the wall, I could only concentrate on how much cleaner the air was here.


    When we reached the end, the old blonde waved us goodbye as she held the hatch open for us.


    ¡°Now that I know you¡¯ve been accepted, you won¡¯t have to use the flute again when I¡¯m greeter.¡± She offered as the men walked past her. ¡°But bring it just in case. I¡¯m not the only one who works this post, and they won¡¯t allow passage on my word alone.¡±


    I nodded to her as I ascended the stairs and walked out into the cool, fresh air. A loud clunk announced our official exit from my people''s world here and back onto the rocky plains. The cloudy sky has dissipated some and a tapestry of stars covered the sky. After a few seconds to adjust to the lack of light, we moved back towards the ship with the occasional crunch of rocks beneath our feet. A bit off the shore waited our ship, still at anchor among the soft waves gently rocking it back and forth. On the side was the rowboat, now being slowly lowered into the sea. It took a few minutes for us to disembark and get under way but the water was soon pushing about like a leaf as the hulking mass of wood and occasional candlelight on the sides began looming over us.


    When I had finally shimmied up to the deck, I turned towards the walkway leading to the lower deck when footsteps came up behind me.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Beaton said with a respectful bow, his long grey beard and blue jacket flowing in the breeze.


    ¡°I thought it would be a few more days yet before I took over, Captain.¡± I fired back with puckered lips as he walked towards the stairs. He huffed and casually waved his hand goodbye even as he walked through the dark hole.


    ¡°Not tonight, apparently. I¡¯ll make sure the beds been changed and scrubbed when I mutiny back into command. Capt¡¯n.¡± Was all he offered before turning into the other side of the stairwell. The men casually followed him while I turned to the lit windows of the captains¡¯ quarters. Getting an idea of what was going on, I jogged over the wooden floor and up the side stairs. My heart began to race, not from exertion but anticipation. Walking up to the door, I opened it with far more force than needed.


    Leaning against the desk was a taller man with some muscle showing in his white shirt, which lay beneath a leather vest and hung above black pants. The grey hair and green eyes, combined with a few wrinkles around the cheeks, gave me an odd moment of hesitation before I looked deeper into those eyes and saw the love. I wanted to slap myself for forgetting his change in appearance, but my feet were already moving me forward without any command from me to do so.


    He pushed himself from the desk but I was the quicker combatant. No words filled our room, but the sounds of kissing and sucking soon bounced off the walls. When I felt lightheaded from the lack of air, we finally pulled back. I stared into those green pools and relished the love and lust in them.


    ¡°God, I¡¯ve missed you.¡± He said as those powerful hands gripped my hips.


    Instead of doing what I was supposed to do, ravaging him in a fit of lust like the wives had instructed me to, I found tears forming in my eyes. I tried to fight the well of sadness and anguish forcing its way up, to do my wifely duty for him, but the damn man took my head in his palms. The lust in those green pools melted into concern as he held my gaze, wiping the tears from my eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eli asked. He moved me towards the bed, not like the ravenous beast a man left without sex for two weeks should be, but as a comforter. My arms wrapped around his sides for support as we sat on the soft mattress. I looked up at him, fighting to do what I should, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t going to let me sidestep this.


    Well, my arrow has truly missed.


    ¡°Lokan. I¡¯ve been such an awful friend to her.¡±


    From there I explained everything that had happened at baker¡¯s port. It took only a few minutes to lay out my conversation with the old woman and Lokan. He nodded patiently the whole time, waiting for me to finish. I ran through the part about saving the sailors on the new island, but his concerned eyes made me stop for a moment.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get too close to the volcano, did you?¡±


    I stopped for a moment, my mind grasping for how a mountain exploding in fire was involved. But then I remembered how the jellyfish that attacked our first visitors had used a fire spell to melt the ice they were laying on and that meant there were surely other beasts out there with such power. Having figured out the problem, I took a moment to collect myself.


    ¡°No. We weren¡¯t in any danger.¡±


    I was grateful for the interruption, honestly. It gave me a moment to work out how I would go about telling him the offer I made on his behalf to the blue snake woman.


    ¡°I offered her some hope that you would know what to do. It was stupid, but¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence, nor could I keep myself from looking at him with unfair expectations. He bit his lip for a second, the gears of his unfathomable mind turning before he finally sighed.


    ¡°It sounds like something similar to what happens to locusts. When grasshoppers come into enough contact with others through leg rubbing, it triggers a change in their brain¡¯s chemicals. But-¡°


    I bit my lips and widened my eyes, a blooming aspiration that he had to snuff out.


    ¡°But. I can¡¯t say for certain if that¡¯s the case here or if that biological mechanism is a one-to-one comparison in this world. Even if it is, the change may cause a permanent altering of the neurons. If that¡¯s what¡¯s happening, they are fully dead in a way I don¡¯t think even science could fix.¡±


    The answer, as uncertain and unclear as it was, was finally delivered.


    But it wasn¡¯t the only poison slithering through my mind these past few weeks. I looked him in the eyes, my mouth open and ready to offer a question. The profound stupidity of which suddenly hit me. Did the man who trusted me to set up a smuggling ring, who stored away his wife under my care, and fought with me across several battles think I was a worthwhile partner? Not just a warm sleeve for his manhood or a mare for his brood, but a fully formed person worthy of his respect.


    A smile crept onto my lips at the absurdity I almost foisted on my poor husband. Even if I and everyone else was thinking that, I had no reason to suspect he felt the same. In fact, he had given me every cause to believe otherwise. Yet here I was, with this thing, this ugly malevolent parasite in my soul, obscuring what was so obvious from the start.


    ¡°I hate this.¡± I moaned as pressed my head into his chest. I closed my eyes as I tried to peer inward, a vain attempt to glance at the abyss in me. ¡°I have everything I¡¯ve ever wanted. A warm bed, a full stomach, and a handsome, caring, wonderful man¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to keep going, there¡¯s no need to stop.¡±


    A chuckle escaped my lips. I continued to laugh as I pulled my head up to meet his gaze, staring deeply into those green pools as golden candlelight played across his strong chin and grey hair.


    ¡°I have everything. All the things that I desired from my youngest days and some beyond even those dreams are now in hand. I might very well see Orcs and humans live in peace, side-by-side. No hiding or killing such affairs, but living out in the open together for all to see. If I had been hopeful enough to even consider such a thing growing up, I would have coveted it with all my heart.


    Yet here I am with this stupid¡­thing in me. Sucking all the joy out of it. Making me question what should be clear and chewing out everything it said would bring me happiness.¡±


    Eli gave the best response he could. Those big arms enveloped me in a hug that pushed the coldness of the world away for a time. When he pulled back, my aching heart thumped with a bit less pain.


    ¡°It sounds like you need to learn to be happy.¡± He offered.


    I moaned as my face scrunched up.


    ¡°Learn to be happy? Happiness should work like healing magic, where it washes over me like a soothing bath and all my problems go away.¡±


    Eli could only smile at me with some pity.


    ¡°If it worked like that, god would never tempt us with heaven.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t refute the ancient man¡¯s wisdom. Even if happiness didn¡¯t work like that, the feeling of his warmth was coming quite close. Being the poor wife that I am, I did not give my husband his release while I had been largely drained of my venom. There was still that part of me, stubbornly hunting for the sour in the sweet joy. But as Eli pulled me down onto the bed proper, it felt like that bit of me was put in the cage it belonged in.


    He put a finger up and a whisp of wind shot out and snuffed the flame of the candle on my desk with a small whoosh. Plunged into almost total darkness, I could do nothing but mold myself against my husband and thank whatever gods or fates sent him my way. A nice thought that gradually faded with everything else as the night finally took me.

 Chapter 116: Entombing Decadence(1)

    Eli POV


    For the first time in far too long, I had the warmth of another person against me. Stretching as the wooden ceiling above came into focus, I looked down to see the top of Gula¡¯s head laying on my left shoulder. Her bowl cut of black hair played across my white shirt and leather vest while a bit beyond those onyx strands her green hand rested on my belly. All accentuated by her feminine curves pressing through my clothes. Despite all my experience in design and construction, I couldn¡¯t match God when he put that little extra something into women.


    Looking around, I saw the faint star light of a too early morning through the window behind the desk on my left. Too early yet getting far too late. Sighing, I did another stretch before shifting a bit under my Orc wife. A slight ache worked through my body in protest of these motions, but the food stocks needed filling. I went over how to gently wake her up when her head shifted a bit, informing me that she was already in the land of the living.


    ¡°Gula, if we want the people to not starve to death, I need to get out on the water while there¡¯s still a decent catch.¡±


    ¡®Hmm,¡± She mewled like a cat. The resistance of the bed, and hopefully my body, was a mighty wall to break through but she was a dutiful woman.


    ¡°Fine, Eli.¡±


    Her hair shifted as she looked up, those golden eyes filled with passion and longing even while her left eye¡¯s vertical scar scrunched with her furrowed black eyebrows.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Was all that came from between her lips for a moment before she leaned up to kiss me. Her white shirt and red over coat did nothing to hold her back as she stole lips. Spicy vinegar flooded my mouth and her sharp small nose rubbed on mine before we both pushed ourselves up. Getting ready for the day looked like it would take a bit longer than usual, as my green wife insisted on keeping pressed against me as the bed was gradually vacated. Little ¡®I love you¡¯s¡¯ were bouncing off the walls along with sucking sounds before we moved closer to the desk.


    I intended to ignite the candle to get some proper light in the cabin, but Gula had other plans when she sat on the desk. Before I could turn to the side with the drawers to retrieve a match or flint, she pulled me against the table with a strength unbecoming her almost lithe form. There I was, straddling the Orc who proceeded to cling to me and pummel my lips her own soft kisses. It was heaven trying to keep me from the mortal affairs calling . Starting a spirit connection, I proceeded to do the last thing I wanted to happen.


    ¡®The food situation¡¯ I offered.


    She stopped mid kiss, her golden irises in her black orbs looking straight into me. That fiery flavor covered my sense of taste and even smell as it worked its way through my nostrils. A moment of regret passed over her face before she closed her eyes and pulled back with a pop. Even then, she pressed herself fully against me and looked back into my soul.


    ¡®How bad is it?¡¯ She asked with a sleepy tone as heat suffused my cheeks from her spice.


    ¡®Apparently, the Rodring kingdom planned for all of this. It¡¯s just the people following through with it aren¡¯t them.¡¯


    That got her proper attention. Her black eyebrows furrowed while her back stiffened as she pulled herself up.


    ¡®After the rebellion here, they cut the food stores to a fifth. That was to make sieging this place easier if it ever got uppity again. I hate how difficult it is to find out information not related to magical resources. It¡¯s making a miserable slog out of finding basic facts.¡¯


    She closed her eyes and shifted her head upwards.


    ¡®That¡¯s why the haulers are so worried about the situation here and not the murderous pirates. Because the city was made to buckle under these circumstances.¡¯


    I nodded as a sense of tiredness overcame whatever energy the early morning typically offered.


    ¡®Well, everything¡¯s buckling, between the Kraton fleet dying and their main military base being overrun. Princess Palta seems to have some brains, at least. I suspect she wants me to help restore the house of healer¡¯s ships. When, I don¡¯t know and hopefully it will be after the harvest. Jeff was right, if I hadn¡¯t come immediately, this place would be too far gone to save.¡¯


    She nodded at that before pushing her arms into the sky. Her white shirt and red coat stretched with the lazy motion before she gave a light moan. It was another moment before I vacated her lap with a reluctant push.


    ¡®And I¡¯ve got a haul to bring in. Though¡­ I think a special goodbye is in order.¡¯


    With that her hand moved towards my privates, only just stopping before her eyes looked to me.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t have enough time to¡­ fix the equipment.¡¯ I answered with a small smile.


    Her lips pursed as she looked down. Whatever thoughts she was having, I wasn¡¯t going to let them fester. Especially after last night. Taking her face in my hands, I planted another kiss on her.


    ¡®I don¡¯t need that part to love you, Gula.¡¯


    Her cheeks blossomed with a deep green. We stared at each other for a moment before a shout was heard from the deck. Everyone knew who and what I was, obviously. If they were getting up, however, then it was past time for me to get back to my job.


    ¡®Looks like the good times have ended,¡¯ She sulked as her eyes pushed away the last bit of groggy morning.


    ¡®For now,¡¯ I corrected, letting her face go as I pulled back.


    We both nodded at that. Leaving my wife with one last kiss, I headed out of the room and towards the back end, covering myself with a long grey cloak I left on the chair as I did so. Unfastening the window, I opened it and was promptly rewarded with a blast of piercing cold across my front. Now thoroughly removed of any previous comfort, I gave Gula one last loving look before glancing at the low sea below. Just beside the back end of the ship was the boat I had arrived in, magically fastened to the bigger mass of wood with plant magic.


    It took a few minutes of doing, but I eventually eased myself down the side. Normally, I would have been content to simply dock it at the rocks seeing as how our ship above could see any sea-bound vessels working their way to us, but the clouds were a bit more crowded here. The air scion from Palta¡¯s squad had her familiar patrolling the skies for new intel on the pirate locations and happenings, but it was restrained to the lower layer with the birds and couldn¡¯t go as high as unfeeling machinery could. While that put to rest any concerns about the white and green moth smacking into our airships hull, we didn¡¯t have a prayer of knowing where or when we were being watched.


    Fortunately, the reports Palta had shared with me showed it didn¡¯t have good enough vision to make out more than general shapes on the ground from the sky and certainly not from the great distance we were from the capital. When I had finally undone the wood I had grown into the ship and loosed my boat, I pried open the hatch and plopped into the center seat. Rubbing my hands together, I took only a moment before slapping the highest speed on the slabs to my left. I took off with a splash and heavy heart, leaving behind the massive mansion on water to return to my abode.


    Out on the open seas with nothing but freezing air, rocking waves, and the faint smell of my beloved on me, I summoned a mesh of triangles, circles, and squares and fed the spell mana. Through the slits in the surrounding wood, the water suddenly rose to cover everything even if it didn¡¯t try to come in. My ship was now indistinguishable among the dark waves and allowed me free passage past the city with two holes on the sides to give me some faint vision. When I had come up to a good point where it would look like I was coming from my usual fishing spot, I killed the spell.


    Starlight was playing through the slits in my boat, but now rays of sunlight could be seen pushing them back. Looking ahead, I saw the mighty fortification that my work these past few weeks had produced standing tall and proud straight ahead. The dock was near the mouth of the moat I had installed around the three-story walls keeping the murderous wildlife out of my small domain, save for near the road where it cut back under a grate to provide water for the residences inside. The harbor construction was thick wooden beams with stone bottoms that held up the planks leading onto the smooth retaining wall. Atop the outermost post was a big triangle of wood, which the sailors told me was the universal sign that the harbor was not fit for ocean-going vessels to dock. A precaution needed for the wide tunnel under the moat channeling what would eventually be sewer water.


    While most would be impressed by the smooth stone and solid wood screaming magical construction, there were only four piers to its name. For now, it wouldn¡¯t be near enough to service a city, but it held my boat and the larger barge docked near the cusp of the sea. The second part of my mini fleet was a long thing with a sturdy shack in the front and a wide back suffused with water enchantments that gave it a speed far beyond anything the people here could manage without magic.


    Tying my sleek boat into place, I pulled myself out of the hatch and onto the wooden planks of the pier. Moving forward, I made my way onto the barge left of my wharf. Walking over the flat floor of the back with a few rails on the sides, I moved up to the steering wheel in the cabin, untying it to the dock as I did so. Working the spoked circle with a few twirls to make sure that stiffness on the left turn was gone took up a minute, but the waters during the morning frenzy weren¡¯t kind to even slight mistakes.


    Satisfied, I looked through the thick glass panes towards the open seas. Out there, near what the faint orange whisps said was the rising sun, was a bloodbath always avoided by even the boldest captains of the waters. They, however, didn¡¯t have water magic, personally or on their ship. Tapping the bottom slab of five wooden planks left of the wheel made the mass of wood crawl forward. It was a simple vessel, with no thrusters providing backpedaling functionality or enough speed to cut the waves. But it had capacity and was simple enough for a middling sailor to pilot.


    When the ship was out of the pitiable harbor, I pushed the fourth-highest slab. My body swayed back a bit while some splashes in the back reported that the thrusters were working as intended. The journey out to sea was relatively uneventful for the first few minutes, downright peaceful.


    I was peacefully gliding through the waves when a loud crunch from what I wanted to say was the back left announced a visitor, making me tighten the steering wheel while trying to get my bearing. The ship suddenly veered left through a bloody patch of water and the lack of any additional movement beyond the waves told me the threat was most likely gone. Coming out of the cabin, I was greeted by a large chunk of my vessel scattered around three large masses of black, smooth skin cut to shreds. A moment was all it took for me to recognize the form of a giant eel. In life, it was about the size of a carriage. After chewing into my ship and activating the stone shard trap, it was now cut into three sections that were slightly flayed. The organs of which were now slipping into the water.


    So much for the safe section of the seas. I closed my eyes in irritation for a moment before getting to work. Getting the ship in order took only a few minutes as I fused the wood back together and redid the water thruster enchantments. Fortunately, my crafts were modular with mana being siphoned between thin circles. Not using a single line like so many crafts had made it far easier to re-establish the ¡®engine¡¯. By the time I was seaworthy again, the tail end had sunk to the depths, and I had nearly lost the other two sections of the young eel.


    I had seen its kind reach nearly thrice that size, but my spots had typically been far out of their territory. The pup must have been looking for an opportune meal away from the adults. Well, their adventure ended in my advantage as two sections of its tube-like body were fastened to the back of the steering shack with the severed head staring skyward.


    As thrilling as tales of slugging it out with sea monsters would be, I was looking for something a bit more boring and reliable. It took only a few more minutes of sea travel before my biggest investment in the sea came within eyesight. In a section of the waters where ships typically didn¡¯t go because of the lack of current and sand beds that rose and fell unpredictably, were small floating balls of white plant fibers.


    Coming up to the first of the three, I could only huff in disappointment as I used water magic to pull it closer. These were the survivors of eight pots I had placed into the sea. When I had first arrived in Crasden, pulling crab pots out of the sea hadn¡¯t been what I envisioned doing here. But the forces of bureaucracy cared little for my wishes. Even imminent doom did little to sway those wastes of air and skin in the associations.


    By the time my spells had pulled up the three hard wooden cages and their bounty of crabs on my deck, it was a good hour of the morning spent. Instead of holding my catch in a tank, I had the cages mesh into a solid mass to hold them in place as I went back to the steering wheel. When I had a hand on the lower slab to start getting the boat up to speed, a hard thump of air rolled over my chest with a thunderous ¡®CRACK¡¯ rounding out the experience.


    Off to my right over the soft waves where the truly open ocean lay, a long pillar of lightning defied its kind''s typical trajectory as the molten flash shot up into the air, followed quickly by several siblings. Competing with the splashing of water against my hull was a long off cacophony of metallic scraping and ripping sinew. As great as ocean life could be, I decided it was time to run off with my day¡¯s gains. With one quick slap, the mass of wood shot toward safety.


    The fact I had only just been outside the view of Crasden and nearly lost my ship had dashed any hopes I had of making the fishermen do morning runs. Their catch would be far less in the afternoon, but I suppose it would still fill their bellies and then some. Coming up to the mass of smooth white stone, it was the small fort in the middle that was my destination.


    Perched on the island I had made my first day here, the building was three stories of stone smoothed into a curve like a shield facing the ocean. Four ballistae were spaced on the top alongside which were two catapults, but it was the three piers reaching out like fingers that I kept focused on. As I pulled into port, several workers opened the large palisade at the center to begin the usual offloading.


    A few looked askance at the eel snout peering out over the cabin, but I had brought home enough monsters or parts thereof in expeditions weeks past that they quickly set to collect the day''s catch. It was a rather pathetic haul considering the usual bounty I brought back, but I could only hope the afternoon fishing fleet could make up the difference. When the last cage was lifted off the deck and set to the side, I waved the men goodbye.


    The unsure bows and startled looks they gave me were the typical response I got whenever I treated the magicless men working the docks like they weren¡¯t filth.


    Turning around in the tight space of the dock, it was a good minute before I had enough clearance to push out of the marina. Moving past the new mini-fort, I got a look at the harbor. It was a bit livelier than when I first arrived as men moved crates and carts between warehouses or shops. As soothing as it would be to say it was due to an abundance of new resources, most of it was from people moving around the clog centered around the edge of the wall towards the back.


    The earth mage association had been wrangled into shoring up the defenses around the new road, but the disjointed section where the new road met the old brick was left in place. As petty as the associations were, they didn¡¯t have the jurisdiction to prevent the locals from building a semi-workable ramp to the new road. While it brought in the goods from my abode, it wasn¡¯t large enough to effectively handle the task.


    Speeding past the city, I went along the stone shore toward my home for the foreseeable future. The situation had been getting steadily worse since I arrived. I was bringing in food from the seas and my first crop was nearing its harvest, but no ships were coming in from elsewhere. Rumors said princess Palta and her squad had personally consigned three of the enemy¡¯s ships to oblivion. Even with her best efforts, this was a question of logistics and positioning. Right now, the Mist pirates had both.


    Time had not been favoring the city before my arrival. It was two or so months before the Kisspin season started in earnest and everyone seemed certain the pirates would try something beforehand. Still, the pieces were coming together, fighting me all the while, but the upward trajectory was finally in sight. Looking to my right, I saw the wide walls covering the road that was carrying new blood into the troubled body of the city.


    Naturally, the associations wouldn¡¯t let me come back to properly fortify everything. But Palta had declared the road a vital piece of infrastructure. She couldn¡¯t declare housing in the city or redoing the sewer system as being the same level, but the agreement with the local earth mage association clearly allowed for the road and stipulated that they would have to make such a piece of the city secure. The princess showed a good mind for legal trickery that more stemmed from her combat experience than clashed with it. And with no way to contact any higher courts, the bald earth mage that had been staying behind to collect fees was forced out of uselessness.


    Not that it had been pretty for me either. My involvement was perfectly obvious, and the collective pride of mages was apparently quite wounded at a scion working for the livelihood of the peasants. Even Palta seemed a bit perturbed at how casual I was with the non-magical denizens. All the other mages had consigned me to pariahdom for doing nothing but help the dross with their petty needs like food and un-slit throats while the princess was at least only facilitating my disgrace and had some previous achievements to her name that kept some respect for her person. As my mass of stone came up, I chewed on the fact that of my three lives, all involved me being an outcast from my peers.


    Averages tend to speak loudly, but I¡¯d like to think that it was the price of necessity more than my social inability.


    Coming into the dock, I left my barge the way I had found it and moved onto the pier. The sun was shining now, with the occasional splash against the rock wall providing the kind of seaside life most dreamed of. Nothing here was or was going to be easy, though. I allowed myself to soak in the atmosphere as I came onto the grey stone representing solid land. Moving to the left, I walked for a few seconds before coming up to the open gate where a palisade rested inside a dual-towered section of the wall.


    Right now, there were no gears to move it up and only a pillar of earth from my spells could raise it. It wasn¡¯t the most secure dock, but right now there wasn¡¯t anything just outside the wall worth securing. Lifting the metal mass and gently dropping it down after clearing the lower spikes, I went onto the open field of stone.


    More trouble than the wall or buildings, the flat slab of stone had been the greatest source of agony. Without a solid foundation, nothing else could be built. It had also been the most mindless aspect of the project. There was no finesse to the spells being used that wouldn¡¯t potentially undermine the integrity of the towers or walls placed on their products. No clever tricks or strokes of genius, just mindless stone summoning and molding into a cohesive whole.


    It was a task left to the stone enchantments I had placed on far too many boards and what had allowed me enough time to work on the crab pots. Now it was complete. Looking across the field, I saw a round piece of a five-story wall near a section of the smaller outer wall further ahead of the river, a water channel flowing down the middle of the stone floor complete with a wooden bridge. The first seed of life here was wide and long enough to be a proper town and being right next to the gate to the city, perfectly positioned for the green menace to work its claws into my domain.


    Speaking of, I quickened my pace as I approached the only occupied section and the inevitable pain of civilization; traffic. This palisade into the mini-city was fully functional, however. Something the carts carrying arrows and metal bars were no doubt quite appreciative of. As I approached the main vein of traffic into and out of the place, most stopped and did a light bow. Peasant men and women wearing slightly dirty clothes scurried back at the approach of the grand wizard, displayed in his magnificent garb of a white shirt and black pants. As did the guards, who bowed as lowly as the rest when I walked past.


    Some men had human wives, but the presence of the Orcs was the worst-kept secret in this corner of the world. I wanted to say every eight or nine men were ¡®bachelors¡¯. A word that always meant the man had a woman with grass-colored skin. These social dances where people denied what was so obvious were never something I had been too interested in. But my mission here demanded I entangle myself into their lives and I had picked up a bit of it.


    The central divide among the peasants seemed to be based on gender, and it was an immediate thing. I had overheard some conversations among the packs of housewives roaming the stalls for their family¡¯s needs. When a girl was born, there was the usual chittering of excitement that accompanied new life. But magicless boys? They weren¡¯t outright shunned, but there was a noticeable shift. Stiff congratulations replaced small claps and the mothers had a resigned air about them that was notably heavier than when they had birthed their own gender.


    In the typical fashion of polite societies, a lot was said with little spoken.


    Among the peasants, the guards were the only profession that was totally compromised. Aside from one or two men, the local watch was entirely laying with Orcs. A fact I was quite grateful for. While the coming meeting was due to their inclinations, they were exactly the people I wanted looking over every corner of my home. They¡¯d no doubt report the numerous spots I had left that would let them filch food or other vital supplies.


    Walking through the palisade, I came onto another stone field, though this one came with usable buildings. Along the left was a long continuous row of stone greenhouses. While each triangle roof of glass and stone represented a separate section, they were all put snugly side-by-side. On the right was a series of open-air forges. Typically, smithies were expensive to fuel and more so with the shortcuts employed to make up for the limited space. The ones here were large, well-insulated domes that kept heat so well cooks could use them a good hour after the last bang of a hammer faded. Stacks of wood or coal laid to the sides as smiths pounded on red steel or iron in a chorus of ringing clanks.


    Ahead against the center wall was a three-story building of bare gray stone. Clear glass and wooden shutters rounded out the plain blocks. It was the world¡¯s least pretentious mini mansion with twelve rooms on each floor. Not nearly large enough to hold all the future residents, but the sides were extra thick and had more than enough strength to hold the addition of a few more columns of rooms.


    As impressed as everyone who looked around was, the inefficiency of the space irked me. In order to save time making the buildings, I put all the weight of the structures against the wall. That left a huge amount of the inner space wasted as an open field. Musing on how I would fill the land, I walked across it toward the small mansion.


    After a minute or two of strolling, I came up to the wide, double oak doors and sauntered into my current home. Sparing a few support pillars in the middle and a staircase to the upper floors in the back, it was an open floor with a dresser and a bed towards the left. Small echoes rang out with my walk to the little corner. The placement of sectioning walls and some decent furniture was one of those items that was both desperately needed yet never seen to. Fortunately, this was not to be my permanent home. Quickly retrieving a change of my grass pants and a different white shirt, I did a proper washdown in the corner.


    Part of my agreement with the denizens of the city was providing a maid to clean out my water and free me of the mundane tasks of life. The people I talked to about all of these arrangements were, oddly enough, the head of the local guard and harbor master. Little thought was given to matters of civil administration, as the hard rule of government seemed to be ¡®don¡¯t make a mess big enough to be noticed¡¯ and the job of who had to deal with me on a day-to-day basis fell to those who kept order and managed the docks.


    When I had wiped down the last bit of my skin and made myself presentable for the world, I changed into my clothes while making sure the all-important slab of wood that served as my known healing item stayed on my person. For this or any other place, it was an invaluable treasure and I had to keep up the appearance that it was too important to be left lying around. Coming out of the near-hollow mansion, I took a right towards the green houses.


    These were the greatest item of interest to the local peasantry. Opening one of the doors into the potato section, I was greeted with a long pyramid of wooden plant beds running towards the solid slab of grey stone in the back. I looked over my crop with its thick stalks and seemingly healthy leaves. Light was a faint thing this time of year and that was without a wall blocking the later portion of sun. In spite of that, the plants were bright green with strong limbs. Honestly, it was a bit unnerving. The air was musty, and the general sense of the place was one of cramped decay.


    Magic, however, overcame the lacking accommodations with the plant-growing enchantments affixed to the bottom of the beds keeping the crops healthy. The men responsible for watering and monitoring the produce believed we were a day or two from harvest and I was inclined to agree. Seeing a faint bit of blue mana getting sucked into one of the lower beds in the back made me think of putting in some mana lamps. It would provide some extra light if the farmers needed to work in here late at night or, more accurately for a place this far north, past midday.


    I did a similar inspection of the other greenhouses and found they all enjoyed the same success. In a few days, we would be having a few dozen carts worth of potatoes, carrots, beans, and onions being shipped to market. Not exactly a tsunami of sustenance, but between that and the catch from the seas, the cracks in the foundation were getting filled in.


    Moving away from the most important section of my work here, I walked back through the open palisade and towards the main entryway into the main walls on my left. Fixed into the wall was yet another slab of molded stone and metal, and like the one into my abode, it also worked. Unlike the other two, this gate was fully manned. Atop it armed with crossbows stood men of the watch wearing red leather with metal dome tops, looking down over the small crowd and monitoring the wastes outside.


    Walking with the small crowd underneath my massive wall, I walked further down what was for all intents and purposes a corridor with men patrolling the walls just as they did mine. Seeing as how this road wasn¡¯t a part of my domain, the city had put the earth mage to use making walls on both sides of what was by all legal accounts a piece of Rodring infrastructure. Molding my wall to match had been easy and the guards were promptly secured under arrangements for a portion of the food and coin.


    Walking out onto the safe section of the empty plains, most promptly moved out of my way. Grass clothing was the attire I used to announce to the populace who I was and why they should keep out of my way when I¡¯m moving behind them. It served me well as I moved down the road along with those pushing carts of wood or metal to my abode or leaving it with loads of weapons.


    My trip continued for a few minutes as the weak winter sun rose a bit further in the sky. When I came up to Crasden¡¯s walls, the pinch in traffic was finally felt and the peasants couldn¡¯t allow me passage. I had to wait with the rest as the morning traffic jam ran its typical course. People struggled to fit two lanes of traffic onto a section designed for one carriage after the earth mage had taken up a lot of the space for her mini fortification expanding the wall to accommodate the newest way into the city. A bit of work that didn¡¯t require only having one lane. Spite, however, did have such a necessity.


    But like every morning, we travelers of the road bore her bit of malice as we got to where we needed to go. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t open enough that people could get crushed nor would the guards patrolling above the road¡¯s walls allow such a situation to occur. In time, I passed through the choke in the road and headed to the guard station.


    Walking past the warehouses and shop was easy as passersby now had enough room to move out of my way. I still slowed down a bit to take in the mocking fa?ade of truly modern architecture, but like an old wound, I was learning to appreciate it for its comical nature. After stopping at the local latrine, I walked in front of the shops taking up most of the inner left side of the harbor. The food situation had gotten a bit better and was looking to improve, with a few coppers falling off the silver being asked for. My breakfast of a hand-sized pie with minced fish in it was still a ten-copper expenditure, but things were stabilizing to a degree beyond the simple sum of my current efforts. News of a plant scion dedicated to helping the city weather the storm had helped calm nerves over the current situation and the brothers told me the Kisspin haulers were feeling downright optimistic.


    Munching on my pie and taking a left at the last shop, I continued down to the main road. A long stretch of smooth stone with a chorus of a thousand human, horse, and dog feet pattering that was now joined by my leather boots as I walked straight ahead past the main tower on the left and mage district on the right. Getting down to Rain¡¯s Drip was relatively painless, but as I approached the first cut-off where shabby wooden houses took over from the stone, the guards suddenly moved from the sides to me. Their bit lips and wide eyes added to the near-panicked manner with which they pushed through the crowd to me.


    ¡°Great mage!¡± one of the men said with a deep bow that swayed his long black hair.


    There were three men behind him, all done up in the typical guard uniform of red leather. Though, unlike the men patrolling the top of the walls, they were armed with a wooden shield and regular sword. Their ensemble was rounded out with a wooden club at the hip.


    ¡°What brings you to this lowly place?¡± He asked with a bit of sweat dripping down his stubby nose. His wide brown eyes regarded me like a bear seeking entry into his home.


    ¡°I was heading to the main posting for the guards. Fessel wanted to meet up to discuss more men for the walls and work out an agreement for a stable supply of arrow shafts.¡±


    He nodded before looking back to his squad. The man had to be in his early 20s and his unsure manner added to his visage of inexperience. After an awkward moment of searching for an answer from his men, I coughed to draw him back to me while I motioned for us to get out of the main lane of traffic. Moving to the right and up against side of a wooden house, I looked the man up and down with a slight smile before swallowing down the last bit of my rapidly cooling pie.


    ¡°Is there an accident further ahead you want to spare my delicate sensibilities?¡± I asked, a cloud of my white breath flowing over him and his men.


    He shook his head before he gulped and held my gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s the¡­ green menace, great mage.¡±


    ¡°Orcs?¡± I responded with a raised eyebrow.


    The guard looked like he was handing me his death warrant, but he did his duty and gave me a nod. Most of his men followed his lead, though a few couldn¡¯t keep a defensive aspect from their eyes. I turned towards the valleys that made up the slum. Several rivers ambled through the mass of shacks and even from here, I could see a few open-air markets lining the sides of the hills. Oddly, mana was almost non-existent. Aside from a few whisps around one corner or piling in a small cloud in the road, it was almost totally devoid of the blue specks. On the hill to the left stood the only stone structure that the images from Cell told me was the guard post and the current abode of Fessel, the big boss of the guard sent from the royal interior of the nation.


    ¡°That is my destination,¡± I proclaimed with a pointed finger to the building and a small smile. ¡°Do you think I would survive the walk there, unmolested?¡±


    The guardsmen regarded me with apprehension, apparently mistaking my question as a test rather than light conversation. Taking a deep sigh, I leaned against the house wall and folded my arms.


    ¡°Fine, get Fessel if he¡¯s available. But keep one person here for my questions about this place.¡±


    They all seemed a bit relieved at that. As the group shuffled off, the rest returned to their stations while one ran off to get the man I came to talk with, and the leader stayed in front of me to indulge my curiosity.


    ¡°Where would be a good place to set up some new construction? The back end towards the river outflow has some room.¡±


    I received another nervous stare for my efforts. While it would be much easier for me to simply transform this place into a slice of paradise, that delicate dance around the obvious nature of this city would not be ignored.


    ¡°Tell me, my good man, if the Orcs are here, why have the powers that be not expunged them? They are, apparently, so close to us mages and spirits know what a disaster that would be.¡±


    His shoulders went down a bit and his smile seemed a bit more genuine.


    ¡°We¡¯ve tried to kill them, but even if you know where the festering spots of disease on your body are, getting rid of the ailment is another thing entirely. For all the considerable effort we have, are, and will expend, we just can¡¯t seem to smite them.¡±


    A simple nod was all I gave him as I turned back to overlook the slum. The men stealing a handful of food here and there wasn¡¯t going to be enough to feed the Orc population. They needed to be close enough to my stores to take directly from them and it wasn¡¯t going to happen if my works didn¡¯t brush up against their world. This business of tunneling under my domain would provide that, eventually. Sadly, eventually and in enough time to make a difference weren¡¯t the same. Gula had heard they were starting to tunnel closer to my abode, but she didn¡¯t have the details.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say the wall-bound don¡¯t put themselves in awkward situations.¡± I then turned to the man, his brown eyes having never left me. If I couldn¡¯t come to them, then I would have to incentivize the Orcs and their men to come to me. ¡°Still, I suppose this place has some merits. Do you know why I don¡¯t see a lot of mana here?¡±


    That got a small nod out of him, his left hand lowering his shield of red and black as he rested it in the dirt.


    ¡°The mages divide up the local mana away from the docks, like they do in the smaller towns only with multiple people getting the privilege. Lion guards are responsible for working that, we mostly track down pickpockets and stop tavern brawls. Why do you ask? If I could be so bold, great mage.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been woken up by a Skinner charging you? The sacks holding its previous meals swinging around its center of flesh and the giant leather flaps getting ready to scoop you up while sleep fights to return.¡±


    He gulped but shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be having this conversation if I had.¡±


    I nodded as turned back towards the slum.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great adventure out there. Wealth beyond measure and stories to last a hundred lifetimes. But¡­ you get old and fast. Joints start to ache and wounds that never set right become the majority rather than an exception. As much as I have eschewed such an immobile life, I have to admit that my new abode away from murderous trees and ravenous wolves has come to agree with me. Maybe once I settle things with the pirates, I¡¯ll make my hovel something approaching a proper abode.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He leaned forward a bit, lips puckered and eyes wide with hope.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much; I can¡¯t imagine the government wouldn¡¯t set you with a nice pension for coming to our aid in this dire time. Do you intend to give Crasden a twin? Would you have the skill to build such structures?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I offered humbly, ¡°A few buildings of shops and homes should be an easy thing. Something like that big tower the princess stays in, however? That would be a tougher trick. Suffice it to say, I think I will stay here after the storm has spent its fury. A nice cozy piece of the world for me to live in well-earned rest.¡±


    And to make sure you lot don¡¯t mess it up again. Having seen what a disaster things had become in my short time here; I made the executive decision to make this land a more permanent home for my fake life. I could use my resources to get exchanges for the more unique metals I would require for my circuit boards and while I¡¯d have to find a way to get the work I had already done here; I didn¡¯t feel like I had a choice in the matter. Between the stranglehold the associations had on any industry and the Rodring kingdom''s weakened position, it would be all too easy for things to slide back into bedlam the minute I left to return to the base. If that happened, the ¡®Strong mage suddenly shows up to fix everything¡¯ card would be too hard to play again.


    My last words seemed to reassure the man, who gave a small, grateful nod. He opened his mouth again when a voice penetrated the background noise of city life.


    ¡°Sir Laperict!¡±


    Turning to my left, I saw the foreign head of the guard coming up the busy road with a compliment of men done up in red leather armor. He had black hair long enough to touch the embroidered pads on his red leather shoulders and his green eyes looked like he had come back into the kitchen to find his dinner ablaze.


    ¡°Hello, Fessel. How have things been?¡± I asked casually as he marched closer with black pants stretching from a near sprint. The new head of the guard did a little nod that sent some sweat dripping down his hair. A few droplets also dripped down his sharp nose and pronounced chin. If he felt any irritation at being dragged from his office, the infinite indulgence society dictated he show a mage didn¡¯t allow him to express it.


    ¡°G-good. Great mage. What brings you to this great eyesore?¡± He asked, sucking in the icy air as he did so. I raised an eyebrow at the poor man, seeing him struggle to not bend over and suck in the air by the lungful. It was an awkward moment of silence as the passerby occasionally stopped to see what the obstruction was before quickly shuffling away to avoid irritating the mage. When his chest stopped heaving, I coughed.


    ¡°If it is such an inconvenience, perhaps we could set up a more¡­expedient means of having these conversations.¡±


    That piqued his interest now that his brain had the oxygen to properly speak.


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    I turned back towards the tower and looked to its right, the rough direction of my own abode.


    ¡°Between the need for more guards and closer ties to the city, I want to set up a permanent post for the guards.¡±


    Fessel bit his lips, looking at me before his mind started going over the figures. There was a point of tolerance where he was willing to allow me the free use of guards to assure the inflow of my goods. Permanently onloading a large group of his men, however, apparently hit above that mark. Not ideal, but I wanted a constant watch with the harvest coming in and I needed a larger force to keep things in order. The head of the guard took a few more minutes before he finally looked at me with some apprehension.


    ¡°That would be a¡­ bit more than just giving a few patrols a new route to look after. We could afford to garrison your fort with a few dozen of our regular wrist breakers, but men in proper steel can¡¯t be given so freely.¡±


    Nodding as I looked over his men, I noticed most had an eager look in their eyes.


    ¡°My walls will do most of the protection. I don¡¯t need your best veteran soldiers, just people who could aim a ballista and point a cross bow with enough wit to know which end to use and to not steer the sharp point near small crowds.¡±


    That mollified him as his longer black hair swung with his bobbing head.


    ¡°Good, good. However, great mage, there is another¡­ more sensitive element to this that I must speak with you in private terms.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow but promptly started up a spirit conversation with him. When my electric sensation first brushed his skin he gave a slight start, which was quickly followed by his voice in my head.


    ¡®The men here¡­ they partake of the green filth. I have a lot of good soldiers that I brought in from the proper lands of the Literrean house and these I trust implicitly to guard your walls. But there is so much to be done here and everyone worth anything is already doing the work of two¡­ I would not insult your grace and station by sullying your home with their presence. It¡¯s bad enough they tread the roads handmade by a mage.¡¯


    ¡®I suspected as much.¡¯ I offered in a disgusted tone matching the prospect of such a repulsive act. As any mage naturally would. ¡®But the harsh reality is our enemy moves quickly. Tell me, how are the food stores holding up?¡¯


    That got a slight nod from him as his mind went over the figures.


    ¡®Decent with your recent fishing trips.¡¯


    ¡®And if the pirates cut me off from the seas?¡¯


    Fessel gulped as he considered the prospect of a city totally unprepared for siege suddenly being cut off from the only current food source.


    ¡®Still,¡¯ He intoned with a strong upper lip. ¡®The Kraton house has the blood of Rodring¡¯s party in them. I¡¯d imagine they¡¯d break any siege within a day or even hours.¡¯


    That little shine of hope in his green eyes made my palms sweat and throat dry more than any threat or menacing glare I could have received from anyone here. The warm blanket of false protection was making everything harder than it needed to be. Negotiations for labor carried on longer than they should, and the overall bureaucracy was not as enthused about me rushing in to fix things as the true nature of their situation demanded.


    ¡®Fessel¡¯ I rebutted in a firm tone ¡®As repulsive as even being near those who partake of the green flesh is, the Lion Guard are already taken up with their other duties. And, as disgusting as it is to consider, the regular guards would have no reason to burn or poison the crops since I assume the pirates wouldn¡¯t sully their hands with them.¡¯


    ¡®Never!¡¯ the captain of the guard enthusiastically shook his head in denial. ¡®For all their faults, they still have some standards.¡¯


    ¡®Right. But for our purposes, their sin is our safeguard. They won¡¯t turn traitor for pirates who would kill them on sight. Just make sure we have enough men to keep the growing houses going on full rotation.¡¯


    He nodded again, his green eyes shifting to his men for the briefest moment before returning to me.


    ¡®If the Orcs should infest your design, how would you go about expunging them? Make no mistake, I¡¯m sure the devils have already gotten a good amount of insight into your home already.¡¯


    I put a caring hand on his shoulder and a slight smile worked across my face.


    ¡®We need to make sure the pirates don¡¯t slit all our throats. The time for such measures come later.¡¯


    That time would be somewhere around the heat death of this universe. It was a thorny problem I was going to have to work around and now I got some petty satisfaction in returning the city¡¯s obstinence several fold.


    Fessel seemed resigned at my answer.


    ¡®We¡¯ll have the men ready tomorrow morning.¡¯ Was all he offered.


    Our business concluded, he left me with a small bow and a turn to his men. I likewise turned away towards the main road. All around me people held up by those gawking at me so close to the Orc hold began moving again. For my part, I headed down the main road. It was still a chill morning as the sun approached its pitiful peak. My belly rumbled, protesting the meager meal I had managed to eat at the dock. Still, payment was due.


    My business took me to the local shops, where the wafts of bread and sizzling meat was mostly overwhelmed by the frying of fish and the cracking of crab legs. Being a coastal city, the bounty of the sea was a staple of the local diet. But since my catch was the more perishable good, salted meats and grains took a back seat. So much so that even some of the sailors were heard to grumble. Out of what they thought was my earshot, of course.


    Grilled crab legs and some spicy potato soup served on one of the local tavern¡¯s tables filled the void in my belly but not my company. Finishing my meal stuck between breakfast and lunch, I headed towards the harbormaster¡¯s office. It was a slow day at the harbor and the two-storied mansion with a turret sticking out of the top was running at less than a fifth of its usual capacity.


    It took almost no time at all, to move my way up the stairs to the left of the entrance. The soft red carpet in the middle of the stairs felt nice compared to the constant stone that had been underfoot for weeks. When I got to the top, the double doors on the right were still guarded by the metal-clad men. The one on the right nodded to me, his black beard and brown eyes moving with his head as he opened the door for my entry. Inside was a desk with windows in the back.


    ¡°Ah, Laperict.¡± The woman at the desk exclaimed. Her short black hair swung along her shoulders and the brown of her plain dress. Her small sharp nose wiggled as her plain green eyes took me in like a hawk. ¡°Here to collect your pay?¡±


    She reached down with her typical lack of grace, biting her tongue and her black hair shifting over her wide ears. After a second, she fished out a small sack of coins and plopped it onto her desk.


    ¡°Eighteen silver.¡± She declared with a lean back into her chair.


    Looking at the leather bag, I stared at the small satchel of coins before turning up to look the harbormaster in the eye.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s a bit light.¡±


    She puckered her lips and leaned forward, resting her left elbow on the desk while her right hand strummed on the wood.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d be careful about becoming too entrapped in civilizations'' workings. Knowing things about prices and coin exchanges could undermine your mystique.¡±


    I raised both eyebrows in faint amusement.


    ¡°Failing to adapt to the current environment isn¡¯t an endearing quality in things that like to continue living.¡±


    That got a small smile out of her as her right hand reached back into the drawer. Pulling out a small handful of silver, she opened the mouth of the sack and dropped them in.


    ¡°Twenty and four silver. There could be more if we took time to properly haggle.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± I dismissed as I strode forward and took my days wage. ¡°Not enough to waste my time doing it. Straight auction to the wholesalers as is.¡±


    She nodded as she leaned back into her chair.


    My time here completed, I turned to leave and nearly made it to the door when a man burst through. His grey hair and brown eyes were familiar to me as I had made them. It was Jeff, done up in a fine red vest and white shirt with smooth black pants.


    ¡°Ah, Harold.¡± The harbormaster called behind me in some anticipation.


    I nodded to him before shuffling past as he eagerly walked forward. We were in different stratospheres of existence, him on the high heavens and I down in the dross and the powers of the universe dictated the former not be sullied by the latter. It was that rigidity that had made his mission of gathering the information that we needed so difficult. We still occasionally brushed past one another in the town, the laws of physics and space being one of the few stubborn things that didn¡¯t hold to societal convention, and it was on one such chance passing that he told me the radio informed him of Gula¡¯s return.


    Leaving the happy couple behind, I went down the stairs to the left and onto the ground floor. Pushing through the double doors, I headed back to my abode to continue my work. For the next two days, I would work on putting dividing walls in the large mansion. With a promised shipment of guards coming in, I needed somewhere to put them. That gave me enough time to work out where I wanted to put my own home. The biggest criterion was making it somewhere Gula could visit, with general security and privacy almost tied.


    Seeing as how I would need to stick close by, the design would have to have its own set of sturdy walls, yet I didn¡¯t want it inside the walls I had already made. My wife using any hidden entrances to my chambers would be too dangerous considering how many people would be around the underground spaces at any time. Any secret doors or pulleys would be doomed to discovery through sheer luck and the number of random actions thousands of people take every day. It was when I was sectioning off the second-floor rooms that the answer came to me.


    Underwater travel, made possible by clothing or rings done up with enchantments. Like what my first tower had. Where exactly to put my mansion on the water would come tomorrow when I had the time to scout out the perfect location. That little puzzle now put to rest, I poured myself into my work for the rest of the day.


    The doldrums of mundane labor continued for three more days until the culmination of my labor in the grow houses finally paid off. Men took out carts of potatoes, onions, and carrots while I looked on from the center of the fort. My grey shirt flapped in the freezing air and the breeze made my brown pants sway with its push as I stood in the center of my first city.


    It had been an uncertain thing at points, where flame-spewing maggots had infested the potatoes roots or some other parasite tried to take up residence, but now was the harvest. It¡¯d probably be a day before we had hard numbers, but I wanted to say we had a haul equivalent to two or three midsize ships worth. The sight of all the workmen pushing cart after cart of vegetables out of the rows of grow houses was a beautiful sight that not even the grey sky above could taint.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about getting too much soil with the food, we¡¯ll be replacing all the dirt with more enriched-¡° My instructions sent through the foggy clouds coming out of my mouth died when I saw a small crowd of guards coming out of the gate to my left. What drew these apart from the others who now called my abode home was the lion head helmets and flowing cloth along the arms of their full metal suits. They were the high-class ceremonial guards that accompanied those of status and sure enough, in the middle of the gaggle walked princess Palta.


    Her flowing black hair matched the black coat adorning her, something that went well with the dark blue dress. Those piercing green eyes took in my work while a hand rubbed her sharp chin. The rest of the passersby quickly vacated the path between us, leaving her a straight shot to me. Which she promptly took, making her way to me with no hesitation.


    ¡°Palta.¡± Was all I said as I turned back to the much-anticipated harvest. Work had come to a brief halt but quickly resumed when the men noticed my gaze. Once the backdrop of moving carts started back up, I turned back to my newest guest.


    ¡°Tilvor.¡± She responded with a small smile. ¡°I must say, it¡¯s been a pleasant surprise to see you stick to your commitment. Being willing to declare your ability to help and having the strength to grind through it for weeks on end is a difference I¡¯ve seen manifest more than once.¡±


    The small breeze twisted her hair around her as flakes of snow started wafting along the wind.


    ¡°As gratifying as that is to hear, I don¡¯t think your royal duties involve overseeing the vegetables.¡±


    The water scion stayed still for a moment before nodding, a hint of amusement showing in her gaze.


    ¡°The matter I¡¯ve come to pester you with is about helping the city. Though, this time it will be about helping a third party who is tied to these lands. Do you remember that house I asked if you would be willing to assist?¡±


    ¡°All too well,¡± I answered, crossing my arms.


    ¡°They¡¯ve recently gotten enough sailors to fill out their losses battling the pirates. Now it¡¯s just the matter of giving them ships to sail.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± my single word was accompanied by a raised eyebrow. ¡°How have they been faring on the sea? I¡¯d imagine the pirates have been getting in a few good hits.¡±


    Her expression stiffened a bit, but considering I was stabbing a sore wound with a sharp stick, she held herself well enough.


    ¡°They have been doing great, as expected of descendants of my distant sire''s party.¡±


    It was a sad thing, seeing a country slowly die. All countries did, of course, although those based on esteemed bloodlines typically had the worst of it. The Kraton house had become a weed in the country''s garden and it would continue to steal valuable resources and attention from promising seeds until it chocked out its lands from incompetence. All the while shielded by the lineage of some long-dead member of the founding party in a tale probably more exaggerated than any child¡¯s fable. I was aiding in abetting this weed, though my season in the garden may come quickly enough that it won¡¯t matter in the end.


    Palta stepped forward, starting up a spirit connection with me.


    ¡®I have a morsel of information to share in the hopes that it will add speed to your feet. The Mist pirates have begun amassing near an outcropping several days from here. They will have enough muscle to launch a proper attack within a week or two.¡¯


    I stared at her, trying to make my face fully convey how displeased I was with being sent away on the eve of a potential battle.


    ¡®I know this isn¡¯t what you wanted.¡¯ She offered, putting her hands up in mock surrender even as her green eyes had a hard glint in them. ¡®But we can¡¯t kill all the pirates. Not with the ships we have. If Kraton and its navy are given a full complement of warships, however, I¡¯m confident they could see these bastards feeding the fish. If you move quickly enough, you may yet get your day of action.¡¯


    Restoring the Kraton fleet would be a big boon and help my main objective here. That wasn¡¯t the main objective of the character I was playing, however. I had to spend a minute thinking it over while I wrestled with possibly missing a chance to fight my phony daughter¡¯s killers. When what I felt was an appropriate amount of time had passed, I looked at my feet and sighed. My head lingered downward for a moment before I looked back up at the water scion.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    She got a small smile across her thin pink lips.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She responded audibly ¡°I have a large amount of food, traveling supplies, and even a heating enchantment ready, so come morning¡­


    ¡°No.¡±


    That gave her pause, which I used to press my point.


    ¡°If you want me to do this, you must not intend to let my work here fall to ruin.¡±


    Her sharp chin stuck out a bit with her nod.


    ¡°Then I can leave immediately.¡±


    That seemed to impress her again. She turned back with a whirl of her black hair to one of the guards in the back.


    ¡°Fetch the sack of goods and the letter of recommendation.¡± He followed orders and half ran out of the area, sending white clouds of breath everywhere as he did so. Palta turned back to me, an appreciative glean in her green eyes. ¡°The letter will explain who you are and what you¡¯re about, pressed with my seal. Thank you. It¡¯s been easier fighting the pirates than trying to get anything done here. Between the new Kraton fleet and the improving food situation¡­ It feels like we might pull this thing out of the mud yet. If you ever find yourself further out west, know you¡¯ll receive a welcome as warm as can be had.¡±


    I had to admit, it felt nice to get some actual praise instead of scowls from mages or scared looks from the peasantry. We talked about what the Kraton abode looked like then onto idle things for a few more minutes, goings on concerning some mishap or one item of gossip or another for a few more minutes until the guard came back with the needed goods, showing me the needed letter which he promptly put in with the rest of my supplies before handing the bag over. Looking into it, I found a fluffy, brown coat complete with fluffy cotton at the neck and wrists laying on top of various traveling foods. Slinging the wide sack onto my back after putting on the coat, I waved them all goodbye as I headed towards my simple harbor.


    A few minutes of light jogging saw me arrive at the dock that held my long, slender, semi-enclosed boat that had taken me across the seas to this blight of trouble. Pulling open the lid, I tossed my rucksack of supplies in behind my chair. After untying my home for the next few days, I plopped into my seat. It took a few seconds of adjusting, but I was ready to leave in short order and hit the higher-speed slab of wood on the left.


    The ship dipped upward with the sudden thrust coming out of the back but kept within acceptable bounds. Through the slits in the walls, I could see the wooden pillars shoot past followed by long shores of bushes, rocks, and grass on the right. My ship got to the top of its stable speed and I was zipping along the coastline just far enough away to not hit the sandbars but still within several stone tosses to shore should something from the sea come sniffing for its next meal. It was a day and a half of miserable travel filled with cold meals and warming the interior with a heating craft. Only the ability to travel in the early morning, owing to sticking so close to shore, made it bearable. The misery continued until a walled settlement matching the Kraton hold came into view.


    While the wall encompassed the entire settlement, I couldn¡¯t be anywhere else but the house of healers as the golden embellishments along the top had the same rich color seen in healing spells. The grey overcast sky did little to bring out the shine in the material, but it still stuck out and the lack of trees made the slight shine easier to see. Worryingly, it took me getting within a few yards of the palisade in the middle before I was finally spotted.


    ¡°Stop!¡± A voice cried from somewhere along the wall.


    Bringing my ship to a slow then a standstill, I opened the hatch to let the salty spray carried on the icy wind roll over me. Looking up, I saw a man in metal plates with gold edges wielding a rather large bow whose metal-tipped arrow was now pointed at me.


    ¡°I was implored to provide my plant magic to house Kraton by Princess Palta. Has she sent me on a joke of a quest or has the message been lost?¡±


    He was a bit too far away to make out his features, but his relaxing of the bow told me I was expected company.


    ¡°The plant scion?¡± He called down, barely being heard over the crashing waves. ¡°Yes. Please pardon the welcome.¡±


    With his last word, the wooden palisade to my left began lifting out of the water with the clanking of gears. I gave him a simple nod before closing my hatch. Pushing my ship to a mid-speed, the wall above quickly passed overhead, and I was in the harbor proper. Or at least part of it.


    The right side was a typical affair with long warehouses and fingers of wood reaching into the water. On the left, however, was a channel of water leading further into the stronghold and to where the ¡®mighty¡¯ Kraton fleet probably rested. Bits of blue mana were sucked into the channel, leading me to assume the water was pushed ahead using magical enchantments.


    Taking in the middle of the harbor where shops and houses squished into whatever space could fit them, the most noticeable thing was how much wood and regular stonework was present. Unlike Crasden, this place was of a different taste. Forgoing the pseudo-modern glass and metal sides, thick stone slabs served as the main sides and fronts while wooden beams stuck out between floors. It was a far more sensible layout for the available materials and closer to what I had seen in the Coalition, though the gold leaves and embellishments found around the tops and sides of certain buildings slightly undid the utilitarian nature of the construction.


    ¡°To the second harbor, good sir.¡± A voice called above.


    Moving towards the channel, more than a few passersby stopped to look at the odd ship moving through their home. Mothers pulled eager children and the men looked on with raised eyebrows, some in suspicion and others in intrigue. Whatever their mishaps at sea, the people here seemed to have staved off starvation. A few minutes passed until I finished my way up the channel, coming out onto a much larger harbor.


    The left and right sides had been taken up by docks with the land beyond occupied by rows and rows of ship hulls. A few were in the water, two-storied things with ballistae along the side sporting gold-tinted sides and blue sails, but the docks with a ship were outnumbered about five-to-one. Men worked around the various skeletons using what looked like less than a dozen wood-growing tools throughout the whole yard. The noise and movement died near the middle where a large building made to a downright regal standard laid.


    It was a wide house with a three-story building sitting in the back of the harbor. Small creeks ran through the otherwise smooth stone floor with a few patches of grass and small, immaculately cut bushes whose square shapes were cut by hand, not magically grown with that seamless grace that every plant I had been working with had. Four straight paths cut through the creeks to allow direct access to the main building at the center.


    It was a wide rectangle of a structure with three stories, the second and third of which were ringed with a balcony running around the entire perimeter of the floor. Unlike the other buildings, the body was almost totally wooden with the only rocks being smooth stone walls that were no thicker than a finger. The top was flat, and I could see some tables and chairs near the side rail allowing people to eat their meals and watch the goings on of the harbor. All embellished with the gold edges that seemed omnipresent here. A few maids and young lads were running about seeing to their labors, though it was the butler with five steel-cladded men behind him at the middle pier that drew my eyes.


    Coming into the dock, I waited until I was right up against the wooden pier before shutting off the enchantments propelling my craft forward. Prying open my hatch did little to hurt my eyes as the grey sky above barely assaulted my retina with new light. The butler, wearing a black suit top and prim black pants with bits of gold leaves embroidered throughout, nodded to one of the guards making his white lamb chops on the sides of his face shift slightly.


    ¡°Greetings. The house of Kraton officially welcomes you.¡± The older man said, his white gloved hands going to his back and stomach to perform a deep bow. The lack of hair left little obstruction to seeing his face and the brown eyes looking at me seemed friendly enough. ¡°The lady has a good bed ready for-¡°


    I put up a hand and shook my head while the guard he nodded to leaned down and began tying my boat to the dock.


    ¡°My purpose here is to get the ships ready for battle. As tempting as getting my butt in a plush bed is, my work takes precedence. Oh, I don¡¯t know if it makes a difference now that I¡¯ve been officially welcomed but here, a missive written from princess Palta herself.¡±


    I leaned down towards my bag and retrieve the letter Palta had stuffed in it. When I had rummaged it out, I immediately offered it to the man. His grey eyebrows raised a fraction of a hair, but he made no move to take it for a long moment. When he finally leaned down to take the page, his eyes had a frustrated glean in them.


    ¡°Thank you so much, great mage.¡± His voice had a warm tone that was at odds with the irritation at the edges of his gaze.


    Relieved of my burden, I got out of the boat and looked around. The workers were still going about their labors as the faint light vaguely suggested a low mid-day sun failing to shine through. Even looking around, it didn¡¯t escape my notice that the butler put the letter into his inner coat pocket like it was a live snake. That didn¡¯t stop him from performing his duties, however.


    ¡°A thousand thanks, great mage. Where would you like to start?¡±


    I simply shrugged.


    ¡°This is my first time working these yards. I¡¯ll defer to your advice on where to begin.¡±


    That got an appreciative nod from him while the guards relaxed a bit. I didn¡¯t immediately see why they were so pleased, but after a few minutes of directing me, it became apparent that they would be shadowing me the entire day and appreciated tolerable company. The ships were of a better design than the Crasden brand, with only a few obvious flaws in the smaller ships and the larger, three-story ships getting a relatively clean bill of health from me.


    Most of my efforts were focused on getting the enchantments for the latter ready. Throughout working with the ships and their builders, they showed me the special blue thread that was grown from grass strands contained in growing houses not too dissimilar to mine. A rather indulgent aspect of their construction was the amount of gold used to accentuate the ship''s hull. Wasteful, that. But the Kraton house was simply that wealthy and the constant churning of the deep earth by mole packs meant otherwise rare metals were not as out of reach as their technology would suggest.


    The occasional stomp and smack of wood playing over the soundscape of the shipyard gradually grew louder with each new craft I put out until it had ascended into a full chorus of industry. When the final triangle of the final enchantment for the final dock was put in place it was near the late afternoon. This time of year, the night had long since claimed the skies. Workers pressed on, though, with thick coats and small bonfires providing some bracing against winter''s grasp. I was squatting on a bench near one such sanctuary when the butler on my right coughed into his hand. His clouded breath joined those of the surrounding guards.


    ¡°Simply marvelous work, Mr. Laperict. But decency won¡¯t allow us to ask more of you. We have our best accommodations ready to receive you.¡±


    This time, I offered no objection.


    Following him, he led me to the right towards the house in the middle of the smooth stone slab. With night fallen, the heating enchantments that kept the crisscrossing creeks unfrozen had been turned off and the water drained. When we were up to the house, he gently opened what looked like a rather thin door and ushered me into the abode lit up with mana lamps along the ceiling. The place was almost entirely open and sported a small grill to the far left surrounded by a few wide lounging couches near the back and a spiral staircase leading to the upper floors against the left wall. Taking it all in, it took the staircase leading down to thick wooden double doors further ahead on the right for me to finally grasp the nature of the building.


    ¡°This whole thing is a glorified porch,¡± I said to no one in particular.


    The butler walked past me on the right, flashing me a small smile as he did so.


    ¡°If this was considered a proper residence for a member of Kraton, much less for the head of our people, we would barely be better than the teeming masses in shacks. Please, let me show you a proper home.¡±


    He and the guards ushered me forward towards the stairs. His older arms opened the wide doors with little effort leading into a marbled room. Streaks of gold ran through the slick white marble while drapes of gold, blue, and green played along the walls that had golden light from mana lamps in the corners play across them. The three colors were in the chairs and small tables to the sides and imbued in the doors, of which there were three, each leading out of the square room towards other sections of the house. The one opposite our entrance is where my guide motioned for me to go.


    ¡°Tell me, how big is this place? Underground structures are always a pain to get dimensions for.¡±


    A smile stole over the older man¡¯s face and his chest puffed out ever so slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nearly as big as one of the surrounding towns. No effort was neglected when it was first built. Small tunnels were installed to help maintain airflow while the kitchen is put on the upper most floor in case of a fire. Similar precautions are taken for the lower levels and our esteemed cocoons.¡±


    The raised eyebrow I gave him didn¡¯t slow him down as he opened the door to the next section. It was a longer hallway this time with several doors along the sides and at the end leading to an open wall in the back that split in two directions.


    ¡°Cocoons?¡± I asked as he led me to the end of the hallway.


    He looked taken aback at my ignorance for a moment until he nodded at me with a small smile.


    ¡°Forgive me, great mage. Our fame is so wide-reaching, I presumed too much. When the healing mana starts pouring out of the soil, we have special rooms that capture it and force it into a guest¡¯s body while they lay suspended in a special cloth hammock, hence the name. Renting out rooms for that service and our harvests of magical resources at this time of year is the foundation of our immeasurable wealth. There is simply no greater or economical means of staving off aging.¡±


    Well, it was nice to see this place at least had an actual purpose.


    ¡°Have the pirates made a dent in your means this year?¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± He casually huffed as we took a right at the hallway junction. ¡°The mages who¡¯ve contracted our rooms have already paid and arrived, properly preserved magical resources never lose value, and the Mist Pirates haven¡¯t killed anyone of any consequence. Our coffers will see this through quite unscathed.¡±


    The room we came into was a fair bit warmer than his words.


    It was a wide space with gold embroidery along the walls depicting great acts of healing. Limbs regrew, cuts smoothed over, and grateful mothers hugged healing mages over their saved children. All glorious scenes depicted in shining metal. In the middle was a stone patchwork of the omnipresent blue, green, and gold depicting a hand over a bandaged shoulder, with the gold circles, squares, and triangles of a spell going off in the open palm. Just behind the display was a large throne of smooth oak and soft red cushions. Squatting in it was what I assumed to be the pain in my ass that had set these events into motion.


    The lady of the house was almost doll-like with near porcelain skin and long, flowing red hair that shined in the golden glow of the mana lamps. No stray strands besmirched the golden dress laced with emeralds around her collarbone. As well as she presented, those green eyes gave away the true mood of the current head of house Kraton. Her posture was laid back and her hands casually clapped on her left leg, but the gaze above her small nose was filled to the brim with suspicion and mistrust.


    ¡°Tilvor Laperict was your name, correct?¡± She asked, the firm voice flowing between her blue lips.


    ¡°Indeed. Lady Ashe, I presume?¡± I completed the exchange with a respectful bow.


    ¡°You assume correctly.¡± She answered back with a slight nod. ¡°I know you must be tired from your travel and labor.¡±


    The late twenties woman proceeded to get up from the throne and turn towards the back of it. Leaning to the side, I saw a wide-open doorway beyond which a table burdened with a wide assortment of breads, meats, and vegetables lay. A feast she graciously waved her arms towards. I followed her lead, but it was the butler who looked askance at her.


    ¡°Lady Ashe, the food-¡°


    ¡°Has been moved to a more appropriate place, Rennard.¡± She insisted with a small smile, prompting him to look at our destination. Her last word was emphasized with her interlacing her arms through mine like we were going on a cordial walk. The butler looked more confused than anything else, so I restrained myself to using my mana generation to form three lightning spells under my coat in case things went truly hostile.


    Passing over the threshold of the doorway, the smells of the meal suddenly flooded my nose. Strong ales, succulent meats, the waft of seared vegetables, and a strong odor of something beyond ripe now fully presented themselves to my senses. A long day of work almost made my stomach rumble in anticipation. Rennard quickly adjusted to the situation, rushing ahead to pull out his lady¡¯s chair. That brief second gave me enough time to take in what I had walked into and I had a jolt run up my spine as I realized what surrounded me.


    We were on a raised platform, below which sat several quite large animals in thick pens of steel. While I could distinguish some general shapes of large tigers, boars, and a horse-sized preying-mantis, the others were too far out of the ceilings mana lamps light to fully make out. All of those I could see made apparent two very important facts: They were bound, often with spikes being driven through the joints and midsection. And judging from their grey skin, rancid smell, and slack jaws, they were very much dead. At least as dead as anything could be during this season.


    Taking in these facts, my mind focused on the closest and most intimidating specimen. A dragon. Bound in a glass and metal cage behind the chair opposite the entrance but high enough to not be immediately seen, the beast was totally immobilized with spikes in every elbow, knee, and section of the spine. In addition to those restraints, a thick assemblage of chains held it firmly to the ground. Above the beast I could see the glean of three heavy blades suspended with chains going into holes in the ceiling, ready to cut off the head of the undead dragon.


    In the light of the mana lamp, its patchwork of scales had a jagged and messy flow to their colors. Reds, blues, greens, and every combination of the three played across a canvas of scales in harsh, unsymmetric patches. Taking the creature fully in, I could see the legs had an uneven, lopsided distribution with the front two clearly being too short while the back left one was a good two or three feet past what nature would have typically dictated. Along the rolling, uneven spine near the shoulders were two stumps that looked to be where its wings would have been. Flecks of golden mana seeped into its ribs and around the three spikes shoved through the top of its jaw keeping the mouth shut. The dragon had eyes with irises nearly as large as plates, but they showed nothing aside from glossy milk. These clouded circles ambled around the room, seeing nothing of the world its spirit had long since left.


    Ashe left my arms to sit in the chair Rennard had pulled out for her. Taking in the situation and judging her demeanor, I tried to guess at her game as I moved to my seat nearest to the entrance. It was the moment my butt hit the seat that I noticed how her chair was a good head taller than mine. Ah, she was trying to intimidate me.


    ¡°A great spread, Lady Ashe.¡± I praised with a nod, putting a small roll on my plate and using the long fork to get some ham from a platter on my right. Far from a gracious smile, her red eyebrows furrowed and her lips slightly puckered at my friendly conversation. Closing my eyes, I took a slow breath to gather what remained of my patience and manners. The display was accompanied by me casually leaning back and looking into those green eyes, idly tapping my plate as I tried to parse the source of her hostility.


    ¡°Have you been in a fight? Not a spar or a friendly competition, a contest where the only reward is your lungs get to suck in air for one more day.¡±


    She crooked her head slightly to the left.


    ¡°A man at the local market once thought my throat would make a good sheath for his dagger. An assassin from a formal rival who thought they would be better at steering this house back into good standing.¡±


    I nodded before taking my mug, which Rennard quickly moved from Ashe¡¯s side to fill. He picked up a big pitcher from the middle of the table and tipped the dark liquid into my earthen cup. There were small chunks of what looked like a purple apple bobbing on the top while my nostrils were flooded with sweet spice.


    ¡°The eyes,¡± I announced when he finished, closing my hands around the mug sitting in front of me. ¡°They show intent and humans aren¡¯t much better at hiding it than any of the monsters I¡¯ve fought. Have I missed some tenant of basic hospitality? Or is my work so shoddy that you feel you were better off beforehand?¡±


    That got the first genuine smile from her. Ashe sat back for a bit, tapping her mug after Rennard filled it with the spicy drink.


    ¡°What is your aim on Crasden?¡± She finally asked.


    I raised an eyebrow at her but answered all the same.


    ¡°First and foremost, putting these ¡®Mist pirates¡¯ into their graves. Not being constantly hunted is a secondary goal. The wall-bound are rather soft, but once you get to my age, times of constant adventure and peril don¡¯t have the same appeal they once did. I think a long retirement in peace is in order and there¡¯s a lot out there in the wilds, but that isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    She leaned forward, clasping her hands together with a smile playing across her blue lips.


    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t mean to live as a beggar, though. I heard you were building some sort of fort with layers of walls.¡± That hostility was still present, but it was being crowded out by cautious curiosity.


    ¡°Was the letter Palta sent so lacking in details?¡± I asked.


    Her red eyebrows furrowed for a moment before she slowly turned to the butler on her right side. His brown eyes had some strain in them, and I felt some unspoken tugging between the two. After a moment, the older man relented, producing the letter from an inner pocket. Handing it off with a slightly sour expression, Rennard made no comment as Ashe snatched the letter from his hand and promptly ripped open the missive. Her green eyes went over the words at lightning speed only coming to a stop after reading it over again. Leaning back into her chair, she looked me up and down with almost no hostility.


    ¡°So, your abode is mostly taking in peasants. Do you have any intention of muscling into the Kisspin harvest?¡±


    My patience thinned a hair more. The Kisspin harvest had muscled into my domain, not the other way around.


    ¡°Lady Ashe,¡± I said in a measured tone, the slightly rotting scent in the air feeling more appropriate by the second. ¡°Perhaps our time would be better spent actually talking and not playing a dance of suggestions and innuendo. What, exactly, do you want, and how have I offended those aims?¡±


    Her long red hair swayed with a nod of her head.


    ¡°Direct. Palta did have a good measure of you.¡± She took a light sip from her drink before leaning back to casually lay against her chair. ¡°What I want is simple: The restoration of my house to its proper place. A distant relative made a horrible decision with the green scourge and hundreds of years of glory were put in the bin. I intend to put us back where we belong and a big part of that is putting Crasden back under its true leadership. Of course, if a plant scion moves in and starts taking up the reigns after Palta leaves, that part becomes a fair bit more difficult.¡±


    ¡°I have no intentions of being chained to Crasden¡¯s echelons of power.¡± I refuted.


    ¡°And I believe you.¡± She responded with a small raise of her mug, picking up the paper with her left hand and quickly browsing a few of the words. ¡° ¡®Utterly disinterested in true governance and too short-tempered to manage the city¡¯ is what she said, and I¡¯m inclined to agree. But does that extend to the gathering of magical resources? For both Kisspin haulers and expeditions.¡±


    Ah, now we¡¯re at the meat of the dispute. No one cared about the peasants or blacksmiths or any other meaningless prattle, but ears perked up and sword handles were gripped when those two coveted words were uttered. I rolled my head back and forth in a non-committal twirl.


    ¡°As a controller? Too much fuss from what I¡¯ve seen. Growing enhanced plants is something I¡¯ve mastered over the years and that is how I get my due. As an investor? Depends. If the deal is good enough, I could see myself throwing around some resources to fund a boat or two.¡±


    Her shoulders came down and the anger in her eyes dimmed to mere distrust. She didn¡¯t have any reason to trust me nor did any of the facts suggest I was lying. I had the distinct feeling she was going to test me on this subject in time. Still, she only nodded before answering.


    ¡°Well, I suppose if I took issue with that, I couldn¡¯t let any mages come in.¡±


    The head of the Kraton house took a steaming roll from a pile to the left and sipped her drink, but I put my mug to the side. Ashe seemed so-so as far as mental stability went, but she was an addict of the oldest drug in history: glory. That euphoric high has scrambled the stablest minds and even a hint of me being an obstacle to her supply put me in danger.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal, lady Ashe.¡± I expounded as I stood up to not eat. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you know what it¡¯s like running a place with so many people. Time and events demand I return to Crasden immediately.¡±


    Unoffended, she simply nodded and motioned for Rennard to see me out. No more words were spoken as I was led from the chamber, only stealing a last look at the mishappen body of the dragon before heading into the main audience chamber. Rennard politely escorted me out, walking to my right as I moved back through the way I came in. It took only a few more minutes for me to be before the double doors leading into the outdoors. Rennard pushed the right door open, letting in a gust of icy wind. Getting out into the light building, any heat on my skin blew away. The winter¡¯s night gave me a good slap, which Rennard also got as he accompanied me up the stone stairs.


    Thin walls and wide-open sections of the above-ground structure did little to shield me from the elements. Coming out of the door towards the harbor put me out into the proper elements and it was only the inner folds of my coat that felt any warmth. When I took my last step past the stone square showing the bounds of Ashe¡¯s abode, I looked around the docks. Workers were still going hard at their craft as the chorus of work continued in the faint starlight or the glow of a bonfire. Rennard led me down the left side of the harbor until we came up to the dock with my unique ship and its closed top.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rennard said with a slight bow. ¡°However abrasive the lady is, you have done us a great service and it will be remembered.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see if she agrees. In the meantime, try to repay me in dead pirates.¡±


    A smile stole over his face as I opened the top of my ship and unfastened it from the dock. Plopping into the far too cold wooden seat, I immediately fished out my heating craft, a wooden ball with a flat bottom, and set it out below me. When I got the hatch down to keep the heat in, I waited for the surrounding air to approach tolerable and make the controls semi-bearable to touch. The craft Palta gave me wasn¡¯t bad and accomplished the task in five minutes.


    Ready to set out, I put the boat to a third of its top speed. Making my way out of the back harbor and into the main one, the man overlooking the harbor was a bit sharper-eyed this time. The portcullis lifted in the air at my approach. It took a second before the gate was high enough that I could take off at full speed. The second that happened, I put my ship up to its top speed. As my ship glided across the open water, the wind blew through the open slits of the rounded top for a second before I put up a wind spell to shield the inside from the icy slaps of sea spray. I was around a bend that would have blocked the watcher¡¯s sight of my spell, but I still made a mental note to add that functionality later.

 Chapter 116: Entombing Decadence(2)

    Eli POV


    My limbs were tired, my fingers were on the knife''s edge of frostbite from working without gloves to make enchantments, and the only meal I had to look forward to was some travel nuts and dried jerky. For all the bother and grumble, I had probably done more to achieve my goals this afternoon than I had in all these past weeks. Contentment forced itself on me as I pulled into a rocky shore away from the mainland and fell asleep as such. When I woke up in the morning and bathed, I was of the same opinion and that general mood carried on for my day of travel and another night.


    It was only as I approached Crasden in the early morning along the coast and saw a few pillars of black smoke rising out of the city¡¯s direction that the mood finally soured. Going up to full speed, the city came into full view after a few seconds on the open ocean. In front of the new ocean fort lay the half-hull of a ship amidst a mess of splintered wood with copper shielding and sails. Judging from the massive spikes poking out of some pieces and the occasional body, it looked like the ballista and catapults mounted on the sea stronghold had done their jobs.


    What was more concerning was the two intact pirate ships docked on the right side of the harbor. They bore the copper hulls and spikes with odd bits of stone, fire, or water on the ends and had fully disembarked their crew judging from the lack of any movement on them beyond the occasional lookout strolling on the top. Looking over the situation, I saw a lot of fighting in front of the Harbormaster¡¯s office but most of it was concentrated past the building towards the slum, Rains Drip. Looking over the situation, I decided the direct approach would minimize casualties the most. As my boat came up to the back side of the outer ship, it occurred to me that Gula was probably back in the city, setting up some business in her warehouse if I remember our sparse correspondence these past few days.


    My fingers squeezed the handles of the controls as my blood began to boil.


    ¡°Oi, What¡¯s you doing?¡± A call came from above.


    My only response was to construct a massive earth spell just outside of my hatch.


    ¡°Unless you want a bolt between-¡°


    The voice died as a giant slab of stone suddenly appeared above the ship. By the time it finished falling, it fully formed from the spell. Any crew inside only had a loud whoosh of air to go on before the rock more than half the size of their home crushed them into a paste. Even among the clangs and screams of battle, the death cry of a three-story ship couldn¡¯t be ignored. Guards and pirates alike stopped as a thunderous chorus of splintering wood rolled over the battlefield.


    From the angles of the pirates on the surviving ship, they couldn¡¯t see me among the wreckage as I quickly shot behind them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going¡­ Shit!¡±


    Their cries did nothing as another boulder fell on their heads and mangled their flesh and blood into the wood of the third wreck in the harbor. In my current spot, I couldn¡¯t properly see the battlefield now, but promptly fixed that as I pulled away from the first massacre I committed here. Pulling up to a dock near the harbormaster¡¯s office, all my mind focused on was how Gula could be dead. Sweat doused my forehead and molten rage warmed what had been bits of winter on along my hands. A shaking palm wiped the sweat from my forehead. I could hear the blood pumping into my ears as the numbness of long travel blasted away in the wake of what I was certain was a coming panic attack, sending my chest heaving until¡­


    Cold.


    Hatch opened. A water spell to pull a mist out of the ocean. Five and a half seconds before the battlefield was blanketed in white fog with a wide cone in front for vision. Wooden dock, slightly wet. Potential slippage. Three men coming down the dock. One in front with a flaming sword. Pirates. Two water blades across the throat and a spike through the right eye.


    Past them, the harbor master¡¯s office. Enemy in disarray, confused, still pressing the guards up against the building. Harbormaster behind one of the top windows, dodging and throwing water blades from her own spells. Odd. Jeff, assisting from another window. Thirty-two water blades through the heart, lungs, or neck. Three officers cut through the leg tendons for future torture.


    ¡°Hello,¡± The harbormaster called. Unharmed. Fighters up against the building were scared. Either of me or the fight. Instructed to cut off pirates'' exit.


    Past the office. Open stone road blocked with enemy. Fifteen stone spikes through the head. Three mothers, five children, and two men on the left side of the road. Civilian clothing. Dead. Mages quarter¡­quiet. Ugly tower section. Quiet. Sounds from slum indicate enemy activity. Mana getting low.


    Entrance to slum wide open, five houses torched beyond repair. Flames at several homes dotted around the back hills. Sound indicates closest battle is to the left. Five guards and seven pirates at an intersection. Three stone blades and four water spikes, all through the head. Further down the right, more enemies. Three throats punctured with water spikes. Other earth mage, launching boulders. No threat. Discussed enemy further ahead. Four skulls punctured with stone bricks. Mana depleted.


    Back at harbor to remake several spells. Returning to slum. No fighting. Pirates in the middle of entrance surrounded by guards. On knees. No enemy. No enemy.


    Blood swirled through my nostrils, the metal tang almost coating my tongue it was so thick. Prepared spells of brown and blue dissipated into nothingness around me. Sweat rolled down my¡­ well, everything as I took in the scum who might have very well killed my wife. Looking over the rolling hills of the slum, I could see several deep gouges in the land. With some even exposing caverns below to what I assumed was the Orcs abode.


    It took a moment, but I eventually took in everyone else, which was easy to do considering they were all staring at me. From the pirates to the guards, every pair of eyes was fixed on me. There was one green pair in particular that interested me. They belonged to the head of the pirates near the front. He had tanned skin and flowing black hair tucked under his hat with a big, plumy white feather indicating his high status among the damned men.


    Using the last flecks of mana around, I shackled his legs in stone and yanked him towards me in the most ungracious manner I could think of. His sword and the usual assortment of daggers had been on the ground, leaving him no defense as he lay backside down in front of me. The man¡¯s sharp chin quivered as I dug my boot into his chest, though he was wise enough to keep his protests to a pained groan. It was only a second more before the noise died down and I got the silence I wanted for my words.


    "Someday, billions of years from now, the sun will explode. It will blast the land into chunks and send the shattered body of this dead world careening through the empty, infinite abyss. And every single second from now till that grand end, I¡¯ll still be here, killing you.¡±


    His face went white. Rage fed my purpose and when I began contemplating how to start, a drop of blood fell on him from my chin. I wiped down what I would assume to be a cut before taking in my full appearance. My whole wardrobe had been colored red. A few specks of color on my leather coat, white shirt, and black on my pants informed passersby what the original colors were, but the blood from the bits of flesh tucked into various creases had almost totally soaked through the fabric.


    ¡°Tilvor!¡± Someone called from my left. I turned to see the thin woman in brown and green leather with steel pads and guards that sat with Palta. Bella, if memory didn¡¯t fail me. While not as bad as I looked, she hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed. Her shoulder-length brown hair had a few cuts in it telling of arrows nearly making their mark.


    ¡°Your assistance in defending the city is commendable. Princess Palta wishes to see you at once.¡± Her brown eyes regarded me with some apprehension, but it wasn¡¯t the fear all the others were regarding me with. ¡°Please do not kill any potential sources of information on the enemy.¡±


    I spared only a single glance for the man under my boots before I kicked him over, my eyes taking in the chaos sprinkled throughout the slum. Looking at the holes in the ground, I could see guards around them. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like any of the gouges were in the general direction where Gula would typically be found. Probably. Still¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of any lie that would let me go search among the ruins. That fact took my soul a moment to fully digest before I straightened up and moved towards her.


    ¡°Fine, lead the way¡­Bella?¡±


    She nodded before turning around towards the walls surrounding the runt skyscraper.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    It was a mess on the way there. However quickly the civilians had been evacuated, far too many had been caught on the roads. More than one had been crushed by their stampeding fellows rather than meeting the blades of the Mist pirates. Coming through the palisade, the grass yard was a mess of stretchers and bloodied mounds of bandages. More than a few had already been wrapped around the dead patient. Moving through the masses of exhausted doctors and messenger boys, I felt it would be unsavory to see royalty doused in gore and blood. I wrapped myself in a water spell with them ore abundant mana here while we made our way up the stone base of the glass and steel tower.


    The mayhem continued inside where soldiers, officials, and every servant of every description were trying to get somewhere with wild panic coming clear through their eyes. Even the staircase on the left was crowded as the wide-open hall with paintings on the smooth stone walls and glass chandeliers seemed packed to bursting. Like last time, I was spared this challenge as Bella took me into the exclusive elevator on the right. I shuffled into the room with my escort in tow. The room had glass walls showing an expansive view of bare steel and the floor was simple wood, with a golden glow of a mana lamp in the ceiling showering everything in a golden light.


    Bella quickly took out a key, a long tube of metal which she inserted into a hole in the wall before turning the dial beneath. We stood in silence for a moment as the elevator lifted off the ground and took us up to the top floor before Bella coughed.


    ¡°You were quite effective out there. From what little I saw.¡±


    I nodded with a casual wave of my hand.


    ¡°All for the death of our enemies,¡± I replied as the imperfections in the steel wall zipping by showed our rather slow speed. ¡°What are the casualties we¡¯re looking at?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°We have no idea, yet. You coming in and slaughtering the scum cut the battle short, but we¡¯re still trying to get a grip on things.¡±


    ¡°I noticed the mage quarter was conspicuously¡­ unmolested. And there was a distinct lack of spell craft coming from anyone but you and me.¡±


    A bitter smile stole over the brunette¡¯s face, her sharp nose curling slightly upward in disgust.


    ¡°The associations don¡¯t want to fight the pirates and they don¡¯t really want them in charge either. When the Mist has fallen over settlements in the past, their infighting and feuds have resulted in harvests being ruined and it¡¯s hard to make contracts with a governorship that¡¯s constantly being replaced by backstabbing subordinates. All the same, fighting brigands isn¡¯t gathering magical resources.


    And the pirates don¡¯t want to needlessly prick their hides either. The associations have lent us fighters when things got a bit too rambunctious, which was the only time we soundly beat them back.¡±


    A delicate dance all around. All this maneuvering of governments, quasi-nation states, and borderless interests left one obvious conclusion: The Rodring kingdom was on a far shakier pillar than it appeared to be. If the thugs of the Mist ever decided to grow the brains needed to realize that proper taxation was far more lucrative than hauls of stolen goods, I hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything to suggest the associations wouldn¡¯t throw their weight behind them. Sadly, the movements of this performance have me right in the middle of everything.


    Bella, however, seemed a bit more interested in me. Her brown eyes looked me up and down, scouring for something.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The first time you came in, you had a lot to say and a lot to show how you hated the pirates.¡±


    I nodded, unsure of where this was going.


    ¡°Yet, when I saw you out on the field¡­ you seemed calm.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any great hatred for the Mist pirates?¡±


    Her teeth clenched together and a fire lit up in her eyes.


    ¡°In every way imaginable. Palta would have had to tie me to a metal pillar to keep me away.¡±


    A moment of appreciation passed before I continued.


    ¡°Then know my heart holds a similar hatred for not just the Mist pirates, but all bandits of their kind. I suppose when I considered the death of my¡­ girl, my anger reached its peak. A rare thing but it does happen.¡±


    Her head slightly bobbed a bit as I tried to not throw up. Here I was, chatting and walking around while Gula could be buried alive under some mound of rubble. My hands started to shake, forcing me to divert mental effort to stop it.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± She said with a meaningful look at my clothes. Water could only lessen the ruin blood brought to cloth or leather and it was clear these were beyond saving with only splotches of their original color peeking through the deep reds. ¡°But when we talked, you didn¡¯t seem¡­ lucid. Most of all, not particularly angry. Just¡­ I ¡®ve seen dolls of great craftsmanship. No matter the money or skill, they always have a certain unnerving coldness in their eyes. Before today, I had never seen that in any living thing.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her, trying to parse what the issue was.


    ¡°Of course. Between the enemy of my life being present and the grief of my daughter, what situation would make me angrier?¡±


    Her brown eyebrows scrunched together, and I could see her mind struggling with such an obvious statement.


    ¡°Why would-¡°


    The doors whooshed open and promptly exposed us to chaos. Maids and messenger boys ran in a frenzy of shoes clacking on the steps across from us and the wooden floor directly from the elevator door. A view over the city could be enjoyed on the left, but no one had the time or energy to appreciate it. Least of all, me. Between being mages and coming through the elevator, whatever room in the mass could be made for us was swiftly delivered as we moved to the right. The lion guards by the double steel doors at the end of the hallway seemed nervous and with so much traffic, the entrance to the beating heart of government here was kept open. Inside it, I could already see the stone table in the middle with gold edges swamped with papers and harried-looking officials.


    Our station allowed us swift travel forward into the deepest depth of the mess. Coming into the room allowed me a full view of the gold-plated steel holding in the glass wall panels. The white marble floor had a small chorus of clacks playing across it as scurried about in nearly every direction. At the center of the maelstrom near the back of the table was Palta. The stone-faced woman wore a simple black dress with a pearl necklace showing between the strands of her long midnight strands. Combined with subtle bits of makeup around her thin nose and sharp jaw, it was clear the woman had been in the middle of some sociable function when the pirates arrived. A small, insignificant, and totally understandable thing, but it exemplified the lax nature still riveted into this sinkhole of a city. Something that aggravated the churning worry in my gut.


    ¡°What in the name of fucking god happened?¡± I said to the mass of people with a tone approaching civil. As much as possible, at least. My words weren¡¯t that much louder than any of the others, but I was a scion, and all the others knew not to speak over me. Scratches of quills on paper, small chatter, and the smacking of shoes immediately died as a clear path cut through the crowd between me and the princess, none daring to get between us. Including the mages on the right, among which I saw Percy and the stone woman in leather armor from before all standing by the window overlooking the slum.


    ¡°Let¡¯s adjourn to the back of the room while everyone else,¡± Her green eyes swept the room with a hard gaze ¡°Gets back to work.¡±


    That got the chorus of steps and scratching going as I moved around the table towards the back window which happened to be facing the growing mass of my abode. Palta joined me, getting up from the table with an ill-concealed bit of dread. The water scion quickly came up to my right until we were both staring out over the stone fields and the barest suggestion of greenery beyond, only interrupted by my walls and the covered road. She was wise enough to get to the point of the conversation.


    ¡°The pirates must have gotten a new Sea King.¡± Was all she said at first. I merely turned to look at her with raised eyebrows that I hoped conveyed how little this told me.


    ¡°He¡¯s who directs raids and moves the vast copper fleets, but he is not the true seat of power behind the burning Mists. It is the Brood Mother, caretaker for the King Beasts eggs and children along with a small army of lesser custodians, who has all the actual control. So important is her task that she dictates the work of pillage and plunder to her husband, the Sea King. But he only serves at her pleasure, and I suppose the previous one survived the campaign in the Coalition but couldn¡¯t pull through the political fallout back home.


    A blunt man with equally blunt tactics, the one we had fought for many years would always gather for a single push to assault a city or major point. Which is what we prepared for. A smaller attack to test our defenses was not something we considered when we sent out our fleet to harass the gathering point.¡±


    I stood there for a moment, trying to not look toward the slums in the window to my right. It worked, but I could feel that effort further loosen my restraint on the fire creeping further into my veins.


    ¡°And this fact is only now apparent because?¡± I demanded.


    Palta nodded in agreement with my frustration.


    ¡°The new Sea King apparently agrees with less careful tactics on the seas where they have a greater advantage. Major land battles, however, are a very rare thing for their kind. Honestly, we could have gone years before knowing such a change in command had happened, much less what his tactics are. That some survivors have already volunteered this information is very fortunate for our defense.¡±


    ¡°Not fortunate enough to keep them from strolling into the city, sadly,¡± I stated with some cold anger.


    The water scion shook her head with a patient look.


    ¡°We put up a good fight. Your sea fort took out one of the ships and the men managed to hold them back for a good hour or two before they finally forced their way into the main part of the city. Which you quickly remedied.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the guards playing big bad cats put up a great fight. Didn¡¯t notice any of them at the docks or in the streets.¡±


    Palta stuck out her chin a bit at that.


    ¡°They did their jobs. Which is to secure the mage district and me, the current governor. While they may not have the abilities of their parents, the service they provide is of the utmost importance in retaining our agreement with the magical groups that we desperately depend on.¡±


    Their parents. For the first time since arriving back in Crasden, an emotion besides worry and anger came to me. I moved my head forward as a ball of disgust worked its way up my throat, maintaining my gaze into her green eyes all the while.


    ¡°The mages are using their unfortunate children to defend¡­ themselves?¡±


    She stiffened her back a bit at my unspoken accusation of cowardice.


    ¡°It gives those who were unfortunately born without the gift of mana a bit of pride and saves some face for those who brought them into the world. The work also helps them continue the work of advancing humanity¡¯s magical abilities. If only in an indirect way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± I hissed between my teeth. ¡°They¡¯re all doing it for the sake of some thousand-yearlong plan. The jobs not some sad attempt to make up the failure of their birth to their parents and get a scrap of the love they were never worthy of in their mother¡¯s or father¡¯s eyes.¡±


    I had intentionally gone with the most malicious interpretation, in some hope that she would refute my suspicions. She couldn¡¯t even give me a few pitiful words to contradict it. Instead, the water scion stood still with a doll-like face.


    ¡°Well, at least the kids get some tax dollars from good old mom and dad.¡±


    Palta pursed her lips for a second before speaking again, her black dress shifting with her discomfort.


    ¡°Their district is communally managed by the associations and paid back directly to them, though we get some fees for helping with non-associated mages. Otherwise, the mana-gifted don¡¯t pay taxes.¡±


    ¡°Dear god.¡± The words flew out of my mouth as I stood there, in awe of the naked audacity of what I was hearing. ¡°Why are the pirates looting this region? They only need to get a hold on the association agreements and start jotting down passages.¡±


    The princess got a resigned look at that. I could see it in her eyes, the exhaustion of a situation long unresolved. Her chest puffed out as she took a deep breath, which was slowly released.


    ¡®Tilvor. We have no choice.¡¯ She said in a spirit connection. ¡®They¡¯re the only ones who can make these settlements and maintain them. If not for their aid, we would have less than half our current living space and no means of setting up our own crops in the mana dead zones left by the dwarves.¡¯


    ¡®Then develop your own magical talent. Those parasites-¡® a small nod towards the back right emphasized my point ¡®Will suck out the last drop of your blood then complain about how difficult your clothes made it.¡¯


    Those green eyes looking me up and down were filled to bursting with anger. Her shoulders straightened and those finely manicured hands clenched for a moment. When this was accompanied by a quick look back towards the mages, I knew that I was trying to convert someone already of the faith. With the path open, the most promising approach was to argue the doctrines of our mutual beliefs.


    ¡®This can¡¯t go on, Palta. We need more walls, fortifications, and weapons. I could fashion them if we used some loophole or legal trickery.¡¯


    The look of anger Palta wore was replaced by tired concentration. Those pink lips pursed and the temptation of what I offered was starting to worm into her heart. For a single moment, I had some hope for this sinkhole. But that promise quickly faded as she shook her head.


    ¡®The associations don¡¯t just work here, Tilvor. If they get the notion that we¡¯ll undermine contracts under any circumstance they¡¯ll raise rates and stop reliably delivering enchanted crafts. Everywhere. I¡¯m sorry but having them repair ¡®breeches¡¯ in the wall is as far as I can push things.¡¯


    Turning back towards the window, my gaze went out towards the focal points of all my labor these past few weeks. Thinking back to all those hours spent just getting the walls in, I wouldn¡¯t say they were wasted, but the original goal I dedicated them to was now in question. Looking back to the true rulers of this city, I saw idleness and self-indulgence. Percy was near the middle, thumbing the emerald of his golden ring as his green robes with gold lines flapped about. The tanned plant caster was talking with a woman in equally gaudy red robes.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    This was a gathering of the most powerful people in the city, conducted just after a direct assault that left bodies in the streets, and it had all the alacrity and intensity of a poolside chat. Concentrating on their conversations was easier now that most of the noise had died down with Palta having left the table and I took the opportunity to listen in.


    ¡°Yes, my newest villa will be finished. Or at least it should be when I get back from this appalling affair.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, the steak this morning was a bit too salty. If they¡¯ve only got glorified jerky left to serve, I¡¯m going to demand a refund.¡±


    ¡°Dreadful business all around. The butler assured me they¡¯ll still have my cheesy bread at the end for dinner but still¡­¡±


    What am I doing? Did I think people who abandoned their children because they couldn¡¯t suck in mana at birth would have anything worthwhile to say?


    No.


    This city is doomed.


    The body could still be saved, but the proverbial head will actively fight my attempts to pull it out of the fire. There had been the hope that the increasing presence of pirates or even a direct attack such as this would introduce some flexibility into the rules. All resting on the assumption that the people truly running this place gave a damn.


    Staring out at my work and wondering what it was all for, I squeezed my hands together. Suppressing my emotions, I started going over how to remedy this mess. Killing all the mages would be the most immediate, and gratifying, solution. Their deaths would also destroy any chance I have of making sure the city stays stable in the years to come.


    But if I couldn¡¯t build in the city then how was I going to keep this rotting corpse... Ah.


    ¡°Palta,¡± I audibly asked. ¡°Would I be wrong to assume the pirates have enough spies here to tell them who killed all their men?¡±


    That got a miserable laugh from her.


    ¡°They probably saw the slaughter from the Watch, the spies be damned. If you¡¯re asking whether they¡¯ll try to kill you now, I¡¯d say definitely. Providing us with food was one thing, taking out a small army is another. Something only a fellow scion could do.


    I know you probably have little experience fighting other humans, but scions getting involved in fights means they become the top priority. There were some whispers that you were pretending at such power considering you have no familiar, though I doubt they¡¯ll be uttered again after today.¡±


    ¡°Good. They would eventually want to kill me anyway. Now we can all just get to the point.¡±


    Palta got a small smile at that as she fully turned to me.


    ¡°Do you have some plan, great plant mage?¡±


    ¡°Depending on what options I have to implement it. This city is a corpse determined to decay and I can¡¯t dissuade it from doing so. But I can shield it with a sturdy coffin.


    You can¡¯t let me work in the city. However, you can lend me the troops to defend my keep and workers who could help me build a weapon capable of striking far enough away from the harbor that the pirates would have no choice but to deal with me beforehand. That would do nearly as good of a job as me adding to the defenses of this city directly.¡±


    The water scion¡¯s shoulders came up as her body tensed like she was preparing for a blow.


    ¡°Harrah. Her moth familiar isn¡¯t physically strong enough to carry a craft that could do any real damage, but she has helped build some special protections for our bases in the Bloody plains including some trebuchets. Do you think we could make one that could get the job done?¡±


    Looking back towards my mini city, I gave her a disappointed sigh for an answer. Restricted to my plant element and only the crudest physics, the most generous estimate I could give would put a regular boulder payload landing just short of the city. A payload comprised of a craft that would summon a small storm of head-sized rocks could see it arrive on the other side of the capital. Utilizing Harrah¡¯s familiar would easily get me the distance I needed if the princess didn¡¯t mind permanently blinding herself to what was going on outside of the city and not having that support in the future didn¡¯t create problems.


    No. The best solution would be to make a specialized tower near¡­ eight floors high. I¡¯d have to support the stone with a skeleton of magically enhanced wood and accommodate whatever the siege expert needed. And devote all my time to it. That would be fine if my abode was prepared for a major attack.


    ¡°How many people could you lend me if I equipped them with stone crafts to finish out my fort?¡±


    ¡°The entire thing? With multiple cities? Could you even take in that many people?¡± Her raised eyebrows made it clear how unreasonable a project that was to her.


    ¡°The building I¡¯ve set up can hold a small garrison already. I¡¯ll provide a detailed plan showing where I want future expansions, for now, I want them finishing out the harbor gate and putting in some catapults along the walls. Maybe some smaller ballistae if time favors us. I just need enough manpower to build and man it all.¡±


    Palta bit her lip, looking out at my fort. Her green eyes had some hope even as her closed arms told of skepticism.


    ¡°Troops are not a cheap commodity. Not during these times.¡±


    ¡°I could tell by how they were all left to die in the streets while the properly armed guards protected the quarter that wasn¡¯t going to be attacked.¡±


    Palta stood still, her face a mix of offended and shame.


    ¡°At the end of the day, you can have a squad of guards take out five or fewer pirates or you can give them to me where they¡¯ll obliterate entire ships and raiding bands.¡±


    My math was unimpeachable and the slight nod with her sharp chin renewed my hope. She bit her pink lips again, looking back to my walls and the even taller inner city. Her manicured hands moved to pinch the bridge of her nose in a hard manner unbecoming her fine dress and makeup.


    ¡°I am the crowned princess of the Rodring kingdom. My duty is to safeguard this nation and its people to my dying day. Turning over the troops you need would be akin to giving away the city. I cannot, as a member of the royal family, hand over the welfare and safety of the provincial capital.¡±


    Her eyes had a hard glint in them as she pulled down her hand. She seemed to be of good sense even with the odd points of prickliness that came with being a part of an esteemed family. Still, I had to lay the facts of the situation out to her, showing some consideration by using our spirit connection all the while.


    ¡®The royal family handed this city over when the ink dried on the association¡¯s agreements. Providing for the common welfare slipped between your hands the minute building in the city became the domain of those vultures. The people¡¯s lifeblood streams through the streets as we speak, in no small part because the good weapons and armor have been taken up by a unit that will never fight.¡¯


    Palta stared at me with a bit of coldness, her green eyes hard as steel though no rage came through on her face. What was more important was the silence that followed. Since she didn¡¯t immediately launch into a rant about her esteemed honor, it was a good bet that she knew the truth of my words. As a member of royalty and all the struggles that came with it, she had a good handle on keeping her face placid and this clash between birth and reality could only be seen in those green pools. Not wasting the opportunity, I pressed her with a compromise.


    ¡®I¡¯m not asking to have them don my colors and empty your barracks. They can still go back home when the murderous pirates sail from these lands.¡¯


    She remained unmoving aside from idly tapping the side of her black dress while her right hand rubbed the pearl necklace. It took a moment of pondering what I felt was an obvious conclusion before Palta finally put her head down in resignation.


    ¡®Harrah will be commanding the men. If the pirates make it through your barrage, I¡¯ll trust her judgment on whether to bring them back. But all of them will be solely under the authority granted to me.¡¯


    I smiled back at her, shaking my head in agreement.


    ¡®Whatever kills the most pirates. I¡¯ll need a day or two to work things out before starting the adjustments.¡¯


    Palta nodded before turning back towards the table.


    ¡®Good. We¡¯ll have to make sure you get your meals sourced from my special kitchen. It¡¯s staffed with people thoroughly vetted by the crown and is secure enough to make sure no poisons are slipped into the servings.¡¯ She responded with a turn to the table. Instead of moving forward, she looked back at me a raised a finger in warning. ¡®If you ever meet my father or mother, do try to be more courteous. They probably wouldn¡¯t be so¡­understanding about the need for directness in these matters. Just give me a few minutes to give you some escorts.¡¯


    Our conversation finished, we returned to our various stations. The water scion came up to her seat and was quickly swamped by attendants and messengers like a mother dog being mugged by pups. After a few minutes, a few of the regular, leather-armed guards came up to babysit me.


    I was quick to take my leave, vacating the tower and making my way down to the docks. Traveling on the main road I saw the bodies had been covered with wraps or moved, save one or two chopped human bits.


    ¡°Mom? Mom, get up!¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°UAGHH!¡±


    More than one cloth-wrapped body was being sobbed over by either a man, a woman, children, or some combination thereof. Around them were an odd assortment of men, women, and children ambling around. Most had stunned faces, their eyes not comprehending what had just happened. The city was coming out of the initial chaos and a growing dirge was taking over the streets. That I may yet join them before the day was out made my stomach churn. From the looks of some of the guards, some of the grieving were friends or at least known to them.


    It was a somber walk through the dock area, weaving through packs of guards and scared shopkeepers looking for whatever scraps of their lives were left unmolested. As I came down to where the intersection where the harbormaster''s office met the open-sided shops, the grey-haired Jeff blocked my path with an indifferent air. His chin was slightly raised and he did his best to affect disdain, but his brown eyes were still dilated and the grey shirt and brown pants he wore had a few cuts in them. Not blood-soaked as mine were, but still battered.


    ¡°Plant scion.¡± He said with a low voice. ¡°You have my thanks for coming to my¡­timely rescue.¡±


    ¡°Between your air element and the harbormasters¡­ water blades, I¡¯d say you weren¡¯t in any real danger.¡±


    His face cracked with some poorly disguised agreement. The guards were equally mystified as to what a water caster was doing amidst the dock works, looking towards the harbor office with some furtive glances. Jeff took the opportunity to come forward with an outstretched hand. The guards had to do a quick look over, only allowing the gesture to commence when he had been cleared. I took the outstretched hand and was unsurprised at the spirit connection that came out of his palm.


    ¡®Gula¡¯s safe. We¡¯ll be handing off the radio later.¡¯


    The knot of anguish in my gut came undone. In the midst of the surrounding misery, some faint corner of my mind felt a bit guilty at being so joyous. But damn propriety, my beloved Orc wife was well.


    ¡°Thank you, wind mage. It has been a long day and there is still too much to do, so I sadly can¡¯t stay.¡±


    He nodded, making sure to pull away with the disinterest one would have with a dead rat in their way. I briefly considered getting in my boat, but the harbor was filled with the scattered remains of copper-lined hulls that would certainly see my vessel join them. Bracing myself for the long walk, I turned right.


    Moving along the docks towards the new road, the shops had been loosely ransacked with the stone floor being littered with clothes, food, and household items of varying descriptions. Long shards of glass were scattered about, courtesy of a few rocks or hammers missing their target during the fighting. As hard as the crying and cursing shopkeepers had it, the guards had managed to keep the pirates back here since the enemy mostly pushed for a straight line to the slum.


    Streets that were typically crowded with passersby at this time were taken up with guards trying to restore order, retrieve bodies, or apply bandages to a survivor. Even the usually cramped warehouse section allowed free passage. Entry onto the rocky plains was also free of obstruction, allowing us swift passage onto the main vein of travel between Crasden and my home. As my group and I moved down the walled-off road, I could see a few guards patrolling the top. Still dutifully seeing to their tasks, the only indications that anything had happened were their reduced numbers and the constantly drawn bows ready to be raised and pulled at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Whatever had happened in the city, winter cared for none of it. Hefty winds of ice blew over me as they traveled mostly unobstructed by the huge walls of the city. And now that the cold indifference of blind fury had passed, I became acutely focused on how cold everything felt. Using a magical spell to pull out the residual water and sweat was trivial, though a few spots of blood still stubbornly clung to me.


    As I approached the slightly lower walls leading into the inner space of my home, I decided to focus on what had been the least important project. This path meant that the pirates were going to see me as the active threat I was and I couldn¡¯t be jaunting around the city for my business and required a place to make the tools that others would need to make up the difference. Seeing as how the only other properly walled-off section was going to have to pull double duty as growing and housing, I committed to the original idea for my home.


    When I came to the middle of the vast, empty plain of stone where the wooden bridge allowed for safe passage over the small river cutting through, I decided to put my slice of heaven near the back grate. The massive mesh of magically enhanced wood was tougher than steel, as was its sister at the exit. Keeping out monsters or big pieces of debris, it also sported an exit door underwater to allow anyone trapped against it to get to a stone platform. A door that also happened to allow access back into the stream with a small walkway that didn¡¯t show up from the surface. A nifty thing for Gula, but also a concern for safety.


    Considering that and making sure I had enough room for a few hidden spaces, the dimensions involved would have to be generous. The guards spread out with their wooden shields as I moved a good stone toss away from the entrance of the stream into my abode. If the goal was to maximize value, crafts would be deployed to do this, but the tradeoff was time. Time that pirate spies could use to kill me in a variety of ways I might be too distracted to catch. Though, considering how I came to this world, it appears that the final goodbye isn¡¯t as final as I had previously thought. Still, dying again would stress my wives out.


    ¡°Send two men to gather some wood. Strong, flat type used for construction. As much as you can.¡± I declared to the group. A series of nods went through the group before two of them ran off toward the city.


    My spells put in a long rectangle of stone fused to the bottom of the artificial river. The dimensions were a hundred feet across and fifty wide. The shallow river was still moving but considering I made the entire thing I didn¡¯t need to stop the stream to know where to put my foundation. Sunlight was slipping away as I extended the base towards the opposite side of the river in the shape of a wide rectangle on which I could station a drawbridge. Like any work, spells became harder to manipulate with increasing distance between the craftsman and his bobble.


    With the growing pile of wood planks, it was a few minutes of molding until I had a solid slab capable of being walked over with heavy packages. A mostly empty cart wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but one loaded down could fall through. I considered making it sturdier, but it was almost as hard as metal with my growing spells and while it was lighter, I didn¡¯t want to commit to an elaborate pulley system and all the needed supports for a heavier drawbridge right now. Putting holes for rope in it was easy, as was laying it between the stone shore and my mini-island. It covered a gap about a stone¡¯s toss away from the regular floor and would thwart any attempt to cross not involving serious equipment or magic.


    Walking across the wooden plank produced no squeaks or bends of protest. Standing on the foundation of what was likely going to be the focus of my life for years to come, I started by molding and summoning yet more stone. Sweat started forming around my brow as the two stories of solid, thick walls nearly a foot thick formed a seamless extension of the base. That still wasn¡¯t secure enough for my tastes. Lining the inside of the walls with oak wood boards, I put in stone manipulation enchantments that bore manipulation fields.


    Instead of moving stone mixed in flame to shoot lava as I had often used them, these would manipulate the stone to stay in place. With the irritation of the associations and the potential bribes of the pirates, I wouldn¡¯t put it past one of the earth mages to visit my abode one night and try to pull my home on my head. The enchantments wouldn¡¯t stop multiple mages, but they would fight the spells long enough to wake me up and since the boards were squished between a stone wall and wood boards, they couldn¡¯t be quietly disabled.


    Mana was far more abundant in the Central Continent, but all this spell work took up a lot more mana than the enchantments I used to make the rest. My limbs were also starting to send me that sensation that wasn¡¯t quite pain. Turning out of my home, I came up to the guards with a casual look around until I found the youngest of the bunch.


    ¡°I need to test some designs for a magical tool to mold and summon stone. Would you like to help me?¡±


    In the fading afternoon light, his brown eyes widened, and I noticed some sweat fall onto his red leather armor. His worries proved unfounded, as visions of monstrous experiments and chopped-off limbs gave way to a simple glove with a wooden board fused to the knuckles. Large enough to hold my enchantments, I put the pressure point to start the stone summoning on top and marked it with a simple round dent near the middle.


    In his early twenties, the guard looked like a small child trying out some new toy long desired as he stood in the middle of the guards, all of whom were trying very hard to keep looking outward and not at the man. When his finger pressed the dent, blue flickers were sucked into the glove and in front of the board a wide square of stone suddenly formed. A stone block that quickly fell to the ground and chipped both itself and the floor. The lad was smiling even as he had to do a light jump back to avoid a crushed foot.


    ¡°Good,¡± I announced to the group. ¡°But the niceties of the crafts will have to wait until tomorrow. Will you lot be watching over me for the night?¡±


    ¡°Day and night is what the lady said. Though we cover mornings to afternoon.¡± One of the more grizzled members in the back intoned.


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get some accommodations together.¡±


    The men were well armed for combat with men and the cold, sporting swords and fluffy collars. A proper enclosure went a long way for troop morale and made it harder to put a bolt in the pair of eyes overlooking my home. The men, for their part, nodded in appreciation though their general posture wasn¡¯t of rapturous gratitude.


    When the ten-by-ten foot walls were up, the guards realized I wasn¡¯t consigning them to a stone lean-to. Forced gratefulness gave way to genuine excitement as I put in a backward-sloping roof and lined the whole thing with more enhanced wood. By the time I finished putting in two chairs and a back door with the holes for a keylock, the enchantments for my house had finished absorbing the mana needed to fill its reserves. Now it was the guard posts'' turn, though both still took in far less mana than my spell craft had.


    My little corner of the world was now getting a little depleted of those blue specks. Cold air nipped at every nerve on my skin even with the coat blocking the worst of it. Grateful that I already had the crafts from the construction of the rest of the walls, I spent the rest of the day scattering them all over the flat stone expanse that had been my world for weeks. Sunlight had long since faded before I was even halfway done retrieving the crafts and laying them out in long rows. In front of my house was a nine by twelve layout of square boards, each a stone toss from the other, and all began the work of summoning a block of stone. Throughout this process, movers were languishing in the background bringing over a bed and some chairs complete with a blanket and pillows.


    In the middle of placing a post to hold torches at the top of my new door, I saw a small group carrying a large pot with a lid between them. What drew my attention was the smaller woman, Harrah, in front carrying a torch that pushed back the darkness. The orange flames played across her green and brown leather armor and gave a light sheen to the steel pads and upper chest guard.


    ¡°Greetings, plant mage.¡± She said respectfully, even nodding slightly as her head dipped and sent her two black ponytails swinging. Even as late as the black sky made it seem, her blue eyes were looking over the forming blocks of stone until she came across the bridge further down the stream and turned to my little abode.


    ¡°Hey, Tilvor. Nice to see you¡¯re actually a scion.¡± She said with a small smile playing across her face. Her stubby chin wrinkled with a bit lip over the bare walls. ¡°Do you sleep with the sky above? Seems like that¡¯d get a bit chilly.¡±


    Moving between our two sets of guards, I came up to her and nodded to the air scion.


    ¡°Did you think I was lying? Even after all I had accomplished.¡±


    Those water-blue circles shifted guiltily to the right towards the empty blackness.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to think of someone as a scion without a familiar. Typically, it¡¯s a die-together kind of deal. Honestly, I think I prefer that arrangement.¡±


    I stood still with a strained smile, trying my best to imitate suppressing a painful memory. It took only a moment for Harrah to realize the many, many, layers of rudeness in her words.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I-¡°


    My raised hand silenced her.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t helping us kill the pirates. Though, I won¡¯t deny an unexpected dinner service.¡±


    Eager to move on from her lack of social grace, she nodded to the men to set the pot down.


    ¡°Specially made from the royal kitchen. It uses a fire enchantment on the bottom to keep it heated. From now on you are to eat like royalty.¡± She said with a grand sweep of her arms. I motioned to the men at the guard house. When the big pot was set down in the torchlight around some chairs, I sat in the one right by the drawbridge. Not as comfortable as I could have made it, but flat stone was what I would have gotten otherwise


    A worker with a white apron and mesh of cloth over his hair produced some bowls and spoons from a sack. Ladling out some of the stew into clay bowls produced a small cloud of steam, the fruits of which he sampled with a spoon before presenting to me. The contents were a brown stew laced with strings of chicken, shredded until they resembled cotton strands. Placing the spoon up to my mouth produced a citrusy smell that went straight up my nose.


    ¡°Hearty.¡± I declared. ¡°And good. Though this isn¡¯t the fat steaks and pies I¡¯d thought most royalty enjoyed.¡±


    Harrah smiled as she sat across from me, leaning a bit closer to the pot that gave off almost as much heat as a fire.


    ¡°Out here? Away from the Literreans¡¯ hold? No, too easy to slip a bit of poison in. Only foods that can be mixed without anything big enough inside to hold a surprise. Each sampled by an official taster. I hope you like stews and soups.¡±


    With that, the early twenties woman got up with an exaggerated stretch. While she seemed to talk to me, her face turned towards the harbor wall.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s been easy today. I helped push a ship into the shore, but I don¡¯t think it was harder than what you did and are doing. Once you¡¯ve finished, meet up with me to see what we can make here.¡±


    With that, she took a torch from one of the guards. Eager to get to the point of our meeting, the stew passed between my lips almost as fast as the water. Nodding to the chef with a grateful smile, I took my own torch to approach the flickering showing the woman further ahead. Our escorts went to the harbor gate and fanned out a bit to give us space. The darkness and lack of any landscape features besides seemingly endless stone floors and walls that were only distinguished by the silhouettes among the stars all lent an eerie air to my travel. It also made it hard to judge distances.


    The air scion was jumping with her green mana constructs helping her as she zipped around taking in the walls and dimensions of the stone construction. Dancing through the air like a firefly alive far out of season, it took me a bit longer than anticipated to get close enough to grab her attention.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I yelled with a bellow of icy clouds flowing around the flames of my torch. The winding light stopped, some hair showing against the flames before it came closer. A strong wind blew over my coat when she landed in front of me, driving away any residual heat on my face, neck and hands.


    ¡°Good. How much weight could this support?¡± She asked with a small kick into the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s several dozen feet of solid stone and we can work in wooden supports to lessen the weight of the tower. Load bearing isn¡¯t going to be an issue.¡±


    Harrah nodded at that, turning back towards the wall. She began walking forward with a heavy face. Accompanying her, we moved in silence for a moment as our torches flickered in the faint breeze. The wind scion was on my right, but she still looked at the walls and smooth grey stone floor.


    ¡°Have you decided what you¡¯re going to call this place?¡± She asked.


    The question threw me for a second before I answered.


    ¡°Everyone just calls it my home. I¡¯d love to call it ¡®The place where all the pirates were killed¡¯, but that name will probably needs to justify itself first.¡±


    Her head snapped to me for a moment and her face had the same pouty lip I had seen when I began making the road to Crasden.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked.


    Her blue eyes had a hesitant look before they finally rolled and a huff escaped her mouth.


    ¡°Do you know what my magic will leave behind?¡± She asked as we came up to the river and turned left.


    ¡°A lot of widespread devastation. Your magic can also kill people directly with wind blades. There are also any enchantments you make.¡±


    Harrah stopped at that with the flowing rush of water behind her. Her blue eyes had a guarded look, and her bit lips had the flicker of both torches on them.


    ¡°Earth mages are the only group who will leave anything behind. Fire, water, wind. There¡¯s nothing left of our craft when we depart, but earth mages can build whole cities. Either with stone or metal and wood if they have other elements. The rest of us? We can leave behind destruction, but ruins crumble to dust and bodies decay.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°Are children not a legacy? Does healing people who would have died otherwise not count as having a lasting impact on the world?¡±


    Harrah got a rueful smile at that, looking to her left at the wall before turning back to me.


    ¡°Children look to their greatest ancestor. Eventually, someone greater than you comes out of your great, great, great, granddaughters and suddenly nothing you did matters. Healing¡­ people forget good deeds eventually. I don¡¯t know, it just irks me that my magic dies with me. The Builder made the City and Rodring made the Literrean hold. Real, physical things that people to this very day depend on.¡±


    Ah, an architect¡¯s spirit. Feeling like I had reached the point of aggravation for her, I extended a gesture of goodwill.


    ¡°How about this. Once we get this tower finished, we¡¯ll name it after you. ¡®Harrah¡¯s Shield¡¯ or something.¡±


    A genuine smile came over her face. The wind scion awkwardly moved forward in a hugging motion, though her intentions were derailed by the need to not burn me with her torch. Standing a bit straighter, she looked around with a bit of eagerness.


    ¡°Well, we better make this the best tower in the whole of the north then.¡±


    With that, we started going over the various dimensions involved. At one point Harrah had to take out a paper and quill to do some calculations. The end of which resulted in nine floors. My throat itched with the urge to point out several weaknesses in her design, sadly someone of my non-education wouldn¡¯t have the acute mathematical knowledge to point them out. Flaws we had to shore up with more enhanced wood than was needed.


    It was a lot more work, but the wind scion told me Palta was going to lend us Bella as well. Having both stone magic and usefulness, she would save several days just by summoning stone from mana outside the walls. After a few minutes of wrangling over trebuchet dimensions and the living quarters needed to keep the place manned at all times, our sketches of rough figures and lines molded into a core plan. Freezing air tried to stop us, but the torches provided just enough warmth to keep us going until the paper was wrapped into Harrah¡¯s inner pocket.


    Coming up the side of the artificial river, we came back to my new residence. A fresh set of guards were coming across the bridge, all decked out with thick furs and gloves to combat the cold. Our caretakers quickly left us with a bow before handing off their shift to the night crew.


    ¡°What time will you want to start in the morning?¡± Harrah asked with a small smile.


    ¡°As soon as I finish washing and eating.¡±


    The wind scion turned to leave before a look of having remembered something stole over her face.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t tell Bella I said anything about earth magic.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with a tired smile befitting this late hour.


    Our time together had finally reached its end. She took off over the bridge with the off-duty guards while I headed up to my new house. My new minders were impressed with the guard house in front of my drawbridge, but I could only give them a nod as I came into my abode. Tiredness pressed into every crevice of my body, which I had to push away from my mind as I prepared the final part of my newest construction.


    It was open air with a bed on the far left of the massive room. The ground had a long green rug of hemp on the floor and the right had a table and chair. Not impressive, but it was all that was required. In the future I would need to work on the hidden lower floors, tonight, however, my only task was finishing the roof. Slices of a half oval were summoned on the front end of the home and gradually worked onto the back. While getting it one bit at a time and molding it together was a bit more involved than summoning the entire thing in one big piece, it was considerably safer. The perfectly smooth roof also made it impossible to hook onto anything from the other side. Sporting sheer walls on all sides, I was confident in the security of the house. It would need some wood reinforcement, but it was too late and my mana pathways too aching to finish that.


    Moving to the bed, I found the workers had given me three whole blankets to keep me warm. The icy sheets quickly warmed from my body heat, and I used a small fire spell to speed up the process. Despite the small ache in my body, the sudden warmth straight out of summer was worth it. A hundred times over was the spell worth it. Faint torchlight played across the ceiling from the edges of my door, seemingly accentuating my fire spell.


    My back and joints practically shook in ecstasy as the comforts of basic civilization finally came to me. After the whirlwind of a day and the knowledge that my wives were safe, blessed sleep finally started coming for me. I offered no fight or resistance, throwing myself into its waiting arms with abandon as the world faded to black.

 Working the Underground(1)

    Gula POV


    Bitter cold still clung to my white shirt and red coat as I went down the tunnel leading into the entrance of the underground Orc stronghold. Walls of rough grey stone were on the left and right with the occasional lamp providing light that stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. The only other company was the four Kelton guards surrounding me and the occasional archer behind the murder holes that lined the shaft. I had a box of vegetables and the goat-headed men behind me carried two boxes each. They carried the luggage filled with papers, ink, and an order of leather that one of our customers had asked for while I bore the additional burden of the radio in my bulky coat.


    My warehouse/office had only just gotten some new paint when I started getting orders in. I had to put in more than a dozen requests on a single paper, some of which would take weeks to fill and others that I had the supplies on hand to provide. It was panic-inducing at the worst of times, but a lot of the figures I went over told me having a ship was as good as materializing silver from nothing. A ship that reliably came in with no losses at sea was like working gold from the void. Working the shipping company had been similar to my drug running days, only scaled up to the tenth degree and a hundred times more fulfilling.


    The work of transporting and preparing orders for my "travel to the Coalition" and the less real story of working small caches stored in Kelton holds left me almost totally ignoring the city''s dire situation. Unfortunately, reality had a nasty way of reasserting itself into your life. As it had two days ago.


    Arriving at the end of the tunnel, the guard quickly let us pass her towards the growing chatter. Taking a left and going directly onto the arrival area with the large circle of shop stands in the middle of the underground village gave us the most recent taste of what life underground had devolved into since the attack three days ago. Three- or four-story houses shorn into the bedrock were now filled to bursting. Those inside were among the lucky ones, as the less fortunate were consigned to a blanket on the streets. While it was still technically ''inside'', the stone floors weren''t made for comfort and the available spaces were almost entirely beside doors or entrances and all the foot traffic that followed.


    Stalls were still showing the same amount of goods as before, a small blessing in a miserable situation. No amount of money or regular supplies of the market could restore the housing situation at this point, however. Candlelight played along the wide tunnel''s walls on the back left of the village from the entrance, mixing with the shafts of natural morning light shining down from the ceiling. This visit we had already gone through all the proper channels for offloading the cargo beforehand, sparing me a trip to the trade office that we quickly shuffled past.


    The next tunnel ended at another mini-village. While it had the same setup of lighting and houses cut into the stone sides, the center was taken up by craftswomen. Aside from having no forges or tanneries, every other task needed for civilization was being worked on here. Our destination was yet another tunnel opposite our entrance. Walking along the unusually crowded streets, I finally noticed the typical fragrance of grime and sweat that permeated the air down here.


    My mind was so preoccupied with all the room we had and didn''t have left on the ship that it left me unprepared for one of the leather workers in a brown hemp dress suddenly approaching from the right. Her head of midnight locks and pudgy face with small dimples bobbed into view from the crowd as her red eyes in black spheres suddenly put themselves in front of mine.


    "Captain! How has business been?" She asked with a fake sweetness and a shifting of her black hair over her sharp, green ears. It took only a moment before her gaze shifted to the crates with the eagerness of an excited child.


    "Ah, yes. Your leather." I nodded towards the back left guard. The black-furred Kelton promptly came forward as we moved to the right towards the stalls and out of the main vein of traffic. Handing off the leather was a painless affair and landed us a small sack of silver for our non-efforts. In addition to more food, our killing of random pirate ships on the seas had left us a haul of odd bits and ends that we were now almost rid of and at a good bit of profit.


    Continuing on our journey was a bit more painful than usual because of how tightly packed things down here were now, even when compared to when I first visited. After a few seconds, the press of people finally granted us passage into traffic and we moved on to my main warehouse. The tunnel to our destination came close as we made our way around the circle of workshops and stalls. This time the wide mouth of coarse grey rock was accompanied by a large chorus of Orc chatter and noise even this far from the source.


    Even being a bit wider than the previous two, the candle-lit tunnel felt a bit tighter than its siblings. More than once a Kelton guard was bumped into by a fellow traveler. Some, I suspected, were desperate pickpockets. For their efforts, there could be no reward. Sadly, for the prospecting criminals, the only thing the men bore outside of the crates was a shirt, pants, and a sword at the hip.


    The choir of daily life only rose as the tunnel opened up to the exit. This time, it kept expanding into the largest of the caverns I had seen in Crasden. In the middle was a wide landscape of standing houses sporting thick beams and sturdy brickwork. Near the far side of the higher-end neighborhood lay several tunnel entrances, though my eyes immediately went to the right.


    My warehouse was like most of its kind; A two-story affair dug into the surrounding wall. Overall, it had barely been an hour of replacements and painting before it was ready. The good condition mostly owing to how suddenly its former owner had been destroyed in the Mist pirates rampage just weeks prior.


    Time moved quickly these days and it didn''t seem inclined to slow down. Previously abandoned warehouses lined the right wall up to the river hatches near the back right side of the cavern and now swelled with my kind. Not starving and most more than a little battered, the biggest challenge the people stuck between being a refugee and temporarily inconvenienced was the cold. Even being underground, the separation between Orcs and the proper human side was at its thinnest here.


    What were quiet, dead streets now bustled with green women and girls trying to find one bit of work or another. The new life in the space made it a bit harder to get to my warehouse only a stone toss away but it wasn''t too long before we got to the wide, sliding oak door in the center. A swell of pride bloomed in my chest as I pushed the wooden obstruction to the right.


    It was odd, owning a place. There was some voice in the back of my mind saying I hadn''t actually paid for the warehouse, but it was my name on the deed, dammit. I had always lived with my mother or been shacked up with one person or another, never really calling a place ''mine'' and mine alone. Looking towards the back of the long stone shaft with wooden support beams on the roof, the families staying in the back of the wide room meant I didn''t live here alone, but it was my home that they were staying in. Sections for the individual families were divided by long blankets hung from hooks along the ceiling, doing nothing to stop the small girls in worn dresses from running between them in a cloud of giggles that was at odds with the worried faces of the mothers occasionally showing between the fabric.


    "All accounted for, miss." An older voice called from my left.


    Turning, I found my secretary sitting at the desk by a window. An elderly woman sporting wrinkles all over her green skin, angular cheeks, and a bun of grey hair, thin hands coming out of her brown dress moved with her gold eyes as she moved her quill over one paper or another. To her right was a staircase leading to the upper floor where I stayed.


    "Now, where is that¡­" The older woman absentmindedly mused with a twitch of her sharp nose.


    Despite years of service working the warehouses as a secretary, the newest addition to my smuggling/shipping operation was still getting everything in order. Looking across her swamped desk and the stacks of papers covering orders, taxes, and other trappings of civilization left me grateful that I had found her among the displaced.


    "Ah, here. A request from the council concerning the space available on the ship." She offered me a piece of paper with a warm smile.


    "Thanks, Sharn," I responded, taking the paper with a nod. She returned the gesture before looking back down to a practice mastered over decades. The letter was printed on fine-feeling yellow paper, far better than the rough stuff we had back in the swamps, and its handwriting was almost artistic.


    ''Hello, Gula. We are inquiring into the status of your ship and the tonnage of available space. Included in these discussions will be the rents for your warehouse."


    A slight hiccup in the ''your'' contrasted with the otherwise pristine letters seemingly pointing to the person writing it being most unhappy about me scooping up one of the previously abandoned warehouses.


    "Sharn, do you have the current housing rates?"


    "Yes!" The older woman excitedly intoned as her hands flew through the papers before producing the one she was looking for and handing it to me. I gave her one last nod before going up the stairs to the right.


    "Oh, miss Gula!" Sharn called behind me.


    Looking back to her, I saw some mirth in her eyes.


    "I remembered. It was a pier. I met my late husband under a pier. Rough specimen but I managed to corral him."


    "Good." I responded, happy to get an answer to one of the many subtle inquiries I had been conducting into the lives and pasts of the Orcs here.


    Walking up wooden steps was far more agreeable than the hard stone I had been walking over. Between the rocks out on the fields far away from Crasden and the tough underground floor, my feet weren''t quite screaming but I could feel some complaints coming on.


    Making my way to the top, I immediately turned around when I reached the end of the stairs and past the guard rails of dark oak. Shafts of early morning light came through the ceiling and played across the desk sporting a fresh stack of papers on the left as well as an extra wooden chair standing opposite for any guests. Getting to my seat took some extra work with this setup, but the soldier in me demanded a layout that wouldn''t let someone run straight from the first floor to my seat. Just as it demanded the shutters in the windows instead of the typical open arrangement with solid covers used for closing. Sitting into my red leather chair with all the dignity of a beggar assuming their mat, my eyes wandered over to the pile of odds and ends near the back of my floor.


    Crates large and small were stacked in the back going on for what I wanted to say was a good stone toss. Sourced from the pirates making everyone''s lives miserable, we had to do a thorough check to make sure blood wasn''t on anything or sporting any identifiable markings, but the bits were being slowly sold to the people who needed them. Some of it was possibly theirs based on a contract made void months ago when the providers were torched to the ground. Amidst the odds and ends was a bed with thick blankets somewhere cradled with the stacks of boxes.


    Turning back to my dark wooden desk, I picked out the paper with the housing rate.


    "Hic!" I snorted, my reaction so physical it stunted my yelp.


    The page was far courser than the council paper, but it could be written on a baked mud tablet for all I cared. An eyewatering four hundred and fifty-seven silver was the going rate for my standardized warehouse. The vague memories of my payment for this corner of the world made me want to say prices had nearly tripled since that long-lost age of about a week ago.


    Wondering if construction and housing were my true calling in life, I set about the usual mundane tasks needed for a new business. Sharn had left the documents requiring my signatures along with small notes for subjects she thought I''d struggle with.  It was late morning as the work of churning through the stack of orders, agreements, and council documents reached a peak when I heard someone coming up the stairs.


    It was the plump, motherly priest in grey robes who had helped sell me the place. When she turned around, I saw some of her grey and black hair flowing out of her hood and around the odd X-shape I heard them call a cross. The thing that immediately drew my attention was the bags under her gold eyes that even obscured the mole under her left orb. Her omnipresent aura of motherlyness felt strained, and the scratch of her short nose was also a bit out of character.


    "Gula, a pleasure to meet you again." She offered with a slight bow as she stood on the right of the desk.


    "Same, Cassie," I responded, waving my hand to the chair opposite of me. Her plop into it wasn''t totally devoid of care, but there was a bit of uncharacteristic free fall at the tail end.


    The priest took in a big breath as her hands nervously squeezed together in her lap. Content to wait, I leaned back in my chair as she collected her thoughts. When she finished whatever internal conversation was going on, her eyes went to the message from the local council.


    "Do you know how much you''ll be able to bring in yet?" She quietly asked.


    I raised an eyebrow as my first response. The priest had become my liaison not just to the church but the government itself. If she was asking about it, the local leadership had basically asked me about my cargo capacity twice this morning. Something that screamed desperation and made my stomach squeeze in fear.


    "How badly did the stone caster damage the underground holds when she tore through here?"


    My question was met with a small smile before she met my gaze.


    "Our walls survived mostly intact, and all is being seen to. As is officially decreed." She intoned with dull eyes. Her continued nervous rubbing combined with the constant pestering for space on my ship didn''t suggest things were that optimistic, but I did her the courtesy of allowing her to continue. "Details about ongoing operations, however, can only be explained in an official meeting. Nersa, the head of the council, will be having a closed hearing which will be attended by a small entourage of others involved in these government affairs. They will be determining the shipments brought in."


    Holding her gaze, I leaned back into my chair with folded arms. My role in this was a powerful, sneaky smuggler and business owner. Would a woman like that be offended at the suggestion that this council would determine how to best use their ship? I think they would be.


    "Oh? They''ll be deciding what goes in my hold?"


    She gave me a long smile and put up her hands in surrender.


    "I used poor words, captain. I meant only for the shipments we order."


    Cooling my fake anger, I rested my hands on the padded armrests.


    "When will this meeting be held?"


    "Early tomorrow. After breakfast." She answered with a polite smile still plastered on her face.


    "All right. Can you give me a general figure for how much you want me to reserve? I''m already getting some interest even without having unloaded our current unsold cargo."


    Cassie bit her lip for a moment, her gold eyes moving like they were skimming a paper until she finally answered.


    "At least thirty crates of lime, stone, and masonry tools. Probably more than that, but I would hold off on using any hard numbers until tomorrow morning."


    The continued biting of her lips and nervous wrangling said another demand had yet to be delivered. I was content to let her work through those thoughts as I rested my feet on the bar of my chair. Bastard''s beard, pain didn''t seem to make itself properly known until relief came.


    "Would you be willing to take on younger crewmembers?" Cassie finally asked.


    My lips puckered without me deciding to do so.


    "On a more permanent basis or for a contracted period? And would I be wrong to assume we''re talking about orphans?"


    The priest finally stopped biting her lip as their release from between her teeth was accompanied by a sigh.


    "I''ve gone over everything. All day and night scouring the registries and accounts for any copper to stretch or expense to cut. We sisters of Christ have done everything we and God can manage. There''s simply not enough money. Not with the survivors of the holds that had their ceiling collapsed and the council pinching every copper they can for repairs. I feel like I''m abandoning them. But.... our means were stretched before. Now¡­"


    She stopped with the rise of my left hand. I followed the motion up with a lean forward and an intermeshing of my fingers. My gaze, however, turned downward where a beam of the morning light was shining on my black pants.


    There would be plenty of work for them to do. But the nature of where I got my goods from was a tale still unfinished. My official story was from the Coalition and caches stored among the Kelton lands. The ''real'' story, if needed, would be that Salamede and her enclave of super-secret Kelton mages were my benefactors. Not a card we wanted to play if we didn''t have to and the ''actual real'' story of getting the cargo from the freezing base up north absolutely wouldn''t be told to the wider public.


    Still¡­ the entire point of all of this was to recruit people to our cause. Eli wanted to enlist people whose ideology would be more accommodating to his vision and that was a good idea. What about those with no ideology? Big plans and logical arguments were very rational, but people weren''t wholly rational creatures. Poor children who were saved from starvation would probably grow up to be more loyal than those who joined us out of some ideological doctrine. We''d certainly have enough time for the Orcs in their early tens to mid-teens to become fully-fledged members when the time to start moving in the open came.


    "Given that I''ll be going on a trip in the near future, I can''t commit to any number right now beyond five or six. We''ll almost certainly be able to take on more I just can''t agree to an official headcount for now."


    Her gold eyes shone with gratitude, though my raised hand and hard stare made her stiffen.


    "What I can say for certain is if we do take any of them on, they are not coming back. I have many hidden places for my goods, and I treasure my contacts as much as my own life. Bringing them on and then having them give out what they''ve seen on the journey to and from here is not a risk I''m willing to take."


    Cassie bit her lip at that. Her soft hands gripped the chair arms for a moment, but something approaching defeat finally came over her face.


    "Will we be able to see them at any point? What about those with younger siblings?"


    Pursing my lips, I pondered it for a bit. A solid denial was safe for now, but it might grate on our future members if we force them to abandon any remaining family members.


    "On the return, I could have a meeting set up with my Kelton guards. Their kind are very adept at spirit connections and can mediate the conversation to make sure the kids don''t say anything they shouldn''t."


    Her soft face lit up a bit.


    "We have several girls who would be glad to just be out in the open air. When should I get some of them ready?"


    "Tomorrow. Sometime between lunch and dinner."


    Cassie got up as I looked back down to my papers. The day passed in a sea of papers and signatures jotted down with declining quality. I''d heard tales of a simple stamp that those higher up on the command chain used to place down signatures in mass. My left hand was demanding such a device from Eli, the market, or the Bastard himself when I called it a day and made my way down the steps. Sharn was still dutifully maneuvering the papers under a candlelight placed on the right side of her desk.


    "You can call it a night. Spirits know I am." I informed the older woman.


    A rough grunt was the only response she gave me.


    Content to leave the master to their craft, I went through the front door with two of the guards leaving their position by the front entrance to accompany me. Walking down the row of warehouses was rather eerie. The stray amount of starlight filtering from the ceiling was enough to navigate the stone road. Not enough to properly read or paint, but I could make out general faces and shapes in the dirt or bricks.


    The daily family reunion was halfway done as I came around the bend of the last house. It was such a miraculous sight, Orcs with human husbands. Small green girls ran up to men and were scooped up with laughs and giggles, though their father struggled under the faint light. For all the happiness around me, my heart felt a stab of¡­something akin to jealousy.


    Between here and my time among the waveborn, the obvious question presented itself: What did the Orcs here have that we among the reeds of the swamps lacked? Their hair wasn''t finer, skin any smoother, and unless the clothes here were partially made of space-expanded sections like Eli''s boxes of holding, their chests were not any more generous. My attention had been getting pulled in a thousand different directions and I was content to leave the question in the dark recesses of my soul. But if I was going to keep dragging myself here every night like a forlorn puppy, I''d better just work out this issue in the coming week.


    Fortunately, sightseeing wasn''t what brought me here tonight. Walking further ahead past the last of the families, I came up to the doors leading out onto the riverbank. When the veil of darkness fell, the lands between the rolling hills were hidden from the ''Good'' side of the city. Making my way past the open doors was a quick affair as I came out in front of the usual crowd looking for fresh air.


    We were under a large house with pillars of wood holding up the structure above while the soft rush of the stream ahead filled my ears. Taking an appreciative swig of the fine air stole a second of my time, though the atmosphere was still fouler than the base''s immaculate cleanliness. Even with bits of trash lingering about and the river acting as the main sewage outlet for this section of the slum, it was better than the underground. Sadly, better didn''t always mean good.


    I missed my ship, the room in the base, and, spirits help me, I even missed my home in the swamp. That decided it. If city life could make me miss that mud hole, there would be no hope for me among the packed masses. Consigning the rest of my days to rural living when Eli''s plan was finished, I turned right as more of my kind started moving up behind me.


    Walking along the wet riverbank with shoddy stone walkways on the right was a painless affair even as my nerves screamed at me. The distant walls were sprinkled with the occasional torch. I knew that the guards wouldn''t be able to see us from this distance. Even if they could, our green skin would make us almost invisible. And if they did see us, the distance was too great to distinguish us from humans.


    None of which mattered because the guards weren''t about to report their wives for execution.


    Thinking back to the swamps and all the death surrounding our assaults on such stone beasts, it felt like I was in the jaws of a long-feared monster. Pushing my irrational fears as far down as they would go, my trip down the river took me to the outlet for the water. A stones throw from the wall was a long series of outhouses on a stone arch over the canal. It was a popular first spot for the Orcs going for a walk and this was usually the first part of my night.


    On the stone walkway, the sound of the river increased as I moved toward the center until it was hard to hear anything but the churning water. Near the small outflow in the walls and the fastest section of the stream, the stalls in this section provided enough soundproofing for the occupant''s business and, for my purposes, conversation. Once I came up to the middlemost outhouse, I immediately opened the shabby door before closing it behind me. Taking off my coat was a bit of a bother before I finally threw it off and placed it on a hook screwed into the door.


    The ever-present crash of water filled the cramped wooden box through the open hole of the built-in bench where the task of the place was completed. I was quite grateful for the starlight coming through the slits in the ceiling as I rummaged through the pockets of the red coat until I retrieved the wooden box with metal meshes on the side.


    A small ritual then took place as I used the thick coat as a tent to help separate my coming talk from the outside world. I had my guards assume positions outside to make sure nothing could be heard or eavesdropper pry, so I pressed the button with confidence.


    "Hello, this is Gula speaking," I whispered into the box, my breath sending a cloud over the metal mesh.


    "Coming in, dear daughter. How shit are things in the city?" My mother''s crackling voice came through the box.


    A smile stole over my face at mother''s typical eloquence.


    "It''s hard to tell. Food isn''t as big of a problem but space is a new crisis. I think it''ll be a few days before the general situation settle enough to tell. Just glad I still have my own home after the slugging match that happened down here. Well, I guess I technically have three homes these days. Maybe four if we count Salamede''s mini-city."


    A small snort came through the box.


    "We''ve certainly got more options than we used to. How''s the smuggling business coming along? Had to break any noses yet?"


    "Not yet. If things start taking a real downturn, my guards might get some practice with their swords. Speaking of the current situation, I have a proposal for Eli. If you could just tell him what I''ve told you."


    It was a few minutes of silence as I stood there under my coat. There was a lot I wanted to tell him besides the usual business side of things. Doing it with my mother relaying the message wasn''t going to happen, however. Even if the words were from him, hearing cute husband words in mom''s voice wasn''t something I think I could process.


    "All right," The box intoned. "He knows what little you told me. What''s the proposal?"


    "I want to bring on some new crew members from the church. Things are getting a bit too tight down here and I was approached to take on some younger girls to make some room."


    A few more seconds of waiting around before my bauble crackled to life.


    "So, they''re reliable?" My mother''s voice inquired.


    Now that was an interesting question. From what my sniffing about had managed to drag up, the group wasn''t in control of the city. Powerful and numerous, but far from the masters of everything here. They clashed with the civil government on occasion and the biggest thorn in each other''s sides was mages. Most non-church members were just trying to get on with their day while some were rather fervent in fulfilling the Bastard''s vision for our people.


    The ''Christ-in-ians'', I believe the name was, were entirely opposed to any efforts to capture a mage and had the political muscle to enforce such a desire. A big problem since other holds typically had such ambitions. Gritty details like if they were opposed to all mages or simply aware of what a disaster success would be has eluded my conversations. On the whole, I wanted to say they''d join us. Eli was practically the second coming of their saint Adia with his religious doctrines and scientific knowledge.


    Was I certain enough to risk all our lives? That I couldn''t answer.


    "The scale tips to yes, but not enough that I''d be comfortable. You would convince almost all of them, though there is always going to be a defector. How we''d get that conversation to happen is beyond me."


    A few more smelly seconds passed.


    "Then how can you trust the people you want to bring in?"


    "They''re not ideological. Just looking for a warm home and food on the plate."


    More time spent waiting. I honestly missed how immediate conversations were between only two people.


    "Everyone has an ideology. If you''ve heard of a war or some proposal, you have formed an ideology, even if you haven''t spent enough time or thought to articulate it. If they''re a member of a major group in the political fighting, they definitely have some beliefs that could conflict with our vision."


    I looked up to the red fabric with a roll of my eyes.


    "They''re from the orphanage, not of the church as members. I doubt kids are going to be having some intellectual debate about the merits of vast societal undercurrents and racial destiny. If we can spend these years bringing in kids, we can-"


    My tongue had the word ''indoctrinate'' right on its tip before my scant social graces swooped in at the last moment.


    "-show them how great our way is and how much better everything will be with us in command."


    My foot tapped on the wood floor until the box finally crackled again.


    "I didn''t realize I sized our ships for such small hands." Mothers amused voice sounded out. "While we haven''t explicitly banned putting the little ones in the workshops, I had assumed we didn''t need to have that conversation. Are you seriously considering using kids for labor?"


    Humans. The fact that they were almost useless for years and years was an excessive indulgence of their kind. We were made a bit sterner, and that grit started far younger.


    "Eli, I was going to the market when I was five. They will be just fine, and I certainly won''t be putting them on any dangerous duties. Pot washing and mopping always need to be done and it''s nothing dangerous."


    This time I mentally prepared for a good slugging match. When the radio crackled again, mother''s first word was dripping with fake anger.


    "Gula. Don''t you ever think of sending my baby girls to do work or shopping by themselves," Her voice dropped the gruffness and became thoroughly amused.  "I''d be careful, dear daughter, he sounds legitimately irritated."


    Dammit, Eli! Hitting me with sweet husband crap. A smile stole over my face, and I couldn''t stop myself from biting my lip in anticipation of seeing him again. Totally disarmed, I retreated to a safer position.


    "Even if I worked them to the bone, it would be a kinder fate than what probably waits for them here. And it''s better for us than risking bringing on full adults. I''ve already worked out an arrangement with the head of the financial department. The kids won''t be allowed to directly speak with the priest for fear of giving away the position of my stores and contacts."


    The wait this time was a bit more pleasant as my mind wandered into the future and I wondered how Orc''s from Eli would live. It would certainly involve the finest dresses, jewelry, and as many sweets as they wanted until they were plump. The thought left me torn. Meager living and toughness were the hallmark of my kind, and I wouldn''t want them to totally abandon our history, almost as much as I never wanted them to be a part of it. A crackle from the radio pulled me back to the oppressively cold present.


    "And what will they be seeing? We only just have enough Kelton guards to be comfortable in the base. We haven''t gotten enough steel or iron to expand it¡­. The other issues aside."


    That was a real thorn. My kind had to be relegated to the main base due to one of them possibly running off. We had pushed off the question of what to do with them by bringing their husbands along and letting them focus on construction. All under the supervision of an overseer with two or three Keltons to an Orc. That and the fact that none of them knew how to fly our ships had pushed back the main issue.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "If I could interject." My mother''s voice sounded out and this time to both of us. "We can''t hide that some weird shit is going on. Let''s just be like the Waterborn, only everywhere. Hold back from getting into harbor with only adult crews going ashore."


    A few moments crunching the proposal passed before she talked again.


    "Eli says we should probably stick to just showing the Kelton mage hold if things come to it. The fleet is a week or so from having another ship ready to fly and when there are more eyes in the air, we can make a decision then."


    A flash of irritation at being only half in the conversation came and went as I was too busy focusing on how cold it was. Winter had long stripped me of my residual body heat and the finger I used to press the button slightly shook.


    "All right. I hope they like large snails. It''s damn cold down here and if there are no objections, I''d like to head back to my home in the ground."


    After a few seconds of silence, mom''s voice finally came back with a small amount of genuine irritation.


    "None. Though, Eli, it does make me wonder how much Gula means to you. Did you not give her a heating craft?"


    "Mother!" I immediately interjected. "If he had tried to, I would have hit him upside the head with it for being so reckless. Now, apologize, tell him that I love him, and let me get some sleep."


    Some ancient, primal instinct screamed that mother was rolling her eyes.


    "Fine. I''m sorry, Eli. She loves you and believes in you. I guess I do too considering I''m floating in the sky like a bird. If there aren''t any other objections, I bid you all goodnight."


    She had to have a heating craft. My mouth was jittering, and I was on the ground. All the way up there and talking like it was any other meal chatter? That wasn''t happening unless she had some extra warmth beyond what a coat could provide. It was probably a summer day for her while I started going over how to walk with a few missing toes.


    "Good night. Love you." I finally said before putting the radio down. It was a few very painful minutes of using the deathly cold stall for its intended purpose before I was ready to head out. Thoroughly removed from any heat, my clacking jaw and shivering hands didn''t get better as our little group left the latrines. My Kelton guards were fine, however. No shaking or jittering for them. The thick fur on their heads meant they were mostly fine as we walked down the arch back towards the warehouse.


    The crowd of Orcs was a bit thicker now. Some sported an assortment of leather and regular shirts while other stuck to the dresses typical of human women. No matter the choice in attire, thick wools and even a few furs on hands and neck abounded. It was a short trip back to the entrance but I stopped just short of the wide open door. I could just smell that swirl of sweat and body odor in the wide expanse of wooden and brick houses beyond. My nose nearly made me turn back towards the winter night.The freeze on my skin presented a rather devastating counterargument, pushing me through the wooden entrance.


    Turning left and down the road was easier with so many Orcs now enjoying the outdoors. The warehouses on the left still looked run down but the occasional squeal or footfall told of families housed within. It was at this point that one of the guards moved forward and his unsure movements made me raise an eyebrow to him.


    "Bad foot?"


    His mane of brown fur and sharp stubs of horns swung with his head shake.


    "No, lady." His rough voice sounded off. "Just trying to adjust to the light."


    I nodded before coming to a stop. We stood around for a moment, taking in the rough grey ceiling and the decent woodwork of the houses on the right. It was a second before the Kelton man coughed.


    "I''m good. Thank you."


    With the ruffling of fur from the man behind me confirming their readiness, we all continued on our way. It was only a minute before we arrived back at my warehouse and quietly slipped through the wide door. The men immediately left to sleep in one of the sections cordoned off by the blankets among the guests getting ready for bed. Sharn had long since finished her toils with the candle on the right side of her desk not giving off so much as a whiff of smoke. My long trek up the stairs was only made bearable by the slightly warmer air.


    Getting up to the second floor was easy but the back end of the room was almost pitch black. The men above had closed most of the slats through which the light filtered to the underground and now even my otherwise good eyesight struggled. It was only through memory and the occasional touch of a known crate that gradually led me up to my resting spot. When I was at what my mind said was the right spot, I put my hands out and met a thick blanket. Tired, cold, and sporting sore feet, I quickly tore off my boots and threw myself into the bed. Getting myself properly under the sheets and a spot for my head in the pillows took a minute as I put the radio between the mattress and the headboard, but once that was done, sleep called for me the moment I felt the cold pillow hit my head.


    "Mistress Gula." Shrans soft voice rang out.


    I kept my eyes closed. Please, let there be another Orc named Gula here.


    "Captain." A rough Kelton voice followed.


    Ugh.


    Forcing myself into full awareness took a moment and it didn''t help that my first reward was the sight of a crate. Wrapped in the blankets like a sausage in a roll, it took some work to get out of it and take in the weak sunlight barely peeking through slits in the roof. When I finally had the warm constraints down at my feet, I took a moment to stretch. Black hair near my left eye moved over my skin with the distinctive slick of grease and I didn''t dare test my morning breath.


    Putting my sock laden feet on the floor, I turned right to the chest at my bed''s end before leaning back and retrieving the wood box that dragged me into the freezing night for so long. Opening the chest as I leaned over the foot of the bed, I picked out a thick black jacket, fresh white shirt with matching bra, a change of socks, cleaning cloth, and brown pants, laying the radio in the false bottom as I did so. Resting my new attire on the crumbled sheets and putting my shoes on finally made me ready to begin getting prepared for the day.


    Crates were on all sides, but the way forward was opposite my bed. Walking through the opening with a quick swipe to pick up my clothes, I took a left then another right into the open room. A black-furred Kelton in a white shirt, metal shoulder pads, and brown pants stood to the right of Shran. The older woman wore a grey dress, matching her grey hair in a bun.


    "We were getting worried." The orc offered with a smile above her stubby chin.


    "Have I overslept?" I asked with a quickened step past the two.


    "No. But if we didn''t wake you up, you would have."


    Nodding behind me, I immediately shot down the stairs directly ahead.


    "No need to hurry, Mistress. The council is strictly an after-meal affair." The older woman called behind me. Another nod accompanied my dash down the steps. Three Keltons were at the bottom lounging by the wide doorway. They quickly made out into the street with my last guard coming up behind. We moved left into the main stream of traffic along the back of the wooden houses.


    The stench of body odor and the distinct feeling of wet heat clung to my skin. It was still early and the over night crew was turning in while the rest of civilization was only just rousing. A shift right took us into the main outflow of traffic. While guards were typical, a larger portion of the Orcs were leather-clad and sporting weapons as those guarding the tunnels handed off the work to the next company of soldiers.


    We were afforded a bit more room in the morning rush compared to regular traffic and arrived in short order at the end past the various tunnel entrances, even if the men had to shift around me from time to time. When the wall came up to us, we took a right and down towards the tunnel entrance just a stone''s toss away. It was comprised of the same stone steps up to the lisp and rough grey wall. The smacks of our shoes joined a stampede of others as the hole in the stone allowed for the passage of dozens shoulder to shoulder.


    As we passed the second torch, I wanted to smack myself.


    "I forgot my toothbrush." I declared to no one.


    "I''ll get another with our breakfast." The younger, brown-maned lad with large twirling horns said as he maneuvered around a cart ahead of us. A simple nod from me was all I gave him in response.


    My feet weren''t sore anymore and I was feeling a bit better now. It also helped that the smell of baking bread started replacing the typical assault on my nose. A few seconds more and the end of the tunnel finally came into view with the corner of a wider building peeking out of the left side. When I came through the end the tight walls opened to a wide cavern at the center of which stood a wide rectangle of a building.


    A single-floor affair with grey stone walls shorn out of proper brick unlike the rough texture of the cavern. The wide slabs of wood that served as the shingled roof were properly measured and cut out with good craftsmanship. More than the look of the place, its smell was of hot loaves and pastries owing to the tunnel in the back left leading into the only bakery here. My eyes only roamed the cavern for a moment before turning directly ahead to the entrance of the next tunnel.


    I paid the area no more attention as my boredom with this routine sunk in. Our steps were lost in the cascade of others going about whatever task yanked them from their warm beds, the youngest splitting off from our group towards the bakery section. Lucky brat. Moving straight ahead over the bricks of a proper road as opposed to the typical tunnel floor, I quickly found my stride as we moved through the crowd and into another section of housing by the river. It had the same layout of standing houses in the middle but this section had no warehouses on the sides, though I did notice more workers around the river area than usual, though they were too far off for me to notice what they were doing. The next and the one after were nearly identical copies of all that had come before.


    It was only when we made it past the last riverside housing area that the tunnel opened up to a cavern holding the communal washing area and it was here that the river served a purpose beyond a nice view or sewage channel. Flowing from the outlet of the river that had been forced underground, it was only at this outermost section of the underground expanse that no waste had touched the waters. Part of the underground construction for the river was a large pipe in the back right of the wide cave. Spilling chilled winter water into a split channel, the left side went to a line of roofless shacks on a stone platform hewn from the wall where Orcs sporting towels and changes of clothes made their bodies ready for the day while the right side flowed out into a wide pool where baskets of garments, linens, and other items of cloth were being lugged around and washed by the average woman getting their daily cleaning done. The soapy bubbles and streaks of dirt from their labors flowed down to the exit channel that dumped the sullied water back to where it came from.


    Walking down the stone steps, we came onto the open plaza that allowed passersby to put off their work with conversations on benches at the sides or standing in small groups. People were still coming in from behind us and the tunnel entrance to the left but we were given some room as we moved through. Both the shacks and pools had stone steps etched into their foundations allowing for easy access, which I promptly took towards the open shack near the middle.


    My small team was a known quantity here and the few guards ambling around let us pass without comment. A few pairs of red and gold eyes looked on with interest at my Kelton caretakers. More than one was quite appreciative of the well-fed frames showing beneath the white shirts and between the metal shoulder pads of my men. Even with their goat-like heads, their male essence still came through and I suppose that was enough to warrant interest from some of the Orcs.


    For my part, my eyes could only take in the lack of steam in the air. The water was, of course, cold. If there was one thing I bitterly hated about this place it was the lack of heated showers. Carefully walking up the wet stone steps, I grit my teeth as the open shack door came within arm''s reach. A flowing shaft of water was directly ahead while two benches lay on each side. Placing my burden down on the right, I proceeded to close the door behind me before stripping. My dirty clothes were immediately thrown to the bench on the left before I took up the cleaning cloth and proceeded with the days torture.


    In the middle of rubbing the cleaning cloth with icy water over my skin, a knock at the door interrupted the feeling of prickly skin and shaking fingers.


    "The toothbrush and paste, Lady Gula". A guard''s rough voice sounded out.


    Retrieving my burden from him, I finished the morning chores by dunking my toothbrush in the wall''s channel. Spitting the water between the floorboards to join the rest of the polluted stream, I mentally went to where I put my drying towel. When the place my mind brought back was the base of my bed, I slapped my forehead. Left with no options, I rubbed down my body with the cleanest parts of my old shirt. With that travesty finished, I quickly got dressed in the new bra, white shirt, black coat, and brown pants. Gathering up my belongings, my escape back into the open cavern was as quick as I could make it. Freshly abused for the worlds comfort, the men came up beside me as our little group of four made the treacherous climb down. They would have their turn to clean later, but breakfast would not be pushed back.


    The men were already chewing on pastries before the youngest black-maned Kelton handed me my favorite, a spinach and cheese-filled roll. Hearty and thick though far cooler than it should have been, it was an entire breakfast in the palm of my hand and a well-earned reward for this torture. Even back in the mud hole, we could at least warm some of the rags up. Grumbling aside, it was another good walk through the nicer housing areas. When our trip took us past the council building, a pair of leather-clad guards with metal shields came up to us from the right.


    "The council is ready to meet you, Captain Gula." The younger one with rough brown hair intoned in a respectful voice to the left.


    Standing there for a moment, feeling the moisture still around bits of my skin underneath the clothes, I let loose a sigh of irritation. I had yet to get a few items in order at the warehouse and the morning sun was still too low for my tastes. My internal resistence continued before curiosity of what prompted such pushiness got the better of me. And if it wasn''t a very good reason, I felt some future trouble on the seas would tragically force me to raise my rates.


    The haste continued as we were chaperoned through the double oak doors of the building. A wide-open room with grey walls and wooden floors greeted us. The middle was occupied by a wide half-circle of a desk with three secretaries'' seeing to the lines of messenger girls no more than six winters old, with another double door on both sides. A mass of attendants and visitors ambled about while the guards pushed us to the center of the storm.


    The middle secretary was clad in a black dress and had her hair in a bun like Sharn, though the sweat down her sharp cheeks, frenzied red eyes, and bit lips above a stubby chin showed a panicked frenzy I had only seen in the life and death struggles of war. Her face cooled down as our group came up to her, moving a stray black strand on her face with a moist hand.


    "Ah, yes. You."


    Those hands roamed the small mounds of pages around her section of the desk until she pulled one out.


    "Captain Gula. You''ll be going into the back room."


    I had no idea what that meant, but the fact that the Orc guards raised their eyebrows in surprise informed me of how unusual this was. My curiosity now in full swing, our trip took us through the doors on the left. It occurred to me that the wooden hallway we were going down was lit up with sunlight. A quick look up let me see the bare sky through slits in the wooden ceiling, cavern, and building above. It took a moment of contemplation for me to fully appreciate the effort and design that went into making that happen while we continued walking past one delivery girl or another to the door at the end of the hallway.


    The front escort opened the entrance for us as we shuffled into a wide space. A long desk in the back held a few chairs with one lone seat in the middle of the room in front of it. When they started ushering us toward the next door directly ahead, my first step was rather hesitant as I internalized that there were no immediate ways out of the building this deep into it. I knew, of course, that meeting the council would involve being surrounded by their guards and in their domain but physically being here like this still disagreed with me. Halfway to the door, I felt the electric sensation of a spirit connection on my left shoulder.


    ''Is something wrong, Lady Gula?''


    ''No. Just preferred my office.''


    ''Everyone is prey at some point, through injury, age, or place. Though I think that end is a bit off for you yet.''


    I took a moment to soak in the Kelton cheer before the Orc guard was close enough to open the door for us. We were shepherded into a square office, though it was far warmer than even my abode. On the sides were shelves of books and pages put together in an orderly fashion. Between them lay a red carpet draped over the middle section of the wood floor and under the desk along the backside of the room. The oak beast was almost two of its younger siblings together, though not as big as the one in the main room.


    Behind the desk sat three of my kind, the bald lady on the left was a scrawny thing with a white shirt under a red vest. Which matched her eyes showing from a thin pair of copper glasses while on the right sat a priest with an odd garb. She had short grey hair with a sharp chin sticking out above a white square in her black shirt collar. Her black pants matchedthe top though her golden eyes were a bit friendlier than her garb would suggest. I paid little attention to them as the woman in the middle chair demanded my attention.


    I''m poor.


    Looking at her, those words reverberated through me. A wave of brown hair with only hints of gray, proudly displayed. Fine silver earrings made into flowers were hooped through her small, sharp ears and only served to complement the soft blue jacket and fluffy white undershirt.


    "Captain." She said with a smile of red lipstick bellow her small nose, getting up from her chair and brushing her cream-colored pants before extending a hand to me. Given the invitation to approach, I stepped forward to shake her hand. A soft palm untouched by hard labor took mine and our gold eyes met.


    The tongue I quickly ran across my lips informed me of how chapped they were. Moisture from my poor excuse of a wash clung to my backside, accompanying the thought that using a spent shirt for a towel was certainly too vulgar for someone of her finery. I was stronger than this woman, probably wealthier if we counted all that I owned and co-owned, and certainly more powerful in both muscle and association. Despite that, she was femininity itself, thriving in its later years as it stewed in confidence and self-assurance. A deep-rooted aspect of our two beings that left me in want.


    "Good day." I replied as we completed the gesture. Whatever I was feeling, I forced it down as I took the main seat in front of the desk with whatever dignity could be brought to hand. A moment passed before a spirit connection touched my chest. More unexpectedly, the voice through it was the woman who just shook my hand.


    ''Captain Gula, my name is Nersa. This is bishop Sally and accountant of coin, Bellog.'' She said with a wave to the woman on the right. ''As the head of the council, I must apologize for pushing so much in the correspondence. Events demand secrecy and while I imagine you aren''t inclined to keep things from your crew, I can only ask for all possible discretion.''


    Eager to get out of here, I could only nod and hope the attempt to make discomfort appear as impatience succeeds. Looking to Sally for a moment, she seemed friendly but reserved.


    ''So, what''s the big problem?'' I asked through the spirit connection as I turned back to Nersa.


    ''The cracks in our foundation. That battle with the pirates and mages was thankfully short but the damage from the boulders being thrown around will last far longer. Our workers and architects say we stand to have almost a third of the enclave''s flood if the stonework around the river inlet and sides isn''t fixed.''


    Shit.


    ''And how, exactly, does my ship help address this issue? I hope you don''t think a jaunt over the seas will be a few days.''


    The red-vested woman idly thumbed her white shirt as she looked towards Nersa. A quick glance from the older woman told of an argument being carried out. After a minute, they brought me into the conversation.


    ''We had a shipment of lye, stone, and other essentials on its way when the Mist pirates decided to put the settlement it was staying at to the torch. Things resistant to fire and too heavy to loot. Most of our reserves have already gone to working the tunnel and-''


    A sharp turn of Sally''s head stopped as another argument in spirit connections broke out. One conversation I was only halfway in was quite enough for one week, however.


    ''If you want my help, I have to know everything.'' I quickly put in.


    Nersa bit her lips for a moment until a spirit connection was established on my right shoulder and what I assumed was Sally''s voice came through.


    ''The architects of the church aren''t convinced that concrete will have the load bearing needed to deal with the water pressure. At least not in the volumes that we''ll be working with. We''re using large wooden poles to hold it up for now. But¡­''


    ''But there aren''t large blocks of solid stone laying around.'' I finished.


    The priest shook her head.


    ''Can you give me an estimate of how long we have?'' I asked through both spirit connections.


    The other two women turned to Sally, which joined mine. Her shrug wasn''t indifferent, more tired than anything else.


    ''We don''t know. They''re trying to get an estimate in between keeping it together, but the sooner the better is all they can give me.''


    Nersa did a small cough into her fist to bring the attention back to her.


    ''What is known is what sections of the underground will be affected. Some of the parts in the flooding zone have been damaged in the battle and we''ve been moving people out of there as quickly as possible. When the time comes to start moving residents out of the undamaged sections, people will start asking questions. Sooner or later, they''ll figure out what''s going on or a worker''s lips will loosen and it will be a mad stampede. Best case is we get the supplies we need. Worst¡­''


    Her voice trailed off as she couldn''t bring herself to say the words. Sally had a few of her own, however.


    ''Even if she manages to get the lost shipment, it''s only delaying the inevitable.''


    Nersa stuck out her small chin a bit before turning to Sally.


    ''It gets us time, Christian. Time to get some more room in the tunnels. Time to get a hovel or two shoveled out.''


    I raised my hand to the both of them, making them turn to me.


    ''If I went on this outing, could I even bring the stuff in if I recovered enough?''


    A tired voice from the priest answered me.


    ''Our builders don''t just slap pebbles together and call it a day. The tunnel you come in can handle large slabs. We''ll even provide you the backs for it if needed.''


    Leaning back into my chair, I pondered on the situation. The big question was how much risk I could stomach. Saving this place would be trivial with the true extent of my resources and contacts. My ultimate purpose here, however, was to save my entire species from this hell the Bastard had dropped us in. Millions of future lives thrown into the trash to save several thousand didn''t seem like a good exchange to me. Still¡­ As I pondered on how to use Eli''s creations it occurred to me that the man was here and openly using his earth magic to summon stone. Most of which involved making crafts for others to do so as well.


    ''The plant mage,'' I declared through both spirit connections. ''He''s been making crafts to mold and summon stone. We have men loyal to us looking over him. Seems like a few misplaced tools might be in order.''


    Two pairs of gold eyes went wide while Bellog scrunched her eyebrows at her companions. Nersa looked at me like I was growing a second head while Sally was mostly skeptical.


    ''What?'' The council head demanded as she leaned to the left. The red-vested woman had the same dismissive eyes a mother would have at hearing some nonsense from one of her brood.


    ''We have the stone we need here. It''s just not been summoned yet. And I have some equipment to make it happen. But I will need the guard''s help.''


    Sally leaned forward with both hands meshed together in her black robes.


    ''You want to steal from a mage.''


    I turned to meet her gaze.


    ''Borrow without bringing back.''


    The red-vested woman looked to Nersa, who was biting her lip and looking me up and down. I was careful to show how relaxed about the proposal I was seep through, hoping that confidence lent credence to the proposal. Sally started strumming her fingers on the desk while the leader stood still. The older woman was composed even as the bald companion on her right stared her down with wide red eyes and hard breathing. Silence held on for a moment longer until the head of the council finally spoke in the spirit connection.


    ''Through what means would-''


    A sudden pound on the desk from the red vested woman made everyone jump. She followed it up with a slump back into her chair and a look of disbelief. Being the biggest skeptic, she was the one person more than any other that I had to convince. This time, it was a spirit connection from me that started the conversation.


    ''Do you think I built my ship by hand?'' I asked her and the others. That got me a few raised eyebrows before I continued ''My career as a smuggler started a while back when I realized using a ship made more money than stealing them. Besides being far safer. As a part of my time on the seas, I''ve collected tools that let me take to the water and stay in it like a fish. I just need a few minutes and a rough outlay of the house.''


    The three women looked between each other. Whatever they were discussing, it was at least calm. A few seconds passed before the bald woman turned her red eyes back to me.


    ''And how, by Garren''s grace, does the mage not know some of his tools are missing?''


    It took a moment to collect the answer as my focus was on not screaming the hate that name made well up in my throat.


    ''Mages are human, first and foremost. We can switch out some tools with boards that look similar to the ones he''s been making. If a mage being worked to exhaustion finds two or three tools without their enchantments, is he going to think that a thief broke into the home on an open plane of stone with nothing but freezing water around it, or will he curse the bags under his eyes for his forgetfulness?''


    Nersa bit her lips in consideration before Sally''s grey hair shifted with a nod.


    ''His stone crafts are just the thing we need, and we could hide them among some trusted teams.''


    A small huff from the bald woman drew everyone''s gaze.


    ''The exhausted mage has a sound mind.'' She said with a dismissive tone. ''How, exactly, will you get into his house?''


    Taking a deep breath, I leaned back into my chair again with as much confidence as I could muster.


    ''My tools include watercrafts. They let me keep a tunnel in the water to breathe through and provide movement far better than the best swimmers.''


    Another round of raised eyebrows greeted the words. No questions about how I obtained them, though. The biggest critic still didn''t seem convinced as her index finger idly tapped on the table. Meeting her passive face, I coughed before forcing the conversation in the direction it needed to go.


    ''Make no mistake, this is the only option. As flattering as your appraisal of my abilities is, my crew can''t take on skinners and magical beasts. Those settlements have been getting picked over by the monsters that roam these murderous lands and even if the village that your unfortunate shipment was lost at didn''t have them, any attempt to pick it up would attract the predators.''


    That made the red-eyed woman pull back with an apprehensive look. A quick look at Nersa was only met with an understanding nod. She closed her eyes before releasing a breath and nodding to no one in particular. The leader of the three women leaned forward with clasped hands, making those silver flower earrings swing.


    ''This service is extraordinarily dangerous. I don''t suppose this will be done in charity?''


    ''Investment in the future is what I require. A single investment. Back in my younger years, I would have demanded a lump sum,'' The slight smiles from the older women let me know what they thought of an Orc less than half their age saying that, but the gestures didn''t stop me. ''Now, I just want a portion of¡­ future prospects. Specifically, near the new harbor.''


    Scrunched eyebrows greeted my proposal before Nersa coughed and spoke up.


    ''Would I be wrong to assume you''re speaking of the plant mages'' domain?''


    My simple nod was greeted with a wave of impressed smiles. Most importantly, the biggest critic leaned back with crossed arms and approving red eyes. Sally, however, had a far more motherly reaction.


    ''You want to live under the mage you''ve stolen from?'' She demanded with raised eyebrows. Her smile was smaller than the others and competed with pursed lips. The bald woman came in with another question at that.


    ''We''ve only just started the tunnels. The current plan is to make holds between the seas and the new walls along the road. Making homes under the mage''s wall isn''t something that''s going to be happening for a long while yet.''


    ''If ever,'' Sally put in as she kept her gaze on me. ''You make risky demands. Demands based on things that may not ever happen. You''ve made a good case, but I do worry how many risks you''d be willing to take living near a male mage. Perhaps even brash enough to attempt a stealing of his seed.''


    ''I would never attempt such a thing. He''s¡­ too dangerous.'' I quickly rebutted, almost mentioning the plant mage''s infertility that I would have no way of knowing if they didn''t. Bellog seemed pretty grim as she threw her thoughts in.


    ''She is no less brave than anyone who would live underneath a plant scion. Last I recall, we''re still working out the details and those discussions don''t involve how resilient the nerves of the occupants are. Though, we still don''t have specifics on what exactly Gula wants.''


    ''Just a place made for me.'' I offered with a shrug. ''Three floors, the bottom two for business with the top one having direct access to air and wood for walls. All without land tax.''


    The last sentence drew a particularly sour frown from the bald woman, surpassing even Nersa''s grim expression.


    ''We can discuss the specifics while we wait for Kev.'' She offered before nodding to one of the guards.


    The leather-clad warrior promptly left as we haggled. Our oral combat went on for a good hour and only stopped when the first human male I had seen today came in through the door I had taken. Sporting a brown mustache and beard befitting frozen lands, he was strapped in red leather armor that showed beneath a steel breastplate and shoulder guards. Those brown eyes over his thin cheeks immediately went to me. When he finished taking me in, his bare dome of a head shook with his nod to the others. The snort from his thin nose was equally cordial.


    "Would I be wrong to assume she''s the captain with the only ship than can get in and out of here?" The wave of nods made him come up to the desk. "I don''t remember putting in a request for some goods."


    Nersa waved away the question.


    "We actually require your expertise right now." Her sentence was punctuated by the arrival of a guard with a new chair, which was promptly set on my left. A raised brown eyebrow from Kev was all he returned as he sat beside me. For a minute, his eyes looked between the three council leaders, only near the end did his eyebrows shoot up. A quick glance to me was all I got before he leaned back into his chair with a hand over his mouth, those brown eyes staring down in concentration. We were left to idle for a solid minute before I felt a new spirit connection on my left side.


    ''A pretty daring plan all around. I suppose with the possibility of the underground flooding, some boldness is called for.'' His voice rang out in my head. What threw me off was how he knew about the problem. Looking between them all, Kev guessed the question I didn''t ask.


    ''I''m the former captain of the guard, recently usurped by the cur Fessel. In equal measure, I am the mediator between the Orcs of the city and its human mask. In above ground affairs, I''m the superior. Underground, the inferior. But both sides of the dirt need each other. As for your proposal¡­ It''s not as crazy as it sounds.''


    That got a round of raised eyebrows from those in attendance of the conversation, including myself.


    ''He prefers us over the new guards under Fessel. Getting the day and night shift filled without anyone who would say anything will be as easy as signing two or three papers.''


    ''The plant mage isn''t offended by those who taste us?'' Sally asked in a neutral tone, though her crossed arms told of a guarded mind. Kev''s waving hand dismissed her conclusion.


    ''Not warm and inviting, that one. But not an idiot either. He knows men who''ve sired with Orcs are far less likely to be under the pirate''s coin, if only because of their disdain for us. He has the typical loathing for your kind as any other mage, up until it costs him.''


    I had a brief image of Eli''s sweat-drenched face with a smooth ceiling above, his purple eyes wide in ecstasy as his warmth filled me. Blinking away the memory, I crossed my legs and coughed.


    ''While the guard situation is better than I hoped, that doesn''t mean it will be free for the taking. What, exactly, do these crafts look like? What other security measures are there?''


    Nersa tapped the desk at my last word.


    ''Let''s get a meager meal. By the time it''s ready, I presume we will all be quite famished.''


    That reminded me that I hadn''t done the morning excursion into the latrine. It was a few minutes of people going and coming as we prepared for a long discussion. More than getting food and drink, we had to wait for detailed descriptions from the guards who had seen the plant mages domain with their own eyes. Eli had used them to haul the crafts several times and we had a decent drawing of the home''s layout along with the surrounding area on the desk in short order. A piece of paper that soon became the center of the world for everyone present. Once the last detail was inked on, Kev stood up and ran his fingers over the lines.


    ''He recently split off the back end with a stone wall and wooden door. Smart, considering a dart or arrow might slip through the front door. Through the door into the section is a hallway going to the back end. On the right is his bedroom. Here,'' He pronounced with a finger squarely on the right inner room, just past which lay a tray of breads. ''Opposite of the bedroom is where he stores the goods.''


    Not one to turn down free food, I was mostly preoccupied with deciding on how many of the meat-filled rolls I could eat without being rude. The table was going over every detail, and I had to keep up appearances of course, but the greatest threat to me was slipping on a wet rock. Biting into the hard bread with a rather chewy piece of¡­ something akin to pork only stringier, it occurred to me that the guards were taking a big risk as well.


    ''Kev, I feel we know enough about the buildings. Just as important, if not more so, are the people. When will the mage be out? What about the guards?''


    That drew a raised eyebrow from the man as he took a mug of light beer from the left side of the table.


    ''He typically stays out past dark. The bones of the new tower are made of wood that is stronger than steel, as the chipped swords of our more curious members will attest. That involves a lot of personal touches that only he can perform.


    As for the guards, they''ll stick to the plan. They may not have an official residence here, but their stake in seeing this finished is as much as any Orcs.''


    ''I didn''t doubt that for a second.'' I offered with a raise of my right hand in placation. ''I just wanted to know what happens if the worst occurs. Plans rarely follow the course set out on paper and if the mage should catch me, what''s the next step?''


    Nersa and the bald woman grew hard faces at that, with the older woman taking a deep breath before using the spirit connection.


    ''Despite the hatred between us, we need that mage. If it should come down to it, you will be expected to bear the consequences. As will the guards.''


    Can''t say I expected any different. With the assurance that the men wouldn''t do anything stupid, I was ready to move on.


    ''Fine, I get my head crushed and the guards are whipped. But-''


    A snort from Kev interrupted me, which I regarded with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged as he leaned back into his chair with only a bit of the weak winter sun glancing off his bald head.


    ''I forgot you''re new to these lands. If you''re caught, they''ll be joining you in the afterlife soon after. It''s well-established law that those who fail to protect mages against Orcs are hanged.''


    ''Even non-guards?'' I asked with a raised eyebrow, a question Kev answered with a lazy nod.


    This law being a mirror to the mandate that forced that loathsome black collar on my neck was my first thought. Chewing on that, an errant thought took root. Eli must have been rubbing off on me, because it seemed weird to expect non-combatants to be a meat shield for someone unknown to them, mage or not. Thinking on it further, I contemplated what such a law said about the kingdom''s view of its non-magical citizens. A feeling of momentum took hold of me as the conclusion of weeks of subtle inquiry finally came into view.


    ''Does that include those who aren''t equipped to deal with the situation? Such as it happening too quickly to react?''


    Kev''s thin nose widened a bit as he gave a dismissive snort.


    ''If it''s a woman¡­ maybe she gets out by ''contributing'' to the mages line. A man? A magicless man? Nah. Trash like us is sent to the gallows in short order. Whining won''t do you much good.'' That was greeted with some sad nods all around.


    Some part of my mind suggested slowing this line of questioning down, but the thrill of discovery coursed through my blood and demanded its satiation. Gripping my mug, I forced myself into a semblance of calm before asking the big question.


    ''What about crimes against a magicless man? Could a mage face punishment from a jury or judge staffed by people with no gift in mana?''


    A small laugh escaped his thin lips while he lifted the mug to them.


    ''I''m not sure a mage can commit a crime against those without magic. Probably too much like kicking a bit of trash in the leadership''s eyes.''


    There it was. Casually spat out between a chewed roll and summarily drowned by beer, but it arrived all the same. I sat there, trying to appear impassive as the key piece to the biggest puzzle I had found here came into place.


    My whole life had been spent fighting the Coalition and their men, be they soldier or citizen, were a near monolithic wall against my kind. So much so that we had to take most men by force to have our children. Here, the human males had given themselves over completely and what proportions or sensual grace we in the swamps lacked to attract them had haunted me since I first found my kind enjoying what I had always dreamed of.


    But it wasn''t anything we lacked. It''s because, for all of its failings, the Coalition mostly kept mages from abusing their weaker counterparts. The words of Eli''s story, concerning a trial where a crafter mage was sentenced by some peasant jury, came through as clear as the first time I had heard them. Going over his experiences and all that I had heard over the years, my conviction gradually solidified into something between a belief and an errant suspicion. My mind ran through whatever small scraps I had heard about the human males lives here, but there was precious little to go on besides Kev''s comments. If, howev-


    ''Gula?'' Nersa''s voice interrupted my thoughts.


    Jerking up, I coughed into my free left hand.


    ''Sorry, got sidetracked on some business with my ship. Please, go on.''


    They went on, about patrols and sight lines, things I made an effort to retain. My mind, however, used every moment of silence to go over all the stories I''d heard and experienced, trying to find any notion or instance that went against the theory. The biggest example was Eli. His path to me was painful enough to lead him to the Orcs. And Keltons. Of course it was. Any man who settled for me would have¡­


    I put a stop to the tentacles from the wound in my soul. Nersa''s femininity and being in council territory were already unnerving me and this was not the place to have potentially life-changing revelations. Pushing myself to focus on the conversation, it took only a few minutes to buff out our plan''s rough edges, with where I would be stationed and how being quickly agreed upon in short order. As swiftly as things came together, Kev still needed another day to get the right men in place.


    The chocolate beard shifted over the large sketch one last time, his brown eyes taking in every last detail before leaning back with a satisfied nod.


    ''Well, I can''t say there''s anything left to do but start. If you ladies don''t have anything else to add.''


    A round of nods from us all sent him standing with a smile.


    ''Then I take my leave. I''ll have to get the men with the right nerves in place.''


    With that, he turned and left. Feeling thoroughly done with this conversation, I likewise got up.


    ''Sadly, my time is in similar demand. Unless there''s anything else?''


    "Yes. A quick signing is all." Nersa said audibly.


    A secretary was quickly called and came through the door with a long sheet of paper and a quill with ink.


    "Please sign on the dotted line after reviewing the terms."


    Perusing the document, it was an agreement for compensation for the ''agreed service''. All worded to be short and faithful to what we had discussed. My meager legal sense couldn''t comprehend why we needed a written contract when they were the only people who could enforce it, but I signed off all the same. My ears had only experienced small huffs and scratching paper for a few hours, and it felt a bit weird to hear words through them again.


    "Thank you for your time. We all hope this relationship is¡­fruitful." Nersa offered with her sweetest smile.


    Her two companions nodded in agreement. Taking my leave, I went back through the building with my guards. Moving through the hallways took a bit longer as the midday rush was in full swing, but we eventually found ourselves out on the street again and walking up to the tunnel on the right.


    ''What now?'' The older, brown-furred Kelton to my right asked in a spirit connection.


    Getting some new leather braces for the Frojan to mold into crafts, sorting the current orders, catching Eli up on current events. I felt pangs of phantom pain in my feet at the prospect of so much walking.


    ''Back to it.'' I replied with as much cheer as I could manage.

 Working The Underground(2)

    Gula POV


    Our trip through the underground wasn''t nearly as swift as it was in the morning and the last slog on the road in the hold I lived in seemed agonizingly slow, especially with the crowd bringing its typical fragrance with it. When the white boards of my warehouse finally showed above one of the wooden dwellings, a sigh of relief escaped my lips with no resistance. Small nods from the Kelton men immediately followed. Making our way past the tunnel entrance, we made the left turn onto the street holding the rows of now-filled warehouses. Along with the regular crowd that now scurried about, near the front was the grey and black-haired priest Cassie. Around her black robes were a gaggle of six younger Orc girls.


    Ranging roughly between eleven and fifteen, the girls all had rough shirts and equally distressed pants that bore patches of cloth and some rips left open. The bodies beneath were in almost as bad a state. A few had scabs and scars, all had thin frames. The first girl who spotted me was on the left of Cassie and raised her brown eyebrows in surprise with the others quickly following her eyes.


    "Captain!" The priest exclaimed as she moved forward with my newest crewmembers. When they made it through the crowd, she made a slight bow which the girls quickly imitated without grace.


    "ehu..."


    It took two coughs to clear the throat that hadn''t been used for speech in hours.


    "Hello." Was all I said before looking at the girls directly. "Things have changed but for your benefit. I''ll be on the ship for a few hours, so we''ll be dropping you off where you''ll be getting a feel for sea life."


    Cassie looked at the girls with cautious eyes, weighing something in her mind, before looking back to me.


    "Hard working and dedicated, every last one. They will serve you well."


    The priest reluctantly waved her hands towards me, ushering the smaller Orcs forward. Not quite the small bundles of innocence crawling over Eli back at the base but not blossomed into full women, the girls just leaving childhood behind shuffled forward with uncertain strides.


    "Excellent. Let me see to some things in the office and we will get you lot situated."


    A few gave me too enthusiastic nods while most looked down. It was a quick visit through the wide door, seeing the typical curtains of segmented bedrooms in the back as I turned left to Shran''s desk. The grey-haired secretary had a few papers to sign and I had a few instructions to give, with a relatively painless end to the exchange that saw me return to the street in short order.


    On the left side of the street was my group, politely hugging the wall to keep out of traffic. The black-maned Kelton nodded to the group who fell in line behind us, with Cassie directly ahead of me. Our walk up to the tunnel was quick as it rested only a stone toss to the left of the warehouse. It was the only respite we received as we made our way through the two crowded holds before arriving at the exit of the underground. Coming up to the gaping hole where the tunnel to the outside started, Cassie drew to a slow stop and with her the whole group. I raised an eyebrow to her as she turned to me with a twitch in her short nose.


    "Captain Gula, would it be improper for me to visit the girl''s future lodgings?"


    Her licked lips told me she knew of her brush against propriety. Fortunately, for her, the ship had been made appropriate for visitors.


    "It''s not for outsiders. I can have you brought up to the entry of the ship in a dingey and the girls can give you a report if you want, but a below-deck visit is out of the question." I offered. The priest dipped her head and went on, with the rest of the group soon following.


    Walking down the tunnel walls with the occasional slit in the ceiling giving us light with extinguished lamps along the tunnel ceiling, the loneliness of the long chute was palpable as each slap of foot on stone could be heard instead of falling into the background. If not for the occasional scratch of an archer behind a murder hole, I''d say it was unwatched. Eventually, we arrived at the slightly open space with a table on the left and the watch working the lid to the outdoors. Waiting for her to lift the false boulder, I looked around at the girls.


    Nervous. Excited and eager, but nervous more than anything.


    "Miss captain." A smaller feminine voice to my left asked. Turning to the smaller girl with black hair flowing to her waist, her red eyes shot down rather than meet mine. "I have a younger sister staying at the Hole. Will I be able to send her some coin?"


    Cassie was a bit further ahead and bit her lip. The church was dumping them on me because they couldn''t care for them. Getting paid for the privilege of housing and consistent meals? That hadn''t come up. Money, however, could be spent freely beyond the point that it drew suspicion.


    "You''ll get coin. Not as much as fully fledged crewmembers, mind you. Cleaning and kitchen aid are mostly what you''ll be doing. A few hundred coppers each month, with opportunities to be made full members in the years to come. If you''re interested."


    That got them excited, with some even bouncing on the soles of their feet.


    "We are!"


    "How old do we need to be before becoming full crew members?"


    I put my hands up in surrender.


    "There''s no hard number of winters. Just when you''re strong enough to pull the ropes and shimmy up the masts. Far off days." The sudden encroachment of chill air and soft creak announced the opening of the entrance. "And most certainly not today."


    Our conversation over, we headed up the hard stairs and onto the stone plains. The wind was mostly blocked by the surrounding rock and with the sun as high as it was going to be, the plains were as pleasant as could be expected. Most of the more obnoxious boulders had long since been moved out of the way and a small path through the sheered stone had been naturally established through time and traffic. As convenient as it was for my feet, that fact was the only thing that let the newest members of the ship make the journey to the mansion on the water further ahead. Sporting only small slabs of wood and leather, the shoes the girls wore were only just an improvement over bare feet.


    Along the side of the ship facing towards Crasden, I saw the boats getting lowered into the water with some far-off specks moving over the mass of wood and sails like ants tending to their mound. The three guards stuck around the perimeter while we waited in a tight mass for the boat to arrive. Even being the best time to travel, the plains were not a welcoming place and winter showed its usual penchant for cruelty.


    Long dinghies of wood with four Kelton men apiece were being rowed ashore at a pace both fast and far too slow. When the solid thunk of wood on stone finally announced the sailor''s landfall, a small rush forward took hold without any directions being given.


    "Get the kids in first," I ordered everyone.


    "No cargo,Captain?" One black grey-maned man put in as he took in the young girls, who were looking rather reluctant to get into the boat.


    "No," I grumbled as I surveyed the land around our little group. I would have preferred it to be a totally barren landscape and for a blessed second, it was before a vague shape shifted between the rocks almost too far away to be seen. Another second passed as I reconfirmed what my eyes were sort of seeing. Mentally working out which direction I was looking at took another second.


    "North. Looks like one dead." I announced.


    That made all the heads snap in my direction for a moment. The guards and sailors were the first to recover. My caretakers positioned themselves between the main group and the approaching thing while the sailors clumsily took out their swords. All this took enough time for the first pangs of panic to work through the girls.


    "Lass." One of the brown-furred sailors called out from the boat as our newest members backed away from the general direction of our approaching menace. The black-furred Kelton guard near the front gave an exaggerated snort.


    "One of ours." His rough voice rang out as he looked at the younger brown-coated lad. "Let''s give them peace."


    Taking out my sword, the slight hiccup in drawing it out of its leather holster told of some slack seeping into my routine. The two Kelton guards promptly moved forward, weaving through the shattered boulders and jagged slabs. Their positions in the guard ring were filled with two of the older Orcs armed with clenched fists while the other four were filing onto the boats in a rush.


    "Girls," Cassie''s stern voice went out over the crowd, her demanding, motherly voice working its magic and keeping them from trying to get in all at once.


    "Go." The two braver girls snapped at my command, "This is just an inconvenience.".


    To their credit, the older girls were obedient and left to join the others near the shore. The Keltons took off with only one left behind to ''guard'' me. My view of the wasteland was still mostly dead as the splash of waves against the stone filled my ears. It took only a minute more before the girls were properly situated, with our newest members split evenly on the boats, Cassie moved in to join them. After nearly five minutes of waiting with my sword out, I nodded to the last guard to follow me. Fortunately, it was only a few steps before the approaching forms of the two male Keltons finally presented themselves. At first, I wanted to rush forward to see what the damages were, as their breathing was hectic, faces shocked, and the hands gripping their holstered swords were white from how hard they were squeezing.


    "Any injuries?" I asked looking them up and down for some wounds or blood splotches. Aside from some dirt on the younger man''s left side, they would have looked like they just got off a casual stroll if not for their posture and shocked demeanor.


    "They¡­ were a woman but she had¡­with her-"


    A rough growl from the older man stopped him.


    "Enough, lad." In a surprisingly mild tone that was more whisper than reprimand. His white eyes then looked at me and he seemed to have aged a decade in the few minutes he had been gone. "It''s dealt with, Captain. I think it would be best if we were rotated out for some fresh guards. Some time on the seas is in order."


    Refusing to let my mind fully process everything, I simply nodded and turned back to the group. When we came back to the shore, our group went into the boats without a word. I was sitting directly ahead of the priest, next to whom a sailor was wielding an oar to push us away from the rocks. A bit of rowing from the men saw us overcome the waves pushing us ashore and make a straight line to the ship. A chill wind blew over our now fully exposed clothes, infused with a sting of cold sea spray. My nose filled with the scent of that salty water, far stronger than it was underground but still just a small tingle compared to the northern base.


    Arriving at the ship, we were situated on the side with some ropes being thrown down. The men promptly hooked the boat up through rings on the front and back. Wind pushed us back and forth as we rose out of the water, much to the worry of the girls. Their nerve held, however, and we came up to the deck with little fuss.


    It was at this point that a big flaw in the ship''s design became apparent. Designed by Beaton and his sailing crew, they had put a lot of love and expertise into every inch of this ship, but that didn''t grant them omniscience. One big issue was getting people directly from the boat onto the deck when it was lifted up. Kelton men came forward with long poled hooks to keep our dingey in place as we awkwardly dropped the two feet onto the floorboards. It wasn''t a big issue and no one had been hurt by it. Months of living in perfect housing with Eli''s experienced eye, however, did make the small failing look far larger than it was.


    "So," Cassie''s voice rang out on my left. The wind blew through her grey and black hair as she looked up at the navigator''s wheel, currently manned by the big, grey-haired man called Beaton. "You do have some human men here."


    "A few." I agreed before turning to my remaining three guards disembarking from the boat, which when emptied was promptly pulled toward the back with the pulley and wench system. "Watch over Cassie while I take the girls around. After that, you''ll be dismissed."


    The girls looked around with wide red and gold eyes. Sailors would often swarm the deck, adjusting sails or seeing to any of a dozen other tasks. Of course, the ship wasn''t often at anchor for days on end. Being in port for so long left little to do and only a watch dotting a few key points on the wooden landscape occupied the deck aside from our visiting party. Still, it was all brand new to the younger Orcs who stood on the spot with eyes darting around everywhere. Most stopped at the mast as they tried to decipher how such a tall mass of wood could stay up straight.


    A short minute later, the other boat was brought up on the opposite side of the ship and my five newest crewmembers were finally together in a tight bunch.


    "All right ladies. Time to show you around." I announced with a sweeping hand to the front. The double oak doors leading into the lower decks were wide open and my steps towards them were quickly followed up by a small stampede. We all went down the staircase with the occasional creek of wood and a chorus of chatter joining the crash of waves. As we turned left, the crowd''s noise overwhelmed the other two sounds.


    Slits of sunlight filtered through windows on the sides as crowded long tables filled the front of the room. Arriving at late lunch, the typical smell of cooking wasn''t present. That didn''t stop the girls from giving the kitchen in the back forlorn looks.


    "I could go for some bread. You want any?"


    A small cascade of shaking hair greeted my question. Keeping a smile off my face as we moved between the crowd was a challenge as we took to the right side of the wall. Coming up to the long, open window, we filched some rolls from a basket left on the counter. It was a bit cold and stiff, but the girls devoured the two they each received in short order. Taking the basket, I offered it to the bolder girl on my right. Her self-control was impeccable, far better than mine was at that age at least, as she carefully doled out the rest to the other five before taking her extra portion.


    Our munching group walked past the tables filled with Kelton men and a few humans, all of whom only regarded us with a glance or two before getting back to a card game or story. The trip back to the staircase was short and we quickly descended further into the guts of the ship. We were led out into the next floor of the wooden mansion on water, this one being one of the two floors dedicated to sleeping quarters.


    Rows and rows of two-bed bunks were neatly laid out in front of us, though only a few had any occupants. Empty bunks, signified by a bare mattress and no clothes or items dangling about, were few as this was the preferred floor to stay at, with only those valuing solitude at night willing to take the extra walk up the stairs staying in the quarters below. Even as crowded as it was, moving towards the back and finding five empty bunks wasn''t too difficult.


    "It smells nice here." One of the girls behind me said, accompanying her words with a few sniffs.


    "We keep a clean operation, in ship and crew."


    "It''s probably a lot easier with water magic. They don''t make the water cold, right?" An eager girl with short brown hair and a sharp chin asked as she came up to my left. Stopping in between two bunks, I raised an eyebrow at her.


    "To who ,or what, are you referring?"


    Her red eyes looked confused for a moment before she swallowed her spit and bit her lips. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back a little before giving her a look that I expected an answer.


    "The priests at the Hole. I heard some of them talk about big frog people being aboard the ship. They said they can use water magic."


    I raised an eyebrow at that. We had tried to keep the Frojan hidden to avoid too many questions. An effort apparently wasted.


    "What is the Hole?" I asked as I resumed walking towards the back.


    "The orphanage." One of the girls in the back answered with some bitterness.


    "They are trying their best. At least, I haven''t heard otherwise."


    A few guilty faces were all I got in response, with the brown-haired girl looking down.


    "Still," I declared with a wide sweep of my arms towards the empty bunks as we reached the opposite side of the room. "We can always do better. Pick one, preferably in pairs. It''ll be hard for the men if they have to work around little girls first thing in the morning. They do need their morning to start right if they want to stay beautiful."


    That got smiles on their green faces before they all broke out in a run to get a favored bed. The older ones took the top bunks on the left and right while the odd one out took the bottom bed on the further right bunk.


    "Ooh!"


    "Ahh."


    Those sounds repeated along with the creaks of wood as the Orcs bounced on their new mattresses.


    "They feel like they''re filled with feathers." The older one in the top right bunk said with a slam back into the folded blankets. Nodding to the group, I turned to a couple of men lounging a bit further ahead.


    "Fetch them some proper clothes and whatever food can be scrounged up from lunch. Tell the second to decide on how to start their training."


    The idlers quickly nodded and got up to see to the task. Looking back to the girls, their satisfied stretches left little doubt as to how comfortable the bunks were to them. I was almost sorry that I had to take one of them away.


    "If you''re willing to stay on, I need one to say as much to priest Cassie."


    They all put their heads out of their bunks, looking between each other with agreeable faces. Having reached an unspoken accord, the older, brown-haired girl got down from the top bunk. Wiping down her ragged clothes with a few brushes from her hands took a second before she came forward.


    "I''ll tell her we''re staying."


    I gave her a light smile and pointed to the upward staircase. We moved together, leaving behind the last guard to look over the girls. Walking past the bunks and coming up the stairs took almost no time at all. The girl was practically skipping with joy and her happiness did have an infectious quality that made the trip more bearable. Taking a moment to fetch some idle guard from the tables was the only delay and we reached the top of the stairs in only a minute.


    Arriving on the deck saw what little heat we had managed to accumulate on our skin swiftly blasted off. Previously soft winds were turning into a proper storm, though only a light drizzle was coming down at the moment. Despite that, Cassie was standing firm on the left side of the ship with my two traumatized guards.


    When we approached, I nodded to the two Kelton men guarding her. A swift nod was all I got before they abandoned their posts and made a beeline for the doors we just came out of. The priest''s golden eyes only had room for the girl, however. The contagious delight coming off her small frame was too great for the worried older woman to deny. I saw a sigh escape her lips, though the rush of wind slightly blocked the sound as it blew through her black robes.


    "I suppose there weren''t any stacks of corpses or torture chambers down there?" She asked with a small smile.


    A wave of brown hair flowed around the girl''s head as she shook in disagreement.


    "Just soft beds and food. I don''t think the rest will leave now even if you tried."


    Cassie took another deep breath. Her eyes darted between the girl and me for a moment before meeting my gaze.


    "Then I leave them in your care. Depending on how it turns out, would you be willing to take on more?"


    "Certainly. But, I will have to take on contracted crews who can do the full job at some point if I want to move all the cargo being requested. Though, it is the past I''m more interested in. How did you come to know of the Frojan aboard my ship?"


    She gave an involuntary look down before turning back to me.


    "One was spotted aboard a while back. A big, brown fellow. With their water magic and crafts presumably under your command¡­ You have a lot of tools at your disposal. Tools that desperate times like these make very valuable. More than that, it''s great gossip and lord knows we''re all looking for anything to keep our minds off the current situation."


    Indulging her with a small smile, I nodded to the guards and sailors, who moved forward to return the woman to land.


    "Stay at the warehouse. I''ll be there soon enough" I instructed them as I turned to leave with the girl. Going down the staircase and past the dining level, she quickly joined the others on the first housing floor to pick out shirts and pants with her fellows. Standing in front of the stairs for a moment to take in the happy scene, the important thing gradually pushed me to move. Taking a left to go further into the depths of the ship saw me make a turn and come into a nearly identical floor, save for the inhabitants.


    Near the middle were my longtime Frojan companions, talking around a wooden ball that served as a heating craft. Among them was Lokan, a long, blue snake woman lounging in a low bunk with a casual yawn that stretched the scar along her left eye, a red-slitted thing. She wore a long purple robe lazily stretched over her body. Hers wasn''t as large as the big frogmen''s attire, including Baloo''s, who sat on the floor in front of her in the squat typical of his kind. His green body with a darker green back, blue robe, and large amber eyes was the same as always. He saw me and nodded but stopped when he saw it was the larger brown Frojan behind him that held my attention.


    "Did you go above deck, Sawoon?" I asked with an even voice.


    The others turned to him with expectant looks. His amber eyes looked around before he turned downward.


    "It''s awfully cramped down here."


    A few irritated faces greeted the admission, though I only stood there in silence. Taking a moment to collect myself, I tried my best to keep the irritation out of my voice.


    "Keeping you and your magic was a secret we decided to keep because it would be a nice surprise for anyone thinking of attacking us. You''ve given away valuable tactical information about our abilities."


    His companions were looking between each other or thumbing a spear, their irritated thoughts conveyed without saying anything.


    "They''re not s-soldiers." Lokan offered from my left. She was idly leaning to her right on an elbow with a tongue flicking through the air. "Keeping people idle for days at a time is almost as hard as coordinating them for work. Not that you''ve had that problem in the pas-st."


    A huff from Baloo drew everyone''s gaze.


    "Cutting off a frozen leg will keep you busy. I can''t say I don''t understand wanting to stretch out in the open air, but these lands are not like back home. Barely any sun even when it''s noon, cold as our harshest winter on a good day, and water salty enough to crust between the skin and tear it. I''ll keep my hide here, thank you very much."


    "You may not be able to."


    That got everyone''s attention. As loathe as I was to do it after using spirit connections after my morning, it was something that had to be done.


    ''We''re going to steal some crafts from Eli.''


    That got raised eyebrows at the sudden use of wordless communication, but they promptly started talking, with Baloo leading.


    ''I suppose we have some people onboard who aren''t aware of Eli and his aims. Does this mean we have to start being more careful about these types of discussions?''


    My nod drew a few sighs from the group. It was Songoo, a younger, red frojan on the right of Baloo, who spoke up.


    ''Are we getting some supplies from Eli or are we actually stealing from the supposed plant scion?''


    ''The latter. And it must be convincing. For all they know, this is a daring raid that could bring death at a moment''s notice.''


    Lokkan coughed with suppressed laughter, drawing a raised eyebrow from me.


    ''Make sure not to look too happy when you see him. It wouldn''t be good for you to swoon in the middle of the guards.''


    A wave of smiles went through all of my old comrades. For my part, I indulged their amusement like the phenomenal friend I was.


    ''This is about saving thousands of people tomorrow night. All a part of a wider plan to pull my entire species out of the mud. I think I can keep my mind on the objective for one night.''


    All I got for my sincerity was some rolled eyes.


    ''Anyway,'' I said with a quick look back to the main group. ''I need some watercrafts to move and stay underwater. So, do try to keep focused when we''re done.''


    Large Frojan hands were unfit for needlework, a fact demonstrated over many years. That left Lokkan and me to see to the task. An hour of threading and cutting leather straps went by until I had leather vambraces and a wide face mask. It was tempting to ask for a craft that would keep the cold water off of me, but Baloo told me many years ago that such a craft would suck in too much mana.


    Sitting on the left of Lokkan, I watched the older brown Frojan run his hands over the leather with smooth movements. The heating craft down here was able to properly warm the space with a few shafts of fading light still coming through the windows. When he gave a satisfied sigh and removed his large fingertips from the leather, I got up and put my hand out to receive the new gift.


    ''It feels odd.'' Sawoon said as he handed it over, ''Having to act afraid of someone we''ve been working with for weeks on end.''


    ''The danger will be partially real,'' I refuted ''He may not be an actual enemy, but the stone spike I''ll tell him to put in our sides if we''re caught will be genuine.''


    A round of dismissive coughs was the main response. The one from Lokkan on my right was particularly flippant.


    ''Yeah, I''m sure he''ll do that.''


    I took in the rolling eyes from some of the Frojan and the blue snake woman''s smile. The fact none of them believed Eli would hurt me made my heart flutter. No matter the truth of the wider Orc position here and how the men came to lay with them, my closest friends did not doubt his love for me.


    ''Then he''ll have to use a wave of water to wash us away.'' Was all I said to them and the warmth in my cheeks.


    When the Frojan started working on the leather mask, I decided to stop thinking. I was going to sit on the mattress and not think or puzzle through the if''s and could''s of my marriage. It was a few seconds before I felt myself sinking into contentment. Perhaps this was how Nersa became so confident, just refusing to run herself ragged.


    After getting the items together and trying them on to test their comfort in front of the heating ball, I gave the group a satisfied nod. Baloo stood up, with a small smack of his staff on the floor.


    ''Will you want a companion for your underwater excursion?''


    My first thought was no. Then the memory of my first conversation here came back to me.


    ''I don''t see why not now that they know you lot are here. Though they will need the right skin color. Can''t have a big green or red spot in the water that Eli can''t pretend he doesn''t notice.''


    ''I''ll do it,'' The older, brown Frojan volunteered as he got up on my left.


    ''Will you not be seen?'' I asked.


    Baloo nodded before coughing into a webbed hand.


    ''Dirt doesn''t stay still in water, as the cleanings we occasionally had to do in the tunnels back home will attest. There''s no doubt a good layer of mud along the bottom now.''


    Satisfied with things as they were, I did one last nod to my future companion.


    ''Get ready then. We''re going to start our grand heist late tomorrow.''


    He promptly got up and turned towards one of the back bunks. I left him to his task, giving everyone a wave goodbye before heading up. The next floor was more crowded than the one I spent a good hour in, though supper was being made and a lot of the sailors had moved up to the dining section. Aside from the two in the back, tying belts around the newest additions to the crew. Wearing clothes that weren''t anywhere close to properly fitting, the Orcs had to roll up their shirts arms, and pants legs just to move around. The attire here wasn''t custom made but it came without holes, rips, or stains.


    There was a moment of idleness as I took in how happy the girls looked. I wouldn''t say they were destitute when they were in front of my warehouse but the smiles and giggles surrounding them wouldn''t have been among them. It was nice to see before the day''s labor began in earnest.


    Normally, I would run a test on the run up the stream to the wall, but Kev hadn''t gotten his people in place. That only left me with a foot-destroying walk back, time in the freezing river to make sure I didn''t drown when the water moved at a good pace, and an avalanche of paperwork dealing with setting up my business. Oh, and I had to freeze my ass off in a smelly stall to tell Eli about all of this so he doesn''t accidently blow my head off.


    My soul felt the call of good food and well-washed companionship just a floor above. Forcing myself to turn around, I went further up the stairs. When I arrived at the crowded dining area, my will strained further as I looked over the long tables with servers putting out bowls of fresh bread and wooden mugs in preparation for the evening meal. Being a mostly Kelton crew, it was relatively quiet compared to the size of the gathering, which made the hard sizzle in the back far easier to hear.


    In the wider view of things, how bad would half the underground flooding really be? A few new bunks and blankets and it''d probably sort itself out.


    Pushing away the thoughts, I forced myself to do the adult thing. Going up the stairs lead me out onto the wide-open deck. I must have spent more time than I thought musing because my Frojan companion quickly came up behind me. Sawoon was fully dressed in a fluffy grey jacket and hard brown pants. Two layers of big white shirts contained his muscular chest, though bits of fat were starting to accumulate here and there. Doing a soft sway in place, I felt that we were all filling out our clothing a bit more these days. Putting his spear upright like a walking stick, his big brown head nodded to me.


    "Alright," I said with the cheer of a coming execution. "Let''s get this over with."


    The rest of my day went by as I thought it would. Aside from some fuss with the guards when I tried to practice in the cleaning section of Crasden''s river, it all passed in a blur of papers and sore feet until I found myself walking through the double doors of my warehouse at a time far too along into the night. Cold and tired, I had just gotten back from the freezing stalls to inform Eli of the plan. The guards were going to set a small fire near the back end of the new tower, where he would dash off and I would have Sawoon push me above the water and onto the platform in front of his home. It was a simple plan, one my husband signed off on. Our conversation was nearly as swift and ended with ''love you''. As nice as it was to talk with him, there was something irksome about spending more time getting to a meeting than actually attending it.


    One of my new Kelton guards, a slightly thinner fellow with grey fur and tall ivory horns, opened the warehouse double door and looked inside before nodding to me. It seemed a bit much, but this lot was a lot more particular than my regular companions. Going in with only faint starlight filtering in from the outside ceiling, I saw the big, brown Frojan wrapped in a blanket on the right. Soft snores emanated from his fluffy wrapping as my Kelton guards moved ahead toward the stairs on the left.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Waiting near the entrance was grating but the men were rather insistent on my safety with the grey-furred man going up to the second floor. After a minute, I was finally given the all-clear to go to my bed. Exhaustion nipped at my every footfall and made my grasp on the railing going up tenuous. The floor was dark even for my eyes and when I finally made my way through the crates, I plopped onto the bed. The world immediately faded, with only the agony in my feet holding on before oblivion came.


    My eyes first saw white sheets before I felt the need to stretch. The tiredness in my limbs was gone and my feet weren''t feeling sore. They also felt the dirty shoe still on my right foot. On any other day, I would have been rushing about one task or another. Today, I had a big mission at night and that meant a lazy routine beforehand, with me having instructed Shran as much. Being tired can get you killed in dangerous situations and after yesterday I wasn''t taking a step or moving a finger I didn''t need to.


    Sadly, I still had to bathe and eat. This time, I washed with a rag and a bucket of water delivered from the cleaning area. I felt bad that I had to send one of the Kelton guards to lug a pale of water around and get my breakfast, but they went about their work without any apparent resentment. In the typical way of things, the relaxing part of my day passed by all too quickly. I was doing some blade stances for light practice in front of my desk when Shran came up the stairs.


    "A guard is here. Saying something about escorting you to the work site." Her raised eyebrows made it clear how curious she was, but she said nothing else before heading down.


    Wiping off my black jacket, white shirt, and brown pants, I followed her. In front of the now-opened door was a leather-clad Orc with short black hair and a metal shoulder guard with fading afternoon light hitting the street behind her.


    "Are you ready, captain Gula?" She asked.


    I nodded with Sawoon on the floor to the left getting up. His water magic allowed him to wear the same clothes that he had worn yesterday, and his attire did nothing to hinder his movements. My three guards came up from the housing area just out of my left eyesight. Moving down to the floor, I regarded Shran with a nod as I walked past her desk and followed the Orc guard out onto the street.


    The afternoon was mixed as far as speed went. Having an official guard gave us leeway to force our way through certain clogs in the streets, but the tunnel towards the back end of the cavern had no concern for government authority as the masses could only sidestep so far. Moving through the underground, our pattern of starting and stopping went on for a while until we were several holds deep.


    I had lost track of where we were or what cavern we had just come out of after about twenty minutes of walking. The first indication that we were approaching our destination was the carts filled with dirt starting to take up most of the traffic. As we came through the exit of one tunnel, the space opened upon a work camp. On the left was a series of troughs with mixes of water and dirt that I assumed to be the ingredients of their concrete. Working in tandem were more carts of dirt, some loaded down with chipped rocks to dump elsewhere or going further into the gaping maw in the stone directly ahead. I found more evidence of the masonry directly ahead with the stone steps allowing for foot traffic while a long ramp on the left provided a means of moving the wheelbarrows elsewhere.


    "You lot look a little too well dressed to be shovelers." A gruff voice further to my left shouted over the din of cracking stone and chorus of boots hitting rock. It was a shorter, late 30''s woman with strong arms, shoulder-length brown hair, and a rough leather vest. Her air of authority, attendants, and high position on a wood platform looking over the entire area marked her as the overseer.


    "A special guest that has an interest in our work here. With the permission of the council."


    Our guide''s face and tone were polite as could be. Even so, the slight look of irritation on her face made it clear her patience was being tested. The overseer only nodded before looking back down to her duties. We took the opportunity to keep walking down toward the big hole in the wall. It was still rather crowded with workers as we made our way across the open expanse between the tunnel mouths, though, since the place currently lacked any structures, the crowd easily made room for us until we came up to the steps.


    Concrete had been applied to the sides and long since dried but as we climbed the stairs I began to notice how sharp the beast''s edges were. Time had yet to work its craft on the stone here, as evidenced by bits of pointed concrete coming out of the walls and the steps still having an edge to them. Walking up gradually afforded me a full view of the tunnel''s size and depth. I felt like a cricket staring at the inside of a fish''s mouth. Its width was enough for almost four carriages to travel through at once, nearly twice the size of the others. Along the ceiling were slits letting in the failing afternoon sun, which shined down on the lines of workers.


    Our guide motioned us forward through the dust and smell of sweat permeating this wound in the land. Looking towards the back, I couldn''t see the end of the tunnel, though the glimpses that came through the crowd didn''t give me a clear enough view to decide if it was from the length or obstructions. Following the intake crowd left us with a minute of walking before we came up to the only hole in the wall I''d seen. It was on the left and making that cut through traffic would''ve been impossible without our guard throwing her authority around.


    The hole in the wall immediately lead to a wide, spacious room. It was the first time I had seen an underground section that wasn''t big enough to hold multiple buildings, this place being somewhere between a far too large room and a single house. What was more pertinent to our interests was the doors on the far side. They let in some starlight from the outside and like their counterparts in the main section, the sound of water could be heard behind them. Though the sounds were more consistent with the back and forth of waves. Once we were all inside, our escort took a hook and moved a hooped curtain on the left wall to cover the entrance.


    "You can leave immediately. Just hug to the left and go through the first open side of the stone you see" She whispered.


    Raising an eyebrow at her, I started up a spirit connection with her.


    ''Will anyone be there to let us in?'' I asked. Her response carried a bit of annoyance.


    ''Yes. Fortunately, the plant mage has put in a back entrance for anyone caught in the river. It seems almost perfect for someone to sneak in. An oversight or an act of compassion far too great that has worked in our favor.'' Her apparent irritation at having to use a spirit connection faded as her red eyes met mine. ''I want you to know, the few who know of this operation appreciate your bravery. A mage''s wrath is no small thing. Even before his massacre of the pirates, most wouldn''t think of taking this risk. For a stranger to do it for our sake¡­ A thousand thanks, captain.''


    This was not the first time that the weird nature of this little dance presented itself. Everyone knew where I would be and why in order to hide me from Eli, my husband. Who I had already told about this excursion so he could play along. I had the same nerves all soldiers did and my years of combat, all involving enemies who actually wanted to kill me, made me feel a little ashamed to be cloaked in false valor.


    ''It''s for all of us. But I prefer to do, not talk about doing.'' I offered before turning to my men with a meaningful look.


    The Keltons turned around towards the wide curtain while Sawoon and I adjourned to the doors. It was a few minutes before I had finally stripped down to my skin and set my clothes aside before putting on the leather mask and arm braces from the big frog man. Frojan males had sex drives and interests that were totally dissimilar to Orcs and humans. As evidenced by the complete disregard displayed in the big, brown Frojan. Which was good, because if our multi-layered deception was going to work, I couldn''t leave behind a trail of water in Eli''s home nor could I risk Sawoons'' water spell loudly ripping my clothes when it pulled the water off me.


    Opening the doors took some full-bodied movement until the wooden slabs finally pulled back. The wooden entrance lead into a much smaller room with rocks above and a decently wide pool open to the wider sea beyond. Slipping into it, I felt soft, slick hands take hold of my shoulders before I activated the mask''s enchantment and an air bubble enveloped my head. Unlike back in the swamp, this water had salt in it and I dared not open my eyes for fear of any water rendering me blind. Not that any great sights would be lost to me.


    After a second, my body began feeling the pull of momentum on it. Water rolled over my skin and for a while, the sea felt warmer compared to the freezing air. When a minute went by the chill started properly seeping in. My hands started vibrating from the cold, even if it was hard to distinguish from the water blasting my body. As the icy feeling started becoming intolerable and the mask a bit too stifling, a sharp turn left gave me a mental shot of tolerance.


    Air suddenly enveloped my skin and my arms and feet felt the strength of stone beneath them. Pulling the uncomfortable mask off my face, I quickly wiped away the salty sea out of my hair as water fell down my face until I felt my eyes would be protected. Looking past the fog of steam from my breath, the faint starlight from behind me illuminated a wide room with stairs opposite of me. Over the rush of the water to my right came the sloshes of water and another odd pulling on my skin.


    Sawoon was behind me trying to get the water out of his clothes as he stood in front of a pool of water that I assumed was our entrance. Taking in the rest of the room was rather easy since it was only the walls, stairs, and a rope going through hoops along the far side of the wall. I could only get up and appreciate the smooth stonework while my companion pulled the traces of freezing water out of his garb. A sudden crack appeared in the wall and what I saw for a brief moment was a younger lad in leather. If I had any doubts about his age, his sudden yelp and pull back on the door dismissed them.


    "Lady Gula. I have a¡­ here." He called before the door opened more widely and a brown blanket flew through. My first thought was how odd it was that he was so embarrassed, then I remembered that human men here didn''t see my kind as a disease. As clearly evidenced by almost everything I had seen on this continent. Old impulses still refusing to die.


    "Why are you humans and Orcs so uppity about not wearing clothes? It''s just skin." Sawoon asked behind me with some amusement as I moved to pick up the dry cloth.


    "Well, think about a female Frojan croaking and flapping their legs or whatever it is that get''s frogs in the mood and you''ll understand what we think when someone shows up with nothing hiding their goods."


    A choked chortle erupted behind me as I took up the blanket and wrapped myself in it. I could see Sawoon putting a webbed hand over his giant mouth. Thinking about it, I hadn''t discussed such things with the Frojan before. Too busy trying to avoid death or starvation to discuss home life. The subject had always been a painful one for me as well. These days I was trying to force myself to confront these issues instead of locking them away in the back of my mind like a feral beast.


    "And how do the Frojan¡­ enjoy their nights with the ladies?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "We don''t¡­ At least, not for reproduction. Pleasure, we feel just as you do. Like our less handsome and intelligent cousins, we do the deed in a pool with the women laying eggs for us to fertilize. Unlike our relatives, men have the right to seed the pool based on their work agreement."


    That brought a smile to my face.


    "Like a labor contract?"


    His jacket-covered shoulders rose and fell with a shrug.


    "Eggs are a favored treat for all the denizens of the waters. Two people aren''t nearly enough to properly protect them. Which means it''s a communal affair with pools being located at the center of the village. It also means no one knows who the children belong to. You can have suspicions or hunches, as I did in my more reputable years. But the kids ultimately belong to all Frojan. They are not the chiefs, the mans, or the woman''s."


    I pondered that for a moment. In my youth, the kindest moments were those involving mother assuring me I was her precious daughter. This system of parenthood was weird to me, but that might be because of how little doubt there was about who the baby you just pushed from between your legs belonged to. Even after all these years, there was so much about my companions I found familiar yet alien all at the same time.


    Freezing air still clung to my bare skin, relieved only by the blanket and my kind''s greater constitution. Orcs weren''t immune, however. Minutes rolled on and every second saw a bit more heat sap away from my skin or slink into the stone through my feet. Sawoon did his best by huddling with me, but there was precious little warmth to spare from both parties. When a small crack sounded out from the wall, a sigh of relief escaped my lips before I even saw who it was. It could be an enemy mage at this point and they would at least provide some relief from this cold drudgery.


    "Lady. The fire''s been lit. It''s time." The tepid male voice announced. Looking up, I saw a brown-haired lad with a torch showing his red leather armor and pensive lips. I also noticed how hard his brown eyes were trying to keep on my face.


    "Great." Sawoon intoned with that deep voice.


    Getting up from our small huddle took some doing, hurried along only by the knowledge that we were on a strict time limit. Following the guard took only a few seconds walk to the right with the sound of running water getting louder. We quickly found ourselves standing over an open walkway above the river. The human put out his hand holding a knapsack while looking to the ceiling. Relieving myself of the relatively warm blanket and fastening the latest burden on my person, I grit my teeth before donning the mask again and affixing myself onto Sawoons'' shoulders. A brief moment of hesitation later, the frog man did a half jump into the freezing river.


    This time, it was only a few dreadful seconds in the icy bath. My view almost immediately changed from murky water to a star-laden sky and a sheer stone wall. Off to the right I saw flickers of smoke peering out above the stone line. Loud footsteps could be heard over the rushing water, but the side Sawoon was currently clinging to didn''t give me a good view.


    ''I need a lift up'' I said in a spirit connection.


    A small gruff was all I got as he tensed beneath me. After a moment, he pulled back briefly before I felt the water around me rush upward and off the large frogman. For a brief second, the uppoer world opened to me. In the distance, the grey hair of Eli was walking in torchlight off towards a mass of stone with wooden ribs sticking out of the top. The back of the structure was lit up with red flame, though the flames couldn''t be seen on the building itself. He was accompanied by a small group of indistinct shapes. We were a stones toss from the bridge and in the entrance of the bridge beside a square stone building were two standing torches illuminating the faces of a pair of guards.


    This was all could be seen as a wall of stone rushed up to me before I slowed just on the cusp of impact. My arms scrambled up and my palms gripped the stone sides. Despite just coming out of the river, I felt rather dry as the droplets of water were pulled back. When the last bit of moisture had been sucked away, I pulled myself up and immediately dashed through the open door on my left.


    I half registered the kitchen on my right before moving as quietly as I could up to the wooden door in the grey stone wall on the left. Opening it, I was treated to a dark hallway that even my vision struggled in. Looking to the left for the third time, I saw the appropriate door and went through. The room had a table on the far side of the entrance and stacks of wooden planks on the two sides. Both were the same to my eyes, a problem Eli remedied by having a long board with summoned stone atop it on the right stack to tell me which were enchanted.


    Hanging on wall hooks above the board slabs were gloves of leather bearing the molding enchantments. Wasting no time, I quickly replaced three boards with the duds from my sack. As I raised a hand to one of the pairs of gloves, I heard footsteps across the bridge.


    "Honestly, you shouldn''t just rush ahead of the guards, Tilvor." A female voice rang out. A female voice at ease reprimanding a scion. That certainly meant the woman had some magical ability herself.


    My heart almost burst out of my chest but the imperative to act outpaced panic. There was no chance of closing the outer hall entry, that left seeing to this room''s door. A light sprint across the room and I quietly closed the wooden entry.


    "Do you always leave your door open?" a woman asked. Different from the first one.


    Shit.


    The turn around to take in the room was immediate and tinged with a growing panic yet all I could see was a bare affair with only a small slit above to let in a sliver of light. That was until I noticed some of the boards going further back than they should. Going up to the unenchanted specimens, I found that the slabs of wood I could see were only a small part of the whole, with the rest placed in a long, slim alcove behind the false wall that I had taken for the real thing. It was the only place to hide here and if I was going to use it, I had to shimmy onto the stack.


    "I do when people start yelling that the linchpin of my defense is going up in smoke," Eli rebutted in a voice that barely came through the door.


    Every noise amplified itself as I squeezed into the shaft. The small creak of boards protesting my weight had the thunder of crashing trees and I debated breathing as mages would surely hear such a maelstrom. When I was as far back as I could go, I stopped to listen. There were more footsteps, though they were retreating. Probably. Possibly. A sudden creak and whoosh of air foretold of a door swung open. I spent a good second groping my left side for the sword I always carried. Cursing my stupidity, I resisted slapping my forehead as my mind ran through how I could get out of this mess.


    "Gula?" Eli''s voice ran out.


    My lungs finally let go of the breath they had been holding. Trusting that the man I married wasn''t an idiot, I moved forward with the occasional creak of wood.


    "Here." I lightly called.


    Rounding the corner, I found Eli wearing a white shirt and brown pants in front of the closed door. In his hand was a copper candle dish with small orange flames playing across his handsome face and the walls. His green eyes looked at me while his grey hair shifted with his sway. I looked to the right, motioning towards the entrance to his home.


    "They''re gone." Was all he said.


    "And who were they?" I asked him with an undue amount of irritation. All this misery was to steal his stuff and I had a foul impression for those who had nearly spoiled my robbery.


    "Princess Palta and a friend of hers who''s working with me on the tower. Both scions, if that matters. I guess the city is getting sour because she used the excuse of inspecting the tower to get away. At the first signs of fire, she insisted I head right back to the house. Though, I suppose we should be thankful for that."


    I took a moment to appreciate how close death had been. Still, I was here for a reason.


    "The gloves are properly enchanted, correct?" I asked as I deserted my hole and moved across the room to the opposite wall.


    "Yeah," He offered behind me in a mild voice that told of distraction.


    As I reached for the leather gloves it hit me then that I was fully out of the alcove now. And icy air was playing across every part of my fully exposed body. Turning to him, his green eyes were greedily scouring my body, though my womanhood was still blocked behind my knapsack.


    "Eli, are you paying attention?"


    His eyes turned up to meet mine, meeting my gaze head-on.


    "Right now, there is nothing in the world I''m giving more attention than you."


    With that, he turned his eyes back to my exposed nipples and arms in a thoroughly unrepentant manner.


    "You do realize that we could still botch this." I countered with a raised eyebrow, feeling some heat diffuse into my cheeks. Eli only absentmindedly shook his head while slowly roaming his eyes up and down.


    "I raised the drawbridge and sealed it with stone after they left. The two quickly vacated the area and the wind scion''s familiar is sleeping in their tower. We have all the privacy in the world and an hour or two before the guard captain comes by with an official report that I will personally go out to the tower to verify. All done without my input, I assure you. Palta is making sure nothing happens to her plant scion that has the legendary aspect of not being useless."


    The fact I didn''t deny him made me suspect my brain wasn''t doing the thinking. It was also aggravating how intriguing his muscular arms were and how good he would look on top of me. Sawoon¡­ was on the ground by now at the end of the river with a blanket, as was planned.


    My groping for any reason to not take an hour or two of play was fruitless and if I was stuck here anyway¡­ Even so, it felt very unprofessional. I was a soldier through and through and sex in the middle of the mission didn''t seem like a good practice.


    "We''re not being very responsible." I refuted mildly. He looked into my eyes again with a mischievous look. My moment of confusion passed when the exact words I had just spoken came back to me.


    "Gula, you have no idea how torturous a young male body is. Every single time I have to rejuvenate, I do nothing but think of sex for the first few years. Finally having a beautiful woman I can take it out on is very appealing. That doesn''t mean we have to howl like animals, though. I can make it¡­ as silent as the dead night."


    Taking in his eyes again I could only blush at the lust my body inspired in him. Then it occurred to me that no other Orc here, including the prim and fine Nersa, had stirred such feral need in a male mage before. Forget a scion or ultimate mage. Without thinking, I shifted the knapsack out of the way and moved my hips to afford him a full view of his prize.


    Bastard''s beard, I''m petty.


    Eli took in all that I revealed before turning up to look me in the eyes. He immediately pulled back to the right.


    "Go." My husband ordered, inclining his head towards the bedroom.


    My cruelty, however, knew no bounds. I lazily picked up two pairs of gloves from the wall and replaced them with some of their regular leather siblings. Taking my time, I filled my knapsack with my pilfered goods and slowly walked past my husband. My reward was a forceful squeeze on the bum as I walked by.


    "You tease," Eli chided as he walked past. Moving ahead and opening the door, he placed the candle holder on an unseen desk to the left before he leaned forward with groping palms that were immediately affixed to my hips.


    Like my time underwater, everything turned into a blur. Vague animal need and groping took over whenever my mouth was available. I found myself on his bed, pinned to the wall on its side and being covered in kisses and powerful rubs or squeezes. My first instinct was to attend to his member, but then I remembered the issue with that. After a few minutes or an hour, I found myself on my second or fourth climax while I fumbled my assault. My body began getting this light sensation, like floating in the air. As impossibly irritating as it was, letting this go on would endanger the mission. Yet another victory for the male side of my marriage.


    ''Eli,'' I told him through a spirit connection.


    He freed my mouth for a moment, pulling back and looking at me with raised grey eyebrows.


    ''I need to be able to walk out of here.''


    The man''s smile was so impossibly smug that it made me feel downright competitive. My first instinct was to swat him until I pondered just how good he made me feel. Pulling him closer to me, we kissed for a moment before pushing my bare chest against his white shirt.


    ''Until you put him back, I''m simply no match for you.'' Was the only concession I gave him.


    ''I love you.''


    Left defeated, I looked him in the eyes with only the flickering flames of the candle behind him.


    ''How are things here in the big plant scion''s domain?''


    From there, we descended into small talk. Insignificant, inconsequential, and vital chatter. For a while, we exchanged bits and pieces of each other''s world''s. None of which included my suspicion about what was actually behind the better Orc/men relations here. Both because it was too depressing if it was true and it might steal some of his attention away from me. In the course of our cuddling and rubbing, a cursed sound finally snapped us back into reality.


    "Sir! We''ve conducted an inspection." Kev''s voice barely pierced through the cloud of happiness and thick walls.


    A pained look passed between us before Eli cleared his throat.


    "I''ll be right there." The quad mage called back.


    Any haste he had was delayed by his quick theft of my lips for one final time. Our rendezvous had ended and he pulled back, pushing the sheets away with his step onto the stone floor. I tried to follow his pace, but my legs were a bit shaky. The slight stumble in my step onto the floor made that smug smile pop right back up on Eli''s face.


    "Go. Don''t keep the guards waiting." I instructed with pursed lips and a sad attempt at a scowl. Eli turned towards the door and took a step forward. Feeling a bit whimsical, my hand did a swipe across his butt as recompense for his earlier assault. His counter was a good stare at my bare chest before proceeding out of the door with a longing look on his face.


    Feeling relieved, in more ways than one, I donned my mask and leather arm braces while the cracks of stone could be heard beyond the bedroom door. Taking my position behind the hallway entrance, it took only a second for a fresh gale of freezing wind to blow through the house. Robbed of any residual heat from Eli, I stood still until the slam of wood told of the lowered drawbridge.


    "Kev, am I right?"


    The wind rendered the chatter a distant buzz. After a few seconds, I dared a look around the corner. The only thing that greeted me beyond the house was the flame-illuminated back of two guards across the bridge. The one on the left had apparently been left quite nervous, as his head turned to me with more sharpness than was warranted. When he saw me, his brown eyes went wide before he turned to look out over the bare stone plains on his left. He took only a moment before his head gave the slightest bob up and down.


    Moving forward, I slipped through the door and into the open plains and all the cover it didn''t provide me. Years of training in water took over and I slipped down the left side of the sheer wall with barely a splash. Activating my crafts was trivial and I had to thank my absent father for his black hair, since it let me look up every few seconds. The water needed no encouragement to help me along, however.


    A permanent bridge above passed in a flash and only a few odd sparks could be seen on the right side near the big tower in the distance. As used to water as I was, strong currents were a challenge for even the Frojan. Taking a few precious seconds, my body finally adapted to the speed and after that, I was something approaching graceful. Not wanting to smack headfirst into the grate, I put my feet out in front of me with an air bubble around my head. Left with nothing to do, I drifted through a barely lit abyss with nothing but phantom kisses and strokes to keep me company.


    With no grace or warning, my feet suddenly hit a patchwork of something solid. I took a moment to gather which way was up, but a big brown hand saw fit to inform me as it pierced the swirl of bubbles and grabbed my left shoulder. The world twisted again, and I found myself on my back staring at a stone ceiling.


    "What happened?!" The deep, base heavy voice of Sawoon asked somewhere to my left.


    "I got the stuff," I responded with a smack on the leather knapsack clinging to my right hip. "Despite a passing princess being a hen mother."


    His raised eyebrows meant I needed to explain further.


    "I''ll explain on the way. Just get me back in front of a fire."


    There was no argument this time.


    With a clear shot into the ocean on the other side of the grate, we wasted no time getting back home. It was more dark water and tired limbs. More pressure squeezing every joint. All accentuated by a coldness nothing in the swamps could have possibly prepared me for and trying to concentrate on telling Sawoon what happened in a spirit connection.


    When we made another sharp turn to the left, my torture finally ended when I found myself in the small grotto entrance. The first thing I did was wipe my face down. Sawoon helped by immediately pulling the water off of me. It took a moment before stomps were heard directly ahead.


    "Lady Gula?!" A rough voice called out over the sound of muffled stomps and far-off chatter.


    Ahead of me were my three guards with a torch on the wall. They quickly pulled back while turning around when I started getting up. Coming into the main room, I started putting on my clothes still neatly laid out on the left. The night had been too harsh for me to treat the crafts like they weren''t made of glass. When I had put down my prize like a newborn infant to my right, I donned my underwear and had my brown pants up to my knees when the Orc guard came rushing up to me with wide red eyes.


    "It was only supposed to be a half hour what-"


    My raised hand stopped her.


    "Ask Kev. Ask the guards. Ask anyone besides me right now." I offered with my strained patience on full display as I pulled the pants up to my hips.


    "What about the plant mage? Did he suspect anything?" She further insisted.


    I just stared at the stone wall straight ahead. My tongue was ready to deliver a crude description of Eli''s parts and their uses, but residual good sense kept it only halfway up my throat. Taking a moment to collect my remaining self-control, I turned to the woman with as friendly a face as I could manage.


    "I have the crafts, so let''s put them to use before half the city drowns." Was the only response I could give as I fixed my bra over my chest.


    She followed the look I gave the leather sack at my feet.


    "Oh! Yes. At once." The Orc rushed forward and snatched the bag like it was a lost child. When she lifted it off the ground, a slight smack of the boards hitting each other rang out. Fortunately, my hands were caught in my shirt and prevented me from giving the woman anything more than a mean stare.


    Her red eyes were too focused on the board she was pulling out to notice, however. Holding it close to the ground, her thumb pressed on a dark X-shaped cut in the top right corner. Sawoon gave a grunt that filled the room. The guards could finally look now that I was wearing a decent amount of clothes, with the large black jacket covering everything up to my chin. When a long slab of grey stone formed in front of the wood, a few grunts of satisfaction came from the men but that wasn''t the big item.


    The guard put on one of the gloves for her right hand, made of sturdy leather and too large for her smaller hands yet treated like a beloved family heirloom spun from glass as she brought it up to the block summoned from the abyss. Easy access to stone was nice. As great as the summoning crafts were, this part was the crucial bit as the ability to manipulate such hard construction materials with ease was what made repairing the damage to the underground possible.


    When she put a finger up to the summoned stone block, the leather rubbed across the surface with nothing but a soft scrape to show for it.


    "It''s a manipulator," Sawoon offered to my right, his arms crossed. "And unless the mage wanted random gouges everywhere the gloves went, you''ll have to activate it like the summoning craft."


    Her red eyes traced over the glove until she found a darker patch of leather on the smaller knuckle. After a quick press, she brought the glove back up to the block. Running her finger alongside it, she left a smooth gash in the slab.


    "Ooh!" Was all the guard said.


    Given a taste of what it could do, the Orc put a hand down the middle of the block before elongating the sides into crude horns. Stone twisted around her palms and fingers like clay for a few seconds before she pulled her hand back. Even after all the work we did involving magical tools back at the base, my mind still had a hard time accepting that the rock which just moved like wet clay was suddenly solid as the guard lifted the hefty piece with her left hand and a grunt. Which was when I looked at the men.


    "Shit. It''s crazy what mages can do. Right, guys?"


    Their disinterested faces weren''t nearly as enraptured as those seeing such crafts for the first time should be. White eyes suddenly widened as the Keltons moved their heads closer with appropriate wonder. Satisfied with my haul, the Orc carefully put the glove in the leather sack before holding it to her chest. Her red eyes were gleaming with small tears until she gave me a slight bow.


    "I have my home in the flood zone. This is a personal thank you in addition to the commendation for your service from the council."


    "We''re all in this together." I offered. My time could have been spent reminding her about my promised reward or walking with her to demonstrate the crafts but despite the sexual massage I had just received, cold had seeped into my bones and if it didn''t involve a thick blanket or fire, I wasn''t spending time on it. Turning to my guards, I cleared out my throat to make them look at me.


    "Two of you accompany her. I want to make sure it gets where it''s supposed to and I''m way too tired to do it."


    A wave of nods went around the room with the only other woman here grabbing the hook off to the side. By the time she let down the cloth divider separating us from the rest of the work site, I had my shoes and socks on. Vacating the small cave brought us into the main vein of traffic as we tacked rightward. It felt odd how crowded the work area was. Being so late and all. Then I remembered that it was probably late afternoon or just before.


    These lands had the sun going down damn near mid-day at the depths of winter. The spaces were cramped and cold. The food never stayed as hot as it should. When the sun deigned to visit these frozen wastes, it never graced me with its full presence and the freezing air was too eager to erase any residual heat.


    Having abandoned whatever joy my time with Eli had given me, we made our way through the underground with two of the guards splitting off with the Orc while I headed back to my warehouse. Once I was back in my warehouse, I immediately went up the stairs past the ever-present Shran, weaved through the crates, and threw myself onto the blankets that quickly wrapped around me. Wrapped like an infant, I let the pillow take me into oblivion.


    The next day I didn''t do anything besides the bare minimum this cursed world demanded of me. My guards brought me a warm pale of water to wash and I kept my ass in my office chair, still wrapped in my fluffy protection. Shran had to suppress a smile as she handed me papers to sign before I swiftly retreated back into my cocoon, but no questions were asked.


    My time was spent in a more normal routine the next day. When I was eating a lunch of meat and bread with water at my desk, Shran''s voice came up the stairs on my right.


    "Captain. It''s Cassie."


    Taking a moment to savor the roasted chicken on my tongue, I swallowed before yelling back.


    "What is she here for?"


    "I assume what she tried to talk to you about yesterday."


    Luck was truly with me when I found the old woman.


    "All right. Send her up."


    The sound of footsteps made me turn right as the Orc with grey-streak black hair made her way up the stairs. Her form was housed in the same prim black robe. A stark contrast to my simple white shirt and brown pants with an ever-present black coat. When she rounded the bend, her face had a softer aspect to it and the smile was less of a counterfeit.


    "Captain. Thanks again for your assistance." She offered with a soft landing into the chair opposite of me. Her gold eyes flitted down to my neck for a moment before coming back up to meet mine.


    "All too happy to do it. I do hope whatever business you came for yesterday wasn''t too urgent."


    She casually waved her hand in the air.


    "Just seeing if thanks were in order. They didn''t tell me what was taking up so much coin with the repairs, only that the budget had been cut and wouldn''t be restored for the foreseeable future. That was until we got another letter informing us of our restored finances. Would I be wrong to attribute such a swell of good fortune to your efforts?"


    Leaning back, I tried to keep a smug smile off my face. Instead, I simply nodded while my fingers tapped on the chair''s arm.


    "Sadly, I can''t divulge the means or methods involved. But I did my bit. More than, honestly."


    "I''m sure" Cassie consoled with an indulgent look.


    The wise thing was to not ask, but my curiosity got the better of me.


    "What do you mean?" I demanded with a raised eyebrow.


    Her motherly aspect seemed to intensify as she leaned forward with a piercing gaze and puckered lips. Thick cheeks rolled with her tongue moving in her mouth before she popped her lips and sank into her chair.


    "You have an air about you. The pose and ease of having been with a man. A man who was skilled in his¡­ work. Stress relief is certainly important in any work."


    My face was as passive as I could make it.


    "Not a shameful thing, mind you. Fornication is a rather pervasive aspect of this sinful world, even encouraged with wanton abandon in humans. Would I be wrong to assume that the man is one you intend to wrangle down for good?"


    I couldn''t think of anything better than nodding to her. My mind was too busy asking how I was giving off ''sexed'' energy to the world. A question that opened a swathe of feelings and thoughts that were almost totally foreign to me.


    "Good. Know that just because a man lays with you, that doesn''t mean he intends to put child in you, or will stick around if they should happen. I would advise chastity. Not only for the security of your soul, but to also further entice your quarry into place. Honey that is hard to acquire tends to be the sweetest."


    There was a lot I wanted to say to her presumptions about my life. None of it polite.


    "Have I wandered too far into your personal affairs?" Cassie asked with a small smile and a lean back into her chair. "I would have thought after asking about family life from so many around town, you were looking for advice in this arena. No swordsmanship or sailing to speak of in my life, but people I know how to deal with. A needed skill when you have to deal with every section of the underground."


    Remembering my celebrity here, I could only curse my lack of discretion. The first words that came to me were of rude dismissal. Then I considered where I would get another opportunity like this. Romance was a dead art to me and since Eli was missing the¡­ equipment the women instructed me on how to handle, I was ill-prepared to fulfill my wifely duties. The quad mage was already sporting a two-victory lead in the bedroom since I had arrived and I needed some way of getting ahead of him.


    "I feel we are headed where we should." I offered as my shoulders came down. "My big problem is figuring out what my place in the arrangement is. It''s just¡­ I''ve never been around men until recently. Certainly not one that I would have thought to lay with. As fond as I am of the Keltons. My first thought is to work hard for him and physically please him, but he seems to be the happiest when he''s working on something for my benefit and I can''t boast of any great skill in the bedroom."


    Her black eyebrows raised in approval of Eli.


    "Good. He''s doing what the male side should do, which is to provide and create a safe environment for his woman. Our side, however, doesn''t provide in a material sense. The woman was crafted by God to be a haven of nurturing warmth. If you want to please him, a simple compliment and an eager look are what most men require. As for the bedroom, it isn''t in the middle of the act that we give pleasure. Men have a constant need to release and our permission for that release is the greatest joy we can give them. Don''t fuss over how you''re giving it."


    The latter answer was rather unsatisfactory. Eli had clearly wanted some aggression in our play, something Salamede gave in particular abundance, and a streak of competitiveness in me wouldn''t allow for the abandonment of any part of the battlefield. The fact this involved a long, sordid tale of Orcs growing up to be rapists back in my homeland meant this subject was probably a gap too wide to cross.


    Still, her first bit of advice provided a nice path to the subject that was of great interest to me.


    "Are men truly so happy to just be around us?"


    Cassie got a small smile before adjusting herself in the seat to a more casual position.


    "Oh yes. I''ve talked with men over the years, as both lovers and friends. They''ll remember compliments given to them decades ago. Though, I will caution you to take your time before letting your desires run free even in marriage. Some of them don''t know what to do when a woman is the chaser."


    We both smiled at that. Taking my mug from the table, I enjoyed a light sip of the cold water before directing the conversation more toward what I wanted to know.


    "These icy lands are quite different than the one I hail from. In too many ways to count. One big part of that is the human side of it. We do need them for our daughters, yet they always seem¡­ dodgy when I ask about the lives they enjoyed among their kind."


    Her reaction was swift as it was physical. The light smile fell off and her lips pursed in disgust. Black robed legs crossed, showing a body language most uninviting. Cassie relaxed after a moment, though some discomfort still lingered.


    "That bad?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    She nodded her head, sending a wave through her black and grey hair.


    "Too many winters ago, I was a sister in training. We put the new girls in all the departments as assistants in order to find a good fit for their skills. It was my turn at the healing house when a burn victim came in. Young human lad who had staggered into the lower portion of the slums before someone rushed him underground. He couldn''t have been more than six or seven years into life and would receive no more between the blood loss and burns.


    Come to find out later that he had been heading out to the market with his mother when they caught the eye of a male fire mage. The man made his intentions clear, but unlike most women, she resisted his advances. Offended at her lack of consideration for his station, the mage started getting aggressive and as all good boys aught do, the lad tried to defend his mother. The rest is a bit unclear, but the result was the same grave in the end."


    My stomach churned, though it stayed off my face.


    "Did nothing happen to the mage?"


    She gold eyes got a hard look as she bit her lip before the words came.


    "No. Nothing ever does. That was among the worst experiences I''ve seen, but it''s far from an only child. For all the huffing and indignation about the green scourge, the humans seem to do a perfectly fine job brutalizing each other."


    My thoughts about the human men here and their willingness to lay with my kind moved closer to certainty. In retrospect, it was rather close to my own experience. Saving my kind from the torment the Bastard put us through was the noble goal I set out on, but was it the real reason? Or did the dark corners of my soul scream that I did it because I was desperate for a man who actually wanted me and a life that consisted of anything besides slow starvation and misery in the swamps?


    The answer, hopefully, would never come.


    Most of the debates I was familiar with had the points being argued on the ends of swords, leaving me ill-prepared to parse through all the implications of what I suspected. Even if it was true, what then? For most intents and purposes, the burning question had been answered and curiosity mostly sated. But personal interests weren''t what drew me here. People were dying and if I wanted to do something about it, I needed to keep my mind where it was needed.


    "It seems they get a better deal down here," I offered the priest. "In spite of the children''s gratitude to be away."


    A rueful smile stole over Cassie''s face, dispelling the cloud of painful memories with only a small strain in her eyes left behind.


    "Ungrateful little cusses."


    I pinched my lips together, failing to keep a small laugh in before we both exploded in a fit of giggles like small girls joking over one item or another. It was a pleasant conversation that went on for a bit, covering items both big and small. A small thing, but still welcome as I let loose some tension in my shoulders and relaxed in my chair. We were two souls burdened with the responsibility of others and now a little piece of the day was set aside for us to vent. I considered the dull day that lay ahead of me and decided to make the most of it.

 Chapter 118: Mages Wage

    Jeff stretched in the white sheets of his bed, his brown eyes taking in the faint rays of sunlight lighting up the domain he called home, which was mostly stone walls and ceiling. The fireplace on his right was dead, having only a few faint whisps of the flames that had been in the seamless stone alcove just the night prior. As was the custom in a place this far north, the lightning mage¡¯s first reaction was to pull further back into his cloth protection against the bitter cold that not even plush accommodations like these could fully arrest.


    In keeping with that ancient tradition, he eventually abandoned the position and embraced the awaiting fate with a dramatic throw of the blue blankets from his person and wave of his grey hair. Getting up and planting his feet on the cold fur rug, Jeff could only continue the daily routine. Picking some fresh clothes from the drawer on the left, the man just out of boyhood left the room through the door in the corner opposite the bed.


    When he came out onto the hallway, there was some chatter from the door opposite his. A soft undercurrent of mostly feminine voices with the occasional word from his brother. Despite their ¡®infertility¡¯, Andrew had been keeping his bed quite warm through less laborious means. Or more, depending on what one defined as work. The local head of the Front believed their story, and the lack of missed cycles from the women Andrew bedded seemed to confirm it, owing to the Yook Root laced kisses he gave the girls. Still, they were male mages and there was always the possibility that the seed could take after enough attempts.


    An experiment Jeff had wrangled himself out of so far.


    The routine quickly set in. A quick bath with warm water in the shower shed in the back of the yard and stew served by their personal chef. Despite the great luxury, no amount of coin could get the perpetual heat of Eli¡¯s heaters nor replicate the taste of vegetables picked just the day before. An unfair comparison, but when Winter¡¯s bite was constantly nipping at the edges of his body no matter where he was, it was hard not to notice the contrast.


    As prepared for the day as he could be, Jeff headed through the front door and out onto the street wearing a brown coat, matching pants, and white shirt. The houses were all of the same style, glass fronts with steel sides and frames. His abode was a bit further from the main entrance than most but it provided the most privacy as it rested at the top of the hill. Aside from that, all the houses had a similar size with a few features such as pools or balconies. Even the odd yellow boxes on poles standing in between the houses with three glass half circles became downright normal in his growing comfort with the city.


    A brisk walk down the street took him past several crowds of servants. This far north and at this time of year, most mages had left even before pirates became an issue with some returning for their portion of the Kispin harvest. Those that had stayed behind for one of a hundred different reasons wouldn¡¯t deign to go among the unwashed masses without a personal guard, not that there was much of anything in the rest of the city to tempt people away from the safety of the stout walls surrounding its richest quarter.


    The ice biting at his exposed skin did nothing to persuade him from his magical colleague¡¯s wisdom. Moving down the quarters roads and out the entrance gates, he went straight to the harbor office directly ahead. The three-story mansion that served as the center of government for the oceanic affairs of government here stood out among the regular foot traffic as it always did, even more so now that various craftsman on scaffolding swarmed its surface fixing bits of damage from the pirate raid. Its brown tiled roof and ever-present yellow box on a black pole to the left were the same as ever. A faint memory of carefully looking out the red-tiled lookout tower in the middle of the blocky office building presented itself. As did the stench of blood. And shrill screaming.


    It was the first time he had been in a life-and-death fight with other humans. He had seen people die when Eli had massacred them in their escape, but he hadn¡¯t been involved. Instead, he left the butchery to the quad mage. There was no part of him who considered the congressman he ripped apart an actual person and, while he had been a bit hesitant at first, the reality of imminent death had quashed any moral wrangling about putting wind blades through throats. The lightning mage¡¯s mind had become an increasingly foreign thing to him as reality wasn¡¯t matching the tales of glory he had heard of in his youth nor was he the wreck some veterans had been made into after battle.


    Going around the large grey walls of the office, he went through the double oak doors. Grey stone walls continued inside with the red carpet running down the middle of the hallway leading into the main room beyond. A makeshift wall of wood now obstructed the hallway, though the guards beyond let him past with no fuss. Jeff immediately took a left up the stairs to the second floor and turned right at the top of the staircase.


    Two guards waited by the double doors. Clad in metal chest plates, shin guards and shoulder pads, the two burly men were almost as tanned as the leather showing between the steel. The black-haired man on the left nodded, making his black beard cover more of his chest plate. Quinton, if Jeff¡¯s memory was still sound. The brown-haired man on the right was his brother, the name of which did not present itself in his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if she¡¯s available.¡± Quinton intoned patiently with a nod down showing off his bulbous nose. It was a little joke between them that had developed over his visits. The harbor office had almost become a crypt after the raid. Anyone with coin had left for safer territory further in the city. Those who lacked the means to do so didn¡¯t have anything worth bringing to the harbormaster¡¯s attention.


    When the guard came back through the door, he only nodded towards the inside. Jeff hadn¡¯t even made it through the door before the desired voice called him forward.


    ¡°Harold! Come in. Spirits know there¡¯s nothing the two stiffs have to say.¡± Pache yelled, prompting a smile from her two guards as the lightning mage passed by.


    In the office, the windowed sides gave a clear view of the dreary sky and soft rolling ocean slapping against the half-moon shaped harbor beyond. In the middle was an oak desk, at which sat the harbormaster rubbing her small chin. Her bowl of black hair was far shorter than most of her genders, which had the curious effect of making her large ears stick out even more. Tanned skin that was only just lighter than her brown dress peeked out between her clothes.


    ¡°Pache. It¡¯s great to see you again. The lack of crunching glass is quite a nice touch.¡±


    Moving to take the seat in front of her, Jeff met her green eyes. Those thick lips had some chap on them, but the smile they affected was as beautiful to him as any fine painting. Still, he wasn¡¯t as free with his loins as his scion brother, and he was being slow in his interest. As slow as near daily visits could be, at least. Though, this one had been insisted upon by the woman in question.


    She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her lap.


    ¡°And none of it mixed with my blood, in no small part thanks to you.¡± The water caster replied with that smile still plastered on her face. ¡°Most wouldn¡¯t have been able to craft the spell to blow the shards away in the time you did. Much less stuck around to slug it out.¡±


    Jeff shrugged in as casual a manner as he could even as he felt a smirk steal across his face. He couldn¡¯t tell her was trained at the best academy in the Coalition but his heart, buzzing in excitement at her praise, wouldn¡¯t let him be totally modest.


    ¡°The nerves to carry out risky trade deals are often those called upon in battle. My skills in spell craft aren¡¯t the best, but I have the advantage of not forgetting them under attack.¡±


    Pache nodded as she leaned further back. Her piercing green eyes took him in, a look honed over a thousand stalls and negotiated fees. The face below them was blank aside from pursed lips.


    ¡°Bold.¡± She proclaimed. ¡°Not bold enough to ask about my own magic, however.¡±


    A pall of silence fell between them. Jeff wasn¡¯t quite sure about what to make of that little tidbit. Aside from the peculiar existence of Eli, mages didn¡¯t hide their talents. Recognition, prestige, convenience, and above all, pride wouldn¡¯t allow for such a lie.


    ¡°Quite useful, that.¡± He offered with a light smile. ¡°Bet it¡¯s saved a few papers from a spilled drink.¡±


    She tried to hold a laughing fit in for only a second before leaning forward with a hand on her desk to steady her heaving.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose it does have some use.¡± Pache choked out before regaining most of her composure. ¡°My instructor probably hoped for a bit more, but he was also a real troll to work with sometimes.¡±


    Pache had a few light chuckles left as she resumed her more serious manner.


    ¡°You seem to have a head for adventure and willfully coming here shows a stomach that can take risks.¡± Her hands drew together, twiddling her thumbs in some idle thoughts for a moment. Those green eyes went back and forth, following some internal fight before a sigh finally escaped her lips. What was more noticeable was the electric buzz of a spirit connection now coming from her.


    ¡®They¡¯re getting ready. Massing by the ruins of our former shield out on the ocean, from the reports. It¡¯s taken them a bit, burning things down to size and fitting their ships with proper catapults, but they¡¯re mostly ready now. A few more sunsets and the waters outside our bay will have more copper ships than any in living memory.¡¯


    Jeff gulped. His honest reaction didn¡¯t draw any emotion from the woman, who sat silently as he gathered his senses. After a second, the obvious question came.


    ¡®So soon? They can¡¯t have dissected the battle so quickly. Unless it was to soften our defenses?¡¯ The lightning mage asked with irritation. Paches¡¯ lax shrug was her first response while her eyes drifted to the left out over the harbor.


    ¡®Whatever they intended, the plant scion strangled it in on its mother¡¯s breast. And that is what I think is making them so quick about this. The price to take this place goes up every day he¡¯s working on the defenses and Palta has made sure the man is more secure than a King Beasts¡¯ newborn.¡¯


    He hadn¡¯t heard too much of the ¡®plant scions¡¯ dealings since the radio had been handed over to Gula and he was content to stew in ignorance to enjoy the niceties while everyone else ran around in panic. The quad mage¡¯s Orc wife was here and if bets were laid down, Jeff put his coin on Eli brutally massacring everyone on the spot if the pirates made their way back into his wife¡¯s territory again. A strong sense of safety, even if it came second-hand. He sat still having no quip on hand to lighten the mood or interrupt her.


    ¡®This means¡­ certain arrangements must be seen to.¡¯ Pache continued with that internal wrangling now apparently finished. ¡®And with all possible haste. North of here near the frozen wastes lays a small colony of fairies. In their possession are salted oysters.¡¯


    The involuntary raise of his eyebrows left no doubt as to how unimpressed he was with this grand secret. Pache leaned forward, her bowl of black hair rubbing against her smooth cheeks.


    ¡®Magically infused oysters.¡¯


    The faint whisper sent an almost physical buzz up his spine. Even after all this time and the wonders he had seen, years of constant thrill over those coveted resources would not be denied.


    ¡®They should have sent them in by now, but recent events have seen the shipment delayed, perhaps indefinitely. Our regular means are now far too dangerous, even if we had a ship available. A boat, however, could make the trip. If it was assisted with wind magic.¡¯


    A few different reasons for the offer sprung to Jeff¡¯s mind. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t make the trip due to her duties here. Doing paperwork instead of getting those blessed resources didn¡¯t seem right to him. Maybe wind was faster than water magic on a boat. He had no experience with such things, so any judgment made there would have no solid backing.


    ¡®Is our merry trip north going to be long?¡¯ He asked, probing for the first of many details. She shook her head in denial.


    ¡®I cannot attend. It will be you and Quinton. Hard winter winds and rough seas await you. But¡­ Well, isn¡¯t that prize always worth it?¡¯


    It was.


    Jeff¡¯s first impulse of greed came through all the doubt and questions. For all the sense of Eli¡¯s vision of a world of neutered magic, certain impulses cemented through a lifetime of societal conditioning were still hard to deny. A good thing, after all. He was playing a semi-regular mage and such a person would salivate at the possibility.


    ¡®What would happen if the pirates came and we haven¡¯t made it back? Do we just drift on the seas like a stray branch?¡¯ He asked, crossing his arms and letting his genuine interest show through. Pache pulled back a bit, assuming a more upright posture.


    ¡®Beasts are few farther north of here. Quinton has made such a trip in the past and he knows of a few areas that a small group could hold up in if travel south becomes impossible.¡¯


    ¡®Even if I was up for some time on these freezing seas, what portion of the cargo would I be receiving for this¡­service?¡¯


    She bit her lip at that, weighing her offer for a moment before delivering.


    ¡®Seven percent seems fair.¡¯


    Jeff unfolded his arms, strumming his fingers on the chair¡¯s armrest through a second of pondering.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t ten percent a much nicer number? Makes the math simpler for all involved.¡¯


    Those green eyes got a mirth to them, contrasting with her slight scowl.


    ¡®If the esteemed gentlemen won¡¯t stoop to toiling with hard division, I¡¯ll be more than glad to personally walk him through every step. Eight percent, with services starting later tonight.¡¯


    That was a pretty typical exchange based on Jeff¡¯s limited knowledge of similar arrangements. Satisfied, he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Pache announced audibly with a clasp of her hands. ¡°You¡¯ll meet Quinton behind the office and things will proceed from there.¡±


    Their conversation then turned to idle chatter, as it always did, and ended with the typical goodbyes after an hour or so. The rest of Jeff¡¯s day continued on the same trajectory of routine with the ever-present salty air of a seaside city. A few tastings of local offerings, with some of the fresh vegetables of Eli¡¯s stock sprinkled throughout. Near the later half, Andrew and his familiar, Gretton, joined at the regular time in the afternoon. The now more than knee-high ape still had those stripes of red mana on his forehead that lent a sharp contrast to his magically colored white fur. He drew some odd stares here and there, but most were content to take in the curio and leave the mages pet beast alone without complaint.


    Three companions, ever present in each other¡¯s lives for as long as they lived, sat in contentment at a wooden table on the second story of a bar at the front of the harbor. Soft crashing waves emanated from Jeff¡¯s right while Andrew sat opposite, his longer brown hair waving back with a big swig of his mug washing down his order of beef stew. His brown coat and white shirt were unsullied even if his manners perfectly matched his familiars, who was munching a fish head with loud crunches to the scions left. Some would consider such a display rude, though not as rude as the loud gasp of air from Andrew when he lowered the mug.


    ¡°Ahh. Sounds like a nice little excursion.¡± The fire scion said, pushing aside his empty soup bowl with a content look in his brown eyes and a wipe of his strong cheekbones. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll finally get up her dress.¡±


    Jeff rolled his eyes, his finger tracing the lip of his mug.


    ¡°Such a romantic I have for a brother.¡±


    Andrew only shrugged at the banter.


    ¡°You think too much. Always worrying about saying things just the right way at only the right time. Women are people. And people don¡¯t willingly spend time with someone they dislike. You probably could have had her warming your bed by now if you were just a little more upfront with what you want.¡±


    Enjoying a forwardness that only a brother could provide, the lightning caster sniffed as he brought his mug of lukewarm ale to his mouth.


    ¡°My aims aren¡¯t just testing the construction of my bed, unlike certain others. Have you forgotten that we¡¯re here to¡­ gather magical resources?¡±


    A grim frown stole over Andrews''s face. Of all the members of the original group, he had been the least convinced of Eli¡¯s vision. Every now and then, when reminded of the sheer magnitude of what they were attempting, the fire scion drew up short. The moment passed, with a persona of confidence being quickly adopted by the brother.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re mages. Mages get magical resources and make babies. And since you¡¯re so unwilling to use your bed for its intended purpose, I¡¯ll do the sex part and you can do the fighting rabid beasts part. The hull and sails of a ship, working together in one purpose.¡±


    Jeff choked down a small laugh at that.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not a bed¡¯s primary purpose.¡±


    A dismissive wave accompanied Andrew raising his mug.


    ¡°For the good ones, it is.¡± Was all he said before taking another swig. After a long second, Andrew put it down just below his chin. ¡°Will this be a safe jaunt up north? I don¡¯t suppose we could use a ship? Perhaps one of the faster variety.¡±


    Jeff shook his head at the suggestive look Andrew gave him. For safety¡¯s sake, he initiated a spirit connection. The expected huff of annoyance from Andrew came and went but his voice promptly reverberated through the lightning mage''s mind.


    ¡®I¡¯m half tempted to just blurt out everything to that princess. Being flayed for helping an orc-mating mage would probably be less annoying than constantly having to use this.¡¯


    His brother¡¯s voice grew less irritated near the end. Content to let the brother vent his poison out, Jeff waited for a second before continuing.


    ¡®No airship. Not with the pirates coming. And you know what? I¡¯m getting a bit tired of coming to Eli, beggar¡¯s palm outstretched for some new miracle.


    We were tutored by the best the Coalition has to offer. How many years did we spend spell crafting and all the nights after strung out in casting pain? I didn¡¯t go through that just to ride on Eli¡¯s talent.¡¯


    Andrew shrugged with a small smile.


    ¡®I think that means we¡¯re even more entitled to a long vacation. All those years of labor and now we have to go out on this mad scheme. You know¡­ have we ever had a proper vacation? Not a diplomatic grind with people shoving endless facts and the lives of dead people into our heads, but a proper, do nothing for nothing vacation.¡¯


    Jeff shook his head as he sucked in his lips.


    ¡®Never. Any time we tried to run off dad would¡­¡¯


    His throat clenched at the casual spouting of the dreaded word.


    Dad.


    Now the mood fully died, as Andrew seemed to turn a bit inward at the mention of their father. Even Gretton stopped his munching, so turbulent were his scion¡¯s emotions. They sat there for a moment, trying to find some way out of the social horror they had stumbled into. Jeff, however, figured this was as good a time as any to address the spear driven through both their hearts.


    ¡®Do you think he will ever forgive us?¡¯


    His brother sucked in his lips, saying nothing before trying to assume an air of confidence. The display was thoroughly betrayed by the tightness of the smile and licking of the lips, but it put Jeff¡¯s nerve at ease by some small measure all the same.


    ¡®We didn¡¯t come here because rainbows and sunshine waited for us at the capital. Those ruthless animals were going to put us in the tribunal with a swift execution afterward. He¡¯ll be too glad to know we managed to survive to be mad at the how. Especially if it means the bridge with the quad mage gets repaired. Which will be good if our purpose here succeeds.¡¯


    ¡®That simple? Just walk in and he¡¯ll just overlook everything?¡¯


    Andrew nodded.


    ¡®Remember when we were playing around the walls of that U-shaped building he always works at? More specifically, the time I burnt some of the bushes?¡¯


    Jeff couldn¡¯t keep a small smile off his face as he strummed his fingers on the table.


    ¡®And I tried to put it out with a gust of wind? It would be hard to forget. A wall of flames going up the entire side of a building gets a permanent place in memory.¡¯


    The fire scion pulled back with a more genuine smile than the one he had been forcing.


    ¡®Really? It wasn¡¯t the look on our minder¡¯s face? Or dad¡¯s when he came out on the lawn?¡¯


    The faint memory came to him, their father dressed in armor and finely crafted black hair. All undone by the wide, deep green eyes trying to take in the black charred wall and two sons looking at everything besides what was behind them.


    A fit of giggles took him.


    It was a moment of pure joy as Andrew joined. For a time, everything else faded. Two brothers joined in birth and merriment of times past was all that sat at the table. High spirits continued for a few more chortles before they both settled down.


    ¡®And if he could forgive that, he¡¯ll forgive anything.¡¯


    Jeff nodded in agreement. As nonsensical as it was, the conversation made him feel better. Getting up from their meal, the three left for their home in the mage''s quarter. A few hours spent gathering a decent coat and clothes were spent, culminating in a sack of clothes put together with the typical care of a young man. Sunlight died early this far north, however, and he had to leave his somewhat warm abode all too soon.


    Strobing pink, teal, and purple lights from the yellow boxes on poles dotting the streets played over his grey shirt and black pants as he made his way down the hill. A few minutes later he left the mage quarter¡¯s walls and moved through the empty streets until he got behind the harbor office in near pitch-black darkness.


    ¡°Damn these lands and the ice-chapped asses of everyone who decided to settle here.¡± A familiar voice to the left said, with the typical good nature and grace accompanying the guard profession. Following the vague shape out to the military side of the harbor, the starlight eventually revealed his guide.


    Quinton¡¯s armor was leather with all the metal gone save for the sword fastened at the hip. His black beard had some ice around it and those green eyes told of a man ready to be done with his errand. The two bags on his back were also pretty full, no doubt adding to the man''s foul mood.


    ¡°Not my favorite weather either.¡± Jeff agreed as he quickened his pace. Through the fog of his breath, the visage of a dozen or more ships in various stages of construction could be seen as black shapes in the faint light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All the bribes have been paid out and we can be in our boat with no fuss.¡± Quinton offered as they made their way around the bend of a half-finished bow.


    Jeff¡¯s mouth opened, some na?ve and stupid indignation about civil service and integrity on his lips. A small nod was all he returned as he moved between the stacks of wood and piles of ropes. Guards would occasionally walk by as they approached the tip of the crescent harbor, somehow failing to see the men who had filled their pockets.


    Their destination turned out to be a wide boat at the smaller service dock near the very end of the stone wall. Tied to a post in the soft waves, this specimen was a bit wider than most and the thicker sides marked it better for sea travel than its kin. Bags of unseen items and a few curled blankets were put in the middle.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rough outcropping of rocks north of here. We¡¯ll get some travel in before staying the night there.¡± Quinton spat out as he moved into the front of the boat. Jeff sat at the back placing his sack on the pile, a task he somehow managed to accomplish between the dim light and rocking sea. When he had his butt firmly seated on the back plank serving as a seat, Quinton unwrapped the rope anchoring their vessel to the post.


    Once that was finished, the man gave Jeff a small nod barely seen in the starlight. Preparing the spell took as much thought as moving his fingers. A simple powerful gust with no direction or cutting edges blew out of his backward-facing hands. The water sprayed his face but for all their speed, the noise was still low enough that none would have heard it above the ocean¡¯s thrashing.


    ¡°Can you go faster?¡± Quinton called from the front, sounding a tad nervous even as he demanded more.


    ¡°A lot,¡± Jeff answered as the wall of the city zipped by and the open sea called ahead. ¡°More than enough to flip us over several times in a single crash. Just need a minute or two to balance everything.¡±


    The experience was certainly new to the guard, because it took a few seconds for him to respond.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then. But when I shout stop, try to do it as soon as you can.¡±


    The two passengers were content with the arrangement. How the boat reacted to the waves and its tolerances for speed were eventually tested out by the lightning mage until he found a good compromise between speed and control. Occasionally, Quinton would point back to the coast, indicating they were too far away from shore. He continued working magic in the enveloping dark and waves until his companion put up a hand.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Looking ahead, the mage couldn¡¯t see anything. Even with the weak starlight, shapes of land far to his left were all he saw among the waves.


    ¡°Unless you have some special magic unknown to me, how do you know where the rocky outcropping is?¡±


    A slight chuckle wafted over the sea¡¯s rumbling.


    ¡°I have no magic. Only what that blade of rock sticking out of the beach means. From here, we will have to use muscle to get in.¡±


    With that, he pulled a previously unseen oar from the underside of the boat¡¯s walls. Another was promptly handed to him. With how dark it was, Jeff couldn¡¯t be too certain the surprised look Quinton gave him when he took the oar was actually there. A few minutes of quiet rowing followed until weird shapes popped up between the waves, though if they had always been there or suddenly appeared, the lightning mage couldn¡¯t say.


    Ancient impulses told him to whack the nearest one on the right with a spell and his mind started rolling out the usual steps for the well-honed practice. That gave rationality enough time to re-assert itself when he noticed the black mass didn¡¯t move and the faint starlight reflected off the surface of smooth contours. When his psyche finally placed the thing as a stone pillar worn from the waves, he looked straight ahead.


    There were more coming up, though it was the larger piece in the middle that drew his attention. It was a wide bowl with about half its side missing, sized to around two stories high if the dark outlines against the night sky could be relied upon. All resting on a long slab of stone with dips and rises to accentuate the occasional spike sticking out. The pillars were at their thickest here and had partially preserved the structure against the sea¡¯s fury.


    ¡°The bowl, as we so imaginatively named it,¡± Quinton called back as he maneuvered the boat closer. ¡°Leftovers from a big mole getting snatched by something in the sea. Or the other way around. A few holes here and there was all it took to keep it from filling with rain.¡±


    Cold still nipped at exposed skin and Jeff, as fascinated as he was by the history, had only one question in mind.


    ¡°What about the heat?¡± He shouted over the crashing waves. ¡°I¡¯m more than ready for a warm blanket and a massage from a beautiful woman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the staff are informed,¡± Quinton yelled as they approached.


    Even with it being so close, the trek was slowed by the sea¡¯s attempt to dash them against the pillars. The guard¡¯s skill came through and the long base of stone for the structure was soon being prospected for a suitable point to land. The spot eventually settled on was a long stretch slowly rising in a slope from the water to the right. Quinton and Jeff used their oars to push the boat onto the stone with a loud scrape that was only just louder than the waves.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The lightning mage picked up bags with Quinton. When the boat had been emptied, it was pulled onto land with a few heaves and tied to one of the spikes. Clear skies left a tapestry of lights above, yet Jeff still felt bits of water run down his neck and bum where the coat and pants hadn¡¯t protected. Going into the open side of the bowl, his feet became a bit more sure owing to the lack of water on the raised stone floor.


    Despite that, he decided to hang around the entrance with the guard due to everything inside being a black void. A small stream of curses played over the pounding waves as the guide struggled with a small, barely seen bowl. His hands were moving over it and Jeff couldn¡¯t say precisely what he was doing until a small spark bounced across the floor. A few more hits of flint suddenly produced a weak blue light that took only a second to bloom into a torch¡¯s brilliance.


    Quinton pulled up a wide copper bowl with a handle on the side. Jeff turned his gaze towards the cave''s insides before going in. The top was a dome with rocks of differing types all mashed together by the magic of some attack spell long since cast. Dull browns, hard greys, and sparkling blacks all played in the blue light. As interesting as it was, that didn¡¯t hide the fact that it was a bare cave. Square from rough chiseling, sporting a few ashes in the middle, and no real features to speak of beyond its material.


    ¡°All right,¡± Quinton announced as he laid his bag to the right. ¡°I want to leave first thing in the morning. Our ability to hug the shore is what gives us the edge over a proper ship, and I want to use it for all its worth.¡±


    Jeff only nodded.


    Tired limbs dropped sacks off to the side while the ever-present sound of waves filled the background noise. Unraveling the blankets, the mage found they had a hole at the end for someone to crawl into. He didn¡¯t have the camping experience to name them, but he could appreciate their usefulness. His companion was more experienced, laying out his bed on the opposite left side of the cave with a casual roll before laying the glass bowl down.


    A minute passed while the sounds of rummaging and the occasional clank of metal reverberated through the cave until Quinton finally retrieved his prize. A long white sack was lifted out of the pack. It took a moment until the light revealed that it was stretched thin, the culprit being a fist-sized square on the bottom.


    ¡°Layers of wood, soaked in some kind of pumpkin or squash juice. A real bitch to get ahold of.¡± The guard announced, laying the sack between them in the middle of the long-dead ashes at the center of the room. The copper dish was brought up to the white sacks tip, lighting the cloth. Flame, now the more proper orange, started flowing down from the tip of the bag as it was lowered onto the small pile of ashes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the night''s watch.¡± Was all Quinton said before turning towards the cave entrance. Tired and worn from spell work, Jeff only nodded towards the man whose face was glowing in the flames. The lights of flickering blue and orange played across both men while the guard moved closer to the entrance. The lightning mage took the opportunity to lie on his side to face the wall. As the warmth took Jeff and he used his sack of change clothes for a pillow, it occurred to him that the cube of wood and sap was giving off a decent fire¡¯s warmth.


    Looking up, streams of smoke flew up through the sides of the ceiling through small holes and small popping sounded off behind him. When the blue light suddenly went out, leaving only the strong shifting glow of regular flame to play along the odd array of materials, the mage closed his brown eyes.


    ¡°Lad!¡±


    Despite the sound, it was a sore back that Jeff first registered. Blurry visions covered his first vision of the world, accompanying the feel of slickness across his brow telling of a bath sorely needed. Sadly, tubs of warm water or attending maids were absent. Besides the ever-present waves of the sea, the only sound was shuffling to his left. His companion was loading up the boat with his pack with the still faint light of the sun barely peeking out between the clouds.


    The mage quickly joined him, crawling out of his cocoon and putting his meager possessions in with the rest. Munching on meager nuts, harder bread, and lukewarm water from a large wine sack, it was the true traveling experience. No fantastical wonders from a man spewed out of another dimension or consideration for a leader¡¯s progeny were to be found as the boat was pushed out onto the sea.


    In the light of too early morning, Jeff could see the place more clearly and why it was so well hidden. The pillars were heavily worn into what from the sea would look like regular rocks hugging the shoreline as their more angular backsides were only visible from land. Only the main structure would stick out, though its bowl-like top was still rather unremarkable from far away.


    Faint light fought through grey skies, leaving Jeff more than happy to have this all done. Their vessel was put to the crashing waves in a splash as the two took their regular positions in the boat. A harsh night¡¯s shelter was abandoned with the plying of the oars through the pillars until the open sea finally beckoned. Without a word, Jeff sucked in mana and made another wind circle with a simple triangle output above both fists. His skills were a little dulled from his rest, leaving a few minutes of uncertain speeding up and slowing before a good rhythm was once again established.


    Blasting out over the ocean would have been fun and the lightning mage even considered it until a far-off crunch was heard over the waves on his right.


    ¡°A tempting lady, the sea.¡± The guard yelled with the weak sun growing a bit brighter behind the miserable clouds.


    The boat rocked back and forth in the waves approaching the land as they hugged the coastline with nothing but the salty spray from the wind spells to accompany the two men. That and winters bite. Ever present, the cold never relented in its assault on the exposed flesh and bare faces. An increasingly miserable state that continued for a few minutes or hours, the ability to measure time destroyed by the clouds choking an already meager sun and the constant toil of keeping the boat right side up.


    A hard slog that continued until Quinton, for no reason discernable to Jeff¡¯s eyes, suddenly threw up his hand.


    ¡°There, lad! Take us in.¡± He commanded, his green eyes looking like he had found a home long lost. Looking out to the shore, the expanse of tall bushes, bark scars, and rocky coastline showed nothing of any distinction to Jeff.


    ¡°The bushes hanging over the water. Go up to them and we¡¯ll use the oars to get in.¡± Quinton yelled again, getting the oars so quickly his black beard was pushed over the long wooden pole he extended towards his fellow passenger. Thoroughly confused with what was going on, Jeff could only push them forward. Green shrubbery came up to the edge of the boat before the gentle guard pushed some of it aside with a shove of his oar.


    Two men passed into a world of leaves, branches, and all the deposits of snow into hair and clothes that accompanied. Out of the corner of his eye, Jeff spotted what he swore were arrows pointing at them sticking out among the now pinkish brambles, though it was only confirmed when the leaves opened to a wider expanse. Puddles of water were strewn about a sprawling yard of grass and mud with the end of the water being only a stone toss ahead. The walls were seemingly sturdy blocks of stone, though their color was hard to distinguish among the thick coat of teal and pink¡­ stuff. He wanted to say it was some kind of artisan¡¯s glaze, though it was on the residents as well.


    A few wide heads peeked out of the round pools dotting the ground. Large eyes of bright green or teal rested in heads that Jeff¡¯s eyes wanted to say were human, though the mouths were closer to the Frojan''s wide maws, narrow slits placed where the noses should be, and eye sockets took up more of the forehead. The biggest distinction between the two species was the skin. The pink and teal glaze dotted their smooth grey exterior in a scale-like pattern, though each left plenty of space between the next and even more so in the folds of lettuce-like skin bouncing on their heads in place of hair.


    It was the four off on the right bank sporting drawn bows who presented themselves in full. The local fashion seemed to be thick wool tops and pants, stained with more of the glaze in a more flexible form. On their sides were wing-like appendages resembling what Jeff¡¯s mind said were bat wings, though they came out of the rib cage and had the smoothness and lack of fur found in aquatic denizens.


    ¡°Business, human.¡± The one on the far left said in a light, almost singing voice. Something at odds with the sharp teeth behind his lips and more masculine features.


    ¡°We come only for what was agreed upon.¡±


    A bald eyebrow was raised as his teal eyes went between the two men.


    ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Quinton. Where¡¯s Passeen? The old thorn too good to meet the help these days?¡±


    A smile broke out among the archers, accompanying a few of the older resident¡¯s heads sinking into their pools with their curiosity seemingly satisfied. Pointed barbs were lowered and shoulders came down.


    ¡°Few know of his hard spirit. Fewer of the name he mentioned when he left. Welcome, Quinton. We have a special abode where you can shed as you like.¡± His hand outstretched to the right behind the large bushes.


    Jeff noted the odd greeting. However, the biting cold had a far greater presence in his mind and he dared not waste any time with questions. Taking the boat onshore, the men took their bags and followed the stretched palm of their guide. Wet mud was underfoot everywhere yet not quite a brown soup. Every step was announced with a sopping suck around his boot while the visage of a simple stone building against the fortification lay directly ahead. A bare four walls of grey, an open door, and a round top with a table and four tables inside a residence about half his bedroom back home. His fake life¡¯s home, anyway.


    Coming through the door, he noticed that the floor was solid stone and promptly placed his burden on the right just past the muddy entrance. Taking a seat at the table was the first bit of stability he had enjoyed for what felt like hours. Which was at odds with the small sigh escaping between Quinton¡¯s lips telling of impatience.


    ¡°After that long slog, I think some rest is fair.¡± Jeff offered as his companion plopped into the chair opposite him, placing his bags on the table to the right.


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Paseen leaving. Once you get your stomach steady, traveling the seas isn¡¯t any different than a pleasant stroll. Of course, I haven¡¯t been using magic this whole time. How are you holding up?¡±


    Jeff closed his eyes, feeling his limbs and making several math-free calculations.


    ¡°I should be fine. These spells aren¡¯t anything complicated or power intensive. It¡¯s just annoying how it¡¯s not hard enough to keep me fully engaged but not easy enough to let me mentally leave during the task.¡±


    Quinton nodded, rubbing his bulbous nose as he leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°Helmsman often say as much. I suppose doing work between-¡°


    Wet stomps from the door interrupted the guard. Standing in the opening was the fairy that first greeted them. In his grey hands was a large jar, the clear sides showing a conspicuous lack of oysters within.


    ¡°All ready to be measured out to your satisfaction.¡± The fairy half-sang, laying down the great treasure on the table.


    Getting a faint memory of his first visit to Crasden, Jeff looked towards Quinton who was rummaging through one of his bags. Satisfied to be on the sidelines of this portion, he turned back to his host.


    ¡°Quite chilly this far north. Can¡¯t say I know much about your people, but I thought fairies were more southern in their tastes.¡±


    Teal eyes narrowed and those glaze scales stretched with a face wide scowl. A quick look to the right confirmed the diplomatic blunder, with Quinton¡¯s green eyes looking away from his hands in the bag and up to the ceiling as his lips puckered like he just bit into something sour.


    ¡°Fairies?!¡± Their host demanded with the word spat out like a bug in a bite of food, though with less love.


    ¡°A thousand apologies!¡± The guard quickly offered with a turn to the apparent victim, arms outstretched in supplication. ¡°He is young and unfamiliar with your people. More than that, I should have instructed him in etiquette. But, as you well know, these cold lands make the mind wander to warmer skies and I was too distracted to properly instruct him.¡±


    A soft blue tongue licked the lower lip of the¡­ not fairy.


    ¡°Youth and ignorance are close siblings. Mother knows I¡¯ve had more than one pup say something uncouth to a human before.¡±


    Jeff waited a moment for the path ahead to clear before coughing into a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What for, I¡¯m not exactly clear on.¡±


    A wry smile stole over those wide lips.


    ¡°We are Kaseen. Our people are old, child. Older than yours by many seasons. It is, of course, quite¡­rude, then, for you to suddenly change our name because one of you who shoots out mana suddenly decided so.¡±


    Looking towards Quinton, Jeff only got a shrug in return.


    ¡°Rodring,¡± The guard answered.


    ¡°Not just him!¡± Their non-human companion interjected, the heat coming back into his words. ¡°That builder cur. The one who built that stone monstrosity out beyond the beastmans lands. Came along one day and suddenly the Hedran aren¡¯t what everyone called them for all existence.¡±


    ¡°Hedran?¡± The lightning mage asked with confusion that had only gotten deeper with the conversation.


    ¡°Trolls,¡± Quinton answered as he perused his sack for some item or another.


    A moment more passed before the guard managed to pull out some square black stones. They were an array of sizes ranging from a small piece that could fit in a babe¡¯s palm, to near-proper bricks. The Kaseen took each stone, looking it over with glances. Jeff wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was doing, as he only gave each a small lift to check the weight before placing it down. Something that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by their host.


    ¡°Inspecting for¡­ Dandruff? Is that what you humans call it?¡± He asked in that voice sounding like it was on the edge of breaking into song.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big issue for you guys,¡± Jeff observed as politely as he could.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be?¡± He asked, his slits for a nose flaring as he did so. ¡°Your ripping parts of your body off and leaving it everywhere. How do you stand it?¡±


    An open mouth was as far as Jeff got before the sucking sound of footsteps in mud was heard behind the entryway. Another Kaseen was bringing some copper scales and their own sets of weight stones. An arrival Quinton took advantage of by leaning forward in his chair.


    ¡°We could just as easily say the same about yours. At least our skin disappears after a while. You lot have it turn into this plaster that you slap everywhere.¡±


    A mixture of intrigue and disgust rolled over the lightning mage as he realized what that glaze was. None of it was here or, thankfully, on the path back to the boat. Worse than that feeling, the grease and sourness of waking up with no bath or mouthwash suddenly became more acute.


    ¡°However,¡± Quinton announced as the scale and weights were brought to the table. ¡°It isn¡¯t debates over our bodies that we trudged through the seas for.¡±


    With that, the burden of labor now fell to the magicless man. It was a good half-hour or more of going over the weights used, comparing theirs to the ones provided by the seller, while the buyer went over the scale being used. Practiced green eyes looked over the copper plates, chains, and stand with every detail being noted. The comparisons between the sets of weights eventually showed the pairs were matching, yet caution would not be so easily sated.


    A weighing of the glass jars to be used was carried out. Then the lids. And the salt used to stave off rot. His years working to become a mage lent Jeff an understanding of the neurotic obsession going on, yet even that began to wear thin when a simple nod was exchanged by the two. Their host whistled out of the doorway and another of his kind, having the softer and smaller stature of the feminine sex, brought out the coveted goods.


    Tinged with brown and swirls of blue, the oysters were shucked out of their shells and carried in a wooden bowl. Laying it down on the table, the purpose for all this tedium finally came into view. Each was weighed down to the smallest morsel then packed in salt and placed in the jar. This finishing process took the least amount of time and in short order, the lid was applied to the jar only just holding the precious treasure in as it was gently wrapped around a blanket and placed in a sack.


    Oddly, no talk of payment ensued. Not trusting himself to not say something that any trader in magical resources would know, Jeff was content to guess that they had some prior arrangement. The business had reached its end with the humans getting up from the table. The woman at the door spoke up, though Jeff struggled to focus on the words. If the male''s voice was reminiscent of a preparing chorus, hers was the peak of the symphony. Filled with high pitch and smooth whistles, her words took a moment to be sorted from the tune.


    ¡°-y refreshment? I can¡¯t imagine the trip here was kind to those not suited to the waters.¡±


    Quinton shook his head, though he did a light bow to accentuate his refusal.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the food of the Kaseen is something to treasure. Sadly, time and events demand us elsewhere.¡±


    The two Kaseen nodded, doing a returning light bow before leaving with their scale and weights. Jeff followed with Quinton, laden with a bag now treated with the care of a newborn. Their boat was still in the muck as they had left it. The lightning mage put his burden down in the middle of his home for the rest of the day and was getting ready to shove off when some of the water around the boat came up.


    Looking behind him, he saw some of the mana around the Kaseen getting absorbed through their mouths as more added to the spell. The men were able to get into their usual positions before the water spell pushed them off the muddy bank and back into the trench. By this time, the onlookers had scattered to their underwater homes and the grey sky was a bit darker than it was before.


    Their boat was pushed towards the bush-covered entrance without another word or sound. Jeff and Quinton took up their oars without another word before they began pushing through the brambles and leaves. Near the end of the task, one branch snapped back and took the mage in the cheek. He thought about rubbing the wound, checking for blood, then maybe applying a cloth. That was until he looked up through the bushes and saw that the grey clouds were still hiding a dying sun.


    It was cold here. Constantly, bitterly cold. Only back at the base had he felt true warmth in every crevice and patch. Now the memory only served to taunt him, calling him from a far-off place he had no hope of getting to. His patience thinned a bit when they had to stop to move a large branch out of the way. When they came up to the open sea, no time was wasted. Magic was worked as quickly as Jeff could suck in the mana and formed the needed shapes. One blast of freezing ocean ran up the side of the boat as they jerked forward over the waves.


    An hour of mind-deadening work passed before Quinton¡¯s head jerked up. Before Jeff could ask what it was, his companion turned back to the bags and quickly rummaged through them.


    ¡°Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.¡± Quinton¡¯s poetry flowed as his calloused hands eventually pulled out the coveted jar. Yanking it open with a pop, he pulled out a knife from his side. The blade moved with a master¡¯s precision, though there was nothing graceful about the scowl across the weathered man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Fucking pearls.¡± He growled, barely head over the waves.


    In his leathery hands were several round balls, each the same color and shape as Jeff had expected. Unexpectedly, the palm clenched, and the hand was raised to cast the loathsome freeloaders into the sea. There was enough light left for Quinton to look over at Jeff. Raw anger suffused those green eyes, yet they rapidly cooled with the unspoken conversation between the two men.


    ¡°Pfft. Might as well see what we can get at a jewelers for them.¡± The guard offered with a resigned sigh as he put the round balls into his coat pocket.


    With a look back to the coastline they were currently hugging, Jeff continued his spell work for another hour or so. As was customary this far north, the sun died early and swiftly. Starlight met the same fate as the golden rays preceding it, choked and killed by the dour clouds above.


    ¡°I think we need to land,¡± Jeff announced over the crashing waves. ¡°Unless we want the oysters returned to the ocean when we dash against some rocks I saw on the way here.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± The shape at the other end of the boat said. ¡°I¡¯ve got something just for this situation.¡±


    The sounds of rummaging could be heard, accompanied this time by the sound of metal knocking together and a soft squeak. It was a few more minutes, with the occasional spark showing from the sides of Quinton¡¯s vague shape. Waiting in the middle of the sea, with all the chill and wetness that accompanied it, wore on Jeff¡¯s thin patience yet further. His reward, however, was a bright blue light suddenly shining over the waves. The new sun emanated from a copper cylinder, with half its sides made of glass that faced away over the soft waves of the ocean.


    ¡°That would have been nice to know about. Just some information on what we have.¡± Jeff yelled over the water, preparing to start his wind spell again.


    A pair of shoulders shrugged in the blue light even with the face obscured by the darkness.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d insist on spending the night at the fairy¡¯s hold. This was just a contingency if, for any reason, we got caught out in the dark or had to make a night trek. Be glad I did, otherwise, your industrious spirit would have been wasted.¡±


    Resolving to immediately complain about any discomfort during any future outings, in exacting and precise detail, Jeff started up the blasts of wind. Blue light guided him over the tumbling sea, keeping him aware of just how far he was from the shoreline. Time lost meaning as he kept up in the cold that now had no daytime to counter it.


    The journey, as brutal as it was, met its end in the faint whisps of torchlight over tall stone walls in the distance. Quinton put the light down so that its blue blaze was facing down into the boat.


    ¡°Take us in slow, lad. We didn¡¯t pay off the entire harbor.¡±


    It was the last thing he wanted to do in this wet, frozen hell. Still, he was at the finish and it was close enough that Quinton had to kill his light. Blasts of concentrated storm were reduced to strong breezes that brought the beachhead of civilization closer, if only by a crawl.


    When the sheer face of stone came up, they pulled out their oars and rowed up to the stone floor of the harbor. The boat was tied back to its pole and promptly abandoned, with a few guards looking them over and then promptly forgetting their existence as the sacks were placed on firm soil once again. Walking through the ships in various stages of construction, warmth returned to the exposed bits of Jeff¡¯s skin that no longer had harsh winds blowing across them.


    As much warmth as the heart of winter could give, at least.


    Jeff¡¯s first thought was running straight ahead to his home and trying to scarf down a meal before wrapping himself in three layers of blankets. That wouldn¡¯t be in character, however. He was a mage, and mages had no thought or care beyond the acquisition of mana-enriched meats and vegetables.


    Quinton took the lead now. The guard moved with his charge between masses of wood and the occasional red-leathered man who just so happened to not see them even when they passed directly ahead. That manor serving as an office quickly came into view with a few candles still burning this late in the¡­ Time distorted for a moment as Jeff¡¯s mind adjusted to the fact that it was probably only mid-afternoon.


    The stone walls passed by until they went through the double doors of the entrance. Going through the ever-present barrier of wooden boards, they took a left up the stairs and then a right at the top to the harbor master¡¯s room. With a nod to Quinton¡¯s fellow guard, they went through the wood door. Inside was the woman in question plying her trade at the desk with several pages under a lamp. The windows behind her showed nothing but a black void though the smile that came with her look upwards got a more genuine quality when she recognized the intruders.


    ¡°Were they so horrible that the winter sea was preferable so late?¡± She asked with a lean back into her leather chair, hands crossed over a grey dress.


    ¡°They had their usual charm,¡± Quinton said with a casual stretch. ¡°I think the mage was just that eager to see you again.¡±


    Jeff stood still, noticing no change in the woman beside a slight raise in her smile.


    ¡°Or maybe it was the human company that did it.¡± He offered the room.


    Quinton chuckled while Pache finally sucked in her lips before straightening her dress.


    ¡°It does me good to see my boys getting along.¡± The eye roll from the two men didn¡¯t stop her from continuing, ¡°But time is a currency like any other. Quinton, fetch a jar so we can get Harold¡¯s portion worked out.¡±


    ¡°We can use the scales used during the exchange with the Kaseen.¡± Jeff put in, ¡°I¡¯ll trust their diligence.¡±


    The guard did a small bow before going back out the door. A minute passed in silence. Not awkward, though Jeff¡¯s mind was too tired to be a source of conversation. Pache seemed content to sit in silence and he obliged her until Quinton came in. Bearing a smaller jar and lid, the guard moved the glass container to the desk with some scooting of the papers.


    ¡°Harold,¡± Pache practically purred as she leaned forward with elbows on the scattered pages. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you had personal experience with the fairy folk.¡±


    Jeff shook his head with his walk up to the main event of the evening.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. It was¡­ an instructive experience to say the least.¡±


    Her green eyes shifted to Quinton, who was retrieving the main jar and assorted tools.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t too much of a problem.¡± His rough voice announced as he placed a few of the weights down. ¡°He¡¯s quite easy to work with.¡±


    That seemed to surprise her the most. Black eyebrows rose with a bit lip. No words came, however. Quinton set up the bronze scale and the weights were quickly put to their purpose. After a few minutes of yet more agonizing weighing of the jar and its lid, Pache beckoned Jeff to her left.


    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s see if we can defeat these fierce numbers together.¡± She offered with a flourish of blank paper and the dipping of a quill in an ink jar. A roll of his eyes didn¡¯t stop her from slowly going over every step of the long division even as his mind struggled to follow along.


    ¡°And then let¡¯s carry over the remainder.¡±


    It was at the third round that a small smile finally broke through her instructive demeanor. Jeff only indulged her with an exaggerated nod. The water mage bit her lip before she worked through the rest of the figures, including the weight of the salt. Satisfied with all the math he hadn¡¯t paid the slightest bit of attention to; the requisite oysters were plopped into the smaller jar while Jeff¡¯s mind chugged at this final sprint. He still had enough alacrity to see the color in Pache¡¯s cheeks when it was revealed that the oysters were not checked for pearls beforehand and the bead of sweat going down Quinton¡¯s face. When his promised wage had been measured out, Jeff wished them both good night with some barely heard farewells.


    He maintained just enough mental acuity to stuff the jar in his bag. Exhaustion came fast as the adrenaline of working on the seas and subterfuge wore off. Nearly a full day of nonstop spell work had drained his reserves of energy with a small stumble at the foot of the stairs accentuating his harried state. The city was still partially alive with the occasional torch from a passerby or patrol illuminating a glass storefront or bit of stone road.


    There was a certain haunting beauty to it with no starlight to provide light between the numerous flaming spots in the dark, but a worn mind had no appreciation for beauty. Turning back towards the mage district with its ridiculous strobing purple, pink, and teal lights, Jeff numbly walked through half-registered streets and pedestrians. Only just keeping the mental resources needed to get home, he eventually found himself forcing his feet up the stairs of his abode.


    Off to the left were the moans and rustling of sheets coming from the door of his brother''s room. Fortunately for Andrew, concerns of propriety had died as far as Jeff was concerned. Opening the door to the right leading into his room took all the resevers of mental agility at hand. The bed called, bathed in those unnatural lights of the district as it was. Still aware of the treasure in his bag, he held it close as he plopped onto the pillow with not a thought spared for the curtain or door before oblivion took him.


    ¡°Jeff!¡± Andrew¡¯s yell pierced the warm embrace of nothingness.


    Feeling faint lines of pain through his body, accompanying the more typical soreness in his feet, Jeff took a moment to absorb where he was and the previous night¡¯s events. Fully armed with that knowledge he turned around to his brother. Looking well worn from his own struggles, Andrews''s messy brown hair and bare chest did nothing to hide the retreating form of a grey-dressed woman behind him leaving down the stairs.


    ¡°The harbormaster you refuse to show spine for is here.¡±


    With that, Andrew turned back to his bedroom.


    A light stretch was all Jeff gave himself before getting off the bed with all its wonderful fluffy sheets. Taking the usual slap of biting cold in stride, he went down those stairs and opened the front door. Standing on the sidewalk was Pache, sporting a green dress with no frills. Her bowl cut of black hair swung from her look down the street.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had so much energy after last night.¡± She asked with a pensive smile on her thick lips.


    Following her previous gaze, he saw the figure of a woman walking down the street, looking similar to the one he had glimpsed behind Andrew.


    ¡°My brothers work. Despite our infertility, he certainly is¡­ steadfast in his duties.¡±


    Pache¡¯s shoulders came down, along with a vanishing of the insincere smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t come here to pry into your nighttime affairs. A new report dropped and I felt you should hear about it from me. Not good or profitable this time I¡¯m afraid. And.¡± Her hand moved towards Jeff¡¯s face, running along the protruding hairs. ¡°You clearly haven¡¯t been seeing to certain aspects of hygiene. Your poor mother must be getting chills every time you go out into proper society. Clean up and I¡¯ll give you a proper shave out in the backyard.¡±


    A genuine smile came over her face that matched the one Jeff couldn¡¯t keep down. They turned and went into the house, with Pache and Jeff going through the kitchen on the back left. It lead onto the yard, a bare, featureless patch of green whose only redeeming quality was the grey stone shack in the back that served as a shower house and the lack of higher neighbors. When he was changed into a loose white shirt and black pants with that feeling of refreshment only washing away days of grime could provide, he opened the shack door to find Pache standing in the middle of the yard with a chair and the assorted cutlery of a barber, all presumably provided by the servants who warmed his water.


    ¡°What news is there?¡± Jeff asked as he took his seat. Pache fixed a white bib around his neck before preparing a wickedly sharp razor.


    ¡°The pirates are coming. It will be a while, but the time for preparation has passed and they¡¯ll be here in a few days or a week depending on how the winds favor us.¡± She offered as she worked the blade on a whetstone.


    A clump of spit stole up Jeff¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Do you want to stay here?¡± He offered without a moment¡¯s thought.


    The back-and-forth scraping of metal on stone stopped for a moment. He turned back to see those green eyes appraising him for a moment before a wide smile stole over her face. Her sway got a bit more pronounced as she moved toward his back, emphasizing her breasts and hips in the sway.


    ¡°Are you aware of the Fjords?¡± Her soft voice asked behind him.


    Caught off guard at the question, he took a moment as the barely remembered name was groped for in his mind.


    ¡°Yes. They took over when the water mage''s house, descended from Rodrings original party, fell to some disaster. Put everything in one city then got taken out in a big wave, I believe.¡±


    A bitter snort behind him told of Pache¡¯s now fouler mood.


    ¡°¡¯Took over¡¯. You¡¯d think we robbed their very corpses with the way the Literrean and Kraton house¡¯s act. But do you know the history of those squatting in the ruins of the dead clan?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Well, let me tell you about us. Did you know that pirates aren¡¯t good people?¡±


    Jeff gave a light cough, looking to his right as the razor came into view.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I was sitting down for such a revelation.¡±


    The blade glided across his cheek, sending a small shower of hairs across the bib.


    ¡°Brat.¡± Pache''s voice whispered in his right ear, so close he was sure he could discern the sound of her lips smacking. ¡°Not just to outsiders. Oh no. They¡¯re quite prickly even to their own, kin and kindred alike. That also means they kill each other at a rate comparable to a warzone. The Mist pirates have had more blades put in them from suspecting superiors or ambitious underlings than we could hope to afford.


    The political arrangement is the biggest and best clans get the coveted positions inside the misty island, with all the luxuries and goods that accompany, while those in our position fight for scraps outside. The highest is the Broodmother whose clan tends to the crabs and beasts. She takes a consort who sires her children and provides all the amenities required. Her paramour is the second best position and the clans jostle between themselves for it.¡±


    So absorbed was Jeff that he almost gave a start when the blade slid down the right side of his neck. Pache was skillful enough in this arena that no blood was drawn from the long shave.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great thing, living inside the veil of mist. But we were no such clan. One of the annoying things about this arrangement is that the inner clans don¡¯t care about¡­ well anything beyond their little cut-off corner of the world. Including whether the people bringing in the goods are the same as those who did it last week.


    We weren¡¯t even connected to the inner mists, rather we were their minions¡¯ underlings. Still too high up, it turns out. One day someone said something stupid at dinner and suddenly we were on the bad end of the clan head. Now, most go out west to try their chances in the seas around the Far Shores and Orc gangs.


    Fortune and misfortune, however, can come layered. The water mage clan had the water come to them around this time and it pulled them out to sea where their element stayed with them for all eternity. The Rodring Kingdom, desperate to fill the gaping wound in its side, cut us a deal. Our kind had some water mages, not anywhere near the amount who lived there before us, but some. More than that, we knew ships.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like a recipe for warm relations.¡± Jeff offered as Pache started working the left side of his face. A small snort came through his left ear.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± She said with a small shake of her head. ¡°The pirates will go out of their way to give us grief and the rest of the kingdom is mixed. The local settlements that suddenly found us collecting their taxes are rather warm to us, as we¡¯ve proven ourselves more than once and we actually tend to their needs. That changes nothing as far as the leadership is concerned. Rodring or his party members¡¯ blood is the only currency used in court and we have none.¡±


    Her hands moved his chin to the right before Jeff felt a long slide of the blade down his throat.


    ¡°Speaking of relations,¡± She continued with a small smile across her face. ¡°Quinton was quite impressed with you. Some mages would have killed him for trying to give them orders.¡±


    Pache regarded him with interest. The lightning mage had enough experience to say that interest was more than professional.


    ¡°The job needed doing,¡± Jeff responded before she worked the razor across his upper lips.


    ¡°If only everyone was as focused.¡±


    Those were the last words spoken for a few minutes. Sharp steel worked up and down her client''s face until she moved his head back and forth. With a final once-over, a satisfied look came over her face. Instead of removing the bib, she went directly behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°Life is short and I have little patience for idling. Do you have some interest? Times like these make for short lives and one should savor such a fleeting thing as much as possible.¡±


    The lightning mage bit his tongue before letting loose a breath.


    ¡°I do enjoy your company. Maybe we¡¯re due for another meal at the tavern.¡±


    Fingers strummed across his shirt.


    ¡°Our elements could combine to make a healing element. A mighty useful thing and the whiny brat of house Kraton couldn¡¯t complain.¡±


    Jeff looked up to see her bowl of black hair hovering above him as those green eyes stared down with the same intent of a business negotiation. Long used to such speculation from his years among mage kind, especially as someone with dual elements, he only shrugged at the casual suggestion of babymaking.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, that can¡¯t happen with my¡­infirmary.¡±


    She moved closer, those hands moving over his chest.


    ¡°Perhaps you should be more willing to take chances, like your brother.¡±


    It was Jeff¡¯s turn to snort even as he felt her soft palms across his pecks.


    ¡°I think a few tumbles is all he wants out of his ¡®attempts¡¯. My taste is for something more permanent.¡±


    A flare of desire burned in those green eyes. Suggestion became declaration as her hand traveled down his stomach to above his pubes while her head came just to his left.


    ¡°Oh? You want more than a night or two?¡±


    They were close now and some unspoken agreement was reached. Puckered lips closed the gap and Jeff tasted the sweetness of a woman after what had felt like a lifetime. A familiar sensation that brought back memories with it. Flashes of red hair so dark it was nearly black with the thrill of near discovery passed through his mind. Images now soaked in pain. A pull back from Pache stopped his reverie.


    ¡°Have I been doing such a poor cleaning of my teeth?¡±


    Despite the teasing tone, there was some hurt in those green eyes. Jeff, realizing what had shown on his face, put a hand to her side while he licked his lips.


    ¡°Not all pleasant things bring back pleasant memories. Beautiful women make every day a bit better and you¡¯ve certainly improved mine. There¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Words failed him. A moment of awkward silence passed between them before Pache got a little smile and moved both her hands to the back of his neck.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re never too young for the world to hurt you.¡± She said, pulling off the white bib. ¡°We will be shutting down the offices in preparation for the coming battle. If it gets bad¡­ perhaps I¡¯ll take you up on that offer to move in. Your second proposition, however, I will agree to. A good meal at the tavern while it still stands is in order.¡±


    Jeff nodded as he pushed up from his seat. Turning around, Pache looked him up and down before nodding in approval. He accompanied her out of the house and into the street. Whatever the coming battle brought with it, the lightning mage intended to get at least one last good taste of the city before it was potentially torched to the ground.

 Chapter 119: Battle for Crasden(1)

    Eli pov


    Early morning cold bit at my palms as they worked the stone ridge freshly summoned from nothing, moving the folds of my brown coat and white shirt in the weak light as they did so. Directly ahead was the sheer drop from the three-story wall I had made all that while ago. Atop the rampart of the vast walls, the only competition for height nearby was the five-story abode farther to my back left near the road to Crasden and the massive tower a bit behind me. Standing at nine-and-some floors, the thing dwarfed any pretension of grand scale that the sister city, Crasden, could offer even with the upper floors being wood. To be fair to the Rodring kingdom¡¯s architects, it had no internal structure aside from bracing and an elevator.


    The sheer scale of things was lost on my company. Surrounding all sides were the ever-present guards, two of whom had personally helped Gula filch my crafts. It was to my liking, however, and they were certainly of better spirit than the foreman hugging my left. His nervous rubbing of a black mustache was made more pronounced with the bits of sweat falling onto his brown coat, something at odds with the clouds of mist escaping his mouth into the frigid northern air.


    ¡°A thousand apologies, Great mage.¡± He sputtered, his left hand making a conspicuous effort to not rub his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll have the workers whipped for their idiocy.¡±


    A sigh escaped my lips through the red cloth covering my face.


    ¡°No. Tell them that the edges need to be a bit thicker by about a half-foot. Do. Not. Do anything that might delay them in the task at hand. I might be working on the tower for the rest of the day, so I might not be able to give them the personal tour. Come back here near sunset and have them see what I did.¡±


    He gave a deep bow without any further groveling, a position I left him in as I took off down the wall towards the staircase leading to the open stone floor inside my walls. All work projects had their unique advantages and challenges. The ones here were the added moral boost of them possibly all dying if they didn¡¯t work fast enough and the fear that they might offend their better. At first, the latter made it easier to put them to the grindstone yet¡­


    Off in the distance ahead, the drawback to their fear presented itself again. This time in the form of a long slab of stone being lifted up the duo stairs that served as both entrance and exit to these heights. Wrapped in ropes and sporting several men underneath lifting it onto the lisp, the rock was just asking to claim one of the poorly insulated peasants beneath it like a bug on the business end of a boot. Dashing forward, my earth spell took the slab from the backs of the men and placed it off to the right inside a large square marked off with charcoal. A wave of panic seized the men under the block until they saw me standing above them with those on the ledge shirking back at my aid.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge?¡± I demanded of the rather sheepish-looking men, who all looked down like errant children.


    ¡°Me, lord. I am.¡± One slightly muscular man stepped forward from my right, head raised with an uncertain shake showing beneath his cloth face wrap. Sweat ran down his white shirt and grey pants with streaks of stone dust across his person and wild red hair. Those brown eyes had the weight of a man offering himself up to the beast for a distraction.


    ¡°Were you not instructed to put such tasks in the queue for me to do?¡± I demanded with some faint irritation.


    He looked down, no longer able to meet my gaze.


    ¡°I was under the impression that your aid was the crafts. It never occurred to me that direct labor would be¡­ The decision was mine alone, great mage.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I put a hand on his shoulder. Even with that kind gesture, he dared not look up.


    ¡°Go to the foreman and get, in exact detail, what the workflow is. If you¡¯re not sure, just ask yourself if it could get workers killed. Generally, a yes means that it¡¯s a job for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Great mage.¡± He said, his voice having a tone of gratitude while his clenched fists told of terror.


    Nodding, I turned down towards the other block of stone near the bottom of the steps. Walking down past the men who immediately clung to the side of the wall like their lives depended on it, I could barely contain a huff of irritation. As easy as it was to take control of the worksite with my authority as a mage, the deathly fear the magicless peasants had of my kind had slowed down the work pace in several instances.


    Dozens of workers would abandon their posts to do some heavy tasks I could do in a few minutes, something I¡¯ve had to correct on several occasions. Once an entire worksite came to a standstill because the overseers and workers were trying to figure out how to fix a craft that got crushed to mulch under a stone block. The funeral procession that came up to me with a handful of minced wood wasted a good dozen labor hours. It didn¡¯t happen too often, but it was extremely aggravating when it did. I at least had the fact that face coverings were ubiquitous due to the sheer cold this far north to provide some comfort.


    The large slab for molding was quickly put in place and I left the now thoroughly confused team to its task with my guards in tow. Walking across the open stone expanse I had made, the crowd of workers only grew as I approached the massive tower. Men in ragged clothing with only the occasional scarf or coat for warmth swarmed around, seeing to one task or another. As is typical in this or any other dimension, it was the kitchen taking up most of my right side that saw the bulk of the action.


    Winter had a firm grip on everyone¡¯s throat, from the clouds of steam coming out of mouths to the bits of ice along the walls. Defying that direction, the men were rather happy and the women working the kitchen or stitching clothes seemed to be in their element. Maybe it was the wide-open space that contrasted with the cramped living in the city, or my insistence that people eating meager rations provide substandard products. Some workers in the back were enjoying the ¡®special meal portions¡¯ while pots of various soups and kegs of weak beer in the various tents were being worked almost non-stop even as a strong gust blew through them.


    None of which involved the main task leading me outside the camp to the biggest piece of work. A pillar of stone loomed over everything else, and it wasn¡¯t just the perception from me approaching it. Thrice as tall as my outer walls and almost twice the highest point Crasden could muster, the wide stone base jutted out of the ground with four of the upper floors being made of wood.


    A grand structure serving as nothing more than a base for the equally oversized catapult that had its beam sticking out over the land below. Around the side was a small patrol of guards standing by the entrance and between them were the wide double doors leading inside. The immediate area around the tower was purposefully kept empty from all passersby, leaving the guards a clear view of me when I broke from the pack, not that my entourage would have been hard to miss.


    All it took was a simple nod for me to be let in with my men. Inside was no less cold and far more cramped. The tower was a hundred-plus feet wide yet inside there was only a large single room with small lamps dotting the wall, bearing the wax and wicker used by regular humans due to the extraordinary demands on the local mana. In the center was a crude elevator, made up of strong wooden guardrails, ropes, and a box. Far tougher due to magical enhancement and made to my satisfaction. Not that those things made it any easier to get people to use it. Around that central means of transport were various crafts and bits of wood, brought up when needed by the woman assembling the entire point of the building. At that box shafts of light trickled in from the higher floors.


    My feet clapped on the stone floor while my eyes absorbed the sum of the current contents around the room. These past few days, I had made every craft in here, from the small poles for molding the tiniest details to rigid wooden rulers for measuring the evenness of each block and, of course, stone summoning slabs. If the lacking total of what I saw was anything to go by, Harrah¡¯s labor was in full swing above.


    Three of the guards stole ahead of me, taking their usual spots on the elevator platform before pulling on a rope in the middle. As was customary, the men insisted on testing it each time before I did, both for the fall and to make sure the roof above was safe. These were all bachelors, which in the Central Continent society meant they had a green lady. They knew I was the only thing keeping the heads of themselves and their women on their shoulders and would broker no risk to my person.


    A few minutes of wasted time went by before two came back down and nodded to me. Some snide comment about how reassured I was played at the tip of my tongue for a moment until being quashed. Plodding onto the wooden platform and securing the rails, I pulled on the rope, sending my cage upward with a slight jolt. Morning light was still coming down with our ascent and there should be an hour of two of decent sunlight left in this winter¡¯s day.


    Along the way I saw the counter weighing stone drop to the side until we came up to the seventh floor. The newest abode was a bare level with some food and buckets of human waste, both on opposite ends. Slits along the stone walls allowed some light in and across the stone floor. Not taking any chances, I covered the inner structure of wood in a thin layer of stone to help prevent fires while the outer walls were given extra coatings of near-iron strong magically enhanced wood.


    Against the left wall was a ladder leading up to the final two levels. My inner architect was having a fit about the elevator not leading all the way up and the lack of a staircase around the outside in case of a fire or failure in the only means down. This tower, like so much I had made here, was riddled with one compromise or another in the name of time. Those internal grumbles continued while my body marched on with the labor at hand by shimmying up the cold wood.


    Making my way up the tower, I looked behind me to see the two floors. Save some supports holding up the roof, the last two floors were an empty expanse merged into one. Harrah decided on a straight drop construction for the catapult¡¯s counterweight, owing to the difficulties of making a tower that could handle such large horizontal movements. The large boulder in question was a massive square in the back, the vision of which was obstructed by a stream of blue flecks going through the stone floor above.


    The trip to the top took a few more seconds before the wind blew over the stone parapet directly ahead and clobbered me, stealing my breath for a moment as the cold up here had a particularly brutal bite. A second passed as I made sure the brown coat was more properly buttoned up.


    ¡°Is everything ok, great mage?¡± A concerned voice called from below.


    ¡°Bad winds. Make sure you¡¯re prepared.¡± I responded before taking the final few upward steps. Another gust took me as I came onto the open roof, this time foiled by my properly prepared protection. Being the highest point pretty much anywhere, the view was turbulent seas directly ahead and a barely seen cityscape to the left with grassy plains and almost tree-like bushes to the right. All distant enough for the mind to fill in the unseen details with beauty and the heart to swell with pride at having the highest roost around. Something the socialites of corporate circles or their children often paid for in extravagant sums.


    Such grand and petty thoughts had escaped the woman plying her trade on the siege engine in the last direction and opposite my entrance. The long block had the typical dual side-frames holding the long shaft of the catapult. That spear of wood stuck out over its base and the confines of the tower, stretching out like an accusing finger into the open air. My main source of pain was inside the wooden structure. Making the series of pulleys and ropes needed to properly pull the shaft''s bottom had been a process of some trial and error, something the air scion at the front end of the wide wooden box knew as well as I did.


    ¡°Harrah,¡± I called, making the twin pigtails of black hair shift around to me. Her blue eyes locked onto me, those smooth cheekbones showing some dimples as the small woman smiled at me. The green and brown leather armor provided some general protection to her slim frame, though the soft white scarf suggested not enough temperature-wise.


    ¡°Tilvor,¡± She shot back, rubbing her stubby chin as her eyes turned back to the array of wooden poles and planks around her. The member of Palta¡¯s guard was the resident siege engine expert and, as easy as taking over her job would be, I was chained by the story I had sold them. Being an architect from books and saving people of such a craft was pushing the bounds of believability for a ¡®savage mage from the wilds¡¯. Having mastery of the physics involved in sending large boulders skyward boulders would be a lie spread too thin. Coming up to her right, I looked into the guts of the wooden block.


    ¡°How are things? It¡¯s always nice to see the tower still standing, but the lack of damage suggests a lack of testing.¡±


    An indignant snort floated over the wind.


    ¡°That¡¯s what people who didn¡¯t think things through try to sell when they have to justify a mess. If Palta asked, I¡¯d tell her we¡¯re ready to destroy some ships, but the main spool for transferring the downward force to the counterweight is taking more strain than I¡¯m comfortable with. We need to add some reinforcement.¡±


    In spite of my expertise, I found myself rather impressed with her. I had planned to run a full test, which would have sheared off that too-small spool and left us enough time to fix it. To see the flaw beforehand meant she knew her craft well enough that I wouldn¡¯t have to torture a lot of scenarios into existence to point out failings in our child.


    Letting loose a sigh at this entirely unexpected delay, I only nodded to her before picking up the needed crafts.


    Heavy winds were obstructed by the beast whose guts we were fine-tuning, but even the sturdiest walls couldn¡¯t hold back the cold. Not this far north or at this height. The patchy sky and meager sun watched on for an hour or two before our cloth-covered hands worked the now sturdier spool back into place above the chasm below with the big boulder peering through the floor. We were in a small half hallway in the center of the beast, small enough to allow workers and the needed ropes and not a hair more.


    ¡°Tilvor, how confident are you in this tower?¡± Harrah asked from my left. Turning back up from the hole below, I looked at the short woman, making sure to not knock against the near-thigh-thick rope between us.


    ¡°It¡¯s boring.¡± I offered to a raised eyebrow from the air scion. ¡°Thick slabs of stone for a base, ringed with wood that¡¯s been hardened to something close to metal. The tricky part was dealing with the forces of a giant trebuchet and the swinging movement. Having enough of that magically enhanced wood did the job, however. I¡¯ve thrown stone blocks almost a time and a half larger than any we¡¯re using, or the pirates will lob up here. No rooms, outlets for sewage, or chimneys for fireplaces. It was built for one thing, and it does it exceptionally well. Which will be shown when we give it a proper test.¡±


    A shrug was her first answer.


    ¡°Palta wanted to talk about it. She¡¯s worried about how slow the other fortifications have been.¡±


    My lips popped at the suggestion in her voice.


    ¡°The boss needs to understand that I did the tower first because it¡¯s what will make this place a target.¡±


    Harrah gave me a small smile as her hands idly rubbed the rope between us.


    ¡°She¡¯s under a lot of stress right now. Well, more than usual, at least. The south¡¯s barely holding together and¡­ Her inclination¡­ I¡¯ll just say that she relies on her reputation as a competent military leader more than most to get even a scrap of respect. If she can¡¯t pull through here, it¡¯ll be years of grueling agony to claw it all back.¡±


    Nodding my head in agreement, I could only mentally sigh at the pettiness of it all.


    ¡°Is it all to your liking then, Harrah?¡±


    Blue eyes roamed the ropes and wooden supports for a few seconds until she turned back to me.


    ¡°For now. Until that test comes through, I can¡¯t see anything else to do.¡±


    Turning around towards the exit in the back of the giant box, we left the fruit of our labors. Taking the elevator down with the guards, I left to continue fortifying the walls. As soon as we came out of the tower in a gust of snow and damp cold, Harrah took off in a blast of wind with a thrilled smile plastered across her face. Her jump being thrice the height of a man drew far more attention than her mood, however. No such whimsy awaited me for the rest of the day.


    Despite my best efforts, details were always missing in the construction. Sometimes annoying little things, like the stone shield sides not having the notches on the sides for holding crossbows. Other times, I had run in to keep several workers from being squashed. Moving huge slabs of stone up the fortification was grinding down my patience, yet it was needed all the same. The sun fell quickly and plunged the worksite into darkness, further slowing work as the starlight was too weak this night to properly see. The men, despite this, continued laboring under torches though the biggest job of moving those stone slabs off their crafts in the field was left to the next morning. My portion of labor continued until my tongue struggled to use the right words and the prospect of sleeping on the kitchen benches became appealing.


    Leaving the worksite, I moved past the lines of gradually forming stones on wood boards and up to the rectangular box of stone with a rounded roof that I currently called home. It was the same as ever, save the princess and a torch-carrying Bella in front of my door. The bitter chill and soft rush of water were ever-present with the river running around the abode. I gave a nod to the guards in the small station I made to the right of the bridge leading into my home before walking up to the wooden plank and acknoledged the guests bearing a torch hanging around my door.


    To the left was Palta, her black dress flowing in the breeze along with her equally black hair. Those green eyes over her thin nose and sharp jaw had the air of exhaustion. The cream wrap of fur around her neck clashed with the brown and green leather armor of the woman on her left who was carrying the torch. Bella was a thin thing, with shoulder-length brown hair and matching eyes. Her sharp nose sniffed in the cold.


    ¡°I hope I haven¡¯t been keeping royalty waiting.¡± I casually offered the duo.


    A stiff smile was all Palta gave me as I moved past the two of them. Opening the door, I came into an open space on the right and a wall with a door in the middle on the left. The right served as a kitchen and resting area, complete with a small brick oven in the back and a table in the middle. All now bathed in a shifting golden glow.


    ¡°Harrah informed me that a test is in order,¡± Palta said, walking past me towards the available seat at the kitchen table. There was less refinement in her movements, the loud scrape as she pulled back the chair reverberating on the bare stone walls. Bella affixed her burden to a torch holder in the wall and quickly joined her with a plop in a chair to the right.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I offered, taking in the exhausted auras from my guests as I claimed the seat on the left. ¡°Though I thought you would have wanted to have this conversation in your tower. The royal lady visiting a man¡¯s home so late at night. Such a meeting might make tongues twirl.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Bella huffed, with Palta staring down at the wood like she was trying to get the secrets of the universe from its gnarled curves. ¡°I think our situation would improve from such rumors. People thinking we have some kind of taste for men would make dealing with the associations far more bearable.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the two women. The lack of denial from either confirmed the loose talk I had heard sprinkled about the workers. Leaning back into my chair, I stretched some of the day¡¯s exhaustion away.


    ¡°Perhaps you have a preference for older men. Have you ever been proposed by a man with some wrinkles and grey in his hair?¡±


    A chuckle came from Bella who leaned back in her chair. Palta allowed only a small smile as she put her head into her hands with her elbows supporting. Those green eyes stared at the center of the table as her shoulders seemed to shirk inwards.


    ¡°Hey, maybe that¡¯s our problem after all? Bessie¡¯s and Oswald¡¯s sires were all younger men.¡± The earth caster offered with a teasing tone, her soft smile fading as her water scion stayed as still as a statue. We both kept silent for a moment as the princess worked through whatever problems were wracking her. After a minute of contemplation, she finally leaned back, sending a cascade of that near waist-long hair behind her.


    ¡°Speaking of being fucked, I¡¯ve gotten more letters from home,¡± Palta announced with none of the subtle poise of her station. ¡°Our south is barely holding it together. The Fjords are doing their best but for all intents and purposes, this northern route is going to be more important than it¡¯s ever been. How confident are you in the coming battle?¡±


    I went over several figures, taking a few seconds to soak in that icy air.


    ¡°Very. The sea-bound filth will die that day, even if I have to personally wade into the ocean and choke every last one of them myself. Though, I¡¯m hoping our over-fed siege engine will do the job. Of course, I have to test the thing before its boulders can be the last thing many of them see.


    Even with that, the faint smell of something wrong hangs over their whole plan. There¡¯s nothing left for us to do but prepare, yet the fact they¡¯re coming here at all suggests some trick hanging up their sleeves. Taking on the city could be easy. Razing my defenses to the ground would be difficult. Meeting three scions on the battlefield with none of their own? They say yes to that, and their answer gives me pause.¡±


    Small clouds of air shot out of the women¡¯s noses, accompanying a long sigh from Palta who continued her staring contest with my furniture. The lack of reaction to my suspicion told me they had long considered such a prospect.


    ¡°Should we wait to test it?¡± Bella asked, hands strumming the table with soft thuds. ¡°Giving away the reach of our biggest weapon may not be a good idea.¡±


    The princess looked at me with the same tired expression, awaiting an answer.


    ¡°The point of all this, Bella, is that we force them to come here. Most of the killing will still be done by regular catapults and swords but we need to make sure it works for the fight to take place where we want it too.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Palta agreed with a pinch of her nose ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking when I told Harrah to wait. Do the test first thing tomorrow.¡±


    My nod went almost unnoticed as the harried woman leaned back into her chair, black-covered arms crossed without consideration for the cold.


    ¡°The royal couple is coming in a few days.¡± She announced to a silent room. Bella¡¯s puckered lips and wide eyes said this was the first time she had heard of this as well. ¡°They meant to come before the battle here, but the pirates moved far sooner than anyone anticipated. By the time they arrive, they¡¯ll be handing out commendations or negotiating releases. No. It will be the former.¡±


    Her sharp chin stuck out in defiance. A confidence that didn¡¯t extend to her green eyes. Palta had been a proud member of royalty since I had first seen her and that steady bulwark had largely held out. Now, she was rattled. The nervous shifting of the eyes and squeezing of her palms were left unhidden. Things that hadn¡¯t even been present after the raid on the city and certainly not what she would have wanted the underlings at her command post to see. She continued staring into space until I coughed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll line the harbor with so many pirate¡¯s corpses that they¡¯ll be embarrassing you at the feasts, gushing about their child¡¯s accomplishments.¡± I offered with a lean back into my chair.


    ¡°Palta,¡± Bella said, leaning over the table to give her boss a concerned look.


    The water scion sucked in her lips. Green eyes shifted to me, a bit lighter now. A cloud of mist escaped her mouth as she let loose a long breath.


    ¡°Right. I won¡¯t burden our miracle plant scion with my wranglings. I¡¯ll be sending more troops here, per Harrah¡¯s request. You¡¯ve earned her confidence and from what I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re living up to it.¡±


    With that, she got up from her chair. A good time as any to get my question in.


    ¡°Palta, how long do I have until they knock at my door?¡±


    ¡°Three days. Four if the weather delays them but I wouldn¡¯t count on that happening.¡±


    The idea that Harrah¡¯s familiar could push them back had been discussed and quashed in my musings with the air scion yesterday. The enchantments on the ships were beneath the waves and it would leave the familiar too tired to keep up with its duties. Any additional time could be used to fashion more arrows and make wood armor, yet I could only play the cards I was handed and a day or two more didn¡¯t seem to be one of them. It was still enough time for Cell to arrive, but it would be closer than I would have liked.


    My esteemed guests got up from their seats, slight nods being the only farewell before they took their torch and vacated my home. The night was colder than the day, obvious yet still unbelievable to my already freezing body. A faint whiff of femininity still lingered on my bed from Gula¡¯s time in it, but time had almost entirely wiped it away. Despite that, I managed to get up when the faintest rise of the sun was in the clouds above. After a quick wash, dry, and meal of minced chicken stew delivered from Palta¡¯s kitchen, the worksite called me as I lowered the bridge out of the corner of the world belonging to me and me alone. Sporting a grey shirt, brown pants, and brown coat that matched my facewrap, winter blew over me with her typical enthusiasm.


    Long lines of square stones were splayed out over the field of the same summoned rock, now sporting some wood pieces close to the kitchen. My struggle with mana back at the Diamond academy was almost trivial here. Given the lack of metal works and the near unlimited space, it was time that was the monster to slay for this project.


    Walking alongside the artificial river, a wide array of cloth canopies came closer with every step toward the ocean-facing portion of my domain. The smoke of fires and sizzling of meats left no doubt as to the place''s purpose if the white-aproned lads and girls running around with trays of cut vegables and mugs wasn¡¯t enough of a clue. They all gave me some distance as my little caravan moved through, with some even getting in a proper bow as I approached the tables in front of the pots and ovens. The destination was the black-coated foreman from yesterday waiting at a table with the day¡¯s work order. He handed off the page with a bow, the politeness slightly undone by the bit of unseen egg around the corner of his black mustache. It took several lines of ¡®moving stone blocks up the wall¡¯ before I arrived at a different item. The near metal hard wood arrows my crafts could make were in high demand, something I was going to focus on in the final day or two of preparations.


    ¡°See if Harrah is in the tower,¡± I instructed one of my guards, who did a light bow before walking away to the right.


    The morning was still young, with most of the workers either coming in through the wall gate off in the distant left or getting breakfast. Moving through the gathering crowd with my escort cutting a path through was going to be the easiest part of my day. The large, near man-sized slabs of stone placed along the walls told of a day filled with toil and curses. It was after only getting two up onto the wall and taking a minute to look out over the ocean that the sound of something big moving came from above.


    Turning to the main focus of my efforts, atop the large tower was the finger of the giant trebuchet swinging back from its first firing. A pang of irritation ran through me at the thought of not being present for the first swing. Harrah had been its designer, yet it was my magic and sweat that had made it possible. Consoling myself to being there the first time it drew blood, I looked down at the men below. Almost the entire camp had stopped with a sea of raised heads gazing up to the pole of wood sticking out of the top of the tower.


    ¡°It won¡¯t do much good if we don¡¯t get the defenses in place,¡± I yelled over the fresh silence.


    Most dismissed my voice, save a few of the men who had committed the sound to memory and knew who was speaking. Here and there, the heads gradually turned back to their mortal works as panicked foremen started laying into them. Some of the men came up the stairs bearing thick wooden beams and boards.


    ¡°Right here,¡± I instructed with a nod to my right. Placing all the pieces in neat piles took but a moment, though the man directing them in a loose white shirt and wool coat seemed to think it was taking an eternity. Messy brown hair waved with his frantic arm motions for his men to move their burden into place. When one plank was accidentally dropped, his brown eyes went wide as saucers and despite the dreadful cold, a bead of sweat went down his forehead. Fear that subsided when I merely shrugged to the worker who quickly picked up his load and placed it with the rest.


    ¡°Will we be assembling the catapult, grand mage?¡± The director asked while the men waited around the pieces they brought up.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°The wood is almost as hard as iron. Your nails and hammers aren¡¯t going to do any good here. Go and see what else the overseer needs.¡±


    He did a light bow before turning to his men with a waving hand motion. They all quickly filed down the stairs to leave me to my labor. Unlike most of what I had worked on so far, I alone had the expertise, precision, and magic to work on this project from beginning to end. It was a simple catapult, a good few feet higher than a man and sporting a large slab of stone as a counterweight. The toughness of the wood meant the wheels on the sides wouldn¡¯t easily sheer off nor could the rope be easily cut.


    Looking over the rest of the wall, I was treated to the sight of five other catapult sites waiting for me. Working alongside the men delivering the parts for my work were others bringing the arrows, rope, and bases for larger ballistae. Too large to hold but not full siege engines, these arrow chuckers were dotting the walls around the stone shields lining the edges to let men drop boulders down the sides without taking return fire.


    The holes for archers were finally placed along the sides of the wall¡¯s ocean-facing top, barrels of arrows were being filled, and balls of stone were getting loaded near the catapult sites. Here and there yet more slabs of stone were getting molded into supports and reinforcement for the walls with the workers plying away like ants making the nest whole. During the actual battle, it would be the guards doing almost all the work. For now, however, it was the peasants carrying the burden. As was I.


    Speaking of the guards, the man I sent to check on Harrah finally came back around the time I had finished the fourth catapult. The tired-looking man in red leather armor approached from my left up the staircase with a bit lip.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s not the tallest thing, but it shouldn¡¯t have been that long to find her,¡± I announced as I put the counterweight on with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°A thousand apologies, great mage.¡± He squeaked out with a bow of his red leather cap on his bald head. ¡°The lady insisted on me waiting for me to report back after she and another mage finished some items.¡±


    Fusing my burden in place, I looked over to him in clear expectation.


    ¡°She wanted to fix some problem or another. Lady Harrah now has full confidence in the machine¡¯s ability. She also personally requested that some men head out with crafts to make a target. The trebuchet will swing again when she wants them to stop and make it.¡±


    The fun part has come at last. Nodding to him, I motioned to the rest of my guard to follow me for my next task. Tired as he was, the messenger guard moved to follow before I shook my head.


    ¡°Rest. But do tell a passing foreman to start doing some tests with the catapults and getting things ready for the ballistae. The giant on the tower isn¡¯t the only weapon we¡¯ll be relying on.¡±


    A glimmer of relief flickered in his brown eyes before he bowed and went to rest beside one of the stone slabs hanging around the back of the wall. My trip down the stairs was swift with the workers making their way off towards the tents serving as a kitchen and command post. Reaching the flat surface of the stone floor took less than a minute though it was only the start. Walking along the wall took a few more minutes in the freezing cold before I made it to the harbor gate.


    The tall portcullis was currently open so that a few of the crafts on the outside sucking in mana could have their payload easily retrieved. Wooden platform stretched along the solid stone slab serving as the land of the harbor with the brown fingers reaching into the water. That snake of ocean went around through the back where enchantments on flat boards would push the water into the river channel. Two of the catapults could hit here and five of the ballistae would have good coverage, to say nothing of how clear the sight lines were for an archer.


    Putting together some stone summoning crafts from a board pile to the left of the gate, I handed them off to a pair of laborers who were quickly escorted over the rocky plains by two of my guards. While I waited for the men to return, my mind went to the task that had brought me here. The proper soldiers I was being given were clad in metal pads for the arms or legs and helms, with leather chest pieces and no face guards. The regular guard and peasant mobs, who made up most of the fighting force, were all in leather and only some with short swords.


    A part of me hoped that we could simply splat them all from afar, as was my personal preference. It was virtually impossible, however. The next best option was making sure we had enough arrows for the archers. Working with magic and its crafts for so long gave me a general sense of how much mana things cost and a rough guess told me the most efficient course was to make arrows with no strengthening.


    After that, most of my resources and time would be devoted to making decent armor out of hardened wood. Fashioning so much armor wasn¡¯t going to happen if I was the only one making it, leaving the blacksmiths for the task. Mentally going over the logistics, I was pulled out of my calculations by the familiar whoosh of air from the trebuchet. Out over the field of rock I saw a small stone spike rising out of the ground even if the men around it were barely discernable. After putting a dozen or so wood growing enchantments on planks and explaining how to use them to a team who would be overseeing their use, the trebuchet sounded off again. Looking up from the man leaning over the slowing shifting shaft of wood, I saw that it had thrown a piece of cargo this time.


    A speck flew through the sky until it was well past the thrown-together structure. My group was too far away to hear the crunch when the dot hit the ground. A small hill suddenly appearing above the jagged stone was hard to miss, however. Counting off in my head, the hill lasted for four and a half seconds before it dissolved into nothingness.


    Bella, being the only other mage who had an earth element and wasn¡¯t useless, had been given the job of making the stone-summoning crafts that were going to be dropping boulders on the pirates¡¯ heads. Her efforts appeared to have failed, though due to the catapult or her calculations was yet to be seen. My guards, however, were looking at the spot the hill had been with confused faces.


    ¡°Do you see something?¡± I asked the men as their comrades could be spotted coming from the plains.


    One with a brown beard and grey eyes ahead of me turned around.


    ¡°No one said we would be using mage crafts as¡­ rocks. How will they be retrieved, great mage? If you wouldn¡¯t mind the question.¡±


    I shrugged as I scanned the vast expanse of nothing in front of us for a second before returning to work.


    ¡°Aside from that one we just used? We aren¡¯t. The barnacles and crabs will have them after they¡¯ve done their job.¡±


    A few of the surrounding heads jerked back while some looked me up and down like I was crazy.


    ¡°I had no idea that your greatness was so generous.¡± The guard to my right said with some admiration in his voice. A smirk came across my face as I turned back to the wall with the dying sun casting its faint light across the grey stone surface.


    ¡°Generosity is the willingness to do things that aren¡¯t for your own good. In that way, hatred is its kin. Bella is the source this time, if you want to know who to thank for the crafts. Though my generosity will become more known the next two days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already more than well known,¡± A younger member put in a bit too enthusiastically. ¡°Between those indoor farms and fishing trips, we¡¯ve been able to get some decent meals.¡±


    That human neediness for recognition and validation rose up in me again. Taking a moment to enjoy the praise, I coughed in my hand before moving towards the open gate.


    ¡°And if we survive the coming days, you can tell your grandkids all about it. For now, I¡¯ve got a lot more work on the wall to do. Will you lot be changing shifts soon?¡±


    One of the older men looked to the sky, taking in the falling sun with puckered lips.


    ¡°Just about, I believe lord.¡± He finally offered.


    Our approach took us by the wooden crafts molding and growing bits of wood into arrows. An inquiring look to the group of men I had been instructing on the crafts was answered with nods. Content with that, I left the workers to place them by the blacksmiths. The wind was still occasionally slapping against my exposed skin and my fingers were starting to get stiff.


    My little group took a slow walk up to the gate, maneuvering around the people bringing in stone blocks from the other wooden slab crafts that had been left out here. A soft wind came up from behind, seemingly giving us one last icy lash on the back. Not harshly enough to hide the sound of a scuffle breaking out above. Indistinct shouting could be heard over the breeze and the guards quickly moved closer to me even if we couldn¡¯t see what was happening.


    I moved a bit quicker under the wall near the portcullis while one of the guards ran ahead to see what was going on. The men were cluttered around me like a pack protecting the group''s young. Shields were drawn up and swords pulled from sheaths, but I was still a bit too paranoid. Weaving a magic spell of brown mana, I encased myself in some stone to protect from any bolts to the head. After a few minutes, the guards we sent ahead came back.


    ¡°There was an incident above. Tilvor is to be interned at his home for the rest of the day by order of Kev.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the name occasionally exchanged by the guards. The men seemed satisfied by the command and moved to keep the regular traffic out of the way. A slight buzz of adrenaline was running through my veins as we made our way across the stone floor to the oval house in the middle of the artificial river. Stomping steps interspersed with the blowing of wind as the house came closer.


    Besides the bridge near my home''s drawbridge was the guard house I had set up. It was made for two, or three if comfort was no object, yet there were twelve men coming across the wooden arch further to the right that allowed for main traffic over the river. Between the guard house and a few men outside, it was a number nearly a third larger than my typical escort.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked the newcomers.


    An older guardsmen coughed as his companions took up positions around the only entrance to my home.


    ¡°There was an assassination attempt on you earlier. A poor showing, from what I heard, but an attempt all the same. Princess Palta is coming by to explain the changes to the operation but until then you are to stay in your home with her affirming Kev¡¯s order.¡±


    Well, they were bound to try eventually. A deep sigh escaped my lips, but I could only shrug as I turned to my house.


    ¡°Get me more planks for crafts and some blacksmiths or their apprentices if they¡¯re too busy,¡± I commanded as my entourage changed for the first time today.


    The cold day passed with the sun leaving at its usual time around midday. My meal of chicken stew came just after, this time accompanied by a member of the lion guard who asked to look around. After I accepted and he finished the inspection, royalty graced my abode once again. Palta arrived through the door in green and brown leather armor. That long black hair had been rolled into a bun, though there was so much to work with that she still had some in a ponytail. Her green eyes looked around in irritation even with her graceful stride across the room to the table stacked high with wooden crafts and planks yet to reach greatness.


    ¡°You seem to be holding up well despite the attempt on your life,¡± She offered with a plop into the seat opposite of me.


    ¡°The guard said it wasn¡¯t a particularly close thing. All I heard was some yelling above before we huddled underneath the wall like chicks in the rain.¡± I said, not stopping my work on a small pole that would fit in a hand and allow for the manipulation of wood in a field around it. A piece for the blacksmiths who had yet to visit.


    ¡°They tried to drop a big rock on your head. Luckily, a guard saw them trying to lift one of the catapult¡¯s blocks over the side of the wall and promptly brought the anger of the men down on them.¡± She mused with a lean back into her chair.


    ¡°A poor showing. If they were serious about killing me.¡±


    Her black eyebrow raised with a pucker of her lips.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Time is everything now. I¡¯m sure they would have loved to kill me, but between the guards and inspections for weapons¡­ that almost certainly isn¡¯t happening. The next best thing is to keep me from working. Whether by injury or fear, as long as I¡¯m not grinding away on the defenses, they can take this place all the easier and silence the trebuchet keeping them from Crasden. Speaking of, how are the chronically useless doing?¡± I asked as I traced a manipulation triangle on the pole.


    Her lips thinned for a moment, rounding out a face that wanted to scold me yet the tiredness in those green pools wouldn¡¯t let the correction come.


    ¡°Same as when you left. A lot of wrangling and moaning from people who¡¯ve not worked a day in their lives. Not a true, back-crunching day, at least. But we are here¡± A manicured finger was put down towards the table ¡°And it is the situation here that requires amending. My guess is you are correct in the spies thinking. Their undoing, however, is that your task is already done.¡±


    Lifting my head, I put down the pole and regarded her with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°How so? I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t give that order.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Palta leaned a bit forward, resting her elbows on the table as she clasped her hands together.


    ¡°The walls are sturdy. Barrels are filling with arrows and if the crafts in harbor are making what I think they are, we¡¯ll have enough to hear the twang of bows for days. Harrah says the murder holes in the stone shields along the top are more than we have on the walls of Crasden and most other cities besides. What do you have left?¡±


    ¡°Encasing the top in a wooden layer that¡¯s been hardened to that of iron along with some outer stone to protect from arrows, molding the front of the walls to allow for the rolling of stone balls down the sides, fashioning some hard wooden armor for the men is going to be something I¡¯ll see to on the last day.¡±


    Palta gave me a small smile even though her eyes had some sadness in them.


    ¡°An ambitious list. Never to be realized sadly.¡± She did a swipe across the table to brush away some dust before letting loose a breath. ¡°Harrah¡¯s familiar has brought back news of the fleet. It¡¯s going to be here later tomorrow. They either have dozens of water casters or a few scions who''ve sped them along.¡±


    A list of questions presented themselves and it took but a moment to decide that none of them were worth asking. Getting up from the chair in a single thrust saw my knee bang against a wooden leg. Allowing myself only a single wince, I sprinted out of the room and onto the small stone ledge with the bridge. The smack of footsteps behind me was barely noticed as I ripped out pieces of my plans with that special pain only lovers of their craft could understand.


    The men in lion-shaped helmets and capes across the bridge stood in a tight ball near the entrance with rather disdainful looks to the red-leathered guards. Any tension between the two groups melted when they turned to see their charges sprinting over the bridge.


    ¡°Get the overseer! Tell him to start getting the pots of pitch ready. Inform the smiths that we need to focus on making more ballistae.¡±


    One guard ran off to the left to deliver the message.


    ¡°I already told them and Harrah.¡± Palta offered behind me as we approached the field of summoning stone enchantments.


    The workers lugging a block nearby were a bit confused as I pushed the white circle of one vacant specimen before turning it over. I locked eyes with their foreman a few steps closer to me.


    ¡°Drop that block and go around pressing the white circles on the boards. Tell everyone who asks that the plant scion said to because the attack is coming later tomorrow.¡±


    That got a few pale faces, with some concerned glances between the men. They were well aware that they were being given a direct order from their mage superior and that kept them from idling for more than a second before the foremen scattered them about. Running my hands over the bare side of the board, I began sucking in mana with which I plied circles, squares, and triangles into the wood. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t just start twisting all the furniture into chest and shoulder pieces as only certain woods would get stronger with being fed plant spells while others would grow spikes or become as flexible as paper.


    ¡°Fetch me some of the growing arrows. I need a pail of white paint and a brush.¡± I called with a cloud of breath flowing over the wooden plank and my brown jacket. More steps on the stone came from behind me, a quick look back giving me a look of Palta.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± She asked with some brittleness in her voice, more from the cold than her irritation.


    ¡°Help me turn off the stone crafts. Hardening wood into steel takes a lot more mana than summoning stone. I¡¯ll make a few crafts to mold and grow wood into armor. Once the smiths get them into the right shape, the pieces will then be put on other crafts to harden them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need this stone?¡± She asked even as she walked past me and pressed the white circles on the board a few feet away from my left.


    ¡°No,¡± I refuted as I put down the press square to start the craft. Looking behind me, there was a rather nervous-looking boy bringing the requested pail even as bits of the white paint stained his brown pants with every step. ¡°Any ongoing developments to the wall will be a half-finished abortion at this point. I¡¯ve got to put everything in the armor and get the siege engines on the back wall finished.¡±


    The lad finally came up to me with a plop of the bucket down beside me and a slight bow as he held out a brush.


    ¡°Good man.¡± I complimented the boy before taking his burden from him. My mind focused on painting a circle around the middle of the glowing triangle at the boards center and the upper square at the right corner, resuming my conversation as I did so. ¡°We¡¯ll cannibalize the wall addon¡¯s stone for catapult ammunition and tossing on the pirate¡¯s heads. Right now, I need to start the process of getting the armor crafts ready because I know no matter how easy I make it they¡¯ll have questions on how to work it. I¡¯ll make a few wooden sword and spear crafts too for the regular men. Those should be the easiest to make.¡±


    The water scion was a bit further away now, with her yell carrying over the light breeze.


    ¡°Okay, but do try to pace yourself. We need you to be in fighting shape.¡±


    Winter¡¯s cold continued pounding me and the workers for the rest of the day. The falling of the sun around midday took away the only meager heat found this far north. Despite that, the men worked at a hard pace even when the wind slapped away whatever warmth accumulated on their skin. The ballistae were small enough that they could be made without the use of magic. The same could not be said for the catapults, which was the only thing I could get done after completing a few dozen of the wood enchantments.


    Magical crafts could make the guts and frames of the larger siege engines, but it would have taken far too long to explain how to properly fuse the joints and pieces to the peasants on the previous timescale and certainly not on the death run this project had turned into. Carts of pitch-filled barrels began arriving from the city before being placed by the entrance into the main wall, the line of which I sat on the left side of. My work of putting together the third catapult for the unguarded land-side wall was competing for time instructing the poor smiths around me who were trying to work the magical tools on a wooden chest piece in faint torchlight.


    Standing over the two V-shaped pieces of wood, my board sucked in the flickers of gold and blue mana around me before I began applying the area of effect for the growth to the needed joint. A squad of men in heavy coats took up the freezing wood with bare hands to place the latest addition to the defenses at one the designated spots. My labor for placing enchantments was demanded again as another board for wood hardening was placed in front of me. As I sucked in the gold and blue mana, the dreaded sensation made itself known.


    Faint, hair-thin, lines of pain broke out over my skin from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet like an annoying scratch. Experience told of what agony awaited me if I continued pushing things, making me quickly finish the spell¡¯s work. Once my finger finished working over the board, I looked around at the men working the wood crafts. They were the last batch of smiths and any more armor fashioning enchantments would be bottlenecked by manpower. That meant spell work was officially done for the night even if I felt like I had an hour or two more of regular work in me before the bed beckoned.


    Sadly, I couldn¡¯t pull armor-smithing skills out of my ass like I had architecture. Configuring armor took knowledge that my time in the wilds wouldn¡¯t have demanded I know, and I absolutely couldn¡¯t have picked it up in my time here. Taking up the craft after this mess would be a good jumping point for my ¡®art¡¯ phase in the future where I would suddenly start buying up exotic materials for my work, but, for now, I only had the skills to make buildings, which were useless for the tasks left to do.


    ¡°Do you feel like you can work these crafts?¡± I asked the men with thick coats leaning over various boards with wooden pieces.


    ¡°It¡¯s far easier than working metal, lord. I could finish up a good set in an hour.¡± One said with appropriate enthusiasm. The sentiment was backed up with a series of nods from the rest. Leaving them to their work, I left the torch-lit line of carriages towards my home further across the wide open field of smooth stone.


    Men passed by in the torchlight, burdened with large pitchers of black tar destined for the top of the walls. Off in the distance, I could see more torches along the walls with ballistae in varying stages of construction caught in the orange bloom. All the widely spaced flames meant it was easy to see the strong breeze coming over the wall. I grit my teeth and cursed nature before the whoosh of air finally rolled to my spot.


    It was greeted by a string of curses from the guards, who pulled their coats closer and pushed their scarves closer to the skin. The trip back to the house was made a bit more excruciating with nature giving me one last slap in the face, yet the human spirit would not be denied. My shoes clapped across the icy stone and eventually, wood as our group made it over the bridge. Rushing water ambled below me as we crossed and to my right as we moved towards the barely seen home in the river.


    On my way to the guard house, I saw a man in a thick coat talking to the guards for a moment before running off. I walked up to the man, breathing out clouds of mist into the wind as I did so. He quickly spotted me and ran forward before leaning in close.


    ¡°Lady Harrah requests your presence at the top of the tower first thing in the morning after being readied for the day.¡±


    I nodded as I moved past him and towards the bridge leading into my home. Retiring to my bed took only a quick walk over the drawbridge into my house and a small washing up with cold rags. I stumbled through the dark door leading into my room and fell into my bed with a flop and slither in the blankets. The realization that Cell would be too late in coming occureed to some faint corner of my exhausted mind before oblivion took it.


    The sudden awakening into a brisk morning chill, contrary to expectation, came without a panicked Palta barging in or a messenger boy¡¯s terrified yells. Stretching away the night¡¯s stiffness didn¡¯t distract me from the sound of footsteps out in the kitchen. The noises were accompanied by vaguely feminine voices of what my slowly stirring mind said was the maids even if the words could not be distinguished.


    That morning feeling of grunginess covered me and the dreaded feeling of what awaited me later today started creeping through the morning sluggishness. Still, work needed to be done and too much of it couldn¡¯t be done without my plant magic. The sheets were pushed aside and I got up with a turn on the bed to face the wall opposite of me.


    God.


    I immediately regretted every decision l had ever made up to this point as the cold rock stole whatever warmth could be found on my soles. The worst was over, at least. I abandoned the bed, donned my boots, and moved to the door. My bedroom entry was thrown open with the grand view of an equally cold, grey stone hallway beyond. I took a left and opened the next door leading into the kitchen and dining area.


    Two women in maids¡¯ outfits were sweeping dirt and dust with a steaming tub of water in the center of the room and a fresh brown coat on the right chair.


    ¡°The breakfast will be coming from the tower soon, grand mage. If the water is too cold or not enough, just let us know.¡± The brunette working a broom near the entrance. A smaller black-haired woman near the dining table was placing a few towels down for my personal use. Besides the mound of fluffy white cloth was a change of a white shirt and grey pants for me.


    ¡°It is. Though, it is the lack of eyes that I need.¡± I politely offered as I approached the table.


    Both pairs of brown eyes looked at each other.


    ¡°Will¡­ Do you desire assistance in the bathing, great mage?¡± The petite, black-haired woman asked, taking a look at the joining of my legs a second past what could be accepted as an accident.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied firmly.


    They both bowed at that, promptly moving towards the exit on the right. I was quickly left alone in the stone cave I had made semi-livable. A quick wash in the warm water with a drying of the towels took up a few minutes followed by a trip to the toilet near the end of the hallway. Enough time for the big kettle of shredded chicken soup to arrive, it turns out. The pot was placed on the table and my portion ladled out in a bowl. The bald man in a white apron and shirt did a slight bow before taking a step back as I took up my breakfast with a cup of water.


    ¡°Her highness asked me to inquire into your present state. The princess had some concern about the great mage pushing himself beyond his limits.¡±


    A smirk stole over my face as I put a spoon in the spicy, brown liquid with white strands of meat.


    ¡°My joints aren¡¯t that worn from age. Not yet, anyway. Tell her I¡¯ll be seeing to the tower and getting ready for our afternoon excursion.¡±


    He did another deep bow, placing a jug to my right as he did so. Knowing enough of my inclinations, the cook quickly vacated my home without staying to personally pour my water or attend to me. The solitude was a nice break compared to the constant pecking of needy foremen and an ever-growing list of needed items. If I lied hard enough to myself, I could even call the freezing air bracing.


    I washed the delusion down with the last of the soup.


    A quick walk through the room brought me to the entrance, picking up the prepared brown coat as I did so. My eyes took in the wooden contours of the door while I put on the jacket then my hand found the handle too soon. Taking one final breath, I consigned my morning rest to oblivion before pulling. Bitter cold continued nipping at my exposed skin, yet the wind was nowhere to be seen. Clouds of mist came out of the men standing at the opposite side of the wooden drawbridge just as they did from the workers lifting various wooden pieces from boards sucking up mana in the field beyond.


    My men got in a tight circle around me as I came across the bridge. The first impulse was to go to the work camp and start taking up orders from the foremen. Sadly, it was the tower that was going to be the cage I spent the rest of the day in. The workers here were all present before the pirates started butchering their way this far north and were assumed to be safe. Besides showing how long-term the bandit''s knowledge I had gleaned from conversing with the workers also revealed that there was no official census.


    As long as the taxes on properties and sales were paid, you weren¡¯t a wanted criminal, and you didn¡¯t have much interest in the government¡¯s secrets, not much attention was paid to the magicless peasantry. I would have thought that having all of humanity holed up in chokingly tight enclaves would make such tasks simple, but that was not the item of interest for the day.


    The men in wooden armor around the entrance stood a bit straighter as I went past them. I pushed open the double doors into the giant stone beast. Standing alongside the left wall were two of the blacksmiths, between which was a table with a full suit of wooden armor.


    ¡°Great mage, it is time for your fitting.¡± The pudgier one on the left said.


    I came up to the wooden pieces before the men started fitting the leather straps along the inner sides of the pieces. In my time working with them, I determined the smiths to be competent, though their spark of creativity was rather damp. Something exemplified by the blockish helmet and plain armor. Save for the material, it looked like a clone of the troop¡¯s pieces.


    My body was soon wrapped around that beloved material with some space between the joints. A few paddings of soft plant fibers would be needed at a few spots, but it was all perfectly functional otherwise. The craftsmen bowed when I nodded and headed to the open elevator waiting for me on the floor. The guards, having done their typical inspection as I was donning my armor, huddled around me as we ascended to the heights above with only a few streaks of light meeting us halfway.


    The platform eventually came up and I disembarked onto it. The wide wood floor now sported a few blankets in addition to the bits of food on the left, a few stacks of wooden balls directly opposite, and now empty buckets of human waste. The right side was taken up by the huge boulder, thankfully still in the same position as always. One of the guards insisted on going up the ladder before me, which I promptly followed once I was given the clear. Seeing as how I hadn¡¯t heard the snap of ropes accompanying a panicked scream, I expected a fully function machine of death when I made it up the ladder and, despite the record of dashed hopes that had defined my time in these lands, I was greeted with a large swing of the pole above the big wooden block.


    Off to the right was Harrah, her black twin pigtails swaying with the swaying of her hands as she directed the men in thick black coats shifting the giant wooden beast around further along to the left. Beside her was a pile of wooden balls being looked over by Bella. The earth caster¡¯s shoulder-length brown hair shifted as her hands worked over one of the pieces of ammunition, her thin nose now red. Both the women wore the same black coats over the leather of green and brown they arrived in.


    ¡°Any trouble getting her to work?¡±


    Harrah turned around with a smile pulling at her stubby chin and smooth cheek bones.


    ¡°None. She worked just fine all day yesterday and we¡¯re going to do another test before giving her my seal of approval.¡±


    A small, grumpy huff came from Bella to the right.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s been mighty effective, using crafts for trebuchet ammo. But I won¡¯t. I have the distinct feeling that the slaver¡¯s whip will be on my back for the rest of my life if I give her any ideas.¡±


    The smaller black-haired woman rolled her blue eyes before turning back towards the men. A moment of silence went by before the air scion spoke out.


    ¡°Enough!¡± She called before looking towards the man near the lever on the side that would fire the mighty pole arm. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s see how you do.¡±


    The black-coated men moved in a flurry, taking one of the balls and placing it in the sling. A moment of hesitation passed before the man at the lever nodded to the one who placed the craft. When the smack of a palm on a white circle rang out, the lever was thrown forward and the rush of air below told of a large movement of mass.


    Turbulent air only grew as the arm of the wooden beast swung forward, launching its payload through the air. A speck traveled through the cloudy white sky before a mass of stone formed and crashed into a mass of jagged stone beyond the walls with a sharp crack that I could almost hear even up here. Despite the destruction, it was the cough from Harrah that drew the men¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Was that on target and appropriately timed?¡± She asked the bald man who was apparently third in command here.


    ¡°A bit to the left and a second or so passed when I wanted it to go off.¡±


    ¡°Or so?¡± Harrah asked with a significant raise of her eyebrow. ¡°Or so can be a huge amount of time when dealing with trebuchets and crafts. I¡¯d tell you to practice more but our magic isn¡¯t so easily spent. That¡¯s all for now.¡±


    He gave a bow, as did most of the men who just seemed grateful to be out from under the gazes of three mages. When the last of them were gone, I turned towards Bella who was still leaning over one of the summoning balls.


    ¡°How has the crafting been going?¡±


    A puckering of her lips followed her hand running a square over the white-painted circle facing her.


    ¡°Exhausting. Though I don¡¯t need to tell you that.¡± She offered, her brown eyes looking up to meet mine. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got any spare pieces about?¡±


    The question was accentuated with a dramatic rise from the spot she had been at.


    ¡°Plenty. Go to the smithy area to get suited up. If they have any left over from the troops.¡±


    Both raised their eyebrows at that while I moved to the ocean-facing side of the rails. Harrah immediately ran over to the side of the tower while Bella staggered onward with numb legs beside me. Looking down at the men working all over the walls, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how many of the indistinct dots had the color of brown wood around them.


    ¡°You really fashioned armor for all those men?¡± Bella asked with a raise of all our heads from the sight below, her voice askance and lips puckered.


    ¡°I fashioned crafts for the smiths to do so and harden them to near metal toughness. So, yes and no.¡±


    ¡°What agreement do you have with the smiths? It must not have been easy to find men who could merit such an opportunity.¡± The earth crafter asked. Harrah turned to look at me, black eyebrows raised to affirm her friend¡¯s question.


    ¡°Their merit is they know how to fashion a chest plate.¡±


    ¡°And keeping track of the tools?¡±


    I could only shrug.


    ¡°Time is a resource I don¡¯t have¡­ time to waste. If they lose one, break another, or want to keep a wooden pole for a priceless family heirloom, that¡¯s too bad for me then.¡±


    A frown stole over Bella¡¯s face, pulling her chin with it.


    ¡°You know, I always considered myself the one to do the dirty jobs. The ones the great and revered mages of the associations wouldn¡¯t dare touch. But some pride is still bouncing around in my head. Your magic¡­ how can you be okay with just throwing it out to the peasants like that?¡±


    I leaned against the parapet with another shrug.


    ¡°Maybe if you made crafts for the regular men, you¡¯d have an easier time with the Orcs out on the plains.¡±


    Harrah got a frown at that, with both women now looking very put off at the idea.


    ¡°And risk my magic being touched by the green filth? Give me a quick slice across the throat before seeing that day.¡±


    The nod from the air mage sealed my defeat. Putting up my hands in supplication, I could only pull back towards the ladder leading to the slightly warmer indoors. They followed me down and took off towards the right when we arrived. Instead of stopping to chat, the women quickly vacated the floor to follow the guards down the elevator.


    As violent as the afternoon was going to be, the battle was too close for hard labor and yet too far away to get on with it. Taking a bit of unused wood from the crafts folding the wood into balls along the wall, I spent what felt like a half hour molding a wooden sword. The long slice of wood was gradually sharpened into an arm-length blade with a decently sharp edge. Not razor thin, but it had enough bite to cut leather and the skin beneath. With boulders to answer any metal armor, I started working on the contours of the handle.


    Which was when a flash of white and green flew past. A raise of the blade proved needless as my eyes comprehended the shape of Harrah¡¯s moth familiar hovering above the elevator rope, though it was a bit slimmer than its wild cousins. They took only a moment before diving below out of sight. I was content to continue in my work until I faintly heard Harrah shouting from below. Her words were indistinct, but their cadence was one of panic. I got up to pull the rope to bring the elevator to my level, something one of the people already did.


    It was a small eternity of waiting as the slab of wood came up and the yells gradually stopped. A tentative look over the railing didn¡¯t give me any indication of attack from the specks on the floor nor did the guards coming up appear battered. Light splashed from the morning sun over the floor below with the opening of the door to the outside. Zigget was flying back up towards me, his color palette obscured in the light until he zipped past the elevator and landed on my outstretched arm. A spirit connection quickly followed across my face.


    Images of fire in bushes and charred scars of bark filled my vision accompanying a feeling of panic. And barrels in various states of destruction or flying in the air to their doom. A moment passed when the familiar collected itself to present the full image. Across the sea-struck coast were five ships equipped with large catapults lobbing man-sized barrels crashing various powders and attached torches leaving scorched blazes wherever they landed among the bushes and retreated trees. The visage suddenly gave way to the wider sky above the land, now filled with swirling black smoke and flecks of ember.


    The clank of the guards arriving interrupted the scene with a flurry of voices trying to speak at once. I put up a hand to stop the oncoming cascade as I pushed through them onto the platform. Without a sound, one of them pulled the rope activating the craft to lower the wooden abode. Heavy breathing surrounded the soundscape as we descended to the lower floor until the smack of wood on stone rang out and we exited the box.


    The smiths were fitting wooden plates over Harrah on the right, fastening the leather straps of shoulder guards on the woman while ones for the legs and shoulders waited for their turn on the table behind them.


    ¡°Zigget gave me the gist of it. They¡¯re trying to draw the devourer here?¡±


    A wave of black pigtails followed her nod.


    ¡°If I had to guess? Yeah, and we don¡¯t have the time to get any troops out to deal with it. Palta wants to use a small team of you, me, and her to put an end to it.¡±


    A sudden swing of the doors further ahead revealed a frowning Bella. The brunette''s eyebrows were furrowed with a curl of her lips while her hands gripped the wood with fervor.


    ¡°Was that¡­ did I hear correctly? The pirates are creating a line of fire and smoke to draw the Devourer here?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± I responded, moving forward to take a spare chair that had been pushed up against the wall. Taking my seat near the table, I resumed my work on the wooden blade. ¡°Were you aware that they were using the same tactics on the villages they destroyed?¡±


    Both the women nodded without hesitation, though their confident looks only contrasted with the now pale faces of the smiths working around them.


    ¡°It¡¯s unprecedented.¡± Bella scoffed in irritation mixed with worry. ¡°Not provoking King Beasts has been a hard rule for ages.¡±


    Running my eyes over the wooden blade, feeling that wonderous material with my palm as I did so, I took a deep breath before releasing a cloud from my lips that seeped around the cloth head wrap.


    ¡°If it came down to it, would the kingdom survive a fight with the Devourer? Or other such beasts?¡±


    Harrah gave me a non-committal shrug, to some irritation from the smith-made-tailor trying to fix the leather straps of her shoulder guard.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡±


    A look up from the sword to the air scion made her bite her lips for a moment before shrugging again.


    ¡°I could bore you with soldier figures and potential terrain issues, but it¡¯s all might-bes, coulds, and ifs. We¡¯ve never had to actually fight a King Beast before, so no one knows for sure. Which is why not provoking them has always been an unwritten treaty.¡±


    ¡°Do we know if the Devourer considers its territory close enough to respond to the pirate¡¯s provocation?¡±


    Bella responded this time as a shin guard was fastened to her left leg over the green and brown leather armor.


    ¡°Did we ever antagonize the monster to see if it would come here? No. The territory of a King Beast has fuzzy edges. But with it not having any competition this far north¡­¡±


    ¡°And the previous incidents already aggravating it¡­¡± I put in with a tired sigh.


    Neither woman responded to the now obvious implication of the pirate''s actions these past weeks. Armed with the level of information I typically got from this world, I got up from my seat with a small heft of the perfectly adequate wood sword now hardened to steel with a softer handle. We waited for a precious few minutes to get the order from on high.


    When the doors finally flew open again, it was royalty itself that came through. This time she sported shiny steel armor over her brown and green leather. It was thinner than the men¡¯s, yet the cheek guards and intermeshing plates seemed sturdy enough. Down the back of her neck was a wave of freshly cut black hair. Though not as dramatic as her turns with the full mane, the princess¡¯s turn towards the upper floor still allowed for a swish of those shoulder-length locks.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± She asked no one in particular.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Harrah said to her right, now standing at full attention. Friends gave way to a leader and her followers. Bella likewise came up to the left. ¡°Fully stocked and ready to kill.¡±


    ¡°Do you or Tilvor have to be here to operate it?¡± Palta asked. Bella did a light cough before answering.


    ¡°I can make the ammunition. The men have gotten some practice in, though they don¡¯t quite have the eye for it Harrah does.¡±


    The princess turned her green eyes on me.


    ¡°Can I assume this all won¡¯t hold up to the Devourer?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Not that big worm, no. Can¡¯t say anything I could build would. But he isn¡¯t the only problem. What if the scions try for an aerial attack? No flying water familiars could bring it down, but they could disable the catapult.¡±


    ¡°Nothing in Crasden is worth a scion losing their companion, much less their own lives.¡± Harrah refuted with certainty in her voice. ¡°They¡¯ll help get the ships here and maybe, use a few spells to move things along. But Crasden isn¡¯t a significant source of magical resources even during the harvest. We need this place to keep the noose from closing. Independent or pirate mages aren¡¯t as invested.¡±


    With that, Palta turned to the brunette to the left.


    ¡°Even if they do¡­ Zigget is the only one who can give us the bird¡¯s eye view we need. Bella. Station a squad of crossbowmen up top. That might be enough that the scion won¡¯t risk it. Get the men ready. You¡¯ll be in charge until we come back. Pack as many people as you can on the escape ships to prepare to take off if the monster comes and hold out only as long as needed. Don¡¯t be the hero.¡±


    The earth caster bit her lip at that, something that seemed to irritate Palta as black eyebrows furrowed and her regal lips puckered.


    ¡°We had an agreement, Bella. Can I trust you to hold to that agreement?¡±


    A hard test of wills came before the brunette looked down.


    ¡°Kill enough to make my family proud.¡± Was all Bella said before turning around and heading to the elevator. Palta then looked at me, those green pools showing the storm inside even if the face on it remained unmoved.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ll be going.¡± She said, trying to not sound too hopeful.


    ¡°A good crossbow and I will be.¡±


    The water scion took a moment, letting loose a small breath while her shoulders relaxed. A second passed as I heard a growing chorus of work from the camp beyond the door.


    ¡°I have no intentions of being worm-food.¡± She declared, turning around to leave the tower with us following like ducklings. A strong gust of wind blew over us, almost smothering her next words. ¡°We need to stop the ships first. Can we use your boat?¡±


    ¡°It will have enough room in a technical sense. Some may talk if they saw how close I was to the royal princess, but it will get us there fast enough to not have the rumors being spread inside the Devourers belly.¡±


    Harrah giggled as we turned left towards the harbor. A small smile stole over Palta¡¯s face, but she said nothing else during our trek over the stone floor to the portcullis. Along the way a courier delivered the crossbow and a pack of bolts. Our poor guards, of both the orc-mating and feline-appropriating variety were keeping ahead until the gate was opened and we went through to the dock. An almost hard run across the wooden planks followed until we reached the dock where the large single piece of wood I had arrived in was within arm¡¯s reach. Even the mighty lion guard was looking nervous now as I pried open the hatch with the chair and panels showing below.


    A few looked down curiously, with Harrah leaning over to get a good view. Palta showed no hesitation as she jumped down into the dark hold. A quick look at the almost alien controls made her immediately shift to the back, with Harrah similarly surrendering at the sight of the weird panels.


    The lion guards were fit to have a panic attack while those of with green wives were only as nervous as could be expected when the only means of survival was potentially getting reduced to paste. When I had gotten situated into the chair, Palta leaned over me with a hand outstretched.


    ¡°I relieve you of your obligation to me for the duration of my trip. If any should doubt your tale-¡° She emphasized the last word with a dramatic flourish of her right hand towards the unseen Crasden ¡°I already informed my servants of my intentions here. Go, and make sure to guard Bella with the same zeal as you did me.¡±


    The tension lessened for a brief moment before Palta brought the hatch down leaving only narrow slits for my vision. I ran my fingers over the panels to start a small push in the water, shifting around the pier towards the open lane of the water leading in from the ocean. The endless sea beyond my left called and I took up the offer with an increase of speed into the ocean. A pair of slight gulps followed the ride up the first wave. Despite how serious the situation was, I couldn¡¯t keep a comment off my tongue.


    ¡°You are a water scion, if I remember. I would have thought you were used to dealing with water-bound travel.¡±


    Her snort reverberated in my right ear.


    ¡°Not at this pace. And certainly not with so little cushioning.¡±


    Speed was certainly a big feature of the long blade-like boat. Light filtering through the sight lines around the top of the ship showed a coast on the right blowing past as I brought the ship up to its proper sprint.


    ¡°What about¡­ Pipkin?¡± I asked as the name finally came back to me.


    ¡°My familiar? Yes. They¡¯re¡­¡±


    I chanced a look behind me, seeing a somewhat confused Palta scrunching her sharp nose.


    ¡°They¡¯re near the front of the ship¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure, but I think they¡¯re using your boat''s speed to cut through the water with greater ease.¡±


    ¡°And Zigget?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re above us. We¡¯re still a good jaunt away.¡± Came the response from my left. After a few seconds, the petite woman spoke up again.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked Harrah.


    ¡°There are seven ships heading to Crasden. We¡¯re going to smash five hanging around the coast.¡±


    ¡°How close to shore are the seven?¡± I asked, picking up a note of wariness in her voice.


    ¡°Not anywhere close enough to be a concern. The fleet Zigget first saw was fifteen strong and they haven¡¯t spotted the other three anywhere.¡±


    I decided not to waste my breath on the obvious question, instead opting to continue making sure I didn¡¯t dash my boat on some rocky outcropping. More silence passed, with only the occasional smack of water and gust of wind to interrupt the spirit connection conversation no doubt happening behind me. The trip continued for a few minutes in relative silence before Palta spoke up again.


    ¡°We know of no method of concealment they could have used. They most likely left in a very different direction. Probably to the Kraton house. Wherever they¡¯ve gone, they¡¯re not in the battle ahead of us. Any preferences for our opening gambit?¡±


    A small mountain being summoned on top of the ships seemed like a strong opening move, but this was not a sprint. Summoning any amount of stone larger than a carriage would probably be too much of a strain. If sheer mass wasn¡¯t advisable, then the boulders would need added momentum.


    ¡°Harrah, how high could your magic lift me?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± The voice behind me struggled with the question for a moment before answering. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve had to take a few people out of dangerous spots. Thinking of flying over them to drop some boulders?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot with my magic over the years but I can¡¯t swim in the water like a fish¡­ or otter.¡± I finished with a pointed look ahead to where the princess¡¯s familiar supposedly was. ¡°How likely are we to run into any fellow mages?¡±


    ¡°Not many mages or leaders would be willing to send our kind on forays as dangerous as this. But considering they might catch a member of the royal family¡­ We¡¯re the weaker party if they have three scions, as unlikely as that is.¡± Palta put in. ¡°Pipkin will have to come on land in case there are any and we¡¯re down a familiar if the numbers are equal.¡±


    ¡°Killing them is secondary.¡± I reminded her. ¡°We need to crush their catapults. A surprise blow on three of them will mean we only need to slog it out with two of the ships. The air element, however, is built for more general destruction and probably won¡¯t do as well here. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to take out a ship with just Pipkin if I worked with Harrah?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The lack of hesitance helped soothe my nerves even if the situation didn¡¯t merit the balm. Time slipped away among the salty spray of the seas and the occasional sound of armor smacking against the wooden walls. As we neared a bend in the land, a hand pressed down on my left shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± Harrah announced.


    I nodded to my panels as I took the ship into a gentle right turn. The waves gave our boat one last gentle shove as the beach came up with a soft crush of sand.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Harrah announced with a slight groan as I heard her getting up behind me.


    Palta immediately went to the hatch and lifted it without ceremony. Faint grey light filtered in from the now-open sky. I got out of my seat with a heft of my numb legs. A second was spent gracelessly trying to get out onto the boat''s top with limbs that didn¡¯t want to coordinate. Success eventually came with a plop of my boots into the sand and a heft of my crossbow. The women followed in short order. Harrah did an exaggerated stretch while Palta turned toward the waves.


    A bulge in the water came up to the boat, showing an indistinct black figure. One splash followed two claws reaching out of the water and the white-furred face of a horse-sized otter. Getting a proper look at it this time, the face was a bit slimmer than its mundane cousins and the teeth had an almost metallic sheen to them. Deep amber eyes took in the boat for a second before it ambled forward to rub against its scion¡¯s leg. Something Palta rewarded with an affectionate rub behind the ears. She turned towards the fields of bark scars and huge bushes with a tired sigh.


    ¡°Tilvor, we¡¯ll have you take the lead,¡± Palta announced.


    I nodded, leading the three toward the line of bushes and bark scars. Right as my foot hit the first bit of grassy mud, the branches sprang out to cover me while the carpet of smooth grass went to wrap around the offending boot. A quick plant spell to suck the life out of them saw to nature¡¯s complaint as the surrounding greenery shrunk back. Those few bits not quick enough to evade the spell gave sharp crunches before crumbling to the ground.


    Whatever acuity the magical plants had didn¡¯t seem to extend to any kind of hive mind as some sporting shrub or weed would occasionally hold up the passage through. This continued with the occasional new direction from Harrah. The notion of leaving a huge scar of withered forest in the land was becoming less intrusive thought and more idle planning when the first whiff of smoke came. A maneuver around one boulder saw the first speck of black ash fall through the air. The lone agent was quickly joined by its peers as a small cascade of ember and ash started falling from the heavens, a grey and blue sky that now had streaks of black, some of which fell to mix with the patches of snow that had survived the churning of the plants.


    ¡°To the left.¡± Harrah suddenly announced as we moved between two bushes.


    I followed the command with a turn through the shrubs. Despite the lack of trees, I still struggled to see any decent distance past the huge bushes and large boulders. After sucking the life out of one particularly determined bramble, the open sea could be glimpsed far ahead between some of the large plumes of leaves. A small walk also brought the sound of shouts further to the right. Too indistinct to make out aside from the rough tones therein.


    We were almost near the shore when a loud whoosh of air came overhead. I looked up to see three barrels streak through the sky. A few quick guesses gave me a rough idea of where the ships were. My black-haired companions gave me a pair of nods with a look to the right. Our walk took us around a gaggle of shrubs with the puncture of crushing wood and the crackle of flame far behind. Through the thicket was a line of five ships hanging just outside the rocky cropping of the shore. Their sheen of copper hulls and the odd spikes with fire, metal, and wood on the ends jutting out of the sides identified them as our target.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take on the leftmost ship.¡± Palta offered from somewhere to the left.


    I nodded before looking at the petite air scion on my right.


    ¡°Let me strike first since my magic will take the longest to land. Take the one to the left of mine. We¡¯ll take the two in the back and work our way to the center.¡±


    Her sharp chin went tight with a bit lip. The face clashed with her nod of agreement, the latter of which I accepted. Our duo pushed further to the right, making sure we stayed behind a bush or boulder as we did so. Despite the loud sucking of mud mixed with bits of ice, no alarm rang out from the enemy even as we came up to the last ship in the small fleet.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked with a turn to my companion behind me, making sure to keep hidden behind a moss covered rock.


    ¡°Are you?¡± Harrah asked, raising a black eyebrow under her wooden helmet. ¡°Flight isn¡¯t like making a big jump. Keeping you generally upward is about all I can hope for.¡±


    The amount of reasons why I would be fine would be too long to state here, but I settled on the one easiest to explain.


    ¡°I just need to drop them in the general direction of the ship. What about your spell work? Think you¡¯ll be able to summon a good gust for the second ship? I don¡¯t want us staying out in the open on the landing.¡±


    Harrah¡¯s back straightened at that. Those smooth cheekbones showed scrunched skin with her smug smile.


    ¡°Zigget will make up for any lack of mine. Have no worries there.¡±


    That reminded me to get some nuts later. Cell¡¯s assistance was going to arrive far too late, but the trip still merited some compensation and there was no other currency I could think to give him. A cough from Harrah made me turn to the left.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t known each other for long, but before either of us takes a bolt through the eye, I just wanted to say it was great making the tower with you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. I think Harrah¡¯s Thumb would be a good name.¡± I offered.


    A smile stole over the small woman¡¯s face that faded as she looked towards the ship.


    ¡°They¡¯re loading the catapults.¡±


    Turning around, I could see a two-man team working a large barrel between them up the stairs on the right side of the ship.


    ¡°Might as well see if we can start our own fire. Let me suck some life out of the local shrubbery to make sure we have a smooth takeoff.¡±


    A lack of response was taken as affirmation, and I started making the spell to drain the large bushes. When it went off, Harrah started forming a large green construct that I had to take special care to not look over lest a certain question be asked. For a moment, we stood in silence while a brown wave of death rolled through the bushes next to us.


    The only warning I got was a small hug from behind before the spell went off. A whirl of brown leaves quickly gave way to an open sky with a sea beyond and a line of copper-covered ships directly ahead. My eyes adjusted to the vertigo before they went to the general direction of the target. Which was when a hard blast forward sent us careening toward the ocean. Chill winter wind scoured through my wooden helmet, taking with it the warmth on my skin and any hearing I may have had. It took a second to line things up before I could create a spell for a crude block of stone.


    An array of brown mana flowed from my mouth to form a large triangle. A crude spell designed for the large, jagged boulder materializing out of the nothingness in front of it. The task wasn¡¯t finished as the rock slipped into reality and fell below, however. Another spell of the same design was spun up with its own payload. Then another.


    The tip of the ship¡¯s mast zipped by in a blur with an indistinct curse from some scout cutting through the blast of wind. Neither the wind nor profanity could block the loud crunch of wood and metal from behind me. My sightline was only the endless waves, something that was quickly adjusted when a green mana construct formed in front of me.


    A blast of hurricane wind twirled us around towards the next ship in the blink of an eye. Even if we had the air element at the same level, I had to admit the skill needed to do such a maneuver while carrying another person was beyond me, forget having the passenger be almost twice my size. Massaging any wound in my petty pride with the knowledge that I was mostly focusing on scientific practice, we careened between the two ships.


    We were traveling too fast for me to summon a stone spell. Something that a white and green streak falling from the sky rendered unimportant. A massive column resembling a tornado slammed into the ship with a loud crunch. The sound from the pillar was far less than it should have been, allowing the screams of men to be heard.


    Another blast took us towards the trees. As we moved past the second ship, a wall of heat suddenly engulfed my back.


    ¡°EEK!¡± Harrah yelped, more in surprise than pain.


    The shore came up and we landed among the cowed shrubbery that was close enough to the bush I had sucked life from to know to pull back rather than grab at us. My feet landed on some rock before I immediately turned to see the carnage we had left behind.


    I tried to look at my work through the bushes between us and the ships but it was Harrah¡¯s work that commanded the first appraisal. The tornado was sucking up the seawater below the ship. Intermingled with the water was thick smoke and streaks of orange flame from a barrel meeting the flame too soon. Astronomical heat made the copper shell of the ship glow red hot. Wood fared as expected in the inferno, with the sails having been burned to nothingness. It was hard to tell if it was the barrel''s payload or the wind that made the blaze so intense, but the way the skin of the pirates on the deck melted off before burning to ash was impressive no matter the cause.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad my unsuited element could rise to the occasion.¡± A particularly smug voice boasted on my left.


    Looking to the right, the sight between the leaves was a mashed side of copper metal on the ship and a pulp of wood on the deck from a boulder that had since disappeared. Not nearly as spectacular as the raging inferno. But the limp mast hanging down the side with the crushed backside suggested the vessel was out of the fight even as it dipped seaward with the water enchantments on its backside.


    ¡°Not everything is about flash, young thing. The next ship is calling us.¡±


    Accentuating the point, a large crash of wood from far to the left blasted over any words I might have used. The boom faded with nothing but a chill left behind.


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got two other ships to see to. Up for-¡°


    My vision rocked for a second before I realized a subtle rumble was going off beneath my feet. It wasn¡¯t an earthquake, causing the leaves to rustle and stones to knock against each other in distinct waves but little else. No panic came, however, as memory immediately placed the source. A look into Harrah¡¯s blue eyes told me she knew as well as I did what was coming.


    ¡°Go help Palta. I¡¯ll try to lead it off.¡± I instructed as I moved past her to the heart of the forest.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    A hand gripped my right arm between the wooden armor with such strength I would have sworn some mechanical vice was being used. I turned to the woman, a faint smile trying to project confidence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve run from the worm before.¡±


    She stared at me with a blank face. Concern fought with the soldier within for a moment before she straightened her back.


    ¡°And you¡¯re confident you¡¯ll make it? With the smoke¡­ Zigget¡¯s not going to be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confident I have a better chance than either of you.¡±


    And a lot more so if I can use all my abilities.


    Harrah nodded, her blue eyes hardening before she turned to the beach with a twirl of her pigtails.


    ¡°Good luck. Zigget might be able to make a big hole in the smoke if you need to make a way back to us.¡±


    That was all she gave me before a green mana construct formed below her feet and launched the small woman through the trees. Soft rumbling helped mask the whoosh of air until that grumbling earth was all that could be heard. With nothing left to do, I slung the crossbow into the ground to get rid of as much dead weight as possible. The armor was likewise abandoned to the mud save the helmet. Speed would save me here, not defense. Nor could I waste time putting an enchantment into my remaining gear.


    Winter clawed around the white shirt and brown pants with every step forward. The local plants weren¡¯t getting their fondling in this time, instead wrapping around into thick poles of green or pressing into mats of grass as thick as steel mesh. Moving around a boulder, a piece of it further ahead fell off and took out an unfortunate bush. It was a few seconds of maneuvering around the frightened forest before I came down a small hill and onto a patch of large bark scars. At the edges of this open land, the soil moved around the sunken trees in jerks and twists.


    Wet, sucking mud mixed with snow clung to my boots as I moved closer to the bark splotches. It was hard to tell how far the beast was. The fact that each step was becoming a struggle to take didn¡¯t help proceedings. Making my way through the clearing took a minute with the shifting land.


    Travel only became worse the closer to the source I got. Wind blew the smoke high and away, but the pirates had been thorough enough that no amount of wind would pull back the choking fog of smoke nor could it steady my feet on ground that was becoming more restless with every step. The faint sun was already blocked by smoke, something I was thankful for. Zigget had no way of seeing me in this mess, allowing for the use of the white-hot fire beam that had marred the beast the first time. The earth was now a struggle to walk over even on previously flat terrain, a fight that continued for a few minutes as I plunged further into the pitch-black heart of fire and smoke, changing course only when the rumbling ground grew calmer.


    Arriving near the top of a valley, I quickly slinked behind a large boulder. It was a wide wound in the land with a roiling mass of soil past the river across the other side. A small lake of flame and smoke with bits of the spent barrels around the edges was getting sucked into the lower layers of the ground through the middle like a smoothie being churned in a blender. Dirt-covered trees were strewn around the slope, crushing bushes or cracking against boulders with debris crumbling into the water that had sliced the valley into existence. Looking up, the sky was almost pitch black save a few rays of grey sun. If Zigget was up there, the moth would have choked to death or blown the smoke away to get a better view. Satisfied, I looked towards the swirling mass of dirt with only a few patches of flame remaining. I knew well what it was from our first tangle.


    I looked around for some hidden path around the sides when a wave of a spirit connection rolled over me. It was similar to what Gula had described on her trip, but this lasted for only a moment before withdrawing. Out of the dirt came the gaping maw of the Devourer with bits of soil shifting around the building-sized worm before the stone armor was finally revealed. A small storm of dust blew through the rows of teeth along its tendrilled mouth.


    Again the spirit connection came, shifting over my skin for a minute before settling as a constant buzz around my body. Summoning a spear of white-hot flame in my hand, I pointed it toward the monster¡¯s scar along the exposed skin of its left jaw. A growl reverberated from the Devourer at the insinuation, sending a shake through my body I felt down to the helixes of my DNA. When the thumping ended, the beast shifted in the dirt hole it had made with only the sound of crackling fires left to hear. Seconds of us staring at each other passed, two of the closest things to magic godhood this world ever knew measuring each other.


    I pondered all the possibilities of attack and counters as smoke and ash swirled around. For all my imagination, nothing seemed as effective as a blast of flame down the throat between air-boosted jumps. After another second, the ground stilled. My body tensed for a coming attack, thinking it was drawing mana for a strike. That was until the massive head turned downward into the soil. A long tube of stone-covered worm followed the head while my eyes went to the river waiting for a sign of the beasts crossing.


    Instead, my gaze was pulled upward when the monster went further along the valley, moving away from me.


    Whether because it was outside of its typical territory or fear of fighting me and Cell, or a bit of both, the monster probably decided that the hassle of another scar wasn¡¯t worth it. The notion was confirmed when the tube-like body made one last surface breech over the hill before it disappeared past the lip of the valley.


    There I lay, leaning against a boulder with no war before me. This was the best outcome, yet it also meant I had little to do while my temporary companions had to commit to a life-or-death battle. Then the last few days of non-stop labor made themselves known in my knees and lower spine.


    The ball of guilt in my gut deflated a level.


    With nothing left to do, I summoned some stone and molded a good-sized hole under some of the uprooted trees. I slinked into the shelter, my ears picking up no sound beyond the crackle of burning wood and a gust of wind. Bitter chill covered my skin as I squatted in the dirt. Clouds of mist from my mouth swirled with the layers of smoke just outside of my rat nest. The only mercy was that the air was mixed with the smell of dirt and wet wood as opposed to the constant charcoal that had seized every inch of my nose since arriving.


    I counted every second, waiting and listening for the Devourer to find its courage all the while, but when the last second of the 9<sup>th</sup> minute came and went, I moved out of my hole by digging through the opposite end. The air was still rank with smoke and if not for seeing the monster''s handiwork myself, I would have thought the barrels were doing their foul deed.


    My foot pressed against wet mud for a moment before I took off in a sprint ahead. In between looking at the path between trees and rocks, I made sure to muddy my white shirt''s sides with a few cuts to the skin beneath. Not enough to hinder or seriously bleed, but it would sell the story. The return trip was faster this time without the constant threat of getting my ankles snapped even if I stood still.


    When I came close to the beach where the ships were, the smoke had spread to the shore mixing with that salty breeze. The sky was somewhat blue and I could even see the one black pillar off to my left where Harrah had struck her blow. I maneuvered through the bushes, sending a cascade of ashes down the leaves as I went.


    The land here still remembered me sucking the life out of the flora, with bushes and grass letting me through with no fuss. Slinking behind a larger boulder, I looked along the shore. Bits of driftwood now clustered along the rocks and sand, interspersed with bodies or bits thereof. My search for some sign of my earlier work was fruitless until I shifted and saw the burning mass of Harrah¡¯s effort farther down to the left.


    If not for that flaming wreck and its debris littering the sea, I would have thought myself lost. A moment of confusion cleared up when a spout of water suddenly shot out on the ocean. A long spike of wood flew through the air before disappearing behind the frothy peak of a wave. A minute of moving around shrubbery took me close enough to see my companions arriving on the beach with Palta holding onto Pipkin and Harrah blasting sea spray around until it mixed with sand as the air scion plowed into the shore with a muffled thump.


    ¡°Shit.¡± The princess proclaimed with a wave coming up to her feet before slinking back.


    It was an apt descriptor for her state. The brown and green leather armor had a series of rips and cuts, one even deep enough to draw blood along the side. Those wounds were rather light compared to the burns along the right side of her face reaching up to her eye. Harrah wasn¡¯t nearly as disheveled, even if she had a ragged appearance. The flecks of blue and gold mana being sucked into their neck pieces demanded a moment of attention before I walked forward.


    ¡°Have the pirates been seen to?¡± I asked after the chorus of ragged breaths subsided.


    ¡°You survived the Devourer?¡± Harrah asked with a raise of her black eyebrows.


    ¡°More like¡­ tricked. Moved some of the ruins of the flaming barrels south and extinguished the ones burning further north. Never saw the beast, unlike your quarry apparently.¡±


    Harrah grimaced at that. Her expression was nothing compared to the almost feral growl coming out of the princess.


    ¡°Oh, we got them alright.¡± Palta spat out between gritted teeth. Her giant otter lifted itself with her feet trying to bring the whole body upward. It was vaguely successful even if she swayed for a second.


    ¡°Should we wait for your healing enchantments to finish, or do you want to head out now?¡± I inquired with a light tone.


    The two women looked askance at me, in equal parts amusement and irritation.


    ¡°Tilvor,¡± Harrah scolded with a small smile ¡°Most people would have at least pretended to not notice such valuable tactical information.¡±


    ¡°Now.¡± Palta declared with a steadier step forward. ¡°We move now.¡±


    And we did after I had retrieved my armor and crossbow. A small trip along the sand and rock was all it took before the beached boat came into view. Pipkin promptly slid into the water while Zigget no doubt flew around overhead. Palta¡¯s mood did not lighten even as she shuffled through the open hatch. When my companions were ready, I used earth magic to pull the sand out to sea with the boat. A moment of sloshing followed my approach onto the ship before I plopped my way in, the black spot of Pipkin showing in the water before I closed the hatch.

 Chapter 119: Battle for Crasden(2)

    Eli POV


    ¡°One trip back to Crasden, coming up,¡± I announced to the passengers.


    The boat lurched with my hands swiping up and down the wooden panels in front of my chair.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Palta yelped behind me. A glance back saw her hand clutching the burned eye. It wasn¡¯t the ruined mess that had first been presented, but it was still a red, aggrieved patch of skin around the shielding palm.


    ¡°Will you still be able to fight?¡± I asked with as much empathy as I could muster.


    ¡°I will when we arrive. If not, I¡¯ll let the seas take me in recompense for my stupidity.¡± She growled, her lips puckering with a fire in her good green eye.


    I only raised an eyebrow at her. A shift of shoulder-length black hair followed her miserable look upward.


    ¡°I was coming up the ship you injured. Even if the catapult wasn¡¯t working, the barrels were apparently still standing and ready. The men chucked one overboard as I was battering the sides of their ship with spikes of water.¡±


    Her free left hand flattened into a palm and did a clockwise spin around the side of her forehead.


    ¡°My mind said ¡®We¡¯re out in the open sea. The flame to make it explode will go out.¡¯ and bid me to continue my spell work. A second later I remembered the barrel was sealed and would explode when it slammed into the water. Then¡­ A flash and heat. Poor Pipkin had to keep my head above water while Zigget distracted them¡­


    Shit.


    My instructors clearly didn¡¯t make me cry hard enough. Nearly taken out on the seas by a magicless man with some powder. Harrah, if I should get taken in such a way in the future, do try to ensure nothing remains to tell the tale, including my corpse. Just tell the children mom got eaten by the Devourer.¡±


    A few restrained chuckles greeted the command.


    Content to slink back into my chair, I left the women to whatever idle fancies drew them away from this place and time. That ever-present chill crept in where the adrenaline of battle had been as the waves pushed against the bow of my ship as it glided forward. Our excursion was completed. Had we actually won? The answer came after a half-hour of riding waves and a turn from the land and onto the bay shared between Crasden and my nameless settlement.


    Copper-hulled ships lined the bay I had made, with two having been kissed by the trebuchet farther out to sea closer to us. Through the wreckage illuminated in faint sunlight, I saw five of the ships taking up my personal harbor with three having docked and unloaded their cargo. Patches of red stood out along the bottom of the wall with most of the carnage taking place in front of the harbor gate.


    I couldn¡¯t make out much beyond a general churning of colorful pirates though the large shells they were all walking around stood out. I could make out four large hermit crabs each the size of a small house lying dead near the gate. Large slabs of stone stuck out of the ruined shells or just off to the side where the dead beasts had crawled a bit away before succumbing to the wound. Off to the left one of them limped along the wall with a long bar of stone skewering it through the top of its shell.


    Most importantly, the portcullis was still holding firm. Even with the occasional bolt or rock from a ship''s catapult, the gate was holding firm for now. Our counterattack wasn¡¯t nearly as effective, however. Darting around the air was a man-sized crane with layers of dark blue and white feathers. It was knocking the few boulders that got near the ships out of the air. The ballistae weren¡¯t bothering to shoot at the bird familiar, instead taking out one or more pirates trying to get an arrow in the defenders or those lugging stone blocks to crush a prospective ladder.


    ¡°They probably thought fighting the ships would take longer,¡± Palta put in, ¡°Or the worm would take us. Otherwise, they¡¯d never risk being so deep in the harbor. I¡¯m very much in the mood for a little surprise of my own. Any idea¡¯s beyond pushing them out to sea?¡±


    ¡°Out?¡± I asked with a smile creeping up under my helmet. ¡°I¡¯m thinking in. The crafts along the harbor¡¯s bottom are already pushing the sea water further inland, two water scions and a familiar helping them would reduce the ships to a mash of metal and wood.¡±


    A deep breath filled my right ear.


    ¡°Do it.¡± Palta hissed, her voice dripping with malice. ¡°I¡¯ll cover the ship with water so we can sneak up through the wreckage.¡±


    I obeyed, driving the boat forward as a mass of blue mana constructs sprung up beside me.


    A layer of water filled the viewing slits before falling away. I could see bits of the magically manipulated sea around the edges of the viewing slits as I maneuvered around the backend of one of the wooden graves. The tide had yet to claim all the bodies and bits of wood floating around, with one charred torso bereft of any identifying features brushing against the side of my boat as we pushed closer to the harbor.


    ¡°Pipkin says the water around the boat is clear. He¡¯s pretty certain there is a familiar near the docks trying to corral the crabs.¡± Palta whispered in my ear ¡°But the mud has been stirred, reducing the visibility under the ship to almost nothing. We can prep three large spells without drawing attention.¡±


    ¡°Not taking a bolt to the throat would be nice.¡± I put in, giving Harrah a pointed look.


    She nodded with a small smile. That was all I got as the two women scooted up in preparation. Our approach allowed a rising roar of battle to gradually overcome the sound of crashing waves. No wails of children or screaming mothers mixed with the cracks of bone or screams of rage, unlike the pirate''s first visit here. It was a meeting of two properly armed forces taking place along the wall and from what I could tell, our side was holding its own.


    The first ship in our way stayed just outside of the harbor. On the deck a ballista shot out a bolt, its twang barely heard over the battle. My quick glance at its target saw it fall short of the catapult it was evidently aiming for. That was of little comfort to the archer on the wall just above, who got an arrow through his neck and fell back clutching at the gush of blood. Ruined bits of ladders were strewn about. Here and there among crushed wood was a large slab of stone, the very same I had used for material on the tower. As we came close to the first ship just outside of the harbor, another, far more pleasing, sound could be heard.


    ¡°What?!¡± A scream rang out from the above deck. ¡°They¡¯ve got fucking wood for armor.¡±


    ¡°Wood that stopped a mace. I think that plant mage has been far more generous than previously anticipated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being stopped by fucking toy swords. Get the men up those fucking ladders!¡±


    As sweet as the music was, the assault needed to meet its premature end.


    Palta had been sucking in mana on our way, leaving just enough of the ever-present blue specks for me. I quickly pushed open the hatch and leaned over the left side of the boat before Palta leaned to the right. Two wide circles with a water triangle in the middle, each nearly twice the height of a man, sprung into existence halfway into the water with a third below fully submerged. A sudden hurricane wind from Zigget above was all the warning they got.


    A wave rose like a tsunami in front of the spell constructs, dragging the ship upward until physics took over. Our water repulsion spells pushed all the water in the channel forward, pulling our boat along as the water behind our mana constructs fell into the newly vacated space. The princess used another spell to pull the water up on our right to create a shield.


    My ears barely picked up a few screams amidst the crashing waves. Even the life and death struggle just a few stone tosses away faded with the churning of so much ocean. We rode forward with the unnatural disaster rising ever further until only a mast stuck out of the top. For a moment, the world consisted of nothing but rising water and the thumping of my heart.


    A state of existence that lasted for only a few seconds.


    The screech of torn metal rent the air before the smack of copper hulls crashing into each other took over. I could almost feel a pain in my chest as all my work on the docks was torn asunder. Off to the right was the portcullis and a line of frozen guards along the wall moving out of view as we continued forward to the groans of ship joints straining.


    The deafening cacophony of water continued until I felt an electric sensation along my right.


    ¡®I¡¯m at my limit for this, Tilvor.¡¯ Palta¡¯s voice shouted in my mind.


    I killed the spell. The other two quickly followed though Palta kept up the separate shield of water along the right. The vision ahead was still water as our boat dipped down before coming up to a rocky float. With the increase of distance, the seven ships that received the brunt of our attack could be seen.


    As unscientific as magic was, the mathematics of momentum and mass still very much applied. The sheer energy behind the wave had already mangled two of the ships almost beyond recognition as their corpses were unceremoniously shoved onto the stone edges of the harbor, yet the others had so far escaped relatively unscathed as they bobbed about like driftwood. Which lasted only until the bend in the river towards the back of my domain came.


    Five hulking masses of copper, wood, and bodies suddenly found themselves on a strait of water not designed for even one of their kind. A thin river flowing into a sharp turn to the right. The first ship slammed into the stone side of the channel with a deafening crack of stone. Its only mercy was that the demise was swift as two of its kin ran roughshod over it.


    Through its front came the second ship, rolling with its beaching over and on its side to the right. The third tried to use the water enchantments of its back to steer clear. It didn¡¯t work. The ship only succeeded in adding to its momentum and crashing into the first ship, reducing everything but the left side to splinters and blood.


    Despite that failure, two of the ships further to the back tried something similar. They had more distance, yet their fate was much the same. Veering to the right, the copper hulls slammed into untouched sections of stone. Their added momentum sheered through the vessel¡¯s lower half, crushing those decks with a thunderous crunch. A big rip appeared in the center while the sides had boards shooting through the upper floor like quills on a porcupine, with some of the spines skewering a few of the men over the side of the ship. Which was when shouts and screams could be heard finally be heard.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Harrah said as the hurricane wind waned. ¡°Zigget¡¯s tired.¡±


    ¡°Get back in,¡± I commanded the two women.


    Despite their higher station, they promptly obeyed. The second the hatch slammed down, I pushed the boat to its maximum speed. My bay was still churning with the back and forth from our magic, tossing the boat like a cork as the backside water enchantments sped us forward.


    ¡°What about the scions¡¯ familiars?¡± I asked to my right as we zipped past the two wrecked ships.


    A moment of silence passed.


    ¡°They shot off towards the ships. Look!¡± She said with a pointed finger ahead.


    A large, white lobster was beached around the mass of wood and metal. It was tearing through the wreckage in a frantic search for its master. About the size of a horse, those large claws tore through the hull of the pirate ship with no concern for minimizing the damage done. Nor any other survivors, as evidenced by the way it casually cut one of the injured men in the pile in half as it tore through.


    I wasn¡¯t interested in sightseeing, my mind distracted with bringing the boat up to a proper speed. We zipped by the disaster zone, with only a flash of the man-sized pelican above the mast of one of the sheered-off ships registering as we flew by. Our trip took us up to the grate with a little walkway to dry land off to the left. The boat was brought to a slow before being gently pressed against the portcullis by the strength of the water and it was just close enough to let us hop onto land.


    Opening the hatch, I immediately jumped out onto the stone step. An action Palta and Harrah quickly imitated.


    ¡°Around the side. Someone should have some rope for us to shimmy up.¡± I told the group, including the big black otter coming out of the river.


    I could tell Harrah had some quip playing at her tongue, but the day''s exhaustion was taking its toll on her slumped shoulders and worn breathing. We left the boat with the bits of wood and bodies now wafting down the channel. Our group did a light run around the back of the walls, with nothing but the chill wind filling our ears this far out.


    When the smaller wall around the road between Crasden and my abode finally peeked behind the side, Harrah dashed forward with a blast of magical wind. Her legs hit the side of the wall with an almost flying run up the three-story stone cliff in a display that would send phantom pain through the knees of any outside of that species called young. I had experienced both sides of that age difference more times than I could count and was content to merely scurry up to the joining of the two walls with the water scion and her familiar.


    A minute of nerve-grinding wait passed before a rope was tossed down by three very harried-looking guards clad in wooden armor. Pipkin was in no way suited to get up the wall with the rope, leaving us water mages to create a liquid tunnel up to the lisp of my defenses. Once the black otter flopped on the stone ground, I turned to the first guard on my right while Harrah looked up worriedly to the tower in the distance.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I have much magic left in me. Get me to a damaged catapult and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    His brown beard shook while he bit his lip, which is when I noticed the joy in those grey eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯ve thrown it in the bin, great mage.¡±


    My eyebrows shot up at that. He must have taken that as an invitation to explain.


    ¡°As bloody as it¡¯s been, they didn¡¯t make much progress thanks to your magnificent works. They spent almost all of their effort on taking out the gate with not much hope of getting in otherwise. We¡¯ve been giving them a bloody nose and that¡­¡±


    His lips curled as he searched for the appropriate phrase.


    ¡°Act of God broke their backs proper. They threw down their weapons when the last ship crashed.¡±


    Palta exhaled with almost as much gusto as the hurricane Zigget had summoned.


    ¡°Tend the wounded,¡± She commanded. ¡°And get me the strongest ale on hand.¡±


    They smiled at that, with one leaving while the other two took up on both our sides. We squatted against the stone wall for a minute before the proper refreshments arrived with a rotation of four lion guards. Puffs of clouded breath dispersed over mugs of beer until we all felt up to receiving our victory.


    We only had six men for an honor guard, but as we approached the ocean wall from the side, the men cheered and screamed like it was a full military parade on the ramparts. Blood still stained some of the stone, the densest of which resided under a large patch of the wounded laying in cots near the kitchen, yet the sweet rush of conquest filled the air with some of the injured even shuffling up in their beds to whoop and clap.


    The ruckus eventually settled down as overseers got the men back to work. Our approach to the main site of the battle was a winding affair as wounded in stretchers were moved back and forth on the wall. When the harbor gate came into view, I saw large blocks of stone lining the back of the portcullis and a line of men clapped in irons being led from under the stone arch. Even from here, the colorful hats and vests of the pirates were on full display. The fully living and still breathing pirates. Any good mood in me withered at the sight and it didn¡¯t get better when we approached the battlements over the harbor.


    The scum were huddled around in groups, waiting to be corralled by the men who they would have gleefully slaughtered and whose daughters and wives they would have raped. It was hard to distinguish the living ones from their dead compatriots from up here but there was more than one left alive and that was a number far too high.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Palta asked from my right, the winter wind blowing her shoulder-length onyx hair around.


    Her face had healed back to its royal perfection, but the tired air about couldn¡¯t be suppressed. I guess my eyes had portrayed my true feelings.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°They showed no mercy in any of their conquests. Tell me, where are their prisoners?¡±


    One of the lion guards leaned towards the princess, their golden metal face mask gleaning in the dying sun over the harbor that now reflected over the bay where no wreckage obscured the water. A sour smile stole over the princess¡¯s pink lips. It was those green eyes and the way they looked at me that foretold an ill-anticipated reveal.


    ¡°Apparently, they had some. Used them to get the ladders in place.¡±


    I stared at her, letting my gaze fully convey my dissatisfaction with the state of things.


    ¡°We can use them for leverage.¡± Palta offered with hands raised in supplication. ¡°More than that, we¡¯ve caught a big prize. The scion with the bird has slipped but the one with a lobster is too injured to get away. Depriving them of such a tool is more devastating than anything else we could have done here. We accomplished a great thing for the kingdom here, Tilvor.¡±


    My eyes stole over the field of surrendered pirates for a final time, soaking in the righteous indignation as I did so.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I offered, sounding not too much like a pouting child. I turned to the princess and put my chin up under the leather face mask. ¡°But they will not stay under any of my buildings or in my walls.¡±


    A faint smile across those pink lips was all she gave me before nodding.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I pulled away from the scene below and moved towards the open stairs leading to the ground. About halfway there a gaggle of guards and a very relieved-looking Bella came up to meet us. A smile played under her sharp nose and her thin frame swayed with her brown hair as she jaunted up the steps in her brown and leather armor.


    ¡°We did it!¡± She exclaimed, to a new crop of smiles from the men and her two compatriots. Harrah proved more excited than the rest.


    ¡°How did my tower hold up?¡±


    That dampened the mood a bit, with the earth caster¡¯s shoulders coming down.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t make a play for it. We took out two ships which sounds impressive until you hear it was out of seven shots.¡±


    ¡°But it brought them here.¡± I declared with a raised hand. ¡°Which is why we made it.¡±


    Bella¡¯s brown eyes did a rather womanly roll but a cough from Palta who moved in front of me got her standing straight.


    ¡°Start arranging the transport of the captured mage.¡± She declared, prompting a wave of nods from the men and grinding of my teeth.


    ¡°What?¡± I flatly demanded from royalty.


    Her black eyebrows were raised in their own question, prompting me to continue.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let the scion live? The security risks alone are-¡±


    I stopped when the princess raised her hand for silence. Palta gulped a bit of spit while the guards were clearly trying to weave their own magic to conjure some sort of invisibility. Harrah, however, was the one who stepped closer from my left.


    ¡°She¡¯s a scion. Of a childbearing age, no less. Killing her off would only bring the ire of the mage associations. She¡¯ll be locked up in special cells for mages and this battle will follow her for many years yet.¡±


    My breath came out with a blow of the chill wind behind it. To confirm my suspicion, I concentrated on my frontal cortex and sent a spirit connection to the air scion.


    ¡®Is that the game? They tag along because they know that they¡¯re too valuable to go the way of the dross?¡¯


    Harrah clenched her teeth in the same manner I was, though the object of her frustration wasn¡¯t as clear.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like they come with no risk. In case you forgot about how we arrived.¡¯ Was all I got before she turned to the side to allow me an unobstructed view of the princess.


    There seemed to be a lot the water scion wanted to say, but the gaggle of advisors with guards coming up behind her left no time for any such exchange.


    ¡°Now for the hard part.¡± Palta declared with a joyless smile before a bald man with a thick stack of papers in his hand moved up with a bow.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this in a chair.¡± The princess announced with a raised hand to the coming tide. ¡°Not a word before I¡¯ve gotten somewhere bearable.¡±


    The guards made a path for her, which she promptly took.


    I followed them down. Irritation clawed at my gut and heat came up my neck despite winter¡¯s bite. Moving off to the left, entry into traffic was denied for a minute as the injured were moved out of the bitter cold. There I squatted with my guards, hearing the call of a warm bath in my own home over the cacophony of screaming wounded and shouting commanders trying to jostle one troop or squad into place.


    That was until a loud scream cut through the chorus.


    No clang of metal or yells of battle followed, immediately discounting an insurrection by the captured. Men started moving away from the harbor gate all the same, leaving me to sigh and sprint up the steps to check the disturbance. Near the front of the gate stood a woman with all the guards pulling back. The white lobster to her left marked her station, though the bloodied wrap around a head of red hair and equally sullied left side of her brown vest and white inner shirt showed a fall from the power her kind typically enjoyed.


    I dropped off the steps and stole through the crowd, guards forming a line of flesh between me and the other travelers as I moved. The troops moved to the side while a vague voice gradually coalesced into the outraged screed of the woman.


    ¡°I need a stiff drink to put this day down and you give me some swill?¡±


    Pushing through the men, I was fortunate that a lifetime of sufficient nutrition left me a bit taller than the other men and allowed me a wide view of the scene even with two layers of peasants ahead of me. In front of the scion was a discarded mug of spilled ale. The golden hue of alcohol mixed with the blood of a beheaded body just to its left. A helmet was off to the side, the backside showing nothing but wood even if the blood coming out of the bottom confirmed the piece was currently occupied.


    ¡°Some proper ale this time.¡± The scion declared, her green eyes simmering with contempt as she spat at the body. ¡°And a warm bread, done with bits of cheese and ham.¡±


    Weirdly, impossibly, some of the guards actually went to obey. Two did a light bow before leaving while three men went about wrapping the body of the man who had managed to survive the battle but not the cleanup. They moved out of the way of the woman doing a light walk forward with a proud strut in her step.


    I stood there, taking in the scion, the pinnacle of magical ability and all the arrogance it inspired. There was no thought of reprisal in the scowl she had for her captors, no fear in the smile above her strong chin as she moved like this was a casual stroll through a well-trod park. Even now, at her lowest point, she had all the power by right of birth and mana.


    A weed in desperate need of pruning.


    Palta needed her alive, however. The devil in human flesh had a lot of value at the negotiating table and I had no idea what the political implications of killing her would be. Treading on decorum and being lowly were often forgivable, especially if it was out of sight. Being a threat was not. If those pretentious shits got the idea I was going to start costing the mage world valuable materials, they would probably decide that the old man needed to have an accident. To say nothing of drawing the potential ire of the royal family.


    Looking at the stone floor, I saw some blood sully her boot. Blood on the place my Orc wife was going to be living at. A potent cocktail of anxiety and anger welled up in my gut. Of course, it didn¡¯t help my wives if I pissed off everyone and got myself killed in a nighttime raid. There I stood, weighing the probabilities, improbabilities, and possibilities on the question of consequences for attacking my domain. Two scales shifting back and forth.


    Then I saw the contempt in her face as she began taking in her surroundings. Her gaze focused on the walls with that smoothness only found in magical works and the large slabs of summoned stone used to block up the harbor gate, their crafts to the right still sucking in mana and forming the rock from the ether. A sharp nose curled upward in offense paired with puckered lips left no doubt as to what she thought of the goings on here. However, it was the wooden armor that drew her greatest ire as she walked towards the crowd.


    A hint of anger blossomed in those green eyes. Something about having magic crafts make things for the peasants directly, instead of for the city itself, seemed to carry the greatest sin. It was that mix of righteous indignation and contempt that damned her.


    This place was going to be a source of humiliation for her, both personally and professionally. The kind of humiliation that got repaid on a dark night, probably with a few friends who wanted to be known as the ones who put such disgrace to ruin. The scales tipped with certainty and the pondering to inflict some kind of consequence became a decision.


    As the woman walked forward and the men began moving aside like servants making way for the lord of the house, I got a good idea of what those consequences would be. A look to the back towards Palta¡¯s retreating entourage saw them all facing away from the scene. The opening was here and I seized it for all it was worth. I sucked in as much mana as I could, trying to use the men in front of me as a visual shield. As the earth spell came together, the woman finally breached the peasants with only my guard in front of her.


    I did an exaggerated dodge to the left, pushing aside the man in front as I did so, while I set off the mana construct. A small boulder whizzed through the air, only clipping the right side of her vest before landing on the target with a sickening crunch. Totally unharmed, her red eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.


    ¡°You!¡± She demanded, looking me up and down like I was a myth of the forest come to play. For a second, we stood still before those green eyes went wide and the strong chin trembled. She spun around, no doubt noticing the missing spirit connection.


    Around the disappearing boulder was a clear liquid. Despite the lack of color, everyone knew it to be blood on account of the mass of ruined shell and white flesh around the sides where it had impacted against the familiar¡¯s head. A few of the long legs along the horse-sized lobster twitched, but it was the residual firing of nerves from a brain that was no longer there.


    ¡°ZANEL!¡± The water scion screamed, fear and anger mixing into a terrible screech.


    Whatever desires those emotions had, I was already moving up to her with a rod of rough grey stone to deny them any release.


    Whether I was too fast or she was too busy processing her new solitude in this world, the rod took her in the side of the mouth before she had even moved a hair. Blood splattered against the craggy stone as she fell in a heap like a sack of grain, with not a sound from her or any of the other onlookers beyond that smack of flesh. No one moved as all the men tried to process the violence that had occurred among the high and mighty. That was until a great blast of air blew through everyone, with Harrah landing on my right with confused blue eyes. Those black pigtails twirled as she looked at me, the woman, the dead familiar then back to the perpetrator.


    ¡°She tried to kill me!¡± I exclaimed, letting my weapon flicker into oblivion. A few drops of blood and the conspicuous clank of a tooth accompanying the rod''s disappearance took over the otherwise silent soundscape. Harrah¡¯s black eyebrows raised and the pursed lip told of some skepticism.


    ¡°The spies must have told her what I looked like because as soon she saw me, she started sucking in mana for a spell. Though I suppose her control isn¡¯t the best because I managed to get my boulder out before her water spell could go off.¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe me.


    Instead of voicing such a thing, her head bobbed to two men carrying medical wraps. Before they went about patching the pirates fresh wound, Harrah put her finger in front of the woman''s face for a moment before leaning back up.


    ¡°Seeing as how no mage was around, it will be your word against hers that it was self-defense. That might have been a problem if her fellow pirates hadn¡¯t been flicking the nose of the Devourer. I don¡¯t think anyone is going to be in the mood to give her side any benefit even with the tragic consequences of her attack on you. I also suppose she had good cause to come after you before this. A future issue now lessened with her loss.¡± The air scion offered with disinterest, looking at me with a small smile.


    Is it a lie if both parties know it isn¡¯t true?


    I crossed my arms, looking towards the mangled lobster as the men started getting the limp woman wrapped in the needed bandages.


    ¡°I do hope my moment of panic hasn¡¯t harmed our position at the table.¡±


    Harrah did another look over the woman.


    ¡°Nah. She still has a lot of value on the battlefield, not as much as she used to but enough. The important parts are still intact. It¡¯s a good thing your wild shot didn¡¯t take out her lower half.¡± She offered before strolling past me. One more knowing gaze of those blue eyes was all I got before she prepared a wind spell and took off into the air.


    My exit from the scene was less dramatic, but the walk back through the crowd of men was met with a mix of awe, fear, and trepidation all the same. The goings on of mages were done in dimensions of existence their lowly level would never see, yet here they had even participated in a duel among those titans. Judging by the fevered whispers and excited looks, family dining tables and young siblings would be hearing of this day for years to come.


    The only memory I was going to remember would involve a warm bath. The trip across the stone field took a few minutes, with one of the guards running off to get the maids to prepare some warm water. By the time I walked across the wooden bridge, my feet were screaming. A nod was all I gave the guards who came out of the tall walls and half-oval ceiling that served as my home here.


    Going in, I took a left through the door leading into the sectioned-off parts of the house, all illuminated by a fresh torch on the right wall. Straight ahead was a hallway with doors on the side, but it was the one at the end that I dashed towards. A few minutes on the latrine was all it took before I strolled out back into the main room where the maids arrived with a large half barrel and several pots of steaming water, which they began emptying into the bath.


    I managed to get off my shirt before a wrinkly man in a brown robe walked through the main door sporting a few bottles of red liquid. Behind him came Kev, the unofficial liaison between me and the guards. The man was sporting his typical steel breastplate and sword, though the look of exhaustion was new.


    ¡°A great victory, my lord.¡± He offered over the splashes of water, his brown eyes around the thin nose showing some genuine admiration. A breath of frosty breath flowed over his oak beard and mustache.


    ¡°Not as great as this bath is going to be. More water, if you please.¡± I said, dismissing the maids with a handwave. They promptly vacated the room with a bow, allowing me to remove my pants. As I prepared to get into the steaming bath, a cough from the older man stopped me before I could lift my left leg.


    ¡°A healing potion for any residual pains.¡± He offered with a bow and a palm bearing one of the vials outstretched.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are a few poor souls out there who need it more. Distribute them to the discretion of the healers.¡± I offered before slinging myself headfirst into the bath with a small splash. The enveloping warmth was like a shot of life fed directly into my soul, taking with it bits of dirt and grime I didn¡¯t even realize were there. When I came up, the older man¡¯s green eyes were wide while Kev seemed a bit worried.


    ¡°I want a full report of damages in an hour,¡± I commanded as I slung my back against the side and kept only my head above the near scalding water.


    There was a moment of confusion between the two of them, but they had just received an order from on high and a lifetime of obedience gradually kicked in. Two bows and I was alone with nothing but the flickering torchlight and a now very dark sky through the door. Good company for a listless soak.


    Sadly, my day did not end there.


    The report came after I had finished bathing. As well as it seemingly did, the harbor gate had its gears destroyed and was being held up by the stones behind it. Several ballistae were ruined and the stone shields on top of the walls were all gone. My harbor was a distant memory. Even the anchors for the docks had been ripped up. The stone section that the wooden piers had connected to had also been compromised with large, deep cracks from the catapults.


    As I perused the wrecked docks and jagged pieces of my labor in the torchlight, Kev told me what happened during the missed battle. Which wasn¡¯t too much, considering the fate of a city probably hung in the balance. The scions used some spell to get the ships close enough that the giant trebuchet couldn¡¯t hit them without potentially destroying our walls. They largely succeeded, losing only two of their ships in moving the vessels forward in two pairs and a trio.


    He also described one other factor, my wooden weapons and armor. Assuming the peasants were desperately using some training swords and bits of barrels, the assault up the ladders was swiftly launched. Most of the scum only realized how dangerous the swords and spears were when they were sticking out of both sides of their chest. The assault eventually pulled back, with their ship''s weapons aimed towards the catapults and ballistae. Whatever their next move was, we put a stop to it.


    Not before both sides had wrecked the battlefield, however.


    I could paste over it to a decent degree, but such a solution could lead to a collapse when the Orcs started tunneling under it. No, the entire harbor would have to be stripped and redone. As I retired to bed, I only hoped that Palta would not withdraw her men before that task was completed.


    When my head hit the pillow, a small whoosh of air could be heard outside my door. Which was when a spirit connection hit me. No words, only emotions of worry and irritation.


    ¡®Hey, Cell,¡¯ I offered my familiar as the door opened with a creak. There was no way I could see anything in this dim light, but another creak of the door shutting and a sudden weight on my chest told me all that I needed to know.


    I was looking forward to a nice exchange, perhaps getting an update on how the ¡®lost¡¯ city of magic Keltons was going. What I got was an image of a burning Kelton hold with three pirate ships in the bay. The next was two ships of refugees heading southward towards here.


    ¡®Damn. What¡¯s Salamede doing?¡¯ I asked him.


    Vast planes of empty snow opened up in my mind¡¯s eye before they shifted to camps of hungry Kelton near the water.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to bolster her numbers with the remaining scroungers up north?¡±


    Agreement came through the connection. Then a long boat with wide sails on top like the fin of a fish. That was the last image before I was left with the black void in front of me.


    Taking it all in, feeling the soreness in my feet and legs as I did so, I could only huff.


    ¡®Let¡¯s sleep Cell. Our trials are for tomorrow.¡¯


    It turns out tomorrow would not tolerate a delay in its due. A muffled slamming on the front door woke me up far too early. Cell was likewise displeased but he quickly slid beneath the left side of the bed. I got up, feeling the bitter cold around my hands while the brown pants and white shirt swung some of that precious heat out with each of my movements.


    Another bang on the door.


    ¡°Tilvor!¡± Harrah¡¯s voice rang out.


    My boots were thrown on as I moved through the door and took a left through another. It occurred to me that I had drawn the bridge up, the usual sign of ¡®go away¡¯. As I came up to the main entry door, I reminded myself how surprising this news should be. The fact of the early morning was emphasized further when I let in the winter wind and greeted a sky that had only a sliver of light. Something Harrah was considerate enough to look remorseful over as I leaned against the doorway.


    ¡°Those three missing ships? We found out where they went.¡± She spat out with a hand twirling her right pigtail.


    I stood a bit straighter in anticipation of such an unexpected revelation.


    ¡°They hit the closest Kelton hold in the north. But the place wasn¡¯t torched like our settlements, instead it''s been taken over for a base of operations.


    ¡°That quickly?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow as I ushered her in. The wind had died down, but that didn¡¯t change the fact winter was still in full force.


    ¡°The goat-people are good neighbors by the lack of interactions. They¡¯ve inquired about some trouble with food shipments but getting involved in human business has never been their preference.¡± She said as she took in the abode with tired blue eyes. ¡°We found this out because two ships filled with refugees arrived this morning. Ships that had to hug the coastline to avoid the morning feeding frenzy and now rest at the bottom of our harbor from having their hulls cut up.¡±


    ¡°What numbers are we looking at?¡± I asked with crossed arms as I leaned against the wall. Harrah turned around to look me in the eyes.


    ¡°At least three hundred. Certainly more, but they didn¡¯t exactly have time to do a head count.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be sending them here, I suppose.¡± I offered, trying to sound more irritated at this sudden burden than I was.


    ¡°Do you have some grievance with their kind?¡± She asked, biting her lips as she sped up the twirling of her hair.


    ¡°They can have sour tempers¡­ But they aren¡¯t the ones who murdered my daughter. Will this help kill more of those filth?¡±


    A firm nod greeted my question.


    ¡°The hold was a major trading post for the Keltons and frequented by all of their kind. The Mist pirates probably pissed off a lot of other clans when they put the place to the torch. This could be a big part of tipping things in our favor if we play it right. We just need somewhere to put them for a bit while the locals sort out where to put them, who¡¯s paying for their food, and on, and on. It shouldn¡¯t be more than a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Will I get to keep using the laborers?¡±


    Harrah gave me a nod with some hope in her blue eyes.


    ¡°Palta says whatever you need. At least as long as the Keltons will be staying, then their rations will have to go back to regular levels. After that, we¡¯ll work out some kind of arrangement for the workers who want to stay.¡±


    I pushed myself off the wall, opening the door as I did so.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then,¡± I announced as I went into the open air.


    ¡°How many houses are you going to be making?¡± Harrah asked with the sound of running feet behind me.


    ¡°Not just houses,¡± I called behind me as the guards near the bridge came up to my sides. ¡°I¡¯m going to build another walled-off section. This time done right. And a full, proper, farm to the side.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± She responded before a gust of bitter wind blew through my back. Off to my left, I saw the air scion zip through the now slightly brighter morning sky. Her movements suggested a far happier mood than the one I was going to have. Resigning myself to fate, I headed towards the kitchen with fresh orders and a long day for the overseers.

 Chapter 120: Kreshton Rising

    Salamede POV


    *Creak*


    The groan of my chair occupied a portion of my mind far larger than it should have. Even as I sat in front of my desk, scribbling down some orders for more housing. My writing was a bit below my typical penmanship as the back and forth of the ship¡¯s motion among the waves coupled with the faint light of the wide window behind me made the task more perilous. As important as the order was, my attention was still hung up on the groan of my seat. After enjoying Eli¡¯s craftsmanship for so long, the ears picked up every squeak, irritation doubled whenever a door didn¡¯t flawlessly swing, and walks grew tiresome whenever the halls were that inch or so too narrow when passing by others.


    It was far better than what I had grown up with, in every possible respect, but great heights exaggerated the smallest fall.


    I moved a hand over the pink and teal dress currently covering my body to feel the soft fibers. Its colors swirled with the same display of the snails with a thicker tuft around the collarbones. Despite the lack of visible padding, it was still thick enough to insulate against the bitter cold even in this far north.


    Accentuating my distraction, the door leading into my office creaked open. Looking up, I saw the older Kelton man with black fur and spiral brown horns who had become my advisor standing at the door. The arrival of which brought a new wave of salty air and faint ocean spray.


    ¡®We¡¯ve arrived, my lady,¡¯ Kantor said in a spirit connection, placing a hand on his sword hilt. It fit with the metal chest piece and leg guards over his white shirt and black pants. We had put a few ridges on the sides to imitate the texture of a snail shell and the sheen still shined even in the meager light from the grey sky.


    I pushed away from the table with a readying breath. My shoes clacked across the wooden floor in a way the leather flaps I had back in the Coalition never could. The walk took me past the bed and wardrobe on the left side of my abode, where a large mirror stood on the opposite wall. Kantor made way for my approach by stepping to the right. I made sure to notice the retreating grey in Kantor¡¯s mane as I passed and came out onto the deck of the ship.


    The vessel was a long thing with two masts in the middle. Unlike the airships, it had visible boards instead of a seamless construction. It didn¡¯t have the rock-shooting tubes they had either, but the two floors of floating wood were sturdy and the catapults around the sides had a fineness that eluded to a great mastery of craftsmanship. That the men had only been using them for a week or so would hopefully not show to our newcomers. Behind me, I could hear the twirl of the navigator''s wheel above me as he brought the ship to its final stop.


    The entire point of this expedition lay to the right among the snowy crags. In a wide half-bowl sat a settlement much the same as I had seen in my time as a fake merchant, complete with the lack of docks and a flurry of black-robed guards along the upper ridges. We shared the space just outside of the bay with two other ships in the same mean condition as the one that I had traveled in.


    The boat we were placing down into the sea was sporting three men cladded in the steel Kantor was sporting. As I approached the side of the ship, it occurred to me that some people in the other ships were probably watching. A ball of worry dropped in my stomach as I used the rope ladder to get into the dinghy. The men made way for me as I landed on uncertain wood and moved towards the back. Paying closer attention to the rocky outcroppings, I noticed a number of desperate fishermen working poles and nets, trying for some catch that was hanging about with no luck if the empty buckets and thin bodies were anything to go by.


    It was a few minutes of moving sacks of grains, fish, and flour. I spent it looking at the water boosters on the side of the ship. Long tubes with only the very top above water, ending with a sharp slope upward to meet the tip of the vessel they helped propel forward. When the last sack hit the floor, Kantor got in. He sat on the left of me, looking over the men who were now also sitting down. Satisfied, he pressed a black circle painted on the boat''s left side before working smaller squares on the sides. It sped forward with a sharp turn rightward, making the spare oars stored under the sides smack against the wood as we all tried to stay upright amidst the crashing waves.


    Despite the lack of sun, it was still mid-morning. My concerns about running into any other boats vanished when I looked at the beach leading into the settlement. It was barren save a few kids ambling about the sand. Further in the back was row after row of shabby houses with stone walls and patchworks of cloth to serve as doors or extra padding in the roofs. Along the right side sat several cloth tents sporting large cauldrons, though only one sat in front of a long table sporting arrays of knives, spoons, and ladles. The lack of activity at the only one apparently in service confirmed that even that last public bastion of sustenance had given out.


    Our approach to the beach was immediately noticed by the guards. Men in black robes began moving to the spot near the cooking tents where our boat was pointed. When the wooden tip ran into the sand, the boat eventually got on land enough that it stopped. Even with that, water still sprayed out from the back until Kantor pressed the black circle again.


    The guards got out of the boats with a plunk into the moist sand. Our crates of food were lifted out while I swung my feet over the side. Despite my worst fears, the move was executed gracefully. Keltons in varying patches of cloth rags made into clothes started mixing with the black-cloaked men. All of them, guard and civilian alike, only had eyes for me. A hundred or more pairs of grey orbs bored into me and if it wasn¡¯t for getting used to the attention by leading the ¡®lost mage colony¡¯, I would have probably frozen on the spot.


    Now? I only felt sweat dripping down my back and a horrible churn in the gut.


    That didn¡¯t stop me from moving forward. I had healed several wounds with my magic, led an expedition to reclaim my people''s lost glory, and acquired the heart of the world¡¯s greatest man. I was almost certain that the people present wouldn¡¯t instantly see the upstart maid beneath all that. An assumption I repeated to myself as I strode onto the rock floor marking the start of the village proper.


    ¡°I have a deal for your cook if you¡¯ll allow it,¡± I asked the gathering. It was obvious where they were, but it was the only way I could think to start the conversation in the proper direction.


    The guards looked between each other but one brown-furred man with a metal-tipped spear moved forward with a spirit connection.


    ¡®Shipments for food carry no tax as of now. I¡¯ll show you to them.¡¯ He offered with a small raise of his head with curled grey horns. I nearly did a small nod in courtesy until my etiquette lessons came back to me. Instead, I coughed.


    ¡®Lead on.¡¯


    He nodded towards the tents with large pots. The men followed behind me in a line with a crate each. Some of the guards tried to disperse the crowd with a shove or a shout, yet their efforts were hopeless as the place had little else going on besides starvation if the lean figures were anything to go by.


    The lean grey-furred man behind the cook¡¯s counter got up from his stool to stand in attention of the coming crowd, adjusting his patchwork of brown cloth that served as a tight robe. My guards pushed a bit ahead to lay the crates along the counter. They each used their leather-covered hands to pull open the tops to reveal the treasures within. A waft of salted fish ambled through the air, prompting a few gulps behind me.


    ¡°We require the use of your kitchen, my good man. If you agree to cook this up and more, we will give you five fish, a mug of flour, and two mugs of grain. In the fish crate, you¡¯ll find a cube of fat to start frying them in.¡± I offered audibly, the roughness in my voice on full display.


    ¡°Yes!¡± He agreed in the same manner with a bit more force than needed. His next move was to acquire his payment immediately with his cups and hands, storing that precious nourishment beneath his counter. I waited patiently, strumming my rather immaculate nails across the wood until the last portion of his mug was taken. ¡°With just this, I can do up some breaded fish and wheat porridge.¡±


    ¡°No spices or extra sides?¡±


    He bit his lips, rubbing his patchwork of cloth.


    ¡°None to be had, my lady. Not the best showing for someone of your stature, but I have a few years of cooking with lean ingredients, and it¡¯ll come out better than you¡¯d think. The fuel will take a minute to procure but that shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± I offered, waving to an enthusiastic Kantor.


    The man leaned by the large pot, picking up two stray boards. He sucked in mana and began working his fingers over the cold wood. Our audience had no idea what he was doing, obviously, but they dutifully watched with rapt interest. When Kantor finally finished, he stuck out one finger at the tip of which a candle¡¯s flame sprang into life.


    ¡°AAH!¡± The nearest local guard pulled back with a shout.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Someone in the back demanded.


    Others began talking amongst themselves in spirit connections. They made no sounds, but the sudden jerking of heads and waving of hands left no doubt as to their conversation. Our temporary cooks¡¯ eyes didn¡¯t change much as they were already widened by the arrival of our food, though he now bit his lip.


    Kantor continued his work, burning a half-circle at the top of the board. He looked it over for a second before pressing the center of the burned-in mark. A circle of finger-high flame shot out of the bottom of the boards, with no singe of the wood beneath and only the sucking in of gold and blue specks in the air, though the people here couldn¡¯t see the latter.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll need more food,¡± I announced to my escort. Two of the men did a light bow, much to the surprise of the audience. They paid no mind, heading back to the boat with a casual turn to the beach.


    ¡°How much more will you be bringing?¡± The cook asked as he took the board from Kantor like it was a precious family heirloom. He looked to the fire mage with his head facing to the right in deference even as he was being instructed in the use of the flames.


    ¡°That depends,¡± I said with a turn to the apparent head of the guards. ¡°How much do you think these people will require?¡±


    His lips puckered as he stood still for a moment. No chatter came from any of the surrounding Keltons as they were equally stunned at the statement. He made good on his higher position, however, by being the first to move forward on legs that seemed a bit unsteady.


    ¡°What payment would be expected?¡± He asked, moving his head to the side. My time among humans made their body language somewhere between irritating and weird. Just another reminder that no snout or horns could hide the fact that I was a foreigner to these lands.


    ¡°You have orphans and others out of work, do you not? I think they¡¯d have better odds with me.¡±


    Those chapped lips were licked with worry, the obvious question on his tongue. To his credit, he immediately grasped the difference in our strength at this negotiating table.


    ¡°More than we can feed. Not that we can say differently for ourselves right now.¡±


    ¡°Then we have an agreement?¡± I said with a clap of my hand, getting up from the stool.


    ¡°Aye¡±


    It was that word which prompted the first sound from the crowd.


    ¡°Just them?¡± One woman in the crowd called. My eyes perused the masses trying to find the source, giving up after a few seconds. However, the search did let me take a good look at the denizens. They were all painfully thin. When I had gone through a similar outpost, it had been clear that those present were on the edge of survival. These poor souls had gone well past that point.


    As horrible as it was, their poverty did help me. I had spent a long time going over how to convince them to go along with a group of Kelton mages to spirits knows where with no history to give. Time now wasted. Their spines were broken by their stomachs and the eager looks among them said this was the only hope they had of seeing another summer.


    ¡°Whoever wants to come,¡± I announced, regretting the need to kill the eager joy springing up in the sea of goatish faces. ¡°But not immediately. Other settlements are in dire need of supplies as well. We will be taking those who might die if left behind, with the rest of you coming once those have been seen to.¡±


    The crowds¡¯ reactions were mixed, with its members displaying irritation, worry, or relief that they had some means of surviving even if it was far off. Some of them clearly had questions but the sounds of knives being sharpened behind me drew their attention. The chef was preparing his tools while on the left two boards spewing flames began melting a pot filled with snow. A rare enough sight that the denizens of this place decided to take it in. A perfect moment to drive my bargain to its finish.


    ¡°Some food will be dropped off before we leave.¡± I proclaimed to the crowd, who drew their gazes back to me. ¡°Another ship will come two days from now. They will have some food but that is when we¡¯ll begin the evacuation in earnest. Whatever hunting parties that have been sent out will come back to a small number of guards left behind to explain things.¡±


    The leader of the guards stood a bit straighter, pensive, yet he still took a step forward from my left.


    ¡°What will we be telling them?¡±


    ¡°That you were taken to a hold in the snail lands,¡± I answered.


    Another wave of spirit conversations rolled through the crowd. I could spend more time giving explanations, but there was one last important item to see to.


    ¡°Now. If anyone is injured, please come meet me by the boat.¡± I announced before getting off my stool and walking towards the beach. Most looked apprehensive as my guards began taking up their usual position around me, but there were a few with bandaged arms or nasty gouges of one description or another who pushed through their fellows.


    When I got to the boat, I sat on the impromptu bench with a slow grace that came rather naturally. I felt like I was beginning to understand why leaders always seemed so graceful when they were going about their business. It¡¯s because it¡¯s hard to slouch when you know every eye around is judging you.


    My butt pressed onto the side of the boat while my guards started working the injured who began approaching. We had discussed everything that we would do once we arrived at the shore and the men corralled them into a workable line without any instruction needed. The first patient was a man with straight ivory horns and a brown mane. He sported a rather mangled-looking left shoulder covered in bloody rags that seemed to have been torn from his robe.


    ¡°A bit closer, if you please,¡± I told him. Aside from the crashing waves, it was almost totally silent as the onlookers took in the scene. He did so, looking at the boat¡¯s contents. No doubt expecting some herbs or bottles of whatever non-magical healers used, his brown eyebrows furrowed when all he saw was empty wood. Which was when I sucked in mana and placed a hand over his wound.


    ¡°OOH!¡± He yelped.


    The crowd pulled back a bit, wondering what horror he had uncovered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I offered with a smile. ¡°Healing magic does have a warmth to it they never seem to mention.¡±


    His eyebrows shot up while his face turned down, trying to not send his horns towards me in challenge as he did so. The flesh beneath my hand molding and twisting seemed to mesmerize him. Even when I pulled my hand back, he stood still for a second before raising his left hand. Expected pain never arrived and he proceeded to do a full circle of the arm like he was savoring the motion.


    Another wave of silent conversation seized the crowd save for the woman behind him, who gave an irritated snort.


    ¡®If it¡¯s all fine, I do have others to attend to.¡¯ I politely chided in a spirit connection.


    He jerked up before doing that side head dip.


    ¡®Thank you. Thank you.¡¯ He offered before moving to the left.


    Despite the preparation, the rest of my patients all followed the actions of the first. I suppose it was to be expected when a days or even weeks-long injury suddenly disappears. When I got halfway through the line, Kantor leaned over my left shoulder.


    ¡®How are you holding up?¡¯


    I shrugged as I brushed away the black stain of frostbite from a man¡¯s fingers.


    ¡®I can see why Eli immediately makes crafts for any magic. Something I¡¯ll definitely imitate at the next outpost. But for now, it¡¯s more tedious than anything. There doesn¡¯t seem to be too many severe injuries, which is a small mercy I suppose.¡¯


    The older man huffed.


    ¡®Severe injuries don¡¯t exist. Not this far north.¡¯


    I knew to immediately discard the hopeful interpretation of those words.


    After a half hour of mending ruined flesh, the line of injured disappeared. Any injuries left in the camp were either too light to bring to my attention or on people not trusting enough to come forward. Either way, my time nursing wounds had come to a close. Two of the guards took the boat back to the ship to get another run of supplies while I went up to the kitchen.


    The chef had two women now helping to prepare the fish and porridge. I sat off to the side, letting the curious get their looks in at the mysterious mage woman. Their interest and wonder fought with their rapt need for the goings on at the other end. As the first fish was being served, the boat came back now laden with five crates.


    The local guard, having long since given up any pretension of being in control, moved to help get the boxes into place behind the kitchen. This was also the time when the passengers for my trip back arrived. A small flock of Kelton young moved from between two tents onto the beach. It was a smattering of teens and toddlers holding onto their hands.


    ¡°We were told to come to the beach.¡± One of the older girls said, trying to take in the boat and not focus too much on the food cooking to the side. Something the rest of the dozen-plus orphans didn¡¯t bother trying to resist.


    The waft of wheat porridge flowed over the tents in front of the kitchen, its steam moving through the bitter-cold air like a cloud. The two women were working a large ladle to stir the wheat and now fully melted snow. The chef was working a bowl of flour with fish mixed in. There was no butchery going on as they had already been gutted and he dared not waste the heads.


    ¡°Once you have gotten a proper meal, you¡¯ll all be coming with us to a hold in the south.¡±


    The older girl, not more than a spring past fifteen years, stepped forward with a raise of her grey-fur covered chin.


    ¡°I can work hard. Zezel and Hemry can as well. Enough for the others, if needed.¡±


    My heart got a little crack at the sight. She was in that age between girl and blossomed woman yet hard times had forced motherhood onto her back despite the shortness of her pointed horns. I took her right shoulder with a soft squeeze.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure they all get fed. After a few days of rest, you¡¯ll be assigned an apprenticeship with some of our shops. As will the others in time. If you¡¯re up for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡±


    ¡°Can we go now?!¡±


    The cascade from the orphans poured forth but I stopped it with a raised hand.


    ¡°Meal first.¡±


    Porridge and fish fried in the provided fat were quickly served up in bowls. The portions were meager at first since the first batch had to be stretched between a hundred or so people. More crates were opened, snow gathered, and breaded fish fried on a long pan with a third fire enchantment. I had to admit the three cooks worked a magicless miracle, getting almost the entire camp fed in less than an hour.


    The older girl was near the beach with her little troop, fussing over a younger member or another. I was tempted to intervene, but when I almost got up from my seat at the end of the kitchen counter I remembered the high station I was pretending to have. So, I left the girl to care for her brood. While the third round of bowls was being distributed in the late morning sun, two boats arrived from the sea. Their rowers¡¯ blue coats immediately identified them as being members of the ships waiting out in the sea.


    Kantor nodded to one of the guards who walked towards the disembarking sailors.


    ¡®Should I offer to have them accompany us? Could be useful, having some people who know the waves.¡¯ I asked the older man who was hugging my left.


    ¡®They can ask for that, my precious daughter,¡¯ Kantor cautioned. ¡®The initiative here was yours to take since it was all your proposal. This is theirs. You¡¯re the head of the north¡¯s most powerful clan, even if no one knows it yet. Don¡¯t let people get the idea they will be allowed to fill your ears of their own accord or you will never know a moment¡¯s peace again.¡¯


    I looked down, seeing the now black fur where grey had always been. Kantor needed to be by my side whenever I dealt with the Kelton side of things to explain basic etiquette or history from his times roaming between clans. Of course, outright stating that I needed a minder for basic diplomacy would not be ideal. Instead, he would play the part of a doting father to explain his constant presence.


    I left them to it. Part of me wanted to try a portion of the communal meal for myself, more out of idle curiosity than real hunger, but that would be taking from the mouth of one of the destitute. The guard who brokered the request from the sailors came back with a sideways bow.


    ¡®They¡¯ve requested some food. As well as permission to follow behind us towards our hold. The coats hide it, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re any better off than the ones here.¡¯ He informed me in a spirit connection.


    ¡®They demand nothing. Give it to them without any requirement. Once they¡¯re in our docks, we will have a surer footing to make demands.¡¯


    He turned to inform the sailors of their good fortune.


    Stomachs eventually started getting full and the children almost immediately began falling asleep against crates or on ragged corners of tents. That was the signal that it was time to depart, which the orphans did in two trips before it was finally my turn. The brown-furred leader of the guard came up to me as I stood in front of the boat with the local men unloading the last load of the food.


    ¡°There is no amount of poetry I could recite to convey my gratitude. Our gratitude. We have nothing to offer save our lives, though even that isn¡¯t much these days.¡± He announced loud enough for the crowd to hear.


    I drew myself up a bit straighter.


    ¡°Then we will have to make your lives more valuable. We require workers and soldiers back at the hold. I don¡¯t promise great riches, but a home and steady meals will be available for even the lowest worker.¡±


    He did another sideways nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s a king¡¯s bounty all on its own. We will be ready to go to¡­ wherever your hold is.¡± he declared with not a single objection from the crowd. If there had been any dissenters, the gentle direction of a wife or smack on the head from a brother no doubt set them straight.


    ¡°In a few days, our ship should be back. Times are uncertain, so we will be giving you a few days of supplies in case we should be delayed. Now, I could weave a tale of our home, but my oral art is not up to the task. It must be seen, not explained.¡±


    With that, I got into the boat with the guards who finished dropping off the last few crates. A forest of waving hands from the mass of Keltons followed our exit from the beach, which I regarded with a smile before turning to the open sea. It was less than a minute before we were clambering back up the side of the ship and on the floorboards that felt as solid as stone ground.


    ¡®How are the kids?¡¯ I asked one of the passing men with a white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡®Good. Thin things they may be, they settled right in.¡¯ The brown-haired Kelton replied.


    ¡®Let¡¯s shove off then. Inform the navigator that he shouldn¡¯t go so fast as the other two ships in the bay will be accompanying us back home.¡¯


    There was a ghost of irritation that passed over his face at the last part, something he had the self-control to not let fully out. I had to admit that I understood his annoyance, a boat traveling on the power of water enchantments such as ours would move at a gallop compared to one that travelled only by wind. Still, their skills would be invaluable and they could even serve as extra cargo space on the way back.


    ¡®And get me two boards as well. I will be making some crafts.¡¯ I informed him, this time the words receiving an enthusiastic sideways head bob.


    I moved to the left towards my room. My next hour was spent putting a few healing enchantments on some boards. While I had made sure to have healing enchantments on the troops'' leather chest pieces, I had forgotten to make some for the passengers. It was nice, laying on the humble bed with the rocking of the boat rolling with the sea. The pillows were far better than the withered things I had back in the town of the Diamond academy, but they couldn¡¯t compete with the arms of my man or the heaving of his chest after a night of play. The somber moment of loss came just in time for Kantor to arrive.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± He announced with a small smile.


    It took only a moment to make the dress acceptable in the golden glow of a mana crystal above the mirror. In far too little time, I was back in the boat looking over the small waves with five guards and as many crates. This time, Kantor was in the front with a torch. The lad on my left touched the markings for thrust. As we moved forward towards the dark land, my ¡®father¡¯ stopped us twice to send out a fireball to make sure we weren¡¯t about to run headlong into a rock. Heavy winds decided to join us about halfway through, sucking away any residual heat in our clothing.


    The beach eventually came close enough to make out among the dark rocks. I breathed a sigh of relief as legs below shifting robes started moving towards our spot. Kantor shouted something, but none of it could be heard over the gale and crashing of waves against the shore. For my part, I was trying to find a good spot to set up our cooking station among the dark tents. Given the destitution having befallen this region, it was no wonder they couldn¡¯t afford to have torches constantly running. Another magic gift we¡¯d have to wow them with back home.


    Seemingly sensing my wishes, Kantor sent a wave of flame over the heads of the denizens. The goatish heads illuminated in the orange hues showed some flesh beneath fur that wasn¡¯t quite as thin as those we had visited on the first trip, but spirits were there a lot of gashes and deep cuts to be seen to. Luckily my crafts-


    My heart stopped when in the middle of the crowd I saw a man missing his jaw with the tongue flopping out of the neck hole. Pushing down some very unpleasant memories on a farm far, far east of here, I made some very quick guesses on how fast we were going. I slapped a water spell together and launched it as our navigator realized what he was steering us into.


    A small churn in the water pushed us back towards the open sea like a piece of bark caught in the whims of a river, drowning out the sounds of the dead splashing about in the waves behind us. It wasn¡¯t clean and the boat got pushed on its left side enough that it creaked in protest, but the sight of the ship was now in front of us.


    Kantor didn¡¯t seem particularly joyous as he stood facing toward the back of the boat, his jaw set in a grind.


    ¡°When I shout ¡®stop¡¯, that means stop the boat at that exact FUCKING MOMENT!¡± He yelled towards the unfortunate man currently working the marks on the side of the boat. The verbal abuse carried over the wind and now quieter waves, but it was my raised hand that drew everyone¡¯s gazes.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t hear it. Neither did I. Use spirit connections and the man in the middle to relay messages. It¡¯s been a long day and it¡¯s barely started. Let¡¯s just get back to the ship in as high spirits as possible.¡±


    Kantor looked up to the sky for a moment, fist clenching the torch in his right hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting too old for this.¡± He announced to no one in particular as he turned back to the open sea.


    The remainder of our trip was conducted in silence. Fortunately, the next village was more like the first. The one after met the fate of the second. We had come as quickly as our shipwrights could put wood to water, but it was still too long for some. Overall, it was more sweet than bitter, with only two of the eight outposts in the icy wastes having met their end before our arrival.


    There had been more before the big slog with the Mist pirates, yet their fate was sealed by emigration rather than the gnawing of their formerly living fellows. The wastelanders were not well-loved by the holds, with most of them being exiles from those same clans. Most, I gathered, simply moved southward towards the churning pot of the hot islands where they might find some foothold to stay. A grim prospect, but a better chance than those too poor, ill, or unlucky to leave had before our miracle arrival.


    Something the last group of orphans seemed very aware of as they moved below deck with the first bits of food and slivers of hope they had enjoyed in a long time. While I was walking back to my office with a look at the boiling pot off on the distant shore, Kantor came up to me in the glow of the mana lamps around us.


    ¡°The locals said that was the last outpost of the wastes before we move onto clan Heesan territory.¡± He offered, his shoulder slouching a bit despite the attempt to straighten his spine against our days¡¯ grueling work.


    A sigh of relief escaped my lips without having decided to do so, the misty breath flowing over my still prim teal and pink swirled dress.


    ¡°Can we make a straight shot home?¡± I asked.


    His head shake was worse than a fist to the gut.


    ¡°Not with our little entourage in the back. It¡¯s looking late afternoon tomorrow if the winds favor us, morning the day after if the seas are feel mean.¡±


    My tongue wanted to discuss other items of interest, but I just couldn¡¯t summon the concentration or energy to do it.


    ¡°Good night.¡± Was all I told him before opening my door.


    ¡°You as well.¡± He replied before turning around.


    It was a good night, after all. When I opened my eyes and looked at the rising sun coming out of my room window, it looked to be a good late morning as well. Irritation at lost productivity flowed through me, fighting the death grip my hands had on the warm inner layers of the blankets. The feeling of griminess eventually decided the duel, forcing me to throw back the covers and do a quick magical bath with the excess water being sent out the window. I took a moment to get myself in a long, flowing green dress I had stored in the wardrobe at the foot of the bed.


    While it had the same color as the softer dress I had back home, the sharp edges on the shoulders and shorter leg section made it seem more¡­military in form rather than for dancing. As I sat at the desk looking over one long-neglected request or another, a cabin boy arrived with a tray of the ever-present wheat porridge and incredibly weak beer.


    ¡®They¡¯ve kept it as warm as they could, great lady.¡¯ He informed me in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Good,¡± I replied as I dismissed him with a wave of my hand.


    Despite the loss in productivity, waking up on the schedule of ¡®whenever-I-feel-like-it¡¯ definitely agreed with me.


    Our storage was now more orphan than crate, but we had enough to make the journey. I sequestered myself off from the world, seeing to one task or another in my cozy box. When a sailor opened the door a few hours later, I raised my eyebrow at how quickly we arrived.


    ¡°One of the clans¡¯ ships spotted us. They hung around the side for a bit nearly out of sight, probably looking us over. Our lookout couldn¡¯t see any insignia or banners to tell us who exactly they worked for, but it was a slimmer thing than the trade ships and definitely not the pirates. They turned away after a minute towards what we think is the direction of one of the holds.¡± He offered in the open doorway.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    With that, he turned out the door and closed it. I thought through what this meant, but my first inclination was to provide more ships for the next trip north. If the local clans decided to sate their curiosity, we would have to make sure it was done through polite means.


    It took another day of travel before we arrived at the snail¡¯s abode. This time, I made sure to wake up with the sun. I still wore my green dress, but I decided to wait until I got back to my proper home to make a change. After breakfast, the navigator tacked into the sea with five ships tailing us.


    I watched from the side of the ship with the now energetic children who ambled about the ship while the older ones were helping with one task or another. The rocks stretched on for as far as the eyes could see, with caps of fresh snow covering the water between. Or falling off when one of the shifting rocks revealed itself to be the shell of a giant snail.


    What drew my eyes was the two tall pillars of smooth stone, between which lay a clear channel leading further inland and a wide stone slab with the word ¡®Entrance¡¯ inscribed on it. This intake was wide enough for three ships side by side by my crude estimation, but dual towers ahead said it was built for only two. Along the sides were stone posts holding up a rope as thick as my arm to help steer visitors.


    Looking behind us, I saw our line of seven followers dutifully going into the channel. My gaze went back to the front, taking in the construction. The towers were finished and had their four floors fully furnished. Between them was a bridge in its final stage of construction. In the future, ballistae and catapults would be arrayed along the top, adding to the defense would be archers in the windows. For now, it was just the buildings and a smooth road along the channel leading from this chokepoint to the main settlement beyond.


    ¡°What?!¡± One of the smaller boys on the left side of the boat yelled. The rest were too busy looking ahead with wide eyes.


    The huge square of red stone flecked with grey had been expanded by molding the surrounding rock. In front of the stone cube were the fingers of docks reaching out into a widened lake. The piers were cleared of winter''s white blanket, but the buildings behind them were still capped in snow. Behind the docks, rows of rectangular warehouses two stories high took up all the available space aside from the two double-wide roads leading into the city. The design was closely mimicked in the docks further up the outbound channel, though those were for military purposes and sealed off with large stone barriers sunk into the water around each pier.


    Behind that was a long landscape of two or three-story high buildings. Each had a mushroom cap of a roof to keep the rain out and discourage any thieves looking to hop over the streets. A few had tendrils of steam coming out of a wide window, marking the bakeries on the left and forges on the right. The real attention grabber was the big dome in the middle of the city with six towers around the sides. It matched the grey stone of the other buildings, and I knew the walls to be three floors high, but the dome itself added two floors worth of height to the building that was serving as my abode and it was the endpoint of the wide double lanes that lead directly from the harbor.


    We moved up to the docks, slipping into one of the seven piers. While men got the walking plank in place, more kids started coming up from the bowels of the ship. Their rag wraps had mostly been replaced with proper shoes while a few had some new shirts and pants mixed in with the cloth sacks made into clothing. It was all we had brought besides the food but more flax and fine fibers were being grown from ¡®old¡¯ plant enchantments.


    I was the first over the plank. Ahead of me were three docks, each now sporting a ship of questionable construction. Well-worn habits made me want to help with the disembark, but I was the leader of this place. Not someone to be giving personal tours or working the luggage. My trip from the harbor with Kantor and my guards was held up as a column of steel-clad men came to make sure things went smoothly. The ships who tagged along were disembarking an officer with guards, though none moved beyond the wood of their pier. One of them was stuck out in the lake but still released a boat with more men.


    The winter wind blew through the harbor, sending a cold bite through my now black fur that even reached the skin beneath. My first thought was to scurry the kids inside. Without thinking, I turned back to see the orphans being hurried into a building on the left of the harbor. It was the not yet functional harbor office that would serve as the center for paperwork in this district. Wide slabs of grey stone served as the body, as it did everywhere else, but the front had stone benches and a wide wooden cover for those ambling about outside or waiting to get through the wide double doors in the center.


    For right now, its three stories would serve as a good place to keep the new guests. Moving past the building, I saw the admiral, Joeseen, approaching down the street with his own guards. An older gentlemen with near-white fur and stubby horns like my mother, his robes of blue with waves signified his station. His pronounced chin did that sideways bob toward me before he moved to what was going to be his future office to help get people settled in.


    My feet carried me through the city with no slip on the occasional bit of snow still sticking to one bit of the street or another. The general layout was similar to the Diamond academy town. With a straight shot from the main entrance to the clear centerpiece of the city ahead. It wasn¡¯t made with white brick, but the tall dome and sturdy walls still spoke to the obvious skill of our architects. Well, Eli was a part of our people, so it counted.


    My sense of distance still struggled with how far the central dome was from the dock. This place had grown into something closer to a proper city. A nearly empty thing for a mere two hundred-some residents. In times past, I would have balked at calling a place with two hundred people barren. I also hadn¡¯t lived in a city with almost five empty buildings for each occupied one.


    Going down the wide street bereft of traffic, I braced against the bitter cold. An entire day had been spent squatting in my box and the stiffness in my legs didn¡¯t help the trip. Eventually, I made my way up to the dual doors of black iron that served as the entrance to the heart of our new civilizations government. For each door, a large man in armor stood in attendance with a shield and sword. Unlike the regular guards who had distinct individual pieces, these had armor covering everything including the joints and neck.


    Despite the difference in size and armaments, the two did a sideways head bob before pushing open the doors nearly twice the size of a man. I strode forward with an eager step to get out of the elements. What I stepped into was a huge flat floor ahead with the sides being taken up by an ascending mold of stone holding row upon row of flat surface serving as seats for spectators. Above the stands were mana lamps at measured points around the wall.


    All looked down on by a yellow sun with a circle in the middle that matched the one on the floor directly below it and rays coming down the sides of the inner dome. The place could probably fit all the current residents here and then some. To my right was another pair of double doors down a small hallway. While that¡¯s where most of the rest of my day was going to be, it was the large single door in the wall at the opposite end of the forum that demanded the next few minutes of my time.


    The large open air was almost as chilly as the outside. No unlimited heat born of other dimensional crafts was to be found here despite the groans from some of those who had gotten used to the bases'' luxury. When I got up to the door, I pushed through with a tired sigh. Inside was a barely lit room, owing to the triple-paned window far above letting in the faint sunlight escaping the clouds above. My hands fumbled for the mana lamp memory said was somewhere to the left. The smooth crystal eventually brushed against my hand, with my finger immediately going down to touch the needed place.


    Golden light bathed the stone desk a few steps away, casting shadows over it and the large leather chair behind it. Along the left was the weathered mural that had survived the original tower here, a treasure that was spared from the fate of the building it originally resided in. The depiction of swords floating over a rocky landscape of snails was still discernable with its reds and pinks. If pressed, I would say it meant to show how the ancestors were going put the snail lands under our thumb, though the definitive authorities on its meaning were buried in the now-filled basement. The people I only had eyes for the door behind the desk. Walking around the room, I went through the entrance to my bedroom. Another flick of a mana lamp to my left supplemented the sparse light coming from a window above.


    This time a long bed of white blankets and a dark-wood headboard were the main piece. Off to the left was a large wardrobe and mirror, but it was the door on the right that I stormed towards with only a quick snatch from the basket of towels on its left before going in. The showerhead was an unremarkable square with the same water flower of wood on the side that was in the base. One aspect from the far north we retained was plumbing, with a grate on the bottom of the floor allowing the bits of dirt and skin to flow into a communal channel of real water that would take it far out to an exit pipe in the ocean.


    A few minutes of steam and rubbing on soap took me to another plane of existence. Reluctantly abandoning the moist warmth, I toweled off and got dressed in a fluffy white dress. More casual than the green one, it covered everything with a loose bottom and fluffy white fur around the top. One of many pieces stitched together by a very talented seamstress currently residing in the crafters'' district.


    I left my three-room world and came back out into the forum. Ahead near the main entrance was an older woman sporting a cream-colored dress and leather headcover. The woman responsible for all of our day-to-day items and the one who got me the attire currently filling my wardrobes. Her fur was a lighter brown almost matching her dress though her ivory horns went up straight like mine, something that was emphasized with her nod as I walked closer.


    ¡®That¡¯s it for leather,¡¯ She offered in a spirit connection without preamble as I took a left with her. ¡®The last bit was used this morning.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m not torturing animals, Sheeka.¡¯ I firmly stated as we continued towards the meeting room.


    Her lips pulled back over her sharp chin.


    ¡®Not torture¡­ just reuse. We can get an infinite supply of hides with healing crafts.¡¯


    I turned to her, my chin raised.


    ¡®Magic isn¡¯t free, not even with crafts. The mana supply is already going to be uncertain when the forges and farms are running at their full sprint. We need smithies and food. With the plant fibers, we don¡¯t need leather. If it becomes really important, we might find the time to experiment with the undead in the future, but we don¡¯t have the means to do it right now.¡¯


    My efforts got me a defeated sigh from the woman¡¯s lips even with the swing of the doors opening. The victory was small, but it was a good start to the meeting. The conference room was longer than mine, with a long table of stone surrounded by three chairs on each side, lit up with a single mana lamp above. At the head was a larger specimen that I quickly took a seat in.


    The right seat was quickly taken up by Sheeka. In time, the man overseeing the forges came in. His grey fur had bits of ash, with black flecks even falling from those spiral brown horns. His chin had a longer tuff of fur than most, the closest thing to the human equivalent of a goatee my kind had. Most of the flecks fell onto his thick leather apron and hopelessly ruined white shirt. The black pants seemed to fair a bit better, if only in appearance.


    ¡°Lady Salamede.¡± He announced in a rough voice as he came through the door bring with him the sharp sting of burned wood. ¡°The smiths are-¡°


    I put up a hand up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for everyone, Menkie.¡±


    He nodded and took up the seat on my left. The gathering was eventually filled with Kantor further down the left wearing a plain brown shirt and black pants that held the holster for the sword on his hip. He regarded me with a nod of his black fur before taking his seat. It was a minute of more idle silence before Joeseen finally arrived, his waved embroidered robe sporting a few flecks of snow as he took the seat further down the right.


    They had all been chosen for their previous talents in those lives that were now lost to time. The second most important attribute was a steady head and their possession of that was why they had been chosen for such high positions. They also had either outlived everyone in their original clan or been one of those who had been born in the wastes, but that could be said for every member of our ¡®lost mage¡¯ clan.


    ¡°How did they settle in?¡± I asked him as he adjusted in his seat.


    ¡°It was a lot of wrangling, but it happened.¡± Was all the admiral said with a tired sigh as he adjusted his robe to wrap more tightly around him.


    Sheeka coughed into her hand.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t answer the question.¡± She stated in our typical rough voice. A painful necessity when in large group discussions.


    The admiral merely shrugged.


    ¡°How do you expect half-dead people from an icy wasteland to react to full meals, hot baths, and soft beds? The houses between our two main districts probably have more tears in the streets than snow now.¡±


    Despite the apparent wear on his body, a smile stole over his face of almost white fur. Kantor wasn¡¯t as willing to meander in good feelings as he leaned forward onto the table.


    ¡°What about the captains? Will they be up to the task of working our ships?¡±


    Joeseen gave a firm nod.


    ¡°It takes more skill to get a pile of junk into port than it does a work of art. They¡¯ll be more than up to the task once they get used to the water boosters.¡±


    Kantor pulled back, seemingly satisfied.


    ¡°Have you sent out the ships to retrieve the rest of the survivors?¡± I asked him.


    He gave me another nod.


    ¡°They¡¯ve since left with a crew comprised of our people and two of the captains acting as crew.¡±


    I felt myself straighten a bit, getting faint ghost sensations of the aches on the return trip.


    ¡°Some left just after arriving?¡± I asked with a pull back into my chair.


    Joeseen only shrugged.


    ¡°People have no scales or gills. That doesn¡¯t mean some are destined to live on land. Of those who aren¡¯t, I can¡¯t say much would have deterred them from getting a ride on a ship that cares not what the wind does or where. They were just a few of the volunteers.¡±


    ¡°And will we have enough to get their cargo well-fed when they come back?¡± I asked with a turn to Sheeka.


    She bit her lips, pulling her creamy brown fur.


    ¡°With what the fishing ships bring in, regular food won¡¯t be a problem. I have to say I don¡¯t feel like we¡¯ll have a good grasp on the full scope of our harvest until we¡¯ve had it. Will I be assuming responsibility for the food stocks? I thought I would be handling tanners, tailors, and the like. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve had even a day working soil.¡±


    ¡°None of us do,¡± Menkie offered with a shake of his head, ridding himself of the last few ashes. ¡°But we can at least expand the farms with stocks of plant crafts. Ores and coal? We don¡¯t have the means to get that out here. Not without taking almost all the food growing enchantments for wood.¡±


    Joeseen raised an eyebrow at the blacksmith made overseer.


    ¡°We have fire magic. What do we need coal for?¡±


    Menkie took a deep breath before he looked at the admiral beside him.


    ¡°The ore itself isn¡¯t¡­ that¡¯s not how steel is made.¡± He replied with a restrained smile.


    The older man crossed his arms in thought before turning back to those present.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to trade it then. I¡¯d imagine some of those magical meats will fetch a great price.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°No.¡± I rejected in as severe a tone as I could manage. That got a few raised eyebrows, forcing me to explain.


    ¡°My people¡¯s exile from this land started from human mages attacking their hold for mana-infused meats. We are far more fortified, but I¡¯d rather avoid that track of history entirely.¡±


    The three newest members of the council furrowed their eyebrows at this piece of news. Sheeka, being the most curious, spoke her question.


    ¡°I thought the magical resources were mostly the crafts and the mages themselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± I refuted with a raised finger to my immediate right. ¡°Crafts are valuable. The meats and vegetables are what give us our ability. They are what mages live, and occasionally, die for. You do remember how you got your earth magic, correct?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Sheeka offered with a sideways head bob like she just remembered, ¡°It was the soups and steaks.¡±


    A scream of frustration tried to work its way up my throat.


    ¡°So you do understand why we absolutely cannot be giving the impression that we are so loaded down with such food that we¡¯ll accept ores for them. That WILL get us killed.¡±


    They looked between each other, with even Kantor looking a little dubious as he spoke up.


    ¡°This place is a fortress surrounded by murderous creatures and its only entrance is locked down tighter than a chief¡¯s beloved daughter. Could we not dissuade them with more defenses?¡±


    I considered what flowery language I could use to convey my thoughts, but nothing seemed as exaggerated as the simple truth.


    ¡°Do you have any notion of how much the meals Cell has been hunting for us are worth?¡±


    Another round of uncertain looks. Sheeka was the one who leaned forward with a wild guess.


    ¡°A few hundred gold, I¡¯d imagine.¡±


    The admiral and smith looked uncertain at that, their doubt seemingly due to thinking the amount too large.


    ¡°A few hundred gold?¡± I asked her back, making sure to wave my hands back and forth to emphasize my points. ¡°We sold troll meat that, if memory serves well, went for a few or so gold. That had no magical effects when cut or special colorings. The higher tier of meats back in the Coalition had subtle off-colors or bare hints of flavors suggesting its elements. My inquiry into those suggests prices starting at seventy gold coins depending on weight and freshness.¡±


    Their eyes were all wide now, but not enough to meet my satisfaction.


    ¡°The food we¡¯ve been eating would go far, far beyond that. We¡¯re talking about ships filled with gold coins up to the ceiling. The kind of wealth that makes or breaks the budgets of nations. An unfathomable amount of treasure that mages the world over would throw any number of bodies at to obtain.¡±


    That did it. The group pulled back in their chairs.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Joeseen said to no one in particular. ¡°So, the breakfast I ate this morning was worth more than every silver I¡¯ve ever made?¡±


    I shrugged to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s always sentimental value.¡±


    ¡°PFF,¡± Was all he had to say to my charity. They all looked a little lost at that, leaving me to get the meeting back on track.


    ¡°But we still have regular food for trade. The human region is too chaotic right now and it is the Kelton clans that I want to establish a more¡­ friendly relationship with. For that, we will need to decide who to do business with first.¡±


    Joeseen leaned forward at that. Kantor followed it up with a stretch across the table. As the two most well-traveled in the Kelton lands, they were the biggest contributors to this section. Something Kantor was content to start.


    ¡°The pirates are the biggest part of that. I assume we don¡¯t want to let the clans lead us about by the nose.¡±


    My firm nod prompted him to continue.


    ¡°Then seeing to the pirates will help two-fold. It will show strength. More importantly, it will place the idea in their minds that we are the replacement for the Messineens in the political dance. How much have you been told about the politics of these lands?¡±


    I pondered that scant part of my mind.


    ¡°We were a mage clan. The human mages came and then we weren¡¯t. Some suspicions of the other clans being involved but nothing besides that.¡±


    All four of them got grim expressions.


    ¡°More than some suspicion. It¡¯s a stated fact that the Messineens clan was behind it. Their lord was said to have gloated over it for years. After it was clear you had gone and would not be coming back, it became a folksy legend for the wider clan. With them becoming the southern-most hold, all the trade from beyond our lands flowed into their treasury giving them their exalted position.¡±


    Some part of me was furious, another part was fascinated. The cold interest of a scholar studying the past clashing with the injustice of it all.


    ¡°But they¡¯re gone now. Much like your clan, they put too much of their strength in a single hold and they¡¯ll have to scratch out an existence under others. More importantly, they aren¡¯t going to be around to keep the clans in check.¡±


    I gave him an expectant look, but Kantor took his turn to step in with a deep breath.


    ¡°The Keersee and Heesan hate each other. Their reasons are¡­ everything. I¡¯m sure at some point someone shagged someone they shouldn¡¯t or one brother broke another¡¯s toy. Whatever started it, the grievance blossomed into an ever-growing list of misdeeds and injustices.


    This wouldn¡¯t be a problem if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they¡¯re the two most powerful clans. Each has a vast retinue of subclans, extended families, and vassals. All of which can only claim the achievement of being able to live on their own.¡±


    ¡°A not insignificant feat,¡± Joeseen put in with the fingers of his right hand strumming on the table. He had an agitated air about him, his left hand gripping his chair arm.


    Kantor nodded his head in begrudging respect.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He offered before continuing. ¡°Messineen was the deciding factor in their feud. No one could definitively say which of the three was the strongest, but they were a constant threat that could swallow up the other two if they weakened each other. A counter-balance now gone.¡±


    ¡°Which would we be better off with?¡± I asked the two men.


    They looked at each other, the lack of an immediate answer foretelling a long conversation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should pick a side.¡± Kantor finally said. ¡°But if we did¡­ The Keersee are good fighters. The Heesan have the best ore deposits, which is the only thing we really need. Your former slaves probably won¡¯t be too happy with-¡°


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I demanded pulling my head straight up, physically feeling my pulse quicken as I did so.


    Kantor drew his head back in surprise, leaning back into his chair while the others looked on confused.


    ¡°You said your people passed on their history.¡± He said with a quiet inflection.


    ¡°They never mentioned us having slaves. Did you never think to bring this to my attention?¡± I demanded with the hair on the back of my neck standing up.


    ¡°What?¡± Sheeka butted in a casual shrug, ¡°That the mage clan used the Heesan for baiting monsters and pot cleaning? At least they¡¯re still around. Some of Kreshton¡¯s enemy clans only have stories surviving them.¡±


    ¡°Not even the children?¡± I asked with a numb feeling in my stomach.


    Sheeka seemd to get how disturbed I was with that question, sitting up straighter with a bit lip that she seemed to regret using so flippantly. I looked down at the table, trying to keep myself from saying anything as I went over the stories of my people''s past.


    Yeah, the poor downtrodden mage clan. The victims of treacherous outsiders who would obviously have no cause to mean them harm save wanton greed. Thinking about my ancestor''s decision to mostly abandon the past, it seemed rather obvious that it was partly motivated to hide misdeeds as much as it was to assimilate into the new culture.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t make them slaves,¡± Joeseen offered, clearly trying to help. ¡°It was the Keersee who put the collars on them.¡±


    Kantor knew enough to keep his gaze on me with no pretension of trying to soften the blow.


    ¡°It¡¯s the past, Salamede.¡± He offered with no emotion.


    ¡°The past we¡¯re trying to resurrect.¡± I corrected, not exactly sure what I was feeling.


    ¡°To keep the present alive.¡± He interjected with a raised chin. ¡°We need magic to do it and your clan is the only explanation we have for that means. Tell me, why are we here?¡±


    I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°So that Eli-¡°


    ¡°No.¡± Kantor cut back in. ¡°Why are we Kelton stuck up here? Did your ancestors bring that tale with them?¡±


    I rolled my eyes again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a child¡¯s story. Lady Summer brought us here through the wilds. Filling our noses with springs¡¯ fragrance, she took us through the horrors of the world, molding the woods around us with an army of women to guide us to the only place we wouldn¡¯t be instantly killed. A story told to youngling going to bed alongside the four-eyed troll of the seas and the Krinklesaut, who snatches those who don¡¯t properly wash their teeth.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kantor countered, ¡°But the first is true in one aspect. We have nowhere else to call ours. Some refugees scraping by in the south and a few hundred far off to the east are all our kind have outside these cold lands. This is our home.¡±


    I followed his finger as it pointed down.


    ¡°The only home that is ours first and foremost.


    And it is shit.


    Kindness and compassion get you shanked. We can¡¯t get enough food for everyone, leading to people like me being exiled just to keep the population from starving. I have no idea if your husband will succeed or not, but his work has given us the only place our kind has that is even worth calling a city.


    Your people weren¡¯t any worse than any of the others. The reason they had slaves is because they were the only clan in our history that had enough space to house people who hated them. Ask the wastelanders who, desperate for any kind of food, dared set foot on Heesan lands. Ask their corpses if pleas of ignorance have ever saved them from a slit throat.¡±


    ¡°And we were the ones who had the resources to do better.¡± I countered, feeling very odd at having to be the prosecutor of my people.


    A dead silence fell over the room. It was an awkward thing that continued until Joeseen coughed.


    ¡°May I be bold, Lady Salamede?¡± The admiral put in.


    I nodded, in the human fashion that they all knew I preferred.


    ¡°What I think Kantor is trying to get at is this place,¡± He emphasized with a wide spread of his arms, ¡°Has the potential to be greater than any other dwelling we¡¯ve ever had. And as petty as our fellow Keltons¡¯ squabbles of the past are, you have some involvement in them.


    The Heesan were victims of your clan¡¯s cruelty. As were many who dared look upon those of magical blood with anything less than their due, looks often answered with cruelty extended by the inventiveness of their magical ability. But were the Kreshton clan more cruel than the cousin of the Heesan chief who had one lad not seven winters old drowned because of an infatuation with his daughter?


    A good brother consumed by the heads of the clan like so many.


    The people leading these lands are petty, selfish, and totally unworthy of any sympathy you¡¯re feeling. Whatever troll shit the Heesan spew, do not forget for a second that any injustice they¡¯ve suffered from the Kreshton and Keersee clans, they have inflicted on outcasts like us tenfold. Favoring one of the clans over the other due to guilt over past wrongs, or condemning another over involvement in such a past, would only serve to undermine the future that we could build here.¡±


    After the initial bristling wore off, I could see some wisdom in their words even with the obvious bias they had. That didn¡¯t do much to change how I felt. Perhaps, if I truly wanted to change things here for the better, it shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°We had better start this dance off on the right foot then,¡± I said to the group, straightening up in my chair with each word. ¡°Any idea on what to do with the pirates? I was thinking of contacting the humans for support or advice.¡±


    The immediate headshakes killed the idea.


    ¡°This first move will set the tone for how the other clans will see us.¡± Sheeka put in with a forward press into the table. ¡°If we can cauterize this wound ourselves, it will put us on a strong footing. Going to the humans will give us a beggar¡¯s look. Trying to solve the problem with the clans will give the impression that they are on an equal footing to us.¡±


    Kantor coughed to draw attention to him.


    ¡°Even taking the first step of contacting them to deal with it could lead us to take a side. I¡¯d imagine the Keersee would be more friendly towards their old business partners. They¡¯d almost certainly accept working with us to kick the pirates out before the Heesan did and that would probably put off their rival.


    In such a situation, not explicitly taking their side in the future would discard any previous goodwill from the victory. The worst interpretation of such ingratitude would be that neither side can rely on us for a stable relationship. I can¡¯t see any winning play to bringing the clans in this early.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I conceded. ¡°But I¡¯m not up for a battle in the hold. Even with all of our advantages, we¡¯d lose people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to happen at some point.¡± Kantor put in.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think we need to start trading bodies yet.¡± Joeseen offered the table. ¡°Taking out their ships will damn them to starvation if we can keep any more from coming through. Which sounds entirely possible after the failed attack on Crasden. I don¡¯t know how good the shipyards of the Misty Island are, but I doubt they can just shrug off so many ships being consigned to oblivion all at once.¡±


    I sat there waiting for some objection. When none came, I offered mine.


    ¡°That is still a hard battle.¡±


    ¡°Not as hard as a slog through the streets.¡± He replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Could we have Cell come and destroy them?¡± Menkie suggested.


    ¡°No.¡± I refused with a firm lip. ¡°There¡¯s too much risk he¡¯ll do something that our magic can¡¯t explain. Especially since we only have a metal mage for a dual element and I, as leader, won¡¯t be in the battle. And, honestly, this is a Kelton affair. My husband would never refuse a request for help, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let us ride his back forever.¡±


    They all nodded in agreement at the last part.


    ¡°Would we win in a straight engagement?¡± Menkie asked the group.


    Joeseen was eager to answer as he folded his arms together.


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine we¡¯d win any single fight with magic alone. A prolonged war? I doubt we have the numbers.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight them at sea,¡± Sheeka declared, leaning forward. ¡°We just need to hit them at port.¡±


    Joeseen leaned back with a patient smile.


    ¡°It will be at sea when they spot us over the horizon. Taking a ship to the coast in the dead of night is a horrible idea, especially if you¡¯ve never been there before. Not to mention that there are three ships.¡±


    The woman shook her head.


    ¡°No, we just need to get them before they board their ships.¡±


    Joeseen wasn¡¯t the only one staring at her now, but he was the one who responded.


    ¡°Do¡­Our docks are pretty standard, Sheeka. How far do you think the other clans have their piers out to sea?¡±


    ¡°Not that way.¡± She dismissed with a handwave making her leather cap shift. ¡°We have teams working stone molding enchantments underwater. Those air-breathing helmets could let us approach from beneath the waves.¡±


    We all turned to the blacksmith, who had been working with the builders the most in a manner that spoke of the need for more council positions.


    ¡°It could work, as I¡¯d imagine the air tunnels to the surface wouldn¡¯t be noticed among the waves. They have to use a special cloth tube when they go deep, but not at the depths they¡¯ll be at for this. Construction workers aren¡¯t fighters, however.¡±


    ¡°No fighting. Just use disposable crafts.¡± I proclaimed to the group. ¡°Eli did something similar to bandit camps, though it was through the trees. Could the workers chuck stone spheres onto the ship from the water?¡±


    I got a nod from Joeseen, but Menkie had some concerns.


    ¡°The men need some practice with the watercrafts while being loaded down but they¡¯ve done a good job so far. Shouldn¡¯t take more than a day. Once the ships and docks are burned, could I assume we¡¯ll crush the rest of the place with catapults?¡±


    We all nodded at that.


    ¡°As long as there are no survivors of the original clan. If there are¡­ we¡¯ll leave it to the commanders¡¯ discretion on how to handle it.¡± I said. Kantor, the one who had lived as a courier/mercenary, would be overseeing the operation.


    The rest of the meeting passed in sheets of figures corresponding to ingots, clothes, and every item of civilization imaginable. A merciful end finally came after midday, with us shuffling out of the room having the tired aspect of farm hands coming from a long day in the field. My fellow council members all had things that needed tending to, either by their magic or skills.


    I couldn¡¯t claim to have too many of the latter in any realm that a leader of a clan should have. That left me to go out into the dark city with a metal lamp. Coming through the hall¡¯s doors, I pushed the right spot on the mana lamp in the case. Golden rays pushed back the clawing shadows to reveal the red stone floor with flecks of grey and seemingly nothing beyond. It was a particularly dark afternoon, something the men helped remedy by readying their own lamps.


    Even with that, it took a few seconds of walking by only memory before some grey corners of buildings came into view. My trip took only a minute more before I arrived in front of the double doors of our workshop for the men¡¯s uniforms. When the guards opened them, a blast of gold rays shined from within. Most of the view inside was roll after roll of white plant fibers wrapped around wooden poles.


    The noise from within told of toil. My shoes clacked on the floor as I walked through and took a left on the wooden floor. Five rows of desks lay in front of me under the gaze of mana lamps above. At each was a woman working a roll of cloth into one article of clothing or another. The blades and needles were being paid special attention to by a younger member trying to learn the trade.


    Most were children belonging to a parent that had called the base home at some point, though here and there was one of a frame far too thin to have spent any amount of time with us. The newly arrived orphans seemed the most eager to learn, either for the security such skills provided or because they were on a food high from their first proper meal in spirits know how long.


    My desk was directly ahead with a clear path to it. The thing had the same dark oak as the others, with the defining feature being the fact that stacks of collars were piled on its right corner. That was the part that would heal neck wounds and if it was shredded, then that probably meant there wasn¡¯t a head left to heal. A few tailors looked at me with my walk by, but none for more than a second as I placed myself into the chair.


    Long hours were spent on that wooden throne. The crafts weren¡¯t complicated, a simple square, mana battery, and output triangle for raw healing directed at the neck. Getting the square on the outer edge of the collar¡¯s neck portion and connecting it with the inner emitter also took some doing as the collars didn¡¯t have the exact same measurements.


    Working magic for hours was as exhausting as cleaning any room. If the girl I was in my teen years knew that I would be a mage in the future and most of it involved meetings and squatting with tailors, the poor thing would have never recovered. When I got the fifteen collar quota for the day met, I left the room with a silent exit.


    The next day was spent doing more collars for the troops then inspecting various quarters and their production. In the back center of our city were two long rectangular buildings with glass tops and mana lamps between their steel supports. Fields of wheat grew on long stone slabs filled with rich soil, though it was the plant enchantments beneath that deserved most of the credit. The next rotation would be flax, then beans. It was a far more involved process than any of us expected even with the base''s own farms acting as a guide. Something that clearly needed a dedicated council seat. We¡¯d probably mix it in with the overseeing of fishing.


    My visit to the right side of town took me to the forges and coke ovens. I felt a bit pretentious calling three furnaces and an anvil forges, but this involved magic so there was no real limit to the gaudiness allowed. The three domes sat in a semi-open building with wide sides where the fires were being worked in the open air. Inside these were mana crystals belching wide streams of flame. Menkie was working with some apprentices, mixing the flames of mana crystal with bits of coke.


    We could have all the heat we needed, but doing that while efficiently managing our mana demanded some of the more mundane means of making fire. A mix that would take some experimenting to perfect. Off to the left was our resident metal mage working his element on a bench similar to the tailors.


    He was a thinner thing in his late teens, with a brown fur that matched his spiral horns. Unlike his fellows in thick leather aprons, he had a simple coat over his white shirt and grey pants. He needed the free movement to work those irksome joints and interlocking pieces with his crafts. What would have taken days of detail work for a regular smith took his magic a few hours.


    It was nice to have some metalworking ability for our city, but his presence reminded me of how rare our kind was. A hundred and seventy-some of our people had gotten to caster status with our extravagant meals. The rest were stuck in crafter, but that made little difference as long as they could see mana. Out of all those, me and him were the only dual elements.


    From what I remembered of the Diamond Academy ratios, Jeff not included since he came from elsewhere, that seemed to be a rather generous proportion. That still didn¡¯t make it less jarring to see firsthand how rare it was out of nearly two hundred people. And I was pretty sure my status wasn¡¯t the random chance it was for him. The thought that my diet of Eli¡¯s¡­ resources had given me better chances was a rather loud possibility.


    Not that testing it out was ever going to happen.


    I went about the regular reports from Menkie. Good progress all around. They found it rather irritating that we were now strictly guarding access to the forges, but there was no helping it. Having some of our new arrivals ask why the lost civilization was still figuring out its recipes would raise too many questions.


    I moved about getting my meals and seeing to the sprawl of tasks before retreating to my private hole. When it was late afternoon, Kantor found me at my desk. He was clad in full armor, but despite his knightly appearance he still had that walk and discipline between soldier and thug.


    ¡®We¡¯re ready to shove off. The men insisted on me thanking you for the healing collars.¡¯ He offered in a spirit connection.


    ¡®And we¡¯ve done all we can to mitigate losses?¡¯ I asked him with a lean back into my chair.


    ¡®Thrice over. The men are getting on-demand healing and some extra healing crafts on the ship in case those fail. The workers have had no trouble doing the proper tosses and working the fire crafts. There is nothing left but to follow through.¡¯ He replied in a firm tone, leaving no argument to be had.


    ¡®Then do it.¡¯ I replied with a note of finality.


    The man knew that sending people into danger wasn¡¯t an easy thing for me. But it had to happen all the same and I couldn¡¯t always be there to make sure it went smoothly. It was something he knew would bother me no matter what was said, so he left immediately with a bow and turned to walk out the door.


    Instead of sitting around worrying like a mother with her son going on his first hunt, I did a few more collars. Eventually, the spiderweb of pain came as it always did and I had to stop. The world had so many flavors of worry. Worry over friends risking their lives, husbands going into battle, food stocks, sending people to their deaths, and on, and on. A diverse serving of anxiety that I felt I had sampled from one end to another. It filled me even as I tucked into bed.


    When a knock came at the door, I instantly knew what it was for.


    ¡°Let me get ready!¡± I called back.


    A push on the mana lamp above my bed illuminated the room and, most importantly, the wardrobe. The green dress was thrown on again. I moved towards the door, my body telling me it was too late to be doing this but the buzz of anticipation and dread overrode any sluggishness.


    Opening the entrance to my office, I found Kantor in front of my desk. The relaxed shoulders and small smile quelled the churning in my gut.


    ¡®How did it go?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection as I moved to the desk, an ember of hope in my chest that I dared not feed.


    ¡®Better than expected.¡¯ He declared with a full smile, pulling off his helmet to hold in his right arm. ¡®The ports and ships are ash and we pummeled most of the offenders into mush. Even got some people I think are worth trading. Or gifting to the humans.¡¯


    ¡®Any casualties?¡¯ I asked with some trepidation.


    Kantor huffed like he was explaining something to a demanding daughter.


    ¡®No, those babies got through it just fine. Between the fire crafts and catapults, the pirates only got a few volleys of arrows off. A lad took one in the shoulder. Barely had a moment of discomfort thanks to our healing collars before it was patched up. Try to enjoy the victories, Salamede. We may not always win or with so little blood.¡¯


    I only nodded, too happy to let the warning soak in. With the potential crisis over, tiredness started clawing its way back into my bones.


    ¡®Anything else?¡¯ I asked, feeling the call of my warm sheets.


    ¡®The Messineens¡¯ clan. Their chief is dead, but his surviving widow, son, and grandfather were kept alive along with about thirty other assorted citizens. I¡¯d imagine the pirates would have killed them all off eventually, but that postponed decision has found its way to us. I had them all moved in with the rest of the refugees. An increase of guards took some doing but everyone got settled in.¡¯


    I could guess what that would be needed for.


    ¡®Do we have troublemakers in the lot? I can¡¯t imagine the former clan members felt very relieved when they realized who saved them.¡¯


    A small laugh from the black-furred man reverberated around the room.


    ¡®I¡¯ll remember their faces till my dying day. But it was the humans who tested things first. We had one of the pirates try to make a move. Not fast enough to stop one of us from crushing him into a paste with a block of magical stone. The prisoner¡¯s haven¡¯t seen how we got here, in case you¡¯re worried.


    The surviving clan members have been saved by a legend that¡¯s come back from the dead. Only, unlike those shuffling about in some of the northern outposts, we remember their people¡¯s past actions. They¡¯re scared but compliant. Especially when they realized almost all of our guards are mages.¡¯


    ¡®Good. Let¡¯s-¡®


    ¡®Go back to sleep.¡¯ Kantor only half suggested.


    I shrugged as part of me agreed.


    ¡®I¡¯m already up. Might as well see what bits I can see to.¡¯


    He placed the helmet back on his head.


    ¡®Conducting diplomacy while half-asleep seems like one of those ideas that is just bad all the way through. I only bothered you because you¡¯d be surly about being left out come morning. Now that you know what happened, you can get a full night¡¯s sleep.¡¯


    I had to admit I was at the age where going back to bed was no longer a punishment, especially this late.


    ¡®Have the council get ready for tomorrow. Dealing with the survivors will be something we should decide on first thing tomorrow.¡¯


    He gave me a nod as we both left the room from opposite ends. It took only a moment to fall back asleep and it felt about as long to find myself awake again. A quick shower and dressing into the pink and teal dress that I had helped the refugees in took a few minutes. Breakfast was served in the conference room with all the council members wearing the same clothes as yesterday that became semiofficial uniforms for their positions.


    On my right was a very tired Kantor, with an enthused Joeseen further down. Sheeka took up my left. Our master of the forges was a bit late, arriving at the further left seat as the rest of us were finishing our bowls of fish soup.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep our guests waiting. What should we do with them?¡± I announced to the group.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep them here,¡± Sheeka responded with certainty. ¡°We¡¯ll be quadrupling our number, at minimum, with the refugees from the wastes. Housing won¡¯t be an issue, but everything else will be running at its limit. Taking on another two hundred or so with the ones in Crasden? We don¡¯t have the means.¡±


    Kantor, despite his lethargic demeanor, nodded in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the number of bodies. The refugees won¡¯t dare risk so much as sneezing wrong if they think it could get them hoisted out of this little paradise. The Messineen clan? They have every reason to believe we have some points of revenge to settle. That might make them try to parse out how we survived their betrayal, or decide to try any number of things I will not have the guards to see to.¡±


    Joeseen nodded to his fellow, leaning over the table in his blue robe with crude waves.


    ¡°Their former hold is also an issue. A spot that far south and still having its defenses against the surrounding woods¡­ mostly intact would probably be snatched up by another clan in short order if left unattended. It¡¯s ours for now by right of the victor. But we need to start putting men in if we want to have it firmly in hand.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I flatly declared to the group, drawing all eyes to me. ¡°That would be seen as far too aggressive.¡±


    Menkie strolled his fingers on the table.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t feel very¡­ clan-like. This is all a glorified charity, at the end of the day. But we still have to play the part demanded of us.¡±


    Sheeka seemed a bit interested in that aspect of our charade.


    ¡°We¡¯re a clan from long past. What would be our motivation in doing any of this if not expanding our reach?¡± She asked with a look around the table, flapping her leather cap as she did so. A look that Kantor leaned forward to meet.


    ¡°The story we agreed on was: We¡¯re declining in numbers.¡± He punted to the group.


    A round of nods went through the esteemed council as they remembered their life stories. Something Kantor emphasized with a pointed finger towards me.


    ¡°And you¡¯re the upstart whelp with dangerous ideas. Wanting to refresh the bloodlines, greet the world, and such.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m tragically infertile myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kantor agreed as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°And we¡¯re the elderly curs who just want to die out with the old ways.¡±


    ¡°Sounds right.¡± I agreed, to another series of head bobs.


    ¡°And what does such a group do next?¡±


    ¡°Compromise?¡± Joeseen mused. ¡°Having the Messineen be our vassals would meet both our factions halfway.¡±


    I pulled back in my chair, thinking over the proposition while Menkie stroked his goatee with his question.


    ¡°Could they even recover enough to serve as a vassal?¡±


    ¡°Rebuilding the place?¡± Kantor responded ¡°Not happening. After we restore it with stone? Yeah, they would have enough people to run the harbor. They¡¯d probably end up taking a lot of strays in with all the available space. They might even be better than before depending on how well we do the restoration.¡±


    Menkie seemed the most enthused as he leaned across the table, pushing aside his bowl and mug as he did so.


    ¡°The masons are idle right now. If we want any more houses built here, we¡¯ll have to build out the stone base more. I want to say it would take a few months before anything else could be added here.¡±


    Eli had been the one to design my current residence due to the need for eye-catching extravagance. Houses, piers, and walls, however, were well within the ability of the few builders that tagged along.


    ¡°There could be other benefits beyond a show of benevolence.¡± Joeseen offered with a rub of his robe. ¡°We could use them as a halfway point. Any goods for us or requests for entry could be handled at their hold. Diplomatic visits could skip the line by coming to us directly, but besides that, we could have our ships take the goods here instead of random traders. It would make the chaos in the port a lot more manageable, not to mention security.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a lot of work,¡± Sheeka said, sounding tired at the prospective work already. ¡°Taking it off ships and putting them back on only to have to offload them again is a lot of wasted hours for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± I butted in with a raised finger. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t care about that. I can see the problem, but you lot still twisted my arm to make it happen so we wouldn¡¯t have so many of the dross about. Not to mention the offense of those magicless curs thinking they¡¯re worthy of coming to our grand island of their discretion.¡±


    Remembering her bigotry, the woman nodded in agreement before gulping down the last of her soup.


    ¡°So,¡± Joeseen said with some aplomb, ¡°Who¡¯s going to be the one having a fit about helping them? It can¡¯t be me, I¡¯ve already dealt with the refugees, who, I might add, were very taken with my usual charm.¡±


    ¡°I could another time,¡± Kantor said. ¡°But I¡¯m too tired to be appropriately bitter right now.¡±


    ¡°For this round,¡± Sheeka offered, ¡°I can do it. Maybe Menkie will take the next forum discussion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll offer a few words of¡­ discouragement if the need arises. But, yeah, I¡¯ll be the main baddie for the next public meeting.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m ready to go,¡± I announced to the group.


    One last round of nods went around the table. Our meeting finished, we got up from the seats. Making our way into the main forum with its stone benches, I found a long couch of fluffy white fur near the door to my room. It was splayed out like an oyster half-shell, perfect for lounging or sitting straight up. It wasn¡¯t the grand majesty of a throne on high, but I was going to be doing a lot of business here in the future and I would do a lot for my people, the mission, and my husband¡¯s vision. Putting my butt through that agony wasn¡¯t one of them. Besides, the dome was already thrice as intimidating as anything the other clans could build.


    We took up our positions, with Kantor on my left and Joeseen past him. They were each given a tall chair of red stone flecked with grey, engraved in golden leaves, and a sun on the headboard. Sheeka eventually took up my right with Menkie beyond when their chairs arrived. The whole stage was lit up with the golden glow of mana lamps dotting the walls. Our little charade was now ready to begin. Taking one last breath, I nodded to the fully armored guard near the main door.


    The hulking mass of steel pushed the door open to a gust of chill wind. He braved winter¡¯s bite, heading through the door and returning a few minutes later with the closest thing to leaders the Messineen had left. A grandfatherly figure, using his cane to move through the door. His unsteady walk left his slightly torn blue robe swaying around his large brown horns that matched the bits of fur yet to grey.


    Behind him came two others. A mid-30s woman with grey fur and stubby brown horns. Her green dress had similar wear to the older man, though the boy barely out of his toddler years clutching her knees probably didn¡¯t help. The lad was a smaller version of her in all features save his sex and well-fed frame. He was just about the cutest thing I had seen here or in the Coalition with big cheeks that called out for pinching. The fact his blue shirt and brown pants were almost untouched left me impressed with the mother, despite how passive I kept my face.


    The mother and son stopped almost immediately when their eyes finally pulled away fro the grand ceiling to us. A gulp from the man was all that could be heard for a moment as they stood still. Fear was barely hidden on the mother¡¯s face, though she kept it in check for her child. The boy didn¡¯t bother noticing us, instead, his white eyes continued taking in the sheer size of the room. No one moved for a moment until I realized they were waiting for some kind of indication of what they should be doing.


    ¡°Step on the golden circle, if you would,¡± I announced with a voice that carried in the silent forum a bit louder than I intended.


    The man moved forward with as much grace as age would grant. His female companion followed while making sure to keep behind him. Her child seemed to just notice us, taking us in and standing still when they arrived at the golden circle.


    ¡°How have you found things?¡± I asked him in an even voice.


    The man''s jaw quivered for a moment, but he seemed to have some experience in diplomacy as he quickly recovered.


    ¡°Tremendous, great lady. I might compare what I¡¯ve seen to our meager attempts, but I would not insult your achievements by making any such equivalence.¡±


    I allowed myself a small smile.


    ¡°You speak well for someone so nervous. A chair.¡± I declared to one of the guards who promptly went to the meeting room to fetch one.


    The elder seemed torn between refusing and listening to what had to be screaming knees. Any choice he had vanished when the steel-clad guard delivered the item in question. He had a moment to take in the mountain of shining steel setting the chair down, noting the intricacies of the engravings on the steel plates. The boy seemed pretty enthused about being that close to all that shiny metal, even looking behind his mother at the retreating soldier.


    ¡°Many more thanks,¡± The older man offered as he settled in with his cane over his knees.


    ¡°My name is Passmede,¡± I stated in a friendly tone. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve given my name, would you give me yours?¡±


    ¡°Hentor, if it pleases you.¡± He offered back.


    ¡°Can I assume some relation to the former chief, Hentor? I was told the leadership of the remaining Messineen clan isn¡¯t a very straightforward thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He agreed with that sideways head bob. ¡°I was his father. Behind me is my son¡¯s widow, his fifth wife, and accompanying her is his last surviving heir.¡±


    The boy¡¯s protruding cheeks wobbled with his sideways head bob.


    ¡°Heir?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In many ways, yes.¡± The old man conceded, ¡°We¡¯re the last of our clan''s ruling family. Once he¡¯s of age, the lad will have to decide how much he wants to fight for the seat or corral supporters into letting him have it. Until that day, I will be overseeing things for as long as this body holds out.¡±


    I strummed my fingers on a pillow, thinking it over.


    ¡°Should I assume that the issue of leadership will be settled for the foreseeable future then?¡±


    ¡°If I should be taken before the lad makes his decision, then the heads of the three biggest families left will form a council. Our lands are harsh and we know well the danger of staking too much on one person.¡±


    Kantor decided to butt in with a cough.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep the clan together, I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯d move anywhere but your hold.¡±


    The older man gripped his cane. Despite that, he released a held breath.


    ¡°We lack the means to rebuild our old home by ourselves, your greatness. Lord Kantor told us a good number of our people fled to the human city in the south. People we obviously have no means to retrieve. Perhaps an arrangement could be made? The other clans have no debt to you and we will make sure ours is repaid.¡± Hentor almost bit his tongue at the last, like he was pushing his nerves to their breaking.


    Sheeka chose that moment to make her position known.


    ¡°Oh, the Messineen definitely have debts to us that need repaying.¡± She stated with narrowed eyes and cold fury brimming in her voice.


    The old man had a bit of sweat drip down his snout at that. The woman grew tense, pushing her charge against her legs while she looked back towards the closed exit. After a second, Hentor finally got his tongue moving.


    ¡°So, you are that clan?¡± He said, sounding like he was asking a wolf if it was hungry.


    ¡°Kreshton. Correct.¡± I responded.


    He looked down as he vacated the chair. His hands moved across the ground as he got on the floor and placed his forehead against its stone.


    ¡°I only ask that you let our mothers and their children go to meet up with the survivors. The rest of us will perform any labor needed for that older debt.¡±


    Sheeka lived up to her fiction standing straight up from her seat, eyes wide and snout flaring. That left me to prepare an air spell as she moved.


    ¡°Do you think there is any amount of labor scum like you could perform that would-¡°


    *BANG*


    The scream of wind drew everyone to me, even the man on his knees.


    ¡°Sheeka,¡± I said with the patience of a tired mother. ¡°Do you speak for the clan?¡±


    She took a deep breath, meeting my gaze for a moment. I summoned long shafts of water around me before molding them into crude blades. Six swords of shimmering liquid danced around my head even as they pointed to the upstart council member.


    ¡°No.¡± Sheeka finally admitted.


    ¡°And do we need to reaffirm the reasons why I sit here and you there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡± She said, getting back into her chair with a clenched jaw.


    ¡°Good!¡± I proclaimed with some cheer as the water around me disappeared. ¡°Hentor. Whatever past action taken by your clan was done on the orders of people long dead. You may return to your seat.¡±


    He did so with a pulling of his robes. The look of coming vomit was no longer on his face, but when he got comfortable in the chair, I could see his knuckles going white from gripping his cane.


    ¡°The scale of such a commitment doesn¡¯t allow for half measures.¡± I continued in a friendly tone. ¡°As things are, if we retrieve your people from the south right now, they¡¯ll starve to death in short order. Between rebuilding everything, maintaining the defenses, and getting daily needs met, I wouldn¡¯t say your people can survive on their own. Would you care to be put under our auspices?¡±


    It was the politest way I could think of to offer vassalage. Hentor seemed to appreciate the tone though he had some concerns.


    ¡°What would entail such servitude? I¡¯m not in a position to refuse, but there are certain obligations we simply can¡¯t meet for the foreseeable future. Almost all of our fighters were killed along with our crafter.¡±


    ¡°Nothing unexpected.¡± I calmly refuted. ¡°We need people who know the trade of the north and south. Our clan can remake the foundation and buildings, this time with more defenses and a mage to oversee the mana side of things. Councilor Joeseen will discuss our needs with you in detail, but the main items are acting as a checkpoint for anyone wishing to visit and a stop-off for any goods requested by us. Of course, we¡¯ll be providing food until your harbor is bringing people in again.¡±


    He bobbed his head sideways with enough eagerness to shake the neck of his robe.


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine that they¡¯ll be busier than ever before. We will make sure that your people¡¯s generosity is known to any ear willing to hear. If I could be so bold as to suggest something, I should probably come with you to assure my fellow clanmen of the truth behind your arrival.¡±


    The council looked at each other for a second before we all turned back to the guests, with Kantor, Menkie, and Sheeka sporting stiff frowns.


    ¡°An excellent idea. I think it is time to do rather than discuss doing.¡± I proclaimed, pulling up and out of my soft couch.


    Hentor got off the chair with a slight wobble when his feet hit stone. Both he and the woman did a deep sideways head bob, something the boy attempted but nearly toppled as he put a bit too much force into the motion. The mother recovered his balance for him before turning him around to leave. When they got close enough to the door for a guard to open it, all three drew back at the sudden cold of winter for a moment until they finally pushed forward. As the door finally closed with a smack, a few sighs of relief went through the ¡®venerable¡¯ mage council.


    ¡°I have to say Sheeka,¡± Kantor said with a smirk over the ever-present sound of wind. ¡°I didn¡¯t really feel that scathing bite bigotry usually has. It was more like¡­ being aggressively annoyed.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± She huffed back with a twist of her light brown and cream dress as she left her seat, ¡°That pup was too adorable for me to go far with it. I do hope he doesn¡¯t think too ill of me.¡±


    ¡°He was damn cute.¡± I agreed with a stretch of my arms.


    The council promptly disbanded to see to their daily toils as I retreated to my office. It was a few more hours of busy paperwork before Kantor came back with a knock.


    ¡°We¡¯re all ready. The masons are heading out to restore the hold. We just need to bring two ships and I assume our leader to negotiate.¡±


    I forgot to mention my intention to go in person. It was nice to have some people who knew enough about me to already know what I wanted without saying it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get ready.¡±


    When he left my office, I sprinted back to my room and brought out my best piece of fashion. A long dress of light green with blue trim. At the neck were gold triangles radiating out from the hole. Brushing up against gaudy, it was the tailor''s best match to the cloth and paintings left behind by my ancestors in the now demolished tower.


    My trip to the military portion of the harbor was bereft of chill winds, though the grey skies still smothered the sun. The big rectangles with a street between each numbered nearly seven with the newest getting its back end worked on. It was a bitter walk across the road from the civilian harbor, but it was at least done with the company of guards and sailors. We were bringing two ships this time, with only the Interceptor hiding in the clouds above keeping watch. I was told over the radio box that the next airship was due in a week or so. Behind schedule, but still moving towards the end.


    Two wide doors like those of a barn made up most of the backside of the enclosed harbors. Around the sides of the doors were bits of bare stone showing where the building''s inner heat had melted some of the snow still sprinkled around. My retinue of steel-clad men moved to open the doors and help move along a small hiccup in traffic as carts of food were being onboarded to the ship within.


    Inside was a stone dock wrapped around the wall save the back. At the center was another example of our ships. The long half-oval of wood was facing landward with its sails furled. A long loading plank was placed on the left side as workers loaded sacks and crates. I patiently waited for my turn, something made far easier with the wooden boards that made up the floor and their fire enchantments spewing heat.


    In due time all the cargo, myself included, was brought aboard. Hentor had apparently long since arrived below deck, too afraid of any delay to his arrival. When I sat in the chair of my impromptu office, I felt a pull of motion come over my body. Opening the curtains revealed the water-facing stone slab had been pulled back and we were pulling out of the harbor with the front-facing water boosters. It occurred to me then that we would need to get some pulley system designed by Eli or one of our architects, instead of relying on a stone mage to open the pier gate. When we stopped and I felt a pull backward, I let the cloth drapes fall. The next few hours were spent in the captains¡¯ quarters, twiddling my thumbs. Paperwork was urgent, but I knew I¡¯d be too nervous to do it on the trip.


    ¡°Lady?¡± A voice called.


    I pulled myself up, getting out of the staring contest with my desk that I had slipped into. Ahead was one of the sailors ¡®only¡¯ clad in a steel breastplate and shin guards.


    ¡°There¡¯s some fort in the harbor. Flagged us down to stop and identify ourselves. Kantor is showing them the prisoners, but he thought you should know.¡±


    I nodded. Getting up, I looked for any creases or smirches on the green or blue of my clothes. The dress thus far had survived unscathed, but it took only one wrong move out of the door to ruin it. Satisfied, I abandoned my desk. Even as I approached the doorway, I could see one of the red-haired humans leaning over. When I came out onto the deck, my gaze immediately went to a huge, rectangular fort in the water directly in front of the ship.


    Grey sky still chocked the sun, but there was still enough light to allow the guards manning the wall to see a tattoo in the form of a red crab on the pirate captain¡¯s shoulder, the shirt of which Kantor was pulling down.


    ¡°Oh!¡± One of the men on top of the wall yelled. ¡°Then¡­ Your ship only. Pull into one of the center docks.¡±


    Kantor nodded, handing off the prisoner to guards behind him. He then moved to come up beside me as another shadow. I was too busy taking in the city ahead. Along the left of the half-moon harbor was a wide array of warehouses in front of a harbor filled with ships. Near the center was a large three-story mansion with grey stone for a body and a tower out of the top. Between it and the warehouses were rather fantastical-looking stores, their front consisting of wide windowpanes placed in iron edges where stone arches or pillars didn¡¯t support the floor above.


    They matched the tower in the distant left, a square shaft of metal and glass a bit too far for me to make the details out of. I spared only a glance for the right side, where the military shipyard and mages quarter resided. Near the front of the harbor were specks of mana, though it wilted to almost nothing further along the main road leading into what I assumed to be the city center. However, as we approached an empty dock near the big mansion on nothing but wind power, a squad of their red-leathered guards came out from between a hull near completion.


    ¡®I¡¯ll see to it,¡¯ Kantor told me in a spirit connection as he moved past me.


    A simple nod and the men holding the rather irate pirate came up behind him. When the ship finally got into place with a pier on the right, the sailors placed a wide plank down for offboarding. Red-leathered men came up to the group as they left the ship. Kantor walked forward and seemed to be talking with them. I couldn¡¯t hear from this distance and was content to remain in ignorance.


    The prisoner was handed off to the humans while our people came back to the ship. As Kantor came up the plank, the mana around him started getting sucked towards the water. In the bay further to the right, a big shaft of sea shot into the air. I couldn¡¯t see what was doing it until a big black otter came out of the tip of the spout. It seemed to glide in the air before landing back in the bay with a splash.


    After a few minutes of looking over the waves, the creature never surfaced. Before I could turn my eyes back to the city, a loud whoosh of air filled my ears before I was drawn to a hard plunk on the pier. An air mage, if the way the wind was still whirling around her was anything to go by, stood just beyond our plank. A younger thing with black pigtails, her blue eyes surveyed us with curiosity. Brown and green leather armor covered her body though she rubbed her smooth cheekbones with her right hand in idle thought and scrunched her stubby chin in a very unprofessional manner.


    ¡°I¡¯m Harrah.¡± She addressed the crowd. ¡°Princess Palta should be down shortly, but I was permitted to run ahead. Something about you capturing a lot of pirates.¡±


    Not the most official welcome, but I wasn¡¯t going to start things off by acting aggrieved.


    ¡°Mostly high ranking ones at that, Harrah.¡± I called back over the crowd. Her eyes lingered on me for a moment, either measuring me or taking in my robes. Those blue pools then looked out over the ocean towards our second ship. ¡°Two ships of prisoners? I didn¡¯t know the pirates had enough power after the battle to give that many prisoners.¡±


    ¡°A quarter of one. The rest are supplies.¡± I offered as I stepped forward onto the plank. Her black eyebrows went up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you guys had much to give. At least not for free.¡±


    ¡°We are picking up the Messineen but these days the burden of refugees is not a light one, if indeed it ever is. These goods are compensation for the weight placed on you.¡± I motioned towards the men coming up the stairs of our ship with crates and sacks in hand.


    A splash from the left drew everyone¡¯s eyes. It was the otter again, only this time the gush of water pushed it up to the lip of the pier. I was a bit taken aback at the size of the creature, being closer to a horse than a cat. Several passing peasants pulled back at the huge otter¡¯s breach onto land. Save one.


    A woman with shoulder-length black hair strode forward in an equally black dress, set with a necklace of sapphires around the neck. Around her were several intimidating guards, dressed in steel and sporting helmets shaped into a lion¡¯s head. Fine golden cloth was weaved on their arms and back, accentuating the embroidered metal beneath.


    The woman had her thin nose flaring as she looked at the monster and rubbed her equally sharp chin. Green eyes suddenly went wide, her gaze flitting to us for but a moment. After a moment of staring at the creature, she straightened up and turned towards our pier. The guards moved up behind her as the Keltons bringing the goods on land stuck to a single file on the left. She moved with perfect posture, shoulders straight and head level until she arrived at our plank with the slightest nod I had ever seen.


    ¡°Greetings, esteemed guests.¡± The woman announced like she was preparing a great speech. ¡°I am Palta. Firstborn of King Jeremy, Daughter of the Advisor and current Co-Queen of the Rodring Kingdom; Nestel. It must have been a long voyage here and a meal can soothe such aches. It is short notice, but I can attest to our royal chefs¡¯ ability to rise to the occasion.¡±


    Every human around her, including her guard, looked askance at such formality. It occurred to me that she must know how strong we really are. I couldn¡¯t say how she knew, but her tight eyes said she did.


    ¡°Sadly, time, like too many things these days, is in short supply.¡± I kindly refused, the roughness of my voice now sounding very pronounced. Sadly, short of punching my throat in just the right way, there was nothing for it. ¡°I will have to get the Messineen refugees back to their hold and part of that is introducing them to a trusted member of their clan.¡±


    ¡°Their hold? You mean the one the pirates took up north?¡± Harrah asked with a raised eyebrow. The humans all had a moment of skepticism, save for the princess.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I affirmed as I moved forward and down the plank. ¡°This city is quite impressive. I¡¯m sure the refugees will be loathe to leave but their home needs them for the rebuilding.¡±


    Palta did another of those impossibly minute nods.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid their location is in a settlement connected to this one. Their ships, however, won¡¯t¡­ or rather can¡¯t leave. The trip here destroyed their hulls and the remains were carried out to sea.¡±


    I gave a small sigh. Turning around towards the left of the city, I strained my neck to see the walled-off path leading out over the stone fields towards three towers, one almost impossibly high and two others shorter yet wider, surrounded by a wall three floors high.


    ¡°That very one,¡± Palta said in a warm tone. ¡°I know the man in charge of the place if you would like a quick introduction.¡±


    I smiled with a look back at the princess.


    ¡°Your people¡¯s generosity would shame all others. If we meet again, I will see the favor returned. Though, that does look like too long a walk for two hundred people. I assume he has a harbor.¡±


    Palta bit her pink lips, her green eyes looking towards Eli¡¯s domain.


    ¡°Possibly. The pirates hit us a few days past and I haven¡¯t kept up on his repairs. Harrah, fly ahead and tell the plant mage Tilvor he has more Kelton guests coming.¡±


    Her gaze moved to the friend on her left. There was clearly a spirit conversation going on if the inquisitive face Harrah wore was any indication. Eventually, the air mage went wide-eyed and a little pale, looking at the men dropping off goods further down the pier before nodding to the member of royalty. That was when the next load of cargo included prisoners. Men in rough clothes that still had the occasional flare of color here and there trudged down the plank with their hands tied. Harrah went further to the edge of the pier before constructing a large air spell and taking off in a blast of wind.


    ¡°May you live well,¡± I offered the princess with a polite nod.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± She accepted before turning away.


    Sailors who finished their toil waited on the side for me to go up the plank, which I did with a bit more speed than I had gone down it despite the incline. When I made it up to the deck and moved to the side to get one last leisurely view of the city, the first thing I saw was Palta on the pier, still inspecting the ship with a certain intensity. A faint feeling of irritation came over me. I couldn¡¯t see how she was aware of how dangerous we really were, but those green eyes showed a mix of worry and determination that left no doubt as to what she thought of the departing ship.


    When the last man came aboard, the plank was raised, and sails were unfurled. A blast of water from the front of the ship made a few of the humans on the pier jump back, but the princess was unperturbed. Clear of the wooden finger in the ocean, our ship pulled away to sail past the fort in the sea. Our sister on the sea quickly followed behind.


    I stood still on the side of the ship, taking in the salty sea air and chill of winter while the men prepared the boat on the side in case no pier was available. The rock-strewn coast moved by with the wall sporting the occasional archer blocking my view of the land proper. We couldn¡¯t get too close, lest the ship suffer the same fate as the refugee¡¯s transportation, yet that didn¡¯t stop the huge tower from looming over us as we passed it. Nearing a bend, we arrived at what I assumed to be the harbor.


    The whole thing looked like a single slab of grey stone in front of a portcullis in the wall. No single flight of stairs could be seen between the entrance to the settlement and the single pier of stone in the bay, instead, three steps were made with long spaces between the next set with only a few spots having a smooth ascending curve for carts. Attention was also paid to the opposite side of the harbor, with a floor of stone going from the soil into the water acting as an intrusion into the woods beyond.


    ¡®Not a single spot to hide from arrows. The walls seem to be stuffed with ballistae and catapults.¡¯ Kantor mused in a spirit connection on my left. ¡®I almost feel bad for the poor souls that tried to take it.¡¯


    A simple nod was all I could give him. Eli was close now. My stomach was fluttering with a rising need in the blood. After all this time, my husband would finally be by my side again.


    It was another long procedure of guards coming to see who just pulled into their pier, us dropping a plank down, and Kantor going to explain. Only this time Hentor came from below to accompany him. Minutes took on the aspect of hours as my ¡®father¡¯ seemed to be taking a slow stroll following the humans back to the gate. The years spent on the ship waiting for them to return seemed to stretch into decades as my fingers strummed the cold guardrail with patience that thinned by the second.


    When the red leather of the human guard showed up beneath the harbor gate, I did my best not to let my eagerness show, but my left foot wouldn¡¯t listen as it tapped on the floor. Then Eli finally pulled in front. He had grey hair and green eyes now, though everything else was the same as always, down to the preference for white shirts and brown pants. The same walk, the same analytical look at the ship, the same sense of safety when I knew he was near.


    It was an odd feeling. Being a mage and constantly surrounded by guards, I couldn¡¯t say I ever felt like I was in danger. That didn¡¯t stop some new sense of protection coming over me. Eli was in eyesight, and my heart said all was good and right in the world. As he walked towards the ship, I had to keep myself from dashing down the plank and throwing myself into his arms.


    ¡°What I assume to be your courier came by with a proposal for some supplies,¡± Eli called over to us, trying to find the leader of the group as he came onto the pier.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I offered with a small smile. ¡°Though the exchange would be our supplies for the refugees. That was our first proposal. Princess Palta said there was a plant mage here.¡±


    Eli walked up to the plank on the stone pier with arms crossed.


    ¡°Well, here he is.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± I declared with a nod. ¡°We are interested in some crop-growing enchantments. Not as a matter of charity. Our magical elements could provide you with some utility. If they are not to your liking, we could work out something else.¡±


    His strong chin curled as he considered it. The quad mage was getting better about walking around without face coverings. I knew him well enough that I could see his indications of discomfort, but it wasn¡¯t the obvious wincing it had been in times past.


    ¡°They¡¯ll have to be on square plates of wood. Unless I visit your abode, I can¡¯t make them fit exactly wherever you¡¯re putting them. And I mean no offense to you and yours, but a long trip under your care isn¡¯t something I¡¯m up for. You seem like a fine lot, but these days aren¡¯t kind to trusting souls.¡±


    I bit my lips in concentration. We were getting some time alone, what the rest of the world wanted or demanded would just have to for its turn.


    ¡°It will be a long time before the refugees will be ready,¡± I casually offered with a strum of my fingers on the icy wood. ¡°And I know our farms well enough. Instead of trusting us, perhaps I should take the leap?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at the proposal. His grey hair turned as he went back and forth for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°I have a private house. A number of planks and some water for refreshments. I¡¯ll warn you, getting the dimensions just right will require a lot of sweat and struggle. We could be there for an hour or more.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I proclaimed, understanding his proposal in all its meanings. The guards tensed at that, on both sides. Though, mine never raised their shoulders, instead trying to give an irritated face that I was sure any human wouldn¡¯t take for a counterfeit.


    My walk down the plank was flanked by steel-clad Keltons. It took self-control not to make it a sprint, and more still when my hand instinctively wanted to thread through his arm. We walked side-by-side, moving towards the gate as all watched.


    ¡°Tilvor,¡± I asked politely with a turn to my husband-turned-stranger. ¡°My voice is getting a bit tired with all this shouting from boats. Could we talk in a spirit connection?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    It was the fastest connection I had ever made.


    ¡®Spirits Eli, it¡¯s wonderful seeing you again.¡¯ I said into his mind.


    ¡®Not as much as seeing you. God, it''s awful not waking up with you and Gula anymore.¡¯


    A small smile stole over my face. I was just grateful that my goat-like face made it hard for onlookers to notice a wife¡¯s blush under the fur.


    ¡®It¡¯s no small thing for a woman to wake up without her hunk of warm marble either. Rock can still change, though. You do seem to be getting better at walking around without a mask.¡¯


    His sigh filled my mind.


    ¡®Palta was the leader of the scion squad the Rodring Kingdom was going to send after me. It wouldn¡¯t be an immediate association, but constantly wearing a face cover is too unique a thing to risk. On the coldest days, I at least have a good excuse to wear one.¡¯


    We made a turn at the gate and walked into an open field of stone. The endless floor of smooth stone told me we were inside somewhere, yet the open sky above reminded me that we were outdoors. I noticed bits of blood along the wall testifying to the battle that had occurred here.


    ¡®Taking out the pirate hold in the north was a bloodless affair. On our side at least.¡¯ I mused.


    ¡®Good. We can¡¯t afford any casualties.¡¯ Eli mused as the huge tower loomed closer.


    Along its sides, I could see the other two towers further beyond. Neither had any armaments nor was the one on the right sporting a gate in its arch. The constant scurrying of workers in front of it and the field of stone summoning boards to my left gave the air here an excited energy, even with winter stealing any warmth to be found.


    ¡®The refugees have been taking up a barracks and any space inside the one living complex I made. We¡¯ve made great progress with their labor in setting up another. Seeing as how they¡¯re only going to be staying here temporarily, I hope to have a nice place to set up for any interested parties looking to stay in my little corner of the world once they move out.¡¯


    ¡®How has that been coming along? I can¡¯t imagine too many people would take a wild chance on a mage from seemingly nowhere.¡¯


    A soft groan came through the connection.


    ¡®I¡¯ve seen democracies at the endpoint of the mobs¡¯ justice. Monarchies descend into the worst forms of nepotistic incompetence. Military dictatorships in the midst of inter-factional gang wars operating on the budget of nations. One of them had to be worse than this, but I couldn¡¯t recall any off the top of my head.


    They don¡¯t even have a census, forget a steady civil government. Infrastructure, what little Crasden has, is almost entirely on the port and sucking out the mana. Everything else is a guessing game between the guard and harbormaster. Just doing the bare minimum in terms of sewage management and civil planning will be more than anything they¡¯ve ever seen.¡¯


    Those words were very important. As the leader of the revived Kreshton clan, such matters were of vital importance to the wider conflict engulfing the region. A conflict that had already claimed hundreds of lives just in the short while we had been here. Which made it all the more tragic that I didn¡¯t care. My husband had been gone for far too long and our reunion didn¡¯t involve the fusing of lips or ripping of underwear that it should.


    ¡®Eli¡­ has your manhood been¡­ reconstituted?¡¯ I asked in a blunt tone as we approached a long rectangular stone home with a smooth half-oval roof and a door, in front of which was a floor of wood. Given our trajectory and the extra guardhouse on the right of the wooden slab, I didn¡¯t bother asking where our destination was.


    ¡®No,¡¯ My husband replied without a single change in his demeanor. ¡®I could heal it, then simply cut it off afterward if you¡¯re in the mood.¡¯


    I stopped to look at him for a moment, which he returned with a raised eyebrow.


    He was my husband. Yet he had lived a span of time my mind couldn¡¯t hope to fully comprehend. A fact that was often forgotten amidst cuddles and kisses. Which only made it more jarring when that thing, that part of him that had used and replaced bodies with the commitment one had to a pair of clothes, suddenly reasserted itself.


    It wasn¡¯t human. I was even inclined to say it was nothing of the living, but it was in him all the same. I could deal with it. Such a feat typically required some time for mental preparation, more than the amount given with an off-handed offer of self-mutilation delivered like a casual discussion of the evening meal.


    Looking into those green pools, I felt my moment of disturbance ease. Whatever was in there, it shared space with love. A genuine love for me and Gula that he had risked his life for.


    Speaking of my sister-wife.


    ¡®No, that won¡¯t be needed.¡¯ I refused with a continued walk forward. Something Eli moved to match as the sound of a river began asserting itself. Even with the spot of trouble, my blood was still hot. ¡®Though¡­ if you do want to fully enjoy our reunion, perhaps there is something we could do.¡¯


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ He asked as we moved past the squat guardhouse.


    It took a moment to respond as I realized that the house was surrounded by a river, something I recovered from as we moved over what I now knew to be a drawbridge.


    ¡®Gula mentioned something about her first time with you. Something I¡¯ve been wondering about.¡¯ I asked as we crossed the bridge, suddenly feeling like a girl asking for her first kiss.


    The door came into arms reach, but Eli stopped just in front of it.


    ¡®Oh. Something I haven¡¯t done for you yet, I assume.¡¯ he asked, sounding rather pleased with himself in a voice soaked with confidence and a small hint of glee.


    My curiosity was now almost as strong as my lust.


    ¡®I believe we both agree on what we¡¯re discussing.¡¯ I offered as I went into the house, my guards stopping with a hand wave at the edge of the drawbridge. A nod from Eli made the humans do the same.


    ¡®Salamede, action is the most persuasive speech. Perhaps a convincing start to these negotiations is in order.¡¯


    He closed the door behind him with a meaningful look to the door on my left. I nodded, moving to what I assumed to be his bedroom. There were a lot of precautions that needed to be taken. Air deadening spells deployed, inspections for spies and wind tunnels, and any number of other details. My blood and mind, however, were demanding answers as to why Gula had been so focused on that one act in her retelling. Answers laying just beyond the door whose handle I yanked open.

 Chapter 121: Upper Society

    Eli POV


    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯ Salamede¡¯s voice reverberated in my mind, cutting through the fog of satisfaction clogging my senses.


    Grey stone wall directly opposite of the bed we were sitting on made up most of my vision. My cherished and beautiful wife was on the left, her hands and circles of gold mana working a healing spell in my peripheral vision. The Kelton woman¡¯s labor was directed at a gash on my left temple, though the bits of blood that dripped onto my white shirt would not be undone with such magic.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt, does it?¡¯ she asked, her voice having an almost breathless angst to it mixed with genuine worry. I looked down to the bottom hem of her dress, the light green body and blue trim being ruffled as the fabric was still drawn above her thigh despite the cold.


    ¡®Eli!¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ I asked mildly, my eyes brushing past the gold triangles flowing from the hole for her neck before meeting those white orbs.


    ¡®Stop smiling.¡¯ She demanded with a grit of her teeth despite no audible sounds being made.


    Was I?


    ¡­


    I was.


    Salamede had a rather flustered air that just tickled my soul. Her ears had a deep red tint, lips bitten, and snout flaring with her heaving chest. A fantastic display all around.


    ¡®Honestly!¡¯ The healer Kelton continued, sounding like she was forcing the anger through with the warmth tingling through my skull. ¡®Doing that on Gula¡¯s maiden night. The poor girl never had a chance.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe the next time you feel like making a joke involving me being pregnant with Cell, you¡¯ll remember that I have many ways of exacting my revenge.¡¯


    She huffed, resting her arms on my shoulder without another word. The healer continued her work for a few more seconds before pulling back. I moved my hand to the raised hem of her dress, gripping the cloth like it was a life raft.


    ¡®Do we need to bring things to a proper finish?¡¯


    A swat on the side was the reward for my charity.


    ¡®I-¡® she bit her lip for a moment before snuggling closer to me. ¡®It has already been well finished. I fear you wouldn¡¯t survive a second time.¡¯


    Her hands pried her dress from mine before pushing her chest against me and getting under my shirt to rub my left peck. Faint sensations of pain could still be felt across my scalp from their frantic shoving just minutes prior. The only regret I had of the foray was Salamede throwing her head back at the final moment, the resulting injury being the lesser of the two reasons.


    Still, a new foundational memory had been acquired.


    ¡®Eli, are you ok with this?¡¯ Salamede asked, sounding a bit uncertain as her gaze trended downward. ¡®I could try to-¡®


    I stole her lips, with the needed washing done when she first started the healing. Sweetness filled my mouth. A taste accentuated by her light moan that traveled down my throat with her tongue. The wet smack of us pulling away for a breath filled the room.


    ¡®I¡¯ve gotten more than I could have asked for from this rendezvous.¡¯ I responded in a firm tone. Salamede rubbed her newly blackened fur against my cheek.


    ¡®This has certainly¡­ enlightened me as to why men have some of the preferences they do. But work is calling.¡¯


    Her tone screamed that she was trying to convince herself in equal measure.


    ¡®It is.¡¯ I agreed.


    We vacated the room, with me making sure to not hit the square wooden pad on the right of the door as I did so. The housing complex was mostly massive blocks of stone being put in place with designs that matched the regular walls almost perfectly. Aside from the occasional inspection, this left me with enough time to work on some additional protection for my home until the inner expanse needed working.


    Along the top of the ceiling was an inlay of leather cord that connected to wooden slabs around the sides of the windows and outlet for the toilet. Pushing the pad on the side of my bedroom door would act like a switch, activating noise-deadening crafts. Since I was now a plant mage, I had to use long fans of water to still allow airflow and cover up the noise of any business being conducted inside.


    The door on the opposite side of the hall lead into the workshop. I opened it for Salamede, who walked past with a grateful nod. A stack of magicless wooden boards was lying on the left with an empty wall on the right, the residents previously leaning on it now doing their duty. I went up to the desk in the middle and plopped into the seat.


    She had some concerns about the sizes involved, but my work in the base gave me some good references for what the best spacings were. As I went about getting enchantments inscribed into the wood, Salamede worked my shoulders with deep rubs or palmed my chest. Each time I completed one of the boards that could feed a small village on its own, she rewarded me with a kiss.


    An exchange well in my favor.


    ¡®Eli?¡¯ My wife enquired as she lounged on my shoulders.


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ I asked, finishing the initiation square of the enchantment.


    ¡®Palta knows we¡¯re dangerous. We as in we Keltons. I¡¯m not sure how, but I¡¯m sure she knows we¡¯re mages.¡¯


    ¡®Ah!¡¯ I replied as I pushed the board aside and pulled my head back to rub her cheek against mine. ¡®That would be Pipkin¡¯s doing.¡¯


    She raised a black eyebrow at me.


    ¡®The giant otter. Palta¡¯s familiar and the one who sucked in all the harbor''s mana for a water display.¡¯


    Her teeth bit down on her lower lip.


    ¡®A drain on the mana we all turned to look at.¡¯


    ¡®A clever trick, that.¡¯ I admitted before turning back down to get another board. ¡®Harrah seemed quite worried when she flew down here and explained it all. A new ache that won¡¯t be hers to bear soon. The royal couple are due to arrive here tomorrow. I haven¡¯t been given any details, but the princess told me the person to lead during this moment of calm won¡¯t be her.¡¯


    All of her questions were apparently answered as she went back to rubbing my shoulders. When the twelfth board was placed on the stack, Salamede put my head in her hands and pulled me into a deep kiss while lifting me from the chair.


    ¡®That¡¯s as much as I could justify buying with my craft.¡¯ She said in a spirit connection with a pull away.


    I raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing as she ushered me out of the seat and moved one of the magicless boards in front of her. Of course, I needed something to show that our exchange wasn¡¯t just kissing. Mana was sucked in by my wife while I stood on the side. It was a minute or so of work before she handed the board back over to me.


    ¡®A healing craft. I could imagine getting these crop crafts for it.¡¯ She said, sounding like she was hoping I¡¯d agree.


    ¡®My crafts plant growing enchantments aren¡¯t concentrated enough to grow magical crops to any usable degree, leaving regular food and other woods as their main purpose. Twelve of them for something that might save my life is something I could easily justify.¡¯


    It was a few more minutes of her cutting around where her enchantments were and working around them to mold a necklace. The finished craft was a large circle with a square above. On the sides were holes for threads to be weaved through. The treasure was about the size of my palm and could be worn below any shirt.


    Our time together, like the visit from Gula, had its end come too soon. We looked at each other for a moment before getting one last kiss in. When we pulled away, Salamede looked me up and down for any signs of what she had been doing. Her eyes spent most of it going over the place where the wound had been, but after a few seconds she pulled back with a satisfied nod.


    I left the room with a slap on the wooden pad, with a quick once-over in the bedroom to remove any indication of our activities, including a change into a grey shirt. Salamede came out of the workshop with her stack of precious boards in hand while my prize rested in the pocket of my pants. At the door leading outside, we both took a deep breath before I opened my sanctum to winter¡¯s bite.


    My fears weren¡¯t left disappointed as a gust blew in. Across the bridge were our two groups of guards, mine off to the left while her steel-clad Keltons stood on the right. The men seemed fine in their red leather, despite the cold. Their hardiness in these conditions was probably owing to their hearty lineage as much as it was the thick fur around the necks and hands. Kelton guards made the first move, walking across the bridge and relieving my wife of her burden as husband and wife turned to each other. This was the final goodbye and, like all good things, its pain was born out of the joy preceding it.


    ¡°Good day, Lady¡­¡±


    ¡°Passmede.¡± Salamede offered with a sideways head bob.


    ¡°A good exchange. I hate to hurry a guest out of the door, but these times¡­¡±


    ¡°Most demanding.¡± She agreed before turning away.


    People were watching us, leaving me no opportunity to fully appreciate her leaving. I walked back into the house, shutting the behind me door with a sigh. The kitchen table called to me, with its firm seats and call of rest for sore feet. A few minutes passed until the expected voice rang out.


    ¡°Tilvor!¡± Palta yelled.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I replied with a sigh at my lost peace.


    The door swung open to reveal a leather-bound princess. The brown and green contrasted with her black shoulder-length hair, though half of it matched the jade eyes looking at me with exhaustion.


    ¡°This region doesn¡¯t seem to be trying to kill my body. No. My mind is the prize for ruin. A boat filled with mages, Kelton mages, shows up out of nowhere.¡± She said, seemingly more to herself than I.


    ¡°Taking those refugees was a charitable showing. They¡¯ll probably be more aid than hindrance.¡± I meekly offered.


    ¡°Pff!¡± She scoffed as she walked forward. ¡°Everything the advisors told me of their kind says they probably just couldn¡¯t stand having the humans being involved in their affairs.¡±


    Her trek ended with her taking the chair opposite me with a scrape of wood on stone.


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t talked to them. Not as much as you have, Tilvor.¡±


    I shrugged, giving her a small smile.


    ¡°They gave me the dimensions for plant growing enchantments in exchange for items of interest.¡±


    My guest¡¯s pink lips were getting a severe bite to accentuate her held breath, that sharp chin staying completely still all the while.


    ¡°Not enough to make magical resources,¡± I offered to still the simmering worries. ¡°Nor could they be used for weapons.¡±


    There was a question in her eyes. The inquiry involved the private matters of mages, a scion no less, and prying into such exchanges seemed like a taboo she didn¡¯t want to cross. I was tempted to reveal it to build trust but a hidden healing craft that I could easily explain was too good to make known. To say nothing of the ire that such a gift might stir in the healing house Kraton.


    Palta nodded with a strum of her right hand on the table.


    ¡°More food this far north can¡¯t be a bad thing if we don¡¯t come to blows. Even if we aren''t destined for friendship, their first swing was at the pirates. How has the newest abode been coming along?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow but coughed before gathering the figures together like stray chicks.


    ¡°With the new supplies, I can put it together properly without splitting resources to the farm. We should have the first floor done by this afternoon. If the workers are still going to be around.¡±


    Palta continued strumming her fingers on the table. The clacking bounced against the bare stone wall for only a few moments more. Her hand withdrew before meshing into the other on the table.


    ¡°They will be as long as I am sitting on the chair here. A poor thanks for all you¡¯ve done but it is the one I have enough time left to give. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t feel like I was leaving the job half done, but a new governor has been lined up and I am weeks past when I should have been finished here. Queen Verness has set up the new navy well and is returning to try and salvage the south. All things considered, short of stopping the slaughter of the towns, this excursion has gone better than I dared hope.¡±


    A question came for me now, though etiquette allowed mine.


    ¡°How has queen Verness been helping?¡±


    ¡°Setting up crews, conducting quick training, and many, many more tasks. Her people have the seas as a second home and her uncle is the best in the kingdom. Verness¡¯s skills are only second to his. Skills that are currently holding the south together. She decided to try and shore up the north when it became clear that the pirates were making heavy moves up here.¡±


    In the military district then. Far away from what I¡¯ve been dealing with after the first day. Still, this was the first time I had heard details of the royal family¡¯s life. Palta was the only means I had to ply the hardest question and the time to ask it wasn¡¯t going to get any better than this.


    ¡°Your mother, Nestel. Is it true that she hails back from the days of Rodring?¡±


    The princess perked up at the question though no objection to the change in subject came. A proud smile stretched across her face, showing between the waves of her black hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. She helped bind the disparate, squabbling people into this kingdom with my greatest ancestor. Even I have a hard time believing it. The woman who fussed over my dresses and cleaned my face at the table was a part of making humanity what it is today.¡±


    I nodded, unable to deny the small light of glee in her eyes.


    ¡°You must have a lot of half-siblings. Where are they in the midst of this chaos?¡±


    The shake of her head left me genuinely surprised.


    ¡°None. Plenty of family from Rodring himself, though rarely seen. A Usel-¡­ Socially extravagant lot. Some spend their days and coin out west, the place of their birth a distant memory while most live their days basking in their heritage at our hold. As for my mother, she was a recluse for a long time after Rodring passed. Her legacy almost became a myth to the wider public, though the people in charge knew the real flesh and blood behind the legend the whole time.¡±


    ¡°How? The people must have known she was in the capital.¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Palta shrugged, pulling back in her chair with slack shoulders.


    ¡°She¡¯s lived there my whole life. Before deciding to come back into the political slog, she spent¡­ gods, centuries in her personal village nestled in the south.¡±


    Another point. Dior, the elf who told me of the person who knew how to work the magic that brought me to this world and had the materials to work it, gave three characteristics for them. Nestel was an original member of the Rodring party. A strong contender, but there might have been a member hiding away. Another was an estate in the south. The biggest question had yet to be asked, so I wasted no more time in delivering it.


    ¡°In all that time, has she not acquired any other titles or feats of renown? I¡¯d understand living on her own but that¡¯s an awful lot to leave behind to squat in the south for one lifetime after another.¡±


    The princess nodded, though she looked a bit uncertain at the answer to give.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if a similar question didn¡¯t occur to me. Kings and queens often visited her estate for counsel on one item or another for hundreds of years, apparently. Some call her the Advisor because of that, even if the peasantry is unaware of the depths of her involvement. It¡¯s said the reigns of Ballud the fool and Geshton only went as poorly as they did because they did not seek her wisdom. I¡¯ve heard some speculate her return is an attempt to pull her late husband¡¯s creation out of the rut. How true that is, I cannot say. She is my mother first, a living myth second and I try not to pry too much into the latter.¡±


    There it is, the final piece: The Advisor. Dior said she was only known in certain groups, but which facet of her existence he was talking about was apparently open to interpretation.


    ¡°Were things really that bad?¡± I asked, trying to make my face as passive as possible.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, hearing from the older staff about it. Orc gangs in the south made food production in the mana-dead-zones there difficult. When the diseases of the Beastmen don¡¯t make it impossible. Alone, I wouldn¡¯t think that¡¯s enough, but that made us even more dependent on the Coalition, which bit us hard when the fight for the quad mage came. I don¡¯t claim she has visions of the future, but I do think she saw a decline and decided trying to wrangle the family from afar was no longer sufficient. Perhaps a bit too late if my time here is any indication.¡±


    The last thing I wanted to do was mentally relive my time in the Coalition more than I already had. Sadly, my character wouldn¡¯t have heard about it, and the fiction I was living demanded the curiosity.


    ¡°Quad mage?¡±


    Her mouth puckered while that slim nose flared like she had gotten a whiff of something foul.


    ¡°Most men are always looking to get women into bed. Often with little concern for where or how. I had long assumed that your kind would just rut on command, alas it appears one of you wasn¡¯t so inclined. The last man anyone wanted showing that kind of constraint. In the Coalition, a man with all base and dual elements was found.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at such an impossible revelation. Palta nodded, understanding such skepticism.


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t make the women bowlegged from shagging. I¡¯d imagined he had that vile inclination; save for the fact he did take a Kelton woman to bed. To think having some of the goat-headed people sail away all that long time ago would have such dire consequences. He died, in the course of events. We sacrificed so much for that gift¡­ No, we are still sacrificing for it. Yet the miserable cur rots in the cold ground, a new age for humanity feeding the worms. I can only thank whatever divine will exists in the world that my mother is around to help see us through these dark days.¡±


    At the end, Palta was still looking at me, but her eyes were somewhere far off.


    I nodded while fighting down the stupid voice in me that wanted to argue the points. Particularly the course of events part, which included a lot of threats and blackmail. Sadly, I, as a vagabond plant scion roaming the woods here, had no way of knowing them.


    Palta pulled herself back up, biting her lip as she leaned into her chair. Those green pools looked at me with some disturbance as her hands lay on the table.


    ¡°He killed my future fianc¨¦ as he went about massacring his own people. So bitter or dead inside that he denied his entire species the ability to finally win out over nature and the demons. For what? You know, there¡¯s so much pettiness and selfish greed I¡¯ve seen in the capital. Gods, you¡¯ve seen it enough here with just the associations.


    But that selfishness makes people predictable. And what is predictable is understandable. You get used to it, work with it, and can accept it. A frame that you feel helps you understand how it all works.


    Then someone comes along who doesn¡¯t fit. He had nothing to gain with his actions. No wealth to be earned, glory to be bathed in, or power grown. Now, he has no legacy and his line ended in a bandit¡¯s basement. For what? Spite and bitterness, no one to remember him besides future bookkeepers looking over boring texts. Perhaps I¡¯ve been too harsh to the greedy and unpatriotic in the past. Better them than a black void that destroys everything around it with no thought or care for the consequences.¡±


    It was a very personal attack I was under, but a pertinent question needed asking.


    ¡°Fianc¨¦? How did the quad mage kill her?¡± I asked as I leaned back, genuinely interested in how that piece of grievance happened.


    A smile stole over her face. It was the kind a mother had when a babe said something uncouth and the scold was fighting with laughter.


    ¡°HE was a prince of the Bodding kingdom. Our marriage was going to be¡­ political, as most are. Yet¡­ I liked him. Maybe not in the way most men want women to like them, but he always had a good humor about him, and he treated me well. Even with my inclinations, he never insulted me or made me feel lesser. His ferret familiar got along with Pipkin so it seemed like we were a good match.


    More importantly, our union would have started the process of healing a division going back to the founding of our two kingdoms. After all the battles I fought, wounds received, and strategies planned, marrying him would have achieved more good than anything else I¡¯ve ever done. All ash on the wind now.¡±


    Her memories of him didn¡¯t match the one I had when I killed him in the Diamond Academy town, with the calm of high rage and a sword aimed at me. Though he had no prospect of bedding me, so that might have colored his intentions.


    ¡°Despite all that, it appears I¡¯m not to live in the monster¡¯s shadow for much longer. Which is another thing I came to discuss. The next governor has been decided and while I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get along well.¡±


    Her shoulders tensed even as her face retained a small smile with her speech.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear that all laborers of the Crasden government are to be made available to you, not including those on contract. Some three hundred or so for your current or future projects.¡±


    Get along well she says before telling me to get going while I¡¯m still allowed some scrap of support. Can¡¯t say it was entirely unexpected, there was bound to be a price for flicking the mage association¡¯s noses. I suppose I couldn¡¯t blame the next poor sap trying to wrangle this place together if they didn¡¯t want to risk undoing a nationwide agreement by lending me aid.


    ¡°A big ask. I¡¯d better get on it then.¡± I agreed.


    We both got up from the table, though it was Palta who put her hand out for a shake, which I took with a firm grip.


    ¡°I try not to repeat myself, but thanks again Tilvor. You¡¯ve saved so many people and if those farms are workable, you¡¯ll save an amount of people you¡¯d never imagine you could in the future. And I only say that because I know you care.¡± She finished with a withdrawal of her hand before walking towards the door.


    "Oh!" Palta exclaimed with a turn to me."The team of royal chefs has also arrived. They shoulder the duty to provide full meals for us and have a system for tackling times when poison is often added for seasoning. A summons will be coming tomorrow and I would advise not getting wrangled into anything you can''t stop."


    I gave her one last smile and nod before Palta left with a creaking close of the door behind her. As pleasant as the morning had been, karmic balance was coming for my afternoon. Left with nothing else to do, I got myself a thick coat from the bedroom and left to continue the work that my wife¡¯s arrival interrupted.


    When I opened the door, the wind gave me a small bite across the face. The bitter chill really accentuated the miserable grey of the sky. Walking across the bridge took me into the caring embrace of the red-leathered guard. They were all still looking wearily at the harbor gate in the distance where Salamede had come from, only falling in around me when they heard my steps.


    The vast empty plain of stone stretched out before me but the task lay closer to the other end of my open-air abode. A sharp turn left took me down the artificial river. Ambling water filled my ears as I approached the wooden arch serving as the means of getting over the channel. Further ahead to the far right was Harrah¡¯s finger, a neck-straining tower with the single deadliest weapon in the region. It had been the focal point of sweat, agony, and worry for what my joints said had been years. Now? The biggest lookout point around, a shelter for a few desperate souls, and a deterrent for an enemy that probably wouldn¡¯t be back.


    Moving over the bridge, I approached the newest challenge. The kitchen for the workers sat further ahead in the middle of the two towers now standing near the gate leading to Crasden. Huge pots bubbled with soups and grills for searing meats filled the winter air with swirls of delicious smoke above the canopies and tents arrayed around a series of tables. My appreciation for the lack of death run intensity like the defenses wasn¡¯t shared by the foreman running from the eating area. His black moustache was the only hair I could see on him with everything else being covered in a fur jacket and hood that went up to his sharp jaw.


    ¡°Great mage!¡± He exclaimed with a bow and a look down with his brown eyes. ¡°The supplies from those goat-people are being inspected. It all looks to be in order. Mostly food with the rest being cloth. I just wanted to check with you before we started inspecting for poisons.¡±


    Sadly, the waste of time was necessary as I couldn¡¯t risk being seen totally trusting this entirely unknown Kelton clan.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I commanded. ¡°What about the second tower?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded, taking up my right side as I approached the newest addition. ¡°The first floor has been set and the supporting columns are in place.¡±


    The five stories of round tower had a flurry of workers in front of its gateless arch that served as an entrance. Most of the men were moving stone blocks to the sides while some were still moving items from the living quarters of the older tower back to where they had been when the now vacant refugees arrived. Well, vacant save one.


    An older Kelton man sporting curling brown horns, done up with a white shirt, leather vest, and equally brown pants approached from the mass of workers. We met halfway to the new tower, ending our walk as he did a light bow.


    ¡°While it was far shorter than anyone thought, our stay will always be remembered.¡± He intoned in that rough voice all Keltons bore.


    ¡°Will you be safe?¡±


    He did an odd sideways head-bob.


    ¡°They brought the former chief¡¯s father. A trusted man who told of a return to our home. We were getting ready to sail off when one of us realized no thanks had been given. Our gratitude isn¡¯t worth much of anything, really, but it would shame us to not do at least this.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that gratitude can be paid in the future. For now, all we can do is just survive these trying times.¡± I offered with a gracious nod.


    He did another head-bob before walking to the left towards the bridge. Not the chattiest of his kind, but it was the attitude that best served me right now. A few of the guards looked askance at his quick exit before seeing my unoffended demeanor as I continued forward. The workers made way for my entrance with their typical deference.


    When I made it past the empty entrance, I finally came onto a small field of smooth wood, save the middle wide circle of grey stone for the ovens and the four columns around it jutting up six floors just past its walls. I walked into the center until I looked down at the rectangular holes beneath the floor where they should be. A quick sucking of mana gave me the fuel to make a man-sized bubble of water around the entrance of one of the holes.


    The bubble was squeezed into a fist, forcing the air inside through the rectangle. I was rewarded with a loud gush of wind sounding off from what sounded like the outside of the wall. A smile stole over my face at them getting the ventilation right.


    ¡°Good.¡± I announced to no one in particular.


    The remaining workers walked behind me like a flock of chicks, intent on learning all I could teach about putting the new floor in. My building¡¯s wood for the floors was lying in long slabs to the right and hardened to that of rebar. Walls for the hallways were quickly erected with the markings showing how those inner walls for the residences were to be placed. It took a few double-checks of the blueprints I had made, but the sides for individual sections were eventually made whole. Each had an entrance to the hallway that led to the center circle with an empty door frame.


    At some point the inner rooms would be covered in smooth stone to help control fire outbreaks, a task the workers could do later with provided crafts. It was hard enough to let balls of that amazing material be used as ammunition, but having a whole building of it possibly burn to the ground was too much for my soul to bear.


    And the people inside, of course.


    Overall, I couldn¡¯t say I was particularly happy with the design. No precise laser measurement tools or nanite load testers meant I had to make everything twice as thick and strong as it probably needed to be even with the potential for attacks from the wild. Rooms were also not egalitarian, with some being more well-heated and insulated due to positioning. Another issue was the columns, which would stick out on the sides of the hallways by a good foot or so. A casual walkthrough would reveal no less than a dozen shortcomings compared to the typical work I did.


    By local standards, it was still an unthinkable upgrade for the peasants, especially when the cooking oven was in place acting as heaters for the inner rooms. This floor alone would have fifty-some apartments, each similar to a house in the city from what I¡¯ve been told. If the residents were particularly fruitful, this slice of the complex alone would be housing two hundred some people.


    Which is why the two residences closest to the river were going to be communal bathrooms. With magic, the sewage could be flushed away with deluges of summoned water that would only last long enough to get into the river of real water running through the center of the city. A small channel I spent a good hour digging out with some bars preventing intruders from stealing in through the toilets.


    Even when the sun died, torchlight helped push me along into the late afternoon. The men were likewise enthused. A third tower of equal thickness to its siblings was already getting the second floor of its outer wall. The newborn was between the other two only a bit closer to the river leaving the kitchen between the three. The trio was in a triangular shape right now, though future additions would have similar spacing despite not sharing the current geometry.


    My struggles eventually saw the roof above the third floor go in. Despite my magical abilities, exhaustion set in once the wood was fused to the sides of the columns and walls. After preparing for the siege, I wasn¡¯t going to run myself ragged. I left the overseer instructions on how to install the inner walls and the dimensions to be used.


    I had gotten a good idea of what he and the builders under him could do, so there was some hope that it would be well done come morning. Moving away from the worksite, I eventually made it home and slammed my head into the waiting pillow. The pleasant memory of what happened there earlier sent me off to oblivion.


    When I woke up the next morning, winter got her nibble in as I retreated into my blankets before stretching. A second longer and I was getting up. Feeling that sweet agony in my feet as they touched cold stone to start the day. I got up with a final stretch and took through the door to start my routine in the kitchen/dining room.


    A warm bath delivered by two maids to wash away the feeling of grime followed by a change of clothes and a steamy bowl of spicy chicken soup with bread at my kitchen table. The last slurp sounded out over my home before the bowl was placed down with a solid thunk. My fresh grey shirt moved with my exit from the chair while my brown pants received a few swipes to knock away any offending crumbs or dust.


    With the hard part having arrived, I took a final sigh before fetching my leather coat and coming to the exit of the stone hovel. A painful sting of winter blew across my face as the door was pulled open. Despite the cold, the troupe of red-leathered guards was waiting across the bridge. Hearty locals who grew up on this chill unlike those who were currently overseeing Crasden.


    I spent an hour inspecting the rooms that had been sectioned off. The circular shape made a totally even distribution of room too much of a pain to deliver, so I gave more space to those in the residence closest to the outer wall in compensation for less heat and a longer walk. I couldn¡¯t put in an elaborate fire suppression system, which left me putting disks at the side of the hallway entrances that would spew streams of water when the person holding them pressed a white square. The complex didn¡¯t have the heating in place, so after finding the rooms were done to my specifications and the watercrafts were in place, I concentrated on getting the central area finished.


    The belly of the tower was left open air with a stone spiral staircase on the sides leading to the floors above. It also served as the communal cooking section. Ten wide stone ranges would be placed along the rock walls, with their tops funneling into tubes leading upward to give the houses along the inner wall some heat. These tubes had a small hole below to allow the collection of ash, which rested to the right of the oven. In their backs were the rock tunnels to suck in air from the outside vents


    It wasn¡¯t anywhere near enough to fight back winter, but the guards told me thick walls and good blankets would make up for it. Housing was so cramped in the city, and fuel so scarce, that in-home fires were only found in higher levels of society or huge communal gatherings like pubs. The rest got by on thick paddings and soups as hot as could be made.


    Three ovens were slapped together before I felt enough had been done to allow construction on the next floor. My exit from the tower was accompanied by a flurry of workers who hurried about trying to put what they saw into practice under the eyes of foremen. It was going to be a disaster the first time around, but like making airships at the base, I couldn¡¯t personally oversee everything all the time and the painful process of honing skills had to start somehow.


    Winter blew over my coat and exposed face as I trekked over the stone floor toward the newest tower with my guards cluttering around me. About halfway there, a shout with a panicked tone rang out behind me.


    ¡°Oi!¡±


    I turned back towards the source to see a foreman pointing to the sky. Following his finger, I turned up to a long dot in the sky. It was getting closer and within seconds, a long log could be distinguished floating toward Crasden.


    The ship was a long piece of seamless wood with perfectly round ends, the only distinguishing geometry was a larger bulge in the middle. The thing came close enough that details like gold paintings of circles, triangles, and squares along the hull became visible, as did the various windows. The ship did an upward list as it came within a few hundred or so feet of the ground, sending a blast of air over my walls before jetting off to the right.


    Royalty.


    Taking a deep breath, I went to walk towards my destination but had to stop when the ring of my guard had become a circle of statues. Their heads followed the retreating ship, mouths agape and eyes wide. It wasn¡¯t much to me, but for those whose only experience in travel involved carts and boats, God himself could have split the skies to say hello and I doubt they¡¯d be any more stunned.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to deprive them of this wonderous moment, so I waited patiently for a few seconds until one of the older men in front turned his brown eyes to me. He jolted in place with a bite of his lip.


    ¡°Lads!¡± He yelled to the rest of the group.


    That got them out of their stupor. They noticed I was at the outer part of the ring and moved to walk with me, trying to hide their sheepish faces all the while.


    I spent a good hour going over the third tower''s walls. They were at least a dozen feet thick, with strengthened wood to act as additional support. It was only two floors high, but the foundation was solid and I could see no reason to think the rest could not be done to the same quality. Something the overseer on my right was waiting to hear as I left the empty spot where the entrance would be.


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± I announced as the stone walls moved past us.


    He gave a deep nod and smiled with a deep bow.


    ¡°The men will be grateful to hear such praise.¡± He replied. No sweat dripped down his nose nor did he look like a man with a noose around his neck, even if he still had a nervous air. The overseer, like most of the men who had been present for the hell leading up to the battle, understood they weren¡¯t one mistake or displeasure from death around me and had relaxed a bit. Not much, but a lifetime of fear was loosening its grip on their souls.


    My feet were getting a bit sore and the open kitchen near the middle of the towers was calling me with its benches. The fine-looking coach that came out of the gate towards Crasden seemed to have other ideas as the driver brought his carriage around the side of the kitchen to rest on my right. It was painted with gold trim and a purple body, the typical coloring of official Rodring property. Out of the side door came a smaller lad wrapped in a coat and pants of that same purple with a golden collar. A grand appearance for someone whose soft chin and dimpled cheeks spoke of puberty still a few years off.


    ¡°Tilvor Laperict,¡± He announced with a slight bow. ¡°You are hereby summoned to meet King Jeremy, Queen Nestel, and Queen Verness within the hour. Princess Palta impressed upon me the need to make your¡­¡±


    His brown eyes struggled to not look over my work clothes.


    ¡°Attire appropriate.¡±


    He moved to the side, leaving me a clear path to the open carriage. There was no way of refusing the offer, so I nodded to my guards and proceeded inside. The benches were fluffed with red upholstery and the floor was painted purple, though the gold inlay was kept to the wooden walls and headboards. What drew my eyes was the mirror hanging on the solid wall ahead and the clothes dangling from the ceiling by a thin rope.


    That was all I got to take in before the lad pulled the door shut behind me and the wooden box began moving forward with a slight jolt. Given it was only the two of us with the windows shuttered, I quickly changed with a throw of my clothes on the bench behind. Black shoes with matching pants and a white shirt under a green coat were soon donned. These were of the highest quality that I had seen here, with no obvious stitching and padding for the feet and elbows. The finery even extended to the rustic aspects, with a fine fur around the neck of the cloth jacket.


    I was made presentable in a few minutes with a quick look over by the lad, who had been given this mission by the princess herself. My young guide was the more nervous party, inspecting me over twice for any stray threads or crinkled corners. When the ward of propriety deigned me worthy of being seen, he lifted the curtains.


    Out of the window, I saw the lion guard holding off some carts that were traveling along the stone road with black flecks. These were a bit different than the other guards donning the visage of a cat here. The cloth was purple and the metal itself had a tint of that same color in its metal. A minute of idling passed before we took a left and came under the arch of the wall leading into the main tower. A second longer and the carriage was being slowed until brought to a complete stop. The lad got to the door and held it open as he waited on the left outside.


    Walking out, I came onto the stone steps leading up to the abortion of a tower. Its wide glass panels with steel frames only emphasized how poor the metalwork was and the lack of stone told of pointless maintenance. Between getting it cleaned and replacing damaged glass, the thing was a money pit determined to make a mockery of the cloud cutters it was based on.


    A crime against decency laid firmly at the feet of Rodring.


    Off to the right was the log ship on a raised platform of magically summoned stone, sticking out over the grass field like some kind of shrine constructed by a nature-worshipping cult. The main occupants were apparently long gone, as the servants bustled about with crates and boxes being taken out of the side door. A display I largely ignored as I moved ahead to the tower.


    The lad was quite proud as he led me up the steps towards the glass double doors guarded by men in lion-shaped helmets and steel armor embroidered with fur indents. I moved past them into a wide hall. The staircase on the left stone wall was pretty crowded with those going up and down, something I had little time to go over as my guide moved me through the wood double doors on the right. I was greeted with glass walls and wood flooring before the messenger boy worked the dial on the left side and got us going skyward.


    We stood in silence for a minute before the motion stopped and the doors opened onto a wall of deep brown oak and white tiled floor. I stepped out and immediately came into a long hallway with couches along the walls and pictures of various stern-looking women and men or vast landscapes. There was a small alcove of couches, tables, and chairs to the left looking out of the window, but the lad gestured to the right.


    The wide hallway had metal arches along the ceiling that seemed too thin and ornate to serve as bracing. Between each was a chandelier with a central mana lamp that sent gold rays through the glass crystals surrounding it. I could instantly tell it was a long entrance to a far larger room, owing to a wide opening at the end leading onto a hall with several rows of white-clothed tables. Against a back wall of stone flecked with black was a raised platform two steps above the rest. On it was a long table with three chairs inlaid with gold and made of steel where the purple furnishing let the metal beneath shine through, each of which was placed so that the occupants could oversee their lesser fellows.


    When I came up to the edges of the hallway, I noticed that the tiles now went between grey and white and there were thick purple drapes along the sides of the wall that left a good foot of cloth pooled on the floor, the pieces stopping before getting to the wall. Maids moved between the curtains, carrying pails and rags to clean the rather intimate-looking tables and chairs within. I wanted to say they were sectioned off from the rest, providing a small slice of the gathering for more personal discussions. What was most noticeable was the thing not present. Winter lessened around my exposed hands and face as a growing heat came from the tiles below.


    One of the curtains was pulled back by a lion guard in the back left, his metal head peeking out for a moment before his hands motioned for us to come. My shoes smacked across the floor of white and grey tile until we came up to the guard, the air feeling rather chill despite being so deep into the building. The instant I turned into the room, I registered the person directly ahead of me and nearly walked right back out.


    In front of me was a horizontal table of fine oak and three well-embroidered chairs sporting purple cushioning along the left, which was the only side visible to me from this angle. I could also see the shit-head plant mage Percy. The green robe had the emerald-crusted hood pulled back to reveal his shoulder-length black hair. The mage was rubbing his stubby chin, trying to act casual even if his right hand covered in gold rings gripped the right arm of his chair.


    Consigning myself to a bad time, I moved forward. The people directly across the table came into view from left to right. A man in a purple shirt with black pants, sporting a thick purple fur around his neck. His black hair flowed from the front to the back in a slick manner, accentuating his dark green eyes. Those midnight locks matched the smooth beard covering his face. The facial hair didn''t cover the bit lip pulling on the skin of his wide chin.


    Next was a woman of doll-like beauty. Her hair was so blonde that it almost matched my natural braids. The locks fell to her waist, flowing over a silver dress so thin it might count as indecent if it didn¡¯t cover everything up to the neck. Her sharp chin contrasted with her soft cheeks, though it matched her ears, whose edges were only just soft enough to discount them from those among the elves. The youthful appearance waned around the eyes, which showed some unspoken intensity.


    Those soft blue eyes above the thin nose turned to me with the man. Accompanying the two was Palta at the second to last chair, whose black hair, green eyes, sharp chin, and slim nose made her look like God had decided she should forgo any other ancestry besides her immediate parents. Her body was covered in a deep blue dress, complete with a necklace of sapphires shining from the golden glow of the mana lamp above.


    ¡°The royal couple, I presume?¡± I asked the group, noting the empty chair beside Palta and the guards behind each of them.


    Jeremy nodded with a suppressed smile, though Nestel¡¯s nod was slight enough that I couldn¡¯t be totally confident that it had actually occurred. Palta was stiff as steel beam and didn¡¯t have the emotional energy to react.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Palta put in with a bite of her pink lips. ¡°We were just going over some issues about¡­ a proposal.¡±


    I moved to take my seat along the left side of the table that was still the farthest from Percy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time,¡± The deep voice of Jeremy rang out. He leaned forward on the table, clasping his hands together. ¡°As tremendous as your arrival has been, we need to establish a proper definition for your home in relation to our kingdom. We want to make your domain an officially recognized territory of your house.¡±


    ¡°Does the official title come with official taxes?¡± I asked the group.


    The king chuckled at that, pulling back into his chair with a smile on his wide face and large arms crossed.


    ¡°Puffy, your letters were quite accurate. As always.¡±


    The princess finally reacted, her cheeks getting some color while her pink lips puckered. A small smack on the leg from his wife only made Jeremy chuckle again, with her blue pools getting some whiff of his joy even if the queen¡¯s face remained unmoved.


    ¡°Depends,¡± He responded. ¡°The local governor determines the tax from each territory under their jurisdiction. It all has a few more twists but for your part, that will be determined later. Not that anyone with any sense would overly burden someone who helped restore the region.¡±


    My eyebrows couldn¡¯t stay down at that.


    ¡°Restored? Has Pastoon''s watch been retaken?¡± I asked no one in particular.


    There was a second of silence before Percy coughed.


    ¡°If I could be so bold as to step in.¡±


    Nestel gave a more visible nod.


    ¡°A plan has been worked out.¡± He continued with a grand air ¡°The associations will be assisting in retaking the sea fortress. This is to help stabilize things in the south and to make it abundantly clear that provoking King Beasts is not a rule that can be broken at their convenience. The mist pirates will feel the displeasure of mages everywhere and your... great assistance will not be required.¡±


    It was clear the latter was the more important objective. They were all self-serving scum, but they still knew the consequences of letting such tactics go unpunished. Well, if that¡¯s what it took to get them off their asses, so be it.


    ¡°What about obligations further south? Near the poisoned lands and such.¡± I asked him with a blank look at the plant mage.


    Percy bit his lip at that, thumbing one of his many gold rings.


    ¡°I cannot say.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Taking a deep breath, I turned back towards the leaders of this nation. Which was when the curtain to my right opened to let in the apparently late member.


    ¡°Ah! Verness.¡± Palta said with a small smile.


    I turned to my right to see the queen famed for her ugliness and stopped dead.


    Jeff.


    It wasn¡¯t him, but he was the first person I thought of.


    Clad in a thick black dress that only showed the tanned skin around her neck, Queen Verness had her bowl of black hair going down to her shoulders with those wide ears sticking out of the midnight locks. Thick lips smiled below the crooked nose, though the early 30''s looking woman only had some amusement in her green eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see I made such an impression at the docks that you¡¯d still remember me.¡± The harbormaster offered as she sat beside Palta.


    Don¡¯t look at the man whose wife Jeff is currently trying to bed with anything but indifference.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to forget my first day visiting the wall-bound.¡± I refuted. ¡°Though I suppose my wooden crafts will have even more use for the queen overseeing the Rodring fleet.¡±


    A rough cough came from Percy, this time without a polite interruption.


    ¡°Yes. Those.¡± He intoned with a tight voice before turning his brown eyes on me. Those pools of mud had barely restrained anger in them. ¡°Congratulations on the bestowment. That also means you are an official part of the Rodring kingdom. The rules governing magical affairs in the kingdom now fully apply to you.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Palta cut in. ¡°As a mage unaffiliated with the royal family, your domain will be subject to the requirements and discretion of the Seed guild. Given you¡¯ve shown such an affinity for construction, I¡¯d imagine the Mountain Top association will likewise take an interest in your abilities. Such incredibly valuable and revered company will be receiving letters signed by all four members of the royal family, attesting to his ability.¡±


    I puckered my lips as my fingers strummed on the table. Taking in the royal family of four, they each looked a little peeved, save Nestel. The ancient queen sat perfectly still; her hands cusped in her lap.


    ¡°Does this mean membership, or are they serving in a purely supervisory role?¡± I asked.


    The snort from my left drew everyone¡¯s gaze. Percy straightened up a bit in his chair, looking at me with a stiff face even if his eyes screamed disgust.


    ¡°I speak for the Mountain Top and Seed associations when I say that your ascension to our ranks is thoroughly out of the question.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°I can continue my work in peace then.¡±


    Percy opened his mouth, but Jeremy broke through our pettiness.


    ¡°What would that entail?¡± He asked, stroking his oiled black beard. ¡°I must warn you, selling crafts to be used outside of your domain will not be allowed going forward. That shipment you gave the Keltons can be overlooked, but we can¡¯t risk the pirates getting ahold of the ability to make forts out on the sea for free or stockpile ammunition from mana.¡±


    The list was two items long, but there was a lot needed to get them.


    ¡°Housing and food. A nice little corner for my retirement. That''s what I''ll be working towards once we''ve sent the pirates to the bottom of the sea.¡±


    The plant caster got some pink in his tanned cheeks, the emeralds of his hood clacking together as he did a proper turn to me.


    ¡°Such duties are legally under the auspices of the associations. What works of yours will involve magic in that stone abode?¡±


    ¡°Farms, obviously. Homes need thick walls for the cold and summoning crafts are the best for that. Well, everything needs thick walls to keep out the beasts. I¡¯d imagine I¡¯ll use plant-growing crafts soon for furniture and plant fibers.¡±


    Percy was getting a shade redder with each item, though the worst had yet to come.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the fire element and freezing to death isn¡¯t a good end to my tale, so I¡¯ll be growing wood for fuel as well. Judging by the smells of my workers, I want to say I¡¯ll need to set up some bathing facilities, whether those will be an entirely separate -.¡±


    *BAM*


    The plant mage slammed his fist on the table with a metal thud of his jewelry.


    ¡°Using magic for the peasants directly? To wash filth and grime? Have you no dignity?¡± He demanded from between gritted teeth.


    And I didn¡¯t even get to the sewage system.


    ¡°It is my spell craft to use. Unless you claim dominion over mana itself?¡±


    He bit his lip at that, even if those brown eyes looked ready to explode. An opportunity Verness used to verbally get in between us.


    ¡°Tilvor, no matter his eccentrics, has proven an invaluable asset to the well-being of the kingdom. What he is building won''t take revenue away from the farms the Seed works with. They¡¯re running at full capacity and still not meeting demand. And they never have, if the needed trade with the Coalition wasn¡¯t a sufficient clue.¡±


    ¡°The law is very clear. We handle food production.¡± Percy replied with bitterness soaked in every word.


    A cough from the other side of the table drew my eyes to the princess.


    ¡°With one exception to personal workings.¡± Palta cut in, her blue dress shifting with her hand being placed on the table. ¡°The associations aren''t allowed to tell the royal families what they can do in their ancestral abodes. We might have some far-off cousin adopt him, making this a Literrean fort. He could make as much food as he wants as long as he doesn''t sell the crafts elsewhere.¡±


    She put a hand to her chest and waived to her companions with a smug smile.


    ¡°Unless you think to undo the exception for holds of the royal family.¡±


    So, the families descended from Rodring¡¯s party cut out exceptions for themselves. A bit sketchy since they didn¡¯t get the shackles off the rest of the populace, but monarchies weren''t known for being egalitarian. A monarchy I might soon be an offshoot of.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about fretting over words on paper.¡± Percy shot back, a bit more restrained now that he was facing them. ¡°The esteem of mages everywhere is soiled each day he plies our gift in shit and filth. Letting the dross think they have any expectation of the time or resources of our kind will only make them more entitled in the future.¡±


    First it was legal, now it¡¯s all about their pride.


    ¡°It is shameful, but do you understand which direction the disgrace flows?¡± I asked with a turn in my chair to him.


    He turned to me with raised black eyebrows.


    ¡°You are of lesser value than the messenger boy who fetched me.¡± I declared.


    Percy went wide-eyed while in the corner of my vision, I saw Jeremy bite his lip.


    ¡°He did his job.¡± I continued with an accusing finger. ¡°We can rely on him to do what is expected of him. The plain hammer. You are the gilded tool that never leaves the shelf. Your head is a fine, shiny metal, but your handle is rotten. Maybe you¡¯ll hit the nail, maybe you¡¯ll fall apart on the swing and injure the worker.¡±


    I leaned forward to emphasize the point.


    ¡°Those peasants will do their jobs. I can¡¯t say the same of your ilk. You scurried away at the moment of pressure like the vermin you are, leaving behind just enough to hobble the people who are actually worth something. Any of the peasants I¡¯ve worked with these past weeks is of far greater worth to humanity than the Mountain Top or Seed associations.¡±


    The plant mage stood straight up, sending his chair crashing behind him. Red pushed back the tan of his cheeks as his teeth were bared like a wolf.


    ¡°Percy.¡±


    The word had a woman¡¯s inflection but with winter''s chill dripping through.


    I turned to see Nestel now leaning on the table with her hands clenched together. Her deep blue eyes held no warmth, and her sharp chin now emphasized a slight clench of her teeth even if everything else had the same doll-like perfection. The plant mage went pale, standing totally still like a deer stunned at the sight of a predator.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m in agreement with Tilvor.¡± She announced in a calm tone even if her gaze and manner were still ones of intense hatred towards Percy. ¡°But know that one of you is responsible for endangering my daughter and the other helped her. Do you think that I am inclined to favor the latter over the former?¡±


    A moment of silence hung in the air.


    ¡°Percy?¡± Nestel, widow of the ultimate mage Rodring and living legend, demanded like a mother running short on patience. Though, this one seemed like she was not averse to culling said brood.


    ¡°No¡­ Yes! Yes, Queen Nestel.¡± The man corrected, sending some spit on the table as his bejeweled fists clenched behind his back.


    Jeremy was leaning back in his chair, taking a conspicuous gulp as he shrunk a bit inward, while Palta sat there like a child waiting for the moment to pass as she squeezed her hands, as did Verness. The predator of the group didn''t acknowledge the others, instead continuing her mauling of the plant caster.


    ¡°Most free traveling mages consider working for any government a stain on their reputation. Something that those of the associations have no doubt snickered at me for.¡±


    Percy shook his head. As much as he wanted to deny it verbally, he couldn¡¯t seem to find the words.


    ¡°That, however, is up to the mage. If Tilvor wants to spend his years making a nice little corner for the magicless peasants, that is up to him to decide. Especially if he continues aiding in areas of mutual benefit as he has been.¡±


    The plant mage straightened his back a bit. However nervous he was, he knew what the people filling his coin purse expected.


    ¡°The Growing Accord doesn¡¯t allow for mages whimsy. We handle all the magical growing of food and the Mountain Top is tasked with overseeing construction. An agreement I¡¯m sure you understand the importance of.¡±


    Nestel¡¯s almost silver eyebrows furrowed into a V. The change was far more pronounced in her features due to the pull on the tight, pale skin. It was backed up by finely manicured nails moving to strum on the table.


    ¡°You wailed like a babe about the bounds of sacred laws, then it¡¯s all poetry about dignity. Now you want to go back to ¡®fretting about words on paper¡¯? What a merry circle you¡¯ve dragged us all on. Still, I suppose a territory under us needs to follow our rules.¡±


    She threw her right hand up in an open palm to her shoulder. Percy drew his head back but relaxed when the guard behind the queen produced a paper that was quickly handed off. Placing it on the table, she cleared her throat with a cough before reading it aloud.


    ¡°The hold of Tilvor Laperict, in recognition of his brave service, is hereby recognized as a fully independent territory. His domain is subject to a flat tax of five percent of revenue and will be expected to defend the common good as laid out by the royal family of the Rodring kingdom and its leadership. His domain, while a subject of the Rodring kingdom, is exempt from its treaties, laws, and agreements. With the only exceptions being those specified by the leadership of the royal family.¡±


    Nestel handed the paper back to the guard with barely a look in my direction. Percy looked like he wanted to throw up.


    ¡°What is the process used for obtaining an exception?" The plant mage asked as he swayed a bit in place.


    The woman shifted back, resuming that doll-like stiffness as those perfect hands resumed resting in her lap.


    ¡°When I feel like it.¡±


    The plant mage bit his lip, the gears of his mind almost visibly turning as he tried to pull himself out of this trap.


    ¡°Do tell your betters to think back to this moment the next time you decide to pull the supports out from under the bridge my daughter is walking over. The pirates aren¡¯t the only ones whose attitude will be getting adjusted.¡± Nestel said with the pleasantness of a walking companion.


    Jeremy was sitting a bit more comfortably now that the centuries-old woman wasn¡¯t so visibly irate. Palta was more worried as a bead of sweat ran down her forehead while Verness just looked like she wanted to disappear. Nestel then turned to me with a small smile on her lips.


    ¡°I hope I won¡¯t have to carve out exceptions for mass murder, rape, and such. Turning the place into your personal pen of gory fun is something I¡¯ll make exceptions for.¡± She said with a measuring look.


    ¡°Tales of mages abusing peasants have reached my ears. I will exchange blood for blood, lives for lives for any on my land, be they peasant, caster, or scion. Besides that, I have a more laid-back retirement in mind. Once the scum has been dealt with.¡±


    Jeremy gave a light cough as he inserted himself back into the conversation.


    ¡°And how far will that revenge extend? We¡¯ve pushed the pirates back to the misty veil once or twice over the centuries, but I wouldn¡¯t hold out hope for getting in the place.¡±


    I shook my head and leaned back in my chair.


    ¡°The mighty leaders weren¡¯t the ones who slit my daughter¡¯s throat. Even if they came up with the plan. No. I¡¯ll kill every last one of them that arrived here just to make absolutely sure I got the shit stain that did it but after that¡­ I might supply ships but the world beyond these lands¡¯ fades to nothing in my eyes.¡±


    All four of them nodded. Probably a bit happy at not having a huge unknown factor tearing up and down the coast while burning through the established order.


    ¡°Good.¡± Palta put in with a hand on the table. ¡°The ordaining of such a territory would typically demand days of feasting, but we have to announce the establishment of the next governor as well. Would you be fine with an announcement tonight of the new governorship and their speech presented the next morning? Of course, you¡¯ll be given a room and care for an overnight stay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± I agreed with a nod.


    Our time together reached its end, with Percy bowing before fleeing the scene and slinking through the right curtain like an exposed rat. He stopped for a moment, looking me in the eyes. Those ponds of mud had some simmering look of satisfaction for but a moment before the caster stormed out. Any joy felt by that scum probably bodes ill for me but the moment flashed by with his exit.


    I got out of my chair with a bit more leisure, giving the four a smile before moving out of the curtain as the new ruler of a free city. The large room was much the same, though the tables now sported a maid or two putting on tablecloth and silverware.


    What drew my eyes was the purple-clothed lad on the left, rubbing a sore cheek and looking confused at the retreating green robes of Percy. The furrowed brows and whispers from the servants made his assault on the poor boy readily apparent. I stepped forward to stand in front of him.


    ¡°You did well lad. Don¡¯t let overstuffed losers get to you.¡±


    It was all I could offer, which he seemed to appreciate with a nod. My guide then showed me back towards the exit of the grand room. As we approached the cusp of the hallway, he stopped and turned to me.


    ¡°It may be some time before we can take the elevator down. We could wait in the lounge further ahead or take the stairs to your room on the floor below.¡±


    ¡°The stairs.¡±


    The lad smiled before leading me to the right in the open space by the wall.


    ¡°Tell me, boy,¡± I asked as the oncoming maids made room for us. ¡°You wear purple and gold in what I¡¯ve gathered is the national colors. Yet I¡¯ve seen other couriers wear red and gold. And the guards all wear red leather despite the colors of the nation being your attire. Is there some station involved or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah, these colors are for matters of the royal family and national affairs.¡± He said, sounding rather upbeat to be instructing a mage as we turned left at a less grand exit with stairs beyond. ¡°Those you¡¯ve seen are for people dealing in local affairs. It¡¯s a practice handed down from Rodring himself. The Bodding typically wear red and a dull yellow, so the addition of gold in higher ranks was added to distinguish.¡±


    ¡°You have them wear an enemies color?¡± I inquired, raising an eyebrow in genuine surprise as we descended down the wooden steps.


    He shrugged while three maids moved to the side at our approach before applying his honed craft of the guide trusted by the royal family.


    ¡°We were brother nations at the beginning, great mage. Closer to being one at a few points before the ultimate mage¡¯s friendship soured. The Bodding empire has been a thorn in our sides at times, and we theirs at others. Still, we aid them on the Demon Coast as everyone else does when the time comes. And if we ever decided to start throwing out everything connected to them, no one¡¯s entirely sure where that purge would begin or end. I believe they follow a similar practice, at least in the eastern region.¡±


    The historical instruction ended with us at the bottom of the staircase. Directly ahead was a large kitchen sporting sizzling grills, wood-fired ovens, and a chorus of chopping vegetables at the tables in the back. The men and women preparing the feast wore white short-sleeved shirts that clashed with the leather armor of the guards overlooking them at various points.


    My guide took me to the right further down a hallway. It was a long corridor with wooden floors and dark oak walls with doors on each side and a double door at the end. We continued forward until he turned around at the door with a golden five on it.


    ¡°Here are the accommodations,¡± The kid intoned as he handed me off a round tube sporting the same number in its handle. ¡°I will come for you in a few hours, until then don¡¯t hesitate to fetch a maid for whatever services you may require.¡±


    I nodded before placing this world''s version of a key inside the door''s hole for a lock until the layered bits on the end of the rod finally produced the needed click. A smile and the lad moved past me to return to the upper floor. Going in, my room consisted of a large fluffy bed on the right against the stone wall, with a desk by its left. Directly ahead was another wooden door that matched the boards on the ground. There was a certain quality about the room that put it above anything else in the city, though how it compared to the average fare enjoyed by royalty and mages was beyond me. Not that the mana lamps on the sides of the bed that bathed the room in flickering light would be found among the peasantry.


    I spent a few minutes sorting out how to meet up with Jeff to warn him of who he was tying his heart to. What I got was more reasons not to do it. We never met save a quick second after the battle in the docks, so asking to meet him was off the table. He was staying in the mage quarter, a place I was very much despised and had no reason to visit. The brothers didn¡¯t have a radio even if I could get myself back home. Jeff hadn¡¯t gotten her into bed yet and I would just have to wait until after the governor''s announcement tomorrow.


    Fortunately, the desk came with a small stack of papers and an accompanying quill with ink. A few hours passed in sketches and calculations for the dimensions of the farming complexes. It was a nice reprieve from the constant physical labor, and, despite the ever-present cold, they managed to make it a bit warmer here than in my hovel. I was putting the finishing touches on the placement of the troughs when a knock came.


    ¡°Great mage.¡± My young minder''s voice rang out.


    ¡°Coming,¡± I called back, pushing my work to the side. A quick walk to the door and I was greeted by the purple-dressed lad, his brown eyes looking up to me with warmth.


    ¡°King Jeremy has instructed me to take you up through the elevator. It would not due for the honored guest of the day to come through the servant''s stairs.¡±


    I only nodded before following behind. We made our way down the hall and up the magical contraption imitating my world¡¯s equivalent. I didn¡¯t know for a fact that it was an invention from my universe, but if they were going to poorly steal our building designs, then I was going to at least claim the part of it that worked well.


    The wooden doors opened onto the same hallway, only this time there were people meandering about. All sporting fine coats and dresses as they were served drinks and sweets from trays by servers. The lounge seemed like the preferred spot, with most of the noise coming from the left as we disembarked. That same trek down the hall was done again, only this time we had to do some maneuvering as my guide wasn¡¯t as confident in shoving aside the idlers this time around.


    When we arrived in the big room again, I was led to the table closest to the raised platform and promptly abandoned by my protector. I noticed more than a few eyes looking me over with interest as I took my seat, though only one bothered approaching. A thin woman with brown hair and darkly tanned skin. She sported freckles that emphasized her green eyes and smooth cheeks. The most recognizable feature was the black dress and suit-like top, which marked her as a member of the Front and a portent of bad memories.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Nina.¡± She offered with a bow.


    The name was buzzing in the recesses of my mind, eluding any firm placement despite being on the verge of remembrance.


    ¡°I am the representative of the Front here.¡±


    Ah, the women Palta mentioned when I first arrived. Preparing for a conversation about being slung out to the local women, I pulled myself up straight.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid my duties to bring in the next generation have a snare.¡±


    She did another curtsy bow.


    ¡°Palta informed me as such. If that was the only thing that could be done to further humanity¡¯s ability, I would have only sent congratulations on the new territory.¡±


    So, they told the important before they arrived. Was this all just a reason to party then? Well, royalty typically required a certain level of pomp.


    ¡°What else could be done?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That depends on you. More specifically, the laws you make.¡± She countered with a smile that bordered on forced.


    ¡°My laws?¡±


    She nodded, meeting my gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you''re rather cordial with the workers. If I could pry, what would happen in your domain if a mage should injure a peasant?¡±


    I licked my lips, pondering the question.


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about a malicious display of cruelty for some small slight, the answer would be a worse treatment than was inflicted. Up to and including death. If it was an accident or a matter of negligence¡­ that would have to be decided on the facts of the particular case.¡±


    That brought a genuine smile to her face, free of the stiffness that accompanied simple etiquette.


    ¡°Then you and the Front are of a similar mind on this issue. We have long advocated for more restrictive laws, though it is done rather carefully to avoid offending mages.¡±


    My eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise.


    ¡°But I thought you lot were all about maximizing humanity¡¯s magical potential?¡±


    Her posture stiffened as she delivered what seemed like a rehearsed line.


    ¡°Indeed, we are. And each peasant has the potential for magical ability. It¡¯s far less than those sired by mages, but the chance is always there. That roll of the dice, however, cannot happen if they are killed for some trivial matter by a mage.


    Even if they or their line never produce magical offspring, they are still needed to help man the walls against the ever-encroaching wilds and the thousands of other tasks that keep our little oases of humanity going. Allowing careless brutality to them only lessens our species'' overall ability.¡±


    What a tricky little organization, this Front. Of course, the Coalition had a far better handle on the mages than the Rodring kingdom did, preventing the need for such advocacy.


    ¡°And what do you do besides legal work?¡±


    Her back stiffened a bit, shaking her black dress.


    ¡°Most of our resources are pooled in the west. We are found in every institution of learning, and in the case of studying ultimate mages, lead the academic side of things but¡­ The associations have far more influence than we do. And since they are the ones who make the cities and all but dictate the laws our ability to directly affect the lower levels of society isn¡¯t what we would like.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, now fully paying attention to this conversation.


    ¡°And what would a civilization made by the Front look like?¡±


    Nina bit her lip, clearly not having considered the question before.


    ¡°A big wish is to set up a system where small amounts of magical resources are distributed among the peasants, allowing us to pick up people who might have extraordinary magical affinity but lack the resources to display such talents. A very unpopular notion, as I¡¯m sure you would imagine. Aside from that¡­ I cannot profess any knowledge in city design or architecture.¡±


    I sat there, pondering over her words. An interesting twist in the road could be ahead if she had the right mindset to see it.


    ¡°But is magical ability the sum of humanity¡¯s potential?¡±


    She furrowed dark eyebrows. Green eyes looked at me with an uncomprehending stare.


    ¡°You mentioned the ability of magicless peasants to contribute to humanity¡¯s ability. To help make a safeguard against nature. But is the peak of man¡¯s power its magical ability or the ability to conquer the bloodthirsty trees?¡±


    Nina bit her lips before doing a light bow.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your question evades me.¡±


    ¡°Is the point of improving our species gaining more magical power or is it to ensure our survival?¡±


    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± She asked with a puckered lip, a bit of understanding taking hold in her eyes.


    ¡°The magicless peasants contribute to our endurance in the face of nature even if they or their kin never obtain magical abilities, as you explained. So what I¡¯m asking is this: Does the Front care more about maximizing humanity''s magical potential or making sure humanity has a future?¡±


    ¡°Survival. Though magic is the best means to that.¡± She answered with a bit of uncertainty.


    ¡°Ah. Thank you for clarifying, Nina. I make no promises, but it seems like we have similar views on the state of our kind.¡±


    The Front woman did a little bow.


    ¡°Thank you for your time, Tilvor. And a rather engaging discussion.¡±


    With that, she turned to go behind me. Now that humanity¡¯s survival and magical ability were two distinct things in her mind, she might prove fertile soil for the seeds of heresy in the future. Time would be the judge of that, and I could do no more to subvert her at this dinner.


    It was a few more minutes of idling before the messenger boy came from the curtain to the left. His approach to the raised platform slowly killed the stream of chatter from the rest of the room.


    ¡°Please remain seated. It is my esteemed honor to introduce King Jeremy, Queen Nestel, and Princess Palta.¡±


    The same spot in the curtains was pulled back to reveal Jeremy. He now sported a purple coat and pants with gold edges, only now the gold was weaved into sharp ninety-degree turns leaving edges all up and down that all eventually traced into a full gold ring around his feet. His favored wife had his right arm.


    Nestel sported the same dress and doll-like stature. Her dress and feet seemed to almost glide across the tiled floor as they came up the stone platform. Palta followed close behind, dressed as she had been at our meeting. The lack of their fourth component went unremarked.


    They made their way up the stairs without a hitch, with Jeremy pulling the center seat back for Nestel and scooting her in before doing the same for his daughter on the left. When he took the last seat, he nodded to a maid on the right.


    She returned the gesture before turning back to the purple curtains. Out of the purple drapes came a small army of platter-wielding servers and jugs lofted by maids, each in the black and white attire of their station though the sleeves were all near their shoulders. They moved between the tables and chairs like commandos storming the enemy position.


    Plates of sliced meats, rolls, and vegetable dishes were offered to the guests who accepted. The wave of charred meats and freshly baked bread surged through my nose with their approach. The next wave of selections were fish and water-bound bugs of every steamed or grilled variety, giving a faint whiff of heavy salts and spice. I took a bit of everything. I had earned this entire meal a thousand times over this past week alone and I was going to take every molecule of gratitude that could be sucked out of a lobster¡¯s tail or steak¡¯s sear.


    No such fuss was needed for the incomplete royal family, whose meals had already been preordained. Wines and juices were quickly dispensed into tankards, which everyone had started washing down with a few bites of the meal. After a minute or so, Jeremy put down his mug of ale and stood, bringing any munching or clanking of silverware to a stop. His green eyes surveyed the room, not stopping even as his mouth finally opened.


    ¡°My father once said that toughness isn¡¯t something given in the womb, it is given through sore back, tired arms, and worn hands. A man as great as you¡¯ve all heard, I assure you. I¡¯ve seen his wisdom exemplified by one individual-¡°


    He did a grand sweep of his arm to me.


    ¡°Tilvor Laperict. A man from the wilds and as tough as any mage could ever be. He has displayed great strength in his magic but also his spine and grit. It was through his efforts and determination that so much was saved from the menace on the seas. The only reward that I and my beloved Nestel could think to grant for such service, and aiding our daughter, was the official recognition of his independent domain. The grand stone tapestry beyond Crasden will no doubt blossom under his guidance into a sister city for this region and its people.¡±


    A round of applause went up, with Palta joining in while her parents maintained a stoic stance.


    ¡°Part of that great future will be the establishment of a worthy partner in government. After much consideration and the endorsement of several of our great kingdom¡¯s mage associations, I am pleased to announce that the handling of the local governorship will be handed to Lady Ashe Kraton though her arrival tomorrow will be her first official day in the chair.¡±


    He may have sat down with that last word, but the local chatter rose far above what it was before. It was an interesting tale I had pieced together from the overseer on one of our working lunches. Her rather lacking uncle had used Orcs to make some mages that would do all the work or supply them with additional magical talent, it was a rather high-level investigation with only some bits getting leaked to the public. He was a rather close relation in my opinion despite Ashe''s description of a distant relative at our minute of dinner. A perpetrator of the most revolting act mankind had ever known and a few pleasant nights for me. Kraton getting back the reigns to the very city that sickening crime took place in was¡­ a political miracle.


    The temporary governor after the Kraton house was relieved of his station for making such a huge mess that the whole region rebelled. I was certain that still wasn¡¯t as bad as Orc mating in the eyes of humans. Coming back from that was almost as impossible as someone from such a stained family receiving the endorsement of the mage associations. My political senses couldn¡¯t guess which of the two was more significant, but I would have bet neither had been diplomatically possible. No divination of how this happened was going to come from the royal family, who resumed working their plates.


    As did I.


    A good ten minutes of stacking a small mountain of empty crab shells and swigging weak beer passed before one of the servers came to my table with a small bow making his brown hair shift.


    ¡°I have been informed that the dancing portion of the evening is approaching. You seem well situated and, if the lord would rather enjoy his meal in peace, one of the private rooms in the curtains could be made available.¡±


    ¡°Definitely. My feet have been put through enough these past few weeks.¡± I agreed as some servers came to move my unfinished feast.


    I was soon enjoying a fresh steak in a pepper sauce inside a little world consisting of purple drapes forming walls and a wooden table with upholstered chairs. The mug of beer was halfway up to my lips when there was a shift in the curtains ahead letting in a slow chorus of flutes and some instrument like a violin with a deeper base. In came King Jeremy, who moved up to my table with some red on his cheeks and a mug in hand.


    ¡°Tilvor!¡± He yelled with a large smile. ¡°I just wanted to give you my personal thanks for helping my daughter. Little Puffy always pushes herself too hard. Seems like all mages do these days.¡±


    I nodded to him, noticing the eye of a guard behind him perusing the room.


    ¡°Palta is certainly a determined leader. A good daughter for any father.¡± I offered as I placed my mug down on the table.


    Jeremy raised a black eyebrow as his thumb rubbed the wood mug.


    ¡°You¡¯re far more trusting than I would have thought.¡±


    ¡°Days like these show you people¡¯s sides that typically take years to come out. The hard times came and she kept her head through the ups and downs. She¡¯ll make a good queen to guide her future king.¡±


    The king smirked as he moved closer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from, but here the queen is in charge. In a similar way to the empress of the Bodding kingdom. The king used to be stronger until my ancestors Ballud, and to a lesser extent, Geshton made the messes we¡¯re still trying to recover from. My father was something of an exception. He helped push key victories against the pirates AND the Orcs. Everyone was rather reluctant to have a king front and center in the royal family again, but he proved them all wrong¡­¡±


    He paused for a second before sticking a finger up.


    ¡°Though I was the one Nestel decided to wed. I can¡¯t help but wonder what she could have possibly seen in me that wasn¡¯t present in Dad. Whatever it was, at least in that way I haven¡¯t fallen short of him.¡±


    Oh. He was THAT drunk. I looked behind him as he moved around the table, seeing the helmet of the guard still facing us even if I couldn¡¯t see him in the dim light. The king completed his journey with a small smack of his hip against the table before sitting next to me. The stab of ale that accompanied his breathing was expected, yet no less potent for it.


    ¡°I saw the place on the flight over. An impressive set of structures all around. My metal element hasn¡¯t imbued me with such an architectural ability. Maybe something about growing plants translates to making buildings.¡± He bemoaned as he placed his tankard down next to my pile of slain crab legs.


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± I refuted with the patient smile I would use to placate any other man at a bar. ¡°Certain woods can be hardened to that of steel. Layering those inside the stone can act as bracing as well as providing flooring for when the stone would be too weak to be useful.¡±


    ¡°Weak?¡± He asked with furrowed eyebrows and puckered lips.


    ¡°Stone is strong, in the right shape and thickness.¡± I offered with a quick suck of mana to fashion a thin square of grey rock. The king leaned closer with that same puzzled face as he looked at the result of my spell. As I breathed in to make the point about tensile strength, a quick shove of the curtains to my left drew both our gazes.


    ¡°Dad!¡± The voice of Palta almost screamed out. I turned just in time to see the princess rushing into the room, not drunk yet still having some red in her cheeks from anger. Those royal black locks flapped with her sprint between us.


    Her finely manicured hands took her father¡¯s left shoulder and yanked him out of the chair.


    ¡°Got some bite in that grip.¡± Jeremy offered as his daughter unceremoniously dragged a key leader of the nation out of the room.


    They disappeared through the purple cloth with my final gift being a nod from the king. My turn directly ahead showed the guard had since withdrawn from the show. Drunk man getting chewed out by their child is a fun skit in shows, though the real thing is never as pleasant. Especially when the members are descendants of an esteemed bloodline guiding a nation.


    I continued my conquest in silence. Another plate of steak and crab legs was on its last slurp when the curtains to my left shifted again. What came through was not an irate Palta or unsteady Jeremy, but the pristine Nestel.


    ¡°Tilvor, would you accompany me downstairs for a minute?¡± She asked in a soft tone, her soft blue eyes holding some warmth.


    As confused as I was at the situation, I was in no position to refuse the lady¡¯s request. A quick wipe with a napkin and the table was quickly left behind. We moved side by side between the curtains, the world nothing but deep purple cloth save the stone floor. One component lacking in this new world was guards, leaving just us two to walk alone. After a turn right, Nestel spoke up again.


    ¡°Do you have some issue with me?¡± She asked almost innocently while a platter-bearing servant ducked out of our way to the left.


    ¡°Why would you ask that? Most of my grievance was aimed at the green-laced rat.¡±


    A small chuckle came from her as we came up to a stone wall and turned left.


    ¡°When Palta was talking about me in your home, she says you got a strange look. Has my fame reached even the trees and creatures of the wilds?¡±


    Damn this lack of face coverings.


    ¡°It is an extraordinary tale. And you really were there all those ages ago when Rodring walked these lands?¡± I asked. Hearing about a fellow traveler from my universe did spark some genuine interest.


    ¡°I suppose it does spark some skepticism on the first listen. Yes, my late husband was the vaunted ultimate mage that formed this very kingdom. As his widow, I still stand vigilant over his enduring creation.¡±


    We came up to the stairs that served as the entry and exit for the workers. The expected turn left never came, instead, she put a hand through my right arm and moved us down with the current occupants rushing to the sides. More than one seemed to be silently praying that the two mages walking past wouldn''t deign to notice them.


    ¡°The buildings are also his doing, yes?¡±


    ¡°Very much so.¡± She offered with a small smile across her face.


    ¡°A lot of glass and steel that. I would never slight your late husband¡¯s ability, Lady Nestel. However, as something of an architect, I must say I do have some criticism.¡± I offered with our approach of the turn in the stairwell. The waft of dozens of meals went by as the boards of the stairs creaked with our descent.


    ¡°I almost certainly raised some of those very points to him.¡± Nestel offered ruefully. ¡°But he said it reminded him of home.¡±


    ¡°Where was his home? I¡¯ve only ever gotten vague descriptions of the ultimate mages, and nothing ever seems to be very well-defined with them.¡±


    ¡°As it should be.¡± She refuted with our turn to the last set of steps. ¡°Everything about them is strictly controlled. An army of schemers and petty liars would be marching into every government hall all day long with grand claims if certain¡­ aspects were not curtailed from public knowledge. Of course, honor would demand I personally oversee their execution, replete with an impassioned speech and a march displaying the body, things I certainly don¡¯t have time for.


    His home, however, was never discussed in detail. My recollection is that the buildings are based on a nation called your-up. Their only neighbor was to the north. A collection of people called Asia, though any details about them are lost with Rodring. I''m inclined to say they were his personal labels for the Far Shores.¡± She finished as we approached the stone floor.


    Well, it appears some memory of hers has failed along the way. Unless Africa had lost its position beneath Asia without anyone knowing, it would be safe to assume she¡¯s not remembering everything he said correctly. When we left the staircase, our duo moved down the hall a bit to the right while the kitchen directly ahead was still at its full tempo. The hallway with gold-numbered doors started, though we stopped at none of them.


    ¡°Did he bring anything else from this¡­your-up?¡± I asked with a slow attempt to replicate the mispronunciation of Europe.


    ¡°He had many plans and tinkerings.¡± Nestel offered with a small sigh as we came to a double door at the end of the hall guarded by two men in lion-shaped armor. ¡°Like all men, really. Though, he never completed most of them. Always something about certain oils or powders he couldn¡¯t remember how to make. Unlike most men, the small slice of his vision he did achieve was enough to shape the world.¡±


    I only nodded as we came up to the doors, which the men opened for us. Inside was something between a study and a meeting room with a white tiled floor. A roaring fireplace was on the right, sporting a wooden bottom that sucked in mana to produce its smokeless flames. A large leather couch was on the left that let the sitter stare into the fire. Between them were two leather chairs sitting opposite each other. In the back was a desk by the window with bookshelves on both sides of the studious mind plying its trade.


    Palta was sitting on the chair closest to the study while a late twenties lion guard was standing near the left of the fireplace. His purple-tinted helmet imitating a roaring lion was tucked beneath his left arm, revealing brown locks. We walked forward in the flickering firelight that illuminated the otherwise dark room.


    Nestel put out a hand to the only other available seat. As I took my spot, I noticed the tense rise in Palta¡¯s shoulders and the beads of sweat on the guard¡¯s exposed forehead, as well as the fear in his green eyes. The prim queen took her spot on the purple upholstery on the couch, sitting as still as a doll.


    They were scared.


    Palta¡¯s green eyes were a bit wide and her breathing was closer to a scared rabbit''s than a sitting woman¡¯s. The guard was biting his lips, and the sweat had a drop fall down his chin. Nestel was the same level of proper she had been since I had first seen her, though her eyes looked between the three of us with a cold menace. That air of dread seeped into me, making my back sit a bit more rigidly.


    ¡°All right,¡± The queen announced like she was opening court.


    Her hand went behind her. A whoosh of air filled the room, which memory said was a noise-deadening enchantment going off. Her blue eyes turned to Palta.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She intoned like a judge.


    ¡°Father was sitting beside Tilvor. I saw his lips drawn outward as they leaned together.¡± The princess said, shooting a rather severe stare my way.


    Nestel turned to me, her hands clasped together.


    ¡°And what were you doing with Jeremy?¡±


    A snide comment was fighting its way up. The tension in the room fought it down and I stuck to a direct answer.


    ¡°I was showing him how stone works.¡±


    Those almost silver eyebrows furrowed, and I felt Palta¡¯s green eyes drilling into me.


    ¡°Stone is very strong. In certain shapes. Using it as flooring exposes a central weakness of the material, which is that it doesn¡¯t hold up when placed in a long thin sheet. Something I was getting ready to demonstrate.¡±


    Nestel turned to the guard along with her daughter. The poor man nodded like a man agreeing to forgo the death sentence.


    ¡°I saw a bit of stone form in Tilvor¡¯s hands. But with the music, I couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about. I obeyed Jeremy¡¯s orders and stayed out of the room with only a look inside.¡±


    Palta¡¯s cheeks got a bit of pink from embarrassment before she looked down at her blue dress.


    Ah. Were they worried people would suspect the king had more similarities to his daughter than just looks?


    ¡°Good,¡± Nestel put in with a pleasant smile. ¡°Derek, you are dismissed. I will see that your¡­discretion is properly rewarded when we return to the capital.¡±


    He did a quick bow and turned to almost fly out of the room past me. I waited for the door to close before turning to the members of royalty. The two women regarded me with piercing eyes that scoured for any signs of betrayal.


    ¡°Can I rely on similar discretion from you, Tilvor?¡± Nestel asked with a subtle warmth.


    ¡°All I want is to retire someplace where I won¡¯t be eaten in my sleep. I will say nothing of¡­ can we straighten out this conversation a bit?¡±


    She raised her eyebrows at me but nodded all the same.


    ¡°Are you concerned about people finding out Jeremy might have a taste for men?¡±


    ¡°There is no might.¡± The queen corrected, drawing the gaze of Palta who scrunched her blue dress in her fist. ¡°I love that man, but that doesn¡¯t mean it is easy every time we have to cover up his repulsive acts. We had hoped he was getting better though it looks like some restriction on ale will have to be a part of setting him on the right path. Can we trust you to keep this matter close to the chest?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I agreed. There is a lot on my shoulders right now and getting enmeshed in palace wranglings was not what I came here to do. The princess looked a bit skeptical despite my assurance.


    ¡°Ale has proven the enemy of reason, and I would hate for you to say something without proper thought.¡± Palta pressed further, biting her lower pink lip. ¡°Can you really assure us there won¡¯t be any rumors about this incident flowing through the maids¡¯ lips in the months or years to come?¡±


    ¡°If some server saw something or was of a particularly keen hearing, I have NO control over that. I can guarantee if such rumors start, they will not flow down from me. Have I not shown myself to be discerning when the time called for it?¡± I stated between gritted teeth in an even tone.


    Honestly, being pressed by the lesbian princess of all people on this issue was rather maddening. A bit of malcontent must have seeped into my voice because Nestel raised her right eyebrow at me.


    ¡°In what way?¡± She asked in a rather demanding tone.


    The queen had to know what was said of her daughter and I couldn¡¯t think of a way to avoid saying it.


    ¡°I have heard rumors around the princess¡± I shot my hands up defensively ¡°Rumors I have never given life to or used to slander. Nor would I use them to hurt your family''s standing just as I wouldn¡¯t use any around this incident.¡±


    Palta looked at me with furrowed eyebrows and puckered lips that spoke of absolutely no comprehension of what I was blathering on about. Nestel leaned forward with an elbow resting on the couch arm. The wheels of her centuries-old mind turned for a few seconds before she clicked her lips with a small pop and those soft blue eyes lit up in comprehension.


    ¡°Oh, you mean her preference for women?¡±


    Our gazes met and the aqua pools there held, not anger, but curiosity about why I had mentioned the subject in the first place. Palta was visibly uncomfortable, more in the way of someone bringing up an unpleasant memory rather than having a horrid secret blurted out.


    ¡°Tilvor,¡± The princess asked with mild irritation as she leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms. ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°You share the same¡­ proclivity as your father, do you not?¡± I asked, feeling like the world had suddenly tilted even as my butt remained in the seat.


    Nestel now furrowed her eyebrows, leaning back into the leather of the couch before lightly coughing and speaking like I was a slow child.


    ¡°Her proclivity is for women. How is that the same as Jeremy''s? Two men being together will expend virility, but a woman could lay with a hundred of her gender and be just as fertile at the end. It may not be¡­ the best even with that, but the difference is rather obvious. Is it not?¡±


    We sat there staring at each other, neither side really adjusted to the other.


    ¡°Palta said you were from the wild.¡± The queen stated in not quite a question.


    ¡°I spent all but my recent days there. My childhood was in a wrecked ship scrounging for supplies and feasting on a weird squid that got impaled on the ship''s broken mast.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Nestel pronounced with a rise from the couch that seemed to involve more floating than mortal movement. ¡°The woods breed rather strange notions. But perhaps it¡¯s for the best. If you think those are the same and you acted with discretion towards her situation-¡°


    She stopped with a look at her daughter until Palta nodded. That doll-like beauty then turned to me with a small smile.


    ¡°Then I can trust you in the other matter. Let¡¯s put it down to a favor in the future then. Within reason, of course.¡±


    Don¡¯t, Eli.


    Don¡¯t ask for specifics or try to parse this cultural morass. Get out of here and back to your room. Right now.


    I pushed out of the chair with a bit more energy than required before giving her a nod and a light bow. My turn towards the back was almost complete when Nestel coughed again to draw my attention.


    ¡°Actually, Tilvor. If you do hear any more rumors concerning my daughter, I would appreciate it if you reminded people that she has given me two grandchildren and of her incredible service to our nation.¡±


    ¡°I doubt I would need to.¡± I offered with a smile that didn¡¯t feel too forced. ¡°Her actions here have won her many fans among the people.¡±


    Of the three, it was the princess who seemed the least convinced. Her smile was a bit downcast, and those green eyes spoke of some internal wrangling going on. Unseen by the mother who still had her gaze on me.


    I quickly resumed the walk out of the room which concluded with a slam of the doors courtesy of the guards now behind me. The hallway was less barren now, with one or two couples kissing as they made their way into a room. Going over the conversation, I couldn¡¯t see any reason Nestel would have to off me. Killing the most visible person in Crasden would only make giants of any rumors concerning this incident with Jeremy, and of course, potentially destabilizing an entire region of her beloved late husband¡¯s kingdom.


    The arrangement was for me to stay here all night, so I couldn¡¯t make sure Jeff didn¡¯t hop on the other queen¡¯s thighs. That probably wouldn¡¯t be as big a problem as it was an hour ago. Given the situation, Verness probably took on lovers with a regular frequency and was well practiced in that vaunted discretion Nestel spoke so fondly of. But her latest paramour would have to make an expedited exit.


    No.


    If Jeff found out she was the queen, he would probably have to cling tighter to her lest she ask what he was hiding to avoid the higher echelons of society. Hopefully, he was blissfully ignorant when I next met him. It was a thorny issue that had no immediate action to be taken.


    I made it up to the door with a golden five and went inside. The shoes were quickly thrown off in the darkened room and I made it into the bed from memory. A night of rest came and went too fast for comfort.


    *Knock*


    *Knock*


    My hand went to the space where the mana lamp on the wall should have been until I felt the smooth surface of chilled crystal. A press against the bottom flooded my closed eyes with a faint orange glow. Bitter cold nipped at my fingers even with the relative warmth of the sheets. The heat of the base had been a far-off thing for what felt like ages and it seemed particularly distant when even the best accommodations in the city couldn¡¯t keep out the cold.


    I took a deep breath and committed to the day¡¯s first labor by opening my eyes. The second was a pull out of the barely warm blankets finished with my feet hitting the icy boards of the floor. The move across the room bathed in golden light took a second of agony but the handle was somehow reached and pulled. It was the lad, done up in the same purple with what looked like a thick green blanket in his hands.


    ¡°Here is another gift from the royal family. A warm bath is a few minutes in the making and will arrive shortly.¡± He announced with a quick bow and stretch of the material.


    I moved to take what he displayed to be a robe but stopped when he reached into the pocket of his pants.


    ¡°A letter from Ashe, the lady of house Kraton.¡± The messenger offered before producing a creme-colored envelope sealed with red wax that was handed off with the robe.


    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± I accepted like I was being handed a snake.


    ¡°The thanks is all mine, great mage. Lady Nestel commended me for my work in helping you.¡±


    ¡°A rare thing?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow. The lad got a huge smile that split his now reddened face almost in half.


    ¡°Unheard of. The maids have spent all morning talking about it. I¡¯ve had to retell my time with you to more than a few of them.¡±


    ¡°All well deserved,¡± I assured him before taking the door handle.


    My former guide did another slight bow before turning away with the close of the door.


    The robe was of the same fine quality as my current attire and lacked the waft of spicy seafood. Pulling off the green coat and white shirt took a few more tugs than it should have but I was eventually down to my green pants with nothing aside from bitter cold wrapping around my bare chest. I then remembered the letter and walked to the desk by the left of the bed. Sitting down in the chair while making sure to avoid having my exposed top touch the cold wood, I opened the letter to read the political greeting and small talk.


    ¡®Tivlor Laperict,


    I am writing ahead to inform you that the Mountain Top and Seed associations have confirmed your ability to meet the challenge of my proposal and have been equally assured as to their assistance in your domain. It was quite a relief when they informed me that you are rather close to the single men. While this will be immensely helpful when the time to relocate them out of Crasden comes, I would advise keeping some distance in such relations.


    The simple fact is they are all partakers of the green flesh, thus their coming expulsion. You may feel a lack of threat from the menace below due to no Orc children coming from your capture and such an attitude may prompt you to take a lax posture in their men¡¯s presence. I will warn you that doesn¡¯t mean they will not try to take you. Even if the Garren¡¯s bane is gone from Crasden, the climate and lack of wildlife in this rocky patch means they will no doubt forge some meager existence out in the fields and they will be even more interested in your abilities and crafts as we work to close the wound of the slum.


    Sincerely and with good wishes,


    Ashe Kraton.¡¯


    I drew in a lungful of icy air, continuing the needed function that had stopped at the end of the first paragraph. For a moment, I pictured my hands around the healer''s throat until I re-read it. The associations appear to have been acting as an intermediary in a discussion neither of us were properly informed of.


    So that was how Ashe got the seat of power back. She was going to expel all the Orc''s husbands and crush their underground abode. A city with their blight moved out of sight of a mage quarter that would go on to reside next to a freshly leveled slum. No doubt being replete with gaudy parks and monuments. And it would still have the needed labor from the men since they would all be living elsewhere.


    My blood was screaming to beat Percy to a pulp then that earth caster woman for good measure. I couldn¡¯t see what the associations would gain from this deception. No. Not the associations. They certainly agreed to this proposal but Percy and that earth caster were probably the ones who deceived the two of us in order to force me into a death march with no preparation. Those petty curs stewing in self-importance probably haven''t faced any real consequences for their actions since birth and figured their station would protect them from the consequences of this jab. The regret of not clobbering one of the fools in front of the royal family stung, but the important item at hand was whether to deliver what others had promised in my name.


    How many thousands of single men were here? Crasden was the main city for a minor region and that slum wasn¡¯t all husbands of Orcs. A few pointless mercies when their homes took up an entire valley and then some. The local government didn¡¯t keep good numbers on their citizens but it was tens of thousands, at the absolute least.


    What a goddamned mess.


    Could this even be done? I had the room for a few ten thousand with all the towers¡­. No. Towers weren¡¯t going to be enough. The numbers involved in this many people with my current design would require layered roads to handle even decent traffic. A compact design was needed, where stacks and stacks of houses resided in large blocks with roads between each other and thick walls between each of them as well as the outer defenses.


    And I had to make sure to consider the Orcs living below. As Ashe mentioned, they could eke out a miserable existence in the rocky plains but realistically, they needed access to a city for goods. My original plan was to have towers and buildings that were too hard to move, leaving the Orcs ample time to vanish whenever my fiction demanded I push them out. It would be a sting to my pride in the craft of architecture to have people think I had stupidly forgotten about that problem, but a needed one.


    I pondered and considered the most obvious solution.


    A two-level city. I could make a huge network of strong wood supports beneath all the stone acting as a cocoon for the lower sewer system and underground warehouses where the men would leave enough room for their wives. Seeing as I was about to have a workforce almost half the size of a city, it could be done. Some consideration would have to be taken to make sure the sewer tunnels and supports were sufficiently labyrinthine and the final piece supporting the upper city would need to be made into modular components with redundancies to allow the Orcs and men to work out how to puncture into the surface when needed. Most of the accommodations for the Orcs would be done by the workers outside of the blueprints and without my help, which meant I needed to make a workable subterranean structure that served its official purpose yet allowed the men to carve out a small civilization in the spaces between the supports with as few fatal errors as possible.


    My hand floated to some of the papers and ink quill before stopping. My shoulders ached and my arms suddenly felt like they were filled with lead. Those well-worn mathematics began resisting the beckon to my frontal lobes. That slog before the battle was a special form of hell and this was going to be worse. Remaking everything while keeping that huge tower upright was going to require my full mental concentration, which meant I was going to have to leave a lot to the Overseer and his workers.


    The vast majority of which would be new men who didn¡¯t even have the meager experience those currently under me had.


    For a moment, some selfish part of me weighed blowing up this deal that had been foisted on me. It would lead to months of political chaos if Ashe didn¡¯t couldn¡¯t fulfill the signature promise to her mage benefactors, potentially giving the pirates needed breathing room. Thousands of people could very well die in the ensuing mayhem but the Mist filth was too weak to threaten the Kisspin harvest this year. The aches in my hands and feet became more acute as if preemptively protesting the coming work.


    Was there a formula in the scriptures about how many innocent people you could let die before God wouldn¡¯t forgive you? Would it have a hard limit or was it more stages of damnation?


    Then I pictured Gula¡¯s face. Not filled with rage, hatred, or fear, but wearing a look of disappointment in her husband. Disappointment in the man she thought she could rely on. I slapped the pains and groans away before retrieving the blank papers and ink. Of all the levels of divine wrath, failing those I love was the most scorching and my soul could not bear that stain. Placing the pages down, I began drawing up orders for the Overseer to be delivered and the beginnings of rough sketches for this city on a city as the brutal chill of winter whirled over my bare chest.

 Chapter 122: Southern Venture

    Jeff stared at the ceiling of the harbormaster''s office with aimless brown eyes. His chair in front of the desk felt particularly icy after his morning of waking to the warmth of a woman. A special heat that no fire could replicate. The grey shirt that matched his hair and black pants had some of that warmth, but their texture couldn¡¯t compete with last night''s living furniture. That feeling clashed with the cold waves and barely lit morning sky in the windows ahead.


    The trek up here had been at the summons of Pache last night. He had been expecting another mission out on the winter sea, not the pull into a small bedroom and a night of pleasurable attacks. There the lightning caster sat, washed and ready for a new day, exhausted yet feeling more energetic than he had in months.


    A door closed behind him.


    Steps reverberated over the wood floor with soft plops. The harbor office was closed in celebration of the new governor and an unofficial send-off for the pirates that had brought the region so much misery. When the brown dress-covered chest of Pache enveloped the back of his head, Jeff looked up and saw the tan woman who had robbed him of sleep. Some words were on her mouth but he felt there was a better use for those thick pink lips.


    ¡°Hm?!¡± The harbormaster exclaimed through her taken mouth, widening her green eyes.


    That sweetness stayed for only a second before Jeff withdrew.


    ¡°Was that unwanted?¡± He asked.


    The answer came in the form of Pache clinging closer to him before slipping her hands down his shirt to rub his pecks. He enjoyed the feeling but it was slightly undone by the rest of her demeanor. There was tension in her green eyes and that slightly crooked nose flared with heavy breathing.


    ¡°Did my performance last night leave anything unsatisfied?¡± He asked, baring the worst male fears imaginable to her.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked with a raise of her thick black eyebrows.


    ¡°You seem¡­. Discontent.¡±


    ¡°Pff!¡±


    She rounded out the huff with a slap on his shoulder. The follow-up motion was her coming around the chair and laying in his lap. His night''s conquest sat horizontally over his thighs with her legs going over the edge of the chair while her top was pulled into his. Behind her were the windows overlooking the harbor below but she was what remained of the world in Jeff''s gaze.


    ¡°Did you mean what you said last night?¡± Pache asked, clearly trying to keep a passive face. And failing.


    ¡°When I kept calling you beautiful?¡± Jeff responded with a smile at the memory. A moment of glee came to him as he relished inflicting his compliments on the poor woman.


    ¡°These ears are so cute with how they stick out of your midnight hair.¡±


    She got some red on her cheeks but he wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°Those cheeks are so soft, these lips¡­. Need a kiss.¡±


    Pache wasn¡¯t caught off guard this time and met him halfway. They enjoyed each other for a second before she pulled away to rest her temple on his shoulder. No words followed as her midnight locks covered his vision. Jeff said nothing as she lay there producing no sound save the faint shift of cloth with her breathing, adding to her scent that was already on him. When she pulled back, those green eyes had a look of pain though her jaw was set in determination.


    ¡°Harold. Would you like to be with me? Not as a husband or sire of children but maybe a lover?¡±


    His hands pulled her closer using her back and bum as handles.


    ¡°Could we be¡­. A bit more? If another man comes sniffing about, I would like the moral clearance to kick him.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Pache¡¯s choked snort came out as she looked at him in disbelief. Her jade pools were doubting for a moment before she pulled back and laughed. It was a pure, unrestrained thing that shook her whole body.


    ¡°I think my husband will be most perplexed at the new rules, but I suspect he will be just fine with-¡±


    Jeff¡¯s upper lip curled and his nose flared, stopping her words dead. A heat came up his neck at the deception. Well, it wasn¡¯t a lie if it was never brought up. Still, having his heart played with by a woman already taken dropped a black ball of rage in his stomach.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to be together?¡± He demanded with a note of pain in his voice.


    ¡°We can be.¡± She responded, her eyes scouring for where this anger was coming from.


    He scoffed in disbelief, scrunching his grey eyebrows together.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be taking another man¡¯s wife out to dinner. Will I be the one accompanying you to the festivals? No. It¡¯s¡­. I will not slink in the shadows like a rat to be with my woman.¡±


    He had more than enough of that crap in his last relationship and this time¡­. She had a husband. Probably a mage husband considering her status as a caster. Such a man would almost certainly object to last night¡¯s activities.


    ¡°Do I need to worry about him coming for my head?¡± Jeff demanded with a pucker of his lips.


    ¡°Worry?¡± Pache replied with breathless disbelief.


    The delicious thick pink lips trembled. Unshed tears filled those green pools but the flaring of her crooked nose didn¡¯t dislodge them onto her smooth cheeks.


    ¡°He has no right to complain about my activities. What could he possibly care for a woman he has never touched?¡±


    Jeff drew his head back with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­. unconsummated?¡± He asked with skepticism.


    ¡°He had me the night of¡­. But never since then. Word spreads, as it always does. I was considered decent or at the very least passable before our vows. Now everyone thinks I must be some cross of a Beastman and troll before laying so much as an eye on me.¡±


    A few tears finally streaked across the tan skin. The raw pain and anguish in her voice lanced through his heart like cold steel yet no balm could be made for either of them. The lightning caster was familiar enough with such things in his dalliance with Annie, who often fussed at length about some failing of her looks or age or any other number of stupid things that women worried about to obstruct how wonderful they were.


    Worries about encroaching on another man¡¯s marriage faded to nothing. If he was letting his wife¡¯s self-esteem get this low, then he had no right to complain when another did the needed emotional labor or performed the physical release. Even if the lack of intimacy was likely exaggerated.


    ¡°You saw me last night. Was that a man dealing with something hideous or an arduous labor to just get through the painful task?¡±


    Jeff emphasized the point by pulling her up. His grey hair flowed over her brown dress as he pressed his face between those pillows of joy. Pache snorted but the tears stopped with her rueful smile.


    ¡°Quite bold to be so forward with a woman.¡± She chided even as her soft hands scoured through those pearly locks.


    ¡°A beautiful woman demands boldness.¡± He flatly refuted as he pulled her further up. Despite being her junior, his bulk still allowed him to lift her with his rise from the seat. There was an uncertain step, but the lightning mage made the needed walk forward. The harbormaster squealed like a giddy girl.


    ¡°Ah! Harold!¡±


    Jeff placed her on the desk. His brown eyes flared in anticipation of replaying last night''s exercise.


    ¡°Harold¡­.Wait.¡± Pache mumbled even as her legs opened to receive him and her chest heaved like she was the one who just lifted another person.


    She lay there with Jeff¡¯s hands still firmly on her thighs, no words or movement besides the turning gears in the harbormaster''s green eyes. Some conclusion came and she rose from the desk even as her butt rested on its corner.


    ¡°You do want to be with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± He answered like he was biting off the word from his tongue for daring to come out so slowly.


    Long prose and flowing poetry were a favored pastime in romance, but the lightning mage¡¯s frontal cortex was partially turned off as his base instincts were screaming for what her body promised. The harbor master looked at Jeff with a pensive face, her breathing steady as she seemed to weigh something.


    ¡°You might benefit from our relationship, yet. There is a venture in my lands that could use your element and prove a source of long-term benefits. We can do some business and some personal around well-disguised meetings. But what of your brother here?¡± She asked with a puckered lips.


    ¡°Our bed would get mighty crowded. My brother might be clo- UGH!¡±


    A fist in the ribs left him breathless.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Pache growled. Those thick lips puckered with a scowl and a suppressed smile. ¡°What about your investment in the Kisspin harvest?¡±


    ¡°My brother can handle it.¡± He replied with a gulp of air.


    The harbormaster raised an eyebrow as she leaned against his shoulder.


    ¡°And the magical resources you two acquired? Family is important but enormous riches have overcome such ties before. You might come visiting back north to find him and those treasures lost on the wind.¡±


    It was a tricky thing, having to accommodate two different people in a single person¡¯s head. Such an attempt would only elicit pity from Jeff, as the unfathomable brutality of a thousands of years old quad scion would fall directly on his beloved brother¡¯s head. Eli was a good person, by the lightning mage''s estimation, but good and ¡®horrifically cruel beyond words to people who threatened loved ones¡¯ could apparently exist in the same body. Something he couldn¡¯t explain to her.


    ¡°We¡¯ve both had opportunities to leave the other behind with a hefty payload and didn¡¯t. This time will be no different.¡±


    The confidence in his voice soothed her. Now it was his turn to ply worry and objections.


    ¡°What about the husband? Will he have no concern for having his line supplanted? I assume I can¡¯t be around his house even if-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not around.¡± Pache cut in with a shake of her head, the first shafts of gold light now peaking over the sea to shine on her bowl of black hair.


    Jeff blinked. Those brown eyes looked down in confusion even with his hands content on her thighs.


    ¡°As in not alive?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Pache couldn¡¯t keep her laugh down as she shoved Jeff with a teasing scowl. Her mirth continued for a second before coughing into a free hand. ¡°He¡¯s up north.¡±


    The harbormaster bit her lip for a moment before resolving herself to the path forward.


    ¡°There will be a lot of benefits to being with a queen.¡±


    ¡°A¡­. queen?¡± Jeff asked like the word was unknown gibberish.


    Pache¡¯s chin came forward and those green pools got some worry around the sides.


    ¡°My husband is King Jeremy. I came to oversee the rebuilding of the northern fleet and secure what could be a vital route for smuggling from the Coalition.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jeff asked with a numb feeling barely letting the word out.


    ¡°What do you mean, what?¡± Pache replied with a raised eyebrow and a quivering chin.


    Jeff felt unsteady as his eyes went back over last night''s conquest. Verness. A queen of great ugliness, infamous for being so brutal on the eyes that King Jeremy refused to bed her. He had remembered the occasional gossip with his brother and the staff. More than one discussion was had about what mismatch of facial symmetry and figure could make the leader of a nation, and a scion, forgo his duty to spread his line through his queen.


    A void of silence filled his mind, driving back the winter chill from the few spots in his mind still registering the outside world. Then his eyes intruded with a few tears welling up in Pache¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Can you stand to be with the eyesore of the royal family?¡±


    The lightning mage took a deep breath. Well, the outside world could wait. A woman crying was a civilization-ending disaster and he was the only one who could right this wrong. He dipped down with a small smile, taking the upper hem of her dress.


    ¡°My eyes have seen a lot, and what was below this was anything but painful. That back scratch at our first kiss was if the gossip mongers are interested in that bit of lore.¡± He said in what felt like a very smooth tone before planting a kiss on her lower jaw.


    ¡°This was a rather¡­. impulsive meeting,¡± Pache admitted before pushing herself off the desk with her night''s paramour. "I have another meeting I need to get to that is more planned out. Involving a big announcement coming later. You¡¯re free to stay, of course, but it¡¯s going to get rather crowded in the next few hours. I''ve got my family to attend to, however.¡±


    Those thick lips did one last tussle with Jeff¡¯s before the queen had to vacate her office. The lightning mage stared at the brown dress of her backside as she went through the door for only a moment before he turned back to stare out the window and the endless expanse of waves interspersed with the mast of a large ship.


    ¡®Shit.¡¯ Jeff yelled in his mind.


    The thought that he might have just blown up the big plan hit with the force of a lightning bolt now that soft flesh was no longer beneath his palms. Getting up, he approached the left side of the windows to grip the window pane with white knuckles. No answer to the predicament his loins had put him in presented itself over the field of salty sea spray.


    More than anything, the feeling that came through was¡­. Indignation. Yes, he put the entire plan in peril for his dick, but the entire thing was based on Eli not being able to keep his love in check for a goat woman and an Orc. What right did the quad mage have to be furious at his indiscretion? Several minutes passed where the lightning caster went over what stinging rebuke, what powerful refutation of such appalling hypocrisy he would deliver to the coming storm. Time that was conspicuously spent not figuring out how to remedy the situation.


    How this counter would be delivered was very much in question until there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Harold.¡± The unexpectedly masculine voice of Quinton came through. ¡°That plant mage that saved everyone is here insisting on waiting for Pache in her office.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting for her return with him,¡± Jeff replied with a good attempt to keep his trepidation out of it.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The oak door asked with the voice of the guard.


    ¡°Just pondering some of the big changes coming. It¡¯s fine.¡± Jeff said with some irritation at his failure to hide fear.


    The second attempt was successful despite the aggrieved emotions welling up, with the footsteps of the guard being heard in retreat. A few minutes later, the most important man in existence came through. His grey hair had some moisture from a fresh bath, at least the bits that showed beneath the green hood of his robe. Those equally jade eyes took him in for a second before Eli gave a polite nod. Shutting the door behind him, the quad mage rubbed his pronounced chin before walking to the right side of the windows.


    They may have stood on opposite sides of the room, but the spirit connection Jeff sent out was met halfway by Eli¡¯s.


    ¡®Pache is queen Verness.¡¯ The lightning mage blurted out first.


    ¡®Damn.¡¯ Eli huffed without the expected bite of surprise.


    A silent moment passed as Jeff pondered the reaction.


    ¡®You already knew?¡¯ He asked with a bit lip even as his eyes kept on the window.


    ¡®She showed up when I was getting handed the deed to my private city, free of all laws and taxes.¡¯


    Those brown eyes went wide as Jeff scoured the waves and tried not to look to his right.


    ¡®So you¡¯re like a small kingdom in your own right?¡¯


    ¡®I am a whip being applied to the backside of the associations that decided endangering the princess was a good idea. Nestel was clear I can¡¯t do anything I want, but the shackles of the agreements they have with the mages will stay off my hands. My wrists, however, seem to cry out for bindings and a new pair has been found for me. Did you hear who the new mayor is?¡¯


    A quick mental perusing of the local gossip came back empty.


    ¡®No. Just that someone is taking over for Palta¡­. You met Rodring¡¯s widow?¡¯ Jeff asked with anticipation of hearing of that legendary woman.


    ¡®Well, I won¡¯t spoil the surprise then. As for Nestel, she isn¡¯t the queen we need to discuss.¡¯


    There the caster stood, waiting for some verbal battering or tsunami of anger to come through the spirit connection. A second passed. Then several. After hearing nothing but his own nervousness, Eli finally came for him.


    ¡®Does she know you know?¡¯ The calm question came.


    ¡®Yeah. She just told me a bit ago. I¡¯d say you might have come earlier but that warning would have had to come before last night.¡¯


    Jeff stole a peek to see the quad mage staring out of the window. He was still save for the tilt of his green-robed head.


    ¡®You¡¯ve done the deed, then.¡¯ Eli stated with no particular emotion.


    White knuckles accompanied Jeff¡¯s bracing for the coming bruising even as he presented his excuse.


    ¡®Look, I know I messed up. Only me, her guards, and Verness know of our rendezvous. That and some venture down south she wants me to participate in.¡¯


    Jeff tensed like he was preparing for a physical blow, biting his tongue and staring into the churning sea with even greater focus. The prepared verbal spears ready to deliver the devastating countercharge.


    ¡®If you told Verness that you weren¡¯t interested in continuing the relationship, could you deliver the line with enough conviction to make the decision seem genuine?¡¯


    A churning stomach stirred in the lightning caster, the answer coming immediately though it still took a moment before he decided to offer it.


    ¡®No.¡¯


    ¡®It''s one of those weeks then.¡¯ The tired words came through in resignation. ¡®We''ll have to make the best we can of it. Try to ask her about developing situations and use Andrew staying behind to inquire about Crasden. We can¡¯t pull a miracle mage out of thin air to fix everything again, so getting ahead of any issues that might affect this region will be extremely beneficial. Too dangerous to make the trade, in my opinion, but we can¡¯t pull out now.¡¯


    ¡®Are you sure?¡¯ Jeff asked with some relief as his companion strummed his finger on a window pane.


    ¡®Mages are self-serving scum whose behavior can always be justified by selfishness wrapped in a poet''s prose.¡¯ The reply came with a tone of resignation. ¡®There¡¯s no benefit to walking away from potential connections with the rulers of a nation. If it was because you couldn¡¯t stand the possibility of getting known as the shagger of the ugly queen or you weren¡¯t interested after a night''s play, we could go that route.


    But, as you just answered, that lie can¡¯t be delivered convincingly. So, let¡¯s at least get some good out of this bad. Hell, this might be for the better. Whittling our time away on an island in some peaceful corner is no longer an option and this will give us forewarning of concerning events. As long as you are discrete about the meetings with her.¡¯


    ¡®The biggest problem will be the king. I don¡¯t know how involved I can be with Pache without drawing his blade to my neck. Husbands aren¡¯t typically fond of having another man humping his wife. Magically capable husbands, at least.¡¯


    The quad mage leaned against the window with his right arm, saying nothing for a few agonizing seconds.


    ¡®Jeremy isn¡¯t going to be a problem.¡¯ An agonized voice announced in Jeff¡¯s mind.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ He asked with furrowed brown eyebrows.


    ¡®Just show some discretion.¡¯ Eli put in with a firm tone. ¡®Don¡¯t shag her on the table during dinner or put her on your lap in the middle of the town market. Marriages in monarchies are rarely about love and if you don¡¯t do anything to make a fuss at gatherings, you¡¯ll be fine.¡¯


    The confidence in the quad mage''s voice seemed ill-warranted to the young man, yet it and the possibility of continuing his relationship calmed those shaking nerves all the same as Eli continued.


    ¡®Of course, revealing that you¡¯re helping a mage overthrow the entire natural order of the world, along with his Orc wife no less, isn¡¯t a bit of unseemliness that can be brushed aside at mealtime. Be prepared to explain that one day. It will come sooner than you think even if it''s later than I''d desire.¡¯


    There they stood, no words passing between them as the sound of the crashing waves ambled through the panels of the windows along with the shafts of golden light from a rising sun making its journey above the sea. The lightning caster waited with his spirit connection still in place, hands gripping the window sill despite the bitter winter cold having long since stolen any residual warmth from his skin. Irritation seethed through Jeff¡¯s mind all the while until he finally decided to ask the question.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you have anything to say about me potentially wrecking all of your plans for a woman?¡¯


    ¡®Pff.¡¯ Eli scoffed back. ¡®I have a scant few bits of social grace and self-awareness floating around in me somewhere. If you had done it intentionally or through negligence.... Maybe.¡¯


    Jeff got a numb feeling of loss as he realized the grand speech would now remain forever unspoken. It was fortunate that another question pulled him away from the anguish of unfulfilled fantasy.


    ¡®What happened with the meeting? A lot of people were very interested in what the rough plant scion met the royal family about.¡¯


    More silence, though this time Eli stood a bit straighter.


    ¡®A lot that is on a need-to-know basis. The most pertinent bits will be made public in time. All done without the royal family who will be leaving soon, including its clandestine member. I came with the excuse of needing to talk with her about the ships. My trip was mostly to try and keep you off her, but that is just another failure of mine.¡¯


    A smile worked its way across the caster''s face despite his efforts.


    ¡®How¡¯s Andrew been? The lad has always been a bit more adventurous than most and being stuck in a cold city wasn¡¯t something I would have thought agreed with him.¡¯


    The creaking of beds and moans on walks in the hallway beckoned from memory, but Jeff managed to keep his thoughts proper.


    ¡®He¡­. Being stuck in the base may have been warmer, but he needs companionship. Non-green-skinned companionship. For the better, I think. He¡¯s managed to snag several invites to parties and gotten some connections to mages traveling for resources or stuck here in between trips. Speaking of travel, I will need to get a radio and airship watcher.¡¯


    ¡®Good. We¡¯ll have eyes and ears on almost every level of the city then. The latter will come in time. Our eye in the sky will be heading out for resupplies and a report on the state of the new ship soon. Which will be accompanying you eventually, probably with Cell acting as a guard¡¯


    Silence came between them and this time it was allowed to exist without interruption. The cold of winter nipped at exposed skin yet neither moved or talked for a few minutes until the woman of the hour came in.


    ¡°Ah! Tilvor.¡± Pache announced as she came through the door with a billow of her brown dress. Those green eyes flitted between the two men. She seemed stuck on Jeff but those jade pools were reluctantly plucked away to the plant mage. A predicament the lightning mage decided to save her from.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the tavern getting breakfast if anyone needs me.¡± He announced with some brevity. Eli stood still while Pache came toward her desk with an appreciative nod. Jeff made his escape out of the door before shutting it behind him. Some barely legible words were heard from the wooden slab before he headed down the stairs on the left. A simple nod was all he gave the two guards at the bottom of the stairs, with Quinton giving him a knowing smile from between his black beard.


    Nothing was said as he moved between a few messenger boys in the hall and out of the main door. Dead air greeted his move onto the street, with barely a whisper of wind anywhere. Looking out over the harbor as he walked along the stone walkway, a question presented itself. What was driving the waves if not the wind? He pondered it for a bit as he approached the food stalls and shops. Putting it down to gales unseen in the distance, the stalls pouring steam from grills and ovens beckoned though it was his regular spot that drew him in.


    Skewers of chicken along with some seared vegetables were all brought to the balcony of the Sigard¡¯s spout tavern with its second open floor overlooking the ocean. It was a higher class place, with smooth grey tiled floors, fine wooden furniture, and weak beer that attempted some good taste. The last could not be said for the peas and potatoes cooked with the meat. Fresh vegetables were almost nonexistent in the regular diet this far north, leaving the chef to guess at how this weird food that wasn¡¯t grain or meat should be cooked.


    ¡°OOH!¡± A woman sitting at the table ahead exclaimed.


    Jeff looked up from his chicken to see the patron staring at the slightly cloudy sky. The long wooden shaft of wood with gold shapes that the royal family arrived in was slipping away from the direction of the glass tower. Rumors and casual conversations with those mages who would know revealed that such ships couldn¡¯t reach the clouds due to the scarcity of mana that high up, yet it still disappeared into a dot then nothing after a few seconds. The other denizens descended into excited chatter as the last skewer was devoured.


    For a few minutes, Jeff sat at his table with nothing but the cold air and crashing of waves off to the right to keep him company. Loneliness in the crowd lasted only a few more minutes before he felt hands rub his shoulders.


    ¡°Did you think I ran off?¡± Pache whispered in his left ear before sitting to his left.


    ¡°Meh. I¡¯d have tracked you down all the same.¡± Jeff put in, only considering how much joke was in the words after they had left his mouth.


    The queen bit her lower thick lips for a moment, those green eyes filling with joy instead of lust. Which made it all the more surprising when she darted forward and took Jeff in a kiss. A moment of sweet taste came and went, providing an unexpected dessert for the breakfast. Pache pulled back as quickly as she had pushed, looking a bit surprised at her own forwardness.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She offered with a worried stare and a shift of her eyes around to the onlooking patrons. None of which deigned to notice the affectionate display. Nor did they turn to see Jeff¡¯s return kiss or react to the soft pop of releasing her lips.


    ¡°Not sorry,¡± Jeff replied with a smug grin.


    Deep red bloomed in Pache¡¯s smooth cheeks. Her hands spoke for her, however. She grasped his side with her right hand while her left went to his thigh.


    ¡° I ran out of time earlier, but there is another aspect of your company that could prove mutually profitable. As fun as this is all going to be, I don¡¯t want you to spend all your time waiting on my schedule. Your wind element could be quite profitable in a venture with the Fairies. Quinton said you didn¡¯t seem too put off around them.¡± She offered with a semi-question at the end.


    ¡°They were¡­.very focused on dandruff.¡± He offered to a knowing smile from Pache. ¡°Aside from that? They seemed fine.¡±


    ¡°Good. I know of a fairy diplomat who would be interested in a wind mage with such a proactive attitude.¡± Her next words were whispered as she leaned closer. ¡°We¡¯re talking about another route of importance like that of Sigard¡¯s trail. It isn¡¯t likely to succeed, but if a new path for trade can be forged, the wealth to be gained will be steady and considerable.¡±


    Jeff had assumed the tavern''s namesake was ordained with the title of a local legend but it was apparently well known in the south as well. Of course, not wanting to let her know how little he understood of the central continent lore took precedence over curiosity.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not thinking of getting an airship out of me.¡± Jeff put in with a smile.


    ¡°No!¡± Pache scoffed back even as her body pressed further against his. ¡°The poison coast. If we can develop some air crafts for a ship, we could pass through to save weeks of travel.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jeff pondered with an interested look. ¡°What would be going through?¡±


    The queen drew back a bit with a bite of her lower lip. She looked uncertain for a moment before sighing.


    ¡°Mostly food. Regular food.¡± She put a finger to her lover''s lips at the last word. ¡°A very profitable trade, the benefits of which you will be first in line to receive.¡±


    He understood the need to emphasize the coin gained. Magical resources were the first and last concern of mages everywhere, though Pache¡¯s priorities were pulled in several directions despite her caster status. Asking another mage to work for something that had nothing to do with those coveted treasures was almost always a harder task than the actual work itself.


    ¡°We can work out the details after we¡¯ve made sure it actually works.¡± Jeff offered.


    A sigh of relief escaped the queen¡¯s pink lips. That fall of her shoulders and look of joy called for another kiss yet a question was still on the lightning mage''s tongue.


    ¡°Sounds like a good exchange, your majesty. When will¡­.¡±


    Jeff¡¯s words died as a rather obvious fact came to him.


    ¡°How are we going to get back to the south?¡± He asked with a low voice.


    ¡°By sea.¡± She replied with furrowed black eyebrows.


    ¡°Jeremy didn¡¯t take you with him?¡± Jeff asked the woman who clearly wasn¡¯t on the airship.


    They stared at each other confused for a moment until he heard his words.


    ¡°He left his wife to take the dangerous trek over the seas instead of the safe flight home?¡± Jeff restated.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Pache stated with amusement.


    Some heat came under Jeff¡¯s collar. He had never met the king before, but in his mind, the man was already the next Ballud the fool with that one word. Pache lifted her left hand from his thigh and ran it across his slight chin.


    ¡°Do you have some objection on my behalf?¡± She asked with warm green eyes and a wide smile.


    Jeff scoffed with raised grey eyebrows.


    ¡°Over my still warm corpse would my woman take such a dangerous trek, especially when I could have prevented it.¡± He pronounced with steel in his voice, as if daring her to object.


    Instead, her smile got a smug curl to it. Pache leaned forward, placing a kiss on his neck before looking into his eyes,


    ¡°So, you¡¯re from the Coalition.¡± She stated with satisfaction.


    Jeff pulled back a bit, unable to keep the surprise off his face.


    ¡°They¡¯re the only lot who treat women like the more fragile sex. Here, that attitude is a bit more common among the peasants but it is women who run most of everything to do with magic and magic is everything here.¡±


    His lips puckered a bit before he relaxed. It wasn¡¯t the critical secret and would explain a certain amount of ignorance but it was still something about his true past that he hadn¡¯t intended to reveal. At least ¡®from the Coalition¡¯ didn¡¯t mean ¡®son of the president¡¯.


    ¡°Oh? Is the King aware of that tradition?¡± Jeff rebutted with a forced smile.


    ¡°Probably more than I am¡± Pache replied with an almost pitying look. ¡°A man leading the kingdom raised eyebrows at my academy. Gods! That all feels like a lifetime ago.¡±


    ¡°You all went to the same academy?¡± He asked now getting into the talk with keen interest despite the bitter cold of the outdoor terrace starting to creep in. Pache, sensing his curiosity, pushed closer to him and laid her chin on his left shoulder.


    ¡°The City Top Academy hosts almost all future leaders. Not just humans either.¡± She offered with a small smile. ¡°I became good friends with the Fairy Queen.¡±


    ¡°Still good friends?¡± Jeff asked. Pache answered with a kiss on his cheek before pushing his arm up and sitting on his lap.


    ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten how fantastic men are at being a chair.¡± She idly mused with a shimmer in those green eyes. Her chest was placed against his even with her legs sticking out to the right while her arms went around his sides. A bowl of black hair was all he could see below him, that and a maid quickly taking the dishes to leave the couple alone.


    ¡°Yes, the Fairy Queen. Sharel was a prickly thing at times but she was steadfast and we saved each other''s hides at one time or another. Jeremy likewise attended, though he was a year into the place when I arrived.¡±


    ¡°How was it?¡± Jeff idly asked with a stroke of her back. The scent from her was well placed inside his nostrils from last night. That feeling of feminine softness was still all too welcome even with the cold brush of her dress.


    ¡°Typical young foolishness. Kissing boys and trying for babies. Getting your heart shattered by the guy you wanted then brushing aside some other man who thought you were meant to be. I must admit it was in the City, so there was always some restaurant or park to visit off the grounds.¡±


    ¡°Which City?¡±


    That ball of black hair turned up, a wide smile spreading across her tanned face.


    ¡°It¡¯s always nice to be proven right.¡± She offered smugly. The moment passed quickly before she coughed and continued.


    ¡°Every place with people is called a village, town, city, or something in between. All are called ¡®the place of such region¡¯. Or if they¡¯re big enough they get to be the ¡®Capital of such and such¡¯. But when someone says ¡®The City¡¯, there is only one place they are referring to.


    Along the west coast facing the Lost Lands lays a vast, near-unending expanse of stone buildings with streets between each cutting through the air with arches and supports. The buildings are so thick and tall, people there can live their whole lives without ever having touched the ground. I can remember it as clearly as the first day I saw it.


    We arrived in an airship. Harold, you wouldn¡¯t believe the sight. So high up you look down on mountains that resemble hills. Yet all I could see was tower after tower. The sheer size of the place, the food and¡­. I can¡¯t do it justice. I never bothered remembering much of its history. It was the labor of some woman who was an ultimate mage but I was more concerned with enjoying the fruits of her toil than the woman herself.¡±


    ¡®Spirits, Ultimate mages certainly have similar desires.¡¯ Jeff thought to himself, trying to keep his mind on the woman in front of him as he spoke.


    ¡°Ah, so royalty does have time to be whimsical. Was the to-be-king as free?¡±


    Pache pursed her lips a bit.


    ¡°He was very serious and quite capable. Sadly, the king-to-be became the king-that-could¡¯ve-been when he tried to make a meal of a plant-element lion in the southern jungles and instead found himself as the prepared course. Jeremy was quite reclusive. A few male friends here and there, but he seemed mostly concerned with his studies. I knew almost nothing of him personally back then, not that I know much now, but the well of rumors said he didn¡¯t appear¡­. Enthused about his new rank.¡±


    ¡°Is being royalty that hard?¡± Jeff asked with a skeptical raise of his grey eyebrow.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Pache replied, a bitter smile creeping over her face as she continued. ¡°Some of it can be guessed, however. Their father was considered a great king. From helping make great strides in the Bloody Plains, to shoring up our territory near the Bodding Kingdom. A mantle of greatness that was to fall on his esteemed older brother. When it instead crashed on his head, many doubted his ability to meet the challenge of the crown.


    Those who pondered such things at dinner quickly reigned in their tongues when Nestel announced her betrothal to him. An achievement beyond even that of his father¡¯s. Yet skill in bed, no matter how legendary, is not skill in governance and military affairs. Jeremy spent years in this kind of miasma of doubt over his leadership. No great blunder to mark him the next Ballud but not reaching his father¡¯s grandness either. Fortunately for his legacy, the recent spat with the Coalition has dispelled much of those doubts.¡±


    ¡°I heard about that. Some business about a mage with all four elements.¡± Jeff asked with as much sincere interest as he could muster. The last person he wanted mentally present at the table was Eli, if for no other reason than the ultimate mage already occupied too much of his life.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Pache offered with a sad nod. ¡°He nearly had him too. It¡¯s all quite complicated, but I can say that the grand prize was almost within reach. It never materialized because the Coalition is run by bumbling idiots, but Jeremy came close to winning an almost impossible challenge. I provided most of the seaside planning, but he had a few good ideas that nearly won us the day.¡±


    ¡°Considering the state of things¡­. I can¡¯t see how his position improved.¡± Jeff admitted.


    Those green pools rolled back and forth as she considered his words.


    ¡°For those in the associations, that he came so close was impressive enough. The rest is for us to clean up.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± He asked.


    Those thick lips came up and imparted her sweetness before she pulled back.


    ¡°When we¡¯re in my private study, such details will be divulged.¡± The queen offered with a mischievous air. ¡°The seas beckon. Tell me, do you have any objections to leaving today? I¡¯d give your brother a warning that things are going to be¡­. Tumultuous. Not as bad as the pirate attack, but the new governor has some plans coming out. Things that will make regular work rather difficult for a few weeks.¡±


    ¡®Do I know who the governor is or what they¡¯re doing? Should I know if I do?¡¯ Jeff asked himself. The male mind had a hard time making room for anything when soft curves and kissable lips were bouncing about. Keeping the knowledge of two separate lives proved impossible with such an affectionate woman on his lap. Caution won out when he simply accepted her advice with a casual nod.


    ¡°Then I will be waiting on the ship. I intend to set off within the hour.¡± Pache announced with a push out of her living chair.


    Her warmth had once again seeped into his clothes and her sudden vacancy on his lap left him feeling colder than before. Jeff followed her out of the tavern and out onto the street. Their walk diverged at the big mansion serving as the harbor office while he headed forward through the wall that guarded the mage quarter.


    The rich, multi-story houses with glass faces were the same as always with the morning sun already approaching the peak of its life. Between each of the houses stood those weird yellow boxes with three colored circles on one side, now getting cleaned by workers running here and there. The trip up the hill allowed Jeff to ponder how he was going to tell his brother that the next several months had been determined in the course of one morning as he took a left onto the road at the top of the rising ground and made his way down the street leading to his home


    A few steps across the road to the other side nearly resulted in a slip on some previously unseen ice, but the trek further down the stone lane brought him up to the house bought on a madman''s coin. He would have been able to see the exposed inner room if not for the thick gray sheets covering the glass window serving as the front of the house. The knock on the freezing wood sounded out over a desolate street still waiting for its cleaning.


    From the door came a brown-haired man with locks that now went down to the shoulders of his white shirt. Jeff¡¯s mind had a moment of indecision as he tried to remember who those brown eyes and strong cheekbones belonged to, but only for a second.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Jeff said as he came in.


    The patchwork of steel squares in the stone walls seemed to shine with malice at this painfully cold temperature. While the golden glow of the fireplace directly ahead added some warmth, winter was still loud in its presence even with the red flames dancing across the room and the leather couches placed in front of the stone hearth. Jeff raised an eyebrow at the new furniture but was too busy leaning to look inside the entrance to the kitchen on the left side of the room. When he went to look up the staircase on the right, an electric buzz ran across his skin.


    ¡®We¡¯re alone,¡¯ Andrew announced in a spirit connection.


    Jeff nodded before he took the couch on the right. Some twists in his stomach could be felt even as he motioned for his brother to sit opposite of him.


    ¡®What¡¯s the news? I heard Eli has got his own little kingdom.¡¯ The fire scion asked with a rub of his brown pants before he pulled some stray hair away from those strong cheekbones.


    ¡®This is bigger. At least for us.¡¯


    Those brown eyebrows shot up. Instead of moving forward, Andrew pulled back and settled into the couch like he was preparing to read a good book.


    ¡®What¡¯s bigger than the arrival of the royal family and a new territory made by the local legend? The legend we¡¯re secretly on the same team as.¡¯ Andrew inquired with a cross of his arms.


    ¡°Well¡­. We¡­. I am now personally involved in the royal family.¡±


    Jeff struggled to meet his brother''s eyes but the slight lean forward was hard to miss.


    ¡®It turns out that Pache is the queen Verness.¡¯


    The lightning mage looked to see puckered lips and furrowed brown eyebrows greet the name unknown to his brother.


    ¡®The harbormaster.¡¯


    Andrew drew back into the couch. He sat there, stunned without a word from his slightly agape mouth. Then the outer edges of his mouth turned upward. A whooping sound suddenly came from upstairs. Jeff turned back and almost got off the couch to see what it was when he put the sound to Gretton, his brother¡¯s familiar, having a laughing fit somewhere unseen on the second floor.


    When he resumed looking forward, Andrew was properly smiling. His posture on the couch was fully upright, eyes lit up like a small child¡¯s when receiving a large gift, and an air of almost inhuman smugness radiated off him. Jeff didn¡¯t give him the chance to voice his feelings.


    ¡®I will be heading south with her. Before you worry, I talked it over with Eli in her office. He wasn¡¯t happy but agreed that it was too late to change course. You¡¯ll be staying here to act as an ear in the higher rungs of Crasden society. Pache also mentioned that some internal disruptions are going to be happening soon so get your supplies while you can.¡¯


    The fire scion didn¡¯t acknowledge a single word. Instead, he slowly leaned his head back into the couch before lifting his hands. They came together to perform a slow clap. The evenly paced smacking of palms only emphasized the face-splitting grin he was sporting.


    ¡®Wow.¡¯ Andrew exclaimed in the spirit connection as his arms came to rest on his legs. His voice dripped with a pure joy usually associated with toddlers. ¡®You know, I¡¯ve had fun with a few women that ended in a real mess. Either the husband wasn¡¯t as informed as I thought or they assumed it was a part of a longer-term relationship. But you!¡¯


    He emphasized the last word by shooting his hands out towards Jeff.


    ¡®You¡¯re¡­. What? Two for two? Your dick is the most destructive weapon to have ever been forged. It just runs right into the most troublesome lay the universe can find. Nothing less than a potentially world-destroying shag will do for you. All this time I thought I was the romantic one. Though, what is romance without stakes and torn feelings?¡¯


    Jeff bit his lip as he stared daggers at his brother, who had a finger on the chin to ponder the mystery.


    ¡®I will be leaving soon.¡¯ The lightning mage spat out with a simmering irritation. ¡®You think you can handle watching over our investments here and keep bedding your way into proper society?¡¯


    ¡®That last bit has already been achieved, for what is more proper than royalty?¡¯ Andrew answered with a small smile.


    ¡®Fantastic.¡¯ Jeff announced with a quick rise from the couch.


    He quickly went up the stairs, moving past Gretton, the white ape still flopped on the floor from his joyous exertions. Those needed items of clothes, coins, and a leather jacket were retrieved in a minute and Jeff moved back down the stairs to find Andrew waiting by the door. His time of brotherly prodding had apparently ended with the joy replaced by worry.


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s pretty hot down there,¡± Andrew said with a small smile.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably be better than here for a few minutes.¡± Jeff agreed as he came forward.


    ¡°Just make sure to cover yourself. Sunburns set in more quickly than you think.¡± Andrew offered as his brother came within arms reach. Without a word, he moved forward and hugged the lightning mage.


    Jeff offered no resistance, forgetting the previous teasing in the typical way of siblings before Andrew pulled back and opened the door.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Andrew commanded with some worry setting in with the bitter cold of the winter invasion into their abode.


    ¡°You too. Remember, get some supplies. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but it¡¯s going to be rather disruptive.¡±


    Andrew only nodded with a nonchalant look. With nothing left to say, Jeff nodded back before walking out the door. Taking a deep breath of that bitter winter air as he stepped onto the sidewalk, the lightning mage had a moment of realization. This was going to be the first time in his life away from family. Even leaving the capital involved his brother tagging along. Now, it would be him alone. He knew this when he agreed and he wasn¡¯t regretting the decision, but the moment to leave was still hard to process.


    Fortunately, the cleaners working the street were content to let him have his epiphany in peace as they swept around him. With nothing left but his large sack of goods and a leather jacket, Jeff abandoned the freezing mage quarter for warmer seas and the touch of a loving woman. He walked to the left with only a slightly clouded sky above for company until the bend to the right came.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The rest of his trip was spent trying to spot bits of ice while keeping himself from falling down the hill. Thankfully, the caretakers of such an esteemed abode were thorough in removing all obstacles to their betters convenience. The lightning caster finally passed the gate to meander about the front of the harbor office.


    A symphony of chatter punctuated the occasional crash of a wave against the stone wall of the pier. With Eli¡¯s crafts and Pache¡¯s seafaring expertise, the harbor now had a decent force of ships. That didn¡¯t stop the workers from constantly hammering and shouting on the left to churn out more. Jeff paid them a bit more attention since seafaring vessels were going to be in his future, but as he was perusing a large hull in the distance, a voice shouted towards him.


    ¡°Harold!¡± A rough male voice rang out.


    Jeff turned quickly enough after having committed his new name to heart these past weeks.


    Coming out of the office was the second guard to Pache besides Quinton. A burly fellow now done up in leather and a sword at the hip. His sharp chin emphasized toned cheekbones. Those piercing green eyes below bushy brown eyebrows took in the lightning mage playing air caster. Despite the cold breeze pushing around shoulder-length locks of mud, the southerner seemed content in the freezing chill despite the tanned skin marking him of a warmer homeland.


    ¡°Hello¡­.¡± Jeff clumsily offered in greeting.


    ¡°Shane. Quinton never speaks at length of family so I shouldn¡¯t be surprised he didn¡¯t mention me.¡± He stated as the guard came within arm''s length.


    ¡°Brothers,¡± Jeff stated knowingly.


    Some mirth came into those green pools. Neither spoke further, with Shane merely bobbing his head towards the ocean. The mage followed his stride forward, walking along the stone walkway until they came onto a three-story specimen. While its wood was the same oak as all the others, there were slats on the sides to allow a ballistae to shoot out of the the hull. The sleeker hull combined with a white flag above displaying a blade over a blue wave made it clear this hulking mass of wood was more predator than worker.


    The guard ushered him up the long plank to the deck in the same silence that they had arrived in. Sailors were still working supplies into place as they crawled about the deck like a swarm of ants. None of which Shane gave him time to take in as he directed him up the stairs to the left towards a door in the center of the raised section of the ship. Going through the oak door, Jeff came into a room of good standing. Not a regal room, but the desk and chair in the center were of good construction as was the bench on the right. The glass panes along the back were without blemish as they showed the big fortress of stone in the harbor beyond.


    Not that Jeff was paying much attention to the details.


    In front of the window stood Pache, her bowl of black hair touching the neck portion of the grey robe around her. He wasn¡¯t certain if she was wearing only bare skin underneath, but the possibility was tantalizingly present.


    ¡°Ah,¡± The queen exclaimed with a turn towards her guests.


    Jeff stepped forward, placing his sack of goods on the floor. Shane left with a close of the door behind him, leaving the two lovers alone with the prospects of such solitude. The answer as to what Pache was wearing beneath her robe was answered when she dashed toward Jeff. A soft pink nipple was lifted out of the robe, though her lips quickly filled his vision. Her majesty quickly pushed him through a previously unseen door on the left. A mana lamp was flicked on and¡­.


    Days passed.


    The lightning caster remembered a few things, like the baths in the back of the office and bowls of soups served on a bed with a plush mattress. There had been moments when his sentience had to reemerge to make his lover laugh or talk to her. Besides those spots of full mental engagement, the trip was spent with his senses stewing in animalistic instinct.


    At one point, Pache had left to use the latrine, abandoning him to whatever thoughts his lethargic brain could muster. He had a vague memory of having thought her barren bed being a thing of exaggeration, but they had been thoroughly dispelled. When the queen came back and immediately mounted him for more lovemaking, the new uncertainty was whether she meant for him to survive the trip south.


    It was on the last day that the queen came into the bedroom to personally deliver the final meal of their voyage. Golden rays from the mana lamp on the wall doused her grey robe and the oak walls in flickering light. The plates were plied with fillets of some fish while the mugs were set to rest on the table beside the bed. Pache quickly dropped her only item of clothing to the floor before handing a plate and mug over to her partner. Jeff took them with minimal interest, his eyes too firmly fixed on the tuft of black hair between the queen''s legs to register anything else as she lifted the red blanket to lay next to him.


    ¡°How would that be?¡± Pache asked while leaning down the bed to retrieve her meal.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He asked with an arduous pull of his gaze away from her breasts sliding across the red fabric.


    Her right palm lovingly slammed against his bare shoulder as she fixed the blood-colored blanket over her lower half.


    ¡°When the queen speaks, her subjects are supposed to listen.¡± Pache scolded with a small smile across those thick pink lips as she brought the cup up to them.


    ¡°I was listening.¡± Jeff denied with a stuck-out chin. ¡°It¡¯s just other parts of your body were being louder than your voice.¡±


    The queen choked on the weak beer with a cough. Ever the attentive man, he gently placed his plate down and patted her back to help the drink pass. His reward was a slap across the peck.


    ¡°And what sound was my womanhood making?¡± Pache demanded. Those green eyes still had some of the laughter even as her right hand continued the assault.


    The lightning mage was quite proud of how he managed to weave his drink away from the flailing royal arm.


    ¡°It was more of a visual symphony. A beautiful chorus I¡¯ll remember fondly on my death bed.¡±


    The queen lost her composure with a full laugh as the assault stopped. Instead, she pulled herself closer to Jeff. Smooth skin and feminine essence poured over him with the press of her bosom into his side. The pleasure wasn¡¯t free as Jeff¡¯s lap was made into a makeshift table for both plates.


    ¡°Gods, I¡¯ve forgotten how delightfully stupid men can be.¡± Pache cooed with a right arm running along Jeff¡¯s shoulders.


    She raised the fork from her plate with a piece of white fillet. Jeff decided the first bite of the meal was not to be hers. His grey hair swished with his bob down to filch the bounty of the utensil. The queen made an honest effort to look upset for only a second before preparing the next bite for him.


    ¡°I promise, Pache. From now on, you will enjoy a quality of male idiocy other women can only dream of having.¡±


    Those green pools rolled with a weight only the feminine sex could achieve. His vow was met with the red sheets being pushed upward and the sensation of a soft leg wrapping around his knees.


    ¡°As I was saying before my loins so loudly interrupted.¡± The queen put in with thick sarcasm. ¡°The Faeries are very eager to begin working out some way to make this trade route work. The Beastmen are numerous in the far south, but their ruined bodies are unending founts of disease. Faeries, unlike us, are not susceptible to the plagues of their ships. That has allowed them to act as an intermediary for their trade of iron and copper.¡±


    Jeff nodded with mild interest. Pache was rubbing her bare chest against his side but he managed to mentally stay in the conversation.


    ¡°Recently, my Fairy friend from long ago sent me a letter saying they had found ways of boiling and sealing the Beastman¡¯s food that made it safe to eat even with their inclination for disease. Something I have confirmed to my satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°A big deal these days.¡± Jeff agreed with a nod and swig of his mug.


    His lover mirrored the head bob as she took a forkful of fish, with the morsel finally reaching her mouth this time.


    ¡°So am I going to be in the Fjord hold or in the Fairylands?¡± He asked gently with a lowering of his cup.


    ¡°Both, technically. They have an embassy in our hovel. Since it is by our agreement on their land, you will be in Fairy territory.¡±


    Jeff raised a grey eyebrow.


    ¡°I thought the Literrean house was the official capital.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that.¡± Pache snorted with a note of derision. ¡°The north of the Fairylands is all Elven territory. That means it¡¯s either a weeks-long sail westward toward Sigard¡¯s trail through Dragon and Orc territory or going the long way towards the east, which means almost a month of travel for any messages. And then what? Do the metal mages care about the eternally swirling pot that is our hot and muggy lands? What diplomats in the north are well versed in the spats between the Fairies, Orc gangs, and Far Shores?¡±


    The speech ended with a bite of fish that had a bit more force than needed.


    ¡°And I will be creating wind crafts for this venture?¡± The lightning caster asked.


    ¡°Something to that effect. Their ambassador, Farave, has all the details for the ship and such. Don¡¯t let him try to put on pretensions of being indifferent to the outcome or that this is a favor to us. Opening a channel through the poisonous clouds will be a huge boon to their economy. Anything that allows better access to the East also means they have more opportunities to take on the pirates.¡±


    Their meal was taken in with a few minutes of silence and the occasional rub against a receptive thigh. Jeff knew to finish his portions before his lover, who placed her fork down on the empty plate with an ominous clank. He got the last bit of fish down with a hurried swig of beer before Pache unceremoniously plopped her dishes onto the side table. The cup barely escaped his mouth before the woman yanked it and his plate away to join hers.


    Without a word, she took his lips with her sweetness and pulled the blanket down to expose their mutual nudity to the warmer southern air. The queen was still mute as she swung onto her paramour''s lap, providing another uninterrupted view of the landscape that had stolen his sentience for days. Jeff immediately set about his labor with a kiss and a seizing of her hips. Pache¡¯s food could be delayed or come with a less than stellar presentation, but there was no patience or mercy in sating the second hunger. Something a few minuscule bits of broken plates in the corner of the floor beside him attested to.


    It was nearly night when Jeff left his cave for the final time. The walk into the cabin proper was a bit uneven as jellied legs tried to compensate for the fact that his spine felt like it had been used as a swing. Despite that, his brown pants and grey shirt were proper and the leather coat was slung on with some grace. Womanly hands came over his shoulders to adjust the collar.


    ¡°I have to meet up with my uncle to catch up with how our domain has fared. We¡¯re close enough that I was able to send a raven ahead. Farave responded with no haughtiness, so it appears his mind is somewhere in reality. Maybe not in this one, but some form of it.¡±


    He turned around to take her in a hug. There were a few layers of cloth between them now, though the love in her green eyes was just as strong in proper attire.


    ¡°And how will we meet up? I hope you don¡¯t think this trip is all I want.¡±


    ¡°WE want.¡± Pache refuted with a forceful gripping of his back. Their heads pulled together to rest on the other''s shoulder. ¡°It won¡¯t be hard. A new trade route for food is something I can easily justify spending a few hours here and there ¡®helping with¡¯.¡±


    A second of her breathing on his shoulder passed before she spoke again with some earnest need.


    ¡°That probably gave you the wrong impression. Don¡¯t think this is some fake job I¡¯m giving you to waste time on between bouts in bed. The need for more food is deathly important.¡±


    ¡°There didn¡¯t seem to be a lot of farms up north.¡± Jeff rebutted in a mild tone. He felt her head dip with a nod against his shoulder.


    ¡°No, but now there is an open path for smugglers from the Coalition. That plant mage will be a great boon if he decides stepping on the Grower¡¯s toes is worth it. Neither will be enough, however.¡±


    Jeff pulled back a bit to take in her jade pools that now had some worry.


    ¡°The Fjords nearly lost their link to the royal family. That might have been a fair venture if you had known the plant mage would show up beforehand but besides that¡­. It seems like a big gamble for a few coppers.¡± He pressed.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be a risk.¡± Pache mused with a bit lip. ¡°We thought Passtoon¡¯s watch would hold out longer than it did. Between that and the military district catching flame¡­. Honestly, it was still worth it.¡±


    This time, Jeff merely raised his eyebrows. His lover continued biting her lip for a second before speaking with a deep breath.


    ¡°Our bellies are full for now, but every eye can see starvation cresting over the horizon. For the next few days, I¡¯m going to be reading reports from governors explaining how spirits are high and they managed to keep the ship upright despite the storm due to their incredible skill and charisma. Despite their grand achievements, it won¡¯t give their subsequent appeal for more food a greater chance.


    The stocks will go up with a few harvests from the Grower''s farms or the catch of a lucky fisherman and none of it will change the trajectory of things. Everything that could be done was already finished by the time I left. Maybe we¡¯ll have some luck and eke out things for a bit longer than expected, but in a few months or half a year, we¡¯ll have to start rationing.¡±


    Pache¡¯s grip tightened on Jeff. He returned the gesture to coddle her like his arms would push away the arithmetic haunting her mind.


    ¡°Why not start rationing as soon as the trade route was cut?¡± He asked with a light kiss on her cheek.


    ¡°It makes everything worse.¡± She refuted with a tired sigh. ¡°We need to keep things together long enough for our shipwrights to finish rebuilding our fleets. Cutting down on food leaves guards less spry to protect against saboteurs, sailors struggling with deliveries, and officials eyeing the remaining stores to refill their personal larders. Which all leads to riots and easier access for the pirate''s spies.


    We¡¯re trying to get as many ships on the seas as possible before then but¡­. These are going to be a few nasty years, Harold. The good side of it will come. Probably. But this is going to be a slow battle fought by a thousand needle pricks instead of a decisive slash to the throat like back at Crasden. Waged every day in grueling patience.¡±


    Pache''s tone made it clear she was giving him clearance to run at some point in the future. Jeff, ever the romantic, gripped her bottom through the brown dress and pulled her flush against him.


    ¡°If it would bring you even a small smile, I would personally scour the poison clouds in a dingy for an undiscovered passage to help.¡±


    Pache was drawn up short, with a slight quiver in her chin and some pink in her smooth cheeks. It always struck Jeff how a few kind words would make a woman unfurl like this, even if there was no other way he would have it. Her embarrassment lasted only a moment longer before she attacked him with those thick pink lips.


    A knock at the door a few minutes later cut through the sucking sounds.


    ¡°Lady Pache. We have arrived.¡± Quinton¡¯s voice called through the wood.


    Jeff slowly let his toy down from the wall while she made them both proper for public viewing with a few tugs on corners of clothing and smoothing of hairs. When she finished, he went back to the slice of heaven he had spent days in to retrieve his bag of goods. His return was met with a nod from Pache who opened the outer door.


    The sun was dying in the sky, leaving huge swathes of its orange blood painting the clouds above. He had paid so little attention to anything besides Pache¡¯s body these past few days, that taking in the sky preoccupied him for a second before moving right to let his lover pass. The deck below had swarms of men working ropes and crates of goods brought down from the north. Her majesty didn¡¯t give him much time to take in the activity as her finger moved in front of him to point off towards the right.


    Flat plains replete with huge stalks of grass stretched over a coastline of sandy dunes. Here and there were patches of bark from trees pulling into the dirt. Even from the deck, the wilds didn¡¯t give up their charms easily with those dunes and green tufts covering everything to be seen for miles.


    ¡°Rashton.¡± Pache proclaimed in his left ear.


    Jeff¡¯s gaze moved further ahead to see a wide slab of stone jutting up as a wall. Nine or even ten stories of smooth grey rock stood against nature with nothing peaking above its lisp save a few specks moving back and forth over the top. Any beauty in the scene was lost on the lightning caster who could only concentrate on how warm it was. Having spent almost his entire life on the more balmy Coalition seaside, adjusting to the fact that seeing sky entailed having his lungs suck in ice was something he never fully adjusted to. Now a humid breeze of not quite cold blew through his shirt and over his skin. The prospect of feeling natural heat on his skin was so temptingly close, though the season and late hour conspired to deny the miracle.


    Beauty proved rather short-lived as the wind pushed the ship closer to the city proper. The first view was something closer to a recent addition to Crasden''s harbor, an artificial island off to the left side. It was a proper fort on sharp, craggy stone complete with large trebuchets and a full harbor holding ships. The similarities continued on the mainland with a strong stone dock and multistory mansion serving as a harbor office slowly revealing themselves behind the wall. That left side quickly gave way to row after row of storehouses being swarmed over by the dockworkers. It all looked of solid construction and seemed to follow the metal and glass sidings of Crasden until the midsection of the harbor presented itself.


    Smooth stone gave way to jagged pieces fixed in place with crude mortar. Wooden piers were to the same standard on both sides and it was the only thing that made Jeff feel good about pulling into this section done up with sloven masonry untouched by magic. The stalls along this section of piers were closer to the Coalition style with stone and wood construction.


    Beyond the den of merchants laid streets flanked by huge blocky buildings that were nearly side-by-side. These square abodes reached six floors with that seamless stone telling of magical construction. In most places, at least. Here and there was more of the stonework untouched by mana, patching walls and ceilings where the elements had worn at the structure.


    Besides each were slim alleyways crowded with humanity and the accompanying trash. In Crasden the slum was hidden in the back, out of sight of visitors and proper society. Here, the eyesore would not be denied its place on the stage and rounded out its promise of claustrophobia with a whiff of sewage wafting from the pier being pulled into.


    ¡°Home.¡± Pache softly announced with more warmth than seemed warranted.


    Jeff only nodded as he followed her down to the right where a long plank was being placed on the pier. Getting the unwieldy slab in position took long enough that he was able to set up a spirit connection.


    ¡®I don¡¯t suppose I¡¯ll be staying in your bed?¡¯ He asked as he took in the barely cold breeze that felt like an oven¡¯s breath after so long in the icy lands.


    ¡®Not regularly, even if I¡¯m idle. A bare minimum of decorum has to be maintained.¡¯ She responded with some disappointment being emphasized by the slamming of the wooden plank onto the pier. ¡®This venture is one of mutual benefit with the Fairy kingdom and its expenses will be equally distributed. They¡¯ve agreed to provide basic housing and food for you while you work on the boat and enchantments as a token of goodwill.


    Of course, that doesn¡¯t cover your actual payment. One good thing is the associations haven¡¯t corralled such ventures under their auspices and you can negotiate it without external nagging. Do you have any ideas of what you want?¡¯


    The men finished parting ways for their departure, with the queen leading in the front. He followed behind her, though her two guards still interjected themselves between their charge and the crowd.


    ¡®Five percent of the goods sounds nice. In coin if mana crystals aren¡¯t available.¡¯ Jeff announced with Pache¡¯s first step on the plank.


    ¡®I fear I may not have been very clear on the odds, Harold. This venture is probably, almost certainly, going to end with letters explaining failure and some paperwork shoved in some corner to never be used again. No upfront payment may mean you get nothing from this venture.¡¯ She said with a tone of worry that didn¡¯t seem to involve her being over the crashing waves.


    As he followed up behind her, Jeff saw a small crowd of paper-wielding attendants looking rather anxiously at their queen from the wooden flooring sticking out over the ocean.


    ¡®I¡¯m already giving the project my time, I might as well commit to the full benefit. Besides, the¡­. Indirect benefits have an appeal beyond the monetary.¡¯


    The bowl of black hair swished with her slight look back, those jade pools holding mirth despite the stoic face below them. Jeff suppressed a smile for the sake of present company as he continued.


    ¡®To say nothing of what harvest a connection with the Faeries might bring. Not being constantly on the verge of a frozen death also sounds pretty nice.¡¯


    Pache nodded in understanding.


    ¡®The Fairy embassy is along the track towards the small castle serving as my domain. A single look will tell you which building it is. Since they¡¯ll be providing your housing, I suppose we¡¯ll have to say goodbye at their road.¡¯


    The queen finished her words with a step towards the crowd of attendants. An older gentleman moved forward with his page and a regretful smile. That electric buzz on Jeff¡¯s skin died as Pache turned to the newest problem.


    ¡°Lady Verness, your sister Janice has sent a request for some assistance.¡± The old man announced with a tired air.


    ¡°How much coin does the scion-to-be need now?¡± Pache grumbled with no regard to the onlookers as she merged into the crowd.


    Jeff enjoyed the rolling waves and slightly warm air as he ambled behind the shifting collage of messenger boys, maids, and accountants. None knew who he was, but the make of his clothes and respectful look from Pache marked him as a man not to be questioned.


    Approaching the city left a mixed impression. The floors showed a harsh cut-off in the smooth stone to shoddy brickwork that made it clear where the destruction had occurred so long ago. A few vendors showed off stalls filled with fruits and vegetables. They easily drew his attention among the others due to the pinks, purples, and yellows of their produce.


    As interesting as some of the prickly fruit looked, the smell of sewage overtook any interest he had in the stalls. Off to the right just outside the wall was a slightly brown stream serving as the outlet. Crasden had the sewer river take the waste further out, yet it was not the first issue. Just beyond the harbor district was a thick mass of pedestrians going about their day in a near shoulder-to-shoulder packing. Something that didn¡¯t deter Pache¡¯s group as they joined the mayhem with Jeff following closely behind.


    It was only a few steps into the journey when a sense of claustrophobia began smothering him. He stole to the right side of the main street where carts took goods to and from the warehouses with a stone wall an arms reach away yet interceded with no less than three other travelers going about their business. The stacked blocks of housing stretched along the brick road for as far as could be seen making the clacks of thousands of shoes on stone meld into the endless chatter. The space provided by Pache¡¯s group pushing through barely kept the constant packed masses of pedestrians off his toes while he in turn had to make sure someone''s leather shoe wasn''t beneath the sole of his boot.


    Rashton was the seat of a major house and the center of sea-bound command for the Rodring Kingdom. These facts did nothing to keep the sides of the houses from seemingly leaning over him nor did they disprove the notion that he was in a cage designed for humans. Surrounded by the full force of nature, the walls dwarfed everything else to keep out the monsters. This had the effect of revealing the city boundaries, which went just a few dozen blocks further beyond the last house on the main street.


    A minute into the city left his nose picking up more sweat than sewage. At the end of the road was the first major traffic crossing. A square of red brick serving as the meeting place of four different streets brought the chorus of the local capital to its peak. Every thought struggled for space in his skull as a thousand conversations, footsteps, and stomping horse hooves flooded his senses. It wasn¡¯t an entirely new experience, as he had spent time in other cities along the Coalition''s coast.


    Here, when a bird flew above in the open sky its wide turns in the air seemed to mock his inability to so much as stretch his arms. Even in the underground base, there was enough room to move properly in every hallway. Stale air slick with grime and sweat gradually pushed out the fresh ocean breeze lingering in his lungs through a reluctant nose. He dared not open his mouth as they crossed the road under the eyes of a traffic director in white and blue clothing. On taking to the next street, the expected space never arrived with the coffin of flesh still pressing against him.


    He followed behind the attendees until they turned left over another road. At the end of the new street was a large stone box with archer towers on the corners. Its back showed a pulley system on the large wall for delivering goods up or down on a long slab of wood. The next thing that demanded attention among the sea of bobbing heads was a side of odd purple stone that interrupted the unending lines of houses on the right side of the street.


    The curio quickly revealed itself to be a wall around a building of three-story smooth stone topped with a half-circle, glazed over with pinks and teals. The knowledge that it was some kind of solidified goo from the faeries skin made him want to push away from its side of the street. His sideways step away was countermanded by the memory saying it was the end point of his trip south.


    A romantic notion demanded a swooning farewell from his woman. That would make their relationship a publicly known quantity with all attending political problems, not that the lustful heart cared. Still, he made a dutiful right turn towards the gate in front of the embassy with only a look towards the group trundling further ahead. One last attempt to catch that bowl of black hair ended in failure, leaving him to knock on the single wooden door placed in the stone. A slot in the door was pulled back, revealing a steel-plated helmet with a widened jaw section and large teal eyes within.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Demanded the singing voice just close enough to be heard over the chorus of the crowd.


    ¡°Harold. Air mage on business with the ambassador¡­.Faver?¡±


    A raise of hairless eyebrows on grey skin greeted the fumbled name of the ambassador, but it wasn¡¯t accompanied by an immediate rejection.


    ¡°A minute.¡± The male Fairy commanded before he closed the board.


    Jeff perused the late-day skies for more birds until the clank of wood drew him back to ground level. This time it was the door itself being pulled open. His greeter was the armored fairy who had his aquatic wings sticking out of his ribs fluttering through slits in his steel breastplate. He was a foot shorter than Jeff, yet the sword holstered at his hip was no less intimidating for it.


    ¡°You are indeed expected.¡± The guard announced with a few high trills before nodding towards the building.


    Jeff returned the nod as he went through the door. Wide stone floors greeted his feet and the first feeling of space he had since coming ashore. That sense of bodily freedom died when he looked around to see that the ¡®yard¡¯ in front of the building was less than a bedroom of space.


    If the reemergence of discomfort was noticed, the guard didn¡¯t comment on it as he waited to Jeff¡¯s left. The lightning caster walked over the stone yard accompanied by another Fairy in a looser robe of grey coming up from the right. The clothing was of good quality with a few streaks of teal and pink in it that matched the sparse scales along her skin matching those colors. Their wider jaw and slits for a nosed were fully exposed and the slices of pink lettuce on her jostled with the pull on the door leading into the building.


    The entrance was bare with only stone walls and green carpet covering the entire floor. A step forward made him realize that it was living grass being trampled underfoot. When the attendant walked past, he saw she was biting her grey lips though no words came out of them.


    ¡°Should I take off my shoes?¡± Jeff asked with a polite smile.


    ¡°Our guest should do what he finds most comfortable.¡± The singing voice responded with a particularly high note at the end. Teal eyes brimming with irritation held the true answer. When Jeff pulled back to take off his shoes and socks to place them in the bag, the attendant nodded in appreciation as she took the lead. The grass was surprisingly wet against his bare feet. After a few steps, the ground felt a bit uneven in places like there were thumb-sized holes hidden under the indoor lawn.


    There were two doors on the sides, neither of which his guide moved towards. Going further down a hallway, Jeff began noticing a change in the air as they took a left at an intersection. The atmosphere was more like that of dense woodlands, changing out the sting of compressed body odor with a freshly rained forest. It distracted him long enough that they were halfway down the hall before he noticed the sound of sloshing water beneath the living carpet.


    The whimsical impression of a quaint hovel was undone when he remembered how his first sighting of their kind was their arrow points peeking through bushes. Sure enough, a look on the sides revealed several holes for spears and arrows fixed in the stone. Holes that seemed to match the size of those in the floor. Though the walls and ceilings in this section were plain grey rock unblemished with the multi-color glaze seen on the outside. He would have paid more attention to the fine details if not for the tiredness seeping into his body. Days of non-stop play were starting to take effect now that he wasn¡¯t near the woman in question but he still soldiered on behind the maid.


    At the end of the hallway was a window showing faint sunlight, most of which bathed the hall in a golden glow, including the oak door to the right. The fairy sped up to open the entrance for him with a slight bow. He returned the gesture and went through into a room sporting a solid wooden floor.


    A single mana lamp in the center of the ceiling bathed the occupants and scant furniture in a light similar to the one outside the door. The person it had the most effect on was the Fairy at the stone desk in the back, casting a slight shadow on his grey face from the triangular leather hat. The slits for his nose and teal eyes were typical of his kin, but the prim leather jacket and white shirt were distinctly human. Clothing that starkly contrasted with the brown robes of his two guards on each side. Those grey hands rubbed against his strong chin below the wide jaw and his sharp ears twitched slightly beneath the hat.


    ¡°Ah, Harold?¡± He asked with only a slight trill.


    ¡°Yes. I do hope that Pache wrote a good letter of recommendation.¡± Jeff offered with a small step forward. He forced himself into full wakefulness as he prepared to negotiate potentially years of his future.


    ¡°Your feet speak well enough of your amicability. Of course, hearing of your willingness to work under people some mages would consider beneath them certainly bolstered my opinion of this operation.¡±


    A mental hiccup came with the first part of the compliment, but the lightning caster quickly recovered. Farave seemed rather casual about the whole meeting as he lounged back into his chair, not exactly someone on the cusp of solving a coming crisis. Something Pache warned him about.


    ¡°Are such small things so important for a project of this magnitude?¡± He politely asked the ambassador, calling upon his diplomatic skills honed from his earliest years being groomed for politics.


    A smile stole over the Faerie''s face with his lean forward.


    ¡°In my younger days, I might have tolerated discourtesy for the sake of greater gains, but when I accepted such ventures it usually turned out that the rude were covering for incompetence. Of course, those adventures typically had more substantial prospects for profit.¡±


    The ambassador looked his guest up and down, those teal eyes measuring every inch presented.


    ¡°And were you fully informed of the specifics concerning this escapade?¡±


    A slight cough from his throat and Jeff mechanically listed out the points.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for some way to pierce through the poison coast. My magic will help keep the toxic spores out of the crew''s lungs and we all get a juicy trade route that runs goods in a fraction of the time.¡±


    A nod sent one of the lettuce skins down Farave¡¯s face, which was promptly tucked back in.


    ¡°Good. Do you know the likelihood of success?¡±


    Jeff gave him a light smile.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking at nearly certain failure.¡±


    Farave nodded again, this time keeping the fairy equivalent of hair in place.


    ¡°So what will our air mage demand to foster this fool''s hope?¡±


    ¡°A seven percent cut of goods transported over the route. Paid in coin or mana crystals.¡±


    Hairless grey eyebrows raised with the absurd offer, even as the ambassador¡¯s wide jaw broke out in a grin.


    ¡°I have the authority to put such an agreement to paper and make it law with a signature from my queen. But seven percent isn¡¯t something I can send her with my hide still intact. Four percent.¡±


    Jeff shook his head with a steady look into those teal pools.


    ¡°Getting a mage to spend their sweat and time on a fool''s hope is a tough prospect. I¡¯m not getting any upfront payment besides my room and sustenance. A generous proposition for you that favors the most likely outcome of this venture and a very risky thing for me. Risk, as you well know, demands a charitable payout. Six percent.¡±


    Grey fingers strummed the rock desk for a second before Farave flattened his palm.


    ¡°In the event of success, it won¡¯t be you loading the ships or preparing the goods. Considering the trips still have to be profitable, I will need to consult with some of our merchants to get a final number. A figure between five point seven and five is what I can guarantee.¡±


    ¡°I can wait a few days for the specifics.¡± Jeff agreed as he stood a bit straighter. ¡°The now doesn¡¯t need to be delayed, though. Where¡¯s the ship?¡±


    Even the guards smiled at his question.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s encouraging to see you so eager after such a long trip. Unfortunately, the ship will be arriving later tonight and will need a full resupply including a rotation of crew. I would advise a similar refreshment for you. While I won''t force you, this venture requires a certain amount of discretion. Staying here will ensure maximum security. If you would be so trusting.¡±


    Jeff did a slight bow.


    ¡°I''m already trusting you enough to go out on the seas with sailors on your coin. Though I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar with your food, so I make no promises I won¡¯t require meals brought in from elsewhere.¡±


    Grey eyebrows raised at his acceptance, more in surprise this time.


    ¡°Excellent. As agreeable as this conversation has been, time is an ever-scarce commodity. Lacel will be taking you to the ship in the morning. The guard with a great fondness for your steel.¡±


    With a final exchange of smiles, Jeff turned back through the door and into the hallway. The Fairy woman was waiting with a small bow. She led him back and took a right, stopping at the doors on opposite sides of the hallway near the entrance. The guide opened the one on the right with another bow, ignoring a splash of water from below the grass carpet.


    ¡°This is the residence for human guests. Will you require a meal or other accommodations?¡±


    ¡°No, just a night''s rest,¡± Jeff replied as he moved past her.


    She bowed again before leaving him to peruse the room with a close of the oak door. It was a simple thing of smooth stone, with a bare wooden desk on the immediate left complete with a chair and a mana lamp on the low ceiling above. Near the wall on the left was a bed of wood and white sheets next to a wardrobe for clothes. A half-circle molded into the stone floor on the right made what he assumed to be the bath.


    There was something odd about the room, the specific thing not coming to Jeff¡¯s tired mind until he paid closer attention to the material of the furniture. The wood, from the bed to the band rimming the depression in the floor, was a deep purple. Nearly black yet the eyes still picked up that rich color upon passing inspection. The past few days of labor had the balm of animal ecstasy, ointment that started waning with the prospect of a proper night''s sleep. By the time he set down his bag in front of the bed, the call of oblivion was hard to pull away from. Some voice said to get a few minutes rest then see what the city offered and he obeyed.


    A knock at the door woke him from the nap. The lightning mage pushed his head into the pillow for a moment before rolling over and lifting his upper half. Jeff¡¯s grey eyebrows raised in surprise at how he didn¡¯t feel like his life was being sucked out by bitter cold.


    This seemingly lost generosity from the weather didn¡¯t prevent a stumble out of the sheets nearly sending him face-first into the stone floor. The hop away from the bed was a visage less graceful than what his childhood self envisioned for a mage, yet he persisted towards the entrance of the room despite falling so short of that heavenly ideal. Jeff seized the handle and pulled it open to reveal the maid sporting a plate of cooked fish and eggs.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a pot of water warmed for your bath once you need it.¡± She sang to him before offering the plate.


    Jeff stole a look to the right, looking out the open door to the wider world. The sky had the bare sun of early morning with a slight mist hanging over the street. He turned back to the maid and took the meal with an appreciative nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in a minute.¡± He responded with a slow close of the door. Left with little time from his night-long nap, he scarfed down the food with no time to taste anything. A quick perusing of the sack for clothes produced the needed white shirt and brown pants just in time for another knock.


    This time the maid was accompanied by a duo of men hoisting a large barrel of steaming water between them. His caretaker produced a bar of soap, a towel, and a water bowl with a crude toothbrush that she placed on the desk. Splashing water announced the tipping of the barrel into the bath and filled the room with a humid warmth.


    When the last drop fell into the immaculately crafted hole, the Fairies left the room with a trio of bows. Ready to feel properly warm, yesterday¡¯s clothes were hastily pried off. Jeff slipped into the steamy half-bowl with a small sigh as wisps of steam rolled off his chest and legs. A half-bowl was oddly shaped for a human, leaving him to wonder if the room was actually meant for Faeries or if the one who designed it didn''t fully appreciate certain contours of the human form. Despite that, too few minutes passed before the spa became lukewarm and he was forced to do a quick scrub with the soap in lukewarm water. After drying off with the towel and brushing his teeth, Jeff was soon clad in his white shirt and brown pants. Since this might be a long venture, he also donned his leather jacket and slung the bag over his shoulder.


    Opening the door, he found the armored fairy waiting by the entrance to the embassy. He got a simple nod towards the outside lawn for direction. Jeff followed his new guide out onto the main street. The traffic wasn¡¯t as hectic as no ships would chance the morning feeding frenzy, leaving only three or four people in arms reach as he walked. A luxury that had been improperly cherished until now. His guard stuck to his right while bare stone walls interspersed with doors and thin alleys took up his left.


    ¡°Do you find this agreeable?¡± Lacel asked from the mouth slit of his steel helmet.


    ¡°Anything in particular you¡¯re talking about?¡± Jeff responded as they strode down the street with only the occasional passerby.


    ¡°The lack of humans.¡±


    Raised grey eyebrows greeted the question.


    ¡°I like people. Being surrounded by so many you can barely move your arms is a bit beyond my comfort, however.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The steel helmet exhaled without another sound besides the surrounding footsteps and a few bits of passing conversation from the other pedestrians.


    Instead of carts moving goods along the main venues of traffic, wagons loaded with dung and trash took up most of the noise this early. It was as good a time as any to do the needed cleaning, Jeff idly thought to himself. Of course, the occasional pair of grey feet sticking out of the back of one or more carts added a grim air to the proceedings.


    The turn at the heart of the city onto a rightward street presented more of the endless buildings with a view of endless blue waves beneath a rising sun at the far end. His stroll down the street towards the sea continued for a minute before someone came out of an alley to the right. Lacel put a hand to his sword, though relaxed when the figure was revealed to be a small boy sporting a mop of brown hair.


    ¡°Good evening, sirs. Looking for a steady hand or a good messenger boy? Could walk all the streets with a blindfold on, if needed.¡± He offered with a smile missing a few teeth.


    Jeff doubted he had the strength to lift much judging from his thin arms and pronounced cheekbone. The lad wasn¡¯t gaunt, but the fat of childhood was conspicuously missing from his frame beneath a poorly fitting grey shirt and pants. Brown eyes told of a hoped-for meal. The lightning mage¡¯s hand went for some coin but he remembered leaving the purse buried deep in his bag.


    ¡°No,¡± Lacel replied patiently.


    The kid must have been used to rejection, as he merely bowed with a cascade of poorly trimmed brown hair before shuffling back into the alley. Further in, Jeff noticed several figures huddled around a few torn tents. The alley was clearly never intended to house people, yet the place was home to what looked like a dozen or so children ranging from nine to fourteen.


    ¡°Orphans,¡± Lacel explained as they continued their walk to the docks. ¡°Battles always leave a load of them, and the one out on the sea near the Coalition made more than even the orphanage can take in.¡±


    Jeff only nodded as he numbly strolled forward, desperately trying to not mentally revisit the carts and ponder how small some of those grey feet were.


    Finding his destination among the various bobbing masses of wood took only a single look down the line. Unless a particularly eccentric merchant fancied having a purple bow for their ship, the Faeries were near the middle of the right side of the dock. Lacel confirmed the suspicion by pushing further ahead of his charge towards it. The rest of the Fairy vessel was gradually revealed from behind a massive merchant ship and it fit with everything else he had seen from its makers.


    A relatively thin hull with deep purple in all the wood, now glazed over with pinks, teals, and streaks of yellows. The sails were the only rebellious feature, pure white triangles that would maneuver quickly in the wind. While less than half the size of its neighbors, it was too graceful to be called a runt, and the ballistae on the sides too menacing for a boat of casual luxury.


    ¡°Guard.¡± A fairy waiting near the center of the ship called. A team of blue-robed faeries were placing a long plank of wood in front of him. Donned in the same blue robe as the others, a yellow cap with a small piece of the cloth sliding down his grey face to rest between the slit nostrils marked him as an official of some kind. The smack of the plank hitting the dock made the greeter move down toward ground level, stopping only when he was in front of the new arrivals.


    ¡°Is this the air mage?¡± He asked politely as pink eyes looked the human up and down.


    Steel clanked with Lacel¡¯s nod.


    ¡°The name is Harold.¡± The lightning caster put in with a friendly smile.


    The might-be-captains grey head jerked back and the faerie''s wide jaw went slightly agape in shock.


    ¡°Sorry, Harold. His tribe was originally from the Fair lands.¡± Lacel offered apologetically.


    Jeff turned to meet the gaze of his attendant, making sure to convey how little that told him. The teal eyes looked uncertain about how to begin explaining it but a third party couged behind them.


    ¡°Speaking of such lost beauty isn¡¯t something to be done in passing.¡± A familiar voice called from behind.


    The trio turned to see the ambassador coming up behind them with his guards on each side.


    ¡°The queen wants specifics on how this will be accomplished. A conversation best held in the captain''s abode. Lacel, the roost needs watching.¡± He stated with a small dip of his triangle hat. The shirt beneath the leather jacket was the same grey of his guard''s robes now, though any modesty was undone by his boots sporting a few gold strands along the top.


    The now twice as large group walked up the plank and onto the ship while the glinting steel of Lacel marched off the dock. Jeff was given no time to look around as the official quickly ushered them leftward through the raised section of the ship serving as a cabin. Inside was something more akin to a wooden cave than Pache¡¯s abode. A sling was fixed along the right while a wooden desk in the back by the window served as the focal point. The oddest feature was a stone cylinder on the left. On top of which was a rough yellow sponge that acted as a cap. Whatever purpose it served couldn¡¯t be gleaned before Farave commandeered the seat behind the desk.


    ¡°So,¡± He announced with a clasping of his palms. ¡°How will this be done, captain?¡±


    The now apparent captain came up behind Jeff''s right.


    ¡°We typically smear a cloth in a vegetable oil and tightly attach it to the mouth. That gives us an hour or so of stiff breathing before the yellow spores squirm their way past. I can¡¯t say how air magic would work with that.¡±


    ¡°Personal protections won¡¯t work for long voyages mister¡­.¡±


    The captain¡¯s large eyes further widened while his lips puckered in something Jeff guessed was offense.


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Farave cut in. ¡°The Fair lands. One of our more beautiful former territories and the home of our captain''s tribe.¡±


    ¡°One of?¡± The officer put out a defiant look and stuck out of the slight chin below the wide jaw. A note of anger came first. ¡°It was THE most beautiful. Our fruits were so sweet and succulent people came from the City. When the Humans, Dwarves, and Elves from the Lost Lands first plodded into our groves, it was our harvest that fed the homeland.¡±


    The captain seemed more despondent than angry now as his pink eyes got a listless aspect.


    ¡°Ships crafted in the Fair Lands harbors were art given to the seas. Something we can only mock with these meager works¡±


    Blue robes slightly heaved with the last word. There was pain in the Fairy, dulled as it was by exhaustion. A subject so worn with use that the peak of anger wasn''t too high, nor the despair too deep. Farave nodded at every word, more restrained in his manner but his eyes held no less grief as he picked up the thread of conversation.


    ¡°And part of living on the beautiful islands was a practice of keeping names private. A pseudo name is given for business, though etiquette demands it be asked for. Offering or demanding a name without proper relations is assuming intimacy.¡±


    The lightning mage coughed into his hand before turning towards the captain.


    ¡°Air mage it is, then. As I was saying, personal protections aren¡¯t going to work. Mana is unpredictable for people who can¡¯t see it and we could end up having a few people get a lung-full of poison because their crafts got stuck in a thin spot of the blue specks. Having big crafts for the ships bearing batteries to pull from mana crystals is the safest option.¡±


    The captain, his breathing now returned to normal, bit a lower lip with his sharp teeth.


    ¡°How will your magic keep the poison clouds out?¡±


    ¡°A bubble around the ship that prevents any air on the outside from coming in. That does require the tricky bit of getting fresh air inside, of course.¡±


    The captain shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I know much about magic, but the clouds only go above the spotters nest in strong winds.¡±


    ¡°Then we can set up a tunnel along the mast with an oiled cloth at the end.¡±


    ¡°A tunnel going up the mast?¡± The ambassador cut in with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Not a tunnel like a cave, more like¡­.¡± Jeff puckered his lips as he struggled to put the half-realized vision into words ¡°Wooden circles on the side of the pole pulling air in from the outside in a column with other holes elsewhere pushing outward to maintain airflow.¡±


    ¡°And how soon will that be finished?¡± Farave asked with a lean forward onto the desk.


    The lightning mage shrugged to some dissatisfied looks from the Fairy company.


    ¡°That depends on how much testing is required. It would be faster if we had a brazier or torch for smoke, but I can¡¯t guarantee a timeline. Not if you want it done safely.¡±


    ¡°How could it be dangerous?¡± The captain asked with a hand to his jaw, those pink eyes fully engaged.


    Jeff put two flat hands up and pushed them together.


    ¡°Magical manipulation fields act on the material itself. If some air gets caught in one trying to move it in the tunnel while the bubble craft is trying to keep it still.¡± He emphasized the point by pushing the two palms left then right. ¡°they will waste mana fighting each other. The worst part is it won¡¯t be obvious at first. They¡¯ll just suck their mana batteries at a faster rate and it will likely take long enough that you¡¯ll be in the middle of the death cloud when it prematurely fails. That''s besides the obvious scenario where the air all gets sucked out and we suffocate on an open ship.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The captain hummed. ¡°Torches soaked in sap should be easy to get. Wooden circles seem like a special order, though.¡±


    Jeff shook his head.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be any specific shape. A barrel lid would do. The biggest pain will be setting up all the lines to have them pull from mana crystals. I would suggest some white paint to mark the enchantments so the sailors know where not to mess with the wood."


    ¡°A doable list.¡± The captain offered with a turn to the ambassador.


    ¡°What of the requirements for you?¡± Farave asked, his piercing teal eyes taking in Jeff¡¯s every move.


    ¡°Going by the breakfast I had earlier is typical of Fairy food, I should be fine with the meals. If they come in bigger portions. Aside from a properly sized bed, I would appreciate some understanding for my ¡®shedding¡¯.¡±


    Smiles broke out among the Faeries including the ambassador.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had some dealings with the less¡­.acclimated of our kind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a personal story, involving Pache. But yes, I¡¯m aware of your aversion to our dandruff.¡±


    Farave nodded with a smile as he pulled back into the chair.


    ¡°Ah, I believe I know what business you¡¯re talking about. Fear not, this crew has a long history of working with humans. I can¡¯t say you¡¯ll enjoy the same level of hospitality as we provided, but the brutes here have some charm.¡±


    A small chortle came from the captain, who put his hands in the arms of his robes.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gone as local as the ambassador has, I¡¯ll admit. Even so, most won¡¯t give you trouble and our accommodations will be made more comfortable. Any concerns can be seen to while the needed items are procured.¡±


    The captain walked forward with a stern look. Farave nodded as he vacated the stolen throne. The leather-clad Fairy came up to Jeff with a smile in his wide jaw.


    ¡°You said this venture will almost certainly fail. I can¡¯t say I disagree, but that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t be properly funded. Any materials you require can be requested from the esteemed lord of this ship. Of course, asking for the magical resources to become a scion or buying a personal residence will be flagged for review.¡±


    Jeff gave a small smile of faux appreciation. The Faerie''s generosity would only be considered ample to a peasant, as the lightning mage knew extracting so much labor from those who could work mana, forget one with an element, would require several times whatever they could expend on this adventure.


    He was led out of the room with Farave, who gave him one last dip of his triangular hat before stepping towards the plank. Clouds ambled through the blue sky above, lending a pleasant look to the air that didn¡¯t seem intent on sucking out his life with frigid tendrils. A blue-robed sailor went past him into the captain¡¯s office. Jeff was content to wait off to the left while the ambassador disembarked.


    It took only a minute before the sailor came back out of the captain''s quarters.


    ¡°Morning, Air Mage. I was told to get a list of goods from you.¡± He said with a bow and the placing of a charcoal pen against paper.


    ¡°Wooden circles, like those from the bottoms of barrels. Leather straps, at least thirty or so. A good pillow and blanket for myself.¡±


    A few scratches and another Fairy was called forward from the workers buzzing about.


    ¡°Can I look around the ship? Around the larger mast, specifically.¡± Jeff asked the sailor as he handed off the list. ¡°I¡¯ll need to get a general idea of where to place things.¡±


    A simple nod was all he got for an answer before the Fairy walked off towards another task. Left to his musings, the lightning mage went up the ladder for the mast. Heights were no issue for someone with the wind element and the construction was surprisingly generous to his size. Not made for humans as evidenced by the odd half steps he had to make, but a bit bigger than what he thought Faeries would require.


    For someone who had made crafts with singular enchantments, his mind was struggling to account for all the variables. The wind tunnel to bring in air would need to be fastened along the back of the pole to prevent the sails from knocking off the crafts while still allowing the scout to move upward. A blast of salty sea air blew over him, reminding Jeff of the need for sturdy bracing. His gaze turned to the wide canvas of white sails around him. A moment of figuring out how to account for their movement in the bubble ended with him cursing his stupidity.


    The air wasn¡¯t going to be moving, so having the sails up was pointless. Here, halfway up a giant wooden pole, Jeff felt like he was beginning to understand just some of the ability that went into Eli¡¯s workings. A dozen different details started coming into focus, presenting many, many days of mental agony ahead.


    He shuffled back down onto the deck with a slightly dampened spirit. On the front end of the ship was a wide double door heading below deck. None begrudged his walk forward to the stairwell below. It was a head too short for him, forcing him to a near crouch.


    The belly of the ship had the same wooden cave aspect of the captain''s quarters, sporting barely any light from outside and a fresh moistness closer to a forest than the sea. It was a wide room with long, tightly fastened stacks of arrows and spears in the middle, ready to be put to their deadly use. What he paid the most attention to was row after row of closed window slabs along the sides, and to Jeff¡¯s great relief, long oars stored against the wall. When he turned to go back up, the sailor from earlier was standing at attention.


    ¡°Your accommodations are ready. It is a storage area that has been refitted for your comfort.¡±


    Jeff only nodded, following him down the next turn in the stairwell below deck. Here a few slits in the walls provided some light, though it still required some squinting on Jeff¡¯s part to see the rows of stacked hammocks. His guide, being closer to the steps, was more easily seen as he took to the right.


    ¡°We keep a room for extra spears in the back here.¡± He intoned with an opening of the door flooding the room with light from a mana lamp near the entrance.


    Jeff looked inside to see a longer room that did indeed look perfect for storing stacks of long poles. Just wide enough to fit the meager-looking bed near the back yet the ceiling was a bit higher in this nook and held the prospect of a straight spine when standing.


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± He offered, placing the bag on the left side of the room. The lightning mage was so consumed with the tasks and measurements ahead of him that he didn¡¯t realize that the bag was still in the captain''s quarters and his hands idly slid nothing into the corner before he turned back up the stairs.


    A few hours of looking over the decks and all its various outer corners produced a mental vision of the needed components. Jeff stood near the backside of the ship, the soft harbor waves doing nothing to aid him in getting a general idea of how far the air manipulation would need to reach into the sea. The mental work was interrupted when a small team of Faeries brought on large sacks and carts of various goods. One held a stack of leather straps, marking the true start of Jeff¡¯s toil.


    ¡°Air mage!¡± The captain yelled out on Jeff¡¯s left, those pink eyes perusing the deck for his guest.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Jeff responded mildly. Despite his best efforts, the captain still jerked upward in surprise. That lasted for only a second before composure was restored with a small cough.


    ¡°Winds call for our sail and the needed items have been procured. With your say, we will depart.¡±


    The lightning mage raised a grey eyebrow.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was in charge.¡±


    Blue-robed shoulders shrugged.


    ¡°If you put our lives in danger, the cap compels me to correct your decisions. As always, it is the one with the coin purse who sets the terms and it is the Ambassador¡¯s office whose pockets we¡¯re reaching into. He said to aid you in any way I can. No finding room for cargo, stringent deadlines, or wrangling with different port authorities. A captain''s dream save for a bit of sneakiness. Farave wants to keep things in the dark part of the cave, so I¡¯ve had to hide your goods with other junk to make it look like a regular shipping run.¡±


    ¡°Performing air magic on the ship while in port would probably draw eyes as well.¡±


    ¡°If my vision of your tests is correct, then yes, having smoke pooling around an invisible barrier surrounding my girl is inadvisable. Don¡¯t worry about getting new supplies, my order was for thrice more than what you specified.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t needed, since all the crafts could have their enchantments destroyed and reused without affecting the wood itself, but the merchant had already been given his coin.


    ¡°What else is left?¡± Jeff asked with a look at the Faeries unloading the carts of goods.


    ¡°A few more minutes of unloading then we¡¯re off. When we¡¯re out on the sea, you¡¯ll not find much room with the sails being worked.¡± The captain put in politely. A slight rubbing of his right finger against the blue robe gave the impression of nervousness. Whether at the voyage or telling a mage what to do, Jeff couldn¡¯t guess. A stiff breeze of only slightly chilled sea air blew through the deck as Jeff nodded.


    ¡°A word of warning, the enchantments will block all of the wind. I hope those oars are strong enough to move the ship along.¡±


    ¡°The small rivers we¡¯re looking at won¡¯t be too strong. Some hands-on oars will do fine.¡± Was all the captain said before walking forward to bark some instructions at his crew.


    Now alone, Jeff stole below deck to lounge on the meager bed. A few hours passed before a sharp, acidic smell drove him out of the small abode. In the middle of the bunks was a large pot with a faint few candles around two large tables. A burly Fairy with a yellow sash around his forehead stood over a pot, stirring the contents with a large spoon.


    Coming up to a line of the crowd waiting on the left to get a meal, the lightning mage had a hard time deciding what the acidic smell was from even as some lizard part of his brain said there was food near. It took him getting nearly up to the serving table with bowls and mugs to realize there was no fire beneath the pot.


    Getting his dinnerware took a bit as he had to figure out how to grip the mug with a too-small handle, though the quick hands of the chef dispensing the meal promised a quick pass-through, which came nearly as quickly as he could walk forward. Into his bowl was poured a ladles worth of wet fish and some assorted vegetables. The sharp sting wafting up told him this was the source of the aroma.


    ¡°Ah, the human mage.¡± The server noted, putting his ladle back into the pot and retrieving more of the odd....Soup?


    A slight growl came from Jeff¡¯s left, which drew the chef¡¯s eyes with the same anger one would find in a mother looking to punish one of her brood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t huff and sigh. Especially around the pot. Maybe grow a head taller and learn some magic then you¡¯ll need the bigger portions.¡±


    Jeff only stared at the server, waiting for the added contents to be dispensed before walking to the next table where his mug was filled with water. A quick retreat back to the room was a bit difficult as he had to lay his bowl on the floor to open the door, but he found himself inside and on the bed in short order.


    A look at what could potentially be a consistent meal for the next few weeks left more questions than answers. The fish had the grey of having been baked, yet the typical streaks of black from a flame couldn¡¯t be found on any of the meat even when the vegetables bore such scars. A tentative bite left his tongue feeling like the food was properly cooked even without the omnipresent taste of flame. The meal was good and, without the need to get it in his stomach as quickly as possible, slowly savored to help him parse its exotic nature.


    It was a routine that became pretty standard over the next day and a half of travel. The Faeries could make standard meals but with vegetables of purple flesh or these odd white grains that had a nice chew even when soaked in a spicy sauce. These meals, an occasional look over the supplies, and the constant song of conversing Faeries going on around him provided a decent shield against boredom, though they couldn¡¯t compare to the distraction Pache offered.


    Not that he would be inclined to accept such offers from the sharp-teethed passengers traveling with him.


    When the sun was coming off its peak on the second day, Jeff finally came above deck to see something that wasn¡¯t more endless waves beyond the wooden abode. The right side of the ship allowed the clearest view of an endless yellow fog in the distance. Occasionally a strong breeze would leave a thin spot to reveal large white mushrooms seemingly hiding among the clouds of death. Distance made it hard to judge their size but Jeff¡¯s guess was they stood near eight or even nine feet tall. As interesting as the sight was, it didn¡¯t seem to interest the Faeries nor was the apparent destination in sight.


    After a few minutes, black streaks of smoke began mixing with the mushroom spores before wafting into the higher clouds. This seemingly prompted the captain to send a messenger to retrieve their precious mage. When Jeff came through the door, the captain was rubbing his hands across the sponge on top of the stone pillar on the right of his room, glistening his arms in the water coming out of it.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. These sections have some metal trees that spew flame. They keep predators at bay and can provide a relatively safe section of river for any future traders.¡± He announced before sitting back in his chair behind the purple wood desk.


    ¡°Metal trees?¡± Jeff asked with wide eyes.


    A small smile broke over the Faerie''s wide jaw.


    ¡°They¡¯re actually worms, from what I¡¯ve heard. I wouldn¡¯t advise trying to get a look. I haven¡¯t seen them before, but I have helped clean up the aftermath of people who intruded on their territory.¡±


    ¡°Not friendly worms, then.¡± The lightning mage offered with a small smile, his mind perusing the memory of his time at Mole Hill and its end at the mouth of the Devourer.


    ¡°The shreds of flesh I picked up in a sack didn¡¯t seem to feel particularly welcome.¡±


    The involuntary gulp from Jeff didn¡¯t slow the captain down.


    ¡°That is for souls more adventurous than us, however. Our travels will take us around the river near them.¡± He offered with a lean against the desk. ¡°We don¡¯t have very detailed maps of the murderous lands. Enten guides are used by small groups looking to get around blockades or find their way home from a ship that crashed along these shores. Such routes are entirely useless for our aims here. The metal trees have many patches we¡¯ll be looking into, but that will have to wait until our protections are in place.¡± A pointed look made the meaning clear, even if ordering around a mage wasn¡¯t a step the captain was willing to officially take.


    ¡°Time to earn my future coin,¡± Jeff stated with a small bow.


    The next few hours were spent placing barrel lids around the larger mast, fastened with leather straps and rope tied with the immaculate knots that seemed to mark the sailors of all species. White sails were put to rest while oars plunged into the sea, waiting for the word. Jeff paid no attention to the fact that the entire crew had overestimated the speed of enchantment. Two hours of tracing shapes and lines of mana crafts to deliver the blue fuel along the boards passed to a deck full of grey figures squirming in anticipation.


    While getting the air tunnel in place took the most time and precision, it was the main bubble that promised the most trouble. There were hundreds of ways moving so much air around other air crafts could go wrong, in ways seen and hidden. Jeff still sportingly put in the enchantment along the wooden bow and keel. The captain interrupted with wide eyes and bitten lips at seeing the mage mark his beloved ship with a test of blown air from a simple enchantment along the front. Despite the lightning mage''s assurances that essentially turning the vessel into a giant craft would do it no harm, the captain still looked a little sick in his retreat.


    Large mana batteries were placed near the front and back to suck in and form mana crystals for sustained fuel in the future. The largest manipulation triangles were eventually put in place, leaving the semi-final task of setting in the air circulation vents. These were placed on boards nailed around windows along the lowest decks. This all lead to the placement of the two largest pieces. The front and back air manipulation enchantments would cover their respective sides while leaving a hole for the vents, with the middle between them being defined around the edges of the highest barrel lid made into a legendary magic tool on the mast.


    It wasn¡¯t going to work. Jeff knew in his soul that having this many pieces functioning in tandem was something beyond his ability to get right on the first try. The reach of his hopes extended to not accidentally killing the entire crew. Still, when the torches were lit, he pressed the starting square near the front with an eager look.


    A few minutes passed with no disaster or miracle.


    ¡°Ah!¡± One of the Faeries yelled with a grey finger pointed upward.


    There was a small cloud of black smog pooling into a half-ball near the bare front mast. Jeff had the advantage of having made the air construct and the accompanying mental image of what it should look like. Puffs of pitch went three different ways: falling back onto the deck in specks, going beyond the unseen barrier only to get sucked down by the intake tunnel to blow across the feet of the crew, or the last path which was the most important.


    Ashen cloud came up to designated the barrel lid and kept going. It floated a good foot before stopping around an invisible wall and going into a hole around the size of the wooden disk below. Jeff couldn¡¯t say he was surprised, given all the factors involved. A dull ache set in despite his previous dispensing of hope.


    ¡°Does that mean it didn¡¯t work?¡± One of the onlooking sailors sang at him.


    Muted discomfort became sharp agony as Jeff forced out the words best left unspoken.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He stated.


    Another of the sailors elbowed their inconsiderate companion. Jeff¡¯s brown eyes looked around to see what he took to be relief in some of the Faerie''s eyes. They were getting paid by the day, and if that coin was earned idling around on the ship instead of working cargo or going through deadly fog¡­. Well, they seemed content to wait on the illustrious mastery of their magical better.


    The lightning mage took a deep sigh. It was the first setback of what he suspected to be an avalanche of failures. With resignation in his heart, he set about to redo the craft again.

 Chapter 123: Home of A Homeless People (1)

    Chapter 123


    Gula POV


    Freezing night air nipped at my hands and cheeks as it blew through the gaps in the walls. The wooden outhouse above the river held no charms, with its poor construction and the constant roar of water below the hole behind me that served as the endpoint for all meals. The shack had been used for its purpose and now I stood tall, sporting my brown pants and white shirt beneath the leather coat with furred neck.


    My hands reached for the block of wood called a radio I had placed to the left side. Nights like these provided such meager starlight that even my kind struggled but the practiced motions were performed as they always were when I conversed with my husband through the miracle box.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s Gula. Asking for a conversation with Eli. Finished.¡± I had a vague certainty that final word wasn''t the correct phrase but it would do either way.


    The static held for a moment before the voice that had commanded my world for so many years answered back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get him.¡± She answered.


    Winter was the only company I had in the stall for a minute before the box brought the voice of mother in hand.


    ¡°He says hello. There is something big he wants to talk about but he wants to hear about your day first.¡±


    My eyebrows raised in curiosity but I followed his suggestion.


    ¡°Another round of drop-offs. The story where I get supplies by smuggling from the Coalition which I¡¯ve stashed around is looking like the one to go with. We¡¯ve brought on more orphans and the kids have taken to the sea well enough. I think there are a few who would be good to bring on officially. Not on to my crew but our wider plan. Besides that, same as always. Finished.¡±


    A few more minutes of making sure I wasn¡¯t losing the feeling in my fingers and hearing frothing river was suddenly interrupted by the crackle of the radio.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to level the slum to drive us out.¡± Mother growled through the box, her voice biting with irritation.


    A hand lifted to the frozen wall to help correct weakened knees. Stinging ice against my palm didn¡¯t merit so much as a blink while I paced out my breathing.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say it like that. Don¡¯t leave out any details.¡±


    A second of silence filled the outhouse.


    ¡°A new governor is taking over. I¡¯ve been tasked with taking in all the single men, who will soon be expelled from the city. My plans for the expanded domain and the need to make room for all the Orc mating men will soon leak so that you can have as much time to prepare as possible. This will be a permanent arrangement and we¡¯ll have to crunch for the next few months to ride out this storm. Finished.¡±


    I tried to think of what to say. The entire underground was going to¡­. My stomach churned, and this time it wasn¡¯t from the smell of this place. A cold more deadly and sinister than winter''s kiss seeped into my veins even as my throat wanted to exhume the day¡¯s dinner.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Mother asked through the box.


    I went over everything that would be needed to get people to Baker¡¯s Port in the south. Figures of storage, beds, and food for traveling came to me. The sea life had been creeping into my soul as the tons carried and the size of available cargo space was almost second nature to me. A few seconds of wrangling in muted frenzy sped by until the radio sprang back to life.


    ¡°Eli says he has a plan to allow the Orcs to move beneath his city.¡± Mother offered with a note of faint hope.


    ¡°Will that be enough?¡± I mused.


    Silence was the answer, as Mother had apparently interpreted that as a question for Eli. Maybe it was. My brain was giving a sporting try of planning after a long day of work and I couldn¡¯t say who of us three I was talking to.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to segment the city between an upper section and another underground. Kind of like what we have in Crasden but¡­. More intentional on the human¡¯s part.¡±


    I bit my lip white. There was some guilt about doubting the only plan at hand, but I had reservations about that path. Reservations that thousands of my people would face the consequences of if they were ever realized.


    ¡°How does a plant scion have an Orc infestation they can¡¯t deal with?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s based on¡­. Something about arches and stress points. Maybe the fifth time around I could explain it properly.¡±


    Mother¡¯s exasperated tone made it clear no such attempt would be made.


    My brain automatically shoved the question into the void along with how metal could make voices and memories were stored in small capsules on the neck. If I doubted Eli about this, there was a small army of nonsense that would demand to be in front of stone construction weirdness.


    ¡°And what about my end? Anything with the ship or from the Base?¡±


    ¡°Gula, we can¡¯t just miraculously have the solution served up when the secret gets out.¡±


    It took a moment for me to realize it was mother objecting, not Eli through her voice.


    ¡°A miracle? We could do a few unloading trips in preparation. Make extra room in the lower decks by storing more in the warehouse. They¡¯re not going to be able to make an entire city in the amount of time as the humans can destroy it.¡±


    ¡°And why would the sea-faring smuggler unload all of her cargo onto land? Especially when she didn¡¯t do it before, save for the best time just before an event she had no foreknowledge of.¡±


    I gulped down spit along with the snarl working its way up my throat. Panic was starting to worm its way in, from the shake in my free hand to the increasing speed of my breathing. Nerves honed on the battlefield were the only reason the radio wasn¡¯t being wrangled like a neck or my guards on the outside peeking in to see what the screaming was about.


    ¡°I can say¡­. We need¡­. It¡¯s going to take a good week or two to make the trip south to Baker¡¯s Port. One trip for a hundred or so people at most. Out of untold thousands. We have to do something.¡±


    A moment of hard silence passed before the radio crackled again.


    ¡°We are. More than any of our kind ever have.¡± She replied with a note of finality.


    The rest of the conversation played out in my mind. We¡¯d argue about all the things I could sneakily pull off and none of it would be enough to make a real dent in anything. Any moves on my part wouldn¡¯t even be worth it because the future of my entire species was riding on getting this right and I couldn¡¯t risk the wrong questions getting asked. Now that I had been given some time to absorb, my reluctant acceptance of the situation began overriding the frenzied need to make it what I wanted, not what it was. I don¡¯t know if I can tell a bunch of kids ¡®Sorry, there¡¯s no room. Go find somewhere comfortable to die.¡¯ before shoving off with the last voyage out, but the reality that one ship couldn¡¯t save half a city settled into me.


    ¡°Tell Eli¡­. That I love him. Finished.¡±


    The silence between us stretched on with only the swirling river below filling my ears.


    ¡°I love you too and I¡¯ll prove it again in the coming days.¡± Mother responded, finally acting as a proper go-between.


    Despite the voice coming from the woman who washed me as a babe, I felt some warmth bloom in my chest. Sadly, there was nothing left to be said. I turned off the radio and placed it beneath my leather jacket before vacating the outhouse with a tired sigh that matched the clack of my feet hitting stone. The other outhouses along the sides of the bridge had a few occupants with a green woman walking past.


    ¡®Anything wrong?¡¯ The black-furred Kelton in front of me asked through an electric sensation on my shoulder, those white eyes matching his shirt as they perused my face. Three other of the goat-headed men ambled around, sticking close with their holstered swords.


    ¡®Everything soon enough.¡¯ I offered with a tired heart.


    They didn¡¯t press for details as we ambled off to the right. Black sky weaved a tapestry of lights above as we moved over the stone bridge towards the road that hugged the side of the river. The surrounding slum had a few Orcs and humans in the meager houses, idly walking about as a couple, or seeing to their needs in the outhouses on the bridge we abandoned. These were the hardier people who could stand the cold of winter night for a breath of air untouched by the sweat and odor of a glorified cave.


    We continued down the road towards the large house with thick poles beneath. Moving between the forest of crafted wood, the multitude of doors into the underground were left wide open for the nightly rush out. The crowd had since dispersed in both directions and allowed us free entrance.


    A wide chasm of stone walls provided a canvas for the faint starlight peeking through the thin roof. Off to the right was the domain of those with heavier coin purses, sporting firm stone walls, thick wooden beams, and some space between. The place serving as my residence on land was to the left among the lines of double doors and windows marking warehouses worked into the walls of something the priests called ¡®concrete¡¯.


    My shoes clapped against the stone floor as we took one of the narrow streets on the left. Even at this time there were people ambling about. The buildings sunken into the wall were previously abandoned and now sported a small population of people seeking refuge from the devastation of the pirate battle that had spilled in the slum so long ago. Rumor said they were a few days from fully recovering the homes that got crushed under the earth mages'' boulders.


    I arrived at the last double door and went through. Inside were the lines of blankets and cloth serving as walls to the homeless denizens the city had paid me to take in. The desk on the left was vacated by my secretary, leaving only another Kelton guard by the staircase in front of it to watch the roost.


    Creaking wood accompanied the men walking up the stairs of the secretary''s roost, leaving me to twiddle thumbs at the base until they came back with a nod. The cold wood gave out another round of moans as I ascended to the next floor. Large crates awaited me directly ahead, but I carefully walked around through the darkness to the bed and wardrobe behind. There were still a lot of boxes everywhere, but the chaos had been reformed into neat rows with groupings of the contents therein and my little corner resembled a proper room instead of a vagrants squatting ground.


    My plunge into the bed was halfhearted. Black void replaced the white of the pillow and I fell asleep with a swarm of worries, questions, and anxieties for company.


    ¡°Gula!¡± The voice of my secretary called out.


    I turned upward to the foot of my bed to find the older Orc, Sharn, holding her thin hands over the belly of the same brown dress she always wore. Those angular cheeks emphasized the wrinkles in her skin, though the mirth in those gold irises on black spheres had a whimsy unfitting whimsy.


    ¡°Another day beckons, Lady Gula.¡± She intoned with a small bow that cause her bun of grey hair to wiggle against her ears.


    I only nodded, making her turn back to her station. There was a deadness in my chest as I got up and retrieved a change of clothes. Numb ache that had no physical location even as my body reacted to it. Dull footsteps followed my exit from the warehouse and the circle of Kelton guards around me. A pattern of hallways and tunnels well worn from use left my mind idle enough to consider the situation


    With nothing left to do, I went through the motions of daily life wearing a world-shattering secret around my neck like a noose. Merchants came by with a few deals and exchanges. Their desperate need to get some some goods from the only ship servicing the city came with good coin, most of which ended up in a special drawer that I designated for contracts I knew I¡¯d be breaking in the next few days. A lot of tailors were going to be dissapointed that their order for leathers and cloth was supplanted by refugees, but who can say if they¡¯ll be one of those fleeing unfortunates or not, so I didn¡¯t feel too guilty when I shook their hands and signed on the line.


    An entire day passed in silent agony.


    Then another.


    I was downright furious when I wasn¡¯t woken up by a panicking Cassie or city guard and had to man the desk on the second floor behind the staircase. My poor quill was handled with undeserved roughness, its strokes on paper seemingly matching the slaps of my leather shoe on the floor to remind the world of the impatience brewing inside this captains soul. Winter cold seeping through my white shirt and brown pants remained the only companionship I had all morning, save the Kelton guards. The idle torture of manning the desk and attendant paperwork continued until lunch when the aged voice of Sharn called up.


    ¡°Lady Gula! Council head Nersa is requesting-¡±


    A voice said something downstairs, too low for coherence.


    ¡°Urgently demanding a meeting!¡±


    A sigh escaped my lips, mixed with relief and trepidation.


    ¡°Let her-¡±


    A few stomps preceded a clanking of metal. The tower of steel that ambled up looked around for a few seconds, paying me no mind save a second of measuring with red eyes. After finding my abode bereft of assasins, the guard looked down the stairs and nodded.


    Into my office walked the single most powerful person in the underground. Her green skin was immaculately washed, that bob of brown hair with bits of grey was perfectly done against her forehead. Those small ears had pearls pierced through and even with the walk up in a fine brown coat and creme-colored shirt, not even her small nose showed any strain of breathing. Brown pants were tight against her slim form, doing nothing to punish her stride up, meaning they had to be custom made to their wearer¡¯s dimensions.


    An uncompromising display of feminine prowess and confidence that made my teeth clench and hackles rise. Even now, with her entire world about to suck the end of a sword, she still couldn¡¯t have a single hair out of place. I hated that part of me that demanded attention on such things during a crisis, but I managed to choke it down in time to casually lean back into my chair.


    ¡®Another swim to the mages house?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection.


    Brown eyebrows raised at the suggestion as she sat in the chair in front of my desk.


    ¡®Any and all options would be appreciated right now.¡¯ Nersa replied with a worn tone. ¡®Though the waters we need you to take are more northward. A dangerous task with the Bodding Kingdom patrolling the waters, but I¡¯m certain your abilities will be more than a match.¡¯


    As long pondered as this meeting was, I couldn¡¯t say I considered taking that direction. The furrowing of my eyebrows and folding of my fingers together invited her to speak further.


    ¡®After its inception, the Cradle had a period where the humans tried a blockade. A foolish and unsustainable thing considering its mountains touch the Bloody Plains and the icy wastes. They still managed to make getting supplies in incredibly difficult. Something we helped alleviate at no little cost. Since then an¡­. Agreement for aid in times of need has been established. A treaty we¡¯ll be pulling on.¡¯


    ¡®Why didn¡¯t the humans just march on the settlement?¡¯ I asked innocently. She hadn¡¯t told me lives were in danger, leaving me to act ignorant of the stakes.


    ¡®It¡¯s more like a fort spanning the mountains. The place was built to conduct experiments on us. Diseases and such if I remember correctly, with a working mine for cover. What was made to keep our kind in also proved very good at keeping the humans out when their prisoners broke free. The details of that chapter you will have to get from them. The more important issue is that they have an agreement to take us in, as we would them.¡¯


    An idle thought pushed itself to the front of my mind. It had been there since I had first heard of the place but I kept it idle until now.


    ¡®So it¡¯s totally ours?¡¯ I asked with a bit too much enthusiasm.


    Brown eyebrows furrowed but Nersa¡¯s golden eyes remained steady.


    ¡®We don¡¯t own the Cradle.¡¯


    ¡®I meant we as in we Orcs.¡¯ The reply left my lips with a hint of irritation that was not returned in her demeanor.


    ¡®Yes, it falls totally under our kind¡¯s domain.¡¯


    A shiver of excitement ran up my spine. Ours. Not under the humans or squatting in Frojan territory. Excitement at the prospect of such a place mixed with the churn of worry in my gut before I pressed on.


    ¡®There¡¯s space for a hundred or so on my ship as passengers, their supplies are another matter. I thought the construction crews managed to fix the supports.¡¯


    Nersa bit her lower lip. Her breathing was steady but those golden eyes looked somewhere far away for a moment before the mind behind them returned to my chair.


    ¡®They did. Unfortunately, they can¡¯t patch over the damage that¡¯s coming. This time I¡¯m afraid the destruction will not be a side effect. The humans intend to purge the Underground.¡¯


    I sat up a bit straighter, trying to let my eyebrows rise in a natural manner.


    ¡®Which sections?¡¯


    She shook her head, that brown bun of grey flecked hair staying in place with no sway.


    ¡®They intend to take it all out. Root and stem. Not even the sky touched buildings will be saved.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard no announcements or any indications of such a big move.¡¯ I responded with due skepticism.


    ¡®Their plan is still in its infancy. I can¡¯t reveal everything save that we know the new governor intends to expel our men in order to pave over the life we built here.¡¯


    ¡®If¡­.¡¯ I struggled a bit at this part, as it brushed against the truly unknown. ¡®Where will everyone else go? I hope you don¡¯t think a few excursions on my ship will be enough to do anything.¡¯


    Those golden eyes pierced into me. Not trusting but there wasn¡¯t the steel of coming denial either. Tense seconds passed before she took a deep breath.


    ¡®Sally thinks we can survive under the plant scions domain. Not just around the outskirts and harbor as we had originally planned. He¡¯s building a proper city to take in all the men. Circumstance has forced him to build a multilayered domain with a new underground that can¡¯t be exhumed as easily as this one just as it forced him to get sloppy in covering up the plans for the structure.¡¯


    The lick of my lips followed by a puckering hopefully gave the skeptical impression I wanted.


    ¡®How does an earth mage make something he can¡¯t destroy?¡¯


    ¡®It was all quite complex, but the architects spent a night and then some to check. Perhaps the Christian''s god has seen fit to save his flock or their hope has clouded their judgment. However that avenue turns out, I¡¯m not putting all our hopes on the workings of a male mage. The Cradle has a small port in the frozen north. Bellog, besides tracking our coin, has some experience with them and can act as an envoy.


    A group has been assembled to leave under the guise of retrieving more tools and such, which, while true, isn¡¯t why they¡¯re going. They¡¯ll be told that they¡¯re refugees during the trip. I would advise against personally returning to this office. Certain people will know out what¡¯s happening, either because we have to tell them to prepare or they¡¯ve gone through a purge before and can see the signs of another approaching. They¡¯ll swarm you to get their children a spot on the ship out then word will spread about some panic among the leadership.¡¯


    Those immaculate hands moved to rest on the brown pants, rubbing the cloth with an idle sweep to clear some dust. Besides that, she said nothing more, allowing me to cut in.


    ¡®As I previously said, we can fit a few hundred but I haven¡¯t stocked enough supplies for so many.¡¯ I emphasized the last sentence with a lean forward. Nersa only nodded.


    ¡®A draft of the needed goods will be written up and delivered, if your hold has the space.¡¯


    There we sat with no words exchanged or faces giving any indication of the others inner thoughts. An awkward thing, leaving my scant social skills flailing at how to proceed. Nersa picked up the conversation by taking a deep breath and asking the final question.


    ¡®What compensation will you require?¡¯ She asked in a patient voice.


    ¡®My standard rate.¡¯ I replied.


    Those brown eyebrows raised again, this time in surprise as much as disbelief.


    ¡®Oh? No fees for the sudden inconvenience? Or hikes for the urgency?¡¯


    Poetry was not my expertise nor was clever wordplay. Yet I still felt compelled to try and weave our grand vision into this venture.


    ¡®I won¡¯t have my people work for free. Fleecing the desperate at a weak moment, however, isn¡¯t something I go into business for. We all, Orcs and Humans, need to come together in crisis and for a better future. Perhaps I¡¯ll be in need of your services in time or this relationship with my crew can grow into something more than just buyer and seller.¡¯


    It failed.


    I could feel the ¡®let¡¯s get along¡¯ slop leave my mouth with nothing to lead towards abandoning magic and I had to admit the skill to do so in this conversation was simply beyond me. Nersa smiled with appreciation all the same.


    ¡®It¡¯s nice to see some forethought. Lord knows it¡¯s more rare than gold around here. Cassie will be handling the payments and Sally has a list of goods that we will actually need to purchase from the Cradle.¡¯


    ¡®Of course, I have taken on prior commitments. Breaking them will incur some fee¡¯s and a certain amount of damage to my reputation.¡¯ I announced with a reach into the desk drawer. Pulling out the pages took a moment as I wouldn¡¯t have them all neatly ready if I didn¡¯t expect this interruption to my operations.


    ¡®We¡¯ll handle it. They¡¯ll be compensated for the trouble and will be directed to our office for any complaints.¡¯


    With that, the spirit connection was cut. The older Orc got up with a slight smile before leaving with the heavily armored mountain. I was left to peruse my initial paper for a few more hours before both priests trudged up the stairs, though their announcement was far less grand.


    Cassie came with jog in that black dress and tilted head cover that only slightly revealed the grey-streaked black hair beneath. Those plump cheeks did nothing to hide the worried air in her golden eyes that moved the mole under the left one with a look around. Her short nose sniffled with her walk towards my desk.


    Sally came in from behind. Sporting a shirt and pants matching her companions colors, the two women were far apart in body, with her having a thinner frame and short, fully grey hair. A tired air hung about her as a green hand rubbed the sharp chin above a white square on her collar. The small nose beneath those gold eyes showed a more steady breath, though irritation seemed to mix with an over taxed face. That didn¡¯t stop a spirit connection from her direction touching my shoulder.


    ¡®Has Nersa informed you?¡¯


    Cassie sat down in front of me while Sally stood off to the right.


    ¡®About the trip north because they¡¯re going to break this place? Yes, I was just told this last hour.¡¯


    The plump Orc leaned forward, her hands clawing into the black dress until the palms were white.


    ¡®How many crew members could you add?¡¯ Cassie asked with a harried voice. There was a hint of panic in the plea, emphasizing the bit lip and heavy breathing.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯ve found myself in need of more crew recently. A dozen or so fresh hands on the decks would help.¡¯


    The plump priest leaned further until her head was above the desk, almost vacating the seat as she did so.


    ¡®Only a dozen? Could you not take on more?¡¯


    ¡®Cassie.¡¯ Sally replied with as much firmness as the tired woman could manage.


    Puckered lips were the plump woman¡¯s first response as she turned to her left. The second was unheard but the stone face Sally adopted and hastened breathing from Cassie made it clear the two were having a conversation outside of the spirit connection with myself. The grey-haired woman gripped my desk with some frustration but the argument never moved into the physical realm for its minute-long life. They finished by looking away from each other to focus on the owner of this warehouse, which didn¡¯t prevent me from speaking first.


    ¡®Eighteen. Any more than that draws eyes.¡¯ I offered.


    The plump priest gave me an appreciative nod. Sally sighed while her golden eyes looked back towards the rest of the crates.


    ¡®We need tools to make this venture under the plant mages'' domain reality. Nersa has assured us we¡¯ll have as many backs as needed, but the metal to make the flesh useful doesn¡¯t have the same guarantee. The Cradle has a lot of smiths and ore, the coin for such product we will provide.¡¯


    Her green hand reached into her pocket, pulling out a white page which was carefully handed to me. A perusing of the order showed a long list of items with numbers beside them, some reaching into the hundreds. Most were picks and hammers. Looking further down the list were more types of those tools, each with a qualifying name behind the recognizable tool name. The last line was for shovel heads. Not shovels, just their heads.


    ¡®I will hand it off to my first mate. Any further correspondence will be done through my secretary or by a long walk to the ship as an unexpected expedition has been foisted into my lap. Something that will require my personal attention to make ready for.¡¯


    A lie, as any ship-side issues had been long resolved. Something the priests didn¡¯t pick up on as they vacated the bedroom serving as an office with appreciative smiles. Once they were out of sight, I placed the doomed contracts on the top of my desk. Winter still nipped at my fingers, making it hard to move bare hands over the icy pages. Worst of all, the charade still demanded I get out of my chair to make for the mansion on that freezing sea, which I did with some relief to finally be doing something about the coming crisis mixed in the trepidation. A leather jacket was quickly wrapped over my white shirt, a hasty thing attempted with the walk down stairs. No one besides my guards was around, leaving Sharn as the only one to hand all of my land-bound responsibilities to.


    ¡°I¡¯m going on a big trip. One that will require the voiding of several agreements. If anyone needs to discuss their contract over the next few¡­. Months, tell them that discussion needs to be taken up with the Council. The relevant papers are on my desk.¡±


    The old Orc puckered her lips, though they never moved to voice any questions. A slight nod was all she gave me before those brown dress arms were back to flowing around the desk. Now more confident in my choice of secretary, I went out the door with the team of Keltons covering all sides.


    Orcs sporting clothes from dresses to leather guard armor crowded the stone street, going about to one place or task. Tens of thousands of lives, shattered by the idea of a single person. There was a sense of proportions that rebelled against such a ridiculous thing.


    But that¡¯s how it was. How many thousands of lives were thrown away on stupidity from the higher-ups in the swamps? Why would it be different he-


    ¡®Lady?¡¯


    I looked up with closed eyes. This was not the time to fall into my thoughts, yet-


    ¡°Let''s go.¡± I audibly commanded the group with each step forward melding into the surrounding traffic.


    None of the passersby gave us notice, the visage of goat heads and a well-dressed captain having been worn into the minds of the locals beyond any curiosity. I was grateful for the disinterest as we came up to the end of the street to ascend some stone stairs leading into the grey, gaping maw of the tunnel. Worry had coursed through my mind for days, and now with nothing left to do but see the plan through, I let it run over every detail.


    Turns around carts or stalls, whiffs of body odor, and a low chorus of chatter rolled through my senses without reaching the part of my mind that could pay it any real attention. By the time we were going into the thinner tunnel leading to the empty rocks above ground, I felt exhausted. Barely left my chair all day save a trip to the shower and some part of me was already eager to slam into the pillow.


    The guards dealt with the lookout who opened the hatch leading onto the rocky plains with a sky of sporadic clouds trying to smother a weak sun. Where every distraction of civilization failed, winter succeeded. A freezing slap of moist air crushed even the most gut-wrenching anxiety, forcing me to focus on my surroundings. I moved up the stone stairs in a sprint with the men. No fetid air of sweaty bodies rolled over the endless rocks and boulders that stretched on for as far as could be seen. Instead, each breath brought the clean-smelling promise of a shivering death with our trek rightward.


    By the time we reached the end of the path, a boat was already pushing against the ocean waves to reach our shore. The hulking mass of wood and white cloth behind the dingy had been put on lookout for my arrival since yesterday when we should have been leaving. But it was only now that I was finally shimmying into the boat and towards the ship. Waves pushed against the dinghy with the men rowing in rough sync to overcome the elements.


    Hoops on both sides of the boat were quickly tied with rope and hoisted us to the deck of its bigger brother. I managed to get out of the boat and land on the wooden floor with some grace among the workers ambling about. Which I was particularly grateful for when I noticed a few of the green girls working a mop or rag among the older Keltons and humans. Some notion that they were fortunate to not have any family to worry about wormed its way deeper into me than I would admit to anyone before crushing it.


    Soft swaying didn¡¯t deter my walk towards the raised floor along the back of the ship that served as the captain''s quarters and an extra vantage point for scouts. Going through the double doors brought me into what was competing to be my main residence. The dinner table on the right with white table cloth was the same as always. A bed with white sheets and red blankets rested on the left, over the huge fur rug that took up almost as much floor as the wood itself. All illuminated with the faint light from the windows taking up most of the back with their curtains pulled open.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    As tempting as the beds call was, I managed to make it to the desk in the back middle with minimum grumbling. Time passed with the occasional peek inside from a sailor to inform me of the goods being moved out to the warehouse or the new orphan crew brought on board. It was at the suns dying hour, when the only flicker of orange light to be found was from a candle on the left of my desk, that a member of my kind knocked before coming in.


    ¡°Quality can be hard to ascertain in most things.¡± A half-remembered voice announced as Bellog presented herself. She bore the same blood-colored vest matching her red irises in black spheres behind copper-rimmed glasses. The vest covered a slightly worn white shirt, though the brown pants seemed to be new. No amount of clothing could hide the skinny frame of its wearer, even with the sharp chin and nose making it clear that the lack of fat was due to her natural state rather than starvation. ¡°Construction has the one infallible indicator, however.¡±


    The woman emphasized the coming point by swinging the door back and forth, making her glasses jiggle with the motion.


    ¡°Can¡¯t lie or trick that kind of precision into existence. To think the Waveborn and smugglers always put on a show of roughness.¡±


    Those red eyes made a pointed look towards the undeniably posh bed.


    ¡°It came with the acquisition.¡± I shrugged with mild interest. ¡°Of course, they weren¡¯t considerate enough to give the rest of the accommodations such treatment.¡±


    Bellog bit her lower lip before coming forward.


    ¡°Perhaps you can amend the injustice with this. It¡¯s for our goods and your payment. If it¡¯s not enough for the latter, I have the assurance of the treasury that you will be made whole.¡± She intoned with a reach inside her red vest.


    Thin fingers pulled out a pregnant leather sack. That delicious clang of metal intensified with each step towards me, reaching its crescendo with a toss onto the desk. My hands moved with a steady gait, picking up with the pouch and opening it with as disinterested a look as I could manage. Candle light reflected off silver then a hint of gold.


    An unceremonious upending of the leather sack produced a small pile of silver coin and three golden coins. All I could give it was an appreciative nod before placing them back in the bag by the handful.


    ¡°Oh, Gula, do try to enjoy the moment.¡± Bellog teased with a smile. ¡°Coin has such a fantastic sensation on the skin and so much of it will be gone when the bills are paid.¡±


    I took special care to keep one of the gold coins out. When the others were placed where they belonged, that solitary piece was left to shine on the desk. It was probably more than a decade of work back in the swamps. Just raw pay, both from the military and drug running, as no coin ever stayed long in our home before being whisked away to the market. Not that I had a real idea of how much a gold coin was really worth.


    Pinching the glistening disk between my thumb and forefinger, I pondered on how many miles of cloth or carts of meats I could have bought with it back in those impoverished days. Wealth, and all the possibilities therein, held in a thumb-sized piece of metal. It¡­.Agreed with me.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s being a smuggler.¡± Bellog purred with a small nod emphasizing her coy smile.


    ¡°Was I not before?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow to the woman. ¡°There seems to have been a lot of goods being offloaded from my ship, at good profit.¡±


    She puckered her lips, that smile shifting into a smirk.


    ¡°Smugglers have a bit of a ruthless air about them. Not killers, but their blood still runs cold. You? Well, you¡¯ve made good coin, but there have been no merchants talking of legal robbery as they walked from your warehouse nor did you turn away the orphans, though you could have gotten better workers for the same coin.¡±


    ¡°I give people what they deserve, no more or less,¡± I stated while carefully placing the golden treasure with its siblings and dropping the sack in a drawer.


    ¡°That uncharacteristic generosity will come in handy for us, however.¡± Bellog continued as I looked back up to meet her steady gaze. ¡°It will be an hour or so until the workers have been made comfortable.¡±


    ¡°And when will they be told of their lacking return trip?¡±


    Her bald head tilted side-to-side for a bit with her eyes looking up, a bit lip showing deep thought.


    ¡°We should arrive at the harbor in ten days if my scant knowledge of sailing this far north is accurate. Two days into it should be far enough away that they won¡¯t suggest turning around yet give them the time to process where their butts will be freezing in the future. I¡¯ll be handling the dirty work of delivering the news, so don¡¯t worry about preparing a grand speech. The only item left is what you intend to do if we run into a Bodding ship. They aren¡¯t as numerous on this side of the icy caps, more concerned about the islands closer to their lands and the Cradle itself, but I¡¯ve heard they still venture this way on occasion.¡± She stated with a look of mute interest.


    ¡°Scouting,¡± I stated with a disinterested shrug. ¡°My first mate will say a local merchant or noble wanted us to get a detailed map of the area. Any questions about that will be thrown on the fuss created by the pirates, we¡¯re not paid to ask those questions, and such. If they want to inspect... Well, the ballistae aren''t for decoration and the Frojan below deck have made significant contributions to this ship with their water magic. No one will catch us save the Mist Pirates.¡±


    ¡°One last item,¡± Bellog said with a raised finger and coy smile. ¡°I think it would be best to combine our list of goods as I assume you want to get some metal workings there. It¡¯s easier to get deals for a government than a single ship. Not to mention such a wrangling will also cost us time. Time that many, many lives depend on.¡±


    The sigh of relief managed to stay down my throat. Thankful that I wouldn¡¯t have to put my non-existent negotiating skills on display, I slowly nodded. Bellog gave me a light bow before leaving to soak in the crashing waves and bitter cold. The appointed hour arrived and Geoff came in, his bald cap reflecting a burning torches light.


    ¡°Permission to shove off, Captain.¡± He asked with a smile in his leather skin and some mirth in those green eyes.


    ¡°Granted,¡± I replied, placing the official order from Sally down.


    The door was closed, leaving me to lick my fingers and extinguish the reading candle on the left. Starlight was particularly scant this night, leaving my better vision only just outlining that wonderful bed. The order had been remembered and copied just in case it was lost, the payment secured, and any work to get underway was dealt with by my first mate and navigator. Honestly any one of the sailors would know what to do. Plush pillows called and I did nothing to resist as black oblivion took me.


    As impossible as it may have seemed, it got colder the next day. And the next day colder still. Baloo and the Frojan rarely went above deck but even there was getting too cold. Some hidden heating crafts were deployed to help them and Lokkan endure, which meant the refugees were kept away. It was all a lot of work that I was thankful only rarely made its way to me.


    The chilly tedium was finally interrupted by shouting outside my door. I almost dragged myself out of the room before Geoff came in to tell me Bellog was explaining to the workers the real purpose of their visit to the famed Cradle. I left those smaller tasks to the crew and the careful perusing of the seas to my mother flying above while I pondered the monumental work of figuring out how to best my husband in bed.


    Somewhere along the way the cold became freezing. Not a brisk sting over the skin to be endured, but an assault trying to drain any life it found. Sleep was done in full attire and weak beer accompanied every meal as any water would be ice within minutes of being above deck. It made getting the needed goods from the crew, be they hinges, pots, or armor more painful as I had to peruse the decks for any items that looked like they were due for replacement.


    Aside from that, the days were spent pondering plans of pleasurable attack and ecstatic defense, leaving me unaware of the full track of the week. About the fifth day, I was a bit worried that no Bodding ships were currently about. Bellog said they should patrolling and I would be worried that we missed them if not for mother confirming their absence. No interruption came until Bellog barged back into my office.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± She offered with a thick-furred cap sticking out over her head. I almost jumped out of the chair, making the red scarf around my neck and thick fur coat flop with the motion.


    Coming out onto the deck, I was greeted with the typical waves on the right, though the biting wind ambling over them had a particular viciousness that the southern waters lacked. The left side held a visage of rocky desolation. Unlike the mole-sheared ones in Crasden, the rocks here had a more natural erosion to them with wind and water running through the land to leave smooth stones sticking out of white snow. Nature gave me a taste of those forces with a strong gust through my clothes which matched the clouds of billowing snow out over the dead land.


    What drew my eyes was the wide mountains far away from the shore. Along where the mountaintops should be were wide square towers on the peaks that had the jutting dirt replaced with stone where it rested on its host. I could pick out two large ones on the left and one on the right that almost completely replaced the natural peak. On the lower mountains were more towers that properly capped the mounds, replacing whatever nature had intended to finish. Their dimensions and true size were hard to judge from this distance but I wanted to say they were the size of castles done into a single shaft of brickwork. All bathed in the orange of a dying sun.


    The large town of lifeless stone between the mountains and the ocean was easier to judge. Far from the haphazard placement of buildings I typically associated with my kinds dwellings, the large boxes of grey rock were placed in neat and distinctive rows, allowing a clear view of the road leading towards the mountains on the other side of the town. The houses material matched the floor of magical masonry, which made no attempt to meld into its surroundings even with the blanket of snow. A wide slab of that grey stone served as a base for the whole town and seemingly pushing out the natural stone to do so.


    I scoured for a few seconds until I confirmed the lack of any plants. None of the houses suffered so much as a vine on their frames nor was a blade of grass to be seen for miles along any direction. It lent the place an air of the abandoned by Orc, Man, and nature, something only undone by the torches held by a pack of my kind approaching the stone dock we were pulling into.


    Almost a dozen puffs of furs ran up to the pier. Their faces were hidden by cloth over their mouths and goggles of glass that only just revealed the green skin beneath all of the brown hides. Despite the inability to see their expressions, their bows undrawn swords and bows promised a welcome greeting.


    I almost walked towards the plank being readied before Bellog stepped out of the crowd of onlookers, covered in similar furs and a matching head-encomapssing cap. Content to let her fulfill her role as ambassador, a hasty retreat was made back into the office. The next few minutes were spent adjusting some ill-fitting fur gloves and looking through my desk for the order. In an hour, everything I could think of that would provide distraction was done twice over, leaving me to lean down on the desk until Bellog came back in with a gust of winter. A quick look up said nothing good, as her bit lip and worried red eyes behind copper glasses told of an uncomfortable conversation coming. A cross of my arms made it clear I wanted little preamble, which she obliged.


    ¡°They want to talk with you.¡±


    I stared uncomprehendingly at her.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The diplomat, Ferrag, is interested in the only ship that¡¯s sailed up here in years.¡±


    A few seconds passed before I realized that was all she was going to say.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I demanded.


    Bellog simply shrugged.


    ¡°We are to be transported before the refugees and hear her proposal, which she assured me was quite lucrative and something any smuggler would reach for. Any real smuggler, at least.¡±


    The provocation was delivered with a smile and answered in the same manner.


    ¡°Perhaps next time I¡¯ll bring an envoy. A real envoy that can conduct diplomacy without my intervention.¡± I offered with a rise out of the chair.


    Bellog bit her lip, shifting her fur-covered head to the right while I retrieved my sword from beneath my bed and fastened its holster on my hip.


    ¡°An envoy that commits to a potential years-long deal without your input sounds like a fantastic idea. If you crave such adventurous negotiation, you can always tell Nersa you want someone else. It¡¯d hurt to miss wonderful trips like these but my heart may endure the disappointment.


    But as the current and uncomfortably present representative of the council, I must press upon you the supreme importance of not mentioning the situation in Crasden or our plan. There are¡­. Many complications involved with the route Nersa has taken us on.¡±


    Our conversation ended with me giving a small nod as I passed by into the blistering cold. Unlike the base even further up north, the land around the town wasn¡¯t covered in white pools of salt that reflected the dying sun. That left the senses to fully appreciate just how horrifically cold it was. Nature never cared for my comfort, so I walked over to the right to go down the plank without complaint, surrounded by four Kelton guards who seemed more at ease in these freezing lands with their single fur coats.


    The small crowd around me moved down onto the stone pier. One of the locals pointed towards the end of the road leading onto the plains that preceded the mountains. No words were exchanged as we followed our apparent caretaker. A crunch of snow beneath each step filled the ears where the wind died down before picking back up. It was nearly two feet of white fluff mixed with slush. I was waiting for it to get into my boots and freeze my toes with each step, a discomfort my unusually well-made clothes were able to prevent.


    Taking a quick look around, I noticed that only one of the Cradle Orcs was accompanying us. I thought they were rather trusting until I saw torches in a few of the windows illuminating an archer looking at us. A few minutes more of walking took us toward the edge of the town and landed us on the road with only a few inches of snow.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Our guide yelled to the group. ¡°The winds can pick up, leaving you blind to anything more than an arm away. The carriage will arrive soon, so don¡¯t wander until it does.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. Standing out in the open disagreed with me. Five minutes of being so exposed, an openness my time in the forests and swamps of the Coalition helped blossom into a feeling of skittishness, and I was ready to turn back when the carriage pulled out of the snowy winds into eyesight. The front was a long half-circle of wood that churned through the snow with wagon wheels in the typical positions. The rest was sturdy walls and a triangular roof closer to that of a house.


    Our guide ushered us forward. As we came up to the wooden box somewhere between a shed and a small house, the Kelton guards insisted on being in the front to inspect it. Getting a proper look at the side revealed there to be no driver or a pair of horses shielded inside the board housing as I had envisioned. The carriage was nothing but a box and a curved front, yet it had moved to the town all the same.


    Any curiosity I had about it was pushed aside as our Orc guide moved herself to the side and opened a door, pulling down a small ladder with the swing of the wooden entrance. We filed in one at a time with two of the Keltons going first. Taking another look at the carriages front allowed Bellog to come up from behind me, which left me mildly irritated as she dove off to the left. The petty thought was pushed aside with my steps up and the sudden steadiness that came with not having to fight the wind to stay up.


    The room was a wide rectangle with benches that reached the ends of the long sides. No upholstery or decorations were to be found but the wood was a solid dark oak and when I moved three places down to the right, my butt had no objections aside from the expected iciness of the surface.


    Once the guards were sitting around me, the door was shut by the last arriving man, suddenly cutting off the soft howls of the wind. The guide moved towards the front and lifted a previously unnoticed metal hatch near the wall. Her hands sank into the hole before she did an exaggerated lift on what sounded like a rope. Nothing came up, though, as she shut the metal slab and plopped down on the left bench opposite of me with the faint light out of some windows above shining down on her.


    A question worked its way up my tongue, almost reaching past my lips before the cart suddenly jolted forward. The pace was steady, unlike the occasional jerk of animal drawn carriages. A small sigh of relief escaped the cloth face wrap of the fur-covered Orc as she leaned back into the bench.


    ¡°Word of warning.¡± She announced to the group. ¡°When we stop, I¡¯ll go out first. Because either we¡¯ve arrived or the rope¡¯s snapped. The latter has a lot of other rules that I¡¯ll explain if it happens, just don¡¯t get too hasty and it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    With that, she resumed her relaxation. We all followed her lead, though no one attempted to remove their clothes in that way people settling in usually did. Even when out of the wind, the cold this far north was still deadly without added layers. The next hour or so was spent perusing the clouds leaving my lungs until the carriage finally came to a less than gradual halt. If the guide was caught off guard, it wasn¡¯t apparent in the way she got up and moved to open door while the rest of us were still swaying forward.


    There was a distinct wave of cold that rolled over the meager heat that had accumulated in the carriage before the guide shut it behind her. More minutes of nothing passed by until the door was pulled again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The guide announced.


    Two of the brown-furred Keltons moved out of the carriage. Their exit wasn¡¯t accompanied by shouts or the clanging of steel, so I got up and followed. Stepping out into the open brought no wind and it felt less bone-chilling than it should. The reason became apparent when I realized the endless snow in front of me was a stone wall that had been covered in that white draping.


    A look to the left was more colorful as a wide palisade of black and grey stone acted as a barrier between the wa¡­.


    My vision trailed up the side of the stone walls for a solid second as the comprehension that I was at the foot of a vast mountain range finally dawned. The highest specimens sides were accompanied by a few lower siblings but the peaks were too high to properly make out and sheer to a degree that made the prospect of walking under them feel dangerous. In most places, it wasn¡¯t due to the work of nature.


    Around the two cliff faces was stone bearing the mark of hands with brick patterns and the sharp corners of design. Most were hewn into the mountainside like a huge slab of castle wall while a few towers peeked out over the road or as a lookout spot on a sheer cliff. All of them sported wooden boards serving as windows or a rope reaching across the air towards the other side of the road, one of which had a bucket sliding down towards the right. From this angle, the previously seen peaks were hard to discern as the two jutting walls on both sides seemed to reach the heavens. Even having seen it from the town, I was totally unprepared for the sheer scale of civilization before me.


    Orc civilization.


    A cough from my left shattered the moment of wonder.


    I gave the waiting guide by the carriage an apologetic nod before following her jaunt towards the entrance. Smooth stone in front of the gate peeked out where snow thinned, revealing grey and black rectangles that matched the pattern on the wall and its small towers dotting the top. Five stories of jutting indifference reminded me of warmer lands so far away, though the hail of oncoming arrows was a bit that would hopefully stay a memory. My expectation of a delay at the wide double gate of wood and iron bands was left unfulfilled as they swung out like a welcoming hug.


    Passing through revealed a wide corridor of open road with mountains on each side. Any natural rock or surface had been replaced by cobbled ground or brick walls. Along the sides were more boarded windows, some square ones higher up while others were just above the ground and wide enough so that shops within could sling goods to the currently non-existent traffic outside. A few Orcs were walking around in thick furs but winter had driven all the other occupants indoors.


    None of which involved worry about being spotted by humans like in Crasden or making adjustments for the Frojan who actually owned the land like back in the swamps. This grand mountain city stretched on for as far as could be seen among the peaks and slopes and not an inch of it belonged to anyone but Orcs. Not of us but still for us all the same. I knew almost nothing of this place, and less of life here, but a sense of possessiveness over it still welled up in my heart. Looking further ahead I saw the road go up then down before the vision died out in a haze of snow whipping around.


    Our trek down the left wall suffered a few blows of wind and no delays as anyone coming in the opposite direction yielded to our group''s mass with a quick skip to the side. It was a minute of plodding through the occasional mound of snow until the wall gave way to a double door of wood and banded iron.


    The guide pulled on the door handle and threw out a hand to allow us ahead of her. We plowed inside to be greeted with the closest thing to heat I had felt the entire trip. It was a wide hallway of grey/black stone with doors on opposite sides about a stone toss away. At the end was a blank wall that seemed to split off in two opposite directions, though the singular color pattern everywhere and dim light from mana lamps along the ceiling made it hard to be sure. The fur covered Orc moved further ahead and coughed into her cloth mask as we followed behind.


    ¡°Ferrag is currently informing the council of your arrival. I suppose misfortune can bring benefit to others. Great benefits if the size of such a grand ship is anything to judge.¡± She offered over her shoulder.


    My first instinct wasn¡¯t charitable but I chose to assign simple thoughtlessness to her personality.


    ¡°The poor people we¡¯ve dragged from their homes probably feel like they¡¯ve not benefited from these events.¡± I put in with a raised eyebrow as we approached the end of the hallway.


    ¡°A refugee lives better here than a free woman anywhere else. Neither the predators of the wilds nor those who make our daughters stalk these lands and we have the means to keep them out. That and a full belly are more than I ever had outside the Cradle.¡±


    The allure of a steady meal wasn¡¯t easily dismissed, but there was a tidbit in the middle that needed explaining.


    ¡®Bellog,¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection with the Orc to my right. ¡®It sounded like the humans aren¡¯t welcome here.¡¯


    ¡®If you had the only place in the world where your people could roam free, would you risk letting in the race trying to exterminate you?¡¯ The red-eyed woman asked with a sideways glance as we were taken right down another long hallway sporting oddly spaced doors.


    No questions about how they were keeping their population up needed to be asked, as they were probably using visits to other towns sporting the relationships I saw back in Crasden. Still, voluntarily recreating some of the conditions of the swamps wouldn¡¯t be what I envisioned for my kinds paradise. Any issues I took with the practice were best left unsaid and remained so with our turn left.


    I struggled to maintain a mental map of the underground maze after only a minute of more turning in at the end of hallways. Along certain points were the names of places and arrows showing which direction to go but none of them were named ¡®Exit¡¯ and if there was such a label, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the one we came in through. After a few minutes, I noticed what I wasn''t feeling. There was no smell. No body sweat, plant life, or soil. My nose only picked up the faint whiffs of moisture and fragrance from our group. Otherwise, it was completely clean and despite how unsavory the Underground was in that respect, I couldn''t say I much cared for this either. That was quickly pushed aside for another failing.


    ¡°Were the humans who made this maze trying to get people lost?¡± I asked the guide as we made another left turn.


    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± She responded with a smile below a sharp nose and above a stubby chin, her cloth mask having since been removed as the temperature under the mountain became tolerable. ¡°It¡¯s why the ambassador and Council are here. These used to be the holding pens for our kind. It provides a decent defense and keeps our leaders fully aware of what failure here will mean for our people.¡±


    ¡°What were the humans doing here with us anyway? I¡¯ve heard some king named Ballud lost the territory to us but I wasn¡¯t told what we were doing here in the first place. I¡¯d head it was a big mine or a place to test disease on us.¡±


    The guide did an exaggerated nod as we trekked down yet another hallway. A major difference this time was a wide circular cage at the end. It fit snugly into the alcove and the door on its other side was closed. On the sides of the entrance were guards. They sported gleaning swords and sturdy shields of thin metal with a painting of a sun peaking over a flat plain. Aside that, their armor was comprised of leather limb pieces, a thick helmet, and a chest plate.


    ¡°We were the main purpose and not for getting boils and coughs.¡± The guide put in with a nod to the two soldiers. The green guards opened the cage and a tight squeeze barely let all of us into the holding pen. Once the cage door was closed, the guide pulled on a rope dangling near the center. A second passed but the opposite door still remained closed. I was getting ready to ask what the hold-up on the other side was before an unexpected jerk nearly sent me to my knees.


    A small whoosh of air accompanied the distinct stomach churn of quick movement. I looked around to see mana lamps embedded in the wall zip downward. Having figured out that we were being dragged upward, my heart calmed a bit. It didn¡¯t slow to normal, however. My ears filled with clanking metal and, despite being far closer to the ground, I felt less safe in it than the airship. Untold millennia of ability wasn¡¯t poured into this contraption and the slight give in the metal side from an elbow made sent my heart pounding again. Fortunately, the guide resumed her lesson.


    ¡°The story Ballud sold was that they were developing diseases to target our kind. A good show was made of it, with bottles and gangerous green limbs being produced before the families and ambassadors. All a lie and not just to the peasantry who were told this was a mine. Even having lost territory to the Orc horror and wasted no small fortune, the lie was far better than the truth.


    This place was made to produce Orc mages.¡±


    Any concern for the construction of the cage evaporated like morning mist under the sun. Everything besides the guide and her words were pushed aside as every face, Orc and Kelton, turned to the fur-covered woman. The reaction seemed expected, as she continued without a second of hesitation.


    ¡°As big a threat to the humans as we are, the demons are far deadlier. Somewhere out on the west section of the Bodding empire is a long slab of dirt connecting to the Lost Lands. That bridge requires a constant stream of blood to keep defended. I¡¯ve never met a demon save¡­.¡±


    She slipped an awkward look at the Keltons. They saw it but were not offended, or at least didn¡¯t do anything to make their displeasure known.


    ¡°Well, apparently they¡¯re extremely deadly. So much so that mages are realistically the only ones who can kill them without committing dozens of fully armored soldiers to a single demon. I can¡¯t say how expensive cultivating such magical talent is, but the burden is enough that the Rodring and Bodding nations were going to try and twist Garren¡¯s great gift to fight that battle for them.


    How it may have worked out will remain an unanswered question. There was a fault in some of the holding walls. Something that was made apparent when the great day of revolution came. A massive battle left the guard overwhelmed with our bravery and skill.


    There was some sour with the sweet. The humans slit the throats of the magically sired babes, often on the teets of their mothers who soon followed them into death. But the papers are still here and I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s other items that could convince people of the reason this city in a mountain was made.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯ve let this territory stay taken,¡± I said to no one in particular. ¡°Taking it back would almost certainly ruin the families that signed off on its creation.¡±


    The guide¡¯s red eyes were wide now and the smile face-splitting. The excitement of a child permeated the grown woman with heavy breaths that didn¡¯t match any physical labor.


    ¡°It¡¯s also due to how isolated the Cradle is. They put us out here so that any escape would be dealt with by the weather or predators. An attempt to siege us was made at some point. Sadly for them, they made our home as self-sufficient as possible to keep the coming and going of outsiders scarce.


    Here is where destiny will deliver us. The Cradle is the only place where a captured mage could be held in secrecy and sire our victory into the next generation. All possible because of those who have hunted us since birth. That is why a refugee here is better than any leader anywhere else. For it is here that Garren¡¯s grand vision will be realized.¡±


    A bit of spittle emphasized the final word as it fell onto the floorboards.


    Any questions were cut short as a blast of light from behind me filled the cage. I turned to see yet another long hallway with guards by the door. The guide moved to the head of the group before getting out of the cage. We followed like chicks after their mother.


    Tactically, it would have been wise to keep a full mental map of the turns and stairs taken towards the ambassador. That bit of wisdom was undone on the fifth or sixth samey shaft of stone, where I stumbled the thread of thought before losing all the mentally reserved steps previously taken.


    An additional minute of walking was all it took before we came up to guarded double doors. Unlike the living statues at the elevators, one of the women came up with a bored expression on her face that matched the listless look in her red eyes.


    ¡°Only one guard is to accompany the captain and her envoy. The three will be inspected for weapons which will be kept with us for the duration of the visit.¡±


    The biggest Kelton man stepped forward with a nod of his brown-furred head. Leather-covered hands felt me up and down, groping for any knives hidden around the boot or stashed in the pockets of the jacket. The only item taken was the one displayed, with my sword in holster being taken and laid to the side. Bellog¡¯s turn eventually came followed by our one accompanying guard. Our inspector nodded towards the other two guards, who promptly opened the double doors.


    Our trio moved into a huge room of more grey and black flecked stone. The second biggest difference was a long window on the left that revealed the firelight of towers and rolling tundras further beyond all blanketed in starlight. Some notion of beauty came to me but it had no chance of catching my attention away from the room''s biggest difference. A wave of temperature approaching warm poured through my furs, clothes, and skin.


    ¡°They do soothe clacking teeth, these fire blocks.¡±


    The voice came from directly ahead and the Orc who owned the voice immediately reminded me of Nersa. Sitting at an immaculate-looking granite desk made of sharp angles and inlaid gold, sat a green woman with short golden hair that barely brushed soft cheekbones. Her sharp chin below a patient smile didn¡¯t touch the white undershirt or fine brown coat. Red eyes took me in while the two guards on either side of her stood still as statues. Their lack of shivering was helped by the thick fur neck guards in their steel chest plates. There was a bit more muscle sticking through the clothes on the presumed diplomat than most and, while older, no grey had touched her scalp. Despite that, there was a core of quiet dignity that immediately brought me back to my first meeting with the council in Crasden.


    ¡°Blocks?¡± I asked with as much confidence as I could scrape up.


    Her head dipped to the right. A perusing of the floor revealed a square of wood molded into the stone. There was another on the left side of the desk closer to the window.


    ¡°Enchanted with fire magic. Can keep a room feeling like a bonfire with no fuel.¡± The Orc put in again.


    Be impressed. It¡¯s entirely inferior to what the Base has, but the Base doesn¡¯t exist and I¡¯m just a very lucky smuggler. I took an extra second to stare at the blocks, trying to determine their worth in coin.


    ¡°How much for one of those?¡± I asked with a light tone as our group walked closer to the desk.


    Bellog coughed on my left but the ambassador at the desk only smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with items so valuable. You¡¯re left with something you¡¯ll never actually put on the merchant''s scale for fear of being cheated. Of course, those are artifacts going back to the founding of our people, and any attempt to give even one away, for any amount of coin, is punished with an axe through the neck in a crowded stadium.¡±


    In spite of my best efforts, the surprise at such a harsh measure must have still shown up on my face upon our arrival at the desk.


    ¡°Aside from the sentimental value,¡± Ferrag said, ¡°We have no means of replacing any lost magical items. Our stocks of plant crafts are kept in the strictest security and even those for mere comfort, like these heating crafts, are essential for our survival. But the debris of human hubris isn¡¯t enough to meet all needs.¡±


    She took a deep breath, breaking the visage of authority for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed the lack of Bodding ships on the way,¡± Ferrag stated with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The expected need to explain our presence never came,¡± I confirmed.


    The diplomat leaned forward, casually resting her elbows on the desk.


    ¡°What do you know of our history?¡±


    ¡°A quick lesson on the way up here,¡± I answered honestly with a slight shrug. ¡°The Rodring kingdom, and I assume the Bodding kingdom if they¡¯re still patrolling the waters, created this place to make Orc mages that would be used as fodder against the demons out west.¡±


    ¡°Correct, on the past and assumptions.¡± Ferrage agreed with a nod that shifted those blond locks. ¡°And that past is what drew them away. Something big happens on the Demon Coast and the Bodding have to pull those patrols. Their misfortune occurs every few generations or so and such a time came about a month ago. Our move is to send a message down through the Bloody Plains, which will work its way to the smugglers who then make the trip here from ports along the coast to the west, always at great expense and nearly a years time after the start.


    That a smuggler has arrived only a month after sending out the letter is a matter of great opportunity for both of us. Wood is nice and can be grown at great expense from the plant crafts. But even those wonders of magic can only grow so much. More than any plants; furs, leather, and meat can¡¯t be acquired in the same manner, however many plant crafts we have. A very profitable, and enduring, trade could be had. In between the saving of precious souls, of course.¡±


    My mouth opened to ask about what I could buy here but the sensation of static ran along my left arm.


    ¡®This is a matter of diplomacy between Crasden and the Cradle. I should lead the negotiation.¡¯ Bellog whispered into my mind with a pointed push of her copper glasses into her eyes.


    I made a slow head turn to the woman.


    ¡®You want to negotiate on the use of MY ship? Collective bargaining for prices is one thing, this is weeks and months of commitments.¡¯


    ¡®The things being put on it. So, kind of.¡¯ She stated plainly, ignoring the biting words. ¡®Even if you have a large back stock somewhere, it won¡¯t be anywhere nearly as much as those in our storehouses or so close if you travel over the sea to get them. I have some rough figures on hand for trade and am the acting representative of Crasden, imbued with the authority to approve such deals and burn through regulation to make it happen.


    You told Nersa you want a more sustained relationship beyond simple transactions, did you not?¡¯


    My words in the underground office had flown over the windy ocean to smack me across the face. There was a slight irritation from having lost the engagement mixed with the relief that I wouldn¡¯t have to rummage the pockets of the poor and desperate to keep up the charade. An exaggerated sigh escaped from my nose.


    ¡®I promise you no less than twice your normal rate.¡¯ Bellog offered with the slight sweetness one would use to coax a toddler.


    ¡®Fine.¡¯ I finally spat out.


    Our wrangling finished, the council representative turned towards Ferrag.


    ¡°Meats are not easy to come by, though our city has been blessed with a streak of great misfortune and opportunity. Things are in¡­. An uncertain state and I¡¯m sure a lot of people will have to lighten their pockets. The Council has several shipments worth of leather and salted meats ready to immediately export and will have a list of goods available on the next trip.¡±


    Bellog pulled out the paper with our combined order.


    ¡°Some cargo for the return trip.¡± She stated with a lean forward.


    Ferrag took the page and looked it up and down. The red irises in black spheres whipped back and forth, getting wider with each line. At the finish, the diplomat puckered her lips and gave a low whistle before placing it on the desk.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar with our abode in Crasden but this seems rather hefty for even a capital city.¡± She put in with a casual tone that didn¡¯t reflect the piercing question in her gaze.


    ¡°There are the needs for the now and the needs for the future,¡± Bellog responded, sporting a lifeless smile.


    For a blink of an eye, I thought Ferrag¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. The moment of emotion passed so quickly that I had a flicker of doubt about whether it had happened at all.


    ¡°And meeting those needs comes with payment.¡±


    The bald woman tipped her fur-capped head towards me. My step forward was a bit heavy as I took out the leather sack and handed off more money than I had ever owned. Ferrag casually took out the coins and looked them over before placing the pouch down.


    ¡°The exact prices are not on hand, sadly. It will take a few meetings with the head of smiths and other officials. You are more than welcome to have your crew disembark and lounge in the forward town or even here. I can personally attest that magically grown food is as delicious as those brought about with only dirt and water.¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯ Bellog commanded in the spirit connection.


    ¡°I was under the impression humans weren¡¯t welcome. Save a few young girls in training, all my crew are Keltons and men.¡± I offered in a voice that kept the irritation out.


    ¡°How unfortunate.¡± Ferrag tutted with a disappointed tone. ¡°The invitation does extend to you. A trip back will be in winter''s heart at its coldest and darkest, too bitter to bring the refugees from the town.¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯ Bellog repeated in my head.


    True warmth hadn¡¯t touched my skin this past week or so and it would take a lot to convince me to go another night of icy breathing when I didn¡¯t have to. It would take Eli begging on his knees to get me to leave the only land solely ruled by Orcs without perusing.


    ¡®I want to see their forges, at least.¡¯


    The real reason being I wanted to compare them to the workshop back at the Base. Left unsaid, of course


    Bellog bit her lip, making sure to keep her red eyes on me and not on Ferrag politely waiting for the answer.


    ¡®Don¡¯t mention anything about our plans.¡¯


    ¡®I remember.¡¯


    Any irritation was hopefully kept out of my voice as I turned towards Ferrag.


    ¡°A look around sounds wonderful. Seeing more of these magic wonders does pique my interest.¡±


    She smiled while the guard on her right stepped forward.


    ¡°Orbul will be shepherding you around. I¡¯m giving you access to the foundry and the farms, if you want to go that far, in a token of good relations. However, you will have to undergo a groping before and after each visit to those areas. Meals and room will be provided, so don¡¯t worry about a lack of means.¡±


    The red eyes of our new minder scoured the group for a second before walking up to us. Her steel chestplate matched the arm guards and holstered sword. Bellog reacted with a smile and a light bow to Ferrag.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back when the final orders are to be made. Until then, a good day.¡±


    Ferrag reflected the smile, giving a slight dip of her chin with the sack of coins being handed to Bellog, who placed the precious handful inside her coat.

 Chapter 123: Home for a Homeless People (2)

    Chapter 123


    Gula POV


    The needlessly tense negotiation finally ended with a turn away from the desk and a brisk walk out of the double door with the steel-clad Orc in front. Bellog was on my right and coughed with a strained smile.


    ¡°Orbal, dear. I¡¯ve always wanted to try magically grown beer and guards know the best taverns like a second home.¡± Bellog asked sweetly.


    ¡°Orbul.¡± The guard corrected. ¡°And you know my craft well. A visit to Garren¡¯s Brew is long overdue.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my apologies.¡± Bellog offered as the woman''s black hair flowed with our turn left towards another split in the hallway.


    No matter how much metal the woman was wrapped in, it didn¡¯t slow down the expectant glee in our new guide even as the previous attendant took a right. The maze-like nature of this place left me mentally unfocused around the third bend.


    ¡°It gets better on the ground floors away from the Council sites.¡± Orbul put in as we squeezed into yet another elevator.


    More empty hallways with their lack of scent and accompanying stairs that all stretched on for a seeming eternity. Eventually, we found our way to the doors leading outside. The bit of cold seeping in came on full blast when the double door was pulled open. We took a left on the stone road, moving around a few others leaving the mountain domain that had taken the last hour or so of our lives.


    ¡°Is suffering a virtue for the Cradle residents?¡± Bellog half-yelled over the soft wind. ¡°Would having a connecting tunnel network deprive them of coveted black fingers or is it just too much effort?¡±


    The guard only shook her head as we walked around a large cart being pulled by a horse and green driver. Those red eyes turned to Bellog, meeting her gaze with a steady gait that matched her measured words.


    ¡°Such a web would make it too easy to take other areas. Assuming the humans get through the gate, we would still have the highest peaks. Besides still allowing the evacuation of lost holdings between the towers, that advantage gives our archers and ballistae a critical role in defense. Something they can¡¯t use in tunnels.


    If the tools on hand were backs and picks like Crasden¡¯s, assuming a lack of ability could be correct. But this isn¡¯t Crasden, an outpost of the Waveborn, or any other holding. My city is the product of the humans greatest talents and molded to nurture ours. Everything you see here is the way it is because women far smarter than any of us, with more magical and mundane resources than we could ever dream of having, deigned it to be so.¡± The guard stated, close to anger but the pride in her home obscured the emotion.


    Bellog only nodded at the correction. As awkward as it made the conversation, I was left even hungrier to see what this place had to offer. The walk down the wide stone street between two huge mountains took only a minute more before our guide finally turned to one of the doors.


    A quick pull on the handle unleashed a small chorus of chatter. We came into a house-sized room sporting two wide doorways leading further into the mountain on each side with a huge open rectangle in the back middle showing wider crowds beyond. Its ceiling was dotted with four mana lamps and showered everything below in a golden glow. The passerby under the warm haze was numerous, sporting pants and shirts or dresses, all done up in an array of browns, blacks, and grays. Despite all their differences in dress and hairstyles, all those close to the door gave pointed looks of irritation at being doused in winter¡¯s breath.


    Some were looking on with eyebrows raised in interest, while others furrowed their eyebrows in disapproval. None of the attention was directed towards me or Bellog. Instead, it was the Kelton men who were bearing the gazes of my kind. If any of the onlookers wanted to get closer or had any interest in them as men, none came forward to declare it as I knew some had in Crasden.


    Orbul moved past her charges, her steel and station repulsing any who stood still. Our position following her was resumed with most continuing their trip elsewhere. A few kept on staring but they sported no armor or weapons to merit any potential danger. Which couldn¡¯t be said for the metal square sticking out of the floor that went unseen until it nearly sent me into the floor.


    ¡°Caps for the bars used to keep barriers in place,¡± Orbul explained as I straightened back up with a casual wipe across my coat. ¡°Making everything a maze or a fortification wasn¡¯t something even the humans, with all the magical crafts they could want, attempted. Having big slabs of metal and wood that can lock into designated spots is a compromise to allow our lives some comfort.¡±


    A quick glance around let me see several pairs of the metal caps around various doorways and near the outer exit. All avoided by feet who knew their spots as traffic kept up at full speed. Orbul moved us along with any people in our way giving us a wide berth.


    The first step through the wide rectangle entrance revealed an array of shops along the walls and around the main staircase in the center. That walkway ascended up the far corner like a small mountain with off-ramps for the second floor until it reached the third floor where the stone on the sides rose up to serve as a guardrail. Cloth drapes hung over the stone rails, dousing the otherwise plain walls with reds, blues, and purples that almost reached the floor below.


    Unlike outside, the spirit of chaos that infested every market was found here. A cacophony of chatter, pot banging, and footsteps dissolved into an audible jumble that had no distinct element. To the left and right were paths between the shops marked with red bricks in the smooth stone where no stall blocked traffic.


    A waft of searing meat floated from a bar on the left. It was the first time my nose had stirred since arriving and a quick look presented some decent-looking tables and a serving woman laying down a platter of steaks and stews for a waiting couple.


    ¡°No¡± Orbul stated, now several feet behind me.


    I had taken several unthinking steps toward the restaurant with my more attentive Kelton guards around me.


    ¡°The best places are those out of the way and still just as busy.¡± The Orc called as several passersby went between us.


    The notion that you could have multiple destinations for a meal was a gaudy thought I had only just digested in Crasden. Any rules about such things were totally foreign to me and I should listen to someone who knows the ways of navigating those choices. It didn¡¯t make it any easier to walk away from the sizzling meat and hearty smells. Obrul took us right along the vein of traffic.


    Red bricks weren¡¯t any softer on the feet than regular stone, something my soles were beginning to complain about. That didn¡¯t stop me from perusing what was on offer. At every square shack of wood around the middle was a woman sewing, cutting, or plying some dried fruits to those strolling by. Any business involving flame was kept to those hewn into the stone walls, with my right ear filling with the clanging of metal and the clanking of kitchens.


    As we turned the corner in the brick road to move left directly towards the stairs, I noticed the lack of offense my nose typically endured in crowds. It took me by surprise, as the only place that had provided such widespread access to bathing was the Base. Crasden had some facilities for it, but the water was a cold hell and in such high demand that most, save a well-connected smuggler captain for example, couldn¡¯t habitually use them.


    Our passing a barber brought us onto the large staircase. Traveling up its slope would be a tax on the thighs. Doing it after having walked to Ferrag¡¯s office was voluntary torture. When the middle section having the off-ramp for the second floor came close, I offered a silent prayer to the Christian god and all the spirits to please let this be it. Contrary to all expectations, they answered my request with Orbul taking a left at the small bridge.


    The chorus of the market lessened as we moved onto the second-floor walkway even as the tight traffic kept up. We kept going past various merchants until the main source of traffic presented itself. Ahead was another open bar, though this one took up both sides of the corner it resided in. Red cloth was nailed into the wall from both corners making it look like a tent top. From the outside, I could see the crowds inside were packed into every table.


    Getting closer made it clear that getting a seat would be difficult. I puckered my lips with Orbul¡¯s step through the open doorway and onto the wooden floor that marked the establishment''s territory. Picky eaters didn¡¯t last long in the swamps and I couldn¡¯t conceive of a meal that was worth waiting an hour or more for.


    The tables on the left side were all thick oak and sturdy chairs being cleaned and almost immediately reused by new patron groups. So high was the demand that no table was taken up by a single Orc, even when it was apparent the others at the meal knew nothing of each other. We were not meant for such confusion as Orbul took us along the right side. This section had a long wooden counter taking up the right serving as a proper bar with more tables opposite.


    ¡°High access. A guest of the Cradle from Crasden.¡± The guard called to a waitress donned in black dress and white arms.


    The blonde Orc looked behind the steel breastplate towards us. Red eyes washed over me and Bellog, but there was a sour pulling of the lips when the Keltons were looked over. A sharp chin was pulled up in defiance.


    ¡°No cocks up there. That place is for women of note, not those looking to sling their worms.¡±


    ¡°Ferrag disagrees. Guest rights were extended to all.¡± Orbul refuted with a casual manner, seemingly having expected the objection.


    The server''s jaw was set in a grind. A moment passed until one Orc sporting the same dress came up behind her. A muscular woman in her mid-30s, with a white head cover that bound black hair going down her back. Her gold eyes above pronounced cheekbones had some faint amusement, though the flat mouth above a strong chin showed no emotion.


    ¡°Crasden, you say.¡± She said in a light tone, making the server turn to her with thinned patience. ¡°A cold place with some eccentricities and a good start for my misspent youth. Making it all the way through the seas, bandit lands, and bloody plains was hard on my feet, even when I was your age. A rest at our best seats, and a good meal, is in order. In exchange for some tales from the tunnels of my years gone by.¡±


    The offer was met with a wave of nods. As upset as the server was, she didn¡¯t defy her boss. With a tense bow, she turned away from us and towards a staircase on the right. It was a bit dark at the top, but I couldn¡¯t see much as the fur coat of the Kelton man in front of me obscured everything but the wood walls and matching stairs.


    At the top was an open room of dark oak wide enough for two tables on the right and left. Both were long enough to hold ten seats. What drew my eyes was the red upholstery in the chairs not just in the back but also the armrests. Combined with the white tablecloth, it was clear this was a place designed for those with the manners and decorum of richer blood than mine. Purple curtains along the stone ceiling ready to be dropped for the privacy of those lucky enough to be seated here cemented the impression if the fact that it provided a topside view of those on the lower floor didn''t.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent more than a week in a ship with someone always around a corner or near my hammock,¡± Bellog announced as she moved to the left. ¡°A little illusion of privacy would be appreciated.¡±


    Our reluctant server moved to unfurl the curtains. We were soon cocooned in a world of purple with only faint whispers outside to tickle the ears while the server left. Bellog sat on my direct right while Orbul sat on my left towards the curtain, working off her plate armor and arm guards before setting them under her seat. We both took off our holstered swords and placed them on the table leg right of us. I looked behind me to see two of the Keltons standing directly behind me while the other duo stood near the stairs, seemingly looking out for any forces attempting to rush the room. It took a moment to establish a spirit connection with the brown-furred man on my left.


    ¡®The meal is open to all. You guys can at least sit after all that walking.¡¯


    His white spheres looked down at me.


    ¡®When your ship came out of the skies like a bird, my family was picking around the bones of some dead beast. The prospect of frozen and hopefully only slightly turned meat ended up giving them a better life than I could have ever dreamed. Mine isn¡¯t even the most generous story from among the crew.


    If one of the people responsible for saving us died because we were cutting meat or tearing bread, some of our people on the boat may beat us into joining them. If that person is the wife of the man who is most responsible for our children still drawing breath, it would be better that we drove our swords through our chests. That could never be as painful as seeing the look of disgust on my wife¡¯s face when she finds out I failed those who saved our pups.¡¯


    I gave him a shaky nod. These Keltons were a grim lot but damn could they rip their hearts out and give it to you when they wanted to. A bit of shame fell over me as I realized none of their names were on my tongue. The thought to ask came but I spent so long figuring out how to ply the question that the server returned with a tray of small bread loaves.


    ¡°We serve a variety of teas in addition to beers of varying tastes. Smaller dishes are served before the main course and spiced shrimp is what the fishers have brought us today.¡±


    ¡°Your simplest beer. On the lighter end, I¡¯m not looking to stumble out of here.¡± I answered.


    Bellog nodded, as did Orbul.


    ¡°And the gentlemen?¡± She asked with no hint of the previous hostility.


    Apparently passing into sacred territory brought forgiveness for past feuds. The amnesty flowed in both directions, with the Keltons calmly nodding.


    ¡°Four beers to go with extra chairs for the men by the entrance.¡± The rough voice announced behind me.


    A slight bow was all she gave our group before making a retreat. Orbul leaned back into her chair with a lazy stretch. My two dining companions reached forward to take a brown loaf of steaming bread and a toothed knife to ply it with the accompanying butter. As I reached across to do the same, an electric sensation ran across my right arm. The accompanying voice was far more feminine than expected.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure you''re thinking about the tension back with Ferrag.¡¯ Bellog asked with a tired tone.


    ¡®Fresh bread is currently at the front of my mind. Some explanation about that could be a good side to the coming meal.¡¯


    ¡®Do you know about the church''s stance on catching mages?¡¯ She asked even as her teeth tore through the soft bread.


    ¡®Yeah. They¡¯re against it. Can¡¯t say I disagree. Having every human army drop down on my head is an unnerving thought.¡¯ I answered with complete honesty.


    ¡®And if you were in a fortification that had won out against all previous comers? One where no humans lived to report on your workings and you could go decades without anyone outside being wiser to the tide of Orc mages brewing within?¡¯


    I bit my lower lip in thought. From a purely tactical view¡­. It was tempting. The most dangerous prizes always were. As I wrangled with the question, our server came back with a tray of wooden mugs frothing with liquid goodness. She placed one down in front of me and a long sip of light ale brought my musing to a close.


    ¡®Depends, like everything else in the world. Mages are too valuable for one to go missing without notice. If the humans have good reason to think they¡¯re dead and not come looking for them¡­. Maybe.¡¯ I responded with a grasp of one of the loaves and tearing off a piece.


    ¡®Pff,¡¯ Bellog huffed in my head while she took up her mug. ¡®More nuanced than the church and Cradle. One wants their God to lead the way with no fuss from Garren and the other would take every risk on sight of a man with mana in his veins. What do you think would happen if the people here found out such a man was going to be mere feet from us on a constant basis?¡¯


    The crunch of baked crust covered the background whispers as my nostrils filled with the smell of a bakery. Faint hints of honey mixed with the bread on my tongue, but I was too distracted to give the exquisite loaf its due.


    ¡®A lot of discussion. Hopefully nothing more.¡¯ I offered.


    Bellogs sharp chin pulled with her forced smile.


    ¡®We need more alcoholics in the world.¡¯ She mused with a swirl of her mug. ¡°People who don¡¯t see anything beyond their next bottle. Those types can be reasoned with. Grand purpose robs women of flexibility and makes any compromise treason. I don¡¯t think the Cradle or the church will force things through swords, but they think they¡¯re saving our species and destiny is a drug that makes all actions hard to predict.¡¯


    Our third party probably wouldn¡¯t escape that same criticism, but I wasn¡¯t going to try another foray into clever verbal sparring. Fortunately, the server came back.


    ¡°Do you have any preferences for the meal?¡±


    Orbul looked between us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your discretion,¡± I announced, to an agreeing nod from Bellog


    ¡°The spiced shrimp,¡± Orbul ordered with a smile to the server. ¡°And three servings of the mustard sauce steak.


    The waitress bowed and turned away. I was taking another swig of beer when more black dress fluttered by my right. It was the black-haired woman from earlier, moving to take the seat at the opposite end of the table.


    ¡°I believe we agreed to food for stories.¡± She announced to the table.


    ¡°And stories you shall have,¡± Bellog replied. ¡°More¡¯s happened these past few months than years before.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The headmistress asked with a raised black eyebrow.


    From there Bellog recounted the Mist pirate''s attacks. She first emphasized the surprise and mayhem before getting to the proper siege of the second attack. I didn¡¯t need to hear the story, I had lived more of it than she could explain. All the panic, stress, and one particularly relaxing night. The words barely registered in my mind as I focused on the bread and beer, though her recounting of my taking on orphans did merit a closer listen. Bellog managed to verbally mislead enough that she got to the end without using words like ¡®Magical crafts¡¯ or ¡®Plant mage¡¯. If our host detected the deception, she didn¡¯t press it.


    ¡°Well, it appears my old home is going through some rough times.¡± She said with a lean back into the chair. ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice to see the priests are still doing what they can for poor girls. And present company included in that charity.¡±


    I accepted her nod while more of the beer slipped past my lips. When the mug was put down, I finally participated in the conversation.


    ¡°You say priests like they are something unrelated to you. The dress you have here is very similar to what they had. I can¡¯t say they served beer at the orphanage or any other buildings, but I may have not been looking hard enough.¡±


    She let out a full laugh, clutching the black cloth covering her belly as a tear ran down her left gold eye.


    ¡°No. They don¡¯t keep anything stronger than tea around or in their bellies. Despite that, the contrast of black and white always¡­. I can¡¯t put down what it is, but the clash on the eyes really stuck with me. I¡¯d have been a tailor if my first job wasn¡¯t in a kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Never thought to spread the¡­.Word as they call it?¡± Bellog asked with a casual smile.


    A small shrug met the question as our host straightened in the chair.


    ¡°Good people, but the bible is too focused on the inferior species. Am I supposed to follow a God that doesn¡¯t so much as mention my people?¡±


    My lips puckered at the words.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°All the prophets are men. Any women mentioned are all human. Are there any-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I interrupted, ¡°I mean the inferior species bit.¡±


    Those gold eyes looked confused, like I had asked the color of the sky.


    ¡°We are the superior race. They spend so much to kill us off, yet Garren¡¯s craftsmanship was too immaculate to be undone.¡±


    The tightened grip on my mug went unnoticed, letting me control my breathing at the hated name without distraction. She put up her right index finger for emphasis, those golden eyes bearing the patience of instructing a child.


    ¡°One. That¡¯s all that stands between us and being the top predator. They¡¯ve hunted us since our inception and succeeded with our lost brothers. All because they know, in the deepest pits of their hearts, that our ascension is inevitable. Despite all the armies, laws, and constant, unending attacks we endured.


    Now we grow in poor soil here and elsewhere. Even after everything they¡¯ve thrown at us, we still live. One magical man and all that effort is nothing but tears. We can make more mages in a year than they could in decades. All our people need to finally flourish is for one male mage to get lost in the woods or stumble into a patrol without his poison.¡±


    ¡°A grand vision that has yet to happen. We don¡¯t know how getting an Orc mage army going will turn out yet. The humans may stomp it out with numbers no matter how long we prepare.¡± I countered.


    ¡°The fact they need such an overwhelming advantage proves our superiority. If we had started on a more even footing, would the humans still be the leaders in this relationship? If they could have our talent in passing magical talent, would they refuse it? No.¡± She finished with a soft shake of her head.


    ¡°There is another smear in the painting.¡± I offered with a relaxed shrug. ¡°If the humans died out, we¡¯d go with them. How can a superior people be totally dependent on an inferior one?¡±


    The black hair along her back shifted as she leaned back.


    ¡°The only thing that doesn¡¯t rely on other species is rocks. If all the animals, grains, and fruits died out tomorrow, the humans would soon follow. Does that mean a human is less valuable than a potato?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I answered.


    For all my hesitance, the thought was surprisingly intoxicating. I had known the math of why the humans did what they did, yet the idea that our ability marked us as inherently better hadn¡¯t been chewed on. It seeped into all the past images of men on the battlefield and their looks of loathing. A soothing balm over the ache caused by the scorn of our collective fathers.


    None of us could hold up against my husband but if in the grand scheme all things were equal¡­. Even if we were superior, did that ever reflect in our treatment of each other? Did me being an Orc get me any special consideration from my kind? The aches wouldn¡¯t be denied, my past memories of neglect pushed against the tide of warmth from this notion of inherent greatness. Still, the idea was a potent one. If I had been born here, loved by the other green women and not spat on for my grandmother¡¯s failing, maybe I would answer the sweet call.


    And I didn¡¯t have an untold millennia-old husband getting ready to upend it all, of course.


    The bar owner took my silence for an opportunity to get out of her chair while I pushed the feeling of the conversation into a corner somewhere in my memories.


    ¡°New tales from an old place are entertaining, but the days when I could indulge in chatter all day passed when I bought this place. The meal will be on me, as promised.¡± She said with a pointed look behind me.


    The first indication of food was the smell. Meat mixed with¡­. Something vaguely spicy. Our server stepped up and placed a plate of meat in front of me. It had the shape of a steak but any bits of the charred flesh had to peek out of a yellow sauce sporting cracks of black pepper. Taking up my fork and knife, I cut into the slab. It was sliced through to the plate with a single thrust and even that felt a bit too forceful for such a delicate thing.


    As I was bringing the odd-smelling bite to my mouth, our server placed a full platter of shrimp still in the shell. Their sauce was dark and the promise of heat coming off them was pure black pepper.


    ¡°The point of a small meal being brought out first,¡± Our host put in with a flared nose as she walked past Bellog and up to the server. ¡°Is to sharpen the appetite. Having it with the main course makes it a side dish. Unless I decided to have spiced shrimp for an accompanying plate and wrote it wrong on the board. And served it wrong for the past week. Did I?¡±


    I turned to see the blond Orc biting her lip under her better¡¯s withering gaze.


    ¡°That is an issue in the kitchen. They were brought out in the order they were given.¡± She said petulantly.


    A small smile stole over the host''s face.


    ¡°At least they didn¡¯t pay for this. But it appears my establishment is on the verge of collapse. A good day to you all.¡±


    With that, they both left us.


    I finished the fork''s journey with an eager bite. It was spicy, sure, yet there was another flavor. Something¡­.Herbish? I couldn¡¯t put it to anything else that had crossed my lips. Well, aside from delicious. The fatty meat was balanced with a faint hint of vinegar from the rich sauce. It was indulgence on plate that I struggled to not eat too quickly. When the steak was mysteriously half gone despite taking several swigs of beer, I plucked one of the shrimp to try and slow down a demanding stomach.


    A pull on the shell sent black liquid over my hands. My glance down confirmed I still had better manners than a pig as the resulting spray stayed on the steak''s plate. The water bug was fully undressed and placed between my molars.


    I offered my mother a silent apology.


    Her fish stews and breads were good, but this was¡­. Heaven on the tongue. It was everything I had ever dreamed about during lean nights. Far beyond her meager cooking.


    A judgment delivered with all the love of a daughter.


    Any thoughts about the war of species or my mission here dissolved into background noise. Bare manners were kept as shells piled around the edges of the platter. The slaughter of the sea life was only interrupted by the occasional bite of steak or a swig of beer. When the last shrimp was stripped bare and the final slice of steak savored, I laid back with profound satisfaction.


    My stomach was full beyond need. At some point, I didn¡¯t need to eat more save for the taste. In the swamps, that would have never happened. Not just for a lack of coin. This feeling of sluggishness. Of blessed contentedness. It was not the feeling someone always ready for battle should have.


    Not one to have if you were on a mission to save innumerable lives, either. I turned to the right, my dining companion Bellog leaning back into her chair with similar satisfaction.


    ¡°See?¡± She said coyly. ¡°Guards know the best places.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Orbul agreed. ¡°If you ever come back, let¡¯s do another dinner. This price agrees with me.¡±


    A small chorus of chuckles went around the table.


    ¡°They make meals to go.¡± She continued. ¡°I think your guards would find the filled breads almost as good.¡±


    Before the man behind me could go on about honor again, I turned to the server coming with a pitcher filled with what my nose told me was a hot tea.


    ¡°Some filled breads for my men.¡±


    She nodded, sending her blonde hair swirling with her placing several cups in front of us.


    ¡°Meals as rich as these are best ended with a tea. Tricks the mind into thinking the affair was a healthy thing.¡±


    I offered no objection. A surprisingly mild herbal drink washed down the fatty goodness. When the last drop was gone, we all got up. Orbul donned her armor and led us back down the stairs. The beer had barely any punch to it, leaving any sluggish movement down to the meat and spice. On the way out of the shop, the four Kelton men were handed a fist-sized loaf of bread each, smelling of fatty meat and herbs. If it wasn¡¯t their only meal and I wasn¡¯t bloated, I might have asked for a bite.


    The trip back was more merciful than the one coming with its downward staircase and lack of aching feet. We made it out of the market and back in front of the double doors leading to the outside.


    ¡°Anywhere else?¡± Orbul offered in front of our group as some passing Orcs moved around us, though none dared the bitter elements by going past our group.


    ¡°I want to check with Ferrag. She should have the prices ready by now.¡± Bellog cut in.


    ¡°I want a decent bed. Maybe I¡¯ll visit the forges tomorrow.¡± I announced with the occasional crunch of bread around us from the men.


    Our guide smiled with some slight relief.


    ¡°Those are both in the same complex. The accommodations are on the first floor, so we¡¯ll head there first.¡±


    With our destination agreed upon, the double doors were pushed open. Somehow the wind got worse and with the sun having spent more time in its grave, the icy wind had a particularly nasty bite. It didn¡¯t get into the core of warmth and coziness still lingering from the meal even if it made my eyes squint and fingers involuntarily retract further into the coat. The Kelton¡¯s were a bit better off, but this cold was at the edge of what I felt their tolerance was.


    Whatever meager traffic had been on the road before had since cleared away. It was us, the promise of a shivering death in every gust, and small stings of residual spice on my lips. The weather didn¡¯t bring down my mood as we continued on for a few more minutes in what increasingly felt like an open tunnel with clouds of snow blowing overhead. Orbul eventually came to a stop and took one of the door handles. Coming from a different angle, I saw a metal plaque on the right side of the door. It was probably what identified the structure within but stiff fingers spoke louder than curiosity. The wide hallway of black and grey stone hadn¡¯t moved since we last visited. Moving towards the blank wall at the end where it split was a bit better this time with a belly full of indulgence and lungs filling with merely cold air. Another difference this time was the left turn taken at the end.


    A single right turn at a four-way split saw us go down a hallway with doors on both sides that had me thinking it was the residences.


    ¡°Is this walk a lot simpler or did I already forget the path here?¡± I asked Orbul.


    The cheek guards of her helmet flapped with the head shake.


    ¡°Putting the rooms past the maze of hallways is just asking for trouble and we don¡¯t have the guards to be watching over every visitor. The toilet and washroom are at the end of the hallway, so if they go somewhere else here¡­. It¡¯s probably to do something we didn¡¯t agree to. They¡¯re all the same, so pick whichever is most convenient.¡±


    I complied by pushing on the door directly to my right. Before getting it totally open, a black-furred Kelton put out his hand to block my path. Another quickly went inside to check everything out. Orbul gave the men an appraising look that ended with an approving smile.


    A minute of waiting for the inspector to look around ended when he came back with a simple nod. My now unobstructed step forward brought me into a decently sized room. The floor was the same grey and black stone, but the bed on the left was all wood with a white blanket and grey pillows. Across the room was a desk with a mana lamp above and a simple chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure, Orbul.¡± I announced to the group with a turn outward, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I need to sleep this pleasure out of me.¡±


    ¡°And I have a negotiation to attend,¡± Bellog said with a pointed step to the left.


    Orbul gave me a slight nod before taking off with her last remaining charge.


    A glance to the right revealed another mana lamp to the right of the door. Back at the Base, these were mere tools. Here they were priceless cultural pieces and a death sentence if hidden in one''s bag. A gentle finger traced over the cold crystal until the indent was carefully pressed. Golden rays poured over the room with the close of the door. I hadn¡¯t anticipated spending a night here, leaving a rather grimy morning ahead of me.


    Some nights had been harsher in ending and far less pleasant in the meal before rest, so I didn¡¯t feel particularly bad when worked myself free of clothes, turned off the light, and slipped between the chill sheets. Sleep came and went without incident, save for the fact I felt the urgent need for a toilet before I had even opened my eyes.


    I quickly put my clothes back on while trying to recall the placement of the latrine. When I was up to the door slinging on my fur coat, Orbul saying it was at the end of the hallway came back to me. Just outside the door were two Kelton guards on either side. They looked at me but said nothing as I almost ran to the right. A door at the end of the line presented itself with a blue color on the back wall. Opening it revealed a toilet on the left with a small alcove to the right sporting a running stream along the wall and a small trove of towels above.


    My time becoming presentable was mercifully short. A bar of soap was provided in the towel alcove and even sporting yesterday''s clothes, I felt fresh enough to meet the day. Coming out into the stone hallway, one of the Keltons immediately sent an electric sensation across my arm.


    ¡®Bellog came by late last night. She said the refugees should take all day to arrive, she completed the negotiations with the items coming in tonight, and, most importantly, there is absolutely no reason to wake her up.¡¯ He said with a bit of uncharacteristic humor at the last bit.


    A smile forced itself across my face. There was a lot happening and none of it required me.


    ¡®I want to check out the forges. Leave two behind to mind Bellog.¡¯ I ordered through the spirit connection.


    I walked forward with the sound of two people following behind me. Our movement was unimpeded by other guards as we took a left followed by a right. In front of the double doors was a few of the steel clad guards moving about and a few younger girls in brown pants and grey shirts clutching stacks of pages. The youngest of them looked at us with interest while everyone close to or past their teens spared us nothing more than a passing glance as we moved out into the cold morning.


    Beams of sun carried through the open air of what must have been a rather late morning. The feeling of open sky distracted me for only a moment before I noticed some Orcs walking by who had the same looks of wonder and unsteady steps that I did.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I asked one of the passing guards. ¡°Which way to the forge?¡±


    ¡°The grand smithy is on the right side. It has a large wooden slab above its door to let out heat. I¡¯m not sure why they bothered giving the place a sign.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    We gave each other a polite nod before continuing along our journeys. In the relative warmth of morning, the true life and scale of the Cradle presented itself. The ropes between the towers now had a constant stream of boxes and buckets going between them. Even without the small crowd of refugees moving along the right side, the press of traffic was almost as bad as the underground. Impressive considering that the road was almost thrice as wide as any street back in Crasden.


    None of my former passengers in front of me recognized their former captain. Too busy taking in the amazing sights or trying to stay warm to look back. I walked in silence with my guards, just taking in the light breeze and occasional drift of snow from above.


    When the road ahead took a slight rise, I noticed the right side door at the peak had a wide window five feet above it spewing steam. After a good minute of walking, we came up to our destination and went in with no ceremony. The room inside was large, sporting some couches along the right, a wide open entrance further into the mountain on the opposite end and a long desk on the left that had small towers of paper being tended to by secretaries all clad in grey dresses. A glance up didn¡¯t reveal the window above the door, only more mana lamps giving off golden rays like those outside.


    I approached an older woman sporting a grey bun and strict-looking gold eyes.


    ¡°Hello, Ferrag said I would be allowed to view the forge¡¯s workings.¡±


    She looked up while her head still faced downward.


    ¡°Kelton guards. The smuggler captain?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°We were informed of a possible visit. There is a viewing bridge above where you can see the smith''s work. No dangling over the rails and not even Ferrag could compel an on-the-ground tour, so I wouldn¡¯t waste our overseer¡¯s time asking.¡±


    A drawer was pulled beneath her desk.


    ¡°Here,¡± The secretary announced with an outstretched hand bearing several necklaces of yellow cloth that had a wood medallion with the scratching of a fish. ¡°This allows you to go anywhere with a yellow or blue smear along the door sides. Anyplace with red is off limits to you and the guards will not be gentle in throwing you to the ground nor quick in their interrogation. The observing area for inquiring parties is on the staircase directly ahead.¡±


    We each donned our cloth necklaces, making sure to have them prominently displayed below our necks. The secretary was already going back over her paperwork, so I started the journey. Moving through the traffic got us under the entrance and into a divesting point for the various points of the forge. On the left and right were doors at the end of a small hallway while a staircase ahead led to a higher level. Metal plagues showed the destination beyond: Ore storage on the left and lunchroom on the right.


    The one containing my interest was in front of me. A wide staircase leading up to a double door with yellow-painted sides. Unlike the other directions, it was empty save for two guards around the front. They spotted us as we came up the stairs but said nothing until we were on the cusp of arm''s length.


    ¡°Guards or guests?¡± The one on the left said with a skeptical look in her red eyes as she perused the Keltons.


    ¡°Guards,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Any other weapons on hand? Weapons discovered during the inspection that you didn¡¯t tell us about will be seized and that will be the least of your problems.¡±


    ¡°We have none. Right?¡± I asked, just to be sure.


    The men all nodded.


    One of the guards stood back while the one talking ran her hands up and down our clothes. When the last of us was finished being searched, the guard gave a satisfied nod.


    ¡°Swords stay in their holsters.¡± She declared with a walk back to the door.


    One black-furred Kelton on my right raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°If we come under attack, they¡¯ll be coming out.¡±


    ¡°Fair.¡± She stated with a nod to her friend.


    They opened the doors leading into a room a bit larger than my office. Couches and tables along the left and right gave the area an air of relaxation that clashed with the constant banging of hammers.


    And it was hot.


    Not relative to the freezing winter where I would only have to wear a coat. It was a sweat-inducing heat. The source of that and the hammering appeared to be the open door ahead leading onto a bridge. I took off my fur coat and laid it on the wooden table to the left. A brisk walk forward brought the pounding to a crescendo.


    The bridge was above a wide stone floor dotted with grey domes laid out in strict lines. Each was attended by an Orc sporting thick leather aprons and equally thick gloves that almost went up to their elbows. All the smiths were two or three inches of hair away from being bald, leaving the glistening sweat on foreheads or scalps to be mostly absorbed by a bandanna. The atmosphere was rather oppressive but if the workers felt the same, they paid it no mind as they hammered various pieces on their anvils or placed them back into a dome sporting an intense red glow.


    What none of them were doing was getting fuel for their fires. The magical legacy of this place, no doubt. Our forge back at the base had the magical advantage on them, with its metal magic crafts. For all of Eli¡¯s gifts, however, the sheer scale of what laid before me dwarfed anything we built in the frozen rock further north. Looking further left and right, the golden glow of the mana lamps in the ceiling revealed rows of domes that went on for so long that the edges became blurry.


    A sound that suddenly cut through the smiths below was the long grind of metal ahead of me. At the end of the stone bridge was an iron door with red paint along the sides. It was a good distance away yet the pudgy woman who came through was easy to spot.


    She was bald with long ears that stuck outward. Not that the white bandanna covering her head would let any hair loose. Brown pants with streaks of black matched her grey shirt yet neither were as dirty as the leather gloves. None of those streaks reached her round cheeks nor the stubby chin. Her approach was a bit wobbly but she got in reach all the same.


    ¡°Hello,¡± She yelled over the hammering with a friendly smile that matched her red eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave my girls such a busy morning.¡±


    I nodded with a walk forward. When we were in arm''s reach, I put out my hand.


    ¡°I would argue that it was Crasden who put a good deal of it on your backs.¡±


    ¡°PFF!¡± She scoffed, removing the right glove before returning the handshake. ¡°Those who don¡¯t like the work don¡¯t last. Miners, though? The western region probably has some choice words.¡±


    ¡°Are you the overseer I was told to not disturb?¡± I asked as we pulled our arms away.


    ¡°No, thank Garren.¡± She said. ¡°Hela has that burden. Poor old Leelan is just below her and that means I deal with anything that comes up but doesn¡¯t threaten the function of our forges.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope my curiosity isn¡¯t a burden on your schedule. I¡¯ve worked in a forge before and wanted to see what human magic could do. With a single road through the mountains and cramped rooms everywhere, I¡¯d thought I would be seeing-¡±


    I waved my hands around towards the vast open space and constant clanging of smiths below.


    ¡°Not this. Do you have a lot of business with our kind elsewhere?¡±


    An amused smile peeked out between those bulbous cheeks.


    ¡°How large do you think the Cradle is?¡±


    The rough estimates I could onjure weren¡¯t worth anything because everything was hidden in the mountains.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the city center yet, but-¡±


    A barely suppressed chuckle escaped her thin lips.


    ¡°My apologies, lady-¡±


    ¡°Gula.¡±


    ¡°Gula.¡± She intoned before continuing, ¡°This isn¡¯t a city, like say the Mound in the Bloody Plains. This place holds the government but I know the south has most of the food, both grown and bought from elsewhere. The western region has the richest ores while the east has some wood-growing crafts with the accompanying labor and tanneries. This is the smaller of the sections and I believe we hold a number close to a million Orcs.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed at her explanation.


    ¡°Do you keep the tanneries warm with magic as well?¡±


    Another laugh tried to work its way up the woman''s throat but this time it stayed there.


    ¡°They are far enough south that they stay warm on their own.¡±


    That¡­.was past Crasden, at least. The Cradle was probably larger than the swamps and that was mostly muck and grass.


    ¡°So where does the Cradle lay between all the human territory?¡±


    She bit a thin lip for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°I have a map that worked its way to me through the chain of markets if you want a look.¡±


    I nodded hard enough to send my black hair back and forth. She walked off through the red door and returned in short order bearing a large rolled paper, carried in bare green hands with the leather gloves tucked into a left pocket. When she unfurled it, the map was as large as my arm.


    ¡°Now,¡± She intoned with a small cough. ¡°This is not an objective piece, as the Bodding lands are called the ¡®Imperial Chancillary¡¯. An indication that this map maker was of a movement in the kingdom wanting to sever all ties to Rodring and their history. Despite the painter''s political preference, I¡¯ve been told that it is generally accurate save for the poison coast and a few other points. Though I have no notion of just how deficient it is in that department.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s missing entirely,¡± I stated with a pointed finger along the southern coast that matched a slight rise in the number of hammers on metal.


    Things were a bit squashed compared to lived memory, Passtoons Watch was spelled with an e, but the general form of the north-east was correct. They even had the bits of rocky wasteland further north where the Base was. There was a lot of things to make me think the map was reliable based on my travels but a few glaring errors called everything into question.


    Still, could I say the Dwarves weren¡¯t east of this place called ¡®The City¡¯ and north of the ¡®Beast Coast¡¯? Was I an authority on the Fairlands, something I had never heard of till now? Someone went through the effort of painting all these things down and had gotten enough right that I was inclined to take the rest at its presented value.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s another issue with it.¡± She said with some disappointment.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The Elves are a bit farther away. The land between these three mountain ranges is all desert save a passage just below us that remains Rodring territory. I believe that Holy Well and those plains with sticky grass are a bit further up, as well.¡±


    I took in the paper, trying to commit as much to memory as I could.


    ¡°And the unmarked mountain range going up to the ice is, of course, us,¡± Leelan said with a pointed finger to the brown peaks running up from the snowy portion down past the desert and into the greener sections of the map.


    ¡°I was told the humans were making a place to produce Orc mages. Did they need such a sprawling city for that? And all the supplies for it besides?¡±


    Those chubby cheeks broke out in a smile.


    ¡°There is enough plant crafts to feed us if we kept it to the northern and smaller western sections that was here when we gained control. Expanding into the southern and eastern section left us dependent on outside sources of food. The trade from outer regions pushed us from being a snowy refuge into the foremost domain of our kind. All long before I was inflicted on my poor mother.¡±


    She chuckled for a few seconds, filling out the rhythm of the hammers.


    The sheer scale of this place was pushing into my brain with some strain, so I tried to undo the image with questions.


    ¡°Feeding what is essentially a city spanning multiple regions would take a lot of farms. How have the humans not starved you out?¡±


    This time I got a small nod.


    ¡°As grand as it would be to have it all be full of houses and markets, that isn¡¯t the case. The middle of the mountains is mostly roads and large pulley systems to move goods between sections.¡±


    That only mildly deflated the sense of awe. The response I decided on was the one a smuggler would have.


    ¡°Sounds like I¡¯ll have plenty of business here.¡±


    ¡°I hope you do,¡± Leelan said with a large smile. ¡°It¡¯s been too long that we¡¯ve had a proper chorus going.¡±


    We looked out over the bridge to the smiths below. Here and there metal took on the shapes of swords, door hinges, utensils, and every other tool between. A closer inspection of the work in this middle part made it clear the pieces were unfinished as they were handed to a forge on the left by a young Orc. My eyes drifted further along until they rested on the domes closest to the wall. Save any bits of leather or cushioning for a wielding hand, the metal tools were completed at this final anvil and placed in a cart.


    ¡°Have you got it?¡± Lellan asked excitedly.


    I turned right and, sure enough, the smiths against the far right wall were working with simple bars of metal taken off a cart pulled by an apprentice.


    ¡°Do you really have a forksmith?¡±


    Leelan leaned over the rail, laughing so loudly the smith directly below stopped a blow into a rough breastplate to look up. The chubby Orc took only a second to recover even if a few tears still lingered in those red eyes.


    ¡°Indeed we do. They¡¯re not as specialized as you¡¯d assume. Each of those girls down there has to make at least five items, at each stage of construction. But some are better at certain trinkets than others and those who find their niche are handsomely rewarded.¡±


    Feeling quite clever, I turned back to her.


    ¡°My lungs aren¡¯t filled with ash nor do I see carts of charcoal. I assume that means you use magic crafts but wood blocks for heating spells that melt metal don¡¯t sound long-lasting.¡±


    Leelan gave a steady nod, seemingly getting serious for the first time.


    ¡°Another reason our smiths are so well paid. Anything that works with magical items will get you a few more silver, even if it¡¯s the same labor as someone working without them. The ones we use are crystals that spew flame. And no, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t show you one.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a great loss. We had better back in the Base yet there was something special about this place. The fact it was solely the domain of our kind, not shared like in the swamps or the Waveborn, made everything here unique in a way I couldn¡¯t quite explain. Maybe mother would¡­.


    Oh shit.


    For a moment, I wasn¡¯t a wealthy smuggler of immense power and now influential in multiple governments. Nor was I married to the greatest mage who ever lived. My ears filled with the song of the swamps insects as I came through the hovels door, treading with absolute silence as I tried to keep my late arrival unknown to the woman who bore me.


    I forgot to tell mother about this trip. She wouldn¡¯t do anything like a raid on the Cradle and someone probably told her what happened through the radio. A very thorough tongue-lashing was still certainly possible for forgetting in the first place.


    ¡°This is certainly bigger than any forge I¡¯ve worked in.¡± I offered with a small smile. ¡°A visit to the ore section was going to be next, but ships don¡¯t just sit still and do nothing like I thought they did in my childhood. Certainly not in the middle of a change in cargo.¡±


    Leelan gave me a small bow.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re from Crasden.¡± She said in not quite a question.


    No reason to keep that a secret presented itself, so I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°My newest home and the source of as much headache as opportunity.¡±


    She bit her lip with a clear struggle on how to continue. A deep breath came before Leelan released the words.


    ¡°Too many years ago, a captain decided to take a risk on getting here for a good trade. Most end up serving as housing for barnacles, this one did not. A smaller boat that didn¡¯t carry much but left with enough coin to justify the trip. And my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Willingly?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Leelan winced at the word despite keeping a stiff lip.


    ¡°Very much so. Our parting¡­. Was not on good terms. Something I would like to amend.¡±


    She produced a piece of paper from her back pocket.


    ¡°I wrote down her name, Beleen, and a thorough description of her appearance.¡±


    A quick perusing over the words brought the image of a brown-haired Orc with long ears and a splotch of light skin on the back of the left shoulder. Well, I suppose it made sense that the second-most important person here wouldn¡¯t give personal tours without additional motivation.


    ¡°Were they headed towards Crasden?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡±


    There was some hope in her eyes. Faint, but still there.


    ¡°Based on the time I¡¯ve been in these freezing lands, I¡¯ll warn you that there¡¯s a slim chance she¡¯s both alive and still in the region.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Leelan moaned with eyes wincing in pain. ¡°The trip there alone¡­. But I must try.¡±


    I could only nod at her resolve as I put the page in my front shirt pocket.


    ¡°The Crasden government is a constant feature of my day. Handing this off for a search in their records or the memory of the dock officials is the best bet.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped her thin lips.


    ¡°And what will the inquiry cost?¡± Leelan asked.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯ll be a minute-long conversation on my end and a messenger girl running around on theirs. Should the extremely small chance we get her trail occur, we¡¯ll discuss compensation then. Sailors don¡¯t work for free, no matter how hard I try.¡±


    Leelan shook her head with a wobbly chin.


    ¡°T-thank you, Gula. Know you have a friend here in the forge.¡±


    She gave me a slight bow before turning around to match my turn. As I departed the only place that had brought me proper heat in weeks, I looked up to see an open vent in the ceiling near the back. It was the last little mystery of this place and I had somewhere else to be. The bridge was quickly put behind us and the coat retrieved from the table. We got a respectful nod from the guards as we went down the stairs to the main area. Yellow necklaces were returned and the outside door pushed open. I only just managed to get the coat on before winter gave me a welcome-back slap across the face.


    The walk down was a bit treacherous with the occasional cart in the way, but we made it onto the regular section of road without incident. Trekking down the artificial mountain alley was downright peaceful, with the wind settling into a gentle, icy breeze. I had a general notion of where the door holding Bellog and my last two guards were. It turned out that the mental map was unneeded, as two Kelton men and a tired-looking Orc between them stood in front of the double doors. Bellog dipped her head towards us in a nod only to have the fur cap on her bald head slide down over those red eyes and knock off the copper glasses.


    ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t as careless in the negotiations.¡± I teased as we started walking further along the wide road. Those pink lips puckered with both irritation and amusement as she readjusted the cap and placed the spectacles back on.


    ¡°Even if I was drunk, fevered, and half-dead, I¡¯m better at the table than you. Ferrag squeezed me like a grape in the press. If it had been your lack of social grace pitted against her, we¡¯d be paying her to move their goods.


    As promised, I secured you a bit over twice your rate for her goods. After all the bills were paid, here is the remaining portion for your pay.¡± Bellog announced with a presentation of the leather sack.


    I took it and immediately felt the difference in weight. My fingers loosened the chord and then upended it into the open right hand. No gold. A lot of silver and some copper, but that warm glint was absent.


    ¡°Told you to enjoy it.¡± Bellog prodded with a smile.


    This immature back and forth was unbecoming of women entrusted with our station, so I merely nodded to the trio. They followed behind me towards the carriage site without another word. Our approach to the gate was impeded by several carts carrying metal goods of every description.


    Their drivers gave me raised eyebrows, though none regarded us with more than a look as we passed ahead towards the gate. The guards above remembered us and lifted the gate to let us through. Now out on the open plains save slopes on both sides, winter blew through my clothes on full blast. Not quite as bad as the night before yet the air was no less agonizing for my lungs.


    The drifts of snow around the gate had been cleared to expose the smooth stone floor of black and grey rectangles. Workers moved a bit easier for it as they loaded up the cart from last night with pickheads in crates. One of the women in the back overlooking the workers spotted us. Her shouts to the women in her charge couldn¡¯t be heard over the wind, but the cargo wasn¡¯t being loaded into the carriage when we came up to it.


    ¡°There¡¯s enough room in the back.¡± The Orc said.


    We moved up to the open door of the carriage. A look at the now exposed underside in the morning light revealed how it was being moved. Just below the round plow in front was a rope nearly as thick as my arm. It was a bit slack as it reached down a wide slit in the stone. To the left was a shaft of metal jutting out of that same slit, jagged and twisted from some accident long ago. A similar piece hanging from the carriage underbelly made it clear that it was supposed to line up to be one whole. The ravages of time left the only remaining connection between them a single thread running through the center of each.


    We walked inside to rows of crates on the right where the pickheads were being loaded. When the last Kelton guard was beside me on the left wall bench, the Orcs resumed loading the carriage back up. Their labor was finished in a few minutes with the last addition being another guard in thick fur coating and covered face. She didn¡¯t spare a word for us before moving near the front of the carriage. When the last crate was placed with its kin on the floor, the guard went to the front and opened that hatch to pull what sounded like a rope.


    The expected jerk sideways occurred as she moved to sit back down. Whatever mechanism was pulling the rope beneath the plow, it could apparently handle loads several times what we arrived in as the carriage kept up with the previous day''s speed. There was nothing left to do, save get comfortable on the freezing wooden bench.


    It was only when my head was against the wooden wall that I remembered the free breakfast left behind. That rapturous dinner last night was staying my hunger, even now. Yet who knows what delights I might have enjoyed in the mountains. The call of indulgence rang through my soul in a deep yearning yet when we got close to the seaside town, the bitter cold won out. No warmth would be found on the ship but there was no wind to strip meager heat from the skin either.


    Eventually, the cold room came to a slow stop. The guard opened the door before leaving. Two Keltons went out first, then it was my turn. Before even making it out onto the snow-laden stone, I could see a small crowd of refugees to the left while workers were waiting to unload cargo. As soon as the last Kelton stepped past them, the workers sprung into action, taking out the crates in a line that ended at pulled carts further to the right.


    The wind wasn¡¯t so heavy that it obstructed the square houses. Not that any traffic was moving between the abodes to appreciate it. Moving up to the town and through empty streets, I couldn¡¯t help but envy the watchers here even with salt filling the air. A posting that was spent watching empty seas and dead lands had to involve work like drinking, card games, and finding the best spots to lay on the bed. We were the first real disruption in years. If the coin was even half decent, it would be the dream job for me and the guys back in the swamps. Before the chance to change the fate of my entire race came along, at least.


    Bitter breeze was kept bearable with the buildings take the worst of the blows. When we were halfway through the town, soft crashes of waves soon grew too loud to be obscured by the wind. The stone dock was straight ahead and it was only as we passed the last house that the churning ocean opened into our peripheral vision.


    The plank was down for the sailors to bring on the crates resting at the dock. Once we came up to it, the sailors donned in heavy coats let us pass upward. Bellog gave me a nod before almost running to the right and below deck. I could only return the gesture to her back.


    As we moved left and went up the wood steps, I established a spirit connection to the Kelton man behind me.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to be on the radio with Mother. Stay outside the door on rotation.¡¯


    No refusal came.


    The approach to the door was agonizing with the mix of sea air and winter chill. Leaving the guards to endure it was only acceptable because I knew they had fur and survived worse with less fat and rags for clothes.


    Going inside presented the office untouched since yesterday. I hurried to the back, closing the curtains, placing my sword against the desk drawers, and moving the chair off the hidden hatch. The odd box was quickly picked up and worked over while I made my way to the bed on the left. That missed red blanket wrapped around my top, chilling any residual warmth but still holding the promise of some heat later on. I took my shoes off before sliding my feet underneath the sheets.


    The next minute was spent adjusting to a more comfortable position. At some point, I had to acknowledge that delaying the conversation would only make it harder. Bringing the circle of metal mesh on the radio to my lips, I pressed the button.


    ¡°Gula, reporting in. Finished.¡±


    Dead silence stretched for a few seconds before a crackle came through.


    ¡°Was there any trouble? Finished.¡±


    No raised voice. Feeling a bit better, I coughed before speaking.


    ¡°A lot of information about this place and how stupid the humans are here. Oh! I also met this woman in the forge. She¡¯s looking for her daughter who went off to Crasden some time ago. Gonna give her description to the government in Crasden, see if we can pick up any leads. Not expecting anything though. Finished.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to meet the mother someday. We already have so much in common.¡±


    My eyes went straight up while my lips pursed. I may have offered that one right to her, but it was still a bit much. As thankful as I was that this miracle device let me make whatever face I wanted, it probably wasn¡¯t a good habit to get into.


    ¡°Bellog came in and was waiting for me to leave. I didn¡¯t have any chance to radio in.¡± I put in defensively.


    The silence between us festered for a moment before Mother¡¯s voice came back through the metal mesh.


    ¡°I thought you marrying an ultimate mage meant I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about you coming back ever again. That all these miracles and magical tools could at least protect¡­.Maybe some things are just destined to be permanent.¡±


    This was worse than I could have possibly imagined.


    ¡°Mom¡­.I-¡±


    Any response died on my tongue before I could finish it. A second passed as I tried to find the words.


    ¡°Bah!¡± Mother huffed. ¡°But you did have some adventure underground. If we¡¯re going to relive old days, let¡¯s at least have the good parts. Finished.¡±


    I was only a bit relieved to move the conversation elsewhere even if I did it with some enthusiasm.


    ¡°I found out the reason why the humans made this place. They were going to make Orc mages in order to fight some demon things on a coast west of here. Finished.¡±


    Dead silence followed for only a second.


    ¡°Shit. Between that and that healer mage leader in Crasden using us, I can¡¯t help but wonder if something in the water here is scrambling the human''s brains.¡±


    I bit my lower lip as a distant memory was pulled from the depths.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be that they just enjoy playing with gators. Remember when they bred Orcs for ears back home? Finished.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a night and day difference between that and intentionally using our magic-endowing gift. They¡¯re not playing with gators, they¡¯re going up to one in a lean month and sticking their head in its mouth. Finished.¡±


    That brought my thoughts to the one presented at the feast. Licking my lips at the memory, I could only press myself further into the bed.


    ¡°Mom, do you think we¡¯re better than the humans? Finished.¡±


    ¡°Well, our time in the swamps saw them putting up huge castles as we lived in mud huts. I can¡¯t say I ever felt we were the predator. Finished.¡±


    ¡°I mean if all things were equal. We had the same numbers, same lands, same resources. Would we come out on top because we¡¯re the better species? Finished.¡±


    Silence came through the box for a few seconds before crackling back to life.


    ¡°I guess it depends. One of the species has to be the best, like how steel is better than copper or the bear is stronger than a wolf. But no one is better in water than the Frojan and I¡¯d say the Keltons fare the best in this frozen torture.¡±


    I kept the slight chuckle down at her bitterness and didn¡¯t interrupt.


    ¡°Overall¡­.I¡¯d guess the humans are the superior ones. They have the most land and the biggest armies. If we were destined to overthrow them, you would think it¡¯d have happened by now.¡±


    An objection danced on my tongue, defending the position I didn¡¯t hold. The words stayed there. It was hard to argue against present reality in favor of possibilities. Especially when I had only wrangled with the issue for less than an hour broken up over days. It felt like a good end to that part of the conversation, so I moved on to the next.


    ¡°And how has the captain life been treating you? Is it different for those in the sky? Finished.¡±


    A low grumble came through the radio.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve got fifty new kids. Some have no sense of self-preservation and dangle around the sides while others can barely walk by the rails. And the spitting. It¡¯s gotten to the point where I¡¯ve started slapping them on the back of the head every time I see one of them leaning over the side.¡±


    My appreciation for Geoff and the others rose a few levels along with a rueful smile.


    ¡°Aside from that? Fingers always feel a bit chilly but the fire enchantments and thick clothes make it tolerable. Is it any better on the seas? Finished.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t slept out of my clothes in almost a week save last night.¡± I put in with a tired sigh while I stared at the wood ceiling. ¡°The men can spit over the side as much as they want and Geoff wrangles all those who need it. Aside from that, I¡¯ve been holed up in my cabin.


    The high lady of Crasden advised me to make no public appearances. People who know what¡¯s going on will start trying to convince me to take on a daughter or themselves. That would lead to questions about why so many desperate officials were visiting my office. Finished.¡±


    ¡°Not looking forward to telling them no?¡± Mother asked with an amused tone that somehow carried through the metal.


    ¡°I signed up to save my species and some lost souls. Deciding which kids get a spot on the last boat out¡­.¡±


    Silence crept in again as I struggled to parse out my feelings. Which mother took advantage of.


    ¡°Hey, even if it comes to that, you¡¯ll have many more people thankful for you than not. We can¡¯t save everyone and they have no right to expect otherwise. It was your ship that brought food when it was desperately needed. You¡¯re a great person and far better than any daughter of mine should be.¡± Her voice cracked a bit at the end.


    For a moment, I thought the radio crackled but no, it was sending the clear tremble of approaching tears in her voice. I furrowed my eyebrows at the box, trying to send the worried look through the box.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­. As good a daughter as you¡¯ve been a mother. Never hit me or took any coin out of my pay for some indulgence.¡± I offered.


    More silence. A few seconds passed before Mother¡¯s voice came through the radio.


    ¡°It means a lot to hear that. You were an easy one to raise. Most nights, anyway.¡±


    My smile matched the mirth in her last sentence.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure one of those nights will save our people so, even then I¡¯d say it was worth it. Finished.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t point to which night led to me being a bird but so far it''s been a better life than on the ground. Finished.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that. Finished.¡± I agreed. Last night''s fantastic dinner would have to be left unmentioned. We were both going through a difficult period and such distraction in her thoughts would only make things harder for her. My mouth opened to start talking about the massive forge when a knock came at the door.


    ¡°Lady Gula, Bellog wants to talk about some new issue from the Cradle.¡± A rough Kelton voice called through the wood.


    ¡°A moment to get decent,¡± I yelled back.


    ¡°Love you Mom, my work is calling. Finished.¡± I whispered in the radio as I pushed open the sheets and scattered the residual heat around the room.


    ¡°You too. Finished.¡±


    With that final word, I turned off the radio and rushed to place it down in the hatch. When I was getting back in the chair, the rough Kelton voice yelled again.


    ¡°Bellog is emphasizing the importance-¡±


    ¡°Fine! Let her in.¡± I bemoaned as I got comfortable in the leather upholstery.


    She bursted through the double doors, her red eyes furious and teeth bared above the thick fur coat.


    ¡°A spy!¡±


    My hand went to the sword kept by the desk almost as fast as the adrenaline flooding my veins.


    ¡°Ferrag is all but sending an inspection aboard.¡±


    The hand moved back to my lap while I raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°When was that agreed upon in the negotiation?¡±


    Her thin nose flared while the anger simmered to only disdain.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t brought up. Moving refugees between us doesn¡¯t need so much as a warning. And I can¡¯t argue since that provision is what let us arrived unannounced.¡±


    I meshed my fingers together with a lean against the desk.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do? My word is final on the ship but if these¡­.¡±


    ¡°Desperate women looking for home and sustenance in their ¡®sister¡¯ settlement.¡± Bellog huffed with a forced smile.


    ¡°Get on land, I don¡¯t think I have any authority save in my own warehouse.¡±


    She put a hand to her forehead, her eyes staring into the floor for the answer.


    ¡°We can¡¯t solve this. Even if they had an accident, they¡¯d just send more. If it gets out that we were killing their spies it would blow up our relations at the worst time. The best we can do is try and time the ship coming back with the release of the news that we¡¯ll be living under the plant mage in such a way that we can dig in and get settled before they start applying pressure. They¡¯ll send strong letters and ambitious heralds demanding action but people will be too worried about staying among the living to listen for a while. After that¡­. I think I¡¯ll be supporting the efforts to put the church near the plant mages house.¡±


    The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Eli would need some extra protection but between me, the Council, and the church he should be fine. Still, one moment of opportunity is all it takes. Come to think of it, has Eli ever killed an Orc? Nothing in my memory said he did. I¡¯d have to make sure he knew I wouldn¡¯t be upset if he had to when we got back.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± I asked with a small smile.


    ¡°No. A few more hours of bringing the goods and spies on board and we¡¯ll be good if what Geoff said is true. Of course, we should keep discussions about Crasden to a minimum. Including among the crew.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯ll make sure the men are told as much.¡±


    ¡°If you ever find the time.¡± She intoned with a small smile. Her red eyes made a pointed move towards the bed, with the ruffled blankets and shoes that hadn¡¯t been put back on beside it.


    Bellog did a light bow, keeping her cap on this time, and moved backward out the door before I could deliver a rebuttal. If it was any warmer, I¡¯d be tempted to go out and deliver a scathing rebuttal. The freezing chill in my feet still made me get up and get the shoes. By the time the last one was donned, Geoff came in with the report for the shipments.


    An hour passed in what felt like a blink. Getting everything in order and placing cargo in such a way that anything heavy falling wouldn¡¯t crush skulls was tedious but it allowed me the excuse of seeing our guests. They were clad in simple shirts and pants with a pack each. Even as they lay in the beds, their eyes took in everything with an intensity that had nothing to do with desperation. They looked at the Frojan who stayed below deck with some interest but made no trouble. Plunging into the politics at play was about as appealing as jumping into the frozen sea outside, so I let them be while I helped make the ship ready.


    The little nuances and needs of departure came to me with weeks of practice until the sails were finally unfurled and the gentle motion of the ship became heavier than the idle pushing of the waves in the dock. As interesting as the town and mountains beyond were, curiosity had already been sated once, leaving its call for a farewell viewing weaker than the warmth of my blankets.


    I felt more than a little disappointed at the dinner of fish stew, that herb-smelling steak and juicy black shrimp still lingering in my memory. The food, like my raised standard of eating, was eventually gulped down. Over the course of a week or more, I had plenty of time to readjust expectations. Bitter, finger blackening chill gradually fell to mere freezing until the time for departure came once again.


    Getting out of the cabin brought me a view of rocky coast along the right side of the ship. Boats were hoisted over the side and crates brought above deck in preparation for offloading. Maybe it was that much warmer here or some of that Kelton toughness had rubbed off on me, but I felt fine in the cold sea breeze with only a fur coat over the red jacket and white shirt. Bellog had suggested offloading the goods first with herself in tow to give the Council time to react to the news. I agreed, as did the sailors who helped get her in the boat and lowered it with their burden of crates. This was going to be a slog without a dock to directly offload onto, so I left the transfer to the men who were paid to deal with it. The second transfer involved a single Kelton carrying a page describing Leelan''s missing daughter to the Council.


    What I had expected to be a few hours of silence at my desk was interrupted after only one. The Kelton man I sent with the copy of Leelan''s page came in with barely a knock. His ragged breathing sent clouds of mist from between his brown-furred lips. That and the small streak of blood on his white shirt made me push aside his breach of manners.


    ¡°Bellog said to stay on the ship, Lady Gula,¡± he said with a dip of his brown-furred head.


    I kept my questioning gaze on the red staining his chest.


    "A trip on the rocks, Lady." He offered with a twitch of his ears behind brown horns. Something I guessed was a sign of embarrassment.


    ¡°And this confinement is because?¡± I demanded.


    An electric sensation went across my chest.


    ¡®She said the plan has hit a bad snag and it happened in a way that has gotten more people aware of it than is desirable. It would be better for all involved if you stayed aboard for a few days at least. As Nersa had stated in the first meeting.¡¯


    ''How much of that was your advice?'' I asked with thinning patience.


    ''It was all her words, Lady Gula.'' He answered, doing that weird sideways head bob typical of his kind with the last.


    ''Fine. Did you deliver the page?''


    ''I did. It was hard since several Orc officials waylaid me before the guards intervened. The crowd would be worse if all our people didn''t stay just out of the tunnel with the Council workers bringing the goods below. Staying on the ship is a good idea as I can''t imagine the stampede if you were there. And that is my advice.''


    My fingers strummed the cold wood while I wrangled with the reality that I wasn''t going to be leaving this ship for another week.


    ''If that''s all, you are dismissed.''


    He gave me another head bob and turned to go out the double doors.


    Expected, yet no less infuriating for it. There was nothing to be done but ponder on what would be considered a ''big snag''. I doubt they would tell me what it was since they didn''t in the first correspondence. Still, I was working with the plant mage and the Orcs mining under his home. The former would tell me if he knew of it, as distasteful as mixing our couple time and work was. With nothing left to do, I resumed working the papers and figures for the ship. Which was apparently going to be my home for a very long time.

 Chapter 124: The Grind

    Eli POV


    A cloud of mist escaped my lips, mixing with the chill winter air trapped in these stone walls and catching the sun-like rays from the mana lamp above. The wooden chair objected to me pulling myself slightly up, though it was my conversation partner who was the most irritated.


    ¡°What was so important you couldn¡¯t discuss it over letter?¡± Ashe Kraton, governor of Crasden, head of the esteemed house of Rodring¡¯s healer, and very pissed woman stated across the table from me. Red hair meshed with the golden robe wrapped around her but the mana lamp above helped contrast those blue lips with its glow. The gold motif extended to the two lion guards by the main exit door a stone toss behind her.


    The open room that served as my dining spot and kitchen wasn¡¯t too welcoming to late visits with its rock floor and constant sloshing of running river just outside. Even being in the presence of a scion, the woman with almost doll-like porcelain skin wasn¡¯t wasting precious time with pleasantries.


    ¡°This is a matter between mages,¡± I stated with a lean back, crossing my arms covered by a white shirt and planting my leather shoes on the uncaring stone.


    Her right hand sporting shiny pink fingernails went up, waving the two guards in lion helmets near my main door to go away. They went, after a moment¡¯s hesitation. That immaculately manicured hand went back down to the wooden table before she conjured a sound-deadening spell. Her disdain for using spirit connections outside of dire necessity had become common knowledge to everyone and bucking her preference was a fight I wasn¡¯t willing to wage. Not that I found the practice any more appealing.


    ¡°The Mountain Top and Seed associations screwed us. Your letter after the royal visit was the first I¡¯d heard of the plan to move out the single men.¡±


    Her hands clenched into fists on the oak as those jade pools went wide. Ashe didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment, content to sit in silence even if the puffs of air leaving her lungs grew larger with heavy breathing.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they haven¡¯t been too keen on staying.¡±


    It appears this was going to be an instructive night for both of us.


    ¡°Their guilds aren¡¯t too pleased with recent events,¡± Ashe explained with an ever so slight lean back into her chair. ¡°Did the great queen Nestel inform you of her intention to whip the associations back into form?¡±


    ¡°Something to that effect,¡± I answered with a smile at the rather fond memory.


    ¡°If it had been another member of the nobility, the association heads might be merely offended at the attempt but Rodring¡¯s widow has real bite and they want a full accounting of what happened before going into battle with the lion.¡±


    So, Percy wasn¡¯t just being a petty fool. Busting the knees of the new administration would help affirm his association''s importance when Ashe¡¯s plans fall through and the Seed guild, with its Mountain Top partner, has to help clean up the mess. He would take a lot of heat, be thoroughly reprimanded in the harshest terms, and probably find himself with a nice little promotion after a year or two in the typical way of business. Not that childish grievance couldn¡¯t fit in with the plan.


    ¡°I must say, you have risen to the occasion. Going by what I''ve seen, it¡¯s impressive what¡¯s been getting done.¡± Ashe put in with a smile to help smooth the honeyed words that contrasted with a week''s worth of written word between us.


    My lower back and knees screamed in protest, but I wasn¡¯t going to refuse the compliment as she continued.


    ¡°It makes me wonder how far along things would be had time been made for your request to meet earlier. If I had any earth magic to lend I would, alas mending bones doesn¡¯t confer that ability.¡±


    I waved my hand in dismissal of the coy seduction. The woman certainly had presented rough on our first introduction but having the prize of Crasden in hand seemed to have brought her temperature down a few degrees. If for no other reason than I wasn¡¯t the one currently threatening her position.


    ¡°An extra week, month, or century, I think we would have gotten the same amount of support from them. Though being informed earlier would have been a good boon.¡±


    ¡°Going to bed early is a gift all its own,¡± Ashe said with a small smile as she got up. There was an edge of anger in how quickly she rose, suppressed by the fact that I wasn¡¯t the object responsible for it. ¡°I will make the expectations for aid clear once I get them for a meeting. They¡¯ve got a few days left here and I¡¯ll work them for all I can until then.¡±


    A light bow was all she received in return. The healing caster was seemingly satisfied with that, turning around towards the exit door with only billowing golden robes to play against the ambling river. I did the same, only turning right towards the door leading into the main hallway. At the clank of the door¡¯s close, I went ahead into the dark hallway and took another right into a too-cold bedroom. Pressing the wooden pad on the side of the doorway, the world suddenly died in a black void. Memory saw me through the abyss, bringing me to the bed in short order for what was hopefully to be a deep sleep.


    The night passed too soon.


    A stiff chill bit my fingers, not that the grey stone of the ceiling cared about the problems of the freshly awoken. Laying on the bed, with my midsection kept warm beneath brown blankets, I decided with what little thought could be wrung out of the brain still booting up that today was not a good day. Not even the fact that it hadn¡¯t started could dissuade me of that.


    It wasn¡¯t my hands or face being cold, the aches starting to remind me of their existence, nor was it the incessant pecking by Ashe before yesterday¡¯s meeting about how all the spine-crunching labor was seemingly behind. Gula and her mother Durka had left off to some unknown destination more than two weeks ago. Cell had flown over to the area where their ship was supposed to be and found nothing, not them or anything to suggest their destruction. A quick jaunt southward produced nothing else before he came back. I did my best not to worry about it since the ship''s shielding was no doubt well-powered and the missile systems would be-


    ¡­.


    Which universe was this?


    ¡­.


    Right, the one with magic.


    Cell had taken a quickly slapped-together wooden aircraft designed to float on the same principle of a hot air balloon and shot off towards Baker¡¯s Port along with any places they might have stopped at. Which was good for him, honestly. He was the closest thing to a magic god this world could conceive of but he handled boredom like a toddler.


    I¡¯d be out there as well if not for the fact that the flying airship accompanying Gula¡¯s water-bound dingy wasn¡¯t checking in for the nightly radio session. There were no magic airships this far north save the royal one long gone along with the only other scion air mage, besides myself. That left them being forced to leave in a hurry because say¡­. The Orcs just found out they were about to be crushed and needed to use the only ship out. Wherever they went, it was together and I would just have to wait for them to return. Frayed nerves and all.


    I rubbed my left hand against my forehead. Salamede would be safe and the family back in the other dimension were almost certainly still fine. None of that could be said about my Orc wife even with her having two ships. It had occurred to me that Gula was getting a lot of the dangerous missions. Having two wives had its perks but the balancing act of making sure I didn¡¯t slight one over the other was a constant struggle and¡­. I was tired.


    Jesus.


    I pushed the blankets down with a huff. The quota of morning whining had been reached and it was time to get back out there. Getting up, I quickly went through the door on the right, pressing the wooden panel beside the doors as I did so. That brought the one in the ceiling into bloom, including those in the hallway. It was all grey stone save the door directly ahead of me. The left turn presented another door at the end of the shaft, which I went through.


    The kitchen/meeting room had a dining table to the left, a closed door to the outside on the right, and a small kitchen with a stove directly opposite. What it didn¡¯t have was a steaming tub of water or a meal. Blue specks of mana were sucked in and spent to fuel a spell summoning a thick rope of water, which slithered around my body to wash away grime and dandruff. When the bottom half was clean, the shaft of water was sent through a duct in the ceiling and forced out the top where it would splash the human debris into the river before the magic water disappeared into oblivion. This was repeated again for my top. When it was going over my back, the door leading to the outside was opened.


    ¡°A thousand apologies, great mage.¡± A brunette extolled with as deep a bow her maid outfit and tray capped in a copper dome would allow. Her green eyes were wide and sweat went down her forehead, contrasting with the cool-headed blonde to her right holding a pitcher and cup. ¡°The firewood was lacking and we did all that could be done, with all possible haste and knowing of your immense station-¡±


    ¡°Same story as everywhere else, my lord.¡± The blonde interrupted, giving her companion a meaningful look with her blue eyes as she went to the table.


    The brunette was too scared to be puzzled, rushing forward to place her tray down on the table along with the drink. She quickly took off the tray¡¯s cap to reveal a steaming bowl of brown soup while her companion poured the water into the cup laid beside it.


    The blonde, more experienced in my preferences, gave a quick bow before moving towards the dish. She produced a spoon and took a bite of the soup. A brave thing, testing for poisons outside of a lab. But as one of the members of the royal kitchen lent to facilitate my meals, she was well compensated for the danger. With no choking or foaming mouth, she moved back away from the table, pocketing her spoon all the while. The brown-haired companion matched the slight bow her more confident companion gave before both walked away in a steady gait that didn¡¯t match the drips of sweat falling off the brunette¡¯s chin. No matter their emotional state, they left at the same time and the door was closed.


    Soup was omnipresent these days as the cooks simply couldn¡¯t keep up with individual courses. I wouldn¡¯t get to eat much else until the situation here stabilized and had resigned myself to a chew-less meal. The men were more resistant to the change with grumbling from the communal dining area''s tables assaulting my ears each time I walked by.


    During a particularly long slurp, another maid came by with a fresh change consisting of underwear, a grey shirt, and brown pants, accompanied by a thick fur coat mercifully accompanied by a face cover for everything but the eyes. This day was going to be awful, so there was no point in delaying it. Donned in new clothes and feeling a warm belly, I followed the path of the three women. Once out the door, I stood on the stone floor for a moment, taking in the chill wind and the slight creaking of the wooden drawbridge ahead of me. At the end were the guards clad in red leather with the stone box on the left sporting a slanted roof presumably holding more. Out on the stone plain ahead was row after row of wooden slats sucking in mana to form stone bricks on top of them.


    All I got was a nod as four men came closer to surround me. With my third layer of clothing around me, I walked to the end of the bridge and took a left. Roaring river had become a fixture of the soundscape, leaving me only just registering the rush of water as I walked alongside it. A wooden bridge lay ahead, a sturdy specimen that allowed for two carriages traveling in both directions. Looking out over the stone plain to the enclosing walls, I saw the huge finger of a tower further ahead by the wall touching the sea. Myths and legends were conceived here at the battle with the Mist pirates and one of them was that the trebuchet resting at this tower''s peak fired only seven times.


    No tales of glory waited for me as I walked up the bridge¡¯s ramp. The kitchen camp off ahead and to the left was not serving honor to the blank-faced men getting their bowls. There was no grand procession to the trio of towers near the entrance straight ahead nor did the solitary one to their left merit the stuff of tales. Not that it would be around long enough to gather any real history.


    The trio of towers would remain in place to act as guard stations in case of a siege from along the Crasden road or from Crasden itself, though the latter was left unsaid. My destination was the gate past the three siblings of stone. Here and there were workers pulling carts, seeing to a task, or getting ready for the work day. As we walked past the kitchen, one activity being taken up involved the sounds of landing fists and shouting. Red-leathered guards moved to break it up with raised batons, so I was content to keep going.


    My group was at the edge between the nearest tower and the kitchen when I spotted a group of red splotches approaching from the left of my peripheral vision.


    ¡°Apologies, Scion. To sully the morning with such a sight is unbecoming.¡± The expected voice of Kev announced.


    And the three other times you thought I didn''t hear them weren¡¯t?


    The bitter words were choked down. I turned to get a proper view of the man and sure enough, those brown eyes were wide while fog clouds came out in heaves from between the muddy mustache and beard. Sweat dripped down his thin cheeks and nose.


    ¡°Do the men need more time in the mornings? Or perhaps an earlier cut-off in the afternoon?¡± I asked with a raised grey eyebrow.


    ¡°No. Just some grumbling from malcontents. I will personally see to any further incidents.¡± He stated with a shake of his head that sent brown hair over his metal chest plate.


    Civil government here was more a series of relationships and suggestions, so when I ¡®accidentally¡¯ left my plans detailing the expansion of my domain out to be seen, along with questions about how to fit all the single men in it when the slums were leveled, there weren¡¯t any hard rules saying he couldn¡¯t suddenly begin taking a more proactive role here. Kev was well-liked by his men and had a lot of authority not bound on paper, the perfect man to force through things that only a select knew the purpose of. Quite the inverse to his superior, Fessel, whose mandate was entirely on the powers and declarations of people who didn¡¯t live here.


    ¡°And how¡¯s the harbor going?¡± I asked him as we walked together towards the main gate.


    ¡°It moves apace. Some of the new men were questioning putting wooden slabs layered in with the stone. Questions that were laid to rest when someone gouged out the rock with one of the shields.¡±


    ¡°At least the weapons are still proving useful,¡± I said with a tired nod to the surrounding walls.


    The entire perimeter of the jutting stone protecting this place was being strengthened with slabs of wood hardened to steel. Putting such a skeleton in place after the flesh had been raised involved a lot of specialized magical tools which the array of tents past the right tower were putting to use. Workers swarmed over the sides of the sheer rock and walked down with their heads going beneath the stone floor. Coming further up brought me to a massive ditch three carts wide along the base of the wall to the right of the main gate.


    Wind pushed away body odor yet the breeze wasn¡¯t strong enough to smother the curses and screams coming from the men working at the bottom of the stairs taking up the two-floor high wall of the ditch. All around the new floor were men carrying long poles of wood a dozen feet long and nearly two feet thick while those on platforms beside the wall worked horse-sized blocks of wood into place. These magical crafts would turn the stone beneath it to liquid, allowing the placement of the poles through their center. This made the unwieldy shafts easier to place and kept them straight.


    Standing on the edge of the dirty staircase leading below, I felt a tortured throb in my chest. The plans for this section involved placing down hardened wood acting as metal bracing in large quantities around the wall with the top getting a layer that would be covered up. It was inelegant, wasteful, and needed. Accounting for possible expansions by the Orcs beyond the walls or additional digging downward meant I had to make them far stronger, especially along the sea where some monster from the depths or storm surge might come calling.


    There had been projects in my previous life where people had used such overcompensation and I had made my opinion of such craftsmanship well known. I offered a silent prayer for those souls, asking forgiveness for my hypocrisy. Of course, they didn¡¯t have a few days to come up with it but the memories still stung.


    Off towards the right was the mustached overseer looking down over the masses with a detailed copy of the needed measurements splayed out on a table in front of him. Thankfully, most of this work had been placed on his shoulders. I made the new crafts for placing wood shafts, smoothing floors, digging up stone, and such, but besides the occasional inspection, I was left to make sure ¡®Harrah¡¯s Thumb¡¯ didn¡¯t topple over in the future. The issue of how to work around the tunneling Orcs without making it obvious I knew they were coming was also resolved with him taking charge.


    Not that the nine-some floor tower was a slacker''s job.


    Finishing one last look around the site, I turned back towards the three towers. Far from being abandoned, their importance had only increased. Having the workers trek all the way here from Crasden every morning was taxing even in the beginning. Going through the gate of the closest one, I was pleased to see the second floor being put in with the open center getting a staircase. A quick inspection revealed some doorways that were an inch or so lower on the left side.


    Kev immediately dispatched one of his men to oversee the issue. By the time I had finished inspecting the second floors of the other two, the fault had been revealed to be a rock getting stuck in the bottom-right of the enchanted wooden door frames that carved out the stone in the wall. The sun was on its descent, blasting orange and red across the clouds of a freezing world.


    Allowing the workers to finish their construction and mend mistakes, I stopped by the canteen for a quick meal of yet more soup. The fatty stew of hearty vegetables chopped thin and pork belly was prepared in front of me with a tasting from one of the guards at its completion. When they didn¡¯t fall over dead, I was allowed to enjoy the meager lunch with a pulling aside of my brown face covering. A constant chorus of chatter and industry was coming from every direction around the empty table. For all the merits of quiet forest life, the song agreed with me.


    Leaving the kitchen and Kev behind, the trip over and past the bridge left nothing but the whistling wind in my ears where rushing water didn¡¯t roar. Coming up to Harrah¡¯s thumb took a bit of work as weeks of almost unceasing labor compounded into my joints and slowed every step but the nine-and-some stories tower was soon looming directly overhead. The long arm of the trebuchet hanging over the side hadn¡¯t moved since the battle save the swaying from wind. Unlike the last time, it was the bottom section that needed tending.


    Moving around the side brought me to a pile of poles leaning against the sea wall. They were similar to the ones being driven into the walls but eighteen feet in length. As huge as the tower was, it had a too-generous skeleton of metal-hard wood already in place. Something the base beneath lacked.


    Around the stacks of wood piled into a hill against the wall were more workers, waiting to do any personal bidding from the grand plant scion who rescued them all. The fact the men assigned to this job only started working when I did, as opposed to the constant toil in the ditch, was certainly a secondary benefit to being in the presence of their savior. Judging from the excited looks on some of their faces as I walked up, cynical sarcasm may have produced more truth than jest.


    ¡°All right,¡± I announced to the crowd. ¡°We know what to do.¡±


    If the lack of elegance was off-putting or endearing, none made it known now or in the past weeks. They gave me deep nods before moving to the wall. Men swarmed around retrieving another horse-sized craft from the unseen side of the pole stack and getting those same shafts off the ground while I retrieved a measuring stick six feet long from the side of that same mound.


    Moving a block of wood the size of a horse and several times heavier was a grueling task. An impossible one if not for the handles I had put on the sides. Once I had measured out its place near the tower, the men moved back as my spellwork molded a crude side of stairs onto the right side of the massive block. The second the stone was finished being pulled from nothingness, one of the men moved up the stairs and touched the left sky-facing corner before moving back down. Mana was sucked in from the surrounding air, the wellspring of golden flecks from Necrosis having been used up by all the crafts in hours past. A flickering flood of blue dots rushed over his face and mixed with the warm rays of winter¡¯s sun to produce a beautiful tapestry seen only by my eyes. All the magical work was finished for now, allowing me to move further away towards the back-right to merely observe.


    The poles'' ascent up the stairs was pretty graceful with a dozen men crowding around it like ants. Placing it into the hole in the center suffered a small bump but it quickly fell into the central shaft with no fuss from the liquid stone beneath. Once there was nothing to be seen of it from my low angle, one of the workers walked forward and looked down with a messy mop of brown hair. After a few seconds, he followed the steps of his predecessor, pushing against the white square unseen from my angle.


    Their labor finished, a small stampede came down the stone steps and pulled back at my approach. None had to ask what I was doing with my turn around towards the tower-facing side of the wooden block. Cold bit at my fingers yet my brain felt none of it as all mental resources were focused on the moment.


    Finding the white square on the lower corner of the huge wooden block near the ground took no effort, nor was pressing its freezing surface too painful. Another wave of blue specks blew around me as the second set of enchantments roused to life. For a moment, nothing happened until a two-foot wide circle of stone moved from beneath the edge of the huge craft.


    Rock flowed like streaming water around the circle steadily moving forward, the free movement lasting for only the blink of an eye before returning to hardness with the circle¡¯s passing. Its approach towards the tower never halted even as it slipped beneath the seamless stone of the floor and jutting tower wall. A second more passed before the craft stopped taking in mana, the signal that its work was finished. I took a long board from one of the attending laborers. The slab was promptly put to the section of stone that the circle had slipped under.


    Stone melted to the sides like mud as a small tunnel molded into view. Just wide enough for me to squeeze through with a few items. Weak winter sun made a black void take residence in the hole almost immediately. In my peripheral vision, two of the workers were running leftward to the tower entrance to retrieve the torches that were supposed to already be out.


    Not content to wait on them, I moved out of the small incline and towards the right of the tower. It took only a few steps before the long shaft of rectangular stone sticking out of the tower¡¯s side presented itself. I couldn¡¯t remember if I had marked bracing poles with a cylinder or rectangle and was glad I hadn¡¯t immediately made the former without checking. As I walked back to the next addition, a groan of deep, thundering bass washed over me.


    Trembling air pressed from behind yet my senses said it was far away. I instantly placed the sound as the stuff of nightmares for any construction foreman. In the blink of an eye that it took me to turn around, the roar got louder as it mixed with the crunching of stone. The wall, as much as could be seen from the obstructing tower, was fine. As I ran forward, the left side being revealed started showing wafts of grey clouds floating away from the impact site.


    When I finally made it around Harrah¡¯s Thumb, the disaster finally revealed itself.


    Just beyond the trio of towers was a pile of rubble where the five-story wall on the left of the main gate used to be. The main entrance and connecting wall for the road were still intact, but about two hundred feet of my creation had been brought low. Among the wisps of dust, I could see the section that had survived came to rest with the body of its sibling resting against it. I had made it so the entire wall wouldn¡¯t topple over in case of a breach by earth-aligned monsters and had a moment of relief that the extra protection held firm.


    I savored the feeling as it was probably the last positive emotion my brain would send me for a long time. A mental list of what could have caused this was quickly run through with my minutes-long run to the artificial river. Wind still ran through my ears and only the sloshing water pierced through the pumping adrenaline coursing through my veins. Contrary to expectations, the guards that caught up with me first came from across the river.


    Against the backdrop of frenzied workers running around like chickens came the red leather of the guards and the steel breastplate of Kev glistening with their run towards my direction and away from the disaster. We met with me getting just past the bridge''s peak.


    ¡°Kev, I do hope I don¡¯t need to explain which side the disaster happened on,¡± I called over the running river and the shouts of the work camp.


    ¡°Your safety is paramount, great scion.¡± He half yelled with a bow that sent bits of sweat flying from his brown hair.


    ¡°It was a close thing but I did manage to dodge it at the end.¡± I put in half-jokingly as I walked to the left.


    In a move without precedence, the guards followed the direction by shifting to block me. Not a blanket of flesh as they had typically been but an obstruction. I looked between all of them. There was a lot of fear, a typical reaction to just seeing five floors of rock come crashing down. They had probably seen a lot of people ground into paste a few minutes ago, so I didn¡¯t immediately lash out when Kev moved in front of me. His brown eyes were wide with that same dread even as he put out his hands in supplication and more sweat trickled down his mud-colored mustache and beard.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a dangerous situation, lord. Please. We can¡¯t afford injury to the one person who¡¯s currently keeping everything working.¡±


    I took a deep breath of chilly air, trying to force the irritation out with the cloud that flew around the brown cloth face cover.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose men. Saving a few dozen workers currently sucking in their last breath will also raise morale out of the trench it¡¯s in.¡± I stated evenly with a step further to the left.


    Kev moved to block me before the rest of his men followed up. Another miracle. However friendly I may have been, this obstinate behavior towards a mage, forget a proper scion, should have been unthinkable for a magic-less peasant. Whatever was going on with them, it had my full attention even as I stood in complete silence.


    ¡°There are no casualties, great mage.¡± Kev put out with only a slight tremor.


    I narrowed my eyes at him before tilting my head rightward.


    ¡°You did a full headcount in the minutes it took me to jog over here?¡±


    ¡°The men were placing one of those huge crafts down on the left side of the gate. It¡­. Activated somehow. By the time the men realized that it had been turned on, the wall had already started to crumble. There were no carriages on that side of the gate and the twenty men were working alone.¡±


    Kev bit his lip after using it to deliver an easily disproven lie. At any one time, despite their size and mana use, the crafts only shifted small slices of stone. I had even put in a manipulation field that helped keep the rock above the moving circle in place. Perhaps if several of them were lifted in the air and aimed at a joint¡­. But certainly not lying on the ground.


    ¡°I guess no one needs saving but moving the stone-¡±


    ¡°No, honor wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± Kev spat out a decibel just below a scream. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have you picking up our mess. You¡¯ve done so much already. We will use shovels and our backs to amend our stain on your great work.¡±


    So, they don¡¯t want me near¡­. the¡­.


    A black ball of horrid revelation dropped into my stomach.


    I turned to the right towards the sea wall. Gratitude for the face cover fought for emotional space as I tried not to shake in anger. It took mental effort to keep a steady breath as the hair on the back of my neck stood up, following the scream trying to work its way out of my throat and into the open air.


    The Orcs fucked the wall.


    Some stomping from the right announced my retinue of personal guards approaching. Gentle breeze wafted over the bare land bringing with it a waft of salty sea, the scent of death typical of Necrosis frozen out by winter¡¯s grasp or so omnipresent it no longer registered. With a sweating Kev waiting in attendance, I could only stare out over the unfeeling stone and churning water below.


    Did I not do enough? Was there not enough light for the man who saw my blueprints for Ashe¡¯s plan or the structure of the wall? Do I have to personally grab the green women by the hand and lead them to the Garden of Eden?


    ¡°Some crafts to help fix this will be provided,¡± I announced to the men on both sides. ¡°As appreciated as the gesture of purely manual labor is, those backs are needed elsewhere. A small stack of boards to help scoop up the wreck and lay the foundations for repair will be provided tomorrow. For now, Harrah¡¯s Thumb needs bracing. Can I count on your men to guard the breach, Kev?¡±


    He did as deep a bow as his steel chest plate would allow, almost reaching a full ninety degrees.


    ¡°We''ll watch it with no less attention than we would our newborns.¡± The head guard exclaimed, his voice only straining near the end.


    With nothing left to be said, I went back over the bridge.


    I barely paid the next few hours any mind, save when I needed to mesh the fibers of the new poles in with the wooden frame of the tower. The men could cover up the true problem for a while but doubts over their capability to fix it gnawed at me. Even down in the dark slit of stone with no light but a torch, the work received only the barest notice as the steel-hard log was fixed into place.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    As I stood over the new hole and filled it in the dim torchlight pushing back the newly fallen night, the men looked on apprehensively. None of them knew what the official story behind the collapse was nor the actual truth of it. They would find out in due time, but that did little to settle the nervous pacing of the guards or keep more than half their gazes on the work. When the last bit of grey stone finally melded over the last pole, I turned to the gathered crowd.


    ¡°You know the routine from here, but this is not a routine day. I need to make several crafts to help clean up the disaster site. Head back to the main work camp. Two of the guards will walk you back with torches.¡±


    None objected despite how unruly the magic-less men were being today. It took a few minutes of walking under a starry sky before I was back at my river home. The guards in constant attendance at the shack near the bridge let me through without problem. Mentally I was checked out of everything save the most immediate task.


    The world eventually shrank into the workshop opposite my bedroom. When I closed the door behind me, the first thing I did was think of the past. Specifically, the past involving my naked wife prancing about. I indulged in the memory for a second as I turned on the mana lamp on the left wall. Bringing several wooden pieces together and molding them at the work table eventually pushed out Gula¡¯s beloved curves from my mind. The next few hours were spent at the worktable against the far side of the room with only a quick stop for a delivered dinner. The wood was crafted into the form of a plow with a flat bottom.


    Idly plying it with the mana stamps of triangles, squares, and circles was unfortunately quite effortless. That left me with all the time needed to ache and worry over the present reality. Obviously, I would want to keep as far away from the disaster site as possible. All it would take was me spotting one green face or foot in a place where I couldn¡¯t deny seeing it for almost the entire female half of the city to die off. As a mage who just discovered Orcs penetrated into his domain, I would probably have to collapse the tunnel they were making to get here. Essentially consigning so many green women to oblivion would make negotiating our true purpose here almost impossible in the future. To say nothing of Gula''s anguish. And the deaths.


    But this dance of farces and misdirection''s required believability to be maintained. A plant scion could only be disinterested in the tumbling of one of his walls, be so engrossed in other work, that such a gaping wound in his defenses was left personally untended for only so long. A few hours were spent crafting seven more of the plows before I moved on to making more stone molding boards and leather gloves. Plying magic into the rough hide of poorly sewn leather lead me to the conclusion that my influence over coming events was minimal.


    The only thing to be done was to flood the disaster site with stone molding and summoning crafts to let some fall down to the green women. Not all of the crafts could go to them as a plant scion would notice if an entire cartload of his tools went missing. Hopefully, the men would be brazen enough to give Garren¡¯s bane at least a dozen or so crafts to help them fix the mess they made. Of course, any amount of crafts wouldn¡¯t help if the women overseeing their use didn¡¯t know how to properly apply them. They had already stumbled at the critical juncture once and it wasn¡¯t due to a lack of magic.


    Putting aside the finished glove, I lowered my head into chilled palms as the mana lamp behind doused the bare room in a golden glow.


    Gula couldn¡¯t fix this with a visit. Even if I tutored her in the aches of architectural design and her talent was so unprecedented that she could fit it all in her skull over a few days, her casting in this play prevented the solution from coming from her. The Orc¡¯s would have to mend their folly without any miracle intervention. Something I would be content to wish them luck on if their gamble didn¡¯t involve all of us.


    Continuing my labors for an hour more, it was only until one hand sent a board over the table with a fumbling grasp that I was ready to turn in. This world¡¯s lack of clocks was irritating at most times but turning in ¡®when I feel like it¡¯ was a benefit hard to quantify. I put away my work and turned off the light to get to the bedroom, moving through the inky void off memory alone. Retrieving the radio from the false floor beneath the bed was a bit trickier but still accomplished.


    ¡°Eli, calling in. Finished.¡± I announced through the wood box.


    Dead static greeted me. As it had every night before. When I got up and put the radio back in its hole, the thump of wood on stone had a particularly solemn air about it.


    Sleep proved a failure. It had shut off the brain and left me motionless for hours on end, but that arbiter of determining the start of a new day never rendered its judgment. The worries over the wall were still present, this body had the same aches, and a creeping sense of desperation hung as thickly as ever. I got out of bed with the same sluggishness that I had gotten into it. Boards were retrieved from the workshop and accompanied me to the dining room table for a late morning breakfast.


    The maids arrived with the covered dish, pitcher, and a change of clothes. Again, no tub of steaming water came. Putting the stone manipulation board down, I went over the previous day to see if this wasn¡¯t some re-lived dream. It was the blonde who approached with the dish, making the first announcement as she did so.


    ¡°The good camp leader tried his best to make the bath this morning but with all the problems from the wall collapsing¡­.¡±


    Even her cool demeanor was a bit frayed at having failed a second time.


    ¡°I ask only for what is best for everyone,¡± I assured the two as I put aside the boards.


    They promptly went about the usual tasks and left me with the meal, seemingly grateful that they were escaping with no blood outside of their skin. Biting my tongue above the brown stew, I realized I let a bit of irritation seep into my response to the girls. A terrible thing considering I was the head of this entire operation and made all the worse by the fact that I was losing the patience to care. The meal was quickly gulped down and I left the table to stand in the middle of the room.


    Bits of dust and dirt clung to the shirt and pants carelessly thrown to the ground. For a moment, I was considering mixing a fire spell with the summoned water to get a warm bath. The fact that I was seriously tempted to do such a stupid thing made me reevaluate how depleted my mental acuity truly was. Warm seduction was ultimately denied and the magic bath concluded with a snake of chilly water flung through the same upper shaft in the ceiling.


    The grey shirt and brown pants were quickly tied on, a cloth face covering having been missed in the delivery. Another chore added to the list. Putting an arm through the coat took a second try as the brain coordinating it was stewing in weeks of growing exhaustion. Going out the door, I knew the day would broker me no mercy despite its clear blue sky.


    Across the bridge were guards and not all of them were the red leather-clad ones who¡¯s laying with the Orc¡¯s could barely be called a secret. Two men bearing a metal lion head and golden cloth attached to their arms and metal armor stood around an ornate carriage and a lad donned in red with gold trim was almost statuesque at the end of the drawbridge.


    ¡°The governor and head of the house Kraton, Lady Ashe, has requested your presence, great plant scion Tilvor Laperict.¡± He announced with great clouds escaping lips that couldn¡¯t be more than twelve years old. A few tufts of brown hair stuck out of the sides of his red cap, matching his nervous eyes.


    I only nodded with a walk over the bridge. The regular guards who served as my usual retinue were off to the left and merely nodded to me as I got in the wooden box. Inside was an ornate room with windows covered in thick curtains of red that matched the upholstery of the benches on both sides. Right now, there wasn¡¯t a force in the universe that could keep me on my feet for a second longer than needed. Plopping into the left bench, I got raised eyebrows from the lad and the two lion guards but I was a being of unfathomable power to their magic-less existence and no words were said as they moved into the carriage.


    A smacking of reigns rang out with a slight pull back from the motion of the carriage. Falling fully asleep wouldn¡¯t be possible on the bench with its meager cushioning and the carriages lacking suspension. I did manage to achieve a reasonable state of comfort where the aches eased yet I remained aware of my surroundings. The sound of surging water came, and sure enough, we dipped up then down before leaving the river''s chorus behind.


    After a minute every direction filled with the shouts and smacking feet of hundreds of workers. I felt grateful to the thick curtains along the windows for blocking the faint morning sun and any sight of the migraine now taking up the left side of the gate. Treading down the still-protected road took a bit longer until the carriage gradually slowed and then stopped. Far too soon to be at the runt tower.


    A blast of cold air flew through the carriage as the guard on the right opened the door.


    ¡°Driver! What¡¯s going on?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡­.¡±


    Some unheard voice that sounded further ahead filtered into the cabin in an unintelligible whisper.


    ¡°An accident at the squeeze.¡± The driver announced. ¡°A horse got spooked and ran the cart into the side of the gate. They¡¯re cleaning it up now.¡±


    The guard pulled back in with a gentle close of the door. Resting on the bench I decided that, in the future, the horse would be a sacred animal. Unburdened by labor and allowed to roam free on vast plains.


    Minutes of blissful nothing passed in the blink of an eye. When the tug of motion pulled me into the bench, a small sigh escaped my lips. If my companions heard it over the ocean¡¯s pounding on the land, they made no comment. Sea waves gradually fell out of the air to be replaced with the sound of city life with all the shouting, footfalls, and thudding of heavy loads hitting ground.


    When we came to another stop, the bench across from me creaked. The guards and messenger boy were getting up. Reaching to the window near my head revealed the jutting side of glass and steel that served as some poor imagining of a skyscraper. I hadn¡¯t even moved and my lower half was already pre-emptively complaining. Still, the great governor was waiting.


    Stepping out of the carriage and onto the stone road was an unsteady affair until I was on firm rock. Clear days like this had an uncanny aspect of being freezing yet still showing rays of what was supposed to be warming sunlight. Aside from a soft blow of wind, there was nothing besides the steps of people going up the stone stairs to the left into the building. Missing among them was the trio accompanying me, instead waiting patiently by the carriage for me to make the first move.


    I moved towards the steps, ignoring what to a peasant would be an awe-inspiring mountain of steel and glass panels. My companions came behind as I approached the two guards by the glass pane doors. Getting through was easy with my escorts and the sheer volume of people going in and out.


    Before opening the doors, I could hear the chorus inside. Their inward swing brought the stomping, chatter, and occasional yell to a peak just above the busiest section of the work site. The wide-open hall ahead and staircase to the left were ignored as I moved to the right towards the wooden double doors. I had surmised that guests interacting with the mechanisms involved with using the elevator was frowned upon, so I waited for my guides to make the first move.


    The lad opened the doors and all four of us went inside. Having guards constantly on both sides was the newest change. Ashe had decided that allowing visitors to walk about the center of regional operations with only a small boy to keep an eye on them wasn¡¯t a good idea and made a new rule that two guards would be present during such visits.


    Getting in took only a few seconds which ended with the lad working a cylinder of metal serving as a key on the panel. My new guard''s armor reflected off the glass walls illuminated in the mana lamp above as metal boots gave dull thuds on the wood floor. That familiar tug downward came in short order sending us skyward.


    After a minute or so, we stopped and the doors were opened. Coming out onto a hallway of wood walls, a staricase directly ahead, and stone floor, we ignored the window showing the city below on the left and took a right. It was a bit crowded with messengers going back and forth, as was typical of a place still at war. At the end of the hallway stood large steel double doors. The lion guards attending them allowed our band to pass through.


    In the middle of the room was the same gold-edged table of grey stone. Its edges matched the gold laid into the steel around the walls, gleaning in the morning sun still reaching up through the glass walls. The mana lamps along the joints in the walls and ceiling made it clear the light would not die here with the coming of the night. White marble floor made the clacking of shoes around the focal point of the room all the more pronounced.


    In the middle of the gleaming table, opposite of my entrance, sat Ashe Kraton. Her flowing red hair blended into the oak chair at certain points and slightly poked out of the golden dress. Pure white skin, however, showed every strand around her bare shoulders. Despite the apparent match of the flooring to her pigment, a stack of blue and gold tiles to the back left told of a remodeling coming as surely as the sun.


    Those green eyes perused the stacks of paper before her with irritation that emphasized the sour puckering of blue lips below a small nose. When they turned up to me, they weren¡¯t pleased but nor did my presence seem to add irritation.


    ¡°Out.¡±


    That single word from her made every messenger, begging official, and cleaning maid turn towards the door like the compulsion of a magnet. We were alone after a second with only the two lion guards left, my young guide having flown out with the rest.


    ¡°You two as well.¡± She commanded.


    The eyes where a lions should be went a bit wide. No guard would follow such an order, likely even from a governor. A mages command was heavier than anything else they would ever hear, however. As soon as they slammed the doors shut behind them, she conjured an air spell from the surrounding mana. Which, as a plant mage, I obviously couldn¡¯t see. I made sure to give the appropriate raise in eyebrows when a rush of air suddenly enveloped us both and she stood up.


    ¡°They¡¯ve finally admitted it. The miserable worms. As distasteful as their presence is, they''ll be joining us soon.¡± She announced audibly.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I would have agreed anyway. Just a bit more forewarning would have been appreciated.¡± I offered mildly.


    Hints of red seeped into her pronounced cheekbones.


    ¡°You were supposed to have been informed shortly before the battle. This has¡­. Yes?¡±


    Right. No face covering. Why couldn¡¯t these people be at least semi-civilized?


    ¡°Your speed in shaping events is certain to be the stuff of legend.¡± I offered with a small smile.


    The barbed compliment brought a smirk to blue lips and those green pools relaxed ever so slightly.


    ¡°As are all great leaders. How bad is the collapse of the wall?¡±


    ¡°Not as bad as it looks,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°If it was facing the tree line¡­. But between the remaining wall and the one protecting the road to here, we have no worries about protection for as long as winter lasts. When spring arrives in a few months or so, it should be back up.¡±


    The healing caster raised a red eyebrow in disbelief.


    ¡°That assumes the rest won¡¯t crumble from the collapsed section.¡±


    ¡°There are webs of special bracing placed throughout that are designed to stop that chain reaction. A measure more to deal with monsters plowing through but it works no matter the cause.¡±


    Ashe nodded before sitting back down.


    ¡°There are of course certain matters that shouldn¡¯t be discussed over letter. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of reports that Garren¡¯s bane is working its way under your domain.¡±


    It was my turn for my nose to flare and lips to pucker, now more genuine than it would have been before the tumbling of the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ve figured as much. Dealing with them will require a lot of crafts. Something I¡¯ll be happy to put Percy and that bald woman to work on. Unless the Orcs have an earth mage of their own, of course. Then¡­. Who knows.¡±


    Blue lips puckered again.


    ¡°Tilvor, even in jest, that is a poor thing to suggest. This-¡±


    She looked behind me, killing the air spell just as quickly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Turning around, I saw a lion guard had opened the door.


    ¡°There was no response¡­. Two of the association representatives are here.¡±


    ¡°Let them in,¡± Ashe said with my turn back to her.


    He left and we were soon graced with the presence of the two most worthless people in the region. Percy was still clad in green robes, though the inlay of gold leaves and emeralds seemed to be of a different pattern. Those brown eyes almost matching his tanned skin didn¡¯t deign to look in my direction nor did his hand donned in gold rings reach out to me. Black, shoulder-length hair hid in the folds of the robes¡¯ hood, contrasting with the bald head of the woman to his right.


    ¡°Greetings, lady Ashe.¡± The Mountain Top representative intoned, her blue eyes having a disinterested look around. Her muscular frame didn¡¯t crease the leather tunic and black pants by bowing. Not that the jewelry store¡¯s worth of precious gems and gold on her clothes would allow for such a maneuver. Unlike Percy, she did react to my presence by clenching her square jaw and turning her thick nose to the left.


    ¡°Same to you both,¡± Ashe responded with sweetness veering out of warmth and into mockery. ¡°This will not be long, as I know your time is too valuable to waste. A hundred stone summoning and manipulation crafts. Each taking half of the whole and delivered in two days.¡±


    The first matching color between the pair finally arrived. Red suffused their cheeks while Percy went stone-faced. Not content to let her disdain be merely seen, the bald woman took in a deep breath.


    ¡°You dare order me to work like a peasant?!¡± She hissed between gritted teeth.


    ¡°Nestel does.¡± Ashe offered mildly as she reached across the table. From the stacks of paper, her immaculate hand produced a specimen of a finer make than its kin. ¡°She has gotten the permission of the associations to put ALL present members into any work needed without consideration of the agreements. An authority that has been lent to me.¡±


    The bald woman stomped forward, taking the offered page like its odor offended. Blue eyes moved back and forth over the words with each swivel seemingly adding length to the scowl on her face. When the last bit of ink was gone over, she turned up with lips so thin they were close to baring teeth.


    ¡°How do I know this is legitimate? There could be copies ma-¡±


    Percy dipped his head a bit at the same time she drew up short. The slight look back the bald woman gave made it clear they were talking in a spirit connection. Ashe, for her part, raised both eyebrows and clasped her hands together.


    ¡°Do you have some insinuation about these orders you want to make known?¡± She asked. The healer''s pose was immaculate save for the keen look in those jade pools. They had the same eagerness a hunter had at a deer approaching the trap.


    Whatever consequences questioning the validity of these orders were, they were enough to make even the bald woman think twice about making the accusation.


    ¡°And what will these be used for?¡± The Earth mage asked with barely restrained fury as she returned the page before stepping back towards her co-conspirator.


    Ashe made the slightest nod towards me.


    I returned the gesture before taking a step towards the miserable-looking duo.


    ¡°Molding homes for the workers, cleaning up the wreckage from yesterday¡¯s mishap, shoring up the damage from the fight in the harbor. Just the things needed to realize the plan some of us agreed to but ALL of us are bringing to fruition.¡± I stated with a heavy look between the two.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The earth caster pondered with an aloof huff. ¡°You have had some trouble keeping things up, and not just in the way most¡­.older men do.¡±


    The quick darting of her eyes below my waist made the suggestion clear. Not that she was content with that as she looked back up with a small smile.


    ¡°Is the journey to the disaster too long for you? We¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve not even visited the wall.¡±


    Ashe now turned to me, the obvious question in those jade pools.


    ¡°It was an accident by the men. Fixing that section only involves picking up and molding stone into a single piece. If I were to ply my magic into fixing it, it would only further shame the men. Or so they¡¯ve told me.


    As noble as their resolution in absolving that stain is, the time scale of things doesn¡¯t allow for such dignity. It will be your crafts doing a lot of the heavy lifting there while I¡¯m focused on Harrah¡¯s Thumb and the sea wall. The former of which needs to be finished as soon as is possible.¡±


    Percy¡¯s lips got a sour pucker, emphasizing furrowed black eyebrows. Bits of white colored those smooth tan cheekbones. Gaudy gold inlay played across the green robes as the caster plant mage started heaving like he came out of a fresh sprint.


    ¡°You¡¯d dare ask us to sully our birthright on those filth? Have those hands that touch Garren¡¯s Bane hold our magic?¡± He snarled, the hiss coming with hints of panic mixed with the rage.


    ¡°Yes, if Ashe¡¯s vision of an Orc-less city is to be realized. Had I been given more time to prepare for this work, you may have only been required to help implant bracing into the walls. That world of what could be isn¡¯t this one. A hundred crafts done up in boards with handles on the sides, three by two feet. Their manipulation fields twice those dimensions and stone summoning in equal size.¡±


    Emeralds vibrated against each other in small clanks with the mages shakes as the man grit his teeth. Those mud eyes had the kind of contempt one should never show a scion. If that look didn¡¯t convince everyone emotion was in his driver''s seat, the next words out of his mouth did.


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t have a problem making such a demand. The way you¡¯ve been sullying MY element with that filth¡­. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if a taste for the green women was found in you as well.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows slightly. The Mountain Top representative took a step back from both of us, blue pools wide with a sucked-in mouth as she tried her best to distance herself from the plant caster.


    ¡°Hyuk!¡± Ashe hiccuped somewhere behind me. There was no anger or objection in it. Just shock that such an explosive allegation had been made in earshot.


    A second passed before Percy bit his lips white and those brown eyes looked around the room. Sweat dripped down his forehead as his brain caught up with what his tongue had done. It was probably the truest thing he¡¯d ever said. Truth, however, wasn¡¯t what I came to this city to deal in.


    Taking a single step closer to him, the man¡¯s head pulled back slightly. I stood there, staring at him with what I hoped looked like cold fury. Finally, I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Before the world was forever damned by the woman who shit you out, my partner, at only three days old, was working magic into miracle. The meager works I¡¯ve heard you perform were done by my lost familiar at mere weeks of age. If someone of your impoverished talents were to ever spread into the Orc¡¯s blood, it would only be cause for annoyance.


    Being a scion entails great abilities and all the horrific consequences of their misuse. Something you will never understand or obtain.¡±


    Percy got a bit more fight in him at that. His eyes went wide and white lips pursed into the sour expression of a child wanting to let their parent know what they really thought. Words that, this time at least, were kept on the inside.


    ¡°As limp as your talents are, we will put them to work fixing the mess you helped make. A hundred crafts, to the specification.¡±


    I moved my right hand over the emeralds dotting his right shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.


    ¡°If even a single one is out of that range, I will fashion ropes from these pretty robes in such a way that their jewels cut into your neck and arms for motivation. Understand?¡±


    Percy nodded, looking downward as I released my grip.


    ¡°That will be all.¡± Ashe declared from behind.


    The duo decided to stop with their mouths still above water, meekly turning around and going out the doors they slithered through.


    ¡°That was far outside of the acceptable,¡± Ashe scoffed as I turned to meet her green gaze. ¡°I assure you it will be mentioned in my report to the queen.¡±


    ¡°The men assure me they need more tools,¡± I said with an indifferent shrug. ¡°If those two come back and try to squirm out of their portion, let them know they will be tied up in full view of the worksite.¡±


    She only gave me a simple nod in response.


    With nothing left to do here, I let the two lion guards shepherd me through the tower and back into the cold outdoors. The carriage was still waiting for me with the driver finishing a bowl of something steaming in the winter air. Getting in was easy, as was laying back down on the bench. Sadly, no cart overturned on the way there, bringing what I suspected to be the good part of my day to an end as the typical entourage of men clad in red leather swarmed me.


    Losing the morning was hard as far as my work schedule went. The delay wasn¡¯t ill-received by the men working with me as their foreman wouldn¡¯t dare reassign those meant to aid the great mage to other work. Five more bracing pillars were placed in the giant tower and I was able to get one last meeting in with the overseer concerning the sea-facing wall before that section was butchered and stitched back together. It was the single most important piece and the sheer amount of changes needed would strain this place more than any of its land-bound endeavors. After a few rounds of profuse reassurances, I left the man at his post and headed back home in the pitch black of winter¡¯s night.


    As I approached the domed rectangle on the river, I noticed the door was open. The men in the guardhouse merely nodded to me so I went on ahead. Coming over the drawbridge I saw a wide tub of wood near the dining table. Wisps of steam wafted off the water within though it looked less than half full. Something the blonde maid was mending with a large copper pot and rags for gloves. Coming through the door didn¡¯t stop her from pouring more steaming water into the tub.


    ¡°We have more coming my lord. The master of the kitchen insisted on making it up to you for this morning, if it pleases you.¡± She intoned with a smile that almost went to her ears.


    ¡°A better man would expound on the wastefulness of using precious resources for one person. Perhaps one day I¡¯ll be such a saint.¡± I offered with a sigh of relief.


    She left, allowing me to undress in peace. Slipping a foot into the steaming bath left it feeling almost scorching. But I knew this heat would not last, so I forced myself in if for no other reason than to feel something that wasn¡¯t deadly chill. It barely covered my stomach and I had to maneuver my feet to get the soles submerged.


    The water was too hot yet no part of me would dare ask them for anything less blazing. By the time the bath chilled a degree or two, the brunette came with another pot. She regarded me with a smile and a bow before tipping the contents of the pot in. My focus was mostly on how amazing it felt, though her attempt to see what lay between my legs did not go unnoticed. However she felt about what wasn¡¯t there, it didn¡¯t show up on her face as she laid the pot on the table.


    ¡°Is that enough, lord mage?¡±


    ¡°More than, thank you,¡± I announced with a smile that stayed just above the waterline.


    The brunette bowed again before leaving me alone. I soaked in the wooden bowl for a few minutes, near-blistering hear taking the aches out of my body with the white clouds. Winter would not be denied as the water cooled after a few minutes. I was reluctant to get out but when it began dipping out of lukewarm, the small corner of heaven was finally abandoned.


    If left on the floor, I would probably wake up to a block of dirty ice in the morning. The water in the tub and clinging to my body was cast out the shaft with a water spell. Donning the black pants and white shirt left for me by the girls on the table to the right, I headed through the hallway door directly ahead. Taking the door on the immediate right brought me into the bedroom with a bed against the opposite wall and a desk to the left, all set in the glow of a mana lamp above.


    Closing the door behind me, I shimmied under the bed and retrieved the radio box from a hidden hatch. Standing up, I pressed the button and went through the same depressed motions.


    ¡°Eli, calling in,¡± I announced through the mesh of metal on the bottom of the block.


    ¡°Durka responding. Finished.¡±


    A jolt of excitement shot up my spine. This was going to be a long conversation, so I slipped between brown blankets before responding. Irritation, relief, and joy swirled through me, which made me press on the radio button a bit harder than needed.


    ¡°How¡¯s Gula? Finished.¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. We¡­.didn¡¯t tell you we were leaving¡­.¡± She said with a dying whisper.


    I puckered my lips and took a deep breath.


    ¡°No, you did not. Is my wife ok?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing great. The Cradle was apparently a treat. Finished¡±


    My mental map of this world put that place somewhere northward. The exact opposite direction I had sent Cell. He would at least enjoy the trip even if the trek back would be filled with the same worry that had clung to me these past two weeks.


    ¡°Why go there? Finished.¡±


    Durka spent a few minutes explaining treaties of refuge with the Orcs residing in Ballud¡¯s Folly. Cold finally sapped away any residual heat from the bath around the time she extolled the size of the forge in the monument to a monarch''s hubris. Durka was a poor storyteller, jumping forward and backward at seemingly random points. At least, I assumed it was her telling me and not an unspoken relay for Gula. Whoever the stream of unordered thought was coming from, the rough flow made it all the more jarring when a hated name suddenly resurfaced.


    ¡°Demons?¡± I asked the wood box with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She put in with a sad undertone. ¡°They¡¯re the real reason the humans made the mountain hold in the first place. They used us for magical talents to fight them on some coast in the Bodding Kingdom. Finished.¡±


    Revelation landed with a dull plop. The question of whether Queen Nestel knows the truth of Ballud¡¯s folly lamely presented itself in the meager mental space I had to spare it. Memories of dark forest, ungodly foul odors, and emptying my stomach while wearing a deer skull helmet didn¡¯t allow much more. Like all pain, it had dulled to almost nothing yet the weight of responsibility still chafed.


    ¡°Was there anything else concerning them? Finished.¡± I asked the box.


    ¡°It was a brief explanation. Something about why the northern patrols aren¡¯t running. As fascinating as it is, the scheme has nothing to do with us. The rest is just us agreeing to do runs between here and the Cradle. Finished.¡±


    Despite the unpleasant mental detour, I was now more relaxed about this whole affair. That still left my exhaustion mixed with a bit of irritation at them leaving me to float in the wind for weeks without a word. Going at them directly about it would only make them defensive, so I decided on a far more underhanded reprimand.


    ¡°Good. Tell Gula that I¡¯m glad to finally know she¡¯s safe. This news is just what I needed for these rough nights. Finished.¡±


    Dead silence came through the radio for a second.


    ¡°Guilt is a tool for mothers.¡± The voice of Durka accused from the box.


    A smile crept up despite my best efforts.


    ¡°Amazing. Inventing faster-than-light travel was a big point in my universe''s history. Yet Orcs here have somehow fashioned faster-than-light speech. I¡¯ll be fascinated to see how you transferred the talent over the radios.¡±


    The slow release of breath from the box kept my smile up but the following silence made it clear she was delivering the message.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Having a loved one run off somewhere dangerous with no way of helping is an all too familiar pain. I should have been more thoughtful before inflicting it on someone else. Finished.¡± Durka said as a proper relay.


    So Gula won¡¯t take her medicine without a fight.


    ¡°A man¡¯s love is more powerful than life. Our pain can never be equal, as the aches of a beautiful woman are mortal wounds to us. That¡¯s why we deal with the danger while the woman gets the children to safety. And in my eyes, Salamede is the only one who could match the lusciousness of your body.¡±


    The honeyed words poured through copper and magnetic waves with no response for a long minute.


    ¡°Perhaps we should have this conversation during another theft. Finished¡± Dukra offered.


    It was the closest to an outright victory that I was likely to get.


    ¡°I look forward to being robbed. The Cradle does sound a bit grim, though. Cold mountainside and lifeless plains of rock don¡¯t paint a welcoming picture. What had you so enamored? Finished.¡±


    Another minute of silence.


    ¡°The food was beyond compare. Steaks that barely held up against the knife and a spicy, herb sauce. That and it wasn¡¯t on the ship that I had spent more than a week on. Which may have influenced my view of it. But I¡¯ve been doing all the talking so far. Is everything still plodding along? Did you punch those mages in the mouth yet?¡± Durka offered.


    A tired sigh was all I gave the box at first.


    ¡°A lot has happened on my end. Nothing that you can fix, sadly. I hate to leave you in suspense, but they¡¯ll probably tell you soon enough and not giving you a heads up will make it easier to act surprised. Not that I¡¯ve ever doubted your theatrical skills. Is there anything else about the trip?¡±


    The wait was less than a minute this time.


    ¡°Small things not worth mentioning. We can¡¯t compare it to your work in building a city yet keeping a ship going is still exhausting work. If that¡¯s all, we wish you good night.¡±


    A small grimace came with the offer. There was probably no way to hide the exhaustion in my voice and the burst of energy from their return had faded about halfway through the Cradle retelling.


    ¡°Good night, with all my love, Gula. A pleasant night to you as well, Durka.¡±


    In the seconds of waiting, my grip on the cold wood finally slipped. As I retrieved it from the side of the pillow, I heard my mother-in-law¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You too.¡±


    With that, I reluctantly got up and placed the radio back in its hidden hole beneath the bed. Somehow, I also found the strength to smack the wooden panel by the door to turn off the light. Navigating back to the bed on memory alone brought the softness of the pillow around my face. No thought beyond the relief that Gula was finally back existed. That and the hell that seemed to always await me tomorrow. Both soon faded to nothing as sleep finally took me.

 Chapter 125: Flexibility of Faith

    Chapter 125


    Gula POV


    *Knock*


    *Knock*


    The world went black for a long blink before revealing the page in my hands. The red coat whose sleeves reached to my wrists was rubbing across the faintly yellow paper. It was a fresh look at the latest inquiry to arrive from the Crasden Council. At some point during the avalanche of work orders, storage figures, and written begging the stream of words started running along the eyes but never reaching beyond. Now fully paying attention to the world, the salty tang of sea reintroduced itself to the nose now resuming its work.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I called from my position in the back of the wood room now taking a wobble to the right. Despite the ship''s size and craftsmanship, I had learned you were never truly on solid ground when bobbing about the sea. The dining table to the left wall and bed on the right stayed still from the nails in their legs, yet the particularly big wave made some strands of midnight hair obstruct the double door directly opposite of me. Even with that, I instantly placed the black pants peaking from behind shifting strands.


    ¡°I thought ships were supposed to ride the sea like carts.¡± The grumpy voice of Sally extolled with exhaustion, even if her gold irises in black spheres darted around the room with alacrity. Her short grey hair dripped with bits of ocean spray. She rubbed a sharp chin just above the white square adorning the black collar tucking into the white shirt. A cloud of mist came out of her small nose to flow over the leather vest covering the chest of her white shirt and black coat. ¡°Everyone¡¯s busy these days and I¡¯m sure the captain of the only means out of here is at the peak of it. So I will be as brief as I can be.


    We messed up the plant scions wall.¡±


    I raised eyebrows at the words, trying to understand their dire tone.


    ¡°A bit chipped or cracked-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s down. Part of it is, at least. The rest of the structure is still standing save a section near the main gate for the road to Crasden.¡±


    The words, like those on the papers, didn¡¯t fully penetrate even with her voice carrying over the waves outside.


    ¡°Down? As in¡­. To the ground, down?¡± I asked with a held breath. I scoured the woman''s frame, trying to find some indication that this was a joke.


    Her gulp of spit cut through the ambling sea.


    ¡°A bit lower in some spots.¡± She confirmed with a small nod.


    I quickly put the paper to the right before the hand holding it could clench into a fist.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how much we risked to get that tunnel ready?¡± I demanded with a lean forward.


    Any cold nipping at the skin vanished as I felt my cheeks warm. This had to be what Eli didn¡¯t tell me about two nights ago. The budding irritation at being left out immediately withered. If he had told me this it would have robbed me of precious sleep for no gain. That and there was no way I could properly feign the raw fury churning through my veins at this moment.


    ¡°I know,¡± The priest agreed with hands raised in supplication. ¡°Your people risked a lot for all our lives, and still do. As did the women who were crushed by the rubble.¡±


    Right, there were probably a lot of people working under the wall when it fell. The sadness in those gold eyes made me reign in my anger. As much as it would allow, at least.


    ¡°Will I be going on another excursion for stone crafts?¡± I asked, forcing my spine to loosen enough to let me pull back into the chair.


    ¡°No. Some guards will be¡­. We just need to know what the inside of the plant scions house looked like. The only ones who¡¯ve been in it are maids who owe us nothing, mages and lion guards who would kill anyone who even helped us, and you. As for what, I cannot say.¡±


    I took a deep breath as I pulled down on my white shirt''s collar.


    ¡°You know, if you¡¯re going to make it so obvious that stealing more crafts is the goal, maybe saying it in a spirit connection would be better advised.¡±


    Sally rolled her golden eyes before fixing me with puckered lips.


    ¡°If we were meant to always talk with that, Christ would have used it to deliver his sermons.¡±


    ¡°Good for him.¡± I offered with raised hands. ¡°But we¡¯re not here to give speeches. I trust every person on this ship with my life, save the children. Something you can¡¯t say. In the future, I would advise you to not be so trusting.¡±


    Her nod of agreement came with only a small touch of hesitation.


    ¡°Games of deception aren¡¯t for me. Which is why Kev will be attending the meeting. It will be happening at the ruined construction site.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Is the Council building unavailable?¡±


    ¡°PFF!¡± Sally scoffed with a smile. ¡°No. Kev wants to meet there so that we don¡¯t have a small riot getting you through the tunnels.¡±


    Memories of freezing water plowing over my bare skin came back of their own will.


    ¡°Another swim?¡± I asked with little hope. Her shrug lifted my heart a bit.


    ¡°How you get there will be up to Kev. He¡¯ll be sending a guard later tonight to pick you up. Everyone wants this done today. That leaves a small window when¡­. Well, I suppose in games of espionage, telling you more about the plan than needed would be unwise.¡±


    Getting a vague memory of Eli saying something similar, I gave her a final nod. She gave a slight bow before turning around and out the doors. The moment she opened them, I heard the yells and plopping of crates before being silenced with a slam of wood on wood, leaving me with an empty cabin and more paperwork to tend to.


    When we first returned, I had hoped we¡¯d be out on the sea towards the Cradle after a day at most. Getting as much meat and leather as they requested, however, proved more difficult for the Crasden government than just a trip to the local market. They still gave reassurances about meeting the trade request, but it would take time. I¡¯d have been irritated if we hadn¡¯t finished unloading our goods late yesterday. Dealing with the poorly disguised spies we brought with us sucked a few more hours out of our first day back, but it still took a lot longer to move those laden crates than expected.


    The rest of the day passed into late afternoon without further issues save a working of the radio at the desk.


    "Mom." I called into the box with a button press.


    "Aye? Finished." The familiar voice called through the metal mesh on the bottom of the rectangular box.


    "Checking in early. I''ve been called to an unexpected meeting. Finished"


    "Understood. We''ll wait for Eli''s check-in then make our way back to the Base. Finished."


    My eyebrows shot up.


    "Oh?" I asked.


    "I don''t know what you think clouds are made of but I assure you they aren''t edible. Finished." The box spouted off moodily.


    An idle thought about how torturous describing my meal at the Cradle must have been for her came, but I quelled it.


    "Understood. Goodnight. Finished."


    "You too, brat."


    This weird form of communication where our faces remained unseen certainly had its oddities, how it lulled you into being more open because you can make any face you want. And then the woman who raised you hears faint amusement in your voice that only she could pick out. Musing on the social oddness continued as I put the radio back in its hiding spot beneath the floor.


    At the sun''s dying hour, when clouds lost their white coloring to instead mix red and orange, another knock came.


    ¡°Lady Gula,¡± A young girl''s voice half-yelled through a slight crack in the door. ¡°Some guard in red leather is here. He says he¡¯s expected and ready to go.¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± I affirmed with a rise from the chair. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Brushing off my black pants, I quickly retrieved the sword by the bed. Feeling whole with some steel at my hip, I walked through the door to visit the Underground. Ever-present crashing waves pounded my ears with a step into the sea air. Nothing more than a slight breeze went through my white shirt and red coat, lending a feeling of something approaching comfort to the outdoors. The land was still fully in winter¡¯s grasp, but the men on the deck below weren¡¯t shivering and most didn¡¯t even have a second shirt beneath their coat.


    I took a right down the wooden stairs, savoring a moment to appreciate the waves and rocky shore ahead before finishing my descent onto the deck. My second-in-command wasn¡¯t around, so I pulled one of the young green girls lugging a basket of wet clothes around to a stop.


    ¡°When you¡¯re finished with that, tell Geoff he¡¯s in charge for an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Captain.¡± She exclaimed with a bow sending her brown hair flying around and gold eyes wide. Her immediate turn around to the double doors on the front end of the ship made me almost shout for her to finish setting up the clothesline first, but she was already lost among the sailors.


    ¡°A lot of different ages here.¡± A male voice to the right exclaimed to me.


    Turning to the front, I saw the red leather guard waiting by the dinghy lifted up by the geared wooden arm beside the upper deck. His black beard had some sea spray on it, though the red cap was the only other thing for the water to get stuck on his face. Those green eyes above a wide nose regarded me with some warmth as he did a slight bow that made the sword and unlit torch around his belt sway.


    ¡°And types.¡± He continued, looking at the horns and goat faces found on some of the men.


    ¡°All solid people,¡± I assured him as I walked forward with an entourage of three Kelton men coming up from the crowd. They had been assigned to my guard, sporting metal chest pieces and some metal helmets. Their equipment had a faint shine from the dying sunlight, but their swords were still in leather sheaths. Two on the left were brown-furred with curved horns of the same color.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be guiding you to the site.¡± the red-leathered guard announced to us, giving the black-furred Kelton on his right a small nod.


    A few sailors joined us as we shuffled into the dingy without another word. The lack of exchange continued when our boat hit water and the human sailors started paddling among peaks and valleys of frothing ocean. I couldn¡¯t hear anything besides soft wind and smacking water. That left me with no distraction from the worrying nibbles floating inside my skull. How this was all going to be fixed wasn¡¯t apparent to me, aside from the fact that it was going to be done by pilfering more of Eli''s work. I hadn¡¯t talked to him directly, but mother made it clear he sounded rather worn.


    It was too few minutes before the boat came onto the rocky shore beneath a sky fading from red to black. Disembarking took a few seconds longer as our human guide struggled to get onto the rock without slipping backward, but we were soon plodding along the path to the entrance into the Underground hidden among the jagged hills and rocks.


    At least, we were until the human guard suddenly took a left between two horse-sized boulders away from the main trail. It took him a few steps to turn around and see his companions had stayed still.


    ¡°Ah, yes. There are a lot of Orcs in the Underground who are eager to talk with you. Getting through without constant stopping simply isn¡¯t going to happen. The men on the walls know of our trip, so I¡¯ll light my torch if needed.¡± He finished with a head bob before continuing his walk.


    I only nodded as we followed him. From there, we walked an S-shaped path around mounds of rough rock. Sunlight was a fading commodity that barely peaked over the horizon now. Faint golden rays ran along the endless expanse of fractured stone while small chasms of shadow moved beneath the upright ones, a few of which we walked under. It was unfortunate that my vision was good enough for all but the darkest nights because if I had trouble seeing in the coming darkness then making these simple bends would keep me occupied and prevent what I suspected this trip would be.


    When the sun finally lost its fight, my prediction proved accurate. This path had been untraveled by me or my guards, yet it was unobstructed in its center. Smooth on the feet, yet jagged in some of its turns. Too unfamiliar to let the mind wander and too boring to fully engage it.


    Even when one of the stones peaking out over the others revealed itself to be the top of Crasden¡¯s high walls, I paid little attention. The night allowed the stars to shine as the clouds had chased after the sun, making the few torches burning along the top mold into the heavens. When the city walls came close enough to almost reach by spear throw, our guide took a right around a boulder and kept on it.


    Faint memories of approaching such masses of stone came to me, the ones in the past raining a hail of arrows down in greeting. Walking around it with an upright walk, even in the night, put me on edge. As we took a bend around the mark of human civilization and down a small hill, I saw my husband''s labor.


    Jutting walls stretched on for almost the entire horizon. A huge tower off to the left stood around twice the height of the walls surrounding it. The imposing mass, however, wasn¡¯t what drew the eyes. At the end of the smaller wall connecting Crasden and Eli¡¯s domain was an open wound of crumbled rock near the quad mage¡¯s main gate. Bits of flame played around the top from what I wanted to guess were guards.


    None of the others noticed the irritation in my every step and I was content to keep the walk silent as we moved alongside the road¡¯s wall. Waves pounding the shore mixed with the occasional drop of a pebble from our trek. Aside from that, it was dead silence. Not a single insect or bird could be heard among the jagged mess of rock left behind by mole packs who cared how long ago.


    Winter was still a faithful companion, however lax it had been today. My fingers were starting to get a bit stiff when we made it to the road¡¯s wall and the coat barely made a difference when a breeze groped through my white shirt with each step towards Eli''s land. Words of measured complaint were on the back of my tongue and about to travel towards the tip when our human guide finally stopped beside the sheer face of grey rock.


    ¡°Here,¡± He exclaimed with a pointed finger to a hole about a foot from the wall that had faint flickers of torchlight inside from somewhere below.


    It would be a bit tight for my armed Kelton guards, but as I plopped down to place my legs in, my thighs went past the rocks and dirt with little fuss. My stomach leaped up with the six-foot drop, but the landing onto rough rock floor was otherwise flawless. I was surrounded by grey rock wall that was doused in the torchlight of what looked to be a wider expanse of the open stone room beyond the hole for a door directly ahead. Moving off to the left, I took a sideways glance to realize that the room out of here was the big tunnel connecting Crasden and Eli¡¯s domain and we were coming in from its side.


    The guard''s arrival was not as smooth. Swords had to be tossed down lest they jolt out of their holsters and be sent flying up a rib cage. Our human guide had the easiest time of it, with his leather armor, but the Keltons had to do a small roll on landing with their horns and metal chest plates. Standing near the exit of the room with the human, I thought we¡¯d be dealing with at least one snapped horn before they¡¯d made the first jump. Which made it all the more impressive when, of the three, the only problem was the last one hitting the wall with his shoulder.


    ¡°How much longer do we have to walk?¡± I asked the guide behind us as I inspected the scuffed skin of the brown-furred Kelton.


    ¡°He¡¯s not there,¡± The black Kelton guard to my right said, his white eyes looking behind me with furrowed eyebrows.


    The rest of us followed his gaze to the empty entrance into the tunnel. Irritation at being left behind coiled in my gut. I sucked in a deep breath to yell after the man. In the blink of an eye, the sound of rushing water filled the room. By the time my lips had changed to form new words, a wall of ocean reaching the ceiling surged into the room.


    I immediately tried swimming to the top, perhaps helping the Keltons get rid of their armor as I did so, but then I noticed that the water wasn¡¯t letting me move, either under my power or from its forceful entry. When the faint lights shifted a bit, I realized what this was.


    Magic.


    A few seconds of shifting oranges in the world of water passed before the liquid near my head pulled away. Releasing the held breath, I tried to look around. Aside from a tunnel around the front of my face showing grey rock and the occasional torch, the world was nothing besides murky distortion.


    Cool water pressed against my body, filling any gaps in my coat, shirt, and pants. What I wasn¡¯t feeling was panic. I could do nothing against a mage. Maybe if the ambush had been on the other end¡­ Now, however, I could do nothing against their power.


    Some faint suggestion that I should have gotten some magical protection from Eli came. The healing enchantment in my collar wouldn¡¯t do any good against being diced into dozens of pieces. The crafts I had taken on the excursion to Mole Hill had been left¡­. I couldn¡¯t remember. At the moment of probable death, all I felt was embarrassment that I had misplaced such treasures.


    Unable to hear anything, the sudden scratch of poorly made rope on my wrists made me jolt. Given that the liquid cage had all the give of stone, a soft pain from scraping my shoulder against uncaring water was all I got for the movement. Pushing through the distraction, I tried wiggling my entire body. South of the thighs and upper half could be encased in metal bands for all they could move, but the midsection moved like sludge as the ropes pulled my arms behind me.


    After my hands were snug to my backside, the water finally released its grip on me. I felt like I was in a waterfall for a second before solid stone slapped my soles. The former cage splashed around my thighs before pooling on the floor. Then it vanished into nothing almost as quickly as it came into the room.


    The massive tunnel would no doubt merit a look if I could pull my eyes away from the woman a few feet in front of me. Wearing a leather jerkin with a white shirt and black pants, I had to say her poise more closely matched mine than Salamede¡¯s or Nersa¡¯s. Red hair reached the shoulders and the right hand at the sword on her hip was in the correct position for a quick pull. I would even say the sharp nose was pretty close to the one seen in mirrors and still ponds. Any potential companionship from such similarities was dispelled by the sour pull on her strong chin and the scowl revealing a missing tooth on the left side.


    ¡°Lady,¡± Our guide turned trapper said as he walked up behind me from the right. ¡°Being so close to the green-¡±


    The groveling words died with the slow turn of the woman towards him, sending his head downward in submission.


    ¡°Do I have a dick?¡± She asked in a whisper that could never be heard anywhere else but in a bare tunnel.


    ¡°Do-¡­.¡± The man gulped. ¡°No. Lady. Scion.¡±


    ¡°Well, the great ancestors did manage to fit that much in your skull,¡± She said with a hint of bitter-sweet anger. ¡°Then, it stands to reason that they pose no threat of spreading my talent to their children. They can, however, give us the information needed to make Tilvor¡¯s failures well known. The Keltons¡­.¡±


    Her green eyes regarded the goat-headed men behind me with indifference.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± The mage''s pink lips puckered in deep thought for a second before she casually shrugged. ¡°If they know something the Orc doesn¡¯t, it will die with them. All of you, come.¡±


    She turned around with the full assurance of unquestioned command. Our former guide was joined from behind us by a few other previously unseen men in red leather. When he pulled me ahead, any worries about tripping in mud subsided when I realized all the water had dissipated. There was no puddle around my feet and even my underwear was as dry as when I had gone down the hole.


    The yawning tunnel stretched on for as far as could be seen until what I presumed to be the site of the wall collapse came into view. At the end was a thick grey curtain reaching down to what I wanted to say was a dozen and a half feet. Our captors kept us going until the disaster beyond the cloth revealed itself.


    Jagged walls with uneven gouges in the rock surrounded a space around the size of a barn. Large, but too small for the opening into a major underground city. That was until it became apparent that the section at the front was mostly comprised of huge grey slabs that used to be above ground. All illuminated by lit torches stuck in odd spots along the wall.


    I took a moment to consider what being here at the moment of collapse was like before looking elsewhere. However bad it looked, the stone building to the right seemed untouched.


    It was as simple as anything more than a lean-to could be. No windows in the walls comprising a single floor or other furnishings could be seen on the thing barely large enough for three proper rooms. The long creak of wood and sudden sound of footsteps made it clear that a door was on the unseen side facing the rubble. Around the corner of the building came another red-leathered guard.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The red-haired mage demanded with no attempt at patience.


    His bare face got a bit of sweat but he continued all the same.


    ¡°Fessel isn¡¯t convinced he can get the plant scion to come but-¡±


    A raised hand stopped him.


    ¡°Bring him here.¡± She commanded. The guard gave a light bow before shuffling back to the unseen door. The mage then motioned towards the building, which the guards promptly moved us towards. As one of the Keltons was pushed ahead of me, I noticed that they had been stripped of all their armor and weapons, which made it a bit easier when our backs were against the wall and squished together. The men watching over us stood a bit to the left, allowing the mage a full view of us.


    Another swing of wood preceded another human coming around the corner, though this one had a metal helmet and chestplate. Bits of black hair flapped near his upper neck while a nervous chewing of lips above a strong chin made it clear that the presence of human mages didn¡¯t set his heart at ease. Despite that, a steady breath came out of his sharp nose and green eyes brimmed with energy. He came up to the mage with heavy thuds from his leather boots, which the mage regarded with expectant silence.


    ¡°Tilvor has stayed away from this place at Kev¡¯s pleading,¡± Fessel explained in a dull tone. ¡°He¡¯s familiar enough with the guards to know mine aren¡¯t with the regular bunch. Sending Kev to fetch him is probably the best way to avoid suspicion.¡±


    The woman puckered her lips at that.


    ¡°I suppose anything that brings him to the place he¡¯s been kept away from will seem off. I do hope you know how hard it is to motivate a man as near to death as Kev.¡±


    The armored guard did a light bow.


    ¡°I do. And I have the how of it.¡± Fessel implored.


    She nodded before resuming an almost statue-like stillness.


    The man went back inside and returned in a few seconds. This time he was accompanied by two of his fellows manhandling a rather mute Kev between them donned in a white shirt and black pants. His black hair was short now, though the matching beard and mustache were the same as always. Sweat dripped down his thin nose and cheeks, but his brown eyes told of determination.


    ¡°A final task,¡± The woman announced with all the friendliness of an executioner. ¡°Tilvor. We need him here. You will fetch him.¡±


    Kev looked unimpressed at the demand. Raising his eyebrows as if to say ¡®Really?¡¯ and sucking in his lips like the words only amused him. A vein throbbed in the woman¡¯s forehead at the obstinate display. Fessel, however, moved between them.


    ¡°You die today,¡± He announced with a casual shrug. ¡°That is a fact. The question is whether your¡­. Spawn joins you.¡±


    The disdain in the man¡¯s voice reverberated around the cave before cracking through Kev¡¯s demeanor, whose lips immediately went white from the clenching of teeth.


    ¡°A member of the Watch will be seeing to his soon enough. They¡¯re well trained in such arts and taking a small detour to visit that hovel you call home would be trivial. That is, of course, still a risk. A risk that isn¡¯t worth potentially letting the bigger fish go. As long as we don¡¯t have to take it. Will you force us to take it, Kev?¡±


    Any resistance in the man melted away about halfway through. All they got was a numb nod, which the two accepted with smiles. Fessel opened his mouth, the words about to come out silenced by the swing of the unseen door.


    It was hard to see the person coming around the corner with a hood up, but the green robes screamed expensive taste. Gold leaves embroidered up and down the cloth, wrapping around emerald gems sparkling in the torch''s light.


    ¡°Did you say Kev has gotten him?¡± The man asked the scion with little of the usual deference.


    ¡°We¡¯re fuc- sending for him. He¡¯s getting ready to send for them now,¡± The woman stated slowly between gritted teeth as the man in question was dragged back towards the stone dwelling.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have time, Percy,¡± An unseen woman from the front of the house called. ¡°The captain was quite happy to put us on the manifest after the coin we gave him. We¡¯ll be off soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I know you lot aren¡¯t used to actual toil,¡± The water mage hummed with a casual thumbing of her sword. ¡°But I hope you¡¯re aware that the woods aren¡¯t streets with uneven stones. Don¡¯t be so eager to start the trek after we¡¯ve finished here.¡±


    The two guards placed Kev to the right with a single brown-furred Kelton between us. His brown eyes were dead and an air of defeat hung about him as the mages bickered. An opportunity I took. Sending out a spirit connection, I moved it across the Kelton first.


    ¡®Don¡¯t move.¡¯


    The goat-man followed the order as I moved the unseen connection behind his head and towards the human¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®Kev.¡¯


    My sudden intrusion into his mind only elicited a small sigh.


    ¡®Who are these mages?¡¯ I demanded.


    ¡®The green-robed dick is a plant mage, while an earth caster also waits inside with two of my trusted men, Sally, and two other priests serving as architects. And three of Fessel¡¯s guards for protection. The woman who brought you is a water scion. Not a ¡®might be a¡¯ scion like the plant mage either. She had a familiar who died at his hands.¡¯


    His head dipped down a bit as he finished. By all accounts, life had abandoned him and the feeling seemed mutual.


    ¡®What¡¯s this all about?¡¯ I demanded, growing a bit more furious at his demeanor with each word.


    ¡®The man we stole magic crafts from. That spy they mentioned found some of his crafts among the wreckage. Whatever animosity has come between these mages and Tilvor, they want to end it by shaming him for letting us get a few of his tools.¡¯


    His face turned up a bit as he gave me a small smile.


    ¡®Not that I would ever blame you. It¡¯s been good. My girl¡¯s going to grow up and I¡¯ve got another on the way. A good life overall, I think.¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re bringing him down here, right? That¡¯s what they said.¡¯ I demanded with a raise in pitch approaching panic. My chest heaved like I had run here while cold winter nipped at exposed skin.


    Kev only gave me a sideways glance barely peeking between black locks.


    ¡®Um, yes. I also remember what they said two minutes ago.¡¯


    The snide resignation in his voice sent a twitch through my right arm, the slap only stopped by the Kelton between us and its bonds.


    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ I growled in the spirit connection.


    Thinking it over for a second, I crafted the words that would reveal as little as possible.


    ¡®Kev, when you meet the plant mage start a spirit connection. Tell him about the trap then say ¡®Gula said to kill everyone not tied up¡¯. Do you understand?¡¯


    His head went straight up at that. Midnight eyebrows furrowed as the sound of the unseen door opening filled the cave. That look of skepticism finally sent my temper over the edge.


    ¡®Kev, if you don¡¯t do this I will spend the entirety of my death haunting your bloodline!¡¯ The words were sent as loudly as my mind could make them.


    A dubious look was all I got as two red-leathered men approached with matching armor and a breastplate for him. Before they pulled him away, the sense that he wasn¡¯t going to follow my instructions was a bit too real for my taste. I stared hot murder at him as the messy black beard was pulled out of the leather armor being lowered over him and his chest encased in steel, those mud eyes never meeting mine.


    The captain of the local guard was quickly looked over by Fessel, who nodded and sent him off with a small smile. Kev and his two captors went further to the right past the unseen section by the house. Echoing footsteps told of a tunnel somewhere in the hidden area, though our position lined up against the building left any curiosity unfulfilled.


    ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± The woman mage expounded to Percy off to the right in full view of their hostages. Her left hand idly thumbed the sword¡¯s pommel, more in irritation than threatening its use.


    Realizing that an entire other conversation had happened while I was mind-screaming at Kev, I finally tuned into the mage''s argument.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Percy scoffed as he threw up his hands, the dark tan of his arms being the first I had seen of him besides gaudy green robe. ¡°Him being shamed about having the Orcs touch his crafts is certainly worse than a blade to the throat.¡±


    Thick sarcasm dried up even as he continued.


    ¡°The man has no shame! No dignity or pride. Killing him outright is the best choice for everyone.¡±


    The redhead took a step closer to him, her red eyebrows furrowed and smile thin.


    ¡°He is still a scion.¡± She announced.


    Even with the face unseen, the sudden rise of the man¡¯s shoulders and deep breathing made his emotions clear as the woman continued.


    ¡°Knowing she filched it from under his very nose, that he directly aided Garren¡¯s bane,¡± She stopped for a second to nod towards me, ¡°Will haunt him till his dying day. As his murder of Zanel will me.¡±


    ¡°Your decision to attack him after surrendering is-¡±


    The redhead¡¯s right hand shot forward like a whip, carrying her a bit past Fessel. It reached into the hood, pushing it back to reveal the black locks currently grasped between her fingers. Percy¡¯s tan continued on the bits of exposed face and neck, doing nothing to conceal the quiver in his stubby chin.


    ¡°I DIDN¡¯T ATTACK HIM!¡±


    That almost feral scream reverberated around the cave, emphasizing the woman¡¯s wild green eyes and gnashing snarl.


    ¡°He-,¡± She stopped for a moment to steady her breathing and tighten her grip on his hair. ¡°Will suffer. He took the hole in his heart and fitted mine with it. This disgrace is the only true revenge I can give him in return. You may have freed me, but do not think that gives you the right to dictate our course.¡±


    She pulled him a little closer, leaning his head to the left as she did so. The move exerted dominance yet the tone that followed was sweet enough to match her soft smile.


    ¡°This is between scions and all the weight of our station. Your insignificant grievances will be as satisfied as can be. We¡¯re going to be heroes, Percy. We¡¯re the ones who will uncover the flow of magical items into green hands. Such a disgraceful thing hasn¡¯t happened in decades, at least to my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± He hummed in agreement, though his head stayed in place beneath her palm.


    ¡°When I get back to the Mist, I am going to dispatch spies to this pit. They will tell me every word of condemnation that falls on his head, every drop of spit that proper mages send his way. And when that crusty, withered, husk of a man shits his deathbed for the final time, I will do everything in my power to be there.


    Are you going to deny me such satisfaction? Or will you bask in the glory to come and whatever promotion your bosses can throw at you?¡±


    A full second of silence passed.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Percy spat out, the petulance of a child coming clear through.


    The woman released her grip, allowing Percy to stand straight. He put his hands in the sleeves of the robe and turned away from the scion. Smooth cheekbones had a few flecks of sweat, though the brown eyes almost matching his skin didn¡¯t deign to look my way.


    Minutes passed before another human guard in almost blood-red leather came from the curtained entrance. The walk over brought him between the guards standing like statues off to the left, only springing to life to allow his passage. He regarded the scion with a smile and extended Percy the same courtesy when the robed man came back from the side of the house. His thick red beard and mop of hair were a lighter red than the woman¡¯s, though his green eyes above protruding cheeks matched.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± Percy demanded with an indifferent gaze as he idled about on the right.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The newest arrival announced. ¡°We¡¯ll be long gone by the time the¡­. Ilk are discovered.¡±


    The scion woman puckered her lips, looking the man up and down like he was a bug climbing onto her plate.


    ¡°Those Ilk came from your loins, did they not?¡± she asked with a not quite accusing tone.


    A rough cough came from Fessel, who had been content to stand to the woman¡¯s right and keep out of the mage''s conversation.


    ¡°The Watch does what is needed,¡± Fessel¡¯s voice announced. ¡°You can¡¯t spy among those who mate with Orcs without participating. He expunged the stain, so let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s next. What of the other members? Is there anyone else among the Orc¡¯s men who could help us? Tilvor is going to the prison she was staying at and any help bringing him in will be appreciated.¡±


    The red-haired man took a deep breath and released it as a cloud from his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who else is in the Watch. All we are provided is a single phrase to prove our association, which is rotated after a few years. Saying anything else about the plans-¡± His green eyes darted towards me and the Keltons, taking us in like we were rabid dogs in a cage. After that moment, he turned back. ¡°Is needless.¡±


    Fessel nodded with a bow that sent his short black hair cascading down.


    Any further conversation died. I checked on the Keltons through spirit connections. None were hurt or had nothing else to say after asking me the same. Cold bit at my skin as the torches lining the walls could do nothing to hold back winter¡¯s embrace. Minutes of staring at uncaring rock passed only interrupted by the crushing of rock beneath impatient feet from all present.


    The woman had a small smile that grew with her skittishness. The smacking of her boots soon bounced off the walls as she started pacing in place. No fear or trepidation could be seen in the hard face, only excitement and anticipation in those green eyes. A bit of which showed in Percy, even if he stayed in place.


    The mundane guards were likewise energized, thumbing their sword pommels and standing at full attention with spines of steel. Even I couldn¡¯t keep my toes from curling and lips free from crushing teeth. We were all headed to the same place, with no one able to say precisely where this long wait ended.


    When the first steps sounded off from the unseen corner of the cave, they landed with the weight of a falling mountain. The humiliated pirate immediately stood straight, her chin sticking out with the tongue swiping over her lips. Everyone else was likewise engaged, each smack of leather on stone demanding full attention.


    Around the corner came Kev, looking dejected and resigned as his brown eyes lazily took in the room. Any interest I had in him vanished when the grey hair of my sister-wife finally showed around the corner. Eli¡¯s green eyes, my green to be precise, shot back and forth above a brown cloth face covering. Anyone not familiar with his reluctance to show his face would assume it was due to keeping warm, something his thick leather coat with a white shirt and black pants helped sell.


    Those emerald pools stopped dead when they fell on me. When there wasn¡¯t an immediate cascade of magic blasting through the faces of everyone else present, I looked towards Kev on the quad mages left. He regarded me for only a second before turning back to Eli. And at that moment, I knew what my afterlife was going to be spent doing. If I couldn¡¯t ensure the cur got there before I did, at least.


    Her moment of triumph finally at hand, the water scion walked forward with a broad smile. The woman trekked up to me, seizing my left arm like I was a trophy kill before dragging her prize towards Eli.


    ¡°What is this, pirate scum?¡± My husband demanded through a growl.


    ¡°Your failure,¡± She announced with barely restrained glee. When we were just within arms reach of my husband, she brought us both to a stop. ¡°This Orc slipped into your home and stole your magical crafts, which they¡¯ve since put to use towards their ends. A shameful thing only caught by a member of the Watch who arrived at this wreck.¡±


    Percy would not be denied his moment in this climax of the play. Walking forward with a kingly gait from the left, the smug smile on the man¡¯s face held a lifetime satisfaction condensed into a single expression.


    ¡°Our magic has been sullied by you for the last time. As the representative of the Seed Association, I will expunge the stain you¡¯ve put on the great plant element.¡± He pronounced. That voice filled the cave with a child¡¯s joy.


    The happiness in both mages'' faces only emphasized the way I was shoved forward like a rotting animal to coat him in rancid stench. Eli clenched his jaw as I stopped two feet from him, refusing to look at me. Instead, he gave Percy a slightly puckered lip.


    ¡°The plant element deigned to allow you its use. I can pile no greater shame on it than that.¡±


    All that confidence and joy disappeared in Percy¡¯s face like sand dipped into a frothing river. His teeth ground together while bits of white colored his cheeks.


    ¡°Even now, Tilvor? At your lowest, you still brush all that I am aside?¡± The green-robed man demanded.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The woman put in. She spared only a scathing look for the enraged man before turning back towards her prize. ¡°You¡¯ve allowed Garren¡¯s disease the use of your crafts. Aided in their survival through your carelessness. Lady Ashe will have her due from you if the other mages don¡¯t exact justice before her turn.¡±


    Eli continued with no acknowledgment of the male mages'' suffering.


    ¡°I will not take this slander without proof.¡± He continued.


    Red hair jostled with the woman''s eager nod.


    ¡°And proof we have in abundance. This has all been put in letters wrapped around a craft in our great guard captain''s quarters. So, it goes without saying, that any thoughts of killing your way out of this are pointless. If your creaking joints could even achieve that, of course.¡± She announced, almost skipping ahead of us towards the closed wooden door now revealed along the wall of the building.


    Footsteps came up from behind, the familiar crunch of rock beneath boots filling my ears. I took the moment to check in on the Keltons before this charade continued. They looked as fine as hostages could be. When I began looking away, the brown-furred Kelton that had been between me and Kev opened his mouth. Time seemed to slow as I realized what kind of face the goat-man was making.


    Whatever was coming out of his mouth, it required enough air to put his brown, curled horns up for a full-bodied yell. That, combined with the widening of white spheres of him and his fellows, made it clear that something was happening behind me. When my vision passed by the door, the Kelton¡¯s scream finally rang out.


    ¡°Lord mage!¡±


    By the time his shrill scream hit, my eyes were already taking in what his had. Percy had a silver dagger in hand, the sharp tip glinting in the torchlight. The hand holding it was already pulled back for a proper stab into Eli¡¯s back.


    Percy¡¯s mean grin mixed with confusion at the goat man''s scream, slowing his vengeful thrust. That half-second fumble was the only reason I got between him and Eli in time. My teeth gritted in preparation for the familiar pain as the knife slid into my right side. The scars littering my body were not received from bushes or the playful swipes of children, yet the searing agony above the hip was no less excruciating for all that experience.


    Black eyebrows furrowed on the tan mage¡¯s face. The red-haired member of the Watch to the left was likewise immobile, their green eyes looking between me and Eli. A dawning comprehension began to steal over the spy''s face. Percy looked to be the first to say something, his mouth opening to deliver a world-shattering revelation.


    The white-hot flash of fire that flew past me burned through his right leg like butter, keeping the words in his mouth forever after. More heat poured from behind me, like a bonfire that suddenly lit up. For my part, all I could feel was the lack of steadiness in my right leg. The world tilted as thin columns of flame engulfed my human captors to the left and further beyond.


    Content to let the man with too many talents deal with it, I concentrated on facing upward when my right leg fully gave out. The only thing worse than being stabbed with a knife was landing on it immediately afterward. More heat. Lots of screaming. By the time hard rock finally hit my back, the smell of burning flesh filled the air.


    I stared at the jagged ceiling for a second, allowing myself a second of idleness before looking around. All the humans were in states of crispiness. Looking directly left, I saw a pile of ash with bits of skeleton sticking out. The red-hot sword lying on top stuck out the most. Someone with a more artistic mind could probably explain in detail why the bone hand still wrapped around the pommel of charred leather was so haunting, but I was no such person. There were a few piles of charred mass and bits of smoking clothes by the door, now open to reveal a torch on the side illuminating the table and chairs inside.


    Any further perusing was cut short as Eli lifted my head up with his right arm. Those green pools were filled with worry and the way he nestled me like a babe in his embrace, I had to admit it took a few seconds for me to realize the knife had been removed and a warmth was blooming from his left hand on my side.


    ¡°We have to stop meeting like this.¡± He mused, the face covering failing to hide the mirth around his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, me saving you is getting a bit old.¡± I shot back, trying to keep how good it felt to have his arms around me out of my voice.


    The smug joy in those green eyes said I didn¡¯t succeed. Failing at that, I decided to change the subject. Shifting onto my right arm, Eli gave me a slight nod as he summoned a rock knife and went to work cutting through the ropes.


    ¡°Kev,¡± I announced to the empty room.


    Slow footsteps came from somewhere above me. They were distinct from the ones further off behind me, which I placed as the Keltons coming over. When the leather boots came into view, I took a deep breath and then looked up.


    Black hair only drew a starker contrast to the white skin on the guard''s face, not that those thin cheeks had much blood to begin with. Those brown eyes were not starved, however, as they shot between me and the local mage of legend. Taking another lungful of air, I released it in a cough to draw his gaze firmly to me. He obliged with a sharp swing of his head that sent a bit of sweat down his sharp nose.


    ¡°Did you tell him?¡± I asked with a small smile.


    ¡°Um¡­.¡± Kev bit his lower lip. It took a good second for him to shake his head.


    My left leg connected with his shin before I could even decide how to react.


    ¡°Gula.¡±


    The chiding voice of Eli stopped the leg''s second swing.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± I hissed between gritted teeth.


    Kev didn¡¯t seem to register any of the abuse. His brown eyes resumed speeding back and forth between us. When the snap of cut ropes bounced across the rock walls, I lifted myself up onto my butt. Sitting there, a moment was taken to appreciate the pile of bone and charred muscle that was my attacker. Eli had not been precise with his flames, reducing this Percy fellow to bits of charred meat. The lofty origins of which were only shown in the bits of fine green cloth scattered about and still shining emeralds. An inner voice of greed told me to take the sparkling gems but I resisted with a heave off the floor.


    On the left, my husband was freeing the goat-men while Kev kept up his impression of a white statue to the right. When the last ropes were undone by Eli¡¯s rock shiv, I took another deep breath. This time my legs moved towards the only other human without violence.


    ¡°When I said ¡®Tell him Gula says to kill them all¡¯, did you think I was doing it for fun?¡± I demanded.


    Color returned to his cheeks as he puckered his lips.


    ¡°I wasn''t going to risk giving them a reason¡­.You¡¯re together?!¡± Kev almost whispered.


    ¡°I would have thought my message, the message that was supposed to save all our necks, made that clear,¡± I demanded between gritted teeth.


    ¡°A man with a family in danger is not a rational creature,¡± Eli extolled behind me.


    Turning around, the Keltons were moving closer with hands rubbing red-ringed wrists. Eli was a bit off to the left, his green eyes taking us both in.


    ¡°But,¡± My husband continued with a pointed look at Kev. ¡°The time for rationality has returned. Do we have any other guests coming?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Kev said, ¡°This is¡­.Was a discrete meeting between the architects of the church, the human guard, and Gula. We were talking about¡­.¡±


    His awkward gulp echoed through the cave.


    ¡°Kev,¡± Eli asked patiently with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Do you think it wasn¡¯t immediately obvious to me what happened when the wall collapsed?¡±


    The guard puckered his lips, thoughts churning through his skull so hard they were almost visible even without widening eyes and quickened breathing.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kev announced with a look to the floor. ¡°I suppose it wasn¡¯t just luck that Jerry saw your notes about the new governor¡¯s aims.¡±


    His head suddenly snapped to me in a flurry of black locks.


    ¡°Or that the plan to get his crafts succeeded.¡±


    I puckered my lips to keep a smile down.


    ¡°The past is very interesting with new context,¡± Eli continued, drawing everyone back to him. ¡°But the now has wrinkles that have to be addressed. Who else is around here?¡±


    ¡°There are two of my guys in the building and three members of the church. Two of those are architects looking to fix this place with more of your crafts. Which I suppose we can considering the one who made them is present.¡±


    The guard had a hopeful tone, perhaps the first positive emotion he had felt all afternoon. He emphasized it with a look towards the building, though my husband was still thinking about other things.


    ¡°And you trust those men? With everyone¡¯s lives? They weren¡¯t killing off the captives yet, so they may have been waiting to reveal their status as spies.¡± Eli asked Kev with a puckered lip.


    Brown eyes turned towards the quad mage with an enthusiastic nod.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say we were selected for our positions because of our skill. The truth is a large part of why I lead the guard, and they assist me, is because we¡¯ve shown we¡¯re not part of the Watch in the past. I survived a raid after the spies had run away and those two stopped one from killing their family.¡±


    Eli looked towards me again. I had heard as much from the Orc guards and in gossip, so I nodded. This time, however, I followed it up with a questioning eyebrow. He was jumping a bit ahead, but a more important question needed answering.


    ¡°Is anyone else coming by?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. There are Orc guards at the end of the tunnel and the men under Fessel you saw on the way here. Both sides think everything is fine. For an hour or two, at least.¡±


    Eli furrowed his grey eyebrows, biting his tongue as his unfathomably old mind pondered the situation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Fessel''s men being so close. Killing them will be easy, but will any other guards come looking?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kev put in with a small shake. ¡°The reason it was so easy to slip in here is because I¡¯ve made it clear to the men that they are to avoid this area save those needed to scour for anything ambling in from the rocky plain. Any more than that draws the undead.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The quad mage turned to the Keltons.


    ¡°Two of you get back in armor and watch the end of the tunnel. Kev and I will deal with the last of Fessel¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°And what about me?¡± I asked.


    Eli nodded over toward the back of the building facing the rock. I followed his lead behind the building while the four others waited around with an awkward stillness. The smell of burnt flesh still hung in the air, growing a bit stronger as we walked over the ash piles and retreating slightly as we turned around the corner of the building.


    It was a bare thing resembling a topless hallway, sporting only a jagged rock wall on the left bathed in a fire glow, the smooth surface of the building on the right with a window showering the opposite wall in light, and an empty space at the end. The second we were out of sight of the men, Eli did a turn around so sudden I nearly collided with him. Standing a few inches away from each other, the irritation in his green eyes and slight push on the face covering by puckered lips was now apparent, or at least finally being shown. The impression left me prepared for the electric sensation sent across my face.


    ¡®Don¡¯t do that again,¡¯ Eli said, ¡®If I get attacked in the future, try to shove me out of the way or¡­. Anything else.¡¯


    My eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected start to the conversation.


    ¡®Don¡¯t try to save you?¡¯ I asked, too incredulous to be mad.


    ¡®Try to, if you can. Getting yourself killed to do it? Absolutely not. Worst comes to worst, I would have had to heal myself while the pirate woman attacked hi-¡¯


    The violent shake of my head stopped him. My spine straightened into a steel bar while I let anger pucker my lips and nose flare with each breath.


    ¡®My people need you, Eli. Far more than they ever will me.¡¯ I countermanded while driving a single finger into his chest. ¡®A single Orc isn¡¯t important. The untold thousands of green women being ground into paste in this hellish world are what matter. More than our feelings or personal comfort, if that decision has to be made.¡¯


    He closed the gap between us, taking my hands in his and clasping them together inside his larger palms as he squeezed groping fingers around them.


    ¡®You¡¯re important to me. To Salamede and everyone else.¡¯


    A blade of warmth cut through bone and flesh to seize my heart. Not the kind that had seen to the mages around the corner but a comforting blaze pushing away the coldness on my skin and softening the ice that had etched into my soul from years on the battlefield as worthless fodder. Heavy breathing continued even as my lips trembled. Eli responded by pulling me into a full hug.


    ¡®Mathematically, what you said is true.¡¯ He continued in a patient tone while I stared into his leather jacket. ¡®What we¡¯re doing here has the potential to bring a level of prosperity previously unimaginable. The industries and technology we¡¯re working to bring this world will save millions and bring about the food and housing to allow for the birth of billions more. Is that worth one person¡¯s life? A single individual?


    Yes.¡¯


    Eli pushed me a bit back, still keeping me in his embrace but now my world consisted of green eyes piercing me through.


    ¡®Blade to my wife¡¯s throat, can I say all those possibilities are worth more than her? Is the woman I¡¯ve grown to love, who will one day bear my children, worth letting die for the sake of all the woulds and coulds of an unrealized vision?¡¯


    He probably meant to leave the question unanswered, but the subtle, seemingly unconscious shake of his head betrayed that intention.


    ¡®That is not something any man should be asked.¡¯


    I bit my lip. Any effort to not register how good he felt around me failed yet again. Equally as shameful, the honeyed words sloshed through my ears without resistance. Raw love would not be denied, whatever frustration I was feeling at how illogical it was. I pressed myself against him, soaking in the moment before finally responding.


    ¡®Then we best make sure it doesn¡¯t come up again. Resolving the current situation will go a long way towards that.¡¯


    Whatever notion I had of pulling away for this conversation, my arms and legs voted against it.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think we should tell them everything,¡¯ Eli put in as his arms wrapped around me more fully. ¡®Just say we¡¯re making a place for us to stay together since I don''t think they can be convinced our relationship is purely one of mutual benefit.¡¯


    ¡®Them?¡¯ I asked with a raised eyebrow at his right peck snuggled against my cheek. ¡®Right now, it¡¯s just Kev. Why not keep it at that? We can tell the others¡­.something to keep them ignorant of our connection.¡¯


    ¡®If they hadn¡¯t brought down my wall, I¡¯d possibly agree. Sadly, just giving them the plans for this place has proven wanting. That doesn¡¯t even touch the whole other problem surrounding this mess. Three mages and the replacement for the head of the guard are now spoken of in past tense. A story will need to be conjured and Kev working alone cannot explain these events to any satisfactory level.¡¯


    Right. A ball of panic dropped in my stomach as the enormity of the past few minutes came into view. A reluctant pull backward was the first answer I gave.


    ¡®Ok,¡¯ I said with an unsteady tone. ¡®You deal with the remaining guards and I¡¯ll get the people still tied up free. Assuming there isn¡¯t anyone hostile inside.¡¯


    Eli shook his head, intentionally this time.


    ¡®The earth mage and the last two guards inside were burned to a crisp.¡¯


    With that, we separated in a single step towards the group around the corner. When we made it back to the main floor of the cave, I was surprised to see how indifferent Kev seemed at our return. The Kelton men had since retrieved their stolen armor and waited off to the left.


    ¡°Kev, with me. Two of you guard the entrance to the tunnel while another helps Gula free those stuck inside.¡± Eli commanded the group.


    None objected, least of all the only other human present who moved behind Eli like a nervous attendant as they walked into the mouth of a small tunnel to the right. One of the black-furred Keltons likewise followed me to the building. A single step over a pile of ash brought me into the bare room.


    The rushed nature of the building became even more apparent when I realized the floor was the same bare rock outside. A single torch burned on the left wall near a window, illuminating the long table with seven plain wooden chairs in the center. Another was placed near a desk to the left. The flickering orange and red didn¡¯t reveal any tied-up hostages. It did make it easier to see the door in the back left, however. I moved around the right of the table only to feel a hand on my left shoulder halfway to the door.


    A turn around revealed the Kelton guard shaking his black-furred head and brown, curved horns. That was all I got before he pushed ahead, hand on the pommel of his sword with his other moving to take the door handle. He gave it a good yank, sending the wood slamming against the frame. The light push that followed revealed another room with no light. Some firelight flickered through but I couldn¡¯t see anything inside from the angle save a bit of the left wall.


    He took out a small dagger, making my hand fly to the sword not on my hip.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡± He announced to the room before going in to leave me grasping at air.


    The poorly lit closet produced the twang of cutting ropes for a few seconds before stumbling steps preceded a priest in a black dress and hood coming through. All her features were sharp, from the nose, chin, and cheeks, though her red eyes in black spheres were a bit wide from the sudden light. Her black robes were covered in dust yet the early 30¡¯s woman didn¡¯t seem too out of sorts, only regarding me with a questioning glance before shuffling to the side for the next survivor.


    Shortly after, a rough man with a brown beard that matched his eyes and smooth cheeks walked out. He and his skinny, blonde fellow looked a little more out of sorts. Their red armor was covered in the same grey dust but the brown and green eyes immediately went to the exit door. There were bodies close to the entrance but they were blocked by the table. The lack of screams or pale faces said their vision was similarly obstructed even as they moved directly ahead closer to the wall.


    The next was a smaller priest with ears so large and sharp they pocked out of the cowl. Old to the point that all her hair was black-flecked grey and the skin around the sharp nose and stubby chin was lined with wrinkles. Those red eyes had a rather sour look despite the rescue and lack of dust on her barely five-foot body.


    ¡°Being in such tight places has never agreed with me.¡± The older priest announced to the room before shuffling to my right.


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± The brown-haired man scoffed with a sour look ¡°I¡¯m the one who had a goblin plopped on them for an hour.¡±


    I tried to cough louder than my laugh. The common insult for older Orcs was apparently a feature of the universe. Hearing it out of a human mouth, however, caught me off guard. My efforts drew the old priest''s severe gaze on me.


    ¡°And what a poor chair he was.¡±


    The man stood silent even as his human companion choked. Their jovial spirit was not shared by the younger priest, whose nervous demeanor cracked enough to allow an angry scowl.


    ¡°Is this a show by the mages? String us along with some false hope before crushing us like ants?¡± She demanded with a pointed look towards the open door.


    As cruel as it was, I had some gratitude for the time they had to process their coming deaths. No hysterics, just four people wondering if the reality they had lived for the past hour was finally reaching its conclusion.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re safe.¡±


    A slight slouch in all their shoulders said almost as much as the relieved sighs. The nervous woman merely bit her lips, not quite accepting the good news.


    ¡°And how did that happen?¡± A familiar voice announced from the closet.


    Sally stepped out with the Kelton, her black pants and white shirt looking disheveled with the black collar opened and hanging on her shoulder. She was trying to fix the dark band and wipe the dust off at the same time, yet her gold eyes still looked at me with unwavering attention.


    ¡°That will be explained.¡± I said as the goat man moved off to the left and out of sight ¡°For now, just take a seat at the table and try to relax. You¡¯ve all spent the last few hours waiting to die. Take a few minutes to collect yourselves, in proper chairs this time.¡±


    That drew a smile from the older woman while the men were too busy moving to the right side of the table to notice. The priests were a bit slower, with¡­.Bishop? The faintly remembered title danced on my tongue yet Sally moved towards the left side of the table all the same. Fortunately, the Kelton guard had the forethought to close the door after coming out as we mingled on the group''s salvation.


    I moved to the head of the table, taking up the seat closest to the door. On the way there, I noticed my sword by the desk. Probably a prize one of the human guards wanted. Sadly, swords made for poor sitting companions, so I made a mental note to pick it up on the way out as I plopped into the chair. The nervous priest sat on what was now my immediate right, with the older woman behind her and Sally at the last seat on the right. My immediate left was taken up by the brown-haired man with the blonde fellow sitting further behind.


    The scrape of wood on stone to the left announced the Kelton¡¯s theft of the desk chair. He dragged it to the table, filling the position opposite of me. When he finished and immediately moved away to stand at my right, every eye present made note of it. Whatever questions were present behind those gazes, they were fighting with the sudden realization that tomorrow would be coming for them and remained unspoken.


    A small eternity passed in idle silence. When the nervous priest coughed once, the sound blared like an intruder barging in. A notion her colored cheeks and embarrassed expression only emphasized. It took only a minute after that before lips started puckering, matching eyes that flitted between me and the door with increasing impatience. Sally had since made herself presentable and seemed on the verge of saying something when a long creaking swing on the right announced the two humans'' return.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± Kev announced to the room as he moved past my left and his men to sit at the last chair on the left before the one opposite of me.


    Relief to finally get on with the proceedings showed on the priest''s faces, even as they regarded the figure in a white shirt, leather jacket, and black pants walking by them, with particular attention being paid to the brown cloth face covering. The two ignorant men on the left went pale like death had come knocking a second time. Eli paid neither group much attention as he came up to the seat at the opposite end of the table and plopped down, making the two harried men flinch backward like they had been stung. A casual brush of his grey hair was all Eli got in before Sally finally spoke.


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± She asked wearily, looking him up and down with pensive lips.


    Eli opened his mouth but it was the blonde man¡¯s frantic words that made it out first.


    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± He croaked with panic unblemished by any attempt to disguise it.


    The priests raised eyebrows at the interrupting man. It hit me that the guards would know what he looked like as they had probably been his escort at some point whereas these women had never so much laid eyes on him. Kev coughed into a leather-covered hand.


    ¡°The plant mage. The man whose wall you brought down.¡±


    Red and gold eyes shot toward Eli with suspicion and fear. While they may have stood still as statues, the fresh beads of sweat rolling down their foreheads gave away the pounding hearts within. The skittish priest was heaving, her hands squeezing the arms of the chair with near-white knuckles. She showed how strong her grip was when she suddenly rose and brandished the furniture like a shield. Everyone turned to the scared woman moving back as she hefted the chair in front of her with its legs protruding towards the terror lying at the end of the table. Eli merely crossed his arms over his chest and huffed.


    "If I meant you harm, you wouldn''t have been given enough time to realize it. Nor would you have gotten so close to my domain." He stated with a small smile.


    Whatever haze of panic and adrenaline the priest was under, the simplicity of that statement seemed to penetrate. Her feet stopped and the chair made into a weapon was slightly lowered. That didn''t make the sweat on her face dry up or wide eyes shrink, but she stood still all the same.


    "You...." The brown-bearded man started, those mud eyes shifting between the harried priest and the mage. "When we came up with that story about a craft taking out the wall, you knew it was a lie?"


    The quad mage slightly nodded as he held the Orc''s gaze.


    ¡°If you''re going to lie to a mage in the future, don''t make it involve crafts they made,¡± Eli instructed. ¡°Introductions such as these are best given at the start of the relationship. Of course, polite society would probably have some things to say about me outright working with Orcs.¡±


    "Oh?!" Kev asked, placing a red-leathered elbow on the table. "Have you been working with the Council before all this mayhem? Or was this a more recent affair?"


    Sally gave the captain of the guard one sidelong scowl before returning her eyes to the quad mage. Her old companion, however, never wavered and got in the first words of the group.


    ¡°Work?¡± The small priest wheezed out. ¡°You¡¯ve been working with Orcs?¡±


    I gave a light cough, interrupting the glares between Kev and Sally to turn their gazes on me.


    ¡°He has. You lot, specifically. That you were doing it in ignorance doesn¡¯t change that fact.¡±


    The nervous priest took a gulp so deep it was heard from her position off to the right while the others just sucked in their lips. Her nerves now a bit steady, the panicked woman put down the chair and brought it back to the table. She reluctantly sat down before looking at me.


    ¡°And y-you weren¡¯t?¡± She asked with a clasp of her palms together. ¡°In ignorance, I mean.¡±


    My simple head shake made Sally¡¯s chest heave with panicked breathing.


    ¡°Not in ignorance.¡± I offered with a pensive smile.


    The Bishop shot straight up, sending her chair crashing into the floor.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± She snarled towards me, an unsteady crack in her voice as she bared teeth with furrowed grey eyebrows. ¡°So all the food you¡¯ve been selling has¡­. It¡¯s all magically grown?¡±


    I slowly nodded, making her bite her lip white.


    ¡°Not much of a smuggler if you just have to walk down the road.¡± She scoffed.


    Gears turned in her mind for a second longer.


    ¡°A smuggler that got his crafts for us to use.¡±


    I sat in silence, unable to find the words to diffuse the woman¡¯s anger. The face of impotent rage contrasted with the amused demeanor of the captain of the local guard.


    ¡°So you knew? Right from the very start?¡± Kev asked Eli with a small smile peeking out from his black beard.


    ¡°Knew what, specifically?¡± Eli responded with a casual lean back into his chair. ¡°That they would dig towards my domain and made sure the stone supporting the road between here and Crasden was large enough to support a tunnel? Or that it was they who brought my wall low? The latter, I assure you, was realized at the bridge.¡±


    Flickers of impatience made me bite my lower lip. I was eager to get on to the portion of the conversation that would save all our lives, but a revelation like this demanded its own time.


    The moment of irritation had distracted me from the fact that the two sides of the table were staring in opposite directions. While the men were looking at Eli with some relief, even a bit of joy from Kev, the Orcs were not similarly enthused in their inspection of me. Puckered lips and narrowed eyes regarded me with worry.


    Sally had bits of sweat running down her forehead that the cramped closet and certain death hadn¡¯t been able to produce. Some of which dripped off when she stalked towards me around the table with a right hand outstretched. The expected slap across the face or grab of the chin instead widened into an open palm that pulled up my shirt to grope the stomach beneath.


    ¡°Has your bleeding come at its regular time?¡± She demanded as her hand ran up and down my belly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I offered with a forced smile.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Eli''s disappointed tone carried clear across the table, drawing amused looks from the men and rather severe scowls from the priest. Mine was a bit of both that emphasized the lean forward onto the table.


    ¡°What?¡± The quad mage offered with a shrug as he crossed his arms in front of him. ¡°A love so pure, so viral, that not even Yook Root can stop it is a rather romantic notion.¡±


    The women puckered lips at him, making Sally pull away to walk back to her seat. Picking it up off the ground, she placed it properly under the table before sitting in it. Her white-sleeved elbows rested on the table while some great struggle ran through the Bishop¡¯s mind. Grey hair stuck to the forehead where sweat still gathered.


    That nervous demeanor made it all the more surprising when her left hand suddenly went towards Eli¡¯s. Not a blur but fast enough most would only react with their faces in time. Eli allowed the green hand to brush his with a raised eyebrow. Sally looked at him with wide eyes as they regarded each other and the realization that she was testing his reaction came later than I would have liked.


    ¡°Love? Romance?¡± Sally almost whispered to him. ¡°Mage, are we worthy of such things in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you aren¡¯t, but that¡¯s for the same reasons as some humans aren¡¯t,¡± Eli mused. ¡°Otherwise, sure. As my wife will hopefully attest to with great enthusiasm.¡±


    A bit of heat infused into my cheeks but no one was going to commit the effort to turn their necks towards me at this pivotal moment.


    ¡°And if we die, will that death be as sharp to your soul as a woman of your kind? Our pain, as offensive to your sense of decency as any humans?¡± Sally asked. There was no pleading in her voice, just the measured words of someone long used to speeches and careful debate.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eli answered firmly.


    Sally let loose a deep breath.


    ¡°Then why do you endanger us so? Surely you know what the humans will do if you¡¯re discovered. What they will do to us. Our daughters. Is it worth risking all our lives just so you can have a nice little spot to rut?¡± Sally asked as calmly as the hint of anger in her voice would allow, at least until the end.


    The ingratitude on display made my fist curl on the table. This time the sharp-faced priest noticed with a slight turn of her head, though she said nothing of it before looking back towards Sally.


    Eli regarded the Bishop for a second that felt like minutes before he crossed his arms and broke the silence.


    ¡°When God spoke to King Solomon, he offered him whatever he desired as a reward for his good deeds. What was the young king¡¯s answer? Wisdom. Not wealth, long life, or power. God, so pleased with his answer, gave him that and all the others besides. Because wisdom is the source of all good things. Tell me, lady of Christ, is wisdom angry? Is it quick to judge and slow to reason?¡±


    Despite everything preceding it, a smile broke out above Sally¡¯s sharp chin as her gold eyes tried to not look amused.


    ¡°You dare twist scripture against me, mage?¡±


    The tips of another smile broke out above my husband¡¯s brown cloth face covering, showing fully in his jade eyes.


    ¡°I have contorted text no more than Jesus did when he debated the Pharisees.¡±


    It all sounded very sage and hinting at deeper meanings, but the poetry slid in and out of my ears with little comprehension. My ignorance of what they were saying didn¡¯t leave me blind to how impressed the priests were, who now looked at him with an air of amusement and tolerance as his lecture continued.


    ¡°And what wisdom is there in refusing your only means of mortal salvation? I hope I don¡¯t have to remind you what provided the impetus to start digging under my domain so recklessly.¡± Eli asked with a lean back into his chair.


    Sally opened her mouth with some words on her tongue. They stopped for a moment, leaving her jaw agape. After a few seconds of cold silence, she finally spoke up.


    ¡°Even if we are crushed under the governor''s plan, it would only be us. If you two are found, they will scour all the surrounding settlements for every Orc. No chances will be taken. And if she should conceive, it may spark a wider persecution against not just us landbound but also the Waveborn.¡±


    Eli solemnly nodded as he rested his rested his left hand on the table.


    ¡°Whatever impression my bout of male pride may have given, we don¡¯t intend to start a family for a while. But-¡±


    ¡°When?¡± The older priest on Sally¡¯s left demanded with narrowed red eyes that made a spiderweb of wrinkles pull around her face.


    I felt venomous words dance across my tongue and hands clench into fists yet again. Absorbing the situation was one thing, this circle of endless questions was quite another.


    ¡°A few years, at least. At a time when we are all more established.¡±


    It was the blonde man who leaned forward this time.


    ¡°Do you have to make the child with Gula? Could you not take a few wenches from the local bars? Your bed would be full to bursting with opportunity for heir-making and no one would kill you for it.¡±


    Surprisingly, it was the priests who looked the most offended at the idea. Their deadly glares made the man shirk back. Eli merely got a tight lip as he rejected the proposition.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Gula must bear my child at some point. Love demands it and siring a small country of human children wouldn¡¯t dull that need.¡±


    He then turned back to the now more receptive women.


    ¡°As for endangering everyone else. I will ask you this; Has anything ever been gained by taking no risks?¡±


    Sally took a deep breath, making sure to meet his gaze.


    ¡°Risk requires consent to be taken. We have no right to decide for hundreds of thousands of people.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± I growled with a slap on the table, thin patience finally snapping. That sudden smack on wood drew everyone¡¯s gaze to me. ¡°Not everyone consented when the first Orcs dug beneath human cities and all the retaliation that might have followed. The risk to humanity from our existence didn¡¯t come with their agreement.¡±


    I made sure to scowl at the women, meeting their eyes as prickly thoughts and a guarded tongue were finally let loose.


    ¡°Risk?¡± I scoffed at Sally with a raise of my finger towards Eli. ¡°He risked more than mere death to set this place up. You find out a mage is working to help our kind and all you do is scour for ways to be ungrateful. If you can¡¯t find it in yourself to be useful, at least stop getting in the way of people who are.¡±


    The women sat still with stiff expressions. A second passed before the elder priest huffed.


    ¡°A wife¡¯s anger.¡± She stated with a smile. ¡°But not unfounded. The ways of their bed are for a less pressing time. Am I to assume our former captors are also formerly living?¡±


    Eli merely nodded, while Kev''s black locks almost swirled with how vigorously his head bobbed up and down.


    "A bigger question," The quad mage put in. "Is what they were doing before this meeting."


    I nodded with the men glancing back at me before returning to Eli. Kev, as the leader of the guard, assumed his station by going first.


    ¡°They broke the water scion out of the mage prison with the help of the new guard, no doubt. Security is pretty lax at night but come morning¡­. It¡¯s going to be a city-wide manhunt. Fessel told me that the other mages were supposed to be heading out on a ship specially marked as under the protection of the mage associations so that the pirates would know to not attack it and we were to set up extra guards along the dock to keep it safe. While keeping order on the harbor is part of our responsibilities, his insistence on having so many men on standby to thin our eyes here was quite clever. ¡±


    I took a deep breath before adding what little I knew.


    ¡°They said something about bribing the captain and walking over land after all this. Though how they would take credit for revealing our stock of earth crafts isn¡¯t clear.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡± Kev put in with a puckering of his lips that pulled at his black beard. ¡°Fessel would lay out the charges. Having it known that three mages who hated Tilvor had helped would only draw suspicion. My guess? They would tell the truth about the Watch member finding the crafts in the rubble and he took it to Fessel. The lie is that they concluded who it was taken from on their own and will only reveal the other mage¡¯s help after it had been irrefutably established that Tilvor had indeed aided Orcs through neglect. I suppose that neglect proved to be the biggest lie, however.¡±


    ¡°And the pirates escape? How would they explain the coincidence?¡± Eli asked with a raise of his grey eyebrow.


    Kev bit his lips, looking back and forth over the table before sucking in some air.


    ¡°No coincidence. They did it for protection. You''re a scion and they broke the only other scion here out of prison so that they would have a chance of surviving your retribution. Once this gets out, no one will complain about what they did.¡± He speculated.


    Eli nodded in agreement. It was at that moment that a terrible idea bloomed.


    ¡°Are there any messages sent out that we need to worry about? Could there be a hawk delivering the truth of these events right now?¡± I offered.


    Kev¡¯s look of skepticism eased my heart.


    ¡°The Watch doesn¡¯t do written messages. Too easy to have the correspondence snatched. Fessel hasn¡¯t sent any letters and doesn¡¯t bother seeing as how all communication from here has to go out on boat. Not that there''s much he has to say to the outside world. Everyone knows the game. He has all the authority on paper, but that paper is stored in drawers we fashioned. We built the station he works at and the house his head laid in. This wasn¡¯t the first time some high and proper outsider came in to break the Orc shagging dredge into shape and it¡­.¡±


    A small laugh contorted his lips beneath black bush.


    ¡°Well, it might very well be the last time.¡±


    Eli drummed his fingers on the table.


    ¡°In normal times, I could accept that. Revealing a mage helped the Orcs is anything but a normal day in the guard. The pirate wretch talked about having some evidence in Fessels¡¯ quarters. We should assume he wasn¡¯t content with just that for such an explosive accusation. That bribed captain probably also took on something besides two empty beds.¡±


    Kev leaned forward a hair while his men put almost their entire torsos across the table.


    ¡°The captain? You imagine he handed off some parcel explaining these events?¡± The blonde man asked.


    Eli bobbed his head back and forth.


    ¡°Or to some member of the local government we don¡¯t know about. Being a mage, Percy probably lent him some assistance getting the word out in avenues and ears your kind couldn¡¯t reach. There are too many ways for evidence to have been handed off. Even a single page explaining everything with an official seal could be the death of us all.¡±


    The brown-haired man on my direct left huffed, sending a small cloud out of his beard.


    ¡°Fessel was an arrogant bastard. A dick like him has a member of the Watch give him an investigation that would send him shooting to the top and he¡¯s going to leave anything to chance? Nah. I¡¯d bet my life he¡¯s probably left sent so many messages he¡¯s had the boys running back and forth all day.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Eli put in with a tired sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s assume the general story about me helping the Orcs through neglect is going to get out.¡±


    A dead silence crept into the room while Eli stared at the ceiling for a solid minute, leaving us to languish in our own wranglings before he finally spoke.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± He hummed for a second before looking down towards Sally. ¡°How many people are aware of the crafts you¡¯ve been working with?¡±


    Golden eyes bounced back and forth before Sally spoke.


    ¡°The council, which is three. The workers and select guards are about ten, including the Overseer of the mining operation. We have been strict in keeping them under the greatest secrecy.¡±


    ¡°If I gave you, say, fifty more, could you perhaps let that fact slip out among the human guard?¡±


    Everyone at the table looked as lost as I was during the Solomon bit. Something which Eli sat upright and attempted to relieve.


    ¡°Percy and the Mountain Top representative were tasked to give me a hundred crafts to aid in the construction of my city. Right now, we should assume that someone with power will be reading a letter explaining this sordid story either now or in the weeks to come. The way to counteract this is to present a new story and make it bigger than the truth.


    I¡¯ll hand off fifty of those crafts I ''received'' to you lot. You will explain to your superiors that they were acquired through the negligent security of those mages. When this fact gets out among the human guards, I¡¯m sure some Watch spies will hear of it. This will present a new sequence of events; Realizing that they just destroyed Ashe¡¯s grand project and any reputations they had spent their lives building, Percy and the earth caster forced Fessel to write these lies and freed the water scion to get in the good graces of the pirates who would be taking them in. The trip to which no one has any hope of tracking down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± The sharp-faced priest asked incredulously.¡°They lost FIFTY magic crafts? Like a child dropping a favored rock?¡±


    Kev strummed his fingers on the table for a second in contemplation.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He finally said ¡°Moving a lot of goods is tricky. We could say they handed them off to some of my men, not realizing they weren¡¯t a part of Fessel¡¯s crew.¡± Black hair dipped towards the other two men with Kev¡¯s bobbing head.


    ¡°Who could say otherwise?¡± The blonde man offered with a shrug. ¡°People will have questions and doubts, but who could call us liars when we''ve got a cart full of magical wonder?¡±


    That got a thoughtful nod from the old Orc.


    ¡°Having so many crafts will do wonders for our efforts here.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Eli cut in. ¡°I would like to see your plans for the excavation. It¡¯s time we started working more closely, especially with how quickly you¡¯ll be expanding after I¡¯ve finished the new crafts.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to lie to everyone?¡± Sally asked with her first note of trepidation all night.


    The other priests got an understanding frown. Eli leaned back into his chair with a deep breath, looking at her with sympathy in his green eyes.


    ¡°Some have said the first sin was Satan lying. I¡¯m more inclined to say it was the pride and greed preceding the act that were the first true sins. Tell me, when you look them in the eyes and say things you know aren¡¯t true, will you be proud of it? Are you doing it for your personal gain?¡±


    Sally stared at him for a second before shaking her head.


    ¡°If someone asked where a vial of poison was, someone you knew was going to drop it in a well to kill thousands of people, would God look favorably upon you for telling them the truth?¡±


    She sucked in her lips, chewing them before releasing them in a whisper.


    ¡°I¡­.Don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Eli only nodded as he leaned forward.


    ¡°We can recite all of scripture from heart and lay plans of meticulous detail, but sometimes one must make the hard choice. For all that I have done and will do, I will explain to God why I did what I did and can only hope that he finds my justification satisfactory.¡±


    This time the philosophy stuck in my skull. Having to defend how I lived my life to some higher power after death was so odd yet intriguing. A courtroom of the afterlife. Would I also have a perfect memory of everything? Because having to justify things I had no recollection of seemed unfair.


    Sally stared at the table with golden eyes going back and forth. Her fingers strummed on the table as the battle raged on inside. When the clacking of nails finally stopped, she gave a slow nod that ended with a release of breath had the same finality as the men whose hearts my blade and arrows had pierced in a past life.


    ¡°Nersa and the rest will worry about using them, but I¡¯ll make sure they understand it¡¯s this or death.¡±


    ¡°For now,¡± Eli said, puncturing through the silence ¡°There won¡¯t be any lies but the plain sharing of information.¡±


    With that, everyone got up. The guards went back out to retrieve their various pilfered items while I checked on the Keltons guarding the outside. They were fine and when I came back, various pages were scattered about the table, with Sally retrieving yet more from the desk¡¯s drawers.


    A quick look over them revealed a lot of numbers scattered about and various symbols whose meanings were totally lost on me. Content to sit back in my chair and watch Eli work his hands over the large papers with a crude pencil, idle boredom continued as the three other humans waited on my right by the door and the Kelton guard stood at attention to the left. Our uselessness only stopped when two words broke through the low grumblings of numbers.


    ¡°All right,¡± Eli announced to the room, looking at me and then the men. ¡°This is to satisfaction. Crafts aren¡¯t quickly molded into wood, no matter how simple they are. Kev, I¡¯m going to be taking a rest tomorrow to get them finished, try your best to act surprised when the announcement for a lazy day comes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be letting everyone take the day off?¡± The guard asked, looking a bit impressed as he rubbed the steel helmet under his left arm.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t work, then no one else will. Well, the meals and cleaning still need doing but I¡¯ll make it up to the support staff later. More importantly, coordinate with the priests on when to release the rumors. We need to make sure the Orcs are properly dug in before the Watch first hears of the fifty new crafts.¡±


    The rest nodded before awkwardly getting up one by one. Eli hung a bit back to let the others, including the Kelton, leave the building. It ended with the nervous priest trudging out with an air of exhaustion. When the door behind me was closed with a terrified squeak from the sharp-faced priest probably realizing what the ash piles were, he walked up to me. I was getting ready to ask him something but Eli took my open mouth as an invitation. One he accepted with a quick side pull of his face covering.


    His kiss was forceful, needy, and only matched in power by the manly hand pulling on my lower neck. I didn¡¯t retreat and our duel continued for a few moments longer before he released me.


    ¡°I would say I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not.¡± He offered with a smile that seemed to warm the winter air as the face covering was kept to the side.


    His brutish affection agreed with me, though a coy smile and lean backward was all I¡¯d give him.


    ¡°Apparently there¡¯s many uses for my body you''re rather unapologetic about. Even ones you said you wanted to hold off on.¡± I chided in a voice that hopefully didn¡¯t sound too pleased.


    A slight shrug was the only regret he showed. Even that small concession was undone by the smug smile above his strong chin.


    ¡°I can say one thing, but a twenty-or-so years old male body often says something very different. It¡¯ll cool off around the early to mid-thirties. Though, I wasn¡¯t making babies at those times. Even if that drive chills, I¡¯ve found that I need you for other purposes.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows in expectation of some new mission or great danger we would ride out to meet. When his eyes trembled a bit, my muscles tensed at what horror could make a man of such ability quake.


    ¡°I need to wake up with you in the mornings again,¡± He intoned like a dire prophecy. An askance look at him was forming but his hand gently placed along my left cheek had me leaning my head into it. ¡°These nights are cold and all things need their companionship. With Kev now somewhat in the loop, it should be easy to have you visit me some nights or I you when the ship is in port.¡±


    Trying to think about anything beyond how good his hand felt was hard yet one thought did push through.


    ¡°With Sally and the others involved, it may be even easier than that.¡±


    He raised a grey eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember if I told you, but the church wants to be the ones around you so that they can keep anyone from trying to snatch a child from you and bring all the destruction that would follow.¡±


    ¡°A small tunnel into my abode, then.¡± He mused.


    The way his thumb idly rubbed my cheek, making my spine tingle with each stroke, kept me from continuing the conversation. After a second his hand fell away with a regretful look.


    ¡°I have fifty crafts due. We¡¯ll have this conversation¡­.properly in the future.¡±


    Feeling a bit better from his affection, I got up and retrieved the sword from the desk while he held the door open for me. As I was fastening it back around my waist, I noticed how intently Eli was staring at the skin exposed to the chill. The slight drop of my pants revealing a bit more was purely a coincidence in getting my weapon in place. His eyes flared a bit as I finally stood straight and walked up to the doorway but he said nothing as I walked out into the open cave. Around the rock walls were the torches still dutifully giving off an orange glow. Their debris was spotted in black flecks sprinkled around the floor though the bits from charred bodies would need to be swept up.


    Eli moved ahead of me with stone gloves to pick up the few weapons still laying about and placed them in a pile near the tunnel he had taken in. I saw the others standing off to the left near the building, with the humans near the building''s wall and the Orcs a bit closer to the curtain. The priests looked on with pensive expressions that didn¡¯t match the relieved men¡¯s faces. None of them seemed to register my walk up to them nor did I attempt to make them. Seeing a mage work their divine blessing was something most never got to see once, at least not before dying from it.


    Rings of water pooled out of nothing to surround the bodies. Even after learning how magic worked, there was still something offputting about how water stood upright for no reason. As they always did, the laws of the universe handed the reigns over to their better and the magic liquid sloshed over the dead with cracks and sizzles. All the corpses were brought into the center of the room in the same manner that I had arrived in. When a body arrived, they were dropped into the pile with a soggy splash from the release. By the time the next one came, the water had disappeared with whatever magic was keeping it present, allowing the newcomer to land on a dry bed.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Eli called back as the last bundle was placed down. ¡°My fire crafts are from an old friend and it¡¯s not always easy to control them.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s going to be the explanation for his fire element. Not that anyone here knew much about magic anyway.


    A round of nods greeted him, lasting only a second before a great blaze suddenly engulfed the ashen piles. Burned bodies and bones quickly mixed with the ash, being helped along into oblivion with a pulverizing cube of summoned stone until nothing but black powder remained of the untold wealth and power of three mages. The magic-less members of the dust pile would never be mentioned in any retelling, as was tradition.


    Eli conjured a ball of water, holding it above his hand as he plunged it into the pile. The black sphere was soon joined by a snake of water scrounging up any other bits of black mass before slipping into the ball. He then took a right past the building, apparently intending to send the remains somewhere off into the night sky.


    When the last footstep could be heard going through the tunnel, Sally turned towards her two compatriots.


    ¡°Get ready for a big push to be near his house. Any thoughts of sharing the space around his abode are no longer worth considering. If for no other reason than we can¡¯t afford to have anyone else rummaging around our back end.¡±


    A bellow of laughter suddenly filled the cave. It was so pure I would call it childlike if not for the deep base. The brown-haired man was almost fully bent over on my left yet it did nothing to impede his cheery tone.


    ¡°Do you know?¡± He choked out with the last hearty laugh, his brown eyes brimming with tears. ¡°Do you know how many years I¡¯ve put up with my wife going on and on about how stupid the Christians are for crushing any attempt to get mages?¡±


    The blonde man got a similar smile of mischief.


    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite with Vera. Stupid woman almost got in a fistfight arguing with someone about how we can¡¯t risk our daughters for a magical man''s pulp. Love her, mind you, but she¡¯s quite prickly on the subject. Who would have thought the Church would be the first ones to use a male mage.¡±


    The three priests didn¡¯t seem amused at the conversation happening a few feet away. Their faces of regal indifference held firm only until Kev sucked in his lips with a bemused look. Something that finally sent Sally over the edge.


    ¡°His COCK isn¡¯t the point, now is it?¡± She growled with furious gold eyes.


    ¡°Sister!¡± The older priest scoffed, swatting her superior''s side like a wayward pup.


    All three men went wide-eyed, pulling back their heads like children who had just heard their first profanity. Even I raised my eyebrows at Sally¡¯s darkening cheeks.


    ¡°Apologies, esteemed men of the guard,¡± The holy bishop intoned with borderline sarcasm and a slight bow, ¡°My years as a barmaid have a habit of sneaking up on me now and then. But if the fine and delicate sensibilities so typical of your profession aren¡¯t well suited for these coming events, I could perhaps bring more members of the clergy to fill in the gaps. Such-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I stated firmly, drawing all eyes to me. ¡°We¡¯re not bringing anyone else into this.¡±


    Sally shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m the current bishop and these two are heads of the logistics and architectural department. We alone cannot pull off the needed moves without drawing questions from those outside the church, forget those within. To say nothing of having a direct connection to his house, as I assume you¡¯ll want.


    Cassie will likewise have to be brought in. Being the main overseer of coin means we¡¯ll need her to help¡­.tinker with records in case we should need some material aid from your husband. Besides which, her department will be the one closest to our main area, which is where Tilvor will be. The woman runs a tight business and getting anything in or out of her domain without her knowledge would be a fool¡¯s hope. That is besides the fact that she¡¯ll want to know what the plans for those girls she¡¯s been giving you are.¡±


    A pang of guilt at deceiving the kind woman came and went. Those kids were safer now than they ever were in the city. Whatever else was going to be said between us stopped when steps announced Eli¡¯s return. His turn around the building was met without words, though the attention on him was no less intense or immediate than a king come to visit.


    ¡°Tilvor,¡± Sally put in with a small bow on my left. ¡°If we are to go through with this, we will need to bring more of the priesthood in on the scheme.¡±


    Eli didn¡¯t immediately answer. Instead, he looked towards me with raised eyebrows that seemed to demand my opinion. I could only shrug at the unspoken question.


    ¡°Have you suffered any infiltration by the Watch?¡± He asked with a turn back to the Bishop.


    ¡°We¡¯re all Orcs. Men who live with our kind don¡¯t do it with the aim of chastity.¡±


    The nervous-looking priest hummed, her gold eyes looking somewhere distant in the ceiling before coming back down.


    ¡°I believe a few men work in some of the churches out west. We had an older man a while back, but god has since brought him home.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sally said between gritted teeth, ¡°For those present, however, it is all green women.¡±


    ¡°Sadly it is not only humans who might betray us.¡± Eli put in with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your church was quite opposed to hunting mages. Of course, there can be different reasons for reaching the same conclusion. Are there any who might object to not taking my seed now that it is possibly within reach?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sally reaffirmed with a head shake that her two fellows matched. ¡°The hardest part will be convincing some of the sisters to go along with it. Giving them all the choice of everyone immediately being killed in the new governor''s plan or possibly in the future will give us the best purchase. Still¡­.¡±


    Sally¡¯s moment of hesitation finally ended with a pensive look towards me then back to Eli.


    ¡°After everything settles down, there is an argument to be made that killing you would be the safest route.¡±


    Hairs on the back of my neck stood straight while Eli only slightly nodded. Surprisingly, it was Kev who spoke next. He had a grim frown and the looks of trepidation the men were giving the priests were not too different from the ones they had given Eli at his introduction.


    ¡°That rumor, about the injured mage in the slums. It¡¯s true, then?¡± He asked with a bit of white seeping into his cheeks, matching his fellows.


    Sally took a deep breath, only turning towards the guards with its release. Her face was stone with golden eyes brimming with a defiance that matched her snarling lips.


    ¡°The truth of what happened that night and to who is not a matter that would help anyone. And any more than that will not leave my tongue, even under the hottest pincers.¡±


    We all took a moment to absorb the barely obscured admission. Eli didn¡¯t linger, instead coughing into a fist.


    ¡°I would counter that the land this city is on belongs to me and no one else. If Ashe¡¯s plan works, there won¡¯t be too many people left in Crasden who would take command of this place with kindness.¡±


    The Bishop did a slight bow, making her short, grey hair sway above the red shirt.


    ¡°I will make sure this fact is central in our discussion.¡±


    With only a nod from Eli, we all walked towards the curtain blocking the cave from the rest of the tunnel. Kev followed behind with his two men in tow. Not to be left behind, I came up behind the column with my Kelton guard in attendance.


    Crossing the cloth curtain revealed a long tube of stone wall, specked with flickering torches. The two Keltons keeping watch remained silent as the small procession went by, only moving when I came through.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Eli mused, looking up and down the curved walls. ¡°Decent. For a structure potentially facing erosion from the sea, I would recommend a special outer layer of stone with easily replaced bits that stick out to break waves. I¡¯ll draw up some plans to be dropped off later. Right now, we need to get going. Do try to hold the workers off for a few minutes while I clean the mess left behind by our former hosts.¡±


    A round of nods was all he got. My legs then made it known how objectionable this trip had been and the logistics for getting back reminded me of something.


    ¡°We were led here,¡± I announced to the group. ¡°Seeing as they¡¯re no longer living, we¡¯ll need another to see us over the stone fields.¡±


    Kev looked towards the blonde man, who nodded back. Our new guide then broke out of the line and walked along the left of the tunnel while others stuck to the center. Making it to the crude opening where we had been kidnapped came far quicker than expected. An unfortunate thing, as Eli had made his way to my side during the walk. He took our time together to sneak a groping palm in or give a loving rub along my sides and arms. The only thing keeping me from scolding his lecherous dealings was the possibility that it would work.


    Arriving at the hole in the tunnel wall, our little group split. It was dark in the cave, with only bits of flickering flame showing the contours of the hole and faint starlight above where we had dropped down. Eli fashioned a crude stairs for us to walk up into the night sky. When the blonde man and the last Kelton had vacated the cave, I turned to Eli waiting on my left by the stairs.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, despite the massage I had received on the way here. No thought or decision was made when my hand moved his cloth mouth covering aside while my head moved forward. Lips puckered for a kiss, I was about halfway there when some notion that I should let the man make the first move sprouted.


    It would have been so romantic if I hadn¡¯t fumbled the move into an awkward head bob that suddenly pulled up short. Eli was not so uncertain in his desires. Strong hands grabbed my hips with a pull, closing the space that had been between us. Any thoughts about how he felt against my chest, thighs, or stomach evaporated as Eli also closed the space between his tongue and mine.


    Warm buzzing ran up my spine, matching his hands trailing over it. Seconds passed too soon until Eli broke the kiss. Iron willpower, hardened by years of fighting for life and death, only just stopped the left hand from reaching to pull his head back into position. We stood there panting away the chill winter air, pressed together tighter than any rope or steel band could manage.


    "I didn''t see any marks from your crafts on the bodies or walls." He whispered with a soft blow on my left ear.


    Hair stood straight on my neck. Eli followed it up with a soft kiss on my cheek. I was quite grateful the embarrassment at what I had to say blotted out the groan of pleasure fighting for release.


    "I put them down. Somewhere. Probably in a drawer or rack back at the Base."


    If the absence of such unfathomable treasures upset the most powerful man in the world, his groping palm on my left breast didn''t squeeze hard enough to make me feel it.


    "We will have to make some that aren''t so easily displaced. Ones....Form fitting enough that you won''t be inconvenienced by having them on in the day-to-day toil." He offered in between kisses down my neck.


    My jaw opened of its own will to finally give him the moan he clearly wanted. I was only saved by the smack of rock against rock from the right. Our eyes drew to the pebbles tumbling down the stairs, courtesy of the men waiting above.


    Grasping palms released my skin to the bitter chill. Eli pulled back about a step to take me in like a piece of art. His bit lip and heaving chest sent fire into my ears and cheeks, this time accomplished without him using any magic. Obligations, however, pulled me further away.


    ¡°Love you,¡± I offered with a step onto the crude stairs.


    ¡°Same,¡± He responded with a small smile.


    My foot smacked against the side of the step, forcing me to choose between walking up or continuing to look at Eli. A sour smile played across my lips when the quad mage pulled the face covering back into place and started working his hands over the wall. Taking the turn around took a moment, though the call of fresh air helped make the walk up easier. Two hands reached down through the hole to pull me up, which I accepted from the two goat-headed men.


    For a weightless moment, the stars rushed up to greet me before rock crunched beneath my feet. A solid mass of stone behind me stretched on in my peripheral vision. Its projection of strength and power undone by the rubble further ahead to the left where it met the larger wall of the main settlement.


    ¡°This way, Gula.¡± The blonde man said with a look to the right, ¡°Or should I say, Lady Laperict.¡±


    I didn''t attempt to keep a smile down. Looking backward, the hole I had just been pulled out of was now smooth stone. A crunch further ahead announced our guide''s departure, which I reluctantly turned to follow. The Keltons dispersed around me as we trudged behind the guardsmen like ducklings.


    Bitter cold blew over the endless rocks and through my coat to rub away any warmth still lingering from Eli. Leaving this place proved worse than coming. Moving around rocks demanded constant attention yet thoughts of people and places elsewhere barely allowed for anything else. So much had happened in less than an hour. Years of future moves and plans had to be decided in less time than I took to get breakfast and a shower.


    We had prepared for the worst possibilities and no obvious faults presented themselves to me. For all that, I still couldn¡¯t stop the ball of worry churning in my gut. About halfway back to the ship, I decided to focus on how I was freezing to death. My Kelton sailors said we should pass winter''s peak for the far north soon or had already done so. The bitter ice working its way into every crevice and bit of exposed skin didn¡¯t seem to agree.


    As the complaints in my legs were starting to work their way to my tongue, we finally made it to a recognizable stretch of path that experience placed between the hidden entrance and the ship. The human led us off to the right and after a short walk endless rock gave way to a shore of equally limitless sea, complete with a boat of sailors wading onto land.


    ¡°It appears we¡¯ve finished here,¡± The blonde man said, standing in attendance off to the left. ¡°However, I just wanted to say¡­.thanks.¡±


    He emphasized the words with a deep bow that didn¡¯t hinder the rest of his speech.


    ¡°Whatever happens or reasons you have, I¡¯m sure it would have been easier to just live out in the woods with no care for our fates. Though they may not know it, my children and beloved owe you their lives in more ways than they will probably ever know. So, I thank you for them even if they don¡¯t.¡±


    I gave him a small nod, stuck between wanting to get onto the boat and not brushing aside his gratitude. He did not linger, however. The instant the boat hit the rocky shore, our human guide made a turn toward the field of boulders we just vacated. Clambering along the rocks dulled by the waves, tired legs managed to get me into the wooden vessel before the men rowing it could help me in. Our only injury in departing was the black-furred Keltons left leg, which made an intimate acquaintance with the freezing sea up to his groin. Squelching shoes were barely heard over the smacking of waves as our escort rowed us out to sea, plying their trade in cold winter¡¯s night without a word of complaint.


    It was a cramped trip with so many present, only made bearable by how quick the mass of wood among the waves approached. In what felt like a few minutes, our dingy was being hoisted up the side of its mother with ropes tied to hoops on both ends. The instant we made it up over the lisp of the deck, I looked around for the leathery face of the second-in-command. When all I found was a small mix of regular crewmen, I coughed to clear my throat.


    ¡°Someone get Geoff to my office,¡± I announced to the few lookouts still scattered about the ship. An iron grip on the right side of the boat held firm as we angled into place towards the left. The instant our boat stopped moving, I hopped out onto the floating mansion. The jump nearly sent me into a guardrail on the left, but no thought of injury came. This long night left the bed up the stairs calling me and there wasn¡¯t a shred of resistance in the sore feet, cold skin, and tired mind currently defining my existence.


    Walking up the wooden steps only made the pain sharper until I hobbled through the double doors leading into my office. No attention was paid to anything save the red blankets of the bed to the left, which I promptly scurried towards as fast I could while undoing the sword holster. The instant my butt hit the bed¡¯s softness, I released a long sigh of relief that followed my placement of the weapon against the bed. Getting the shoes off took a bit of hard tugging, but soon sore feet were chilling in freezing air before being shoved beneath the blankets with the rest of me.


    Aches in my joints and soles cried in relief with the pull of the sheets up to my neck. Laying there felt magnificent. Even when the old leathery-skinned man came through the doors, I barely paid him any attention, instead closing my eyes to try and prepare my brain for sleep.


    ¡°Captain?¡± Asked the black void.


    ¡°The priests and most of the human guards know we¡¯re working with Eli,¡± I answered with a small shift sideways in the sheets.


    A sharp intake of breath cut through the crashing waves.


    ¡°How did they react to a new ultimate mage?¡± Abyss inquired.


    ¡°They know we¡¯re working with Eli, who we will call Tilvor Laperict. As far as they¡¯re aware, he¡¯s a plant scion whose trying to establish a place for me and him to hold up in. They don¡¯t know about the Base, our real long term plan, or our connection to Salamede. Tell the crew these facts and that they should be as silent as possible about this situation, especially around our young recruits.¡±


    ¡°The last I¡¯ve already beaten into their heads. Night, Captain,¡± The nothingness said before the long creak of a closing door filled the air.


    Sleep came almost immediately to wipe away all aches and pains.


    The morning was better and worse than expected. While the bed was more comfortable than my land-bound one, washing and cleaning were trudged through with a warm bowl of water and rag. A quick brushing of teeth followed by a breakfast of fish soup got me back in the mood to look over more orders and messages. Cold air slipped through my white shirt and brown pants, now unobstructed by the red coat being washed in a pan with the rest of the dirty clothes. Not that the frantic energy in me cared.


    *Knock*


    *Slam*


    *Knock*


    A few choice curses rolled on my tongue before being forced back down.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I shouted to the impatient intrusion.


    Placing the page off to the right, the guess of who would be so impudently slamming on my door proved correct as a plump priest came through. Cassie¡¯s hair was all tucked into her head covering of black cloth with inner white. Her plump body beneath the black dress contrasted with Sally¡¯s thin frame covered in a white shirt, black coat, and dark pants behind her. Their eyes also provided an immediate distinction. Golden fury boiled in Cassie''s eyes to the point the mole under her left eye was unseen while Sally¡¯s gold irises looked tired.


    Despite that demeanor of exhaustion, she was quick to close the door behind her companion who was slowly stalking up to the desk. The portly woman came about a foot to the desk, standing in front of me with a heavy breath. Her small mouth puckered and her hands squeezed like she would very much like to strike me. Instead, she let venom-tipped words land the first blow.


    ¡°Do you have anything you want to share?¡± She hissed out between gritted teeth.


    ¡°I remember-¡±


    ¡°Before we draw blades,¡± Sally interrupted with a step to the left of Cassie to stand between us like a mediator. ¡°We need to establish some things.¡±


    A murderous look from Cassie only made her stick a sharp chin out.


    ¡°He is not using them for spreading magical talent.¡±


    ¡°Yet,¡± Cassie growled with a raised finger before turning to me with a louder voice. ¡°Perhaps when the fruit has ripened a bit he¡¯ll have a good time plucking-¡±


    A hand slammed onto the oak desk. It took the pain in my palm to realize that it was mine, not that I much cared. The hair on the back of my neck rose with the rest of my body out of the chair.


    ¡°Be VERY careful about what you say next.¡± I hissed back.


    ¡°Cassie!,¡± Sally whispered, ¡°We don¡¯t want the crew hearing-¡±


    Golden eyes looked away from the plump priest before slowly turning to the wall. She stood there in silence, taking in the woodwork directly ahead. Even her companion stopped brooding to give a questioning raise of an eyebrow. The slow turn of her head towards me with a stone face didn¡¯t make it immediately apparent she was still breathing. A long release of clouds from her lips answered that question and the words that followed carried a shocked tremor.


    ¡°Gula. Is the entire crew¡­.Aware?¡±


    Cassie¡¯s eyebrows shot up with a quick head snap to me.


    ¡°Yes. And each would be equally upset to hear you speaking of him in such a way.¡±


    The plump priest puckered her lips. Her dour expression only made the slight relief in Sally¡¯s face more pronounced.


    ¡°Well,¡± The bishop announced with a turn to her companion. ¡°At least we know his appeal is not just a girl''s whimsy.¡±


    Cassie¡¯s golden eyes were still fiery but the tight jaw relaxed with the rest of her face enough to show the mole beneath her left eye.


    ¡°Power obscures many failings. Things that may not be suitable for growing girls to flourish in. Not-¡± She put an open hand to me. ¡°Just in the crassest ways either. We could be handing them off to a personal cult centered on an old mage.¡±


    I took a deep breath, pulling back the anger trying to push past my lips.


    ¡°And that power is why you entrusted them to us in the first place,¡± I said, drawing the two gazes towards me. ¡°If we had come in on a shoddy dingy held together with string and tar, would you have handed them over? Before you start indulging in panicked ideas of what those girls being here means, I would remind you that their stay here wasn¡¯t my idea.¡±


    Sally turned towards her companion with an expectant raise of her eyebrow. Cassie at least had the shame to look downward.


    ¡°I remember you begging her to take on more, but is it true having the orphans brought here started with you?¡± The bishop asked softly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The plump priest almost whispered. Rather than getting angry, Sally put a firm hand on her friend''s left shoulder.


    ¡°Do we have anywhere else to put them?¡±


    Cassie stood still for a moment, staring down at the floor. When the shake of her head came, it was so slight I almost placed it as a movement of the ship. Sally nodded with a knowing sigh.


    ¡°I allowed your visit to help lessen the poison in your soul over this issue. We¡¯re now in the territory of directionless anger, another malady of the spirit. Do you have anything else you would like to say? Something that might change the decision you already made.¡± Sally consoled with a stern look one often had for a wayward child.


    It took only a moment for the plump face to turn up to me. Her soft features clashed with the hard look in those golden eyes.


    ¡°Your husband seems to be our only hope. Are his shoulders up to carrying almost everyone in Crasden?¡±


    ¡°His arms are strong enough for anything this place could throw at him.¡±


    Bemused smiles broke out on the women¡¯s faces. I didn¡¯t dignify their expressions with a rebuttal or embarrassment. Instead, I slid back into my chair and meshed my fingers together my stomach.


    ¡°You should be happy,¡± I declared. Their response of raised eyebrows didn¡¯t stop me.


    ¡°We are wed and that means our times together aren¡¯t tainted by f-¡±


    The half-remembered word struggled to form on my tongue.


    ¡°Fornication. And isn¡¯t that what really matters? The purity of our souls?¡±


    Cassie puckered her lips. Sally stalked forward with a scowl and golden eyes trying to be angry.


    ¡°Listen, whelp,¡± She scolded with a pointed finger at me ¡°I am the Bishop of Crasden. I put in the work at Sunday School when I was a pup. This is the second time in as many days that the bible has been wielded against me, and by God, I¡¯ve had quite enough of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who was the other?¡± Cassie asked with a folding of her hands together in black sleeves.


    ¡°The mage!¡± Sally scoffed in exasperation. Her exaggerated eye roll forced the hint of a smile onto Cassie''s reluctant face. ¡°When we first found out, we were furious. Then he mentioned King Solomon asking for wisdom. About how it¡¯s slow to anger and such.¡±


    The bishop¡¯s hands clenching into fists made Cassie bite her lip.


    ¡°Of course, I asked if he was going to use scripture against three priests. And you know what the cur says?! ¡®I twist scripture no more than Jesus did against the PHARISEES.¡¯ Uh!¡±


    ¡°What a terror!¡± Cassie extolled with a grin pushing out any bit of anger left on her face.


    ¡°It was devastating,¡± Sally scoffed. ¡°I can only offer a prayer for the poor soul that had to instruct him growing up.¡±


    ¡°That is the least of his talents,¡± I cut in, drawing both their gazes.


    Cassie was a bit more relaxed now as Sally stood patiently off to the right, though she wasn''t the object of my current speech.


    ¡°You sent me those kids because I had the resources to provide for them and judgment that you trusted.¡±


    Her plump lips moved like they wanted to say something but she couldn¡¯t find the words, so I did.


    ¡°You relied on my judgment when you put them under my care, even if my ship and food is what first attracted you. Otherwise, you would have had them come back after every meal.¡±


    Shoulders beneath black dress sagged and a low breath slipped between her lips. The deflation of her spirit was so total that even her rounded frame seemed to shrink inward.


    ¡°Those same instincts are saying we should trust Tilvor.¡± I offered in earnest truth with a cough before continuing.


    ¡°And I assure you that we worked together before our bodies became entangled and I can be hard with him when needed if some concerns about being led about by lust is any concern to you.¡± I half-lied.


    There was no way I could be objective when it came to the man resembling my girlhood dreams of a husband, who made my heart pound like a days run, and whose molding hands I yearned for.


    If either of them detected any deception, they made no fuss about it before slowly nodding with a slight heave of the ship. Cassie¡¯s long sigh was partially obscured by the crashing wave outside, but her next words came through clearly.


    ¡°The decision is made then.¡± She said with the resignation of an execution before turning to Sally. ¡°We¡¯ll need to bring at least two more from the department in on the big secret.¡±


    The bishop nodded.


    ¡°Not as many as I feared.¡± She stated with a turn back to me.


    With nothing left to say the two did a light bow, which I returned with a slight bob of my head. Their turn and exit was a billow of black cloth that let in a gust of biting wind when they opened the doors. I grit my teeth as the intrusion of the outside lasted barely a second longer before the doors were again sealed shut.


    A long release of air escaped my lips. So many plans spanning years and decades had been woven or changed in a single night. Even as I returned to my work among missives and invoices, it was hard to ignore the sense of momentum. For the rest of the day, urgency coursed through my signatures for shipments, I broke my routine by personally overseeing the onboarding of cargo, and meals were washed down without tasting the ale or food.


    Frantic energy poured into every boring task the day gave me. The crew didn¡¯t know everything about last night, but I was certain they picked up on my anxiousness. No one said anything in earshot nor did Geoff confront me, leaving me to stew in an adrenaline rush that seemed to rise and fall throughout the day while never fully fading. When the only light left was from torches and the blur of toil and pent-up anxiety ended with me face down on a pillow, sleep seemed to be a far-off thing. Even laying in bed made blood pulse in my ears until finally, mercifully, exhaustion had its due and black void scattered the worries coursing through my brain.

 Chapter 126: Miracle City Stepping Up

    Chapter 126


    Salamede POV


    Winter wind blew around my green dress, making a wave through the golden triangles sewn into it around my neck. I paid weathers'' kiss no mind. We Keltons were tough and cold like this barely merited a shiver. Looking out over the stone balcony of the harbor office, the docking area of red and grey flecked stone revealed a lot of my kind whose attire was probably too scant even for our constitution. Their only saving grace was the clear sunny sky trying its best to fight back winter. Such clear weather only made my sour mood sharper.


    A forest of magic cranes moved back and forth on the wooden fingers jutting to the right from the stone base into the water. Despite the bits of white fluff still hanging around, the Keltons disembarking from the port and onto the proper streets seemed relieved at seeing the vast sprawl of stone buildings before them.


    On the left were two lines of warehouses with triangular roofs. In contrast, behind them lay a vast swathe of stone mushroom caps topping two or three-story buildings. Cutting through the rock forest were two separate lanes of road going directly from the docks to the biggest specimen. There was no square bottom on the massive dome serving as the city''s heart. Six towers hugged its sides while various black flecks moved about the open pavilion of red stone. Off towards the opposite edge of the massive stone block serving as our home''s foundation were ever-present pillars of smoke wafting from the unseen forges.


    A strong wind drew me back towards the harbor. Docked at each of the wooden fingers reaching into the bay was a mass of wood some might call a ship. Each bore patchwork sails and floated on the water, but their construction was sloppy and potted with planks forced in with glue and tarred over. As bad as they looked, the ores, cloth, and passengers they had been carrying were still above the waves, so perhaps I couldn¡¯t judge their makers too harshly.


    Around the newest arrivals were big Kelton men in full plate armor directing them about. Satisfied with the proceedings, I turned around and through the door into the harbormaster''s office. Thick walls of grey rock kept winter''s bite to a mere nibble. The floor was dark oak in the center of the square room, courtesy of a shipment bought from one of the starving merchants, while the flooring near the wall was grey stone.


    Having a mix of stone and wood in the floor was a thing of unusual taste, but the old Kelton man in a thick blue robe with a white scarf at the stone desk to the right had asked for it and as admiral, this room was going to be his domain for the foreseeable future. The electric sensation of a spirit connection played across my right arm. I pushed down a bitter mood just in time to hear his voice in my head.


    ¡®Ugh,¡¯ Joessen huffed in my mind. He was looking at the page held by his left hand, idly using the other to scratch an ear sticking out of fur so grey it almost matched his white eyes. Stubby brown horns left a small shadow over his ears courtesy of the mana lamp above giving off a golden glow.


    ¡®Any problems?¡¯ I asked with a walk to the front of the desk.


    ¡®My time has been stretched too thin,¡¯ He mused while giving his pronounced chin a rub. ¡®I can work the seas or get the goods from it sorted in port. Doing both has proved impossible. Not to mention having to help build another harbor in our vassal''s hold.¡¯


    I clicked my lips together, shaking my head at his admission.


    ¡®Did you not brag to no end of your skill in sailing? What was that story about getting blown off course and finding land again with only three other surviving sailors?¡¯


    His nearly white fur curled with his lips as the paper was set aside.


    ¡®And a full cargo delivered only days late.¡¯ He grumbled with a heave forward onto the desk. ¡®But managing ship rations and other necessities isn¡¯t the same as tracking warehouse stocks or finalizing the docking of dozens of ships. If you want a navy, then I need to focus on our ships.¡¯


    I raised an eyebrow at him.


    ¡®Are the vessels not complete?¡¯


    His white eyes rolled so hard they didn¡¯t need irises to show.


    ¡®There are ten right now.¡¯ He put up a finger to emphasize the next point. ¡®And it¡¯s not just numbers. We could have a thousand, but does that mean the patrol routes are set? The proper means of coordinating them? Do the captains know how to conduct an assault on the sea versus the land? Especially with the magic water boosters. These ships might be better than the driftwood held together with spit and string we¡¯ve been taking on, but it¡¯s not just the carpenters who make a navy.¡¯


    The smile fighting to get out finally won.


    ¡®Were you not a proud owner of one of those hunks in the past?¡¯ I asked with puckered lips.


    A small huff was his first answer.


    ¡®My standards have since been raised. And meeting them will require all the attention I can give.¡¯ He finished with a lean back into his seat.


    ¡®Making goods involves holding the supplies to forge them. I¡¯ll see if our grand mistress of crafts is up to the challenge.¡¯


    The shake of Joeseen¡¯s head sent my teeth grinding against each other.


    ¡®That woman knows her way around needles, cloth, and wood, but she¡¯s not the most organized sort. Personally, I''d be worried she would prioritize her shops over Menkie¡¯s smithies. Someone without commitments elsewhere is needed, and soon. Right now, we¡¯re dealing with hundreds of people. When it gets to be a few thousand, things will start going missing if we don¡¯t have a good hand on what was in the warehouses in the first place.¡¯


    Him being right further pricked the bad mood I perpetually found myself in. Kantor was more or less in charge of security, and diplomacy where I could not be present. Which meant another round of interviews and endless discussion. The temptation to have my fake father go through with it called but I resisted. All authority ended with me and this was too important.


    ¡®Another member of the great council, coming up.¡¯ I announced with a slight sideways bow of my head.


    Joeseen¡¯s lips curled.


    ¡®Watch that. You are the greatest Kelton alive. Others must exist beneath you, never beside or above.¡¯


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t-¡¯


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The sideways head-bob was the standard courtesy this far north, yet, as the head of a major clan, such niceties were supposedly below my station. Little things like that would have been overlooked when it was just the two hundred or so that knew my true position. Now, however, I had to start living up to the legend I pretended to be. Releasing the breath, I allowed my eyelids to slowly open.


    ¡®My apologies, Grand Admiral Joeseen. I will endeavor to be the belligerent ass we all aspire towards.¡¯


    A smile broke out on his face as he leaned back into the chair.


    ¡®Good,¡¯ He intoned despite my sour lips. ¡®Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, miss Passmede, I need to get ready to explain how to coordinate positions in strong winds for the thousandth time.¡¯


    I kept my head upright with the turnaround. Opening the door now directly ahead, the hallway lined with doors matched the admirals, including the floor. Near the far wall, on the right side, was the entrance to the staircase that made travel up and down the harbor office possible.


    A single step was taken before two masses of steel moved behind me and one in front. They were trained by Kantor and any failings in their budding skills was supplemented with healing collars, magic weapons, and more metal than what most squads would get. Those things didn¡¯t make it any less obvious that the man in front leading us to the staircase was a bit stiff in his movements. Making a mental note to have the guard''s gear redone for a proper fit, I followed him around the corner onto the staircase.


    Creaking wood announced every step of the steel mountains'' descent. Another note to reinforce the wooden steps was added to an already overburdened list. The rectangular spiral offered a fleeting vision of the middle floor comprising various boys and men in ragged clothes being shown through doors. Even at the top of the staircase, the hum of chatter could be heard from below. Going down onto the lower stairs, the chorus crested into a full assault on the ears.


    On the beginning section of stairs leading to the first floor, I took in the kiosks and long benches filled with future sailors around the large open room, only faintly noticing one of the young black-furred lads escorting a new member upward. The boy''s charge was a large fellow in brown rags that matched his fur and curled horns. He was a hulking mass of a man despite sporting some lean bits suggesting a long hunger. Ingrained instinct told me to yield the right of way to the male a full head taller than me and I obeyed with a step to the side.


    What I didn¡¯t consider was them stopping at the same time to allow the ruler of the entire city to pass first. That it looked like I was keeping them for some sort of inspection did not go unnoticed. A major social event had just started with a single sideways step and the small crowd of Keltons below now inspecting the show made it clear I couldn¡¯t leave without saying something. Any words spoken would be easily heard as the heady chatter died down to take in this conspicuous meeting. The only saving aspect was my face¡¯s lack of reaction to the curses on my tongue.


    ¡°A new sailor, I presume.¡± I casually announced in a hoarse tone that hopefully hid how stupid I felt.


    The boy gave a light cough and bow with a side turn of his head.


    ¡°Sort of, Lady Passmede.¡± He intoned in our kinds rough voice. ¡°A worker of cloth whose done a fair bit with sails in the past.¡±


    The man did a light sideways head bob to emphasize the boys words.


    ¡°Good,¡± I agreed, only just stopping my head from dipping sideways. At the same time, a genuine question presented itself. ¡°So why is he still clad in wraps? Are we so low on new clothing?¡±


    ¡°Such items are presented on the awarding of a job, my lady.¡± The boy intoned.


    ¡°And it will be my crafts that will have to bring color to their blackened fingers because they had to wait a few hours.¡± I put in with a tone that hopefully wasn¡¯t too sour.


    The small gulp from the man towering over me said the complaint was too sharp, but the words couldn''t be taken out of the ears so I let it be.


    ¡°Lad,¡± I commanded with a raise of my chin. ¡°Once he¡¯s settled, tell the people managing the refugees that they¡¯re to be given some basic clothing after a bath then sorted into their labors. On my command.¡±


    He did an eager head-bob, which I responded to with a turn back down the stairs as the two bystanders were finally freed from their leader¡¯s stupidity. Our audience quickly resumed their daily lives, though anything that involved getting between me and the exit was still left waiting as we were given a clear path toward the thick oak double doors.


    A soft breeze blew through my green dress with the guards pull on the right door. With only a few steps, the forest of cranes opened up in front of me only a stone toss away. I couldn''t pay the hustle around them much attention as taking a left around the benches in front of the harbor office demanded concentration. My small leather shoes didn¡¯t agree with these conditions but they were painted yellow and had an exquisite sewing of red flowers. The way they hugged my feet like a blanket made not wearing them almost a crime.


    As naturally as breathing, I sucked in some ambient gold and blue flecks. Triangles and circles were woven together and their spell unleashed on the physical world. The sudden crack of ice around my feet being sent off to the sides made a few onlookers pull back in shock. They kept a good distance as each step produced a fresh rending of ice.


    Our walk took us down one of the packed main roads leading towards the central dome. A wall of buildings held us in like a pen with the occasional break in the stone for a new path of travel. No matter how wide it was, nearly every bit of road was filled with families carrying whatever scant goods they had brought from the ships or one of the residents going towards one destination or another for work. A line of yellow paint on the large road divided those going forward while the other side allow traffic in the opposite direction. An early suggestion from my husband only recently put in with the new arrivals. And as was typical of his workings, now seemed almost impossible to live without.


    Thoughts of that man presented an irksome notion. It occurred to me I might have scolded Eli for so frivolously wasting his magic in times past. Perhaps at our next meeting, I would compensate him for my hypocrisy. A smile came just in time for a big carriage pulled by four men to cut through the crowd from the left.


    Seeing as how the workshops and forges needed various bits from each other, a system of carriages had been set up to help transport the goods to and from them as well as from the harbor warehouses. Part of that system was giving the big wooden beasts the right of way when passing through traffic. What I hadn¡¯t considered was the image of Kelton¡¯s pulling along the poles of the carriage like pack animals. Faint memories of human children flicking my snout and prodding my horns returned despite my best efforts to prevent their emergence.


    Deciding that the first thing brought in by trade was some horses, I could only let my smile fall off as the crowd moved forward with the carriage¡¯s exit. A heavy wind blew through my fellow travelers that even the thick cloth of my green dress struggled to keep off my skin.


    Moving towards the giant dome off in the distance proved tiresome. It was near the end, when the open plaza of my main residence was a stone''s throw away, that a thoughtless look downward made me pull up short.


    ¡®Lady?!¡¯ A guard behind me whispered in an electric buzz on my shoulder. A leathered hand gripped my side in expectation.


    ¡®Nothing!¡¯ I put in as calmly as I could manage with all three guards stopping in the middle of traffic to inspect me.


    Heat suffused my cheeks as the hand released and I continued walking with the guard ahead resuming his duties. Me being startled at the black fur that had replaced the grey previously there was a fact that never needed to leave my skull. When we got to the open expanse of stone, the heavy traffic mostly turned towards a destination to the right or left.


    A few still kept with us as we moved past a series of stone benches occupied with paper-laden secretaries or captains waiting to get their contracts for being inducted into our navy. As a matter of security, only a designated few were allowed at this spot. A few of several hundred, possibly even more than a thousand at this point, was still dozens of people waiting to get through the double doors of black iron leading into the dome whose top was impossible to see from the pavilion.


    If any thought of trying to push through to the inner portion, the two mountains of steel standing by the doors kept such thoughts to mere speculation. At my approach, their horns sticking out of the iron helmets dipped to the side with metal-clad arms pulling open the iron slabs twice as tall as a man. Coming through, the first thing I noticed was the lack of wind clawing up my dress.


    That may have made the open floor before me more appealing than perhaps was warranted. Still, the yellow sun on the stone ground was eye-catching as ever, as was its twin taking up most of the domed roof above. While the benches going up a good floor on the sides were bare things of grey stone, the bits of sun falling down on them from slits in the wall provided a different kind of beauty.


    My destination to the immediate right was not as well embellished. A plain oak door with iron bands for extra protection stuck out along an equally dull grey stone wall. Beyond it was the meeting room for this city''s most important leaders and my prison for what would probably be hours.


    When we came close enough that the leading guard was raising his hand to open the door, a sudden ache set into my chest. Low, at the first moment, but quickly ramping up to an almost crushing grip on my rib cage. A pressure without any source gripped my chest like a dozen horses lying on top of me. Proportion said bones should be snapping yet they remained in place despite the sensations being sent to my brain. I allowed the leathered hand on my side to hold me up as weak knees threatened to fail. Like curtains of pitch, the edges of the grey wall ahead went black.


    And for the first time in all my struggles with this monster, a faint hope that the darkness would take me cut through the agony.


    It seemed like the void would grant me that mercy only for the pain to loosen its grip. Not as quickly as it had come but the lancing agony around my chest slowly fell into mere discomfort then¡­. Nothing. I was left standing with beads of sweat falling down my chin and no physical malady to explain the feeling of death¡¯s visit.


    To think women all over the world spent mountains of gold and risked death to go through this.


    Getting properly back on my feet took another second. When I was finally presentable, a shaky step was taken forward, then a confident one. The guards had the same concerned look they gave me each time I nearly dropped but the leading man still dutifully opened the door.


    Coming into the meeting room with a freshly scuffed mood left the bare, long space feeling particularly impoverished with its plain walls bathed in the golden light of a mana lamp above. Even the long table and wood chairs in the middle seemed to be of poor make despite the soft cushioning. Scouring the place as I moved towards the head of the table left me barren of any further complaints, which only further aggravated the need to justify the foul feeling permeating every waking second of my existence.


    Plopping into the chair at the head of the table made the dress ride up my backside. A feral growl was working up my throat as icy air played along exposed legs. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I let the foul mood seethe for a bit before telling it that our actions were making this worse than it needed to be. The black mass around my soul seemed only partially sated as I got to work fixing the dress.


    By the time I finished, the first member of the council came in past the two guards waiting outside. Sheeka had a light brown dress matching her fur. That served as a contrast to the ivory horns jutting up out of her leather head cover. Their points were a bit sharper than her chin, but it was a closer thing than most would imagine.


    As she sat directly on my left, her curt sideways head bob and tight lips made it clear she knew what state I was in. Her awareness of my irritation further aggravated it. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back and focused on the icy air flowing across my tongue with each breath. In the black void, a wooden creak announced the arrival of another member. Faint whiffs of ash played across my snout with the scrape of a chair on my right, telling me who it was without even looking.


    I was content to keep the world a dark void for a few minutes longer until a third and final swing of the door forced me to be mentally present for the meeting.


    On the immediate right was a Kelton man with curled brown horns and grey fur matching my natural color. This time he wasn¡¯t clad in a thick leather apron, though his thick brown coat, white shirt, and brown pants were of a particularly sturdy make. Menkie was rubbing a long tuft of fur on his chin as he took in Joeseen, who now took up the seat beside Sheeka.


    ¡°Will Kantor be joining us?¡± The old sailor coarsely asked the group. A few sideways glances were sent my way for direction, as they always seemed to these days.


    A sense of resignation came over me as I prepared the use of my vocal cords with a cough. Maintaining spirit connections between so many people was almost impossible and we didn¡¯t have the time to train and develop some elaborate seating arrangements with designated positions for the connections, leaving our ears to endure these proceedings.


    ¡°No,¡± I put in with a voice that was hopefully hoarse enough to hide the irritation within. ¡°This is about supplies and building. Sheeka, I¡¯ve heard we¡¯re starting to get a good feel for our mana limits.¡±


    She dipped her head sideways.


    ¡°Yes. Though, it''s the smiths and builders who¡¯ve had the biggest problem with it.¡±


    Some faint suspicion wiggled in through my ears. Menkie had apparently discussed this with her beforehand, as he seamlessly took over her portion with a lean onto the stone table.


    ¡°We have plenty of room. And if our gates were closed to any more refugees, that would be enough¡­.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at him, the unspoken ¡®but¡¯ being left plain. A tired sigh was all he gave me at first before he delivered the blow.


    ¡°Things can¡¯t keep going as they are. If we wait until every house is full, it¡¯ll be too late.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To expand,¡± He said with a look onto the table, on which he placed his hands melded together into a cube. ¡°The cube on which this place rests is, with all respect to your ancestors, very inefficient with its mana. At the center of the stone is a wooden cube using a huge enchantment to keep the stone around it still or replace it.


    We''ve found this effort isn¡¯t equally spent in all places as the mana it uses to keep the stone in place beneath buildings is far greater at the edges. A few supports along the sides will help mitigate this. However¡­. Filling this place to the brim won¡¯t take all the ambient mana, but my people feel it would take enough to severely impact our food and forges. That¡¯s not even considering any future projects we may take up.¡±


    The clacking of my fingers on stone permeated the air as I processed this information.


    ¡°Do you agree?¡± I finally asked with a look to the left.


    Sheeka¡¯s vigorous nod was more certain than I would have liked.


    ¡°Not a day working brick and I could tell you that,¡± Joeseen offered ¡°When the harbors were being put in, anyone with mana sight would notice how large the flow of mana being sucked in by the cube was. That¡¯s why the harbor has a separate interior of hardened wood supporting it.¡±


    A little fact unknown to me, but I let it go to focus on the next words from Menkie.


    ¡°That¡¯s besides the fact that the ground below the water is mostly sand. Getting down to solid rock and flattening it out would be a huge project alone. Not to mention dangerous. Maybe in times past throwing bodies at it could work but we don¡¯t have the people for that.¡±


    ¡°Nor would we even if it were otherwise,¡± I put in with a puckered lip and pointed look at him, which he responded to with a sideways head bob. A slight cough from Sheeka made me turn to the left.


    ¡°All things considered, we think that having large shafts of stone, rather than a single huge slab, would be for the best. Ones designed to support the upper structures based on the natural strength of wood and stone alone without having to suck in mana.¡±


    The faint suspicion bloomed into certainty. What they were recommending was beyond their architectural talent. Yet, they still proposed it. That fact cleared any doubt as to who they had in mind to make up the deficiency. Taking a deep breath, I straightened out my green dress with a small huff.


    ¡°Another lash across my husband''s back?¡± I coldly demanded.


    Sheeka raised her eyebrows to say ¡®Really?¡¯ while Menkie pulled back with a bit lip.


    ¡°Did we not agree to keep this a Kelton affair?¡± I asked the table. Joeseen leaned forward, his tongue licking his lips before he spoke in a broken voice.


    ¡°Waves never bend to the pride of captains. We do what we can but sometimes things are simply beyond our ability. Maybe something sturdy could be fashioned that would stand up to the elements for a year or two. Eventually, there will be a factor we didn¡¯t consider and whatever we build will sink into the depths. Along with dozens of families.¡±


    ¡°Pff!¡± I scoffed with a lean back into my chair and a look around the table. ¡°All three of you?¡±


    Menkie looked to the side in embarrassment, while Joeseen and Sheeka met my gaze without falter or apology.


    ¡°If I could be so bold, my Lady,¡± Joeseen intoned with a lean back into his chair and gathering of his blue robe. ¡°I don¡¯t profess to know him as well as you do, but I do remember his insistence on safety. Far beyond any captain or construction overseer I¡¯ve ever met. From that generous impression, I think it¡¯s reasonable to say that he would prefer to make sure this massive undertaking be done in the soundest manner possible.¡±


    I merely raised both eyebrows at his audacity, though Sheeka pulled my gaze towards her with a light huff.


    ¡°Even if we put a bloody whip to his back, surely there are ways we could make the proposition a worth while one.¡± The woman put in with a suggestive smile and a leftward lean of her head.


    A small puckering of my lips at the subtle innuendo didn¡¯t dissuade her from continuing.


    ¡°After all, he is a man. Men have been known to trade their labors for certain¡­. Services. And if the service was vigorous enough, he would only remember our request fondly.¡±


    I was more amused than outraged, much to my own surprise. A lean back into my chair followed by a folding of arms left me chewing my lips for a second. Amusement was fighting with some frustrated voice demanding we do as Sheeka was suggesting.


    ¡°And what brothel would you suggest we take him to?¡± I asked with a carefully controlled smile. Sheeka shook her head with a pointed look up and down my dress, taking an extra moment to linger over the chest portion as she did so.


    ¡°His wife seems more than equipped enough for the task. And as the first of his marriage, would you not be capable of properly thanking him?¡±


    Fire burned in my chest, not of scandal or anger, but competitive fury. Another woman was questioning my wifely skills and no mercy would be shown.


    ¡°Spirits know I¡¯ve ridden him enough to almost achieve full recompense,¡± I put in sweetly. Sheeka grinned back, looking like a girl listening to some bit of juicy gossip. ¡°But even I, as his beloved, cannot fully meet that goal no matter how much of my womanhood or mouth I give him. The fact is gifting him all due gratitude would be a death by draining.¡±


    She pulled back with raised eyebrows and a pensive frown. Her lips moved to soundlessly form the word ¡®mouth¡¯ like it was a foreign thing on the tongue. In this context, perhaps it was. Feeling the initiative turn in my favor, I leaned forward with a pointed meeting of her white eyes and a vicious smile that wouldn¡¯t be kept down.


    ¡°And if he should find himself with a buildup of sap and I¡¯m not present, would you be able to meet the challenge? This skittishness I¡¯m seeing isn¡¯t filling me with confidence that you¡¯re fully aware of what a proper thanking would entail.¡±


    Sheeka gave me a sour puckering of lips, like she was holding in what she really wanted to say. Even so, she gamely opened her mouth for a return blow.


    ¡°Such matters would require his personal judgment. Perhaps I should accompany you on the visit to get a rigorous examination.¡±


    As I prepared to ask how she intended to service the cap of Eli''s stem, a moment of reflection came. That probably wasn''t a question that should be asked at an official meeting. The sheer vulgarity of the impulse made me consider how the conversation preceding it wasn''t much better. Taking a deep breath, I could feel the infection of horrid days and lonely nights working through my tongue to deliver a laborer¡¯s profanity. At least mother wasn¡¯t here to wash my mouth out.


    ¡°I will take it up with him,¡± I offered with a more measured tone. That made Sheeka pull back into her chair with a sideways nod.


    The clink of metal to the left drew my gaze. For all the intimidation of large steel plates and sharp swords, the red ears and awkward stare forward from the hulking man was almost cute. The other men were likewise made uncomfortable. Menkie didn¡¯t even attempt to meet my gaze, instead keeping his face in his hands with burning ears on the side. Joeseen only regarded our conversation with a resigned smile.


    Still, they had won with Sheeka¡¯s gamble.


    Some deep part of my soul decided to ask Eli for this labor without considering if the rest of me wanted to or not. I quickly perused my memories of all the times we played, looking for the moves that had made him quiver the most and made note of the greatest prospects. A wife''s pride was now in contention and it demanded vindication. I let a second pass before presenting the next problem.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Even if he should succeed,¡± I announced to the assembled group. Menkie was staring down at the table now while Joeseen patiently waited beside Sheeka. ¡°There remains the question of how much of the snail''s territory we want to take. They¡¯re our only real defense from a land assault. To say nothing of potentially ruining the only natural wonder of the north.¡±


    Menkie finally gathered up the courage to re-enter the conversation with a look towards me that didn¡¯t meet my gaze.


    ¡°We¡¯ve considered that. Making the new housing four or five stories tall should help alleviate the need to push too far into their domain. There are a few spots where they don¡¯t seem to stay, though filling those places in with housing will mean the expansions won¡¯t be simple blocks. This is, of course, another reason the grand mage¡¯s vision will be needed.¡±


    Joeseen leaned forward with a pensive frown.


    ¡°Another issue is distribution,¡± The old Kelton said with a look towards the smith. ¡°I can¡¯t say I have any complaints with my current accommodations, but Eli¡¯s mastery of building is unmatched. Any houses designed by him will no doubt be in greater demand than the ones here. How will we determine payment for such spaces versus living here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Sheeka mused with pursed lips. ¡°Taking that idea a few years out, our center of government might end up being in the slum.¡±


    ¡°Slum?¡± I asked her with furrowed eyebrows.


    She bobbed her head back and forth with bit lips before casually shrugging.


    ¡°Every place has those unsavory bits. Certain corners where children shouldn¡¯t play and addicts can ply their drug of choice in peace.¡±


    A stiffened spine and raised chin were the physical answers before the oral one.


    ¡°Not every place has magical crafts and their creators working together. We can¡¯t all be wrapped in gold and jewels, but we can keep things better than merely acceptable. And if I¡¯m running this city, the only places children can¡¯t go will be the forges and harbor.¡± I declared with a firm tone.


    Dubious looks greeted the proclamation. No matter. They were compliant and if it took a few years for them to let old views die, I would not begrudge them that time.


    ¡°For the here and now,¡± I continued, ¡°Eli typically has items required before he plies vision to paper. Get samples of the rock floor beneath the sand and some spots selected for future expansions. In addition-¡±


    The sudden opening of the door drew everyone¡¯s gaze. A small, brown-furred lad in cream pants and a blue shirt, marking him a messenger of Joeseen¡¯s domain, came through. The next few words vacated my tongue. He wouldn¡¯t have been let through if the guards didn¡¯t allow it. People had nearly died because they thought a few extra corpses weren¡¯t worthy of my attention before I had to tell them otherwise. That left me very interested in the way he ran up to the blue-robed man and conducted an unheard spirit connection with a heaving chest.


    Joeseens furrowing his eyebrows made me gulp. Whatever was being said, it was making the admiral breathe like he was on a run. This time, I made sure to keep the everpresent foul mood out of the rising irritation in my gut. When the conversation with the boy ended, his rise out of his seat signaled the end of ours.


    ¡°It seems the humans have finished covertly shadowing our ships. Crasden has sent an envoy. He is requesting an immediate meeting and has even agreed to keep his guards back at his boat.¡± The admiral announced with a pointed look towards me.


    ¡°Lad,¡± I said to the messenger boy. ¡°Tell the men to get the council chairs and my couch in place.¡±


    The lad was so eager to obey that he didn¡¯t even give me a sideways head-bob before running out of the room. Joeseen regarded the small retreating figure with a raised eyebrow but it was Sheeka who spoke up.


    ¡°Sala-¡­. Passmede. Is such a meeting wise? What with your circumstance and all.¡±


    I shook my head as I leaned back into the chair.


    ¡°The pain came just before the meeting. So far, it only shows up once a day at most.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Sheeka said with an embarrassed look down. ¡°My apologies for earlier. A pregnant woman shouldn¡¯t be harassed.¡±


    Joeseen raised an eyebrow at the woman.


    ¡°The chief''s seed hasn¡¯t taken root in her nor is her belly swollen.¡±


    Sheeka turned to the man with puckered lips.


    ¡°A woman is going to push another living thing out of her body. What word would you use?¡±


    Their bickering melded into background noise while Menkie and I rested in our corner of the table. Some notion of telling them Eli¡¯s seed had, in one sense, taken root in me pulled my world to simpler days. Reminiscing on the times of galavanting around the Diamond Academy also made it clear the birthing pains weren¡¯t the only thing fouling my spirit.


    In my first marriage to the drunkard¡­.


    What was his name?


    The surprise that I couldn¡¯t remember what I called my former husband of ten years was almost matched by how indifferent I was to that fact. All memory presented was how I had to throw him out for hitting my mother. That and our wedding night.


    Giving the layabout my virginity was probably going to be my biggest regret in life, unless I really messed something up in the future. How I wasted my twenties was going to be the second. We never had children, thank the spirits, but it was only recently that the feelings of the lost decade had been made clear. Sex had become a chore performed to keep him happy, never because I wanted it. I couldn¡¯t quite place how, but I think that notion of labor in bed made me think I could live without Eli for months on end.


    A woman of refinement and quiet dignity is what I always strived for growing up. Not like those crude people who only approached the serene beauty of our gender by virtue of birth. Perhaps I stuck with my waste of a husband because our lack of activity made me think I was living up to that ideal. Being a prim and proper lady is easy when the male half of the marriage makes your legs cross on their own.


    Union in body was something I had merely tolerated for almost my entire adult life. Now it seems obvious that those years of tolerance had made me blind to how painful a still bed would be when its creaks were an accompanying symphony instead of an interruption in preparing the grocery list as the route motions were gone through. For all the lives hanging in the balance and work towards the betterment of my entire species going on, a temptation to visit for more plant crafts or whatever other crap would get me back in his bedroom was growing with every cold morning and breakfast without some loving on the side or squeezes on his favorite bits of my body.


    The memory of our last meeting came like a tempting dream. My heart pounding as he lifted the dress-


    *Creak*


    Visions of a pleasant past were replaced with a steel-plated guard coming through the door.


    ¡°We are ready, great council.¡± He announced to the room.


    I was grateful that the black fur was hiding the color of my cheeks, and even more glad for the lack of heat in my ears. Having spent almost half the meeting thinking about rutting and pondering the feeling of an exploding chest, the saving grace was that only most of it was said out loud. The other members still deigned me fit for purpose, however. They got up with my rise and waited for me to lead the procession out, which I did with the man of steel on my left.


    Going through the door revealed the open forum. It was left unchanged save the white couch in the center of the sun on the floor between the bleachers. It was sporting two chairs of dark oak for the esteemed councilors on each side with the one on the far right already being occupied by Kantor.


    Clad in the same steel as my guards save a steel helm, the older Kelton''s black fur flowed over some chain mail around his neck. His curled brown horns dipped with the side-long nod of these lands. As I settled into my position among the fluffy white pillows, Menkie took up beside Kantor. Sheeka and Joeseen were the last to sit, with the woman taking up the chair closest to me. A simple nod to the guard by the main doors made him open the iron slabs leading to the outside.


    Through it came a man sporting a mop of red hair with a blue scarf over his mouth. His green eyes immediately settled on me, as was expected. In return, my gaze was fixed on the robe adorning his frame.


    Such clothing was typically seen as being for those of modest spirit or means, though this specimen broke that trend. The straight, downward gold lines going around the blue fabric shined too brightly to be the product of paint. If he made any judgments of our abode and attire, it was left unsaid on his part with the slight forward bow of his head.


    His walk towards us was stopped by Kantor''s huff.


    ¡°It is a poor envoy who challenges the chief on his first visit.¡± He intoned with a rough voice that bounced off stone walls.


    Right. I was supposed to be offended. A bit of sweat ran down the back of my neck but I quickly waved my hand at Kantor with a cautioning finger.


    ¡°Father, humans don¡¯t have horns. For them that is a simple greeting and such things are hard to keep on a leash.¡±


    The human¡¯s green eyes widened a bit, though his demeanor didn¡¯t suggest panic nor was his hand unsteady as he pulled down the scarf to reveal a sharp chin and smooth cheekbones on a thin face.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your sire correctly judges my ability, though not my intent. I am an unqualified diplomat and can only offer my apologies for any uncouth behavior from me and my men. Sadly, time is not so generous as to allow my house to find a better one.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow but said nothing to stop him from continuing. Something he picked up on after a second.


    ¡°I am Emerett, from house Kraton. Named so after our founder who served under the great ultimate mage Rodring and the rulers of Crasden. More pertinent to this discussion, the load bearers for protecting that great capital. The head of our efforts is Lady Ashe and she sees an opportunity here where others might see problems.


    We are aware of how the Mist pirates were pushed from your people''s lands. As well as your travels around the colder northern regions. Reports from spies and intercepted letters, however, suggest our mutual foe believes we were the main force behind that loss, with your people acting as a supplementary force. Our observations of their deployments and patrol routes would also suggest a similarly dismissive attitude towards the strength of your sea power.¡±


    In the corner of my eye, I saw Kantor lean a bit forward, shoulders so tense even the steel plates above them couldn''t hide it. A quick look to the other side showed a more restrained Joeseen, though the squeeze he was giving the arms of his chair seemed beyond casual. For my part, I was more curious than anything else.


    ¡°And do you share that assessment?¡± I asked in a hoarse voice that slightly undid the casual tone I was going for.


    A small smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Before coming here, I wouldn¡¯t have believed they could be turned aside so totally by any of the northern clans. Now? Well¡­. Stone can manifest belief, it seems. Poor a diplomat as I may be, the good sense to not ask for the sum total of your current capabilities is still within me. So I can only give you this information and leave you to act on it as you can.¡±


    He stood a bit straighter at the last word, taking a deep breath before delivering his main message.


    ¡°Ten days from now, a battle on the seas is scheduled to take place near the southern half of our seas and, most importantly, far away from Passtoon¡¯s Watch.¡±


    ¡°Scheduled?¡± Sheeka asked with puckered lips.


    Emerett was drawn up short, raising an eyebrow at the interruption. Despite looking how I felt about the question, he politely coughed before explaining.


    ¡°Scheduled is the word but not the whole truth of it. Travel on the ocean is impossible save for the specialized behemoths laced with pools of poison and fire enchantments, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all aware. There is only so far a ship can travel from shore and those capable of guarding fleets across the seas for days-long voyages move too slowly for their needs.


    That leaves few routes for them to travel, all of which can be easily calculated. There may be a few twists of wind or even the shakes of a storm to throw things off, but in the end it¡¯s easy to pinpoint when and where our fleets will meet up. Which is what makes the opportunity you present all the greater.¡±


    He took another breath before getting back to what I assumed was his main track of thought.


    ¡°In order to aid their reinforcements, the pirates are going to be sending away most of their remaining ships around their stolen base. Besides one or two for patrols almost certainly not located around your approach, all of their combat-worthy vessels will be away from their last foothold in the north.¡±


    I sat upright with a buzz along my spine that made the hair stand straight with its upward travel.


    ¡°To that end,¡± Emerett continued, ¡°We have prepared charts of their regular patrols and sketches of our house''s former sea-bound keep. What actions you take from this information will be up to you.¡±


    Kantor coughed, drawing all eyes to him.


    ¡°The trip here was risky. Bringing such information and a mage would have made it even more so.¡± He stated with the obvious question left unasked.


    Emerett¡¯s smile was a bit more genuine at that.


    ¡°The pages were contained in a specialized box with fire enchantments that would have burned the contents to ash if opened improperly. As for myself, I am merely a crafter and had the convenience of being at hand.¡±


    Such a brutal self-assessment raised my respect for him a level. I nodded in the human way, meeting the man¡¯s gaze as he turned to me.


    ¡°A surprise attack, then?¡± I asked.


    He puckered his lips with a good-natured smile.


    ¡°Is it truly a surprise if the knife comes from someone you struck first?"


    I nodded again in agreement. Joeseen, however had a skeptical look as he coughed for attention.


    ¡°And what will be the price for those papers?¡± He demanded with a stuck-out chin.


    That brought a full smile to the redhead''s face, like the question he had been waiting for just ran up to him.


    ¡°This information comes without price or expectation, all in the spirit of cooperation and bringing low those who have made these months so wretched. Lady Ashe repeatedly emphasized how you are under no obligation to act on this gift, only that I was to remind you that the pirates will not take their kicking from your lands without retaliation. Wounded pride that they will only act upon if their hold on Passtoon¡¯s Watch is firm enough to allow them the free time.¡±


    Kantor strummed the fingers of his metal gauntlet on the arm of his chair. Silent anger still burned beneath the steel shell, but none of it was showing on his face. The clanking on wood finally stopped before he spoke.


    ¡°And does your house still claim that lost land?¡±


    For the first time, the human dropped his placating demeanor. A deep V formed with Emerett¡¯s eyebrows and green eyes tightened. It passed by so suddenly I almost questioned if I had seen it at all. When a plain smile returned, it was so carefully constructed that I could only conclude his appointment wasn¡¯t solely one of immediate convenience.


    ¡°The pirates were not gentle in their acquisition, but I assure you nature''s protection of the area is as strong as ever. More than that, they may seem few in number on land, but the crabs would more than make up for any deficit. Counting the plunder before you¡¯ve even drawn a sword would not be wise.¡±


    Not a denial, but not an affirmation. How typical. Still, the prospect he presented raised a question of my own.


    ¡°The Mist pirates are people of fire and water elements, correct?¡±


    Emerett almost dipped his head in the human fashion, only just stopping in time to bite his lip and lift his neck back up.


    ¡°Indeed. Their ultimate founder was a man of some mystery but his unique nature is well known.¡±


    ¡°And are their preferred pets more resilient against flame for it?¡±


    A moment of reflection passed before he shook his head.


    ¡°I have studied their ways extensively, as everyone has in recent months and been unfortunate enough to obtain personal experience with their tactics. I have seen the hermit giant crabs boil as their smaller cousins do in the pots. Though how they would pair with beer and butter is still in question.¡±


    Despite myself, a smile fought onto my face, as it did for the rest of the council.


    ¡°This is a unique gift.¡± I continued ¡°Though it is free, I know that delivering it was not. The bitter bite of winter and sea are things I have endured as I¡¯m sure you have these past few days. A home could be made available to you until you¡¯re ready to set off tomorrow. Meal included.¡±


    This time he kept his head still when speaking.


    ¡°Being a burden is a poor first impression in any relationship. If the cold hadn¡¯t been so intimate with my every crevice and pore these past few days, maybe decorum could be maintained. As it is, I doubt the men would see me return alive if I refused such an offer.¡±


    Kantor gave a pointed look to the steel-plated guard behind the man. Stomps of steel on stone made the redhead look back for a brief moment before turning towards us again.


    ¡°If I may be so bold as to offer advice. The Mist pirate''s lack of earth element means any damage to the piers will be irreparable save for the import of massive wooden timbers. Taking out even one or two would severely hamper their operations on the island, with all the implications for their sea-faring endeavors.¡±


    I gave him the human nod back, which he returned before following the mountain of steel out into winter''s embrace.


    ¡°Any thoughts?¡± I asked the room in a rough voice.


    Joeseen huffed with a lean forward to look past me at Kantor.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem terribly confident much will come from this venture.¡±


    Kantor did a sideways head bob while biting his lip.


    ¡°They probably think the refugee ships in the harbor are our main fleet. If I was in their place, I¡¯d put down us kicking the pirates out to catching the scum on land and by surprise. No doubt a long, bloody battle even with those. Maybe we should give the island a good drubbing to show our strength.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I put in, ¡°Another opportunity like this won¡¯t come by. However, we should minimize casualties and the idea of us slugging it out with house-size crabs doesn¡¯t complement that.¡±


    Menkie lightly coughed, sounding more like he genuinely needed to get some spit out of his windpipes rather than get attention, though he did use the opportunity for such.


    ¡°I assume you want some kind of firecraft for them?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I said, ¡°The airship will make a pass over the island for more detailed information, but Emerett made it seem like it will be easy once the crabs are dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Boiling them does seem like a straightforward thing.¡± Menkie offered.


    ¡°Catapults.¡± Joeseen put in from the left. ¡°We¡¯ll also need some stone spheres to deal with the ones that make it on land.¡±


    ¡°All very good.¡± I put in with a rise from the couch. ¡°My experience with an assault from ship to land is nonexistent. So I will leave the planning and designs for the crafts to your expertise.¡±


    As I moved towards the door with my two guards coming up behind me, Sheeka came to my left.


    ¡°Apologies, Passmede. I was quite rude earlier.¡±


    I gave her a small smile before motioning her to follow me.


    ¡°The problem with having a great husband is you can no longer be an idiot, lest it reflect on your other half. A wife should at least keep him happy in that way. Something I clearly need to learn.¡± I assured her as we approached the double iron doors.


    Those metal slabs were pushed open by the two men, letting in a chill whose only saving grace was the lack of wind behind it. The cold was immediately accompanied by an electric sensation across my arm.


    ¡®Any decent husband would understand the struggles of pregnancy,¡¯ She offered as we crossed into the outdoors. ¡®I¡¯ve inquired with the former midwives and your pains¡­. Are not typical to their expertise.¡¯


    Our trek took us past those waiting outside and through the stone pavilion while I pondered my situation. The faint waft of body odor was present, though not nearly as strong as the mass of people moving in front of us would suggest. As we tacked into the main body of traffic with a right turn, I finally let loose a sigh.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think pregnancy has broken any woman like this has me.¡¯ I confided with a slight slump of my shoulders as a cart swerved a bit out of our way.


    ¡®It¡¯s that bad?¡¯ Sheeka asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®The pain has gotten to the point where I just hope I pass out. If that isn¡¯t defeat, what is?¡¯


    She gave me a pitying look but said nothing else. This was my burden to shoulder and no one else here had any experience or advice to give. Our company was soon split with my turn into one of the buildings to fashion a small mountain of healing collars. Another burden no one but me could see to. That fact, coupled with the lack of Gula and Eli in my daily life, left a feeling of loneliness despite the constant guards and the entire city literally centered around me.


    Starlight guided my return under the dome. The heavens barely lit the stone floor and yellow sun as I made my way to the room in the back. It suddenly occurred to me, as I was pushing open the door into my abode, that telling the airship of the needed spy run would have been a good idea before leaving to make the collars. Placing any and all blame on the pain, I stepped into the black void. Above was a triple-paned window trying to let in the feeble starlight outside. My press on a mana crystal to the immediate left lit up the room and put to shame the weak efforts of the heavens.


    Golden light poured over the mural on the left, which always drew my gaze at every entry. Bold pinks and red across grey stobe depicted swords floating over rough rocks swarming with snails. Each blade''s tip was pointing downwards on the uncomprehending beasts below. The only other pieces of furniture were the stone desk directly ahead, its wooden chair embroidered in red cushioning, and the carpet of white fur rug below.


    We were far enough north that every floor was almost ice. In times past I would have stiffened my spine through the pain, but the me of here and now had gotten too used to the luxuries conjured by an unfathomably talented husband. A fact I accepted without argument.


    The door behind the desk was the entrance to the bedroom proper, but only the day''s physical labor had been seen too. That and the fact that the airship wouldn''t be much use scouting this late meant only one thing. Letting loose the same sigh I gave before going into the fish gutters shop for a grueling day, my feet accepted what I would not and plopped me into the seat. Sure enough, a stack of papers was waiting for me, and not just the previous day''s work as the small flicker of hope in my chest had yearned for.


    I took the first page and looked over the handwriting that I placed as Menkie¡¯s. A request for more iron ore and competing for the hauler''s time. As did the next three papers. The fourth page was asking for the wood to make some kind of mana-soaking barge. A giant floating craft that would pull the blue specks from the sea and the way Joeseen waxed poetry in its description made me want to write down an approval.


    The copies of our current stocks may not be so enthused, however. A quick rummaging of the weekly figures stored in the drawer revealed they were not, yet I knew of where to find the wood. I pulled out the copy of our stores from bringing in the harried merchant ships waiting to die outside of closed ports. On the page, I found the stores of wood from said merchants.


    As the page was brought back down to its proper place, a thought struck me like a lightning bolt. We were separating our stores based on intake from our magic craft farms and what was brought in from the ports. But the crafting quarter was also keeping track of its output independently to get a better understanding of their demand for mana.


    So why were we bothering to make that distinction when it came to resources for work projects? If they were a merchant''s property, sure. That didn¡¯t apply, however, as all the goods recorded in the harbor warehouses were owned by us through trade. The only reason I could conjure was that it was a decision made in haste whose needless complexity only now became apparent.


    Writing down the issue on a fresh page, I resolved to take it up with Sheeka and Joeseen in the morning. Whoever I was going to foist the job of coordinating resource distribution on shouldn¡¯t be left with the impression that the people ruling this place were idiots. I moved on to the next few pages with a sense of satisfaction. Sadly, no jolt of revelation came with the rest of the orders, requests, and propositions.


    The mind-crushing drudgery finally ended at an unknown hour. A tired mind and stumbling feet took me to the mana lamp to press it off then through the back door into the proper bedroom, all while moving off memory. Another casualty of my exhaustion was the nightly check-in with the airship, which I resolved to do when a fresh start to the day accompanied the quick conversation. Morning came too soon, though I dutifully got my shower and put on a blue dress with golden triangles running up and down its cloth.


    As the morning meal of fried fish and chicken soup was washed down with water, Kantor came in wearing his ever-present armor and sword. His black fur had specks of white telling of falling snow outside yet it did nothing to dampen the excitement in his demeanor. The way he unfurled a large scroll across my desk was likewise enthused.


    ¡®We¡¯ve worked out a design for boiling the crabs.¡¯ He announced in a spirit connection that buzzed across my left shoulder.


    What the drawing presented was a long rectangle of wood. The core and one of the ends were empty, leaving room for the second part. A hollow tube of stone would be inserted with both ends open. At the inner end of the craft was a fire enchantment that would spew flame through the stone tube, which I comprehended to be a guard for the wooden shell. That accompanied another realization when looking over the instructions for the enchantment.


    ¡®It¡¯s going to be sucking in the ambient mana? What if they use up all the mana we need for our mages? Are you so confident in our ability to match the pirate''s swordsmanship?¡¯ I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®The humans will not be sporting as much armor as we are whereas beasts don¡¯t care for such things, especially when they¡¯re the size of a house. We¡¯ll have mana crystals for our magic and I doubt the pirates will have such preparations. Sucking up all the mana with these crafts to boil the surrounding water puts on the best footing.¡¯


    ¡®All right,¡¯ I agreed with a feeling of reluctance. ¡®I¡¯ll have the airship do a scouting run and then you can finalize the plans with Joeseen.¡¯


    ¡®But not you?¡¯ He asked with a raised black eyebrow below curled brown horns.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going, obviously. No experience to offer in the arts of sailing or siege. You know to minimize casualties, as I¡¯ve made clear many times before. There is nothing left for me to contribute besides more healing crafts.¡¯


    Kantor gave me a sideways head bob.


    ¡®I thought you¡¯d like to know that our human guests have since departed. No fuss and an insistence that you be told how grateful they are for the hospitality.¡¯


    I puckered my lips at the news.


    ¡®Good. However, I doubt future meetings will be so forward. Spies visiting under such pretexts will no doubt pick up when things in the north stabilize. Perhaps we should make a housing section just for human visitors, making them easier to track.¡¯


    Kantor bounced his head back and forth for a bit before shaking it.


    ¡®That might work for a few weeks or months, but this is a years long project. Eventually, they¡¯ll figure out that sending humans isn¡¯t as effective as bribing some Kelton from the clans with a weakness for gold to visit. Restricting visitors from the forge and crafting areas and leaving the current housing district as a playpen for all the foreigners is probably our best course.¡¯


    I nodded before the next task of the day presented itself.


    ¡®Did the guards hear anything while I was out?¡¯


    Kantor shook his head with a tired sigh.


    ¡®It¡¯s not easy, training these men. Having to keep one sitting around for hours in case that box makes a noise may seem like a small expense to you but it''s not cheap on my end, I assure you.¡¯


    A smile forced itself on my face despite the early hour.


    ¡®A burden I¡¯m sure many are eager to shoulder.¡¯


    His lips puckered with a child¡¯s petulance, something that contrasted with the imposing steel body and sword at his hip.


    ¡®But not on my shoulders. A day''s pay for a nap and a quiet meal. Such dreams, I suppose, fate will never deign to give me.¡¯


    I furrowed my eyebrows at him with a puckering of my lips to match his.


    ¡®They aren¡¯t laying in my bed while waiting for a report from the ship, are they?¡¯


    ¡®None would be so foolish as to take the cot of the chief''s wife. They are provided a separate chair which is brought and taken with them.¡¯ He assured me a bit too seriously.


    I was tempted to tease him about it further if not for duty pulling me elsewhere. My fake father took my silence for dismissal and gave me a head bob before turning out the door. Left alone, I abandoned the dishes and went back into my room to deliver the message that should have been sent last night.


    The mana lamp on the left was turned on, revealing a small bed with white sheets directly ahead. On the left was a wardrobe and mirror while the right was taken up by a door that led into the bathroom. I walked straight ahead, ignoring the call of those soft pillows and blankets as best I could with a kneel onto the floor beside their wooden frame.


    A groping hand went back and forth over cold stone until the feeling of wood suddenly rubbed on my fingers. Seizing it, I brought the box up with my rise off the floor while making sure not to scrape the downward-facing copper pole. The instructions on how to use it were in a faded corner of memory, but the needed bits presented themselves after a few seconds. Bringing the metal disk up to my mouth, I pressed the button on the back.


    ¡°Hello, Salamede talking.¡±


    A few seconds passed before the box crackled with an equally rough Kelton voice.


    ¡°The Intrepid, responding. Finished, I believe is the word. You¡¯re coming in a bit faint.¡±


    It took me a moment to place the voice as coming out of the disk I was speaking through. Right. The copper pole was supposed to be upward. Fixing the mistake I would keep secret till my dying day took only a turn around of the box. Which I finished with a cough before pressing the button on the back again.


    ¡°I was a bit far away. The important thing is we need a quick overview of the pirates around Pastoon¡¯s watch. I believe you know the way to the island. Finished.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Another flyover for the fort? Finished.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said with a needless shake of my head. ¡°Well, sure. But what we need most is a detailed mapping of their patrols. At least four days worth.¡±


    Seconds of silence passed before the box spoke again.


    ¡°A raid, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°One prompted from Crasden under official visits. They¡¯ve given us charts of the pirate''s patrols. I have no reason to think they¡¯re lying, but you don''t need to be lying to be wrong. A check with our eyes in the sky is needed. Nine days from now, we¡¯ll be sending a large force out if the charts hold true. Which you will accompany. Finished.¡±


    ¡°Understood, my lady. Finished.¡±


    Nodding to the pilot who couldn¡¯t see the gesture, I placed the box back beneath the bed. With that bit finished, I went back to work. The rest of the day passed without incident. Typical state of affairs, in things both large and small. Night flew by in bliss. The next day and night held to the same pattern with the pains giving me a good squeeze almost immediately after breakfast.


    In the mid-morning of the third day, I was pouring over a list of candidates in a plain white dress at my desk. Working figures and numbers weren¡¯t terribly needed skills in the frozen wastes, so the qualifications of contenders on hand mostly amounted to other people vouching for their general intelligence or a member of the council saying they seemed like a learned sort. One was particularly interesting, their claim being their own book on-


    ¡°Ssmede¡±


    The distorted whisper of what I assumed to be my name drew me from the page, which I placed to the side. Getting up from the desk, I moved towards the door leading out onto the main forum when the faint, almost garbled voice sounded out again.


    ¡°Rider¡­..In.¡±


    With the foreknowledge to carefully listen, the direction of the voice pointed towards the bedroom. The fact of where it was coming from now apparent, I half-ran across the room back through the opposite door. A quick fall to my knees beside the bed and the radio was back in hand.


    ¡°Greetings, Intrepid, even if the greeting is a day early. I do hope the people in Crasden are as capable on the sea as they¡¯ve pretended. Finished.¡±


    A second of dead silence passed.


    ¡°This is the Cloud Strider. Ready to deploy the troops as ordered. Finished.¡±


    I stared at the wall of grey stone ahead. The dead silence of the room filled the empty void where thought and action were supposed to be happening in my brain. After taking a quick breath, I delivered the first of many questions.


    ¡°Who¡­.Who is this?¡±


    ¡°The¡­. Cloud Strider, Lady Salamede. My apologies, I forgot you probably weren¡¯t informed of the name of our third ship.¡±


    Third?¡­. I blinked as I remembered the workings of a third ship being done back at the base. Which did nothing to explain things.


    ¡°Right. Um¡­.¡± My left hand rested on the bed as I leaned into it


    I took a moment to organize the words trying to vomit out all at once while all the hair on the back of my neck started standing straight up.


    ¡°What, by the spirits, are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be watching the base.¡±


    An eternity of nothing stretched on for two entire seconds before the box crackled.


    ¡°We are bringing the requested troops.¡± He said in a voice that was just beginning to suspect his situation.


    ¡°Who gave that order?¡± I hissed into the wood and metal.


    ¡°Pilot Durka, my lady. She said in her correspondence with you and the Intrepid that more troops were needed to deal with the influx of refugees.¡±


    Malicious. This was not an accident or a fruit of stupidity. Someone was lying and they were familiar enough with our inner workings to craft this deception.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had no such discussion,¡± I growled into the box. ¡°Get back to the base. NOW! It¡¯s¡­. Probably the Orcs. The ones were for taking Eli¡¯s seed and making magic cap-¡±


    ¡°But why? The other ship has been having trouble-¡±


    ¡°IT DOESN¡¯T MATTER!¡± I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow, which felt totally insufficient in conveying the panic rising up my throat. ¡°Whoever or whatever is behind this farce did it because they wanted to do something that you were a threat towards. And that threat needs to get its ass back there NOW!¡±


    A dull silence made me want to reach through the radio wave things and strangle the unseen man on the other side of this conversation.


    ¡°Well?!¡± I demanded through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Sorry, my lady. I was busy turning the- Yes, its some kind of deception. We¡¯re heading back.¡± I felt a twinge of sympathy at his attempt to converse with two people at once, but heated breathing and raw fury quickly blotted it out.


    ¡°The Intrepid will be returning soon. We¡¯ll follow.¡± I spoke before placing the radio back below the bed with a rather hard thud.


    ¡°GUARDS!!¡± I yelled in the same feral tone I had used on the radio. By the time I was pushing on the door out of the bedroom, the hard slam of wood on stone beyond matched the frantic clanging of steel. As I came through, I saw two of the metal men grasping drawn swords with a frenzied and deadly air.


    Troops. The Intrepid would need troops and couldn¡¯t land in the city now that we had outsiders.


    ¡°Get a ship ready with two dozen fighters,¡± I ordered with a quick sprint around the first man. ¡°Keep one man here who knows how to work the radio. They are to instruct the Intrepid to head north and keep an eye out for one of our ships traveling along the coast, which they¡¯ll pick me and the men up.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± One of the men asked, raising a brown eyebrow of fur.


    ¡°Our newest airship from the base just came down to work a fool''s task. Someone at the base didn¡¯t want them around. Get a ship in the water so we can at least get some distance in.¡±I half yelled as I went out the door.


    Blood pumped and my violent demon half was fully charged. The fact that whatever was happening so far north would probably already be decided by the time I got there made that streak of violence and rage fester further. There was nothing for it. I could only walk out of the office and hope for the future. Hope mostly centered on whoever was responsible for this still being alive when we got there so I could inflict weeks of my own pain on them.

 Chapter 127: The Struggle of Mothers.

    Chapter 127


    A waft of enticing steam blew over Kala¡¯s snout. The small, brown-furred, Kelton woman, reaching only four feet tall and some scant inches, stood on a large stool overlooking a metal pot nearly her own height. Fish fillets and grains bubbled away with only her long spoon keeping the grey and green soup from burning. Another dousing of delicious moisture poured over her brown dress matching the fur. The wisps of vapor went past stubby mud-colored horns and flowed up to the stone ceiling and crystal mana lamps above.


    Grey hairs would have found some time in the sumptuous sauna in years past, but they had been made brown with a decadent application of the spare healing crafts left behind for the workers at the base. Long lost vigor pushed and pulled seemingly new hands as she worked the only pot boiling away in the line of its siblings at the center of the otherwise lifeless rectangular kitchen. Ahead of her were stoves left idle while behind tables pushed against the grey stone walls for those doing the last preparations before being sent through the open window above showing long rows of tables and accompanying benches.


    The golden glow of a mana lamp above reminded her of the sunlight she hadn¡¯t technically seen in weeks. As impressive as the sun was, it was present in good and lean times. Fish stew, however, was a sign of plenty. Its soft texture and richness a stark contrast to hard breads softened with gruel.


    The routine and smell of this hearty luxury brought forth memories of such good times gone by. Her ears almost picked up the soft grumbles of Salamede, barely reaching half of Kala¡¯s already small standing, as she stood impatiently off to the side. Stubby ivory horns shifted with the small child¡¯s impatient bouncing for dinner.


    Something that Ferris put a stop to with a dramatic raise of his daughter into the air. His grey fur matched Salamede¡¯s as she was twirled around like a doll. The next few memories came in the same order they always did and Kala had enough experience to not interrupt their visit. Sitting around a dinner table with steaming bowls, the love her life, and the fruit of their love as Salamede gulped her meal before taking her tax out of her father''s portion. Followed by a walk around the human city they had come to call theirs.


    What came next was as cruel as it was warm, yet the old Kelton woman had long since stopped resisting it.


    Rich fish stew from times past flooded her nostrils, the smell competing with the small field of flowers just outside of the farmhouse. On her side leaned a small lad with brown fur matching hers, though his oak horns had a curl to them. The pouting on display was more typical of boys, with some shoving on her hip and deep grumbling which her husband Ferris answered by picking him up and slamming him into the couch by the dining room. Motherly instinct demanded she look up from the stew to check on her babe''s safety, but the playful kick the boy returned to his father allowed her to return to the pot.


    A lifetime relived in three turns of a spoon.


    Nostalgia and regret, however, couldn¡¯t keep her in the past as a knock on the door to the left brought her back to the present.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She called with a voice hoarse in that typical Kelton way and a personal one.


    ¡°The ship!¡± The door exclaimed with an Orc girls voice. ¡°The one Durka flies is coming in for a resupply.¡±


    ¡°A resupply and a dinner no doubt,¡± Kala answered in the rough voice of her people. ¡°Let¡¯s get the breads ready.¡±


    From that single command, a small army of cooks descended onto the kitchen in mere minutes. Sharp metal cutting vegetables and the pounding of flour and water together soon filled the previously empty kitchen. While she still tended her beloved soup, the measuring of dough and determining the specific breads they were to make fell to her.


    In the crowd of green and goat women was a pudgy man with short black hair and a bald top. Richard or Rikard, Kala could never seem to remember which, started plying his trade by bringing in baskets of frozen shrimp from a chest hidden in the frozen stone outside. Bread and fillets would take a few hours to fashion, so a course of seared shrimp to cull hunger was going to be served first.


    A chorus of clanging and slamming of fish on cutting boards kept up a high pitch as the old goat woman kept her small group of Orc and pregnant Keltons tending to mounds of dough. While they may occupy the same space as the rest of the cooking team, baking was a specialized task that Kala had taken the reigns of. And if the pudgy man kept out of her business as was agreed, the fresh bread would be coming out around the same time as the clam chowder.


    At first a few men came in to meander about the long tables. They had the worn look of those who endured the winds and cold of the sky. Any aches or complaints still permeating their bodies, the base soothed with its constant heat and plentiful bounty of steaming food. Human and Kelton men quickly devoured the big steaming bowls of charred shrimp. The next crowd of husbands soon filtered in with their wives and broods, with another round of shrimp coming out.


    Soon the warm smell of bread mingled with the sloshing weak ales and crisp fish fillets. Much to the growing cheer of the dining areas patrons.


    ¡°Ale?¡± A human voice called out.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got enough grain from the farms now. Some have tried their hand at beer making.¡± A female voice called back, Orc due to the lack of Kelton roughness.


    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten what hot food tasted like.¡± A properly coarse Kelton voice exclaimed to no one in particular.


    Such conversation blurred as Kala continued the supervision from her soup pot. The peak of culinary labor came and went after an hour of feasting and drinking. The latter was taken a bit too far by some of the patrons who had to be helped out of the small party. If any were on rotation to take the place of those who had been confined to the ship for weeks on end, they would not be spared their labor as the airship was to be leaving come morning, pounding headaches and all.


    As everything does, the thing between a party and a dinner came to an end. Kala sent off her last few helpers before shutting off the pot of fish soup and ladling the delicious contents over a small loaf in a bowl. She took the prize out of the kitchen with a mug of cold water. Her exit through a door along the wall of the kitchen facing the tables brought her into the room that had sucked away so much of her day''s effort.


    Sitting about were a few stragglers picking at a piece of fish or shrimp as they lounged about. There were few enough of them that the woman in the far left corner immediately drew her eyes. Green skin peeked out above the collar of a brown coat, unobstructed by two large braids of brown hair. With a single glance, Kala instantly placed the loner as Durka. The mother of Gula and, if her demeanor was anything to go by, a woman possessed by a bad mood.


    Kala, despite a feeling of queasiness, weaved through the tables until she came up the left side of the one holding her relation in marriage. The bone ring in the ridged nose was the same as ever, but the rest of the Orc''s face showed a depression that had become far too reliable every time they met. Thick green lips over small tusks were pensively puckered while the square chin had a tremor so slight most wouldn¡¯t notice with a passing glance. The pain in those golden irises nestled in black spheres would not be so easily missed. Kala walked up and placed her meal on the seat opposite of the Orc pilot.


    ¡®How is she?¡¯ The Kelton woman asked with a spirit connection around the Orcs shoulder, just above the white shirt beneath.


    ¡®Great, thank the spirits,¡¯ Durka responded with a small smile even as her eyes stayed locked on the wood of the table. ¡®What about our sister ship? Are we getting some more company in the clouds soon?¡¯


    ¡®No,¡¯ The older Kelton woman responded with a small huff, ¡®Seems like there¡¯s always some problem or another. From what I¡¯ve heard, at least. You¡¯d think we¡¯d have these things sorted by now.¡¯


    Durka nodded with an absent look at the table.


    Kala took a sip of the beloved stew before getting to the real conversation.


    ¡®And did you get to have that talk?¡¯ She asked mildly with a pointed look at the woman.


    Durka¡¯s gaze finally pulled up to meet her companions.


    ¡®I almost blubbered it out over the damn radio. But, no. I-¡¯


    Kala mentally braced herself as those green lips started trembling.


    ¡®How do you even start?¡¯ Durka asked with a shaken voice inside in the Kelton woman¡¯s mind. ¡®What¡¯s the first words that lead to ¡®I¡¯m sorry I tried to destroy you.¡¯ Every time I imagine looking at her, I can¡¯t even meet her eyes.¡¯


    Muscular shoulders trembled as Durka looked through Kala to somewhere distant.


    ¡®She sounds so happy when she talks with Eli over the radio. Happiness I tried to strangle in the crib. Despite years of me putting the ugly thought of being a rapist in her head, she proved me wrong.¡¯


    The Orc then properly focused her gaze on Kala.


    ¡®The worst part is¡­. As shitty and irredeemable a person as I am, I thought there was a low even I couldn¡¯t plunge. That was until I found the Orcs here could get men. Willingly. Between that and Gula, it was obvious that what I had been saying was a lie. And I got angry. I resented it.¡¯


    Kala nodded again, waiting for her to finish draining the poison.


    ¡®What an awful mother I¡¯ve been. If I hadn¡¯t pushed her out, I¡¯d say Gula could have never come from someone like me.¡¯


    The Kelton woman spoke up with a placing of her spoon into the steaming bowl.


    ¡®Did you resent their happiness or that you had spent so long working under a lie?¡¯


    Durka, for the first time, hesitated. A long moment of chewing lips passed before she shook her head.


    ¡®The latter. I couldn¡¯t be happier for her. I just¡­.¡¯


    Durka kept her gaze on Kala this time, though her eyes struggled to meet the white spheres.


    ¡®What was the point? I accepted it pretty early on. Gula? She fought it. Tortured herself endlessly over what we had to do. Why¡¯d she have to go through all that pain? Why¡¯d I put her through it? We suffer from arrows and swords to win the fight, take territory and such. But I can¡¯t see any point to what I inflicted on her.¡¯


    Feeling the proper moment to cut in, the small Kelton woman reached across the table and covered Durka¡¯s right hand with a soft palm.


    ¡®Because that¡¯s what you had to do. Which is what you¡¯re mother had to do. You didn¡¯t have an ultimate mage drop out of nowhere and lead you on a grand journey to fix everything. Fate gave you the same cards it gave everyone else in your community. And oftentimes, we play those cards the same way everyone else does because that¡¯s the best way they¡¯re played.


    Gula drew something special. Something no one could expect you two to deal with. If you were setting her up to marry a mage who would be friendly towards Orcs, no one would have called you a good mother for feeding her such delusions.¡¯


    Durka sat still for a moment, the only sign of life being a rub of her left hand on the other arm''s leather sleeve. Then a small smile broke out over her face. It was a better sight than the borderline tears, yet the upper edges didn¡¯t reach the eyes, lending a more somber look than a joyful one.


    ¡®That little girl wasn¡¯t relying on the community to protect her. We¡­. You¡¯re right. We need to have a talk about how I raised her.¡¯ The Orc affirmed with a nod as Kala withdrew.


    ¡®Is it only her well-being that needs to be discussed? This is all because Gula almost had to live that life. You actually went through it.¡¯ Kala prodded further, her white eyes looking up and down the Orc¡¯s frame.


    ¡®Pff,¡¯ Durka huffed, her smile turning a bit more genuine. ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯


    A raised eyebrow from the Kelton woman made Durka sit up a bit straighter, her shoulders now more relaxed. The puckering of green lips emphasized how she clasped her hands together.


    ¡®I always let the men go once we were finished. It was after a battle so it was playing with me or a sword to the neck. Even so¡­. I can¡¯t say there weren¡¯t a few who said no and I was too concerned with getting that baby to care. Took almost as much fuss as fighting them, those ones.


    All that¡¯s in the past, though. Right now, fixing things with my daughter is what matters.¡¯


    Kala nodded as the hair on the back of her neck stood straight. There was something unnerving about how casual Durka was with her previous actions. Some mix of denial or rebuffing the accusation would surely be better than bold acceptance.


    At least for Kala, it would be.


    What complicated things was the fact that Durka was a fellow woman. A father-in-law making such confessions would be shown the door and never allowed around her daughter or grandchildren but since the person making it was female¡­. The conflict of fact and societal convention that erupted every time they talked made Kala''s stomach clench.


    She wouldn¡¯t even say Durka was a bad person. But was that because the crimes being admitted to were dulled due to the gender of their perpetrator or because there was goodness despite them? The old Kelton woman couldn¡¯t properly say and that doubt of her own judgment made her grind her teeth every time it was brought up.


    Kala put out a hand on the big green mesh of fingers.


    ¡®The sooner the better,¡¯ She said with a small smile.


    Brown braids swayed in the warm base air as Durka nodded.


    ¡®I kept putting it off because she was so busy, but you were right from the start. It needs to happen. This trip. I¡¯ll make sure we get at least an hour to privately talk.¡¯


    If the discomfort in the brown haired Kelton woman was noticed by anyone, Durka wasn¡¯t one of them. The muscular green woman got up with a wipe of her black pants and a small smile now made genuine.


    ¡°Want to come up to the ship?¡± Durka asked audibly.


    A simple head shake was all Kala returned. Despite the scant skill she had in maneuvering them, it felt like she had already spent too long on such vessels. Her feet called for the warm and sturdy floor of the base and that is what they were going to get.


    The Orc departed with slaps of leather boots on stone, leaving her conversation companion to finish her meal in peace. It took a few more minutes before the last bit of the favored liquid was drained from the bowl. The warmth from the soup blended with the golden glow of the mana lamps to seep into her bones.


    ¡°Lady Kala.¡±


    A turn to the right gave her a clear view of the wide hole in the wall between the kitchen and dining area, though it was a green woman with a white bandanna standing in the middle of it who drew her attention.


    ¡°Can we put the soup away?¡±


    She nodded, which the Orc obliged with a turn back into the kitchen. Cooking had been in the old Kelton woman''s veins since her earliest days. Washing the knives, pots, and pans afterward hadn¡¯t taken quite as keenly. There had been some guilt about letting others clean up but the base took its due from her in other ways, so she took her dishes to the kitchen and went back to the dining area before going out the double iron doors along the right wall.


    The hallway of grey stone was lit up in the same golden glow, but she paid it no mind. The left had a single iron door which held a ladder to the frozen rocks outside while the right lead towards the doors of the meeting room. Straight ahead lay the dual iron doors of the housing area, which she moved towards before giving a good tug on the right one.


    It took a few seconds for the metal to yield with an outward swing but eventually a crack large enough for her to slip through presented itself with the low rumble of a crowd. A single step through brought her into a huge room reaching a good nine or so floors high with enough space for two carts to pass through the middle yet it still seemed too small for the inhabitants ambling about the bottom floor and various walkways and balconies on the right and left. Somewhere at the end were more doors along the opposite walls leading into the magic farms. Most of the Keltons and Orcs present, however, were trying to get to their respective rooms from the unseen double doors at the end of the right side wall which lead from the furnaces directly to the hangar for the airships.


    Some moved into the housing section through the doors on the right. Most of those were green women with their human mates. Being the latecomers, they had mostly been moved to the newest sections. Shifting rotations on the airships had seen some mixing with the Waveborn and Keltons but the two domains were largely separate.


    A few went into the showers along the first floor though most were going through the iron doors leading into the rooms with flared noses and a groping palm on a lovers body. Long weeks alone would be seen to and left unheard thanks to sound-deadening enchantments that had been worked into special crafts by the doors. Of course, none were so eager that they pushed against the quad mage¡¯s mother-in-law passing by. This pattern of respectful distance continued as she went through one of the lower floor bathrooms and saw to the needed items before bed. Coming out, a couple pulled away from the door with a bow as she moved to the right.


    Being a renowned member of the community was new to her. The constant feeling of eyes wherever she went and people who were semi-familiar with her life despite never having said so much as hello weren¡¯t considered positives by the elder goat woman but hiding was impossible here and the story behind this place''s existence necessitated the telling of her daughters. As she maneuvered around the reuniting families and the occasional group of children playing, it was the memories of walking down more sunlit streets that called the loudest. The notion that during all those times she stopped to look at a chief or one of their well-dressed wives they had felt her gaze was a bit too strong to ignore. It didn¡¯t slow her down as she went up the wooden staircase along the wall to the second floor. An iron door right by the stairs with a wooden number one on it was hers, a privilege granted to her as both mother to Salamede and the right of those who had first braved sky and snow to make this place.


    Pushing open the door was a fair bit easier than the one leading into the main area and Kala soon found herself in a simple room with a desk on the left, a dresser on the right, and a bed with blue blankets directly ahead. It was simple, especially for a close member of the chief''s family.


    As she walked up and snuck between cold sheets, there wasn¡¯t any feeling of poverty to be found. A lifetime of wool-stuffed mattresses had left her unaware of just how good a night of sleep on a firm bed would be. Something she took full advantage of.


    The next morning Kala got up, retrieved a new pair of clothes, and set about her day in a semi-typical fashion. Fetching a small basket with the number one on its side from beside the door, she took that and her new green dress from the dresser before setting off for one of the showers on the bottom floor. Once finished, she set the basket outside the steaming room to be collected by a cleaner who would bring it and its contents back to the room matching its number. With that, she headed back towards the canteen. This time as a recipient of the kitchen rather than its provider.


    Fish stew was strictly an afternoon affair, so Kala enjoyed a meal of seared shrimp for breakfast. She finished it with a swig of tomato juice and gave the women in the kitchen a goodbye wave. A passing human man opened the iron doors for her, which she paid back with a smile. This time, she took a right down the hallway. At the end of the stone shaft dotted with mana lamps was a pair of double iron doors. This was now guarded by a pair of steel-plated guards who let her through without fuss.


    Inside was more or less the center of all decision-making in the base. At the center of the wide, circular room was a rather grand looking table done up with fish carved around the sides and a white top streaked with gold. Holding the piece up was a stone support depicting waves cresting ever upward. On the table''s sides were chairs of magically grown wood sporting equally decorative carvings of leaves and deer beneath red cushions of crafted plant fibers. Combined with a silky carpet of white beneath it and jutting columns on the sides, the place looked almost posh with the mana lamps on the walls giving everything a gold tint.


    But it wasn¡¯t extreme riches, distinguished service, or grand displays of power that were behind the decision to raise the station of the room. No, the craftsmen who made these gaudy things would no doubt be slowly adding such luxury to every inch of the base. For now, the walls leading into here had been spared the worker''s artistry but Kala knew sooner or later all the stone would be covered in fine carvings, and every chair in this place would be fit for a king to stave off the boredom of the masons and carpenters.


    Save those in Eli¡¯s chambers. The door on the right had been left untouched as, no matter how bored, none were so bold as to touch the chief''s domain. At least, not without without Kala¡¯s permission. That authority was also what brought her here.


    She immediately took up the closest chair and waited. The first arrival walked through the door behind Kala. She was a black-furred Kelton woman with a thick leather apron and a grey dress. Senta was a no-nonsense woman who had been made the overseer of the crops by Eli¡¯s own direction.


    Her sharp chin moved with her puckering lips above several pages. Taking up the seat on the left side of the table, she gave Kala only a small nod before returning to her paper. The gesture was unencumbered by the horns typical of Keltons, as hers were too small to peak out of the fur or fate had taken them from her. There had been whispers that she was to be Eli¡¯s next wife due to the speed of her promotion and their similarly focused nature. A notion that Kala might have entertained if the same gossip mongers weren¡¯t so convinced that more than half of the swollen bellies throughout the base held silver-maned pups.


    In almost the same instant the opposite door leading into the hangar opened to reveal an older Orc with braids of black and grey hair. Mula was sporting plain brown pants with a white shirt. While a woman, she wasn¡¯t taken to wearing the same attire as the rest of her gender. A simple white bandanna was affixed above her golden eyes, drenched in sweat glistening around aged wrinkles and a sharp chin. Symptoms of working the forge and her presence away from them didn¡¯t seem appreciated as she simply nodded to the others before taking a seat opposite of Kala.


    The last member was a burly Kelton man sporting brown fur that thickened over a stubby chin. Ivory horns stuck straight out of a steel helmet and swayed as Illion walked with as much grace as his steel chest plate over a grey shirt and equally unyielding arm guards would allow. A small sideways head bob was all he gave those assembled at the gaudy table before taking up the seat by Kala¡¯s right. These last two were selected from among the Waveborn and the Kelton wanderers while the others merited attendance based on relations with Eli. More in spite of Kala¡¯s irritation than because of it. Mul coughed into her fist before speaking.


    ¡°This weekly meeting is now in session. Any news to report as far as the change of guards on the airship?¡± The Orc said with a pointed look towards Illion.


    ¡°Typical thing,¡± Illion stated in a rough voice. ¡°Aside from tearful goodbyes and hello¡¯s, there was a drunken fight. Those who started it will be put on ice-picking duty to help cool their tempers. If none object.¡±


    Three pairs of eyes looked towards the small Kelton woman. Kala gave them a small nod, which they all accepted.


    For the next half-hour, this pattern repeated. A few of the armor pieces came out wrong and needed re-smithing? Well, the farmer''s widow said yes so let''s do it. New plans for setting up waste baskets alongside the canteen doors? Kala¡¯s nod made it so.


    Despite how cool-headed and even Senta was, the old Kelton woman suspected she wasn¡¯t any more eager to act without her approval than the others. Everyone was terrified of doing something that might rouse the quad mage¡¯s ire to any and all degrees. A relic of times spent among the clans for the Keltons and the sheer awe inspired by a legendary man. Kala might have put such angst down to not wanting to damage this paradise if they didn¡¯t insist on her approving every decision, no matter how uninformed her opinion was.


    Had there been any work for her to do, she¡¯d be furious at wasting time in these meetings. But any labors to do were beyond her short stature and skills save the occasional patch on a shirt. So, she accepted these annoyances as her toil for the base.


    The suggestion that royal families sprang from no one wanting to draw the ire of the chief and instead going through family members he couldn¡¯t be upset at also provided an interesting nugget of thought.


    There were few items to approve, thankfully. Most of the meeting was spent going over figures and storage limits, hence the bits of food storage hidden outside. It was only at the end that Mul turned her wrinkly head to Kala and coughed.


    ¡°Have you reached a decision for that other item?¡± She asked with a nervous puckering of lips.


    For the first time, Kala mentally prepared for a long explanation of her decision.


    ¡°Yes, I have. Eli truly sees your people as humans with extra features. As he does us. His vision, from what I¡¯ve gathered, is a supplanting of magic as the major force in society, not its elimination. The suggestion will also help more evenly portion the labor between him and the rest of us. Later tomorrow we can get together and work on a properly worded letter to ask him.¡±


    Mul gave the widest smile Kala had even seen on any Orc¡¯s face. The wrinkles spiderwebbed out across the green skin, aggravated further when the Waveborn woman shot up out of her chair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Ugak and Hursa draw up a draft immediately.¡±


    With that, the old Orc turned around and sprinted out of the door behind her leading into the hangar.


    Any objection to the unceremonious ending was left unheard. Because none were given and the spirit connections forming around Kala¡¯s shoulders wouldn¡¯t spill their words into the air. Sure enough, the two other Keltons were looking at her with somber stares.


    ¡®And how would he react to such a proposition? Magical humans breeding with Orcs is¡­. A big step.¡¯ Senta¡¯s now soft and feminine voice asked in Kala¡¯s mind. The improvement in vocal quality didn¡¯t hide the note of trepidation therein.


    ¡®Probably not in the way you¡¯d want,¡¯ Kala replied with a small shrug before sitting a bit more straight, ¡®I can¡¯t see how he could refuse allowing the human men access to magical resources. This is supposed to be a joint community and we¡¯ve made magical Keltons. And, lest we forget, the most powerful mage to ever exist is currently bedding an Orc himself.¡¯


    ¡®The chief isn¡¯t the Waveborn,¡¯ Illion put in with a raised finger, ¡®The man who made all these wonders has an Orc wife. I put my life in his hands when I stepped onto that wooden airship on the icy wastes. Do the Waveborn have the ability to forge such wonders? Have they survived eons and wrested survival from the mouth of a dragon as he did from the Coalition? None would dare question his judgment, but I would theirs.¡¯


    Before Kala could speak, Senta spoke up again with a lean back into her chair.


    ¡®They are good people, without a doubt,¡¯ Senta put in with a genuine compliment. ¡®We can¡¯t say that about the ones who haven¡¯t been conceived. If some of the Orcs produce malicious fruit, our Kelton children won¡¯t be anywhere near as powerful. Going down this path will leave our kind far weaker. At least, in comparison.¡¯


    The older Kelton woman closed her eyes. A single deep breath was taken before she opened them and looked between the two worried-looking companions.


    ¡®This path was already agreed upon. Unless you think Eli¡¯s affection for Gula was some elaborate ploy.¡¯ Kala stated with a purposeful meeting of their white eyes.


    ¡®It was agreed on,¡¯ Illion put in with a lean onto the table and a bit lip, ¡®But now it¡¯s actually happening. Once this chest is opened, it will stay open. Forever. Even the quad mage may not be able to get the lid sealed after a single generation.¡¯


    A raised eyebrow was her first reply.


    ¡®By ¡®sealing the lid¡¯ you mean killing all the children, correct?¡¯


    Illion bit his lip to near white. Senta audibly coughed before leaning onto the in a near mirror image to the man across from her.


    ¡®What we¡¯re saying is that this was part of the plan. At some point. Doing it so soon was not an apparent aspect of said plan. If we had more science wonders to perhaps countermand such an explosive growth in magical ability, that would be more soothing to those with certain concerns.¡¯


    ¡®More?¡¯ Kala demanded with a raised eyebrow, ¡®Maybe we¡¯ll lasso the moon next to show the chief knows what he¡¯s talking about.¡¯


    Both had the manners to look away before she spoke again.


    ¡®Unless you¡¯ve forgotten, we already have the answer to these concerns.¡¯


    The blank stares they were giving the older Kelton woman almost made a sigh come up her throat.


    ¡®The magic tools and weapons? The ones we¡¯ve clearly demonstrated work under spells.¡¯


    A furtive look passed between the two before Senta spoke.


    ¡®These crafts are as good as magic from a mage? And what would spells have to do with crafts?¡¯


    Kala almost made a mental sentence to explain before the absurdity caught up with her. When did a poor farmer''s daughter become versed in magical affairs enough to lecture others? She had passively learned most of what a graduate of Diamond academy knew, yet to teach others the ways of those grand, mysterious people made her incredulous. The moment passed with a straightening of the green dress but the shift in her sense of self would probably linger. That and the need to do a through review of what everyone did and didn¡¯t know about the workings of their tools.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going to give a thorough explanation half a dozen times, so gather people who don¡¯t know about spells shutting down crafts and I¡¯ll give a little lecture.¡¯


    ¡®Spells kill our tools?¡¯ Illion asked with a sour puckering of his lips, ¡®But I thought ours still worked under assault from a mage.¡¯


    ¡®They do. It-¡¯


    Kala took a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡®I¡¯m saying all of this once. To a large group. I know all the schedules have been set for today so find the time to gather them all early tomorrow morning in the dining hall and you¡¯ll have the answer. I¡¯ll work in an unspoken explanation of why they mean we don¡¯t need to fear mages as much.¡¯


    The two Keltons seemed pacified as they leaned back into their chairs. Not satisfied, but their concerns had been blunted. With the unspoken conversation finished, they left towards the hangar while Kala went towards the kitchen to resume one of the few labors she could actually help with.


    A day passed in small chores until a late afternoon meal of shrimp in a garlic sauce was forged and fed to the starving masses. The night passed in the same motions it had every other night. The only break from the usual routine was an early rise by Kala in preparation for the coming speech. A shower was rushed through and a brown dress foisted on with haste.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    As a self-reward for waking up so early, the old Kelton woman gave herself a sumptuous breakfast consisting of a bowl of fish stew with mild ale enjoyed at the table by the canteen doors. Despite being reheated from its time freezing outside, the meal was perfect with a small bit of the new ale and would have stayed as such if a few armored Keltons hadn¡¯t come in. They made an immediate turn towards the kitchen doors, not the window to order food.


    Most of the guards still wore their armor whenever they could despite the lack of need. She put it down to their inner boys finally getting to wield the proper swords and shining plates dreamed of in their formative years. None moved in a harried sprint, however. Kala got up to see what the fuss was about but by the time her feet felt stone floor the Kelton men had already come back bearing sacks of what looked like hard bread. There was a temptation to ask the kitchen staff but the second opening of the canteen produced a level of chatter far louder than normal.


    Following behind the men, Kala stumbled onto people running back and forth in an excitement unbecoming of the sleepy base. Not panicked, though the few harried women trying to corral the pups were close to it. As a few squads of steel-plated Keltons walked past to the meeting room, the old Kelton woman followed. She tagged behind until they got into the gaudy space where the stomping of metal on stone got a slight echo.


    Kala could see her destination off to the right of the table. Illion was moving his head back and forth in a spirit conversation with another armored Kelton who walked off just before the elder woman arrived.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯ She demanded in a spirit connection.


    He moved around to face her. A bit of sweat glistened on his open palms and the snout below a steel helmet flared with a sideways head bob.


    ¡®The magic city¡­.I don¡¯t remember its name. Whatever its called, its had a bulging of refugees it can¡¯t handle. We¡¯ve been called to help.¡¯


    A grim frown stole over Kala¡¯s face. Salamede would have never called for such aid unless the situation was truly dire. The faint stab of worry quickly dulled to a mere splinter of concern. Her daughter was a mage and surrounded by others of almost equal power. A complete lack of concern wasn¡¯t possible but Kala was able to cull it enough to mostly ignore it.


    She gave him a sideways head bob before turning around to leave the meeting area. Her return to the canteen took a few sidesteps around a pack of guards or group of onlookers but she was soon back in her seat by the beloved fish stew. It hadn¡¯t lost its heat and was a nice companion to her thoughts. As the elder Kelton woman wrangled together the needed bits for the coming discussion, the crowd of participants trickled in. Unusually, none gathered any food or drink. This was an unusual time, however, even before the crisis abroad.


    Masses of Keltons and Orcs, with their human husbands, came in with the former on the right side of the room while the latter took up the left. The two groups never mingled like siblings but such a clean segregation had left after a week of the Waveborn''s arrival. Its return told of a bitter conversation coming.


    Her short stature made it difficult to say just how much of the remaining base¡¯s residence were here. Mul stood at the head of the tables holding her kind while the Keltons around Kala looked at her with some expectation. Probably one of support.


    Doing so was a transparently awful idea if she wanted to soothe both groups. A minute of looking around for Senta to fill the role of Kelton ambassador ended when the doors to the canteen burst open with a thunderous slam. In it stood a human man with a white shirt and brown pants that matched his beard and mustache. Most of which was stained with red streaks. The gash along the left side of his head left no doubt as to the splotch''s nature.


    ¡°They¡¯re taking off in the airship!¡± He screamed to those assembled.


    A few men reacted instantly, rushing towards the man or past him. Kala ran to the left wall as those without lightning reflexes started moving towards the door. She was all too aware of her physical stature and the subsequent stomping she¡¯d get if she was still in the middle when the stampede took off at a full sprint.


    It would have been mayhem if the few guards remaining didn¡¯t corral the crowd. Two rushed ahead of the rest while three stayed behind to keep the packed mass of men from crushing each other at the exit. The women, Kelton and Orc, mostly stayed at their seats to soothe a pup or furiously whisper among themselves.


    As important as Kala was to the base, she didn¡¯t have her magical crafts at hand and barely had the strength to swing a sword, much less put it in an opponent. Whatever the outcome in the hangar, her presence would only hinder those that could fight. She was, however, the mother of the chief''s wife and surely expected to do something. That purpose was found in Mul, who was talking among the other Orcs to her right.


    It took Kala getting barely six feet from their table for the older Orc to turn to her. Deep lines of age further emphasized the frown on Mul¡¯s face. Not that the heaving chest shifting black and gray braids needed help displaying the panic gripping the woman.


    ¡°Ugak!¡± She sputtered out. ¡°Hursa is looking for her and a number of others but they aren¡¯t here.¡±


    A quick look around the tables showed a few of the green women doing headcounts. Most stared at the tables while some rubbed the head of a babe. Who would want to take an airship and why was beginning to seep in for the Orcs and their husbands. Some of those caught between child and woman were conducting spirit conversations with friends or their parents and making no attempts to hide it with their harried movements. Kala slowly turned back to Mula who looked somewhere close to either crying or screaming in fury.


    ¡°That fellow said they were taking an airship. Has the Cloud Strider come back already?¡± The elder Kelton woman¡¯s voice rang out over the furtive whispers.


    ¡°It¡¯s the new ship,¡± A male voice called from behind. Everyone turned to see the man who had set off the stampede approaching Kala. Whoever had tended to him underestimated the effectiveness of the healing crafts as the wooden disk he was holding up to his head mended most of the gash on his skull, rendering the white cloth wrapped around most of the wound pointless.


    ¡°The thing¡¯s been ready for a while,¡± The man continued with heaving breaths as he stood before the brown-furred Kelton woman almost half his size. ¡°Urzul, my wife, was brought in but she didn¡¯t go along at the end. She¡­. I-¡¯


    Kala put a hand out for him to stop.


    ¡°Take a second.¡± Her rough voice instructed.


    It took a few seconds for the man¡¯s gulping breaths to subside into a mere sprint heaves, which was apparently good enough for him.


    ¡°Ugak and the others planned on taking the new ship. To do that, they waited until another came in for resupply then used them as an excuse for needing the Cloud Strider to leave with most of the guards.¡±


    ¡°And how did they manage to do that?!¡± Mul demanded with bared teeth clenched in a way that suggested their impenitent use on someone. Stuck choosing between despair or fury, the clenching of her fists made it clear which track she took.


    ¡°Radio parts. They¡¯ve been pilfering bits and pieces-¡±


    Any further noise from him, or anyone else in the canteen, was cut short by a sharp thud. It was so loud even the rooms and iron doors between them and the hangar barely dulled its assault on their collective eardrums. The following groan of wood evaporated whatever interest people had in the man¡¯s explanation. A dozen women gamely got up from their seats and walked towards the iron doors, this time with Kala following up from behind.


    Coming out into the hallway, nothing could be seen or heard. If not for the last few minutes, it would have passed for any other day. Taking a right, the mix of Kelton women and Orcs crept forward. There weren¡¯t too many people in front of her, so when the door to the meeting chamber slammed open, Kala had enough space to get an extra step back and avoid getting trampled by the group''s lurch away from the potential danger.


    Any worry was put to rest when the metal chest in the doorway revealed a black-furred Kelton head above it.


    ¡°We need help with the wounded!¡± His rough voice called out.


    A few surged forward with the rest taking a second or two before moving. Kala came in behind the last few women into the now crowded meeting room. There were Kelton men moving in and out of the door to the site of the battle. What wasn¡¯t coming out of the door was the smell of blood mixing with the omnipresent aroma of salt.


    Morbid curiosity drove Kala on past the gaudy table of white stone and towards the door. Only when a brief respite in the traffic arrived did she dare venture into the hangar proper. On both immediate sides were shelves holding various wooden bits for the innumerable crafts needed to keep this place going. In the middle of this workshop section were two long wooden tables where these magic creations would be put to purpose. Purpose that would now mostly be centered on getting them all sorted and their boards of instructions back together as wooden crafts and bits of metal were strewn around the floor.


    Ahead was the source of their disorder.


    On the left side of a flat plain of stone laid the wooden hull of the base''s greatest creation, lying on its side like a wounded beast. Standing around the size of a two-or-three story mansion, the size made the blade-like shape all the more impressive, though its tubes along the sides for thrusters hampered the comparison. Any beauty or awe for the airship would be undone both by its sideways plop onto the stone floor and the burning mass of steel and cloth above it that had previously been its balloon hanging on top of it.


    The dome ceiling with its dotted mana lamps bathed the wounded giant in gold light. Faint streaks of black wafted up despite the water shooting out of the water crafts held by Kelton and, Kala made sure to note, Orc workers on the sides.


    Various chairs and tables were strewn around the large double doors on the left showing the attempt to bar access from the forge. Only a faint scent of blood hung in the air. Aside from thundering footsteps and the moans of a few people off to the sides on hampers, it was oddly quiet for the sight of a battlefield.


    A look around revealed the main point of interest. Off to the right of the fallen airship were Orcs. About a dozen with varying attire from pants and shirts to dresses. Their most important aspect was being on their knees with ropes tied around their backs. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the three agitated guards around the front of their group marked them.


    The individuals couldn¡¯t be made out from Kala¡¯s distance from them. Something she moved to remedy with a walk towards them. Demons rage boiled in her gut, raising the fur on her neck and hopefully adding strength to the kick she intended to deliver.


    None got in her way, either too stunned to move on her path or too afraid to stop her at this fragile moment. When she came close enough to start making out the faces, a figure crept out of the ship''s backside. An Orc with brown, shoulder-length hair that matched her dress. The slight glint of a metal blade in her hand, combined with the guards currently looking at the prisoners or the front of the ship, made it obvious what her intentions were as she moved up to the group of prisoners. Kala opened her mouth to warn the Kelton guards.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± A female voice yelled from behind.


    The steel-clad men took a precious moment to look at the source of the scream instead of its destination. That was all the sneaking Orc needed. Her dash towards the unsuspecting men was a clear path. Which made her swerve into the kneeling mass of green women all the more confusing. As the elder Kelton woman moved to the side to allow larger people to run past, Kala wondered how she intended to free enough of them to make a difference.


    The answer came when she put the dagger through the first prisoner''s throat she could reach.


    ¡°My Aza!¡± She screamed with tears falling down her red eyes. Her victim fell to the ground into a growing puddle of blood before the feral woman drove her blade into another¡¯s eye socket. ¡°You killed her!¡±


    That was the last one she could claim before the guards seized her arms.


    ¡°My Baby!¡± She wailed with a pain that was somehow sharper than the woman¡¯s whose eye had just been skewered.


    Chill ran through Kala¡¯s veins, driving away any anger still lingering. What was she doing here? Feeling a foolishness that was supposed to have left decades ago, she took one last look at the scene near the prisoners. The still screaming woman was forced to the ground with a small clank announcing the release of her weapon. Some of those accompanying Kala spread out to see to one task or another. Most stood dumbfounded at the sight even as a small Kelton woman moved past them into the meeting room.


    Passions cooled with the last bits of smoke wafting away from the airship. Kala idled away at the gaudy table, content to let Senta and Mul oversee things with the few remaining guards. Time flowed in bursts as it always did in times of crisis, leaving the Ocean Striders return both too soon and tardy. Illion came through the iron door leading from the hangar donned in a nearly full suit of armor with only his shoes showing. Bits of water still trickled down from the steel helmet to land on brown fur as the harried-looking man took a step inside. His head shook some of the residual snow off, barely masking the shakes of trepidation.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked with a warry look around.


    The usually thick protection of self-control Kala shielded herself in buckled.


    ¡°Of all the people here, I probably know the least. We need to have all the facts, witnesses interviewed, and questions answered before taking any action. Being the captain of the guard, wouldn¡¯t such an investigation fall under you? Or is this another thing I¡¯ll have to approve before you act on plain sense?¡± She spat out with bared teeth.


    Illion¡¯s puckered lips told of a stinging reply wanting to roam free. He reigned it in before giving a sideways head bob and turning back out the door. Kala likewise bit her lips as a finger traced the waves molded into the tabletop. Aggravation stewed within. Not letting it get a hold of her was something she always prided herself on and now she had. That failure only further irritated her. That and foul memories threatening to stir from their cages left the finger making hard scrapes across the rock artwork.


    Senta came back first, claiming her usual seat on the left with a plop that sent her dirty green dress flapping. That cool temperament the head of the farm was famous for held true despite recent events with a single sideways nod being the only courtesy given before she stared into the stone table. It took a few more minutes before the other two members arrived.


    Mula had frayed bits of black and grey in her braids, which her white shirt and brown pants did nothing to hide. The steel-clad Illion came in behind her with a breathless heave of his chest. Neither spoke, merely taking up their usual spots with the Orc opposite Kala and the head guard on the right.


    ¡°Was it as we all suspected?¡± The short elder Kelton woman asked with a pointed look between the two. Surprisingly, it was the green woman who spoke up.


    ¡°Mostly,¡± She offered with a weak cough into a wrinkled fist. ¡°They¡¯ve been pilfering radio parts. Made a whole one out of the stolen bits. When the next ship came in they used it to trick the guards into leaving. Since we¡¯ve started placing crude locks on the forge area, they decided to make their getaway during the morning meal. It goes without saying the ship we¡¯ve spent what seems like an eternity getting to work was fully capable all along. Or at least good enough to make it to the Cradle.¡±


    Senta nodded.


    ¡°A predictable journey for a surprising event. What are the recovery figures for the material-¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still alive.¡± Illion cut in with a lean onto the table.


    Hair raised along the back of Kala¡¯s neck. Even Senta¡¯s cool grace faltered as a grim frown stole over her face with a lean forward.


    ¡°What?!¡± Kala demanded.


    Illion, instead of defending the position, looked towards Mul. She was looking straight down, the golden lights above leaving a shadow over her face. After a second the elder Orc finally looked upward.


    ¡°We¡­.Our ship was our world. Out there on the seas, family is found in the holds. Whatever they¡¯ve done, they¡¯re still our mothers, sisters, and daughters. Killing them¡­.¡±


    Senta sat up in her chair so suddenly that she nearly sent it to the floor.


    ¡°They would have gotten us all killed, either by an invasion of Orcs seeking magic ability or a squad of humans who managed to hear what they were delivering. That didn¡¯t stop them so why should we hesitate?¡±


    Mul furrowed her eyebrows as she opened her mouth. Illion decided to cut in between the two women with rough words of his own.


    ¡°We need to make a decision.¡± He announced to the room, turning all eyes to him. ¡°The pilot said Salamede will be coming soon.¡±


    ¡°How soon?¡± Kala asked with a strum of fingers on the table.


    ¡°He can¡¯t say,¡± Illion offered with a shrug. ¡°With several people yelling at him and the panic of turning the ship around, he can¡¯t recall precisely when Salamede said she¡¯ll be coming back or if she even said when but he clearly remembers that she is coming here.¡±


    Senta huffed.


    ¡°We can¡¯t have the chief''s wife coming back to traitors still breathing-¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not just traitors! Mothers and daughters-¡±


    Kala put up her right hand with a finger pointing towards the door to Eli¡¯s chambers, which the others looked at. This conversation was too explosive to allow some prying ear purchase. The group gave an unspoken agreement and followed her as she opened the door.


    It was a bare hallway of stone, untouched by the mason¡¯s idle hands as none dared to go through. A mana lamp on the right was touched by Illion as the other two women walked by, bathing the rock in golden light which was needed with Kala¡¯s closing of the door. The elder Kelton woman now stood at the only exit, affirming her status as the superior as a dejected-looking Mul leaned against the right wall. The two other Keltons stood in seeming opposition on the left. Whatever the two sides were looking at, they both turned at their betters cough.


    ¡°When I was appointed to help the council, the advisors, or whatever this group is, I did it with the knowledge that you wanted someone who could talk to Eli if a decision was made he didn¡¯t approve of. A drain for his anger should the worst come to pass.¡±


    None shamed themselves by denying it, instead, they each sheepishly looked away before she resumed.


    ¡°And as the mother of his wife, I say that they cannot be left alive.¡±


    Mul looked at her with golden eyes shimmering with tears.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a clean cut between families. There are daughters whose mothers are innocent. Mothers who will be leaving their babes to be orphaned.¡±


    Senta huffed, drawing a scowl from the Orc.


    ¡°They should have thought of that before trying to kill all of us.¡±


    ¡°Mul,¡± Kala said in as accommodating a tone as she could manage. The Orc still held Senta¡¯s gaze but her ears still seemed receptive. ¡°They cannot be alive, for the sake of the Waveborn. If my daughter gets here and they¡¯re still around, Eli will not look kindly on that when he arrives. It will also prompt questions, questions that could undo the goodwill created by so many of the Orcs who met the crisis head-on.¡±


    Illion nodded before adding his bit.


    ¡°An Orc who joined the traitors was actually there to make sure it failed. We can¡¯t say for certain if that made the difference or one of the Kelton men getting a fire-spraying weapon on the balloon section.¡±


    He gave Mul a quick glance before looking between the other women.


    ¡°I agree that they can¡¯t live. I also think doing it isn¡¯t the clean thing you two seem to think. Killing the family members of the Waveborn, no matter how justified, will have consequences. There will always be a few who let a grudge take hold. Probably ending with a knife in one of my men. We¡¯re probably going to start years of reprisals and killings.¡±


    Kala couldn¡¯t disagree. The thought of being trapped in a giant cave with the person who killed your family was the stuff of nightmares. That didn¡¯t change what needed to be done but a look at Senta showed she wasn¡¯t convinced. Her lips were crushed between teeth while bobbing her head back and forth.


    The four were left to ponder the situation in their respective mental corners. After a minute of thinking over the pit they had been launched into, sweat started gathering around foreheads and Mul paced in a small circle. Kala started working out how to say the risk was worth it when Senta¡¯s head shot up.


    ¡°The mother.¡± She stated to the group. All turned to her with raised eyebrows yet she only returned Kala¡¯s gaze. ¡°That one who knifed the traitors after they were captured. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind doing the dirty work.¡±


    Illion nodded while opening his mouth. Kala was too busy fighting down bile to speak first.


    ¡°Poor Uzul. Her girl, barely old enough to walk, was caught under the ship when it crashed. I¡­. It¡¯s best we keep this to as few people as possible. She''s been stalking around the room we¡¯re keeping them in. Arranging the right mistakes to give her an opportunity would be easy.¡± He offered the group.


    As the elder Kelton woman was pondering over a hideous past, the other two Keltons turned to Mul. Lines from a deep frown formed along the old Orc¡¯s face. Despite that, no immediate objection came. Golden eyes showed the mind churning beyond until a defeated sigh escaped her lips.


    ¡°Uzul might have to be put in the more Kelton areas for a while and serve some hard labor but¡­. Going after a grieving mother for avenging her babe isn¡¯t something that stirs hearts. A few might carry some ill-will but voicing such things will get little sympathy.¡±


    As they had so many times before, the three turned to Kala in expectation.


    ¡°Really?¡± She demanded with furrowed brown eyebrows. ¡°We¡¯re¡­. A grieving mother? The light of her life just got snuffed and we¡¯re got to turn her loose like a feral animal.¡±


    Now on the receiving end of the objections, Kala¡¯s nose flared and lips turned white between her teeth. A queasiness dropped into her stomach despite the absence of an enemy or death. Every objection coming up was pure emotion mired in a horrid past. Her earlier words, spoken with such certainty and authority, had the inconvenient aspect of still being true. Seconds passed before a single word was forced past the disgust.


    ¡°Fine¡±


    Nothing else came. No words, audible or in spirit connections, were given. The other three simply nodded in return before shuffling past.


    Kala stood there in the rock hallway as her stomach squeezed so hard it made the prospect of vomiting seem pleasant. Old hands grew clammy as a chill stole over her skin despite the warmth of the bases interior. Here in the empty hall of unfeeling stone, there was nothing to quell that wretched feeling. A pull towards her bedroom called but the distraction of stitch work was something for burning the remaining day''s energy. Whatever she was going to do, it wasn¡¯t going to be in this choking tomb.


    Her exit out of the hallway was so swift her slam from closing the door made Illion look back on his approach to the hangar door. Kala wasn¡¯t quite certain where she was going, but her small feet were taking her there as fast as they could. Going out the left side door, she moved down the stone hallway. It took some maneuvering around one group of guards or people moving goods before she took a left through the double iron doors leading into the kitchen.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur centered around the kitchen. Breads were baked and fillets grilled with the help of Orc assistants who were all too eager to show how useful they were to the chief¡¯s mother-in-law. Kala worked hard and fast as she plied the most demanding recipes that the miracle kitchen could allow.


    At some point in the flurry of work, some chatter about bodies and blood in the Orc section of housing floated in. The thick, dark roux being stirred in pots cared for none of it, and neither did the woman using it to outrun her mind. Compliments flowed freely from the dining area during lunch alongside whispers of anticipation for the evening meal. Most assumed the delicious pies and hearty stews to be a special labor of love from the kitchen for the base that had been subjected to so much. If any noticed the manic energy radiating off the woman behind their feast, none made such an observation public.


    After serving dinner, Kala exited her stage and went back through the canteen doors. Across the hallway was the open entrance to the housing block with the iron slabs held open by wooden triangles. Inside was a crowd of people strolling about in greater numbers than they ever had before. At no point had anyone thought to start the day''s regular work, leaving most to idle and gossip. Something the four leaders of the base should have prevented, but night had already come and such forgetfulness was apparently forgiven by those released from a day¡¯s labor.


    Kala was given her typical room as she walked through the crowd, taking note of the four guards overlooking the entrance to the newest section before moving towards the stairs leading to her door. Getting up the stairs was equally easy despite the hard slaps of shoes on stone. The entrance to her room was quickly reached and she went through it with a tired sigh.


    Once inside, looking at the bed made her realize how sore her feet were and the pain of the day''s work became more acute. Instead of sliding into the white sheets, Kala went around the right of the bed and retrieved the basket stuffed with threads, a half-finished brown shirt, and several pairs of metal sewing needles. Placing the basket on the bed took a good swing but the small woman managed. Her right hand stretched out to take up the work when a thought struck her. Too profound to ignore yet there were probably some rules that would say no¡­. Well, she was the mother of the chief''s wife. If she was going to have to attend boring meetings because of that, then it should come with privileges.


    The basket was hoisted onto her left hip. It accompanied her out of the room and down the stairs. None paid her any mind besides a few sideways glances. Exhaustion and fear had pulled back curiosity, leaving Kala a straight shot past the bathrooms and on the left. A black-furred Kelton guard was the first to notice her approach. No question was given, only a sideways nod before letting her pass through the stone hallway.


    Waves plastered the walls with various fish, turtles, and squids peeking out. At the end of the display was a big ship complete with a working crew before the sides of the doors took over. They gave way with a hearty shove. Directly ahead was a small open area complete with chairs, tables, and three sofa¡¯s for the leisure of passersby. On the left was a tall open space like the prior housing area bearing showers and bathrooms along the bottom and stairs to the lines of doors above.


    Save three Orc families seeing to one item or another, neither side had any occupiers. Sleeping at a place where murder took place only hours before was not a popular notion. It would have probably stayed that way for a day or two if the residents had anywhere else to sleep. What repelled others drew Kala in like a moth to flame as she took the bend around into the housing section proper. The elder Kelton woman noted the queazy-looking Orcs going up and down the right-side stairs bearing buckets. A few red rags on the sides left no doubt as to what was being cleaned. Their trips ended or started at a room in the middle of the third floor on the right side. That tomb held no interest though the trio of guards on the first floor of the left-side rooms did.


    Walking up the stairs along the left wall took some doing with the basket on her hip, but she was soon on the same floor as the guards. There were two humans and a Kelton, having simple steel chest plates, helmets, and clubs. A consideration of Illion, probably. This time, her approach was fully stopped by a brown-haired lad looking not a day past eighteen.


    ¡°Sorry, lady Kala. Murder has just taken place here. We¡¯re holding the culprit on the orders of the captain, though she is unarmed.¡± He said with a puckered lip.


    ¡°And on the orders of the woman who bore the Quad mage¡¯s wife, I am to be allowed passage.¡±


    His brown eyes narrowed a bit. A quick look over her basket seemed to mollify him a hair. If he wanted to inspect the contents of the basket, the bravery to do so wasn¡¯t accompanying such a desire. All he gave was a simple nod before moving out of her way.


    Feeling far more enamored with the ways of royal status, Kala pressed forward. Near the end of the hallway was a set of guards standing at attention near the front of a door only a stone toss away. When she came up to them, neither gave an objection, only opening the door to let her in.


    The room was a bare thing of grey stone. In the back middle of the room was a bed with blue blankets, white sheets, and pillows. No dresser or desk was to be found, only a lonely looking chair off to the left. Sitting on the bed was the murderer or savior of the base depending on how things played out.


    Her dress had been replaced with a grey one. The biggest change was her eyes, those red irises so furious in the hangar now looked doll-like as her shoulder-length brown hair turned towards the intruder. There was no quiver in her sharp chin nor did her soft cheeks shift from a frown or puckering lips. She was as dead as anything with a beating heart could be.


    Kala silently walked up before placing the basket beside her. Thin Kelton hands fished out the sewing needles from the basket and handed them over. Whatever thoughts were going on in the Orc¡¯s skull, none of them were objections as she took the metal rods. The woman apparently had some proficiency in the craft as she got to work pushing and pulling string into something greater. Kala joined her by resuming work on a brown shirt.


    Metal clacks bounced off the walls as the elder Kelton woman made the curves around one of the sleeves while the metallic symphony moved at a slower pace as a blue blanket was taking shape. It took a minute before the Orc spoke her first words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the saying ¡®time heals like magic¡¯. Is that true?¡± She inquired with a small turn towards what could be her only companion in the world at this moment.


    White eyes met red ones. A deep breath was taken into the small Kelton woman''s chest before being released into the air along with a rough voice.


    ¡°Life continues on no matter what you want and you have to keep going. At a point, things adjust enough that you can continue going in spite of the wound. Some mistake that for healing.¡±


    A small nod was all she got before the Orc turned back down to her work. Kala resumed hers. After a few seconds, no other words came from the green woman. With nothing else to distract, memories came back as they always did and she embraced them, horror and all.


    Pushing through the blowing wind of a late winter now running past its partner necrosis. Coming to a spot in a creak whose banks were covered with the white blanket. White mixing with splashes of blood. Any exhaustion from the long search vanished as she ran up to familiar grey pants and a brown shirt sticking out of the snow with the exposed bit of the one wearing them further beneath. No thoughts save the silent hope that the eyes were lying.


    The pull on the neck portion of the covered shirt was fighting compacted ice and snow but desperation gave strength to thin arms. White fluff resisted for a second before the body pulled upward. A lifeless Kelton''s head swung so close it almost hit her.


    Sephrin.


    Son of her beloved and the joy of the world, now laying upward with the stillness of death on the rock that had stolen him in a stumble. His usual laughter stifled by shriveled lips. The boy''s brown fur, her brown fur, now flowed over skin so pale a casual look would suggest it had never known a drop of blood. Denial was given only a second to battle reason before a scream escaped her lips. It was feral with no low notes of sorrow or despair, just the long high pitch of pain as the life she had spent more than eight years nurturing washed away with the creaks current. Mercifully, nothing remained in her skull of what happened next or in the days after besides a few hugs from Ferris.


    An hour passed by in remembering the life lost with her child alongside the sewing. Arguments with Ferris over who was responsible, how it happened, and what to do next. The latter was answered on its own. Neither of them could stand living in the tomb out on a flowery field. Packing up whatever belongings they had and leaving the countryside to stay among the humans in the nearest city followed the working of a stubborn stitch. Each word spoken, trek walked, and perusing of the local shops was relived with every swing of a needle. At the completion of the second sleeve, Kala got up, taking only her tools and the brown threads while leaving the rest to the other grieving mother.


    ¡°I will make sure you¡¯re given full meals and access to showers when you¡¯re ready to resume such things. I make no promises as to how things will fare as far as punishments or the other''s opinions.¡±


    If the Orc cared about such things, the slight nod she gave without slowing her knitting didn¡¯t convey such a feeling. Kala turned around and left her to the mind-numbing work. As the small Kelton woman closed the door behind her, a quick glance said the green woman was still appropriately distracted. With a final heave, Kala pulled the door shut.


    Coming back onto the walkway showed a lot more people ambling about to get ready for bed, though most were avoiding the housing section that held the murder site. A few still gamely ventured onto the stairs but most of its residents were going to be taking up whatever space was in the more Kelton area. Her destination was unchanged by the added traffic and she moved out of the housing section with an exhaustion that extended beyond the legs and back. The nightly ritual was typically done with an immediate laying down on the bed, yet she didn¡¯t regret the deviation from routine.


    Her walk went unremarked by the guards on both her descent of the stairs and exit through the doors into the older housing section. Despite the increase of residents, most seemed content to leave this day behind as only a few Keltons, human men, and Orcs ambled about.


    As Kala walked past the bathrooms and showers, a glint of steel further ahead caught her eye. At the furnace entrance were two more guards. A look backward confirmed the presence of two others by the exit across from the canteen. Their presence seemed to intrude on the peaceful nature of the base. Out of consideration for the morning''s events, she would offer no objection. If Illion persisted past a night or two, then one would have to be given.


    The trip up the stairs inflicted some pain, yet she continued until her thin arms were pulling open her door. The nearly finished needlework was gently placed on the desk to the left. With nothing else for her to give the day or for it to take from her, she snuggled between cold sheets with a final sigh into the pillow before black oblivion took her.


    Morning came on its own terms. Kala woke up and immediately felt how late she had slept. None would dare reprimand her and for once, she forgave her own failing with a lazy rise from the bed. The morning shower came and went with equal laziness. As soon as she exited the steamy stone room in a green dress, her eyes perused the crowd to find several Keltons who hadn¡¯t been around since the adventures in the lands beyond started.


    Realizing who had come, Kala took off to the left of the housing section. The double iron doors were open, as were the ones leading into the canteen. She sprinted around a few idlers towards the dining area until the hallway opened into the cavernous room of the canteen with long tables along the left and a few people ambling about or tending to a plate.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    The familiar rough voice came from further ahead. It took only a second for the short Kelton to see her beloved daughter standing at the back of the table near the far wall. Leather shoes slapped on the floor with Kala¡¯s strong walk forward. As she turned at the estimated table, her baby girl came into full view.


    Black fur clashed with what memory said was supposed to be grey hair over those smooth cheekbones and below the sharp ivory horns. The fine white dress with fluffy white collar was also far outside what her daughter had ever worn but these small inconsistencies did nothing to hide the daughter beneath. Two metal clad Keltons stood beside her spot at the table but neither got in the way as the two came together in a hug.


    ¡®How was it?¡¯ Salamede asked in a spirit connection.


    Kala took a moment to look her daughter up and down as they sat together at a table to the left.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t really do anything. Everyone else did the work bringing the ship down and wrangling the miscreants.¡¯


    An irritated twitch on Salamede¡¯s left ear waved around newly blackened fur but she managed to keep it off her face.


    ¡®A familiar thing these days. Spend more time telling other people to do things than working with my hands. Even with my magic, most of the job is just thinking and talking. Speaking of my magic, I¡¯ll be spending the remaining morning working a few limbs back into existence then heading out.¡¯


    Kala clenched her teeth just enough to keep the anger inside from being noticed. Being late to rise and missing work was one thing, missing time with her daughter was another. But who was she to be angry at? The guards never woke her up before and no complaint about the occasional sleep-in ever left her lips.


    ¡®You¡¯re satisfied with their reports?¡¯ Kala asked with her hand moving a strand of fur off her daughter''s white dress.


    ¡®I am. More importantly, Eli will be as well.¡¯ Salamede put in with a smile at her mothers cleaning.


    ¡®Well then,¡¯ Kala put in with a rise from the table. ¡®I haven¡¯t gotten any breakfast. You?¡¯


    Salamede shook her head.


    ¡®My stomach was too clenched on the way here to let anything in and I hadn¡¯t even thought of it once I arrived.¡¯


    ¡®Some biscuits and potatoes, then.¡¯


    Salamede nodded as she also stood up.


    ¡®Sounds great. Before I forget, I overheard some of the Orcs talking about magical foods for their husbands. None of the other¡­. Are you calling it the council?¡¯


    Kala only shrugged at the undecided name. Salamede nodded before continuing.


    ¡®Well, the other leaders here never brought it up but from how casually it was being discussed, I can¡¯t believe it hasn¡¯t come up before.¡¯ She finished with the question left unspoken.


    As sure as the sun would rise, there was no way Mul would want to bring up the subject now. No Orc here would. Kala, however, wasn¡¯t an Orc or worried about her position.


    ¡®They¡¯ve been pushing to allow us to grow magical foods for everyone, not just the human men.¡¯


    The healer scion stood still as lips were chewed with her inner thoughts.


    ¡®Are the others in agreement?¡¯ Salamede finally asked.


    Kala shook her head.


    ¡®I think they¡¯ve gotten a new appreciation for what the humans have been dealing with. Some of it is misunderstanding how regular magic and our crafts interact, which I will amend, but this isn¡¯t a step taken lightly.¡¯


    At the last word, Salamede started moving forward with Kala turning to move beside her.


    ¡®Gula would probably be hurt if we said no.¡¯ Her daughter continued with their casual walk between the tables. ¡®I¡¯ll say yes. Eli will almost certainly agree. Besides, it¡¯ll lighten the load on we who can use magic.¡¯


    ¡®And is having a sister wife everything you thought it would be?¡¯ Kala asked with a smile that was reflected in Salamede¡¯s grin.


    ¡®It¡¯s like having a daughter and a sister. Oddly enough, it''s dealings with our husbands that produce the most friction. Being a near decade younger and having such a difficult upbringing, there are a lot of little things I still need to correct her on when it comes to the bed and love. But there¡¯s some amusement to be found in such differences.


    When we work together on issues outside of marriage, the footing is more equal. Our history and relationship are still present yet¡­. It¡¯s hard to put into words. We¡¯re more like good friends with me being the first wife a distant thing.¡¯


    ¡®And the husband? How is his taming going?¡¯


    Salamede broke into a proper smile which preceded their exit out of the tables and a right turn into the open space towards the double iron doors.


    ¡®By the classic definition, it¡¯s completed. And I hate it.¡¯


    Kala raised an eyebrow but said nothing as they continued walking.


    ¡®He¡¯ll never say no. Which all the other women in Diamond city would say is a job well done. But that was more him being a great man than me molding him into what he should be. If anything, I have to keep him from doing too much. Which isn¡¯t really possible when he¡¯s the foundation of everything. I can¡¯t say I have any more experience than Gula when it comes to dealing with a husband who works too hard.¡¯


    A tired note permeated her voice at the last sentence.


    ¡®He¡¯s still a husband.¡¯ Kala put in. ¡®And you are a beautiful wife. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll consider the work worthwhile if you give him some sweetness.¡¯


    A small snort escaped her daughter''s lips.


    ¡®I suppose the advice must be good if it keeps coming back to me.¡¯


    Kala got a small smile as they came up to the iron double doors. Salamede turned to her mother with another hug. As white fur enveloped her snout and the scent of wet fur pushed away the ever-present salt, Salamede spoke again in the spirit connection.


    ¡®Right now I¡¯m going to focus on the work I can do. I¡¯ll be here for a few more hours mending arms and legs then it¡¯s back to playing queen.¡¯


    They pulled away with Kala nodding at the sad reality pulling mother and daughter apart.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough time for a proper meal.¡¯


    A final nod passed between them, with Salamede walking through the doors and Kala turning back towards the kitchen. Another round at the cooking pot was at hand. This time with her little one at hand and somewhere as safe as any place could be. Despite the work ahead, tension came out of the old Kelton woman''s shoulders. Not that the women tending the kitchen noticed as Kala roused them for another round of labor.

 Chapter 128: Kreshtons Long Road (1)

    Chapter 128


    Salamede Pov


    The shuffling of papers on the stone desk failed at its near hour-long task. I had been perusing them in the golden glow of the mana light across from me. That source of light lay near the door leading into the main forum of Kreshton city. Named after the blood of my famed clan, the jewel of the Kelton species that only grew more audacious each day, and pain in my back.


    The mural of swords over rocks and snails on the right was the same as ever and the bedroom behind my position was much the same as it had ever been. The biggest change was inside me and manifested in a frenzied scouring. A search for one item whose purpose had been forgotten mere seconds into the search. Instead, the pages were being moved about in an attempt to not think.


    Battle had finally come.


    While the unseen mess at the base had been quenched before my arrival, the visit with my mother had come and gone too quickly. As did the days after coming back. All the plans had been made, the crafts spun from magic, and steel forged. Sending them off had been a solemn affair as I had come to know many of them personally. Even so, about half of the troops were newcomers who had no magic but still insisted on showing their worth to this new home. That and cladding a young man in more steel than he had ever seen probably made them feel invincible. Something Kantor had trained out of them with varying degrees of success.


    The young and middle-aged, magical and mundane, those who knew the true purpose of this place and those who thought they knew, all had sailed off on a big fleet in the late morning hour with the radio and an eye in the sky to guide them through. Leaving their mothers, wives, sisters, and I to nervously await their return. Something I had suffered through by completing backlogged paperwork and sifting through the candidates for running the warehouses. Not even that managed to pull the mind away.


    There were always tales of poor leaders who sacrificed their people''s lives without a care. The prospect of growing so cold was a haunting, and I¡¯m ashamed to admit, alluring prospect. Because if this was going to happen for every battle then I would go mad in mere months, forget years or decades.


    My pointless ambling continued for a few more minutes before I got back to actual work. Meals of seared fish were consumed and the bed, as it always did, eventually called with its promise of oblivion. After a shower and change, the seat held a firm grip on me for most of the morning despite my blue dress''s efforts to ride up my backside. I was adjusting the resulting crinkles in the fabric and golden triangles radiating out from the collar when a small Kelton boy with brown fur, a blue shirt, and cream pants came in. His demeanor was harried and the spirit connection was made without the typical ask for permission.


    ¡®Kantor returns with victory!¡¯


    I let a small smile spread across my lips.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to meet him in the conference room beside the forum. Call Joeseen as well. He¡¯ll want to hear how his ships fared.¡¯


    The lad gave me a small sideways head bob before closing the wooden door behind him.


    I pushed out of the seat and went around the desk. Leather shoes smacked on the white fur covering the floor as the door took only a second to reach. Once I was through it, the wide open space that served as the center of government and diplomacy revealed itself with rays of sun from the window slits. On the sides were stone benches rising along the walls. These further emphasized the yellow sun painted in the middle though its twin on the dome above was less immediately obvious from this viewpoint.


    Steel Kelton men came up behind me as I walked across the empty expanse. As I neared the iron slabs serving as the main entrance to the dome, I took a left and went through a plain-looking door along the wall. Inside was the rectangular room with a wooden table and accompanying chairs. I strolled up to the farthest seat at the head of the table and settled in with two guards on either side.


    Unsurprisingly, Joeseen was the first back as his location was far more reliable. The old Kelton man with near-white fur that complemented his blue robes embroidered with lighter blue waves moved in as much vigor as age would allow. He gave me a sideways nod of his stubby brown horns as he sat to my left. Wrinkled fingers rubbed his pronounced chin as his white eyes looked me up and down. It took only a second before the expected buzz of a spirit connection came across my shoulder.


    ¡®Has the malady subsided? It''s been remarked that you haven¡¯t been moving like you¡¯re one of the undead.¡¯


    I gave him a small smile.


    ¡®The aches have subsided these last few days. I think its formation is mostly complete.¡¯


    ¡®And it hasn¡¯t come out?¡¯


    A shrug was all I could give him. My next words were interrupted by a hard swing of the door. Through it came the bulky, black-furred Kelton man playing my father. The shiny metal helmet molded perfectly around his curled brown horns while only slightly obstructing his smooth cheekbones. Despite the piece''s great craftsmanship, what my eyes immediately went to was the chest plate sporting new dents. A look at the arm and leg guards also revealed a few scuffs and streaks. I made a spirit connection with him as he moved up and sat to my right.


    ¡®I thought you weren¡¯t a general who leads in the front.¡¯


    A small huff was his first answer.


    ¡®Sometimes the front comes to you. A few mages used their magic to create water and push away the boiling sea around them as they approached my ship. I can¡¯t say I know exactly what they were thinking, but my guess is they saw our wooden hulls and thought they¡¯d make short work of them in a surprise attack.


    Those who managed to get close enough were either shocked at how strong our hulls were or the return volley of flame and stone. Whichever took them by surprise the most, it cost them their lives and me a trip to the armory. It goes without saying the ships performed mostly as promised. Keeping them in position was a bit harder than advertised but their bones are solid.¡¯


    Joeseen got a small smile of satisfaction while I sported a bit lip. An ambush on our side certainly meant casualties. Kantor gave me a single look up and down before taking a deep breath.


    ¡®We lost twelve. Three in the surprise attack and the others at various points in the battle. All but two were the new arrivals, if that makes a difference.¡¯


    A sour frown stole over my face.


    ¡®They were our people, even if they didn¡¯t have magic.¡¯


    Surprisingly, it was Joeseens voice that spoke into my mind.


    ¡®You ask the impossible, my lady. No matter what advantage or ability, taking an island involves hundreds of fighters. You can''t have magic shields up at all times and an arrow through the eye renders all healing worthless.¡¯


    ¡®I know.¡¯ I refuted with little conviction. ¡®I only ask that those inevitable deaths be minimized as much as possible. I expect a report on the lessons to be learned from the battle. Speaking of which, lets¡­.¡¯


    I stopped as the words ¡®taking an island¡¯ from Joeseen were finally processed.


    ¡®I thought we were just knocking out the docks.¡¯ I asked the two with a pointed look at the admiral.


    My gaze followed his pointed look towards Kantor. Rather than contrition or denial, the faint hint of a smile played across his mouth.


    ¡®The prime command you gave me was to minimize casualties. What causes fewer deaths on our side than catapulting stone-summoning crafts to crush the enemy? We intended to merely batter the pirates into staying away as we destroyed their docks but they must have taken it as an act demanding submission. When they came out with white flags¡­. Well, what prevents deaths more than ending the fight for good?¡¯


    A stab of suspicion came as sharply as its metal sibling. The faint memory of our meeting with the Crasden envoy presented itself. My perusing of the event left me pondering over Kantor¡¯s question concerning the healing houses¡¯ claim to the island. These two men¡¯s bristling at the suggestion of our inability to meet the pirates head-on was also noteworthy.


    The suggestion of this being the plan all along conflicted with his actions being the best way to minimize our risks. That was forgoing the fact that taking the island would probably save more lives in the long run as opposed to merely hindering its operations.


    ¡®And how will you minimize casualties in the defense of this new acquisition?¡¯ I offered in an attempt to justify unspoken irritation.


    ¡®Our steward in the sky says their reinforcements turned back a few hours after our victory. One or more of the mages must have used their brains for more than spell casting and slipped between the night''s waves.¡¯


    ¡®Well, now we only need to deal with the other humans who owned it before. I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯ll just let us keep the main defensive point of the entire north.¡¯ I refuted while strumming fingers on wood.


    Joeseen nodded as he leaned forward onto the table.


    ¡®What has been taken can be given. A simple bit of negotiation and the island can be theirs with one payment or another.¡¯


    The roll of my eyes came too naturally for me to stop as I leaned back into my chair and stared at the mana lamp above.


    ¡®Spirits! This rock is getting handed around like a babe in a village of grandmothers.¡¯


    I looked back down in time to see small smiles break out on the men¡¯s faces. We established ourselves as a force and the spine of the pirate''s efforts here had been shattered. All the north was now free of their tyranny and butchery. If Kantor and Joeseen had maneuvered the battle towards this end¡­. Who could could argue with the benefits?


    Now we just had to inform our neighbors of their salvation.


    ¡®We¡¯ll have to retrieve Emerett and give him the good news.¡¯


    This time it was Kantor whose eyebrows raised in surprise.


    ¡®Crasden¡¯s already heard of our victory?¡¯ He asked.


    I shook my head as I adjusted the blue dress.


    ¡®They sent their diplomat back here mere hours after your departure. For news of our performance and such. Something they¡¯ll have plenty to bring back home with them. And I would prefer they get it from us instead of a gloating sailor.¡¯


    I then turned to the guard on my left.


    ¡°Call for the Crasden envoy Emerett and get the forum for me, Joeseen, and Kantor ready. I want the human to hear from us first.¡± I audibly said in a rough voice.


    He did a slight bow with brown fur swaying before moving forward.


    The two members of the council gave me sideways nods before we all got up and shuffled out of the room. It took a few minutes before the fluffy white couch was at the center of the painted sun in the forum and flanked by embroidered wooden chairs. As soon as I was laying among the pillows, Kantor plopped into the seat on the right while Joeseen more gently situated himself on the left. With nothing left to do, I nodded to the guards by the double iron doors.


    Their pull on them let Emerett in. His steps were quick enough to send his blue robe with gold vertical lines fluttering along with his mop of red hair and those green eyes above a blue scarf looked both furious and harried. If those two aspects didn¡¯t convey that this would be his second hearing of the battle at Passtoon¡¯s Watch, his unwrapping of the scarf to reveal puckered lips above a sharp chin would.


    ¡°Greetings, Esteemed Council.¡± He stated with a sideways head bob that sent bits of sweat flying off smooth cheekbones.


    Admiration for his self-control lasted only a second as I took a deep breath and dove in.


    ¡°Greetings in kind, envoy Emerett. I think it would do us both good to get to the point of your summons. Yes. The island is now under our control, leaving the pirates homeless in the north.¡± I responded, the typical roughness of the Kelton voice not producing winces on his face.


    His swallow of spit was loud enough to carry across the room.


    ¡°If¡­.¡±


    Emerett looked between the three of us. At least by finding out from some passing soldier, he had time to mentally prepare. His heavy breathing slowed as he calmed himself to merely anxious.


    ¡°Such a thing would be quite a bit of news and should be delivered with all haste.¡± he intoned with a voice trying to be friendly ¡°And lady Ashe will surely find Passtoon¡¯s Watch to be in better hands. However, I would be neglecting my duties if the letter didn¡¯t include visual confirmation.¡±


    The unspoken question was answered with a cough from Kantor.


    ¡°There are many of us still on the island. Hundreds of slaves and prisoners. A ship bearing one or the other is arriving within the hour. Making space for you would be trivial if it''s a day''s visit.¡±


    Another sideways head bob from Emerett further impressed me. Despite the situation, he had ingrained the local customs enough to keep them at hand even in situations such as this. He had also done in a week or so what had take me nearly thrice over. He likewise maintained decorum as I spoke further.


    ¡°Our ships should provide enough room for both our retinues. Reports and such are helpful but I think seeing things provides something no amount of writing can. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree.¡±


    He returned the suggestion with a vigorous sideways nod.


    ¡°I will be waiting near the docks. If that is all that is required of me.¡±


    I gave him a casual hand wave.


    ¡°That will be all,¡± I said in a rough voice.


    With that, he turned around with a wrapping of his scarf and walked out the doors. My rise from the couch was less earnest but it was speedier than any casual movement.


    ¡°Kantor will accompany,¡± I announced to the room with a stretch and look upward. ¡°Joeseen, focus on getting the former slaves into somewhere decent and the pirates somewhere mean. Neither will be staying but first impressions and all that.¡±


    The old Kelton man huffed with his hoisting from the chair.


    ¡°That sounds like the guard''s job.¡± He moaned.


    In the corner of my vision, I saw Kantor raise an eyebrow but I cut off any future bickering.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be going through the jobs system like the refugees but they still need somewhere out of the cold. Which was being handled by the dock staff.¡±


    Joeseen tugged the fur of his chin before giving a deep sigh.


    ¡°I suppose cargo is cargo; cloth, iron, or slave.¡±


    ¡°Guest,¡± I cut in with a frown sour enough to match the infamous Kelton voice.


    ¡°Guest,¡± He agreed with arms raised in surrender. ¡°They¡¯ll be made good for a day or two. I suppose we¡¯ll be shipping them off to Crasden soon enough anyway.¡±


    I then swiveled towards Kantor. When he didn¡¯t present any argument, I turned around to my abodes door which I half sprinted towards. I came back out sporting a thick green dress with a furry collar and gold triangles around the neck. Moving into the forum, the couch and chairs were gone.


    The empty space felt oppressive as I had to cross the entire length with only my guard''s metal feet on stone to provide sound. As the black iron doors leading outside came within arms reach, the men pulled them open for me. Outside was the red stone pavilion with rock benches for those waiting to be let in.


    In the bright early day sun, I could see there were none of the usual supplicants loitering about waiting for their chance to speak to the relevant member of the council inside. I had instructed the guards to make it known that the members of the council were unavailable today and the day after as the aftermath of the battle for the island was the supreme focus.


    Beyond the red and black flecked stone of the pavilion were uncountable domes representing a house or shop. From my ground-floor view, it was impossible to see the careful consideration that had been poured into the grey stone building''s placement, but I had been present for most of their planning and knew where everything was without a second thought. Not even the bits of snow still clinging around the city''s certain corners could undermine that.


    Not that it required much thought to take the straight shot leading from here to the docks. The large road directly ahead, split with yellow lines was so unobstructed by buildings or traffic that I could see bits of the bay''s natural rock beyond our harbor. The two towers guarding the only waterway entrance far off to the left were present no matter where you stood in the city.


    The mayhem of the refugee''s arrival had since settled down, but looking around I wouldn¡¯t have thought the alleys and streets would have more occupants than the few stray souls. It was on my third step forward that a piercing blow of winter wind worked its way through my black fur. When I felt all the heat leave my skin, my first thought beyond frozen death was how we were supposed to be past the worst of the season.


    As I went down the road with metal men in tow, an errant notion came to me. How could I not know how cold it was? Thick clothes and thicker walls, obviously. Still, it felt¡­.bad. Losing such a fundamental connection to the wider world seemed wrong for a reason my tongue lacked the skill to explain.


    Pondering over the feeling took so long I soon found myself in the harbor between its office and the docks. A forest of wood cranes to the left were as still as statues, their toil for the shoddy ships in their sections either finished or pushed off for another day. Cold minutes passed by while I stood around looking at the waves as they lapped against the giant red block all our lives rested on. Kelton hardiness was finally starting to fail when I spotted the cream sails of our ship approaching from the left.


    As it sailed past me towards the special large closed-off section of harbor further to the right, my ears picked up the slam of a door behind me. Turning towards it revealed Emerett, clad in the dark blue robes and scarf with strands of red shifting in the faint breeze. Those green eyes weren¡¯t meeting my gaze. Instead, he gave the ship floating by his full attention.


    It was two floors, or three depending on the model, high above the water. Size, however, was its least notable feature. The boards were healthy looking, sails blew in the wind without blemish, and the catapults along the sides seemed large enough to be proper siege equipment. The men manning its deck and sails were likewise well supplied with both clothing and muscle. A stark contrast to the sickly things in the docks.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Both our heads shot up towards a top window of the harbor office facing the bay. In it was a frantic Joeseen who looked like he wanted to strangle someone.


    ¡°The regular docks!¡± He yelled again so loudly that it almost covered up our kinds hoarse tone.


    The ship responded with a sudden sideways shift. One of the crew on the deck tumbled down but the others managed to stay upright. Jets of water spewed out of the side facing the harbor, pushing it away in a deluge as it swung around. Cold couldn¡¯t keep my palms from sweating as its trajectory made an almost full circle. However dangerous the maneuver, it slowed as it approached an open dock to the left. Defying my meager understanding of navigation, no crunch of planks or screams of pain accompanied its stop at the wooden finger behind two others holding smaller ships.


    ¡°A truly magnificent thing.¡± Emerett put in as he moved forward. Behind him came two men with steel chest plates that matched their helmets and brown beards that blended with the rest of their leather. ¡°I can¡¯t say I envy the Mist pirates that had to contend with such dexterous sailing on the sea.¡±


    ¡°Nor can I,¡± I replied with as much confidence as could be scrounged up. ¡°It will take a few minutes for the disembark but we should be at the sight of all our pains in a few hours.¡±


    He nodded as the smack of wood sounded off in the distance. Our group of six walked towards the ship and took long enough for the first group of new arrivals to start marching out onto proper stone. The crowd comprised of metal clad Keltons around two long lines of chained pirates. None were armed and wherever their weapons were, they probably laid with the jewelry and exuberant clothes that had so defined their kind. The deep tans of the south were not so easily removed. Even as disheveled as they were, the leather of their coats was of a markedly high quality and the flesh inside held enough fat to tell of good meals.


    Vestiges of a life far removed from the one before me. Here and there were black eyes or a bloodied nose. A quick look at the guards revealed dried red on some of their metal fists. I was a bit incredulous at the pirates meriting such treatment but then I took in some of their expressions. Even now a few looked at our work with hints of derision while most had an annoyed expression. Fearlessness in the face of death was one explanation but the arrogance suggested hubris. Hubris that had been tampered down with metal backhands.


    As they went around a corner at the main road, another metal clad Kelton came from that same lane. I immediately placed him as Kantor, both from his black fur and curled brown horns and the sideways head bob the other guards gave him. He came up to my left with the humans staying on the right.


    ¡°My lady, I was told the ship would be ready to go as soon as it unloaded the prisoners.¡± Kantor intoned with a look behind us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see if the day can properly start, then,¡± I said while turning towards Emerett¡¯s green eyes. He gave me a Kelton nod before moving to the pier.


    We followed him along the wooden finger and continued from behind with his walk up the plank connecting the ship to the dock, which two sailors quickly pulled away once we arrived. On the right lay the doors leading below deck but the left held the captain''s quarters and my residence for the trip. The Kelton sailors seeing to one task or another made room for my group''s approach.


    Perhaps realizing he had been too hasty in getting on another''s ship before they did, Emerett was content to let my group go in front. I knocked on the door as soon as it was within arms reach. The response was running feet and the wooden slabs sudden swing inward.


    In the doorway stood a Kelton man in a grey shirt, leather vest, and brown pants that matched his fur and curled horns.


    ¡°Lady,¡± The mid-20¡¯s man intoned as he pulled back to allow my passage.


    I was too busy looking at the wafts of steam mixing with the winter air to pay him much mind. Stepping inside felt like walking into a steaming pot. Directly ahead was a desk and chair in front of a window, a bed to the right, and a small table to the left. All crafted with rather plain wood but any further attention I could give the room was crowded out by how I was being boiled alive.


    ¡°Apologies, Passmede,¡± Kantor said with a quick run toward the desk. He went around its back and leaned down. ¡°Captain Mentar likes it a bit hotter than others.¡±


    The heat was still oppressive as I moved closer to the desk and saw my fake father pressing his finger into a white circle painted on the side of a head-sized cube of wood.


    ¡°A bit?¡± I asked with a turn around towards the man who had let us in as he stood off to the right with a still face. ¡°The chefs don¡¯t need to cook your food, do they? Just bring it in raw an hour before meal and it¡¯ll be sizzling by the time you¡¯re ready.¡±


    His gaze continued its lifeless stance. Even Emerett and his human guards were starting to sweat. Though none of the humans complained, they stayed close to the open door. I moved back to join them as winter started working its way into the room.


    ¡°Anything interesting to report?¡± I asked the captain.


    He looked back up to regard the group with a tense smile.


    ¡°The prisoners are a lot of trouble, whether pirate or slave. Most are former citizens of the Rodring Kingdom pressed into service and are now free again. Unsurprisingly, they don¡¯t remember their time as the pirate''s property with fondness. A few of them decided to slit throats and¡­. Despite the surrender, some of the pirates were still making a fuss about taking orders from ¡®The spawn of goat fuckers¡¯. Councilman Kantor put them in with the former slaves and the bloody pulp we got back calmed the moaners right down.


    I have to say, despite being outnumbered on the island by humans, it''s been going well. Though our definitions may not align.¡± He finished with that typical rough Kelton voice struggling toward the end.


    ¡°I hope our misalignment only extends to the definition of sufficiently warm,¡± I put in with a smile and turn towards Emerett. ¡°We may keep a few of the pirates for interrogation before handing them off to you. Aside from that, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be keeping your people.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have suggested otherwise,¡± He put in with a small nod. His hand then went up to pull down the blue scarf as winter started bringing our section of the room down to livable. White lips were crushed between mollars for only a second. ¡°The how of it is another discussion altogether. Tilvor, the plant mage you exchanged crafts with back in Crasden, is making a grand city and some arrangement can no doubt be made for the former slaves. We will have to consider some measures in case the pirates decide to try and retake Passtoon¡¯s Watch.¡±


    A bit of annoyance seeped into me as I moved towards the desk. We couldn¡¯t tell them how we knew there weren¡¯t any pirates around, so we had to accept the needless caution. I pushed down the frustration since there was no avoiding it. That left me to idle in the previous captains chair as Kantor and Emerett discussed various patrol routes for mutual protection while the future was left to my ponderings. The idle musings were cut short when my pretend father got to the thorniest issue. I couldn¡¯t say for sure, but Kantor seemed to have the ghost of a smug smile as he stood to the left facing the human diplomat still standing near the door.


    ¡°Getting the bandits off the island will take a week or two depending on accommodations and such. Keeping them around any new construction will just cause trouble, so we¡¯ll help move them off the island. We may need some help moving so many all at once.¡±


    Green eyes hardened at that last bit. Sweat dripped on red eyebrows and this time I wouldn¡¯t put the clear beads down to the sweltering heat that had only just begun to dissipate. His steps forward were as constrained as his pensive frown.


    ¡°The Passtoon¡¯s Watch is a landmark first established by our founding sire. Lady Ashe will not accept having it under anyone¡¯s stewardship save house Kraton.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she-¡±


    I gave a sharp cough, drawing both men¡¯s gazes. Whatever Kantor was going to say, the hand subtly moving to his sword foretold nothing good.


    ¡°This issue was brought up before, I believe. Was it not my father who asked about the island''s ownership should the pirates fall?¡± I asked politely with a hand wave to the left.


    Emerett closed his eyes and looked upward. No words came out of his mouth, though the twisting of his lips and flaring nose told of either a fervent prayer to the spirits or a long string of profanities being recited. When he looked back down to us, his skin looked a bit paler as the sweat now extended to smooth cheekbones. As the words came out, they were almost as hoarse as ours.


    ¡°My failure as a diplomat doesn¡¯t change what Ashe will and will not accept. Surely this sordid affair ending in a war between Keltons and humans would be a loss for both our peoples.¡±


    I nodded, this time in the human way.


    ¡°Indeed. We have scant means to fully fortify and man such a land. Starting a war over it isn¡¯t something either of us wants. But the shield of the north wasn¡¯t taken freely. And my people wouldn¡¯t, and shouldn¡¯t, accept giving it away for nothing.¡±


    Emerett let loose a low breath.


    ¡°Compensation will no doubt be generous. However, the sooner we inform my house of this fortuitous event, the better for all involved. As demanding as this request may be, I must ask that we leave from Passtoon¡¯s Watch directly to Crasden.¡±


    I looked back towards Kantor. He puckered his lips beneath black fur for a second before giving a Kelton nod.


    ¡°Dropping off some of the pirates made things a bit calmer. Sending a ship with some former slaves shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯d be worried about pirates but a bandits'' first priority is survival. A long battle in waters patrolled by your people is something they¡¯ll want to avoid. Not that going further north would be smart for them in the first place.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Emerett nodded while looking both tired and hopeful.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I think some fresh air is in order.¡±


    The humans gave slight nods, with only the diplomat using the locally correct version, before shuffling out of the heated room. Mentar moved to close the door behind him. An electric buzz played across my face as soon as the wooden slab squeaked shut.


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have brought up our inability to hold it.¡¯ Kantor''s voice sounded off in my head.


    A few words of rebuke came up my throat but were cut short by sense. It was probably not a good idea to make it seem like our grasp on the prize would fail given time. I closed my eyes before sideways nodding.


    ¡®He¡¯ll no doubt inform her of my clumsy tongue. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact we almost put down the great threat to the north by ourselves.¡¯


    ¡®And sacrificed lives to do it.¡¯ Kantor put in with a small smile.


    ¡®For that reason alone, we should expect a good settlement. Enough to give their widows some good living for a while.¡¯


    He then turned towards the ship''s captain and started talking with him in a separate spirit connection, no doubt discussing some aspect of troop deployments or patrols that I couldn¡¯t hope to contribute to. A look behind me revealed only white cresting waves in the window beyond. Feeling irritated at having missed seeing the city disappear over a watery horizon, I could only get up and leave the room.


    This was a chance to be lazy after weeks or months, who could keep track in these times, of constant grinding mental labor. The trip took the rest of the day and most of the second. I stayed below deck on a hammock and it was only the meals that managed to get me out of it. My feet weren¡¯t feeling like they walked halfway across the continent and if it wasn¡¯t for a lad coming down to inform me of our arrival, I could have stayed in the rope sling for weeks more.


    Coming up the stairs took some doing as my legs readjusted to sustained use. When the guard ahead pushed open the door, a visage of blue sky and the occasional cloud presented itself from between the sails. I could only frown as I moved into the open air. The right had a number of sailors looking over the side and my eyes naturally followed the crowds direction.


    A nearly intact pier of wood jutted out from a rocky mass of land. This solid stone portion was almost a straight line with wide bulges sticking out of the water for the buildings. A few of our ships were docked at its harbors'' brown fingers. Here and there stood warehouses of wood or smaller structures that I would assume to be houses. These were so close to the ocean that I could make out some waves smacking the sides.


    These details were only noted first because of the angle. At any other point on the sea, the giant square mass of stone on a hill further beyond would have demanded the first serving of attention. Between this thing serving as a village and harbor and the proper fort lay an open road of grey stone. It was bare save the sea on the sides of the rock. Any attackers making their way across would be easy picking for archers or catapults along the giant walls.


    Any grandeur of the place was undone by the scars of changing rulers. All throughout the harbor bits of wall and ceiling were being replaced by Kelton mages with the earth element. The fort outshined the smaller buildings in this aspect as well. Along the left side of the giant stone box were bits free from the wear of wind and green moss marking them as new additions. The right was pocketed with deep gouges and the stubby bottom of a tower whose entire upper portion was no doubt being perused by the ocean''s denizens.


    It was a troubled place and a devastating sight for Emerett. The redhead looked like he had come home to a dead family and when we finally docked, his steps down the plank had a bit of an unsteady gait. Getting everyone onto the wood that didn¡¯t move took less than a minute of walking mixed with sightseeing. I trekked along the dock before coming onto the island proper.


    The destination wasn¡¯t debated as we took the straight shot towards the fort. Every step on the grey stone road through the small village was announced with a splash of seawater. Some errant thought that salty seawater might damage my leather shoes must have shown on my face as we exited the village and went onto the empty expanse. That or Emerett was just that observant.


    ¡°Pirates have never been great at working tools that weren¡¯t meant for sticking in another person.¡± He put in with a forced smile. ¡°The foundation must have been badly damaged by the crabs for them to have replaced it with this shoddy work.¡±


    I nodded as I took in the landscape on both sides. Our trail seemed to cut right through the waves, leaving me feeling like my feet were walking across open water. The feeling was enforced by the endless ocean filling all peripheral vision.


    It took us getting almost near the huge wooden gate of the fort before the corner of my left eye presented something new. Pulling away from island was one of our ships. What drew my attention was the long, bright red legs being pulled with ropes behind it. Curiosity demanded an immediate answer but I decided it was better to ask such things when the proper inspection came. A few minutes later we were up to the nearly twelve feet high double doors of the fort.


    The men working it were obviously not experienced with the fort''s inner workings, so a minute of our lives was stolen as the two giant wooden slabs swung outward in fits and starts as unfamiliar levers and gears were worked from somewhere inside. When we crossed the threshold an empty yard of grey stone greeted us. Unlike the stone of those I had taken down a lifetime ago, this fort on the sea was all smooth magic work with windows and doors along the stairs snaking up and down the inner side of the fort''s sides.


    A web of shadows about an arm thick in each string held over the brickwork. My head tilt revealed long arches of shiny steel crisscrossing between the four walls. Some corner of my brain was being tickled when I looked at them and the answer as to why felt close. Metal gleaned like it was fresh from the forge despite the mold and worn stone surrounding its placements into the wider structure. But more than that, the sides were fuzzy. It¡­.


    It was covered in blades.


    The realization made me jerk in place. I resisted what my eyes were sending for a second until the fuzziness around the arches solidified into thousands of small knives missing handles. The inner core was a long rod of bent metal with the blades attached through thin stems like tree leaves.


    ¡°An insistence of house Laperict.¡± Emerett offered with a smile to my right. ¡°I¡¯m told their city has entire walls made of such designs. Doesn¡¯t rust from rain or salt air, as near as I can tell. This allows them quick use of their famed metal magic and is placed here in case they should need to come to our defense.¡±


    I gave him a raised eyebrow. The smile he returned lacked warmth and there was none in those green eyes to compensate. That the real message was ¡®We¡¯re in charge and will keep a reminder around¡¯ didn¡¯t need to be spoken aloud.


    ¡°A weird-looking thing.¡± Kantor huffed with a tired sigh to the left ¡°But it¡¯s hardly an only child of strangeness. There¡¯s this¡­.¡±


    Black fur shifted with his head shaking back and forth in concentration.


    ¡°Cultivation. Some cultivation room.¡± He finally announced


    My eyebrows furrowed at the strange name.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Emerett put in with a happy tone as he came up behind me to stand to the right of Kantor. ¡°A superstition among the pirates. If you want a fuller explanation, I will be glad to provide it.¡±


    ¡°Anything afterwards?¡± I asked my false sire.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Storage rooms, prisoners tucked in cells, and former slaves in cots. Nothing worth mentioning and certainly not traipsing all up and down this thing.¡±


    Our human companion got a small frown at that.


    ¡°Sadly, Ashe will demand a complete inspection of all the rooms. At least, from me. I wouldn¡¯t dare impose the requirement on Lady Passmede.¡±


    The release of an irritated sigh escaped Kantor¡¯s lips but he didn¡¯t object.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get my daughter to the only room worth looking at.¡±


    He turned around and led us all up a flight of stairs. The trip took us along the walkway with the occasional pair of guards or a messenger boy pulling to the side at our approach. Light sea breeze wafted over the fort walls but the clear sky gave the place a more welcoming feeling than it probably deserved.


    We walked up to the third floor and continued trekking until we reached one of the doors in the middle of the left wall. It was a plain thing and unlike some of its kin, left unguarded. I¡¯d have worried about lax security if I didn¡¯t know Kantor so well. He opened it without ceremony, with me going in first.


    Inside was a square room sporting stone walls and wood floorboards. This contrasted with a few metal poles around the center holding candles whose life had since run its course. An open window directly ahead made up for their lack. Sunlight revealed blocks of copper on the left, compacted cubes of dirt to the right, and pales of water directly ahead. All of this was taken in with little interest.


    What demanded the most attention was the weird symbol in the middle of the room surrounded by the candle stands. It was comprised of four parts; two circles with one black and the other white. Both had another inner circle in the middle of their opposite color. A dot of black in the white and a splotch of white surrounded by pitch. With the weird tapering from the larger portions, the two opposites came together to form a single whole circle.


    ¡°A cultivation ring.¡± Emerett put in as he approached from the right. ¡°Just one of a myriad of beliefs those of the Mist indulge in.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with a quick look at the other materials lying about.


    ¡°Their workings are quite tangled but a question of my own is in order.¡± The human put in, a smug smile playing across his face. ¡°Have you seen their ships?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I offered with as much patience as I could give this detour.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve seen the jutting spikes along their sides bearing flames, metal, and other such materials at the tips?¡±


    A quick perusing of memory answered though it took a moment to consider how odd such fixtures were now that they could be examined without imminent danger. I merely nodded in the human way. If Emerett noticed my consideration for his kinds'' preferences, he was too eager to continue for a comment on it.


    ¡°They believe that during cultivation, the presence of these materials interact in certain ways to allow the expansion of their golden meridian.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the last word.


    ¡°An organ in the body that handles chi and balances the elements of water, ice, fire, metal, ground, plants¡­. And I believe a few others but they escape me.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said with a sense that a firmer grasp on the subject was at hand.


    ¡°Employing the presence of these elements with certain breathing techniques opens chi pathways and brings greater strength and allows the employment of several techniques to use the elements of ice, metal, and such.¡± Emerett expounded with a growing smile.


    ¡°But the metal element doesn¡¯t allow the summoning of metal, only its manipulation,¡± I said.


    The mans red hair started shaking before a small laugh finally escaped the smile. He wasn¡¯t fully bent over, but the merriment was still greater than the question merited.


    ¡°A thousand apologies, great Lady,¡± Emerett implored as he forced the laugh down. ¡°You have walked the same path everyone else does when I explain this.¡±


    He tidied up the edges of his blue robe before standing straight.


    ¡°The elements they use are not the ones we mages employ.¡±


    Any irritation I had with the outburst sank as curiosity pushed itself to the front of the mental line.


    ¡°But what are they working with when spells are used? If they aren¡¯t using magic elements then how does this cultivation expand their mana pathways?¡±


    ¡°The latter will answer both,¡± He put in. The smile was back in full force as he continued grinning like a giddy child. ¡°Put simply, chi pathways are an entirely separate vein system from the mana veins we employ. A case of mistaken identity almost always made by first-time listeners, so please don¡¯t feel bad about making it.¡±


    Any pretension I had of grasping this subject had been lost.


    ¡°How do they work with mana pathways? Surely one would interfere with the other at some point.¡±


    Emerett gulped as he opened his mouth. His joy on this subject was so great he lost etiquette and used the human nod.


    ¡°They don¡¯t interfere with each other because it¡¯s all complete nonsense.¡±


    I pulled my head back, eyebrows furrowing into an almost solid line. At that same moment, a full-bellied laugh exploded from my right. Kantor was as bent over as his breastplate would allow. The human and Kelton guards behind him even sported smiles. Something I felt growing on my face.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly one way to end the tale.¡± my fake father coughed up between chuckles. Emerett seemed to appreciate the interruption as he continued.


    ¡°Tests and inquiries have been made to the exhaustion of several academies the world over. It¡¯s all just¡­.Lies. Not a word of any of it has ever produced a single grain of worth. That hasn¡¯t stopped them from believing it with the same fervor that the sun will rise. The putrid fools.¡±


    His satisfaction at putting down the pirates shined through with a pure smile for a second before a cough brought him down to merely pleased.


    ¡°As false as their beliefs are, their workings with swords are far more tangible. I will be starting my inspection from the bottom and working to the top. Punctuated with the occasional stop to discuss these events with some of our rescued citizens. If my explanation of bandit superstition is sufficient, of course.¡±


    I gave him a sideways head bob.


    ¡°Amusing lies are still lies. Something I don¡¯t like dwelling on. Kantor was present during the siege, so he can answer any questions you have.¡±


    Both men gave me a Kelton nod as I walked out of the room. My entrance into the open air was met with a wave of both winter air and relief. After endless days of constant work, meetings, and thinking about what to do next, the prospect of having nothing to do was almost euphoric. For now, there were no meetings to attend or crafts to forge. I took in the surrounding stairs, the right of which Kantor and Emerett¡¯s group were taking down save two of the Kelton guards who stayed behind with me but for my part the steps leading upward to the left called. Idle whimsy demanded a view of the ocean from the top of the fort.


    A few scant minutes of maneuvering around others and taking the final steps up brought me onto a section of wall facing the ocean complete with a rather breathtaking view of endless waves. The spectacle here wasn¡¯t as far up as being on the airship, but something about still being at ground level left it feeling more tangible. Endless white peaks rose and fell for as far as the eyes could venture. All mine, for a day or so.


    A look down to see those waves crashing on the rocks instead revealed bright red sticking out of the sea and lying on the rocks. Their long bodies and backsides covered in shells resembling rocks had made it hard to identify the Mist Pirates famed companions at first but my failure to immediately spot them need never be spoken. Besides their color, the sheer size of the dead creatures was the most eye-catching aspect. The smallest of them was roughly the size of a carriage while most seemed able to match my old home in Diamond City. Another second was spent before turning around to one of the brown-furred guards minding me.


    ¡®Were they moved here after the battle for the smell?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection.


    ¡®No, Lady.¡¯ The young man put in with a head shake. ¡®If the weather were warm enough for them to rot, you¡¯d probably have smelled them back at the dock. The slaves said feeding them wasn¡¯t entirely safe from anywhere but this top section of the fort.


    We got lucky on that account. Catapulted a volley or two of the fire crafts along this side and cooked them all in one go. Kantor has been putting the ships to work pulling them out to the ocean in case something dangerous comes looking for a meal but there¡¯s just so many of them.¡¯


    Feeling a bit more understanding of why the pirates gave up so quickly, I returned to sightseeing. Another perusing of the dead allowed me to take in the rhythmic push and pull of countless red crab legs that matched the energy of the water they floated on.


    Smacking waves against stone filled my ears as the open sea gave me the closest thing to peace I had felt in ages. The pains from my scion tool had recently subsided but now an ache of loneliness crept in. I could be surrounded by a thousand people at this moment, but none of them were my husband or the woman who had become something between a friend and a sister. Their absence was growing more acute with each week spent playing queen and a quick catching-up was in order.


    I sat on one of the stools lining the wall to let sweet nothing pour over me. This lack of physical or mental activity continued for what felt like an hour before I spotted Emerett and Kantor walking up from the right. Despite perusing what had been a battlefield only days earlier, the two men seemed in light spirits with the redhead even having a small smile.


    ¡°The taking of our island was considerably gentler the second time around.¡± He announced as he walked up to me. ¡°Your repairs will probably leave it in better condition than had we taken it. Lady Ashe, no matter her anger at me, will come to understand the benefits of these events.¡±


    ¡°Come to?¡± I asked with the typical roughness of our kinds voice carrying over the waves.


    Emerett puckered his lips for a moment before taking a deep breath. The exhale produced more clouds than sound for only a second.


    ¡°Passion has many benefits. House Kraton has only recovered to its current position due to the zeal of our lady¡¯s leadership. But the fire that cooks and warms can also burn those who use it.


    Our great shield is not as cracked as I had feared, the thorn is pulled out, and we have a friendly power out here working with us. Ashe will be appreciative of your conquest if it is properly explained. And as soon as possible. They will no doubt be dispatching scouts to see what has happened here and any misunderstandings could be catastrophic for both our people.¡±


    A very eloquent appeal. Not enough to hide the fact he was worried about saving his reputation more than anything else but it was still a good display of oral skill. I rose from the stool while fighting the urge to stretch.


    ¡°Another trip on the sea then,¡± I announced as I walked past the two men.


    Our walk back to the ship was a dull affair with only the constant smack of waves to penetrate the otherwise dead air. It was only when we came back to the town that the sounds of constant work interrupted my empty head. The time of blissful nothingness had come and gone. I turned towards Kantor on my left as we approached the dock, the spirit connection pushing against his left shoulder.


    ¡®Work some sightseeing between here and Crasden into the airships schedule.¡¯


    ¡®Not trusting the humans?¡¯ he asked as we started up the ramp.


    ¡®With everyone¡¯s lives? No. Besides, Emerett is right. They¡¯ll certainly dispatch a ship to see the island for themselves and I don¡¯t want them coming in without our men being informed beforehand. The last thing we need is to send Emerett onshore with tales of a peaceful transfer then give them dead sailors courtesy of a bout of mistaken identity.¡¯


    When the last step was taken off land and onto the ship, our little group dispersed. I took a left into the captain''s quarters while Emerett and his guards went right to go below deck. This time, the room wasn¡¯t a boiling cauldron and I was allowed a peaceful slink into the chair. The momentary stretch across the desk was allowed for the blink of an eye before the electric buzz of a spirit connection pricked my left shoulder.


    ¡®If we have the radio here, how will you talk with the chief? Unless Joeseen was playing my ears when he talked about the expansions.¡¯ Kantor asked in my skull.


    ¡®That is a project years in the making. We have the time to ask him when things aren¡¯t so hectic.¡¯


    ¡®And informing him of the little mutiny at the Base?¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t keep my hands from curling into fists at the memory.


    ¡®Eli will be told as soon as the Intrepid is able to deliver said news. Everyone responsible is dead, so I won¡¯t risk pulling our watcher in the clouds away for it.¡¯


    He gave me a Kelton nod that sent some of the sea spray on his black fur and steel helmet dripping downward. An errant thought came and was confirmed with a look down that revealed my blue dress''s soaked hem. With our conversation finished, the spirit connection dissipated with his exit through the door.


    Everything left to do was either waiting back in our lie of a city or being seen to by one member of my marriage or another. That left me another day of blissful nothing to look forward to. Something I took for all its worth.


    Avoiding the morning frenzy meant even a full day of sailing didn¡¯t get us back home in one run, forcing us to stay on one of the hundreds of spots along the coast. All planned and worked on by the crew as I leaned back into the chair and tried to keep down the constant worries that had crowded out peace for so long.


    An hour or so after the morning wait, some shouting could be heard from beyond the wooden walls, with Kantor informing me that two of the Kraton ships were flagging us down and our human guest was going to explain the situation. When we got back under way, the windows revealed two ships sporting blue sails and gold-tinted sides trailing behind.


    As I was pacing in the cabin with the mid-day sun shining from the windows, a sudden knock at the door shook my brain into full awareness.


    ¡°We approach the city, my lady.¡± A rough Kelton voice called out.


    A look out the windows revealed the same two ships following like ducklings and more endless waves beyond. I had seen Crasden once before and had no desire to trudge through it again unless absolutely necessary.


    ¡°Send Emerett ashore with his guards. We don¡¯t want them thinking their diplomat is saying anything with a knife pressed to his side, so we¡¯ll wait for them to finish talking before coming ourselves.¡±


    Steps moved away from the door. A turn in the seat to look through the windows revealed the two Kraton ships pulling forward to the unseen dock ahead. This was the last time I was likely to get anything resembling rest for weeks, so it was going to be enjoyed to the fullest. My arms stretched into the air as I leaned on the back of the chair. As I brought them back down, a stiffness came over my left shoulder.


    That was all the warning I got before the long-suffered pressure came back like a thug in the night. A mountain rested on my chest, hiding somewhere among the empty air. For a moment, that unseen grip slacked. Thankfully, this hadn¡¯t happened in the middle of negotiations. Some decorum could at least-


    In the retreating pain, a new squeeze came up my legs. Whatever it was, it reignited the pressure on my chest. Any attempt to compare it to the previous episodes wasn¡¯t given enough time as black curtains furled around the sides of my eyes. From the bottom of my feet to the ears, it felt like an ocean was pressing down on me. Joints and bones didn¡¯t reflect what my body was telling me as they somehow refused to snap.


    That was the last thought I could push through the pain before those black curtains pulled over my vision. The forgotten wish was tardy yet granted all the same as the desk went sideways with the room before it all went dark.


    ¡°Lady!¡±


    A rough soreness was the first thing that responded to the voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive!¡± Another voice said.


    There was something odd about them, something that couldn¡¯t be placed. Faint light filtered through the eyelids, which I promptly opened. The sum total of the world was revealed to be wooden panels, all bathed in the fiery light of a mana lamp to the¡­. Bottom?


    Crasden, fainting, the voices being Kelton.


    I shot up from the floor using only my upper half. The chair was knocked over to the left with me being between it and the desk. A look to the right revealed a worried-looking Kantor and Captain Mentar. They were were looking on from the doorway yet neither dared cross the threshold. One immediately noticeable aspect was the fact neither were staring at me. My gaze followed theirs to the right side of the desk.


    Odd bits of red flesh and white sinew were splayed across the wood floor. Another second passed until the odd harp finally presented itself against the brown background. The sides were mud fur too dense to see the flesh beneath save the inner portion, which had sinewy muscles going up and down both sides. Between the two wings were long strings of glistening grey that looked more like the tough silver skin butchers cut off ribs. Where the sides met along the bottom were sharp, protruding bones that these uneducated eyes wanted to place as elbow joints.


    The weirdest facet of the thing was the faint spirit connection playing across my head. Far fainter than any other and lacking any accompanying words, it felt more like a warm buzz than the zap after walking across carpet. A testing dip backward had the buzz move to track with the meaty impersonation of a musician''s tool a little less tall than the length of my arm and half as wide.


    My tool.


    The realization sent a trembling right hand forward. A grasp on the right side revealed the warmth of flesh beneath the brown fur and cartilage just shy of bone hard. Bringing it a bit closer, the two wings extended with the elbow-like joints allowing it to stretch a bit more that its wooden cousins.


    ¡°It¡¯s the lady¡¯s familiar?¡± Mentar asked no one in particular.


    The question prompted me to try reaching out to the faintly warm buzz with my spirit connection. No images or faint emotional impressions followed. What I got instead was a feeling of muscles needing to be stretched. In the harp. The thought to allow the movement came without prompting. Harp wings suddenly flexed apart while extending like arms.


    Clanging metal announced the two men pulling back but I had no mental space to pay them any attention. Inside the harp I could feel it pulling in the ambient mana, storing it throughout the skin and muscles. Without thinking, I bid it to summon a spurt of water from its tip. A small spigot shot out of the designated spot. No mana sucking or mentally constructing various shapes from me, just the same pure magic beasts and Cell used.


    ¡°Kind of,¡± I finally answered the captain. ¡°It uses magic like a familiar but there¡¯s no emotion behind it. If I had to say¡­. The feeling is more like a limb that¡¯s attached through a spirit connection.¡±


    A second passed before the situation beyond this room suddenly forced its way past all the wonder.


    ¡°What happened while I was out?¡± I mused while staring at the harp.


    Silence greeted the question for a moment before boots slapped across the floor until they were just beside me.


    ¡°The human leader wants us to meet her. It''s been a few hours since we pulled in but whatever explanation Emerett had to give, it took a long time and their messenger just came with the summons ten minutes ago. That and a carriage.¡±


    I nodded to the harp. I released a tired sigh as my left hand gripped the desk. Getting up took some doing but one wobbly rise brought me back onto my feet. The errant thought of conducting a negotiation after birthing my scion tool was daunting. Shaking hands gripped the fur covered cartilage for a second before I considered that this was the worst it would be.


    That wasn¡¯t even considering I won¡¯t ever have to worry about such pains again. At least until Eli fixed his chips and we started our family. The relief of no longer having to worry about that mountain on my chest put life in my legs and a smile to match.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep our partners on the sea waiting,¡± I announced.


    Kantor and Mentar pulled to the sides to give me a clear shot onto the deck. Beyond the door were some sailors standing about as they tried to not make it look like they were dying to see what was going on in the cabin.


    Cold winter air finally registered as I walked out onto the deck. A look to the right revealed the wooden dock where a fine carriage was waiting, though the driver was still in his black coat.Behind it was a few ship hulls being worked on and all the warehouses on the left.


    My main point of interest was the plank of wood connecting the deck to land. An unsteady step followed a more certain one as I left the ship, scion tool in hand. Behind me trudged Kantor and two steel-clad guards. While I made it to the carriage first, my fake father insisted on opening it for me to climb in.


    It was a bare thing with wooden benches on both sides and white curtains on all the windows. I sat on the right with a little fuss. Any attention I had to give was spent on my newest companion. While I had said it in haste, calling it a limb attached through a spirit connection was probably the most accurate description.


    Sending a notion of flexing its muscles made it spread wide. Sinew strings flexed like their meaty cousins yet they held firm until the flexing harp stopped. What I got back through the odd connection was a sense similar to putting a forearm as far down as the elbow would allow.


    Unlike the bare flesh beneath my blue dress, this new limb wasn¡¯t feeling the winter chill despite the lack of clothes. As we were getting out of the carriage, I ran my fingers through the brown fur. It was the genuine article, or at least a fake too close for me to distinguish, but the flesh beneath had a weird aspect that I couldn¡¯t quite reconcile. Every living thing I felt had some give to it when pressed down on. Aside from the skin itself, the flesh beneath the outer sides was all hard cartilage with not a drop of fat. Like all living things it surely had to eat. Even Cell had his usual snack of nuts. Did he need them? Or was it just-


    The sudden jolt on the wooden floor pulled me back into the present.


    Kantor was on my left while the two Kelton guards waited patiently behind me. To the right were three men with lion head helmets, metal armor etched with fur, and purple cloth along their arms. All barely noticed as the world was comprised of steel behind glass rushing downward which my knees informed me was ascent. Near the double wood doors directly ahead was a small lad wearing red shirts and pants done up with gold edges.


    Any attention the humans had was given to the flesh harp in my hands. Wide brown and green eyes took in the impossibility but the men still had the awareness to have a hand hovering above a holstered blade. It took a few seconds more before the odd motion came to a gradual stop. The red-clothed lad moved to open the double doors revealing the top of a staircase directly across. Going through revealed a simple hallway of wooden walls and stone floors. I wasn¡¯t given much time to take it in as the boy motioned me to take a right.


    The long hallway with chandeliers along the ceiling ended in another double door though their steel presented a more menacing aspect. It was a grand thing made all the more curious by the lack of life between it and our group. An ominous feeling grew with each step bouncing off the stone walls and the paintings adorning them. Those metal slabs were soon within arms reach which the lion head guards moved to open.


    When the inner room was revealed, the first thing I noticed was the woman sitting directly across a white marble table with gold edges. Her flowing red hair over a silky green dress had the sheen of health, as did those furrowed red eyebrows. Green eyes regarded me with open hostility while her palms rested on the chairs arms.


    Glass walls showing the city below and the tiled floor of blue and gold filled in my peripheral vision but it was hard to look away from the woman showing sour lips below a small nose. Emerett stood off to the left side. Apparently unmolested despite not risking so much as a visible breath. The woman¡¯s open hostility lasted for a second longer before jade irises moved to the prize in my arms. Curiosity battled for a moment longer before the hard edge of disdain in the woman¡¯s body ebbed out with a placing of her hands in her lap. A motion that was accompanied by the lion guards moving to the sides of the table between us.


    ¡°I cannot profess great familiarity with the Kelton people, in spite of our shared home of the north,¡± She stated in a mild tone. ¡°But I feel such crafts¡­.or animals would have reached my ears at some point.¡±


    ¡°Such things wouldn¡¯t have,¡± I responded, making the woman flinch from the typical rough Kelton voice. There was nothing for it, so I continued. ¡°For I am the first scion of our people in generations.¡±


    Those green eyes immediately shot to Emerett. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he met the gaze. Whatever was said between them, it was left to their spirit connection before the woman I presumed to be Ashe returned her gaze to me. Some tension left her shoulders but the smile still had a sour note.


    ¡°It seems bad luck wasn¡¯t the pirate''s true bane when facing your kind.¡± She intoned sweetly. ¡°Emerett¡¯s inspection and inquiries have shown your people to be rather free with your magic. Both in taking and repairing your prizes.¡±


    I measured out every word to strike a balance between demanding and fealty. Not in the perfect proportion but the best I could come up with on the spot.


    ¡°Sadly, sometimes magic and effort aren¡¯t the final words in taking a territory. If you want it back under house Kraton, some arrangement could be made.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ashe responded with a clenched jaw.


    ¡°The island is far out of our way and too close to those we want to avoid. It¡¯s not our ancestral home nor are its occupants our people. Handing it back to those with more ties to it is for the best. Still, blood was lost in retaking the shield of the north. To say nothing of our own expenses in the venture. Is some compensation unreasonable?¡±


    Something about that last word acted like a bucket of water on the fire inside her. Green-clothed arms crossed and, while her lips were still puckered, the long release of breath through a sharp nose seemed resigned. A moment of staring continued before she nodded in the human way.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all suffered unreasonable people these past few months and we need not join them in their senselessness. Such an important service for the entire north is certainly deserving of some reward.¡±


    Every shoulder in the room went down a good inch. If Ashe noticed, she didn¡¯t let it slow her down.


    ¡°But I cannot say to know much about Kelton mages. Do you have the same abilities as a human healing scion?¡±


    That she immediately focused on my personal abilities threw me off for a second.


    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the ability to heal limbs, then yes,¡± I said with a small smile.


    ¡°And would it offend if a demonstration was asked for?¡± She asked with the first sign of hesitation I had seen from her.


    The first emotion was irritation at the turn in subject, but this conversation could well decide my people''s fate, so I kept out any impertinent words.


    ¡°An entire arm would be a bit much. A finger, however, is easy enough.¡±


    The woman¡¯s red hair flowed with her nod to a lion guard on the left. He took a moment to get his right leather glove off. A tanned hand was revealed, though the finger beside his pinky was brown due to it being a wooden appendage. As he worked the straps keeping it attached to the rest of the hand, I started sucking in mana. Working joints and flesh back into existence took a good minute or so but soon a pale digit joined their tanned siblings.


    The man gave me an appreciative human nod. I would have lingered on his gratitude if Ashe didn¡¯t seem happier than the man who was just healed. Those puckered lips broke into a proper smile while she rose from the chair with a small bow.


    ¡°It seems better days are ahead for both our peoples. Unfortunately, to bring this to a proper close, we will need to get several architects there to assess the damage and see what the treasury will bear in compensation. Providing our best accommodations with meals for those guests who¡¯ve done so much won¡¯t break our coin purse, of course.¡±


    Her second of staring at the guard on the right made the man¡¯s brown eyes go wide. He stood still for a moment before turning back to me.


    ¡°If you would follow me,¡± He asked politely.


    I returned a human nod to Ashe before following the man out of the room. As we left the room, a red-clothed messenger boy ran ahead of us. The hallway was wide enough that the lad got around us with all manners intact. At the opposite end of the crafted shaft were chairs by a window showing the wider city below but it was the staircase along the right that the boy dashed down.


    As we filed into the elevator, I resumed perusing my familiar tool. Despite how important the trip here was, there was something about this harp of sinew and muscle I couldn¡¯t pull my mind away from. The universe gave Eli all the time he needed to parse out his scion birthright yet I was allotted only a few minutes between walks. As unfair as it was, the injustice would only continue until I got to the sleeping quarters. Cooling my impatience allowed me to notice the weird look the brown eyes in the lion helmet were giving me as the double doors closed.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I asked as politely as I could manage.


    ¡°You are to be given the royal quarters.¡± He stated simply as he fitted a metal tube in a panel on the left of the closed doors.


    ¡°An unusual thing?¡±


    The lions head slowly went up and down as he worked the wooden dial.


    ¡°It risks offending the Laperict heads. A grey area, as far as convention go, but allowing others to occupy the rooms meant to hold the royal family is very risky. Our lady must see great worth in you.¡± He offered mildly. The tone of his last words conveyed ¡®Ashe must be crazy to do this¡¯ more than any compliment, but rules around royal etiquette were beyond my purview to comment on.

 Chapter 128: Kreshtons Long Road (2)

    Salamede POV


    A falling sensation came for only a second before a sudden slow kicked in. The double doors opened to reveal a red-painted wall with shining steel curves around the top and bottom of the walls. This metal contrasted with the softness of the red carpet lining the floor.


    Stepping out, it felt like stepping into a home rather than the room of a larger structure. Maybe it was the smaller hallway we stepped into, the embroidered chairs and couches to the left looking more like a private nook as opposed to a public area, or the hooks along the right wall for coats. Whatever the reason, this floor reflected the specific tastes of a handful rather than the masses.


    Our guide went down to the right, which we followed. At the end of this hallway was another set of double doors, though these were warm oak emblazoned with silver mountain peaks. Getting them open took a good shove from the lion guard and Kantor. Contrasting with the sturdy entrance was a dining room that seemed more art than residence.


    Silver rivers and wildlife flowed around the room''s sides while red carpet lined with gold squares sat below all the pristine furniture. At the center was a long table bearing a shiny metal top with strong steel legs beneath. While the chairs were dark cherry wood, their silky cushioning and gold-tipped headrests were no less ornate than anything else. Along dressers on the right and opposite walls were statues of dragons, beasts, and even a few skulls of large-mouthed beasts which were dipped in the same silver. All illuminated by crystal mana lamps on the ceiling that were done up like stars while the nose was filled with a field of flowers.


    More than grandeur or wealth, there was a sense of frailty in all the pieces save the table. One errant swing of an arm and a great piece of art would be lost. Using the chairs as one would in a tavern might well mean their death. A disagreement coming to blows probably ended in damages totaling several hundred gold coins.


    Our group was ushered to the left where another ornate door stood. As we got close, our human guide coughed into a leather glove.


    ¡°This hall has several rooms on the sides for guards. The one at the end will be the lady¡¯s quarters. Here, even the guards lay well. And eat well.¡± He said as he gripped the door handle and pulled.


    Inside was more of the innate hallway, though this one sported two doors on each side and another double door at the end, sporting gold mountains instead of the usual silver. The lion guard gave us a moment to take it in before continuing.


    ¡°A messenger will come by later to take your requests for food. You are to be extended the same guest rights as we would the royal family and shouldn¡¯t concern yourself with the expenses of your preferred meal. Magical resources, however, will not be given.¡±


    I walked past him toward the end of the hallway. The Kelton men kept around me as I pushed the door open. Inside was another room with the same silver wall corners and red carpet. My eyes immediately went to the enormous bed on the left. Its landscape of dark red blankets and white sheets had enough room for a family of five to sleep undisturbed with its size and lack of posts or headboard.


    Paintings depicting battles and solemnly standing figures, no doubt portraying Laperict history, lined the walls. Above the desk on the right was a particularly large specimen bearing a large bird done up in silver gliding over a mountain. Sunlight layered over the grand room from the window that took up almost the entire opposite wall. On the right wall was an open doorway leading into a washroom. Kantor did a quick scout under the bed and desk but the place, despite its finery, was bare enough that he was bowing with his exit from the room along with all the other men in short order.


    Outside the window was a long road surrounded by walls leading to Eli¡¯s creation further out. Besides that, it was jagged and bare rock fields for as far as the eyes could take in with the assistance of the peak sun. My mind started searching for ways to visit those large walls in the distance. Good sense quickly crushed the desire. One visit between scions was a fortuitous meeting. Two was a relationship we weren¡¯t supposed to have.


    With nothing left to do, I plopped onto the bed. Fine silk kissed my arms and lower neck. This would probably be the last time I would have nothing to do for weeks. Months, if fate had abandoned me. Blazing sun outside could have tricked my senses into thinking it was summer and the warming enchantments here were good enough to help sell the illusion, though large tufts of snow in and around the landscape undid any such feeling. Staring at the red ceiling of what I wanted to say was cloth, it was only an hour more before a small lad came with a paper and quill for the midday meal. An order that was delivered with a speed I wanted to say defied all sense.


    Seared fish with a vegetable salad was eaten in the dining room with my guards on the sides, their meals coming after mine. As I was washing down the last of the perfectly done fillet with light beer, a knock from the hallway doors interrupted the last gulp. The closest of my Kelton guards pulled open the door, out of which came a pudgy man with a bald head and grey eyebrows that matched his lamb chops. While his black butler suit was immaculate, even sporting some gold leaves embroidered throughout, his brown eyes had a harried aspect and the button nose twitched with irritation.


    ¡°Lady Ashe Kraton.¡± He announced with a move to the side.


    I rose just as the woman came in with a blue dress. It showed a slight V with gold edges, though the rest of her top was mostly red hair. The attire, bereft of the typical jewelry or fine gold armbands, would have lent a more casual air if not for the tightness in her smile.


    ¡°Any scion showing such deference would be a story told as a joke to most.¡± She offered sweetly as she approached the chair on the opposite side of the table as her butler came up from behind.


    ¡°The one who feeds is the one in charge. At least that¡¯s how mother raised me.¡±


    Those green eyes were still strained as the man pulled the chair out but her smile seemed genuine as she sat down.


    ¡°Wouldn''t that mean chefs are the true rulers of the world.¡±


    ¡°For three times a day, they probably are.¡± I agreed.


    Surprisingly, the Kelton guards closed the doors with a nod from the butler. The head of the Kraton household was sitting here without a single guard of her own banner. The obvious question must have shown on my face because she leaned forward on the table.


    ¡°Have the accommodations been sufficient?¡± She asked in a light tone.


    ¡°Beyond. I fear for our treasury should a single arm swing wrong, but I can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t impress.¡± I answered honestly.


    Ashe nodded with a puckering of her lips pulling at pronounced cheekbones.


    ¡°Artistry is certainly a plus. However, its greatest attraction is a single feature made of many parts and the value it provides would only be apparent to people of discretion. Or acts that require such.¡±


    A pronounced gulp down a porcelain throat matched what I¡¯d imagine one would take before taking a jump with doubts about surviving the attempt. Whatever hesitance she had, it was overcome in short order.


    ¡°There are times when those among the powerful need to have certain discussions that must not be heard with people who must not be seen. A queen who needs to discuss bribes with a noble from a faction who would look unfavorably on such a meeting. Other times, she may find a man she fancies yet the pouting from the husband would be too much on her ears. Still, the mana crystals must be collected and adulterous seeds sown.


    This room answers that call. Only I and a select few have the keys that allow its access. Most assume its value rests on air-deadening enchantments and various defenses, of which it has many, I assure you. But spirit connections and royal guards provide all those things. Allowing a person of questionable character to meet a queen while onlookers assume they went to another floor is something only a building this tall can provide.¡±


    It felt odd, having such a fine room serve as a sibling to a seedy alley. That didn¡¯t keep an odd sensation of relief from coming. I was no queen or woman of great wealth and pretending to be such was probably going to be the greatest challenge I¡¯d face. At least I could do so with the knowledge that no amount of coin could change certain aspects of people the world over.


    ¡°And what would be so objectionable to our meeting? There¡¯s no tenderness between our kind but I didn¡¯t think relations were that poor.¡± I asked with my best attempt to manage that horrid Kelton voice.


    Red hair swayed as Ashe took another deep breath.


    ¡°Are you familiar with the growth?¡±


    I stared at her with a pensive frown. All living things knew what growth was, so whatever else she was referring to escaped my inner library. Instead of explaining, she rose from her chair and pulled on the left side of her dress.


    Pale skin was revealed but what drew any and all attention was a hand-sized patch of reddish waves of flesh below the knee. I wanted to say it as the bulges, a name for growths on the body that always resulted in death at some point. The suspicion became fact when a closer look revealed a sickly ooze around the ridges. With that disgusting sight came understanding, not just of this meeting but also why she had been so aggressive in all her dealings. One desperate play after another for a women whose time was short.


    ¡°While I have the same abilities as human healer scions, I was under the impression that it was your house''s element. If you¡¯re expecting some new ability from the demon blood to deal with this, I¡¯m afraid your generosity in our accommodation has been wasted.¡± I stated with a look upward towards the green eyes.


    ¡°We are the healing house.¡± She agreed as her hand released blue cloth with her descent into the chair. ¡°But the math of personal interest has its say as well. Any scion healers we produce are almost immediately snatched up by the City. Family, good relations, and some mana crystals kept the ties up. Unfortunately, the stain of Orc mating has fallen on this house from one foolish man.


    By continuing to provide healing services, some might suggest they don¡¯t recognize the severity of that offense or even have unspoken approval. Those scions who cut out and restored the affected bits have since severed ties to quell any such unpleasantness at gatherings should our meetings become known. As a Kelton, however, would I be assuming too much to say you aren¡¯t bothered about the opinions of the high families overseeing the garden of Yeesel?¡±


    The answer was obvious, at least for most of the last bit, but a yes here felt like an answer to many different questions, leaving me to splinter them from each other. Which I did by offering my own questions.


    ¡°And should the worst come to pass, what will your successors do if my aid is discovered? Helping people in need is one thing, but plowing my people through foreign politics could threaten me. Opening up to the wider world was already a monstrous task. Having to explain how we became involved in a succession dispute with some humans would be a step farther than my current position allows.¡±


    Ashe nodded in the human way with a small smile.


    ¡°If my condition were to become known, they would immediately move up from successor to owner. After the Kraton house tore itself apart, at least. Whoever rose from the flames, however, would probably be more accommodating than you¡¯d expect. They¡¯ll raise a big fuss and maybe demand some public apology for hiding my condition but everyone knows some families get the growth more than others. It seems blood carries more than magic or sexual perversion, so they¡¯ll not harm the only person they can turn to when the day comes that they feel these bumps on their skin.¡±


    ¡°That only covers those from below. How will I deal with the royal family? Maybe they¡¯ll be grateful for the assistance, maybe they¡¯ll remove a pernicious weed that¡¯s interfered with their beloved kingdom. What assurances could you have that this won¡¯t end with a Rodring fleet outside of my harbor?¡± I countered with a cross of my arms.


    For the first time, Ashe chuckled. The bite of her lips and slight shake of her head made it clear how little fear was inside.


    ¡°I doubt Princess Palta would allow such an action. My generosity in bed has been considerable and I¡¯ve given her enough pleasant memories to at least merit some fondness for those who have helped me.¡±


    All I could give her was widened eyes, which didn¡¯t quite feel like enough. Fortunately, her butler more than made up for any of my lacking facial effort. His face went red as he reared on his supposed superior. The change in skin tone only made the white of his bit lips more apparent. Brown eyes stared into green ones for only a second.


    ¡°No, Rennard.¡± She stated in a forceful voice. ¡°If we will discuss this, it will be for all to hear.¡±


    The butler took a deep breath before releasing it with his lips.


    ¡°It is a shameful thing on its own. But the fact that you don¡¯t even have the inclination in the first place-¡±


    Her chin stuck out in defiance and her green eyes were steel.


    ¡°My inclination is for house Kraton to be in its proper place. Everything else is in service to that end.¡±


    That hard gaze then turned to me.


    ¡°And dead women work towards no ends. Whether that be their ascent to greater heights or shielding their fellows from horrors past. Horrors that had almost killed them to the last.¡±


    I sat up a bit straighter at the reference to my people''s previous slaughter and exile from these lands, though I didn¡¯t make any objection to her continuing.


    ¡°I will not insult your intelligence by playing at some pretension that I have the advantage here. You are my best, and likely only, chance of seeing another winter. But I may also be what your people need to see what I won¡¯t without your healing. Tell me, Passmede, how hard do you think it is to secretly move hundreds of mages at a time without being detected?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± I offered lamely.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Ashe corrected with a slight shake of her head. She was breathing like she had taken a minute jog between her last two sentences. ¡°Mages consider the north barren as far as magical resources go. Those who consider themselves above petty nations are still bound by social expectations and monitoring by their peers. Failure is broadcast to every ear that will listen and it can take years to recapture lost standing, if at all. The raid that put your people to the sword must have taken a lot of convincing.¡±


    Skepticism coursed through me. We were the mages of Keltons. Our power was in the workings of mana and stores of great magical resources. Of course some thieves would come knocking to take our riches.


    Then another voice came. Greatness was relative. Sure, for Keltons my ancestors were unfathomably rich. But rich for a poor people can be poverty to true wealth. And there were few people more lacking in coin than mine.


    ¡°What happened to your ancestor who helped pilfer ours?¡± I demanded with no concern for the typical roughness on the ears.


    ¡°She was shortly deposed and replaced with a nameless underlings if our records are accurate. Officially, outside mages have little authority inside the kingdom. Something quickly forgotten if you want to remain in your position.¡±


    Bitter bile rose in my throat. Our lifeblood wasn¡¯t even sweet enough to merit the squeeze. In the depths of my soul was the feeling that it would have been better if the woman responsible for it all had gone on to live in gaudy richness. At least there was some kind of dignity in having enough to satisfy the thief.


    ¡°That is the known history.¡± Ashe continued, ¡°There is another version, of course. One where your people took off to the snail''s domain with all the true hoards of mana crystals and magical resources. Which would have been dismissed if not for its evident truth being displayed these past few weeks.¡±


    I took a moment to push aside my feelings and consider what to say, in what order, and what the implications would be.


    ¡°Partly true. We have some resources but rumors often exaggerate their foundation of truth.¡± I offered with a stiff face.


    She nodded in the human way, never pulling away from my gaze as she did so.


    ¡°Rumors still move bodies onto ships and swords out of holsters. In all your plans to prevent the second home from going the way of the first, did you consider a more friendly Crasden?¡±


    I bit my lips for only a second.


    ¡°Friendly in what ways?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t goad mages to attack you is one. Even if some ponder over your riches, recreating such a raid will be considerably harder without the support of Crasden. Doing so over my objections could still happen, I admit. They¡¯ll probably hide a small army in small bands throughout the various remaining towns who¡¯ve survived the Mist pirates for months. That is exponentially more expensive than holding them all up in a few ships at the local capital. Which alone could make the economics of an attack almost irredeemable.


    The other is cooperation. Working together, we can make a far stronger defense of our seas than what the brigands faced in their first coming. Mist pirates are a savage lot but slights give them long memories. They¡¯ll be back and both our people need to be prepared.


    That is what I can provide. Of course, I need to be alive for this relationship to flourish.¡±


    Not wholly true. Any leader of Crasden would be friendly towards us. They don¡¯t know how strong we are and we¡¯ve already flexed considerable muscle.


    Well¡­.


    Friendly because the situation aligns with the stance is more like being amicable. Getting along because you¡¯re the only thing keeping them out of the grave is probably closer than most siblings. And even if my healing only delayed her end by a few years, that would probably be long enough for Eli to finish his AI chips.


    For a second, I had to reexamine that last thought. I wasn¡¯t waiting for Eli to complete his project because the quad mage was dead and I was a lone mage leading her clan into the future. Balancing the views of two different women was often effortless, but moments like these made the mask itch.


    She exaggerated some points as I doubted a trove of magical resources would be denied from putting up mundane soldiers around a few towns. Still, this was as good an opportunity as any to keep conflict with the humans to mere disagreements, if it could be trusted. A slight cough was my first answer.


    ¡°A lot of that is going on your word for an exchange that will be spoken of only between us. I can¡¯t make plans around such cooperation and expect the council to accept. That goes without saying that this all works on me trusting your word alone. Something more tangible will need to be at hand to convince them and my own doubt.¡±


    Ashe puckered her lips as she pulled back into the chair.


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Metals.¡± I offered. ¡°The snails don¡¯t have it nor is any ore abundant in their domain that we stole into. I¡¯m sure you figured out we¡¯ve been smuggling it in minutes after hearing of our existence.¡±


    ¡°There was some suspicion,¡± Ashe confirmed in a non-committal tone.


    ¡°As bad as our history with your kind is, we aren¡¯t any more eager to be dependent on the other clans. The opening of your market to our purses, not a free haul of ores mind you, would provide us with enough stores to manage on our own as well as take away the neighbor''s leverage. Lacking iron and copper is something we¡¯ve always struggled with and I can see an arrangement being accepted in the council. This little healing exchange can be slipped in with me coming out to make some inconsequential change to the purchases every so often.¡±


    I finished with a slight stroke along the side of the flesh harp. Green eyes stared intently for a second before Ashe released a breath.


    ¡°And will a lowering of tariffs will be expected?¡±


    ¡°A four percent grace.¡± I offered.


    A red eyebrow raised.


    ¡°The tax is six percent at base. Such a steep discount would be uncomfortable to explain based on our known relationship.¡±


    ¡°Three percent.¡± I offered. ¡°Will people really object to helping those who did so much to stem the bloodshed?¡±


    She bit her lips again while looking at the table.


    ¡°The heads of the smith and miner guilds didn¡¯t get into their positions by taking an arrow for others.¡± Ashe mused to herself before looking back up at me. ¡°Everyone else, however, is still dealing with the loss of loved ones in the butchery so I doubt those dirty men will come out against it. They will have some legitimate concerns about abuse of such generously taxation. Could you promise to not offshore any ores or bars to other sellers?¡±


    ¡°Raw? Sure. I doubt we¡¯ll have much to spare traders anyway. Metal goods and weapons might be another matter. Our metal magic can make every item imaginable. Controlling the trade of pots or hairpins is something the harbor master would be loathe to burden the guard with.¡±


    The redhead stilled for a second before nodding again.


    ¡°I know the mundanes do some trade with the Kelton clans for our forge work. Not here. Out in some of the towns dotting the coast. The threat of the pirates will help smooth over any initial worries until things settle and one merchant or another starts running their usual stock against yours. Such matters will have to be addressed when specifics can be given.¡±


    My head leaned back with the rest of my body into the chair.


    ¡°How soon could we start such purchases?¡±


    The white teeth inside Ashe¡¯s large smile were flawless yet not enough to undo how forced the display felt.


    ¡°Considering every breath I take might be the one right before the growth kills me, right now if you wish. As long as both ends of the agreement become active.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well rested,¡± I agreed with a rise from the chair. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Ashe pronounced as she followed my motions. ¡°Certain things need to be brought in, which should take no more than an hour.¡±


    I nodded to her in the human way, which she returned before heading out of the room. The meal was complete, so I headed back to the plush bedroom to spend the remaining hour looking into every ridge and side of my flesh harp. Maybe the name flesh harp was a bit¡­. Cold. If it had any indication of emotion or thought coming from it, I might feel bad about the name I settled on. For all my efforts and prodding, the first assumption of it being more of an unconnected limb than a familiar grew into certainty.


    As the winter sun just finished dying, a knock came on the door. I immediately went to it with my scion tool on my left arm. Opening the door revealed Kantor who merely gave me a Kelton nod before turning around. I followed him down the hallway towards the dining room. Fighting with the floral scent was the smell of alcohol while the faint sound of bubbling bounced off the walls.


    My entrance into the room left me wondering if I had somehow taken a wrong turn in the straight hallway. White sheets covered everything with the central table now gone. A pot on the right had clouds of steam pouring out of it courtesy of a piece of mana crystal spewing flames onto its bottom. The handles of various blades sticking out of it didn¡¯t seem to mind the temperature.


    The pot''s closeness was the reason I saw it first. Any other entrance would have immediately drawn my eyes to the small bench on the opposite end of the room holding various liquor bottles. That or the rise in the white cloth near the middle of the room with a single leg sticking out of the fabric. It had a feminine aspect. Any mystery about the limbs owner was answered by the patch of festering red flesh near knee.


    I took a single step forward to ask what this all was.


    ¡°You must be the new help.¡± A dimmed voice announced.


    An immediate turn to the right produced the vision of a square plate of black glass floating in the air and fine leather gloves moving about in front of the double doors. Another second passed before the person''s body covering of white cloth matching the walls made itself distinct against the backdrop.


    ¡°Can I assume this is your first time in such settings?¡± The person behind the glass asked with a look up to me, any intuition of gender or tone lost in the dimmed plate.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I offered lamely with a quick look to the left. Kantor merely stared directly ahead with no sign he found any of this off-putting.


    ¡°Lady Ashe is currently out. The mix only lasts forty minutes or so and waking up in the middle of getting your hide diced isn¡¯t a pleasant thing. So, if we could get started.¡±


    I looked between them and the boiling pot then to the alcohol on the stand to the left.


    ¡°The great ultimate mage Rodring once remarked on procedures such as these. He mentioned things about the purest concentrations of liquors, to rather undrinkable concentrations. That and the boiling of the tools. If he mentioned the why¡¯s of such things, I¡¯ve not read them. Their effectiveness in this type of medicine, however, is proven beyond all doubt.¡±


    Having displayed such faith in ultimate mages more times than probably anyone else alive, or has ever lived, I was content to put all of this into the same mental space I put Eli¡¯s AI chips and never stopping heaters. I gave the walking mass of cloth and leather gloves a simple nod before moving towards Ashe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you to lead me.¡± I offered.


    A simple human nod of the glass slab was all I got back before they started pulling out the steaming knives.


    ¡°Just heal the flesh as I cut. We¡¯ll be taking the whole leg below the knee. Restoring it will be the part I leave to your expertise.¡± They offered as steaming blades were doused in the clear liquid from the bottles. Floral scent was now totally overwhelmed with the pungent sting as rags soaking in the same alcohol were brought closer.


    Their movement towards Ashe was a bit slow with the various items slowing them down, but the burdens were placed at the slender table with surprising care around what I wanted to say was the redhead¡¯s mid-section. Once all the cutlery was lying in a neat row, they pulled up the white cloth around the leg to reveal a sickle made of wood from its handle to the tip of the blade. Its magical enchantments weren¡¯t obvious but I wasn¡¯t given time to ponder what they could be as the glass slab turned to me.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    I answered with a human nod as I sucked in the ambient mana.


    A soaked rag was quickly applied below Ashe''s knee. One of the still steaming knives was raised and the butcher''s work began with a single cut on the leg''s left side. Red rivers flowed over the white cloth without the typical screams and kicking accompanying the outpouring.


    My right hand moved a construct of golden triangles, circles, and squares to apply the needed element but magic couldn¡¯t heal as quickly as steel could cut. While not as free-flowing as the first slice, red droplets still managed to splatter and soon an aromatic trio of flowers, alcohol, and the iron tang of blood filled my nose. Our work was quick and soon only two bones connected the lower leg to the rest of Ashes body.


    Steel and booze were put to the sides to make room for the wooden sickle. A line of flame sprang from between the blade''s tip and its base. That string of fire was soon applied to bone. Its cut was accompanied by a smell of charred flesh. I gave it my best, but such heat was more than what my magic could overcome in equal time. The offending foot was freed with two quick swipes of the sickle and placed off to the side but the flesh that had connected it was badly burned, as it was on the main body.


    ¡°I believe this is now your domain.¡± The glass face said as they moved off to the right.


    Fingers were the typical order when it came to limb restoration, leaving this as a semi-new challenge just in the sheer amount of flesh that had to be weaved from mana and air. Fortunately, nature''s designs often favored simple bone placements in this portion. Time lost meaning as muscle and fat were molded around equally fresh bone.


    Speed was never an issue when doing healing since people were often too worried about getting back a lost finger or toe. Perhaps that habit of sloth was what made my efforts go a bit slack around ten minutes in as sweat started forming around my brow. The time limit around Ashe waking up was still mentally present but when twenty minutes passed and I was still inches from getting near the foot, some part of me accepted I was going to run past the deadline.


    When I approached the ankle and the white sheets stirred with a shift of the foot, I couldn¡¯t say I was surprised. Which was fortunate since it meant I could stop the healing magic before fixing something the wrong way. A slight groan came from the white cloth, prompting my covered companion to lean towards the general spot of Ashe¡¯s head.


    ¡°She¡¯s almost finished,¡± The figure put in with not as much deference as I would have expected. ¡°Any pain?¡±


    ¡°Uuugh,¡± The weak woman¡¯s voice answered. A few seconds of silence before she resumed. ¡°No.¡±


    As feeble as Ashe sounded, the white-clothed figure nodded and hummed in satisfaction.


    ¡°That means my portion is complete.¡± They announced before turning away from our patient to me. ¡°Once the foot is finished, her guard will see to the cleanup.¡±


    I nodded before turning back to the unfinished leg. Despite being less demanding in terms of mass, getting all the joints, cartilage, and bones in the foot right took a bit longer than the rest of the leg. After nearly an hour or more of sweat, mana, and ceaseless mental concentration, I pulled back from the leg for the final time. It was a bit grey and noticeably emaciated but there was also a lack of the oozing ridges telling of coming death.


    ¡°Is that good?¡± I asked the limb.


    Feeble toes wiggled before the new foot went up and down.


    ¡°It feels weird.¡± Ashe¡¯s weakly offered through the white sheet. ¡°Still, I prefer morning exercise to preparing my funeral. As exhausted as you are now, know you will look back on this as the start of your people¡¯s moving beyond the glory of the past and into a future beyond even those dreams of years gone.¡±


    Managing to work politics after coming out of a drug-induced sleep made my respect for her rise a level. I decided the first response would be a cough.


    ¡°We are both in need of rest. My father Kantor will be ready to start making purchases tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, on both accounts.¡±


    With that, my healing companion started gathering up the tools and wrapping up the white sheets, careful to not spill any of the blood as they did so. I simply turned around and went back to the bedroom. As I approached the door, Ashe¡¯s butler ran in. His worried look told of a relationship beyond the professional and a harried run to his master''s side ignored any offense at the smells or sights greeting him. I continued down the hall and went back into the main chambers.


    Outside the window lay a sea of black pitch disturbed only by the faint flicker of torches along the walls leading to Eli¡¯s domain. I had worked only an hour and secured an unofficial alliance with the other great human power, something beyond even my ancestor''s accomplishments, and accessed a reliable source of metal, with all the great military and economic ability that brought. The subtle spider web of aches throughout my body and residual sweat along my neck cared only for the here and now, however. A quick visit to the washroom and I was back to bed.


    Not even perusing my harp could keep me going. Soon the plush blankets were wrapped around me like a cocoon and black void came to nurse away the aches and pains. The next sensation that followed was the smell of searing meats.


    Something that made me keenly aware of the dagger-like pain in my stomach. Winter had a tendency of playing on the perception of time. I rarely suffered from this fact but yesterday I had mistaken a late lunch for dinner. After a few seconds of clawing out of the blankets I half sprinted to the door from which a tantalizing sizzle was emanating, harp in hand. Opening it revealed a small pile in front of the door comprised of a white gown, fluffy shoes, and some soaps.


    The hallway beyond was empty. This only made the waft of searing meats stronger without the additional door in the way. Saliva filled my mouth yet¡­. Showing up to the meal with the rough fur and smell of fresh waking would be unseemly. Another stab of hunger blasted such concerns away like sand thrown in a river.


    A single step was taken over the pile of morning essentials before another thought occurred to me. Even if the humans didn¡¯t know who I truly was, Kantor and the guards did. Would such a presentation be acceptable for the wife of an ultimate mage? Doesn¡¯t the way a wife present herself reflect the judgment of her husband?


    The guards wouldn¡¯t say anything. And Eli wouldn''t care about me taking one morning to be messy. But¡­. I do. Letting loose a pouting groan not heard since my years gained two digits, the bundle was taken up with my re-entry. A dash towards the right where the washroom was nearly sent the soaps flying as I worked off the blue dress at the same time. For five agonizing minutes, fur was doused and scrubbed, a careful spraying around the needed bits was conducted, and teeth were scrubbed.


    I came out of the room in a white robe fluffier than my fur and shoes that felt like a sheep¡¯s rub. The harp was immune to the temptation calling from the dining room, but the last bits of self-control finally snapped with a sprint toward breakfast. I only just pulled it together as I pushed the last door open.


    The room was mostly the same as I had first seen it with no hint of the butchery that had taken place yesterday. Only this time on the right was Ashe¡¯s butler working a large cart sporting a flat slab of dark iron heated by two fire-spewing mana crystals below it. The black butler jacket was replaced with a white apron. His brown eyes were looking over several slabs of searing ham. On another cart to the left was an array of eggs, potatoes, meats, breads, and jugs.


    ¡°Ah,¡± He announced with a turn of his brown eyes to me. ¡°The lady of the hour. I can¡¯t profess to match the royal chef, but my steaks have never been burned and eggs have always maintained their yolks when I¡¯ve wanted them to.¡±


    I merely nodded in the human way as I sat at the head of the table.


    ¡°How has Ashe been?¡± I asked. ¡°Has the foot given her any trouble?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Rennard announced with a pleasant smile. ¡°My lady wishes to convey her satisfaction with your work. She would give the thanks personally, sadly this all happened without the usual planning and has left her with several morning appointments she cannot simply cancel. This leaves my wholly insufficient gratitude and cooking to serve in proper thanks stead.¡±


    ¡°Is your care for her special or are all human servants so devoted?¡± I asked as the hams were flipped with a spatula.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    A small smile broke out between his lamb chops as his head shook.


    ¡°Most haven¡¯t served their charges since they were in the cradle. She¡¯s not mine as I have none to claim. But it seems the human spirit cares not. It¡¯s hard to keep business and the personal separate when you¡¯ve had your better bouncing on your lap asking for juices and sweets.¡±


    His eyes told of memories far off before he turned to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve helped make some breakfast for your men but now that day greets you, would you have any preferences?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°We¡¯re making up for a missed dinner last night. A little of everything is in order.¡±


    The human nodded before turning back to the cart. My next hour of existence passed in a haze of meats ranging from chickens to pork and biscuits served with jellies. His morning cakes with syrup were also of good quality, though not a match for the other two main courses.


    A succulent meal washed down with ciders and juices from all known fruits. Every second of the delicious meal was spent with a subtle spirit connection on the back of my head. Something I could only hope time would make unnoticeable. As the last of the meal was savored, one of my guards returned with a change of clothes.


    I was taking the new clothes when the butler coughed. He stood in front of the now cold cooking cart, his apron lying on its equally empty sibling.


    ¡°The clothes provided will be given as gifts along with my gratitude, as meager as they are. Your father, Kentor, has been procuring the first loads of iron bars.¡±


    ¡°Kantor.¡± I corrected.


    He responded with a deep bow.


    ¡°I will endeavor to remember. But the demands of leadership are familiar to me though I¡¯ve never donned the crown and I¡¯m sure events await you in your domain. One of our guards will see you out when you¡¯re ready.¡± He finished before turning around and pushing the carts out of the room.


    Whether it was a casual offer or a gentle nudge, the need to get back to where I belonged was no less urgent for it. I stretched my arms and yawned before getting out of the chair. The guard holding the green dress handed it off to me before I went back to the door I had come in. My return to the bedroom was slower than the first but once inside I was quick to gather up the harp and change into the green dress. A few seconds was spent getting leather shoes on but it wasn¡¯t long before everything I had brought into the tower was stacked in my arms.


    At the entrance to the dining room was a Kelton guard on the left who put out his hands to bear the burden, which I obliged save the harp. As our group moved towards the double doors leading to the elevator, it opened with the black-furred head of Kantor sticking out before the rest of his steel-clad body came through.


    ¡°Irons¡¯ packed and ready.¡± He offered with the usual grating on the ears.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I responded.


    When we were in the hallway with a lion guard to accompany us, my mind started wandering. With this new income of ore and metal bars, we¡¯ll probably need to expand the forge area. Perhaps this could also be a diplomatic tool. I couldn¡¯t say what the Kelton tribes bartered with the southern humans for, but I knew there had to be something our metal magic could provide that would tempt the chiefs. That and the occasional pondering over the features of the harp left me blindly following the steel Keltons ahead of me.


    In my world, seconds passed as I parsed diplomacy and magical birthright. Which made it all the more surprising when it was interrupted by the need to climb into a carriage. A single thought was spared to move the needed muscles before I returned to the infinite possibilities in my mind. It was only when the crashing of waves filled my ears and the taste of salt played on the breeze that I finally gave into the world''s insistence that I pay attention to it.


    The carriage was coming to a stop but the windows were covered in red curtains leaving me to guess where we were. When the box on wheels finally stopped, the door was pushed open by Kantor who exited with the other waiting for me to go ahead. I obliged them and stepped out onto a wooden dock. A long finger of wood stretched into the bay with a large square fort off to the left standing among the frothing peaks.


    I took off with a final heave towards the ship on the right of the pier. Late morning sun filtered in through the clouds like a whisper of springs coming. With one admiring look upward, a blast of bone-chilling wind from the sea penetrated even my fur to nip the skin beneath and threaten black fingers. If winter was to die, it seems it would hold on to the last. Biting my lips, I could only trudge forward with the trip''s true prize in hand. The on-boarding of the iron meant a plank was still connecting the ship to the dock, which allowed the passing into properly Kelton territory to take only seconds.


    A few sailors were talking among themselves at various spots along the deck. Kantor seemed offended by their idleness and immediately moved to the nearest group while I made an escape to the captain''s quarters on the left. Pushing open the door didn¡¯t feel like walking into an oven this time. Evidently, the captain was too embarrassed to resume his routine with members of the council on board.


    My bottom soon rested on the chair in the middle of the room. While good sense said to ponder over all the implications of the massive treaty I had just agreed on for my entire fake civilization, along with the unspoken bits of healing, the harp was a mystery tied up with my very body and I couldn¡¯t fight the tantalizing possibilities it oozed. Besides, Eli got as long as he wanted to work with all of Cell¡¯s bits and pieces. It was only fair I should get a similar chance.


    It took a minute of trial and error before I decided to hold it like the wooden versions. Hard cartilage rested against my left breast and flexed with only a thought from me. The brown fur pierced into the green cloth like the quills of a porcupine yet those same tips softened when they reached my skin. It didn¡¯t have a brain that I could speak with, but it evidently didn¡¯t like having any material not of its master¡¯s flesh holding it up. Which means the royal bed probably had a considerable number of holes in it.


    A soft grimace stole over my face as I considered the poor tailor who had to fix the sheets.


    That was the last thought I spared the human city before trying out the magical abilities of the harp. Not trusting my control to keep the magic from slicing the ship in half, I went outside in the cold wind and experimented on the left side of the deck to an audience of interested sailors and guards. Water blades skipped over the waves and gusts of wind fought nature''s breath. All done without a single bit of mana being used directly from me.


    I looked down at the weird mashing of musical tool and flesh with a sense of relief. With this, healing could be done for far longer. My next thought was to see how it used that dual element. Oddly, the sense of mana being expended came from the strings. Then a rather obvious fact came to me. Any time I used the water element, it came out of the left arm of the harp, while wind came out of the right.


    I brought a steady hand up to the sinew strings with an extended index finger. The expected tingle of warmth came along with a feeling of¡­. Tearing. Pulling the finger down, a tuneless twang sounded out over the waves. The lack of musical ability was ignored as a hair-thin piece of sinew lay over my offending digit.


    A slickness similar to fat mixed with the warmth of healing for a few seconds before the magic sensation died and the meaty string crumbled into dust. The harp didn¡¯t send anything through the spirit connection besides a sense of shifting. My first thought was to see if I could push it to the limits of its spell work but decided against such exercises. Whatever its abilities, newborns should be given time to grow without strain.


    I was so lost in thought I nearly missed the errant hair of tallow floating out of the left side of the harp. The string slithered out of the same patch the chord came from before winding around the larger rope and disappearing among its kin. Satisfied with the perusing, my return to the cabin was helped along with a slap of winter wind.


    Hours passed with only the harp to keep me company and a reminder not to nod, even around the humans, from Kantor. Early night came with a steaming bowl of fish soup and left with a breakfast of porridge. Around midday when the sun was still out, a knock came at the door.


    ¡°We¡¯re near, my lady.¡± The unseen Kantor announced as I inspected the joints of my harp.


    ¡°Good,¡± I idly responded. ¡°Get a messenger boy and tell him to inform the smiths of our bounty. Menkie will have to make the needed room for this load and many others. When we get back, I¡¯ll have a list of people I¡¯m considering for taking over the warehouses. Opinions will be appreciated.¡±


    ¡°I doubt I have much worth saying on it,¡± Kantor¡¯s rough voice responded. ¡°But the others will.¡±


    The closing of the door prompted me take savor the silence. This was the last bit of blissful silence I would be enjoying that didn¡¯t involve sleep, so I savored it. When I finished, I put a hand on the desk to prepare for the final disembark. Silence¡¯s life was cut short as the door was again opened with my rise out of the chair.


    ¡°The chiefs are here,¡± Kantor growled from beyond without even waiting for his head to reach past the door.


    I stopped at an awkward point in the rise where my knees threatened to buckle. Finishing the motion gave me enough time to process that he wasn¡¯t talking about the council. The second it took for me to compose the response, his head of black finally fur stuck out.


    ¡°Their messengers. Sorry, their messengers, not the chiefs themselves.¡± He spat out in a rough voice.


    ¡°What do they want?¡± I asked with a slight clenching of my left hand around the harp.


    ¡°An in-person meet.¡±


    For a moment, I wanted to demand he tell me what that meant before I considered all the other questions that would need to accompany it.


    ¡°Get the Council together,¡± I commanded.


    He gave me a Kelton nod before pulling back. The first thing I did was close my eyes and suck in a lungful of sea air. Slowly releasing it between my lips took another second. Not even a minute back and this place was already landing blows. Pushing aside the urge to command the ship turn back to sea, I went through the door, harp in hand.


    Above was a ceiling of stone dotted with mana lamps along the center. The deck sported several groups of sailors too busy whispering among themselves to notice me or my guards leaving. If any doubts about the seriousness of these events remained in me, the fact that I wasn¡¯t the center of attention dispelled them. As conceited as that proof may be.


    I took a right to the plank and scaled the wooden slant. This brought me onto a wooden pier with the ropes and gears of a crane directly ahead. My move to the left and down the pier presented the large double doors of this thing between a warehouse and a pier. I put extra power in each step but it still felt like long minutes before I was going out of them and onto the stone road. Red rocks and moving snails the size of carriages lay before me but I left nature with a rightward turn.


    At the end of this road lay the city proper with this snake of magic stone going between the large block structures of the harbor office and the open docks with their warehouses sporting slanted roofs. Any beauty in the domed houses the harbors own craftsmanship was dulled by the grey sky. The walk was no slower, or less agonizing, than the exit from the covered pier but soon our group was putting shoe prints on the wide double road that cut straight from the harbor to the giant dome with towers along the sides. Along with it came the usual crowds. Whatever drove them through the winter chill, they didn¡¯t think it was worth holding up the leader of the city as we marched past.


    ¡°Kantor,¡± I called towards the back without turning around.


    My fake sire came up from the back to walk on the right. Something I greeted with a spirit connection.


    ¡®Get their messengers in the dome after we¡¯ve met with the council. They¡¯ll need to be informed of our securing of the north and the potential trade of metal goods. After we¡¯ve established the available amounts, of course.¡¯


    He bit his lip for a second before coughing loud enough to be heard over each other''s footsteps.


    ¡®Allowing a messenger to speak directly would be slighting your position. We will appoint one who will speak on your behalf. It is their words that will be brought to their chief. To allow a mere messenger direct contact with a chief shows his desperation to hear the other side. Hers, in this case.¡¯


    I took in the chill air and released it in a cloud as we passed a large cart.


    ¡®Are there any other bits of diplomacy I need to keep in mind?¡¯


    Kantor huffed with an amused smile.


    ¡®People such as ours don¡¯t have time to waste on such frivolities.¡¯


    Right. No time for careful diplomacy, oh, but we can use people as glorified pieces of paper to save face. Who has the resources for etiquette, just don¡¯t nod up and down. Or at all if you¡¯re a chief. There seems to be a growing list of transgressions for a people supposedly too poor to have them.


    It took a few steps before I realized I was clenching my jaw. Maybe it was the stress of having to make all these monumental decisions on my own, one after the other, or perhaps the exhaustion of forging a leg was still lingering. Whatever it was, it aggravated the demon side of my ancestry, leaving me with the desire to bite someone. And I was tempted to let the monster do as it would see fit.


    I left walking to some baser part of my brain as meager knowledge of the surrounding clans was sifted through. The Heesan were my people¡¯s former slaves but also slit the throats of wastelanders for encroaching on their territory so don¡¯t think of them as the ¡®good¡¯ Kelton clan. Great. The other¡­. Whatever their names, were our former vassals.


    Maybe.


    Odd bits of half-remembered lore fought to free themselves from lost sections of memory but no amount of effort could jostle them onto my tongue. Moving through the empty stone yard and past some equally deserted benches, we went through the double doors of the dome with respectful head bobs from two of the steel-clad guards. Inside were the stone steps along the walls serving as seats for situations where large groups needed to discuss the latest happenings. Any actual talking would be done on the painted sun in the middle of the floor but for now, it was the plain door along the grey stone wall to the right that called me.


    Heavy steps brought a small chorus of thumps with our approach to the door. Their faint echoes pulled my thoughts away from clans far away, whose existence I had only known from stories told before bed. Tales now knocking on the front door.


    Going through the door, the long room was the same as always. A long stone table in the middle with wooden chairs illuminated by a mana lamp on the ceiling above. It was an empty thing. Hardly the place for great leaders to meet. Some idle thought about dressing the place up was entertained as I went to the head of the table. A few seconds of idle thought turned into several minutes. After nearly fifteen minutes of admittedly blissful silence, Kantor came in with Joeseen.


    The older Kelton man sported a blue robe with a white scarf that made it hard to distinguish where his grey fur started. His stubby brown horns had bits of water falling onto the floor, something his pronounced chin also participated in.


    ¡°Our esteemed smith and lady of needles have decided to forgo this meeting,¡± Joeseen announced as he approached the chair on my left. ¡°Both because of the demands from the recent news and their lack of expertise in the clan''s workings.¡±


    Kantor likewise took up the seat on the right. It took only a second for the two men to get in place and an electric buzz to form on the left side of my shoulder.


    ¡®Sheeka wanted to start threading some blankets as farewell gifts for the chiefs. It¡¯s a gesture of friendship. A rather small one at that so I agreed. Still, we wanted to get your permission before any knitting started.¡¯ The old Kelton asked in my head.


    ¡®Is it more than a hug?¡¯ I replied with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®More between a hug and a handshake,¡¯ Kantor responded. ¡®Most importantly, refusal makes one look unreasonable. To toss aside precious warmth for nothing in return invites questions of their judgment.¡¯


    ¡®Something no ruler ever wants.¡¯


    They both gave sideways head bobs.


    ¡®Then I see no problem gifting some woven cloth. A more pertinent issue is everything preceding the farewell. Any ideas on how we should present ourselves? More strong than inviting or the opposite?¡¯


    A look passed between the two men. They stared at each other for only a second before leaning back in their chairs with a resigned drop of their shoulders. I was only a bit surprised when Kantor¡¯s voice sounded off in my head.


    ¡®Ironically, I think what happens now is out of our control.¡¯


    Joeseen¡¯s Kelton nod only made me raise an eyebrow. An unspoken question that the old sailor answered.


    ¡®What could be a greater show of strength than tossing the pirates out of the north? Do we need to entice them? The chiefs personally coming is already an admission of need on their part. They may be the closest thing to a king in their holds, but whispers on the streets have a power they cannot match.


    Nothing will be said to their faces, of course. Because everyone already knows it''s the strong who lead. If they continue to sit back while we demonstrate time and again our shield is the only one that will hold, sub-clans will start thinking their lot is better with ours. Merchants will favor stopping at our holds first and with their best goods. Ignore that for long enough and all those whispers manifest as the tip of a blade plunging into your backside, courtesy of an ambitious underling.


    We¡¯ve done everything that can be done and we hold most of the cards in this game despite our recent start. What happens next is determined by how reasonable the leaders of the Heesan and Keersee decide to be. Wisdom dictates that cooperation would serve them best but such truth cannot be forced into their skulls.¡¯


    Kantor gave a slight hum at that.


    ¡®A sword or mace could reach inside to deliver the message.¡¯


    I gave him a tolerant smile.


    ¡®If you try that, it will be you who explains to Eli why the entire Kelton lands are now plunged into civil war.¡¯


    Joeseen matched my smirk as Kantor took a deep breath and crossed his arms as white orbs stared somewhere in the distance.


    ¡®I¡¯ll tell him it was to protect you. The quad mage would forgive the transgression before I even finished explaining.¡¯


    The agreeing nod from the grey Kelton brought some heat to my cheeks. But what was I going to refute?


    ¡®Since it appears we accept our impotence, I would declare this meeting over.¡¯ I announced.


    A duo of Kelton nods greeted my announcement which was accompanied by the vacating of their chairs. I sat still and merely watched as Joeseen closed the door behind him, leaving empty silence as the only other companion in the room. There was so much to do with running the city, finding someone to manage the warehouses, yet the only items I wanted to work on was the harp and how to please Eli on our meeting. Having left most of the work to him when it came to building the base and setting things up, I was beginning to appreciate how hard it was to not push aside paperwork. Proper labor at least distracted but when all the toil was just making decision after decision, the body craved something more.


    Giving the meeting room a final sigh, I rose from the chair and moved towards the door. With only a moment''s hesitation, I gave the wooden slab a push. The rest of the day, and the two after it, were spent in a blur of activity catching up on the bits that had been neglected in my absence and the new ones brought about by the metal deal with Crasden.


    Somehow I managed to get the interviews for the warehouse position finished somewhere in the drudgery. The final candidate was a thin man of brown fur who snatched victory by his ability to do multiplication and division. After the shipwrights, smiths, and builders took everyone with any amount of skill, I suppose I should be grateful there was anyone left who could perform anything more than addition.


    As easily as complaining came to me these days, none of the others were lazing about. We needed to know as much about the chiefs as we could. That left everyone in the council asking around for people who knew about our future guests. Bits of rumors, personal stories, and odd scraps of lore gradually filtered back to me. It wasn¡¯t much considering the people we took in were too poor to be in any ruler''s retinue but a crude tapestry of the characters involved slowly stitched together.


    As I finished a quick lunch and exited my office, I walked over the yellow sun in the middle of the forum before a messenger boy in blue clothes came running from the double doors serving as the entrance to the dome. Sweat dripped down his brow in a manner that told of a heavy sprint. One no dull report could merit. Before the faint buzz of a spirit connection even reached my skin, I was already gripping the harp on my left breast.


    ¡®The first of the chiefs, my lady,¡¯ He announced with a breathlessness even his soundless words carried. ¡®Lord Disslen is here, requesting guest rights.¡¯


    ¡®Grant them. I assume the council is gathering.¡¯ I asked casually.


    ¡®Joeseen sent word, my lady. The needed chairs and couch are already being brought.¡¯


    ¡®Good,¡¯ I offered as I looked behind him.


    Through the door I could see another dreary winter sky, though it came with a chill fought off with a coat or scarf. Not anywhere near hot enough to produce sweat save the most arduous sprint. The poor lad had probably run straight from the harbor without stopping.


    ¡®Also, stop by the kitchen for a treat. An order from Passmede.¡¯


    His grin spread to the sides of his face. A simple Kelton nod was all he gave me before running out the doors. Such youthful joy helped soothe the ball of anxiousness and impatience trying to claw its way up my throat.


    This meeting was the culmination of months of subterfuge, planning, and back-shattering toil. Every word and decision in the next hour would determine whether all that labor would be towards building up the Kelton lands or keeping my people locked in proverbial cages to prevent further harm. So why was the temptation to speed through it and get to the end immediately so beguiling? Even as I moved to the side while two guards brought in the couch complete with pillows and white fur, my inner perusing of this desire to sprint through the last hours of this month''s long venture produced no logical foundation yet it was no less strong for it.


    I sat down among soft pillows and lush fur with nothing but the harp to keep me company. Given that, falling asleep was more a certainty than a possibility. A rough cough to the right stirred me from oblivion. The source was Kantor in the immediate right-side chair. He sported the usual armor while behind him the grey fur and curled brown horns of Menkie looked showed white eyes taking me in. On the left was Joeseen in the same blue robe and white scarf. The chair to his left held Sheeka, though only the light brown fur and straight ivory horns were visible from my position. Besides the two extra guards around both the double doors ahead and our line of chairs, it all looked the same as ever. The distraction of fresh waking left me unaware of the spirit connection around my right shoulder, which Kantors¡¯ mental voice quickly remedied.


    ¡®Disslen is insisting he and his men be allowed their weapons.¡¯


    ¡®What are the rules around that?¡¯ I asked as I rubbed the last bits of the nap out of my eyes.


    ¡®Chiefs meeting in person only happens when one is standing in the middle of the others freshly conquered hold. There are no rules for something that never happens. That¡¯s without considering his attachment to the famed spear.¡¯


    I puckered my lips for a second before sighing.


    ¡®We¡¯re armed no matter what, so allowing them the small respect is no loss. No arrows and nothing comes out of their sheaths, however.¡¯


    Kantor gave me a Kelton nod before turning to one of the guards along the right. The mass of shining steel quickly moved towards the entrance, which the men guarding it opened. He returned almost as quickly as he left and soon the doors were opening from the outside.


    For a moment, I felt like my heart was going to burst. The odd sensation of falling came to me as I sat still on the couch. Months of work and centuries of legacy culminated in the moment now arriving. Feelings I did my best to squash down.


    Through the iron slabs came a small crowd of Keltons. The men were all clad in leather with iron breastplates and swords, though their exact metal couldn¡¯t be seen in the sheaths. Which could not be said for the array of silver and copper rings through their ears. Decorations the two brown-furred women on the left of the pack didn¡¯t deign to adorn themselves in. Those of my fellow sex had stubby brown horns with one having wider cheekbones and the other a white snout.


    A wiry man sporting a white shirt beneath a leather vest drew the most attention. Brown pants moved with his confident strides at the front of the pack. He sported light grey fur mixed with hints of yellow, which could do nothing to hide his stout chin. Black horns flowed along the back of his head like an arch. I had no knowledge of his looks and temperament before this meeting, yet the spear with horsehair around a shining metal tip placed along his back marked him as surely as any memory.


    ¡°Greetings, from clan Keersee to the head of clan Kreshton.¡± Disslen boomed with a wide grin. ¡°From the stories my mother had told, the last chief who would ever speak those words died long ago. It appears she was wrong in several of her stories.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow that somehow didn¡¯t shake off any sweat.


    His stride halted a stone toss away from our line of chairs, barely touching the yellow triangle of the painted sun. White eyes immediately went below my neck. In times past, I would suspect he was sizing up my chest. The gulp and slight pull back of his head said he was paying more attention to the flesh harp. While the man had a boisterous air, and a reputation to match, there were enough wits behind the playful demeanor to gather his thoughts.


    ¡°These buildings surpass the stories. By a time and half, I suspect.¡± He offered in a hoarse voice restrained with measured tones. ¡°Your demise is another fiction. The tales of tools made of flesh appear closer to the mark than I would have thought.¡±


    I was getting ready to open my mouth when the doors behind the crowd opened again. This time one of our steel-clad guards came through with a dash past the Keersee members. The urge to rip his head off was only reigned in by the curiosity at what prompted him. Surely everyone understood how dire this meeting was. Because if they didn¡¯t, I suppose the art of whippings will have to be another skill perfected by our craftsmen.


    The guard leaned towards Joeseen for only a moment before pulling back. Whatever was spoken, Kantor was given it first before he finally relayed it to me through a spirit connection.


    ¡®A fun day this is.¡¯ His bitter sarcasm coming clear through. ¡®The Heesan have arrived and are asking for permission to meet.¡¯


    I could almost feel my heart exploding in my ribs. Of all the-


    A slight cough came from Disslen, his raised eyebrows clearly asking what the interruption was. It seemed too familiar until I remembered the history of our people. They were basically our enforcers in the past and he probably thought this was just a meeting of old acquaintances. I could only take a deep breath to calm the nerves threatening to shatter.


    ¡°A ship from the Heesan is waiting in our port. I intended to keep this as separate meetings and I could explain we serve in the order of arrival. However, time is a precious thing for all of us. I have no objection to allowing this to be a three-way discussion if you don¡¯t.¡±


    The head of yellowish-white fur bounced back and forth for a second.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. Talking through messengers takes weeks and it¡¯s never been my favorite part of the chair. What terms will we be explaining to them?¡±


    My mouth opened to respond when the sheer magnitude of the question rolled over me. It took a few seconds to work through all the smaller questions and implications it entailed before I finally spoke.


    ¡°We will all be working together. As much as we each desire to, at least.¡±


    ¡°No return to glory? To the times when someone else was emptying the relieving pots?¡±


    I closed my eyes for a moment. ¡®Will we enslave them?¡¯ was never asked so innocently.


    ¡°The times of glory ended with our corpses on the rocks. Nostalgia withers in such soil, does it not?¡±


    Disslen got a small smile at that. There was a faint feeling he wanted to nod but the protocol of chiefs denied him that motion.


    ¡°It would,¡± He offered with a raising of his eyebrows before turning back to the crowd of his kin.


    More agonizing minutes passed with nothing to do but observe the guests. Disslen was clearly conducting a spirit conversation with the two women. Their brown fur matched the dresses covering them but pouty lips and flared snouts drew attention more than anything they could wear. Despite the position of chief being a male posting, it seems the wives of the Keersee clan were involved in his business beyond just giving him heirs.


    At last the iron doors swung open again. This time only two figures walked through. On the left was a man just in the bloom of his twenties. His frame in the simple brown robes was neither muscular or lean. Dark grey fur covered a stubby chin while obsidian black horns stood out on both sides of his face like a pointed mustache. At his left was an older woman of grey fur, though what was from age or natural coloring could not be discerned from this distance. The grey robes around her didn¡¯t help in distinguishing her features, though stubby ivory horns did try to stand out. They strode around their rivals while bearing not a piece of metal.


    ¡°No weapons?¡± Disslen jeered from the middle of his pack with a nasty grin. ¡°Is your neck already prepared for its collar?¡±


    The man turned to him with narrowed white eyes and puckered lips.


    ¡°You think steel offers any protection here? They let you hold them for the same reason a mother allows her babe to hide under blankets as the storm rages. Do not shove your false comfort in my face and expect me to be impressed.¡± He shot back with contempt not even the hoarse Kelton voice could hide.


    A few of the Keersee¡¯s hands began conspicuously moving towards their swords.


    ¡°Disslen,¡± I called with something hopefully approaching confidence.


    Both groups turned to me with expectant stares.


    ¡°The Keersee have given their introduction. I feel giving the Heesan the same opportunity is only fair.¡±


    Disslen looked to his men. With a slight pullback from the crowd of Kelton men, the new arrivals were given a clear shot to me. Something the man took as he moved forward with a strong stride. It was only as he got closer that I could see the bits of sweat around his lips and brow. He stopped near the yellow triangle of the painted sun as the color acted as an unspoken barrier for both men.


    ¡°I am Hern. Son of Gerru. Chief of clan Heesan.¡± He pronounced with a spine so stiff a steel rod would have more curve. ¡°I come to you now as an equal. Any discussion will be done as equals. And if you have any intention of collaring us like the days of old, know we will fight with such dedication and ferocity that you will receive only corpses for your efforts.¡±


    He finished with a heavy breathing that sent some sweat falling down his flared snout. I was stuck between admiring the display and being put off by it. There was an earnest sincerity in every word but the eyes had a manic wideness to them. I couldn¡¯t blame him. We were ghosts of a terrible past come knocking and little imagination was needed to envision how hard his life had been since our reveal to the world.


    ¡°Good,¡± I announced in a measured tone. ¡°If you had arrived minutes earlier, you would have heard of our reluctance to return to the times that ended with our annihilation. But I will repeat it again. Mages learn from our mistakes. Rule by fear and intimidation has shown its downsides and wisdom now dictates a more mutually beneficial arrangement. A fully consensual one.¡±


    Hern raised his head a bit, clearly trying to not look too relieved. Something Disslen didn¡¯t notice as he strode up to the left.


    ¡°The best arrangements are those that keep everyone alive.¡± He said with Hern only giving him a slight scowl. ¡°While reliving good memories is fun, the present has already seen one of the strongest holdings torched. A remedy to the human situation will need to be worked on.¡±


    ¡°Pirates,¡± I corrected. ¡°It is the pirates who invaded our lands. Not all the humans.¡±


    His bit lip and casual shrug said he didn¡¯t much care for the distinction. Hern didn¡¯t seem any more convinced, leaving me to push on.


    ¡°Besides that fact, the issue has already been seen to. The curs have been kicked off their last perch.¡±


    Both men raised eyebrows at the revelation.


    ¡°Rainbow¡¯s Piss finally got around to it then?¡± Disslen asked with some skepticism.


    A moment to connect Crasden to the half-remembered label passed before I finally took a deep breath.


    ¡°We took the shield of the north back from the pirates. Which we handed back off to the humans in Crasden.¡±


    Disslen scrunched his eyebrows while Hern merely crossed his arms.


    ¡°With that, we can consider the Kelton lands safe. For a few years, at least.¡± I finished.


    A look passed between them. There was a suggestion of a spirit connection but they looked back to me almost immediately.


    ¡°You brought the pirates low?¡± Hern asked suspiciously.


    I stiffened my back to emphasize the pride I didn¡¯t quite feel.


    ¡°Yes. You can dispatch a ship here to be escorted to the great fort on the sea, if you please. But while we¡¯re discussing travel, know we will be working with the humans as well. Something we consider to be a strictly Kreshton affair. Any attacks on their ships sanctioned to be in our waters or people in our lands will be considered an attack on us and the response will be as much as we gave to the pirates.¡±


    Again, both men merely raised their eyebrows. I was beginning to interpret that motion as a substitute for a nod, so I continued on.


    ¡°I can tell the story if you wish, but our kinds throats are not suited to such long tales. If I could initiate a spirit connection, that would be appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡±


    ¡°Fine¡±


    With that, I sent a buzz of electric sensation to them. The tale started out after Emerett first arrived and I was able to get to Kantor cooking the giant crabs at the fort before I noticed Hern¡¯s gaze. No matter their age, males had a certain skittishness when they were trying to not stare at a woman¡¯s breasts.


    Trying and failing.


    If not for the years of experience, I would say he was trying to take in the oddities of the flesh harp. The fake yawns to make it seem like eyes were elsewhere and darting gazes when you looked to the side, however, were male tricks I knew all too well. As irritating as it was, this dance was a familiar thing, including the needed shift of pillows around the time I was explaining our visit to Crasden. And with the end of the story, Hern finally fixed his gaze upward.


    ¡®With that, we have begun pulling our troops back to allow Crasden to retake its lost heritage.¡¯ I finished with a small smile.


    ¡°You said it was to protect the Kelton lands, correct?¡± Disslen audibly asked with crossed arms.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°Well¡­. You talk of mutual agreement but one does not protect things that don¡¯t belong to them.¡± He stated with some defensiveness.


    Only the blind wouldn¡¯t notice how the two men were standing a bit closer. Evidently, they had come to some agreements beforehand. Probably covering cases where the resurrected mage clan made a play for the entire north. That they both arrived at the same time wasn''t something I could believe was a coincidence given that.


    There was a temptation to explain the greater good of our people. In the past, I would have gone with that. I had since learned of my homeland''s true harshness and the lack of charity it inspired. Justifying such an expenditure on nothing but goodwill would fail. Disslen¡¯s history, however, held the how of explaining it.


    ¡°Disslen, when you stuck that troll with the spear, what was the great and grand plan for what came after?¡±


    A wide grin stretched the length of his goat face. The world demanded emotional balance, so Hern closed his eyes and his shoulders fell in resignation. Surprisingly, this dread was shared with the Keersee crowd in the back. Several of the man¡¯s guards let loose soundless sighs with a look to the ceiling while the chief''s own wives regarded me with the type of snarls usually reserved for a freshly stomped foot.


    ¡°When a monster like that comes roaming around, plans count for little.¡± Disslen expounded with a noticeably puffed chest. ¡°I sailed out to find the beast stalking my father''s lands. Three days of churning waves and dreary skies while we took up and down every river. On the morning of the fourth day, there he was. A mountain of fur, muscle, and malice lounging on the muddy bank.


    And very hungry. Before a single arrow could be knocked, the beast stood up and made his way across the water. Unfortunately, the current wasn¡¯t strong and our rowers didn¡¯t have any hope of turning us around in time. We spearmen moved to form a wall and await our doom. The troll quickly obliged us as it hefted itself on board. Some tried to stab the fingers to keep it in the water while others sunk steel into its chest. All for nothing.


    The monster took to our deck as it would to any piece of land. Archers scrambled to get arrows, swordsmen looked for an opening that would never come, and we people of the sharp sticks had to hold back a beast with more muscle in an arm than most had in their bodies.


    Then it happened.


    The troll grabbed a man and bit down on his head. Poor lad didn¡¯t even get to scream but the monster enjoyed the sickening crunch all the same. Whatever our brains taste like, the troll savored the flavor so much it stopped moving for a second. Pure instinct took over as destiny helped me heft my spear into what could be the last throw of my life.


    With every bit of strength I could muster, I sent this very spear whistling through the air. It flew like a bolt of lightning and sailed true through the monster''s eye and into its brain. There was no struggling, wobbling, or screaming as it dropped onto the deck like a rock. Spirits as my witness or my mother strike me dead for a lie, the cloudy skies parted and a beam of sunlight fell on the ship to bathe the gathering pool of blood in warmth. That was the day I was put on the path of being chief. The big chair wasn¡¯t mine at that exact moment, but the mandate of greatness was clear.¡± Disslen finished with a smug grin.


    That he in no way answered the question was something I put to the side.


    ¡°Is this true?¡± I asked with a turn to Hern.


    He bit his tongue as it stuck out just beyond his lips.


    ¡°The clouds splitting to ordain him is hotly contested. Several mercenaries and warriors of neutral loyalty to him have confirmed it was a single spear through the eye that brought the troll low. And it was almost certainly from Disslen.¡± Hern finished with a sigh of resignation.


    If the bitter rival to Keersee was conceding as much, then perhaps the whole of it was true. A bit of history that I wasn¡¯t going to delve further into.


    ¡°And in slaying the creature, did you claim all the holds nearby? Of your vassals and such.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Disslen sternly rebuffed. ¡°It was an issue we as the head family of the Keersee clan had to deal with for its closeness to our borders.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. A problem for everyone came but it was going to be ours more than any other, seeing as we are now the southernmost tribe. That we protected the whole of our people''s abode is true but the first motivation was keeping our own hold sound.¡±


    ¡°Holds,¡± Hern put in with puckered lips. ¡°Unless everyone I¡¯ve spoken to was lying, Zeedans Peak along with clan Messineens rest in your hand.¡±


    Disslen scoffed as he turned to his semi-ally.


    ¡°With their hides intact. By all rights, the Messineen sons should be fighting over rotten fish while their mothers whore out for stale bread. They¡¯ve been treated far better than their lot has any right to hope for. Especially considering their role in Kreshton¡¯s fall.¡±


    Both men turned to me with expectant looks. I only calmly raised my eyebrows to confirm our knowledge of this lore. Disslen took a deep breath before releasing it back into the air.


    ¡°I am satisfied. Maybe time will prove me wrong, but nothing I¡¯ve seen or heard tells of a blade waiting for my people''s backs. As long as you don¡¯t send more than two ships at a time into our territory, they¡¯ll be welcome.¡±


    A small smile was my response before turning to Hern. He stood off to the right, alone against his people¡¯s two greatest enemies. Lips curled and that brown snout flared. More than anger, I got the sense he was frustrated at things easily guessed. When the snarl receded, a second of silence passed before he finally spoke.


    ¡°As chief, I know all too well the feelings of my people. I can stand here and listen to your words, see how you¡¯ve treated those you had greater cause to harm, and reach whatever conclusions I want, but the will of my kin is clear. No Kreshton ship is to sail our waters save a sloop with a message nor is a single one of your people to step foot on our lands.¡±


    Could your eyes endure such a separation from my breasts?


    The bitter thought was shoved down before I spoke up again.


    ¡°As is your right.¡± I offered as my spine relaxed.


    Kantor and Joeseen were right, this was a decision up to the other clans. That doesn¡¯t mean I had to like it. What more could we do? If our ropes pulled down the sun and brought eternal spring to the white wastes, perhaps they might even deign a proper greeting on its arrival.


    ¡°The last item,¡± I continued as some faint strain started showing in my throat. ¡°Is trade. Joeseen handles water-bound affairs and can explain all te tariffs to any of your merchants. As for our restrictions, no more than one official ship in our territory at a time for business. Your merchants can come and go as they please, as long as the Messineen clan says there is room for them and they have a reputation for honest dealing. It goes without saying travel directly here will be¡­. More heavily restricted.¡±


    Both men raised their eyebrows in agreement but Disslen let loose a small cough almost immediately.


    ¡°As we speak of trade, those ships in the harbor are familiar to us. I can count two with loads of leather and coal that were supposed to be in my warehouses.¡±


    Hern raised his eyebrows with an expectant look at me. I managed to keep a small sigh from escaping as I opened my mouth.


    ¡°Those records have been maintained. Of course, without us, the ship''s crew would have perished and you would be negotiating with fish for those goods. Some exchange of payment can be worked out.¡±


    Disslen stretched towards the ceiling for a moment before loosing a long breath.


    ¡°A matter for another time. My people are waiting for my return and if I¡¯m too late, they¡¯ll launch ships for a raid to save me. I bid you a good day, Lady Passmede. I¡¯d wish you the same, Hern, but you¡¯d just find a reason to be sour no matter how good it was.¡±


    His erstwhile allystared daggers as Disslen whipped around and moved back towards his pack. The other chief merely raised his eyebrows at the childish, if not accurate, ribbing but said nothing as he moved toward the older woman¡¯s side. They stared at each other, talking in a spirit connection as their rivals filtered out through the iron doors. It took only a second before they followed behind them. When the iron doors closed shut, their boom made the dead silence left behind all the heavier.


    ¡°My throat has given its all,¡± I announced with the typical rough Kelton voice violating the peace. ¡°If anything of importance is to be shared, it can be done in my abode.¡±


    With that, I rose out of the couch feeling like I had worked for days. The rest of the council only gave me Kelton nods, so I left the forum and retreated to my office. Hours of paperwork passed without interruption until a meal was brought in then a sleep.


    Evidently the council members saw to their new and old tasks without issue, because for three days no messages asking for guidance on the prices for the two clans'' goods or the tariffs for the outside merchants arrived. Maybe I could squeeze a few more silver here and there, but risking relations and protracted negotiations didn¡¯t seem worth it. The fact actual silver wasn¡¯t worth such time only made the thirty-year life I had lived before now seem ever more distant.


    It was on the fourth day, as I was looking over a request for more stone purchases, that a messenger came into my office. This time the boy in blue wasn¡¯t dripping in sweat and the gradual swing of my wooden door suggested a lack of urgency. Which I wouldn¡¯t have guessed given the page in his right hand. Sporting more white than yellow, I immediately placed its origin as Crasden.


    My hand outstretched, he quickly placed it in the waiting palm, which brought it up to my face.


    ¡®Greetings, Lady Passmede. With our great victory-¡¯


    Perhaps immediately skimming through an official letter wasn¡¯t the wisest thing, but if they couldn¡¯t trim down their poetry, then I refused to shoulder most of the blame. When I got to the end, the important bit finally showed itself.


    ¡®Our stewardship of Passtoon¡¯s Watch will be far firmer than times past yet its use more lax. Know your ships will be allowed free passage, at Lady Ashe¡¯s request.¡¯


    I sat there as the word''s profound meaning washed over me.


    It was finished.


    This long, grueling slog of mayhem and butchery was behind us. Maybe Ashe would fumble it or the pirates would come back with a fleet thrice its previous size, but such an investment wouldn¡¯t be wise on the pirate''s part nor did I think Ashe so lacking in ability or motivation to allow a slip in the defenses. If we had been able to stick to the base with no ships coming by for a new spot to anchor in, perhaps the entire north would be pirate territory by now.


    All the coulds and woulds didn¡¯t change the fact that we basically saved an entire region. I allowed myself a moment to soak in satisfaction. Placing the page down, I looked towards the lad waiting in front of the stone desk.


    ¡°Thank you. That will be all.¡±


    He gave me a Kelton nod before turning out of the door. Without thinking, I started humming a tune. Something from a childhood since passed to help me work on the less interesting papers littering my space.

 Chapter 129: Forging A City and Good Nights (18+)

    Chapter 129


    Eli POV


    For the first time in too long, I was sitting at the dining table and frostbite wasn¡¯t being served. Behind me was the door into the hallway and ahead was the kitchen. Despite the withdrawal of winter¡¯s murderous intent, my fingers strumming on the table were chilled and the fluffy leather coat was still required inside the house and for now, a brown cloth face covering. Even with the glow of a mana lamp above, winter was in the air and stone floor, if injured.


    The house would be dead silent if not for the crunching of nuts. On the chair to my left was Cell. His black mass tinted with the colors of all the magical elements was currently taking in his favored treat while the crystal sphere, now a bit oblong, had a slit of those same colors which served as an eye. An eye currently shifting between me and the treats.


    *Knock*


    *Knock*


    The expected drumming on the door to the right, which served as the main entrance to my home, made me suck in air while Cell used a wind spell to launch him and his prize under the stone stove along the opposite wall.


    ¡°If you are expected, please come in. Otherwise, wait until tomorrow.¡± I called through the grey cloth face covering.


    Despite the warning, the door was still pushed open to let in some faint starlight. Red hair came through the crack before the rest of Ashe¡¯s body followed. Her blue lips were slightly puckered as her green eyes took in the bare abode. That small nose sniffed the air and it was a testament to winter¡¯s retreat that no clouds came out of it to flow over her furry brown coat that covered everything up to her pale neck.


    ¡°Tilvor, I¡¯ve often prided myself on not needing the luxuries of other rulers. But an existence that makes a beggar seem well-coined is beyond even my rugged pride.¡± She put in as she walked across the room.


    ¡°Not waking up in fear of a Skinner attack is the greatest luxury of all. As you¡¯ve seen out there, we¡¯ve made good progress yet there is still more to do. Things that will require a full night''s sleep.¡± I said as she sat down in front of me.


    ¡°You think my time so free that I would waste it visiting on idle conversation?¡± Ashe demanded with a raised eyebrow.


    I tried to not notice the light green wind spell forming in her palm. The hand was raised and the mana construct went off making the air compress as silence enveloped the outerworld. Her disdain for using spirit connections was well known, so that left such spells when she wanted to discuss items of the utmost secrecy. A clandestine item I had a good chance of already knowing.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since you¡¯ve retaken that rock on the sea. Perhaps your plate isn¡¯t as full as mine with the pirates scurrying south.¡± I offered.


    A smirk of blue lips greeted my conjecture.


    ¡°Their mayhem pushed aside a lot of items needing my attention. Now that they¡¯re gone, that backlog is making itself loudly known. In all honesty, it was probably less demanding when people knew not to bother me as I was saving the North.¡±


    Salamede saved the North. I yawned into the cloth face covering to hide any irritation that may have shown up on my face. Ashe continued without any hint that she picked up on the emotion.


    ¡°But another¡­. Issue has arisen. Tilvor, I need to confirm some information Princess Palta gave me about certain¡­. Aspects. Of your¡­.¡±


    I molded my eyebrows into a V that would convey how annoying I found her stumbling words. The redhead got the message as she sighed before taking a deep breath.


    ¡°I need to confirm the condition of your manhood.¡±


    Eyebrows were appropriately raised for both of us. Of course, she would only be asking this if she worried about the green women getting my seed. A fear brought on by them taking magical crafts.


    ¡°Your ability is great, Lady Ashe. Our children would surely be of even greater ability, besides their magical gifts. I still feel such a coupling should require more time to consider.¡±


    Her blue lips soured into a pucker. Some red came up into her pale cheeks but she managed to keep her spine straight.


    ¡°I am not asking for your pulp. There is¡­. An issue a man of the Watch has brought to my attention. It involves the Orcs. Given that, I need to make sure that the green menace is not in reach of obtaining your magical bloodline.¡±


    This time I gave a curious furrowing of my eyebrows.


    ¡°If they could do it now, they could do it before. Why the sudden inspection?¡± I asked with the confusion the odd circumstance demanded.


    ¡°It involves an accusation too catastrophic to make, even behind a silence bubble. That is all that I can say. If it helps, I promise to coo at its size like in the dreams of all men.¡±


    Gula was waiting for me, so this conversation needed to end soon anyway. I rose out of the chair while working on the rope holding up the black pants. A second of fumbling cold cloth finally let me push down the needed bits.


    Pants and underwear gave way to expose the flesh beneath to chill air. At the joining of my legs was a blank slate of skin where one of life''s great pleasures had been. In its stead, a simple hole for the emptying of the bladder.


    ¡°Thank you. The inspection is finished.¡± Ashe offered in a harried whisper.


    As I was putting the clothes back in place, it occurred to me how disturbed she sounded at the sight of missing genitalia. That this world¡¯s people were so dedicated to their flesh provided some amusement at odd times. Not stupid when you¡¯ve only got the one, but it tickled some part of me all the same.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s been fun but sleep is calling. And she¡¯s a guest that doesn¡¯t demand much.¡±


    ¡°Three questions,¡± Ashe said with a sucking in of winter air. ¡°I¡¯ve been content to leave this project under your care in its entirety. And will continue to do so. But some have expressed concern over what exactly you¡¯re building. Most of the workers don¡¯t seem to know either. Something to ease their concerns and cull rumors would be appreciated as my project is dependent on this success of this one.¡±


    I collected my thoughts and spun together the needed information. Then I butchered it down until it was easily digestible for the general public.


    ¡°The portion at the outer walls will be structures for growing plants while the inside portion will be large blocks of buildings sporting walls higher and thicker than the outer one. These will shops, homes, smiths, and on, and on. Beneath it all will be tunnels, stores of siege equipment, and food stores. That is excluding many, many smaller details and makes it sound far simpler than it is, but that is the short of it.¡±


    Ashe gave me a slight nod as her red eyebrows came together.


    ¡°Given my house''s underground structures, I have some familiarity with the challenges. If you have any concerns with protecting against fires and such, I will make our architects available.¡±


    I¡¯ve spent more time going over safety specifications while taking a shit than any of you lot have been alive. A thousand times over!


    ¡­.


    My eyes closed as I sucked in winter. The heat working up the lower portions of my neck was relaxed. Pride was one of the great sins. And I shouldn¡¯t let it get its claws into me like it has every other craftsman who has ever existed.


    ¡°If it would soothe those with concerns, I can have your people look over my drawings. Getting Harrah¡¯s thumb proper was the hardest part and that¡¯s been seen too, so there shouldn¡¯t be any surprises to find.¡±


    She gave me a small nod before coughing.


    ¡°What defenses do you have against the undermining of the city?¡±


    ¡°Wood hardened to steel. Even a plant mage can¡¯t move it with ease and moles won¡¯t have a better time. That¡¯s besides the fact each section is designed to stand on its own. Most of the military equipment will be on the border wall, which I¡¯m not willing to divulge just yet.¡±


    Another nod.


    ¡°Some time ago you had a visit from the leader of the Kelton mage clan.¡± Ashe put in without stating the important question.


    A pleasant memory came and went before I drew a long breath.


    ¡°Aye. Was I wrong to assume the bartering between mages was something treated with privacy?¡± I countered with puckering lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s the future exchanges I¡¯m worried about. Will you barter for the reconstitution of your manhood?¡±


    Many a lewd sayings danced on my tongue but her green eyes were too hard for playful words.


    ¡°You cannot regrow what was never there. As I told Palta.¡±


    Ashe sat still before taking a deep breath.


    ¡°She informed me in passing among a thousand other items. I knew it but this is not something I can leave to fickle memory.¡±


    A gulp went down the pale throat.


    ¡°In consideration for the¡­. Discomfort of this conversation, I¡¯ll have the kitchen send a meal of steaks, crabs, and our best drinks tomorrow as a thank you for your time.¡±


    Was I going to refuse? No. Not that the small smile beneath the face covering would let me.


    ¡°A pleasant evening to look forward to.¡± I offered as Ashe rose from the chair.


    She gave me one final nod before moving towards the exit. I followed suit with my journey taking me to the right door. Once she was gone and the front door shut, the hallway door was pulled open. The shaft of grey stone presented a door down both sides which a mana lamp above illuminated.


    I took the one on the right. Inside was the bed against the far wall, a desk on the left, and a wooden plate on the immediate left of the door. All glowing under a mana lamp above. I pressed the wooden slab, to the sound of rushing water filling the air beyond that of the surrounding river. The explanation I gave everyone was that the layers of liquid currently covering the building, save key spots for ventilation, were to alert me to intruders and add a layer of protection against brute force.


    True, yet its main purpose of letting me know nighttime visitors had come knocking when I was in the tunnel was left unsaid.


    A press on the ceiling mana lamp plunged the room into darkness. Fortunately, memory remained undimmed as it saw me to the bed. When the cold wood smacked against my knees, I crouched down below the bed frame. This part was a recent addition, so recollection wasn¡¯t quite as clear. Seconds of groping over chilly stone finally produced the needed dip. A finger was moved north and another east.


    Air rushed over my upper torso, relieving my skin of any warmth it had accumulated. With that wind came the almost imperceptible grinding of rock. Blind hands groped further down until the top of a wooden ladder was finally brushed. Practice made pulling my body into place over the hole a smooth affair.


    Leather boots slapped against the ladder steps until my head was no longer cramped under the mattress. A few more steps were taken before I fixed the stone slab back into place. Seconds of climbing down passed before memory said the wood slab was on the right, prompting me to put out my hand to the right.


    It lied.


    I took three more steps down and finally my right hand felt the needed piece. The instant my thumb pressed the center, black void blasted away in a golden glow courtesy of a mana lamp behind me. Looking down revealed I was less than halfway to the stone floor. Time passed in the circular shaft without the expected creaking of wood, courtesy of the ladders magical strength. Each step came with a complimentary bit of pain in my feet, which arrived with every step.


    Some impatience started setting in when my foot finally hit stone. Distance from the bed was always going to be an issue but I made this tunnel as short as I possibly could. Not that it made the travel any less irritating. As I turned around, the reason behind the addition presented itself.


    Gula leaned on the wall to the left with her bowl of pitch hair swaying slightly from herturn to me. A leather coat with a fluffy collar and white shirt helped soften the stone wall behind her, though they couldn¡¯t bring down her tense shoulders. Black pants didn¡¯t take to the golden light as well but her figure in it drew my eyes all the same. The green woman had a bang of black hair on her right eye with an almost matching scar on the left one going over the pitch orbs and golden irises. A small smile broke out above her sharp chin as I approached while pushing aside the cloth face covering.


    ¡°What took-¡±


    I silenced her lips with my own. Any distance between us was crushed as I pulled her into me and hot vinegar steeped in spice and smoke filled my mouth.


    ¡®Eli!¡¯ She scolded inside my head from a buzz along my forehead.


    ¡®What¡¯s the problem? You seem stressed. More than what my delay would deserve.¡¯ I asked in the spirit connection as I forced my tongue past her teeth.


    ¡®You¡¯re messing up my coat.¡¯ She pouted in an attempt to sound upset.


    Seeing that we were at that stage of the game, I pulled back a bit.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The disappointed moan from my Orc wife nearly shattered my heart, so I immediately went back in. When it came to Salamede, I could be a bit playful and circumspect with my affection. Gula, I found, needed her love dial immediately brought to ten with attending aggression. Part of that was no doubt the constant need for assurance of my consent but I sensed some pleasure at driving me to be a beast. So a beast she would get.


    ¡®Sally is waiting and she brought some papers.¡¯ Gula groaned as her golden eyes stared into mine with the horizontal scar across her nose prominently displayed.


    ¡®What for?¡¯ I asked as I forced her jaw to open further.


    ¡®It¡­.She¡¯s¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ I asked again to an accompanying assault on her gums.


    ¡®It¡¯s hard to concentrate when I¡¯m getting my tongue sucked out! Bastard.¡¯ The Orc scolded as she wrapped her hands around my neck to pull me closer.


    The need for fussing had apparently been satisfied as the green woman closed her eyes and melted into my arms. Groping palms continued their perusing unobstructed and she even shifted her coat to allow me better access to her chest. With the prize in hand, I gave myself over to need.


    Minutes of kissing and squeezing passed before oral motions became an appetizer to the main course. My right hand worked its way up her shirt to undo the bra beneath. Something about the tug on the inner cloth snapped Gula¡¯s eyes open. She then pulled her face away with a pop.


    ¡°The orphanage. They¡¯re having trouble getting it into a solid place and need your help getting some of the needed bits down.¡±


    Knowing her objection was sincere this time, I put a hand around her left hip as we walked down a crude stone hallway together. At the end was a wooden door, to which I paid little attention. The Orc adjusted bits of her clothing as we walked before fussing at some of mine. As she worked an errant piece of grey hair on my left temple, I decided to let my malcontent become known.


    ¡°And what have homeless orphans done for me?¡± I mused with puckered lips.


    She raised a right eyebrow with her small smile. The swat across my belly was equally playful as she rested the bowl of black hair on my left shoulder.


    ¡°In fact, they¡¯ve only taken. I was a hair away from getting that horrid bra off.¡±


    Her head turned up with a frown as the door came within a stone toss away.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that bad. The tailor made it out of some good cotton.¡±


    ¡°Anything that blocks my view of those most precious things is a work of unspeakable evil.¡± I put in with an outstretched chin.


    Those gold eyes rolled with the weight only a woman could manage. Her frown, however, turned to a smile. Instead of a kiss or teasing swipe, she broke free of my grasp on her hip and ran until she was in front of the door. The turn she gave on the spot made the golden light dance around her. More than that, her very being exuded happiness.


    It was in the smile that reached her eyes, the casual swing of her arms with her turn, and buzz in her step. Twenty-some years of being ground to death under poverty, a sinful bloodline, and the constant drilling of being a rapist into her soul would never leave her, as things in the formative years never really did, but what was before me was a woman of happiness swept up in a moment more precious than any jewel to be found in this world.


    Watching her, I decided here and now that it had all been worth it. The hell in the swamps, nights of worry over necromancers coming to snatch me back, all the backbreaking agony in setting up one massive project after the other. Having the scared and harried green woman I first met in that fort be transformed into this bouncing Orc of joy justified all of it.


    ¡°Well, I only ever wanted to do good.¡± She announced with a wicked grin as her hands gripped her shirt.


    The offending clothing was pulled up. Gula also made sure to catch the white bra in the tug. Green, palm-sized orbs plopped down on her ribs, exposing dark green nipples to the winter air. All the while a teasing shift of her hips made sure the two breasts swayed back and forth with the occasional push against the leather coat, lighting up millions of years worth of lizard brain like a galaxy of stars.


    Oh, it was definitely worth it.


    ¡°Perhaps after I do enough of these good deeds- EEK!¡± She squealed with a big smile and pull backwards as I dashed forward.


    I couldn¡¯t say for certain what I was going to do with my legs when I caught her, but my mouth and hands had no lack of ideas.


    Gula tried to make a retreat while fighting down a laugh. She opened the door and slammed it shut but the green woman was too late, for I had seen too much to be stopped by any mere piece of wood. I stormed through with only a slight pushback from the woman on the other side. My entrance revealed Gula with her breasts still jostling about from the shove. I strode forward to bring my prizes in hand.


    ¡°Ahem,¡±


    The voice came from behind Gula and memory instantly placed it. My wife¡¯s cheeks went a darker shade of green as the errant bra and shirt were adjusted while I fixed the cloth face covering. Beyond her was a long table of wood with matching chairs. At the opposite side of the room was another door sporting an oil lamp illuminating it all. The black shirt with a collar sporting a white square and equally pitch pants of bishop Sally sitting at the end of the table seemed to absorb said light.


    Short grey hair reflected some of the caged fire while her gold eyes took us both in. The sharp nose sucked in air while bit lips went white above a sharp chin.


    ¡°You are both married, correct?¡± She asked with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Yes,¡± We both answered at the same time.


    ¡°Ceremony and all?¡±


    My mouth moved to explain but Gula cut in first.


    ¡°He asked and I said yes. Any ceremony we were going to have was delayed with us keeping everyone alive.¡±


    The bishop nodded with a casual shrug.


    ¡°The lord commands us to be fruitful and share in the bonds of all loves. Familial, friendly, parental, and sexual. He only asks that the latter be done in the bonds of marriage. I only ask it not be done on the table.¡±


    Despite the interruption, a smile still came to me under the face covering. Gula, if she was equally amused, did a better job of hiding it with puckered lips.


    ¡°Still,¡± The bishop continued with a small smile, ¡°I suspect we¡¯ll be having some additions to the Sunday school roster if you enjoy your coupling for so many hours of the day. Even during times when those hours have been designated for other purposes.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± I interrupted before Gula could let loose the barb clearly poised on her tongue. ¡°The woman who took your allotted portion of my time isn¡¯t here. Lady Ashe came by demanding those hours with almost no notice.¡±


    Any irritation in Gula or prodding from Sally evaporated. Both Orcs leaned toward me with shoulders that raised alongside their eyebrows.


    ¡°Was it about our expansion?¡± The bishop asked with a breathless voice.


    I took a deep breath as the conversation was recalled.


    ¡°Probably. ¡®Two very powerful mage guilds just handed a trove of magic tools over to the Orcs¡¯ wasn¡¯t an accusation she was prepared to make, not in a spirit connection or a bubble of silence. But her questions made it obvious. She threw a big fuss about making sure my¡­. Male part was secure. If they suspect the extent of the compromise, I haven¡¯t been made aware of it. Which means I¡¯ll have every justification for fury and inability to fix it down the line.¡±


    Gula seemed satisfied but Sally¡¯s puckered lips didn¡¯t reflect that feeling.


    ¡°Then my task here is all the more vital. Our holding around your abode has been settled. Getting a housing section for the little ones while maintaining the structural integrity of the surrounding buildings has proven challenging. The architects could get it done but that would require time that is badly needed elsewhere.¡±


    The request now clear, I moved away from Gula¡¯s side towards the Bishop who produced the needed pages from a previously unseen sack on the floor. On it were neat lines showing a section between two other buildings and some figures on the sides. From these scraps, a mental picture was stitched together as I took a seat to the right of Sally.


    ¡°A three-story construction?¡± I asked without taking my eyes off the pages.


    ¡°We were hoping a fourth floor could be squeezed in.¡± The bishop offered in a hopeful voice.


    My idle head shake crushed that vision.


    ¡°With this much room and nothing but stone? Is the fourth floor important for a non-obvious reason or is it more space you¡¯re hoping for?¡±


    ¡°The latter.¡±


    I nodded to the scribbles.


    ¡°Using some arches on the back end will allow for a deeper cut into the stone.¡±


    From there the conversation ambled through a long negotiation between physical reality and the Bishop¡¯s vision with me being the mediator between the two factions. A settlement was reached in an hour or so with the vision of a three-story home etched with ink. Gula sat on my right the whole time, content to lean on my shoulder until the last moment when I handed the pages off to Sally.


    ¡°Thank you, mage. As odd as that sounds to say.¡± The Bishops offered as she placed the paper into the bag.


    ¡°Is there any other news concerning the underground?¡± I asked with a lean into my chair.


    Her grey hair swayed with her nod.


    ¡°We¡¯re officially neighbors. A drop in the sea of work waiting around every corner but an important drop. Getting the offshoots for the river is the next big project but we need to start moving in the people soon. I¡¯ve heard talk of some of the city architects scoping out the slums. So far everything is going as planned. Nersa is in my office almost every day panicking about one item or another and Bellog, if she had any hair before, has surely lost it by now. Perhaps I would be joining the frenzy if I didn¡¯t know the plant scion we¡¯re digging under won¡¯t kill us. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve been spared all the extra work.¡±


    The older Orc gave me a small smile as she picked up the sack before rising out of her chair. Sally regarded us both with slight nods as she moved away from the chair towards the door leading further underground. When her body was halfway out, she turned back to us.


    ¡°Not on the table, if you please.¡± The bishop intoned before closing the door behind her.


    My turn to Gula was immediate and accompanied by a lewd grin. What I saw on my green wife was idle interest as her eyes perused the contours of the brown wood.


    ¡°Anything wrong?¡± I asked.


    An electric buzz played across my cheek before her gold eyes had even turned to me.


    ¡®I¡¯m just trying to figure out¡­. Where¡¯s Cell?¡¯


    A blank stare was my first answer but I managed to get the proper one out.


    ¡®He¡¯s in the kitchen munching on some nuts.¡¯


    Gula¡¯s bit lip looked rather tasty yet I held it back as her gold eyes had some genuine worry in them.


    ¡®I just feel so bad. He traveled all over the south looking for me when I wasn¡¯t even lost. Poor thing.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, poor nothing.¡¯ I scoffed with a roll of my eyes. ¡®Cell was riding a personal air craft soaking in warm southern sun while perusing coastal beaches. It was my hide stuck up in this frozen hell having to whip hundreds of peasants and magic into a city. He better send some gratitude through his spirit connection the next time he sees you.¡¯


    Green fingers glided over the contours of the table''s wooden lines. Those gold eyes followed the fingertips while her lips puckered. All while making an effort not to look in my direction.


    Ah, she must have a new task.


    My hands took her fingers and wrapped them inside mine.


    ¡®Not on the table, Gula.¡¯


    A small smile broke out over her face even as she tried to pucker her lips.


    ¡®I¡¯m trying to explain what¡¯s wrong but there¡¯s several issues¡­.¡¯


    Not another craft, then?


    ¡®A wife shouldn¡¯t be scared of asking things from her husband.¡¯ I intoned in the spirit connection. Some thought of tamping down the exaggerated toil came to me but I knew my habits too well for me to waste effort on the notion.


    ¡®It¡¯s actually from Salamede. She had her airship deliver the message to me since I¡¯m the one with a man monitoring the radio throughout the day.¡¯


    Her hands pulled out of mine to fumble around the inside of her jacket. From a pocket, she produced another page. I took it and found lines of various figures as well as descriptions of a section belonging to the snails. Though this one was of an empty bit of water among those rocks.


    ¡®She¡¯s asking if you could design a housing district that would withstand the water current. With an emphasis on keeping the mana usage as low as possible. Her hope was to ask this after the project here had been completed and she would have if her schedule allowed it. She¡¯ll be coming in with a ship for the transfer of iron but things worked out that the ship won¡¯t need to come back for weeks or even months after this city was finished.¡¯


    ¡®Come in person?¡¯ I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®For sex,¡¯ Gula put in with a heated tone, slightly squirming in place as she did so. ¡®Salamede said to be as rested as you can be the day after tomorrow then sneak aboard my ship. Which-¡¯


    She hesitated as her head bobbed back and forth.


    ¡®It¡¯s just weird. We¡¯re planning sex. I always thought it was just something that happened. You know, a kiss in the kitchen leading to more or a waking in the morning filled with a night''s worth of need being seen to.¡¯


    A smile broke out on my face, which made Gula¡¯s lips contort into a pout.


    ¡®What do you think will happen when we¡¯ve got pups? We can¡¯t just plow away on a whim when little ones could come around the corner at any moment. The need for planning came on early because we¡¯re living in different cities. Cities we¡¯re spending all our time saving.¡¯


    Her head went up and down in a nod, making the bang of black hair along the right of her face sway with the motion.


    ¡®At least with all this strategy, I can get some as well.¡¯ She offered with a smile.


    I raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡®Do you want some?¡¯


    Her black eyebrows furrowed, a motion that did nothing to hide the look downward.


    ¡®Absolutely. When we¡¯re both proper. It''s not fair without¡­.him.¡¯ She responded with a look up to meet my gaze. Her concern about my pleasure warmed my heart.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s a good thing all of my favorite bits are here for some sport.¡¯ I countered with a slow raise of my right hand.


    The seizing of a green breast produced a delightful moan. Her mouth opened and some words were on the verge of coming out when she stopped to stare at my tongue. Some memory of our first venture together must have presented itself because an eager smile broke out above her sharp chin.


    With the next hour or so of lives set, we proceeded to put the structural integrity of the walls to the test. Cold as it was, the heat rubbing skin together from the groping and open shirts proved a good remedy to winter''s chill. The furniture was left unmolested and if there was any lack in that hour, it was the specter of pregnancy having no presence in the proceedings as we cavorted about like errant teens getting their first bit of play. Not that it undid the delight of having Gula plastered to my chest even if she was clothed.


    Little coos and moans wafted up from the woman, acting as small prayers to my ego. After a minute the quivering subsided and the Orc took her face out of my pecks to look up.


    ¡°It¡¯s late,¡± She offered with no accompanying move to leave.


    I leaned down and took her lips. Vinegar, smoke, and spice played on my tongue for the last time tonight before I pulled back and removed my hands from her bum to stretch into the air. She took the opportunity to stand straight and adjust her coat. We nodded to each other before walking toward our respective doors.


    The trek down the stone hallway wasn¡¯t nearly as pleasant as the first trip through it, but I managed to soldier on and make my way up the ladder to the bedroom. Near the end of the ladder, I had to turn off the lights. Only cold kept me company in the dark. It was relatively fast going until my mental map said I was reaching the top, at which point I had to outstretch an arm at each step to make sure I didn¡¯t give myself a concussion.


    Eventually, the expected groping of open-air instead produced a slab of hard stone. Mana was sucked in and a simple red triangle was forged. A flame no bigger than a thumb lit up an inch from my mouth. It revealed a stone world, the most important aspect of which was an alcove behind the wooden ladder. Above the wooden box being used as a radio was another wooden panel. I pressed it with the impatience of approaching sleep.


    Air blew down the tunnel as the sound-deadening enchantments took effect, though the sliding of stone was still clear from my position. From there, I retrieved the radio from the alcove. It was a routine done so often that I barely needed the brain power to form the words. Durka was fine, nothing to report. With that finished, the radio was placed back down into its hole.


    I then pushed on and up until the wooden bottom of the bed greeted me. Practiced motions of moving the slab shut before sliding out went off without issue. Then I pulled myself across the stone floor with chilled hands. After a second of struggle, I was standing in pitch-black darkness. But this void of nothing had the advantage of being in the area my memory said was the bedroom.


    I turned around to lean over the unseen bed. Shoes were kicked off and groping hands eventually found the blankets. A cocoon of blanket soon enveloped me. The pillow called for my head and I almost answered when I registered the faint spirit connection buzzing on my left shoulder. I concentrated on my frontal lobe and then reached out with that otherworldly sensation. Cell eventually revealed himself on the post at the foot of the bed, sitting still as a rock. With all things finally in their place, I slacked my neck muscles. Cold pillow held my head up and oblivion, true oblivion, took me.


    *Thwap*


    The sudden snapping told of someone at the door. It was the feeling of rest after a long night that said they were the maids with the morning goods instead of an assassin tripping an alarm. I moved out of the blankets as Cell sprung onto my shoulder. A feeling of happiness and curiosity was felt through our spirit connection along with a picture of Gula, which was followed by some curiosity.


    ¡®She¡¯s fine,¡¯ I responded as I moved through the darkness towards the mana lamp on the right of the bed. Smooth crystal was found at the expected place and a golden glow lit up the square room. The desk was at its place near the door while the bed was a mess. A job left for the maids.


    I went through the only exit and took a right in the hallway. Cell sent me an emotion of happiness with images of the freezing coast to match. A simple nod was all I gave him before he blew off my shoulder towards the kitchen in the opposite direction as it was the only other place with direct water access besides the toilet. Morning needs were finished and less than a minute passed before I was following Cell¡¯s path.


    The door to the kitchen/dining room allowed my passage without fuss. My familiar was nowhere to be seen and the spirit connection was reduced to a faint buzz. The important business was behind the big door to the right, so I hurried to get it open. Through it came maids bearing a basin, pitchers of hot water, and some trays covered in copper domes.


    A morning bath was conducted and finished with some warmed towels. At the table was a chicken sandwich, formed of fresh bread still emanating the warmth of yeast, crisp lettuce, and sliced goat cheese, served with a side of hearty bean soup. It was beyond what the staff were expected to do but my patience through the worst part of the grind had paid dividends. When they couldn¡¯t keep up with the regular chores and I hadn¡¯t sent the maids back to the kitchen with black eyes or had the chefs whipped, they repaid the kindness in dozens of ways.


    My meals had been mostly soups as that was the hardest thing to slip poison into. The procedures for testing other foods for poison were arduous and one I had been forgoing as it took time away from feeding the men. Pain they now went through on my behalf and would not hear of doing otherwise.


    Oddly, the women were also showing some interest now. I had thought no manhood meant no more interest from the opposite gender. Contrary to evolutionary logic, and all my experiences in this world, the night the camp celebrated finishing the foundation, ostensibly the hardest portion of the job, one of the maids offered to get with the other women and spend a session trying to find ways of pleasuring me.


    The blonde refilling my mug with hot cider even asked if I had a brother, that she might bear me a nephew in recompense for all that I had done. Absurd things I flatly turned down but it later occurred to me that I wouldn¡¯t allow a brother''s child to ever go hungry, nor the kid''s mother. Perhaps there were more wits behind that one¡¯s wild ideas than first appeared.


    As much as things had improved, life had proven many times that things getting easier didn¡¯t mean things were easy. We had come off the peak and now merely coasted along a hard portion. Tens of thousands of people were coming in relatively soon. And unless they all stacked into barns and ate gruel, the next phase of the project now demanded action on smaller items. The smallest of which was the meal now finished.


    I went to the door leading outside, leaving behind the maids to clean. Pushing it open presented a stone square for a floor, wide drawbridge directly ahead, and a grey rock shack on the mainland to the left. A new stone block seven feet tall and a foot wide was on its right. The addition had crafts that would lower the drawbridge from someone reaching inside and touching a wooden pad up the hollow interior. It was meant to produce a sound distinct from the one warning of a breach in the defenses but the ¡®alarms¡¯ ended up being almost indistinguishable. An error I assigned to the imprecise nature of magic crafts. As annoying as such oversights were¡­. God, I just couldn¡¯t be asked to do it over again.


    Rushing sea water filled the air with the tang of salt as the endless stone floor ambled on for seeming ages until hitting the wall. To the left was a massive nine-plus floor tower with a trebuchet on top. It was the wooden bridge across the river cutting through the middle of my domain that drew me over the drawbridge and past the stone shack. From behind came men in red leather from around the front face of their post serving as a guard station. I paid them no mind as I continued walking alongside the artificial river. Most of my attention was on the gate farther to the right where a crowd was gathering for the new harbor being put in place.


    Soon I was on the bridge and moving onto the other half of my land. Off to the left lay a small forest of tents spilling out from the huge pots and tables of the communal kitchen. At this height on the bridge, I could make out the people working the table with every need of the morning meal. Unlike the previous assortment of women in black dresses most of those moving between the tables were more plain and bearing the garb of regular peasantry. Their customers were likewise changed, from burly laborers to small children talking and playing, often between tables.


    While it was only the single men being expelled from Crasden, the slum was still going to be given the ax no matter the status of the people living there. Rumor told of Ashe assuring the residents that their houses would be rebuilt at city expense. For now, not one board had been ripped up at this point. Either the redhead was learning patience or the sheer bureaucratic inertia to start was slowing her down. Whatever it was, some families weren¡¯t waiting and took up tents with their men.


    Coming down the bridge, I could only ponder what the demographics of this city made out of mana and sweat would be at the end. Single men were the target of the coming purge but the details came with a snag. ¡®Men¡¯ in this case included lads fourteen and up. Apparently, someone in the decision meetings had some notion that men fell to depravity with puberty. That one bit assured a good number of families would be coming in. Not that they would stay away otherwise.


    Of course, I knew what I was building. I could make a better house than any of them ever experienced in an afternoon. That rise in living standards would draw the peasants even if the father had not a boy to his name. Their highest standards, however, were a pale shadow of mine.


    As heavenly as indoor plumbing would be, I couldn¡¯t quite explain how I knew all the ins and outs of making it work on physics alone nor would magic crafts for such purposes be viable in these densities. A large communal latrine with stalls along a hidden stream was widely known and would be implemented between the housing blocks. No heating to speak of either save a few kitchen stoves working meager warmth through pipes that thick walls would try to keep in.


    And the pests.


    Bedbugs were a matter of standard than exception for the poor of Crasden. Rats would flourish in the warm temperatures and excessive trash. All with no culling implements or poison traps to keep their populations under control. This place would be an ecosystem of urban parasites.


    I had known this from the beginning yet these small facts grew in my mind as the day of the city''s opening drew near. It was inevitable. But never, in all my life, had I come this close to putting my stamp of approval on something so lacking. Hell, I¡¯ve dug out shelters that came with heated bead beds and massaging showers.


    The source of this anguish revealed itself as a large rectangle of grey stone stuck out on the right near the sea wall. Around it scurried workers like ants, each bearing a plank of wood from which stone sprung to fill out an empty spot or curve that grey mass into a cohesive whole. Bits of wood were also being brought through the wide empty spot where thick double doors would be placed. Unlike in my magic-less universe, these pieces of coveted material would be fashioned for both regular flooring and the strengthened variety used in place of metal rebar.


    Directly ahead was the trio of towers serving as guard posts. They stood ready near the gate leading to Crasden. Their older sibling to the left and behind the communal camp wouldn¡¯t be so lucky, with a teardown coming in its semi-near future.


    From the forest of tents came my main point of contact with the regular citizens. The head of the guard, Kev, trekked to me in the same red leather garb of his men while sporting a shining steel breastplate. That large brown beard drifted over the armor with his steps, though his shaved head had only a steel helm for cover. A slight smile stuck out below his brown mustache with those mud eyes above a thin nose having an eager aspect to them.


    ¡°Greetings, scion Tilvor.¡± He called with a slight bow before walking alongside me on the left.


    My first response was a nod as we moved towards the rectangle.


    ¡°No matter the title, it should be I giving greetings. You may not have any magic, Kev, but these past weeks have shown a power beyond mana. The night shifts have certainly pulled through.¡±


    A pensive look from one of the guards to the right greeted my compliment. Only Kev, two other of his men, and a growing list of priests knew what was really going on. For the rest, they had to nervously bite their lips anytime something dealing with the Orcs below our feet poked into conversation. Kev ignored their worries as he continued.


    ¡°The Overseer was quite pleased with the speed of construction. That the lower sections were finished so quickly is something even I as the idea¡¯s advocate didn¡¯t anticipate.¡±


    Another nod from me ended the exchange of lies and nonsense. No amount of fidgeting with schedules could have allowed the underground''s completion in mere weeks. An unseen army of green women helping with magic crafts, however, could. The only trouble was convincing the external persona I had presented to the world.


    Kev had made a passionate case about allowing some men to work in the night at one of the meetings and I allowed it. It was ridiculous, and no one with a close understanding of the inner workings of this massive project would believe it, but fortunately, almost everyone involved in the intricacies knew of my true relationship to Gula, and all the others were just relieved that the great deception of the scion had succeeded.


    ¡°However, boons sometimes come with their own costs.¡± Kev continued as we came within a stone''s throw of the arched doorway of the apartment complex. ¡°The smith and miner, shipwright, and tailor guilds are asking me to work out some issues. While they aren¡¯t a guild proper, the fishermen are rather clannish and have some concerns of their own but those are separate from the others. We were supposed to have a discussion of business proceedings before the buildings started going up but¡­. The night rotations proved too effective in that aspect.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him as we crossed into the rectangle, making several men wait to the side.


    ¡°And was I to be included in this discussion?¡±


    In front of us were four widely spaced pillars which would be heightened with each new floor while the rest was mostly barren with some wooden poles being put into the walls for support. The regular wood was being applied to the floor in squares of varying sizes, serving as the patterns of the twenty-four apartments that would help establish the placement of walls. On the lower floors would be families while the upper floors would be for those with no children, be they couples or single.


    None of which Kev seemed to notice as he turned to me with eyebrows raised in surprise.


    ¡°We thought to go over a few meager items. Mages typically leave mundane affairs to we low people. As long as the food comes in, the ships and walls are manned, and fire doesn¡¯t take half the city, they leave us to it. They also don¡¯t bring in fish for the local market, so the guilds shouldn¡¯t be too surprised. But will you be setting smithy rates or taxes for all the goods?¡± Kev asked with a dubious look. Even knowing the truth of my relationship with Gula, or at least thinking he did, the man still had some reticence in correcting me.


    ¡°Taxes and tariffs will mirror Crasden,¡± I said as I walked between the pillars. ¡°I won¡¯t risk putting sour words in Ashe¡¯s ears from the merchants. Aside from that, I¡¯ll occasionally come by with a bill of goods I want delivered. Some craft or another could be exchanged but I suspect nothing too burdensome will be on those lists. Otherwise, matters of coin shouldn¡¯t be different from what you¡¯re used to.¡±


    That all their labors and practices would be rendered obsolete in a few years remained unsaid. Which left the only other core issue. For that, I turned away from the grey stone shafts to make sure his brown eyes met mine. He immediately picked up on the seriousness of my next words and stiffened his back.


    ¡°Crime and corruption¡­. Will not be so unsupervised. I don¡¯t like criminals, Kev. And I¡¯m not afraid to let it become known in very bloody ways. Anyone trying to extort, steal, rob, or rape in my realm will envy those pirates whose bones still shift in the ocean¡¯s sand. If any of your men have a penchant for pinching coin from the citizenry or demanding play from the women in various exchanges, do not bring them here. For cutting out their flesh and weighing it until recompense has been fulfilled will be the kindest of my punishments.¡±


    Color came out of thin cheeks but the rest of the man remained unmoved.


    ¡°I will make sure my future daughters spend their days here,¡± He offered with only a slight dew of sweat across his brow.


    I gave him a small smile beneath my face covering then moved on with my inspection.


    None of the inner walls had been put in for the twenty-four families who would come to call this home. The outer walls were reinforced with steel-like wood to a degree far beyond what would be needed. These apartment blocks would be servicing large ballistae on their rooftops as well as taking whatever a catapult could send its way. Being on the outer ring, this structure was also to be fitted for an extra layer of stone on its sea-facing side.


    Right now, it was four pillars, as many walls, and ambition.


    An hour was spent quizzing the foreman about the procedures for laying the next floor, where the staircases were to be placed, and the mechanics of how the new elevator would work. That last bit was something they had never experienced, so I let his wrong answers pass. He and his men would only need to get the first two down without my constant supervision. Something their performance these past few weeks left me confident was within their ability.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    As we left through the empty doorway, Kev coughed.


    ¡°Where would you like to meet the guild heads? Having them visit your house might give the impression you¡¯re more available than would be prudent.¡±


    The thought of doing anything that might interrupt my fun with Gula almost sent a groan out of my mouth. No matter what I wanted, there would be too many problems with them thinking I was just going to rule from on high.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be making several assurances and setting clear expectations. If they get the idea that I won¡¯t be personally making sure everything is as it should be¡­. Well, let¡¯s not allow temptation to take root. This one time, we¡¯ll have it at my home. After a town center has been set up, the meetings can take place there.¡±


    Kev gave me a small nod before moving off to the right.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fetch them at once.¡±


    I returned the gesture before leaving behind the first floor of the apartment building. Men in red leather walked around me, a small army of workers plied their trade at every turn, and children played about in the merely cold air as we passed the tents. None received any real attention as I went over various figures and plans. As I came over the bridge across the river, I took in the wide gate leading to the harbor off in the distance. Some notion of inspecting the work came to me but was dismissed. The buildings being put in the harbor were of Crasden make, with all attending mockery of modern visuals. Wasting time going over things they had made a thousand times before wasn¡¯t a good investment, so Imy feet took a right towards the half oval in the middle of a river serving as my home.


    I gave a slight nod to the men ever present in the stone booth before reaching inside the pillar and pushing the wooden slab. The drawbridge creaked with a descent almost loud enough to be heard over the ambling water below. I quickly went over it and through the heavy door.


    Inside was the same as ever with a table and chairs directly ahead, a door to the left leading further inside, and a kitchen to the right. Along the wall on the left was a mana lamp, which I pressed. Smooth crystal sent a blossom of fiery glow across the grey stone of the floor and walls.


    Without the prospect of seeing one of my wives or tending to a needed task, the pain in my feet and back was now speaking rather loudly. The grinding weeks were finished but that didn¡¯t mean they were finished with me. I allowed them to make their case before the court as I closed the door and moved toward the table. The plop into a chair by the far wall came with a rather compelling agreement from my soles. I immediately removed my shoes and let wiggling toes feel the cold air.


    When my feet were starting to get a bit too chill, Kev popped in the doorway with an expectant look. A single nod sent him back out the door and socks with attending shoes back over my toes. After a minute, three men came through the door.


    One was a man who had the aspect of once being muscular, but grey hair on his head and a strong jaw along with wrinkles told of time stealing such vigor. The blue coat that covered everything down to his knees had a tied end for the left sleeve where an arm should be. He moved a bit ahead of his cautious comrades.


    Behind him came a rather pudgy fellow. As rare as his physique was, his red vest, white shirt, and black pants were more of a standout feature as they were of a finer make than anything I saw on the street. Yet, they remained just a hair below those found on the nobility. His small chin wobbled with his nod to me as he approached with a swaying bowl cut of red hair.


    The last member was an older man sporting leathery tanned skin that poked out of his plush grey coat. Bits of the fur around the neck brushed against a long nose that almost had a beak aspect, something his bald head and smooth cheekbones only emphasized. Despite his late start, he managed to arrive on my left at the same time as the other three.


    ¡°Greetings, Grand mage,¡± The more portly member offered with a bow that the other two immediately took up. ¡°We are lowly folk, so I can only ask indulgence if some aspect of mage etiquette is breached. Through sheer accident, of course.¡±


    I gestured to the table with a sweep of my left arm.


    ¡°Lowly folk aren¡¯t typically responsible for keeping an entire city running. Still, lowly or not, everyone works with the same numbers and I believe I was told of four visitors.¡±


    ¡°Daniel is a hardworking fellow and diligent.¡± The pudgy man continued as he moved to the seat on my right.¡°A needed thing for catching fish, I¡¯m told. He is not so steady when it comes to matters of paperwork and organization. The speed of this grand place''s construction has caught us all sleeping and wrangling together his people for a common cause is not as easy as ours. He sends his warmest regards but wouldn¡¯t dare waste your time with half-finished exchanges.¡±


    The one-armed man moved to the seat directly across from me.


    ¡°Neither would any of us,¡± His rough voice announced with his butt hitting cold wood. ¡°I¡¯m Gary. A smith by birth and trade, but now I just sit around working paper.¡±


    The last man moved to the left of the table, sitting at the chair farther away.


    ¡°Mason.¡± The high-pitched voice offered through the coat''s fluff. ¡°I¡¯m the one who makes sure we all have clothes, socks, and everything else involving a seamstress''s needle.¡±


    ¡°Yorson,¡± The pudgy man put in with a smile. ¡°I represent the harbor, its workers, and all the bits between.¡±


    I nodded before coughing into my fist.


    ¡°So what are these lists of concerns you all decided were beneath me.¡±


    The harbormaster, or whatever the title would be, took a deep breath.


    ¡°Mostly matters of poverty. Money makes everything move but these are coins of copper or at most silver. Certain taxes and tariffs between your realm and Crasden proper. We work on mostly third-hand whispers, but we were given the impression this is wholly your domain.¡±


    I nodded again. Being the man who works the docks, Yorson probably had the best chance of negotiating with needed tact given the constant negotiations demanded of his position. When I looked at the other two, their refusal to speak confirmed the unspoken arrangement.


    ¡°It is,¡± I confirmed. ¡°And any matters of coin will mostly be decided by what is least likely to draw Crasden¡¯s ire. Until they start charging to move goods between our cities, I won¡¯t. The tax on goods and rates for staying at the docks will likewise match theirs.¡±


    Yorson nodded with a small smile. Something he maintained as I continued.


    ¡°The matters I will be attending to will not be focused on the economic, but rather it is the criminal that concerns me. While bribes may have been a matter of expectation, here they will be heavily punished. I¡¯ve made as much clear to Kev. But I know I won¡¯t get anyone to work here if the deficit isn¡¯t made up. So I¡¯ll have the men employed by the city given better wages to reflect the lost income.¡±


    They all went a bit pale at that, trying their best to look like they had no idea what I was talking about.


    ¡°Such a thing-¡±


    ¡°We would never-¡±


    I put up a hand.


    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± I commanded.


    The two looked to Yorson. When they saw his eyelids were already shut, they quickly followed his lead, as did I.


    ¡°Good,¡± I complimented into the void, ¡°From now on, we¡¯re going to assume the magical scion isn¡¯t an idiot.¡±


    A pronounced gulp came from the left, though its precise source eluded me.


    ¡°No games of trying to avoid questions, pretending that everything on the ledgers is precisely how it all happens, or any such nonsense. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Yorson announced.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The other two squeaked out together.


    ¡°All right. Open them.¡±


    I followed my own command to see Gary and Mason looking a bit reserved. The pudgy man, however, seemed more intrigued than anything. He leaned back on his chair with a raised red eyebrow as he licked his lips before putting them to use.


    ¡°There are certain extra benefits for working at the docks. Free drinks, the occasional meal, and such. I would say those come out to an extra¡­. Thirty silver a month. Depending on the position, of course.¡± He said. His slightly puckered lips told of words wanting to be free.


    I then turned to the other two. Gary gulped before taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Certain work can be¡­.sped along with incentives. Most amounts to an extra fifteen silver a month.¡±


    Mason only nodded, apparently not trusting himself to speak.


    ¡°That can be brought above board with a preference list. Just have people pay upfront to get ahead of the line but guarantee the work will get done in a week or however long if they forgo the additional payment. Anything else?¡± I asked.


    Puckered lips spread around the table, more in intrigue at the idea than doubt. Yorson leaned forward as his two companions nervously bit their lips.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t too rude a thing, might I pry into the genius of a mage?¡± He asked innocently.


    I crossed my arms as I leaned back into the chair.


    ¡°What advantage does doing away with bribes get you if the coin is going to come out of your pocket? I could understand making it cheaper to do business here in order to steal some of Crasden''s traffic, but this merely makes the cost the same in one sum package. Of course, that¡¯s without considering that some captains will see the upfront expense, not realizing it comes without a bribe, and decide the other port is nicer.¡±


    ¡°Sadly, it will possibly still come with a bribe. No matter how much you give, some people¡¯s greed is so inexhaustible that they would risk the mountain of gold for those few silver on the ground.¡±


    Yorson only nodded without denying it.


    ¡°Cracking down on bribery won¡¯t stop it, and it doesn¡¯t need to. It only has to make it clear to everyone that even this level of criminality, so banal and pervasive it barely counts as a legal offense, is not tolerated. Tell me, if word gets around that large amounts of subterfuge are needed for such a simple thing, how quick will people be to pursue other unsavory endeavors? How many criminals will go out of their way to set up their trade here when even the port officials are skittish about merely taking a bribe? That thought is the point.¡±


    A wave of nods went around the table.


    ¡°And part of enforcing that will be my own schemes. Tell your people that I will occasionally dispatch sea captains and wagon workers to move goods about in order to see if any official tries to pilfer their purse.¡±


    ¡°Will you be going to such lengths?¡± Yorson asked with an askance look.


    I gave him a smile.


    ¡°Yes. If you have any doubts, just wait until I storm into your office one day with one of your men in hand and a whip in the other.¡±


    His smile had enough width to push back the pudgy cheeks.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Crasden rules all around then?¡± The pudgy man asked with an air of finality.


    ¡°Mostly. Admittedly, I¡¯ve spent more time planning out the physical city rather than thinking about how to run the people in it. I¡¯m afraid it will be mostly dependent on how much of Crasden decides to move here, which people make that decision, and how meshed our two economies become. Things totally outside of my control. Crime, no matter the situation, will not root. Beyond that, I have few answers at this point.¡±


    They all seemed satisfied with that. My rise out of the chair was reflected by the three men. Gary and Yorson started moving away from the table but Mason¡¯s grey coat didn¡¯t shift. The man''s large nose sucked in air before he coughed.


    ¡°If I could be so bold, grand mage.¡± The leader of the tailors squeaked out from the grey fur.


    The pudgy man on the right bit his lower lip and looked like he wanted to snap his compatriot''s neck as bits of red colored his pudgy cheeks. Gary, being the closest, sucked in his lips while standing rock still.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My people have worked with some of those plant fibers. Excellent quality and they work with the needle as well as anything else we have. If some arrangement could be made for a consistent supply, my tailors would be most eager to secure it.¡±


    Ah. A mundane man asking for crafts like that would require untold gold coins. Something I was pretty sure lay beyond any of their purses. Fortunately for him, saved time had a value beyond the monetary.


    ¡°Tell me, where do the orphans of Crasden go?¡±


    His grey eyebrows went up in surprise, though a cough quickly recovered the man¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°The church, great mage. I know of your disdain for them but they take in those too young to work and give them what they can. Several of their wards do some odd bits and ends for all the guilds to get some spare coppers.¡±


    I kept my eyebrows from furrowing. When had I shown disdain for the church? Then I remembered how the one in Dunwhich was held in contempt by mages. Something about a power greater than magic pricked the temperament of all those who cast spells and I did have mana veins.


    ¡°Whatever my feelings, in this we have a common cause.¡± I countered. ¡°I do intend to have a bit more of a cushion for those low on luck here. If I set up a fiber-growing warehouse for your people, would you be willing to dedicate a portion to providing clothing for those orphans?¡±


    The man¡¯s beak nose swung up and down like a piston.


    ¡°Absolutely! Though how much would be charged by the square foot for the material would remain in question.¡±


    Free would be my first answer. Something that allowed me to focus my efforts elsewhere would more than justify it. Infinite clothing could create issues in Crasden, however.


    ¡°Not scraping Ashe¡¯s backside is still the big focus. What would the wool merchants say about such a thing?¡±


    The corners of a smile stuck out over the fur to rest beneath the smooth cheeks.


    ¡°In truth, cloth is an annoyance for everyone. All the merchants would rather be moving food or metals and it¡¯s only the requirements of the subsidies that keep them coming in. I can¡¯t speak for every single captain out there, but most would be happy to see the procurement of such goods hoisted onto someone else''s ledger.¡±


    Finally, the universe opened its fist to give me a hand up rather than the usual beating.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I responded with a smile hidden beneath the face covering. ¡°Exact quantities will have to be given at a later date when I have a better idea of what the local mana can sustain.¡±


    Gary¡¯s right hand lifted to cover his mouth as he coughed.


    ¡°During the siege, you provided wood for some of the smiths. Often times its getting enough coal to keep the fires burning that¡¯s more trouble than working the ore. I can¡¯t begin to say what a reliable supply of fuel would do for our projects.¡±


    I gave a more restrained nod.


    ¡°Do the people who make those shipments do so with great profit? Enough that they might complain about their customers getting alternative sources?¡±


    The man''s grey beard twitched with his puckered lips for a second before he sighed.


    ¡°Yes. My pockets always feel quite light after meeting them. But it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Even with what we buy, they can¡¯t supply enough, what with all the profit to be made in the south and better weather.¡±


    My lips puckered as I tried to wrangle the imprecise mana demands of such an operation.


    ¡°Plant fibers aren¡¯t terribly demanding. Wood in the quantities you¡¯re asking for very much is. Again, I can¡¯t commit to any hard numbers before I get a better idea of what the mana demands will be just to run the city itself. When that time comes, we can discuss this again in the town hall I¡¯ve yet to build.¡±


    All three men gave me a slight bow.


    ¡°A thousand thanks,¡± Yorson intoned with a smile my meager social sense deemed genuine. ¡°If all negotiations could be conducted so reasonably, the world would be more pleasant stroll than death march.¡±


    His companions nodded in agreement. I returned the gesture as they filed out of the door. Sore feet demanded I sit back in the chair and I obliged. With nothing physical demanding my immediate attention, I pulled the page Gula had given me out of my coat pocket. Ideas came with the mental landscape the numbers provided. Notions were either culled or bloomed into full ideas. Architectural evolution continued for a few hours until Kev came by to inform me of the men being ready for inspection.


    An announcement I greeted with the enthusiasm most had at their own funerals. The plans had been laid out down to the last corner. Hell, getting all the rooms and tunnels set below ground was more technically challenging than this simple placing of floors. The overseer and foremen were not so confident in their own abilities. So, despite not being needed, I agreed to oversee the construction of each apartment layer.


    A quick jaunt over two bridges and a chilly plain of stone was all it took to be back at the rectangle.


    With my arrival, the men started up their work proper. The four central pillars were extended a floor up using a long wooden craft designed to cling around the edge of the pillar and keep the new extensions of consistent length. Once that hollow rock was in place, a piece of strengthened wood for their core was fixed in place with additional stone summoning to fill any air pockets. A large grid of wooden rebar was fastened to their sides before being plastered over with freshly summoned grey rock. In mere hours, a new floor was added to the apartment. However, unless the residents were fond of having no walls, the job hadn¡¯t reached its finish line .


    A long slab of wood with legs on the bottom was brought in. The piece was fixed into the groove left behind by its work on the first floor. A white square on its left side was pressed. Almost immediately, it sucked in all the surrounding blue specks and summoned a foot-wide slab of stone perfectly lining up with the lower edge but still a good foot thinner than the wall below it. Once the men got a large piece of hardened wood with hooks on its sides snug against it, a white square on the right of the huge board was pressed. Soon more stone wall was summoned from blue clouds and this time it completed the previous summoning to perfectly match its lower sibling.


    This was repeated thrice over with some fussing for the placements of windows. I inspected everything to make sure the men knew it was all up to standard. That I had measured the tools and their stone workings specifically so that they could work them without my guiding hand was left unmentioned.


    I had no load testing nanites nor any help from the eye sensors to give rough estimates, leaving generous overcompensation to make up the gaps. The structures wooden components, serving as replacements for the iron and steel, were probably twice as thick as needed. And that was before considering how much lighter it was compared to metal. My exit from the construction site was greeted with smiles from the men who could be bothered to stop looking at the structure they had just forged from nothing.


    The few remaining hours of the day were spent in my home on the river looking over the figures Gula had given me for an expansion into the snail¡¯s domain. Eventually, soup was brought in and dinner was soon followed by sleep. Thankfully, routine had been established and the morning went like the last one.


    As I stepped out onto the drawbridge, adjusting the brown leather jacket and black pants with each step, the first thought was how clear the blue sky was. A few smattering of white clouds left it feeling more like a painting than any natural event. The air blowing through my coat seemed a bit warmer, almost merely lukewarm.


    Perhaps it was the pirates finally being gone, Cell¡¯s return, or Spring flexing its muscles. It was probably my two wives'' imminent, days-long nudity. But whatever ¡®it¡¯ was, the world seemed a bit more inviting. As I moved left along the river to continue yesterday¡¯s work, the overseer came up from the bridge with two other foremen in tow.


    His cap was removed revealing thin black hair that matched his mustache. Those brown eyes immediately spotted me among the red leather, followed immediately by a smile above that sharp chin.


    ¡°Ah,¡± He announced without the usual white cloud coming out of his mouth. ¡°Greetings. I heard the men did well yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Better than,¡± I returned with a few steps up the bridge¡¯s arch. ¡°Well enough that they can put in the next floors and stairs without my direct supervision.¡±


    The residual joy blasted off his face as quickly as his muscles could perform the motion.


    ¡°But-but-¡±


    I put up a hand.


    ¡°All the tools have been made so that little to no measuring is needed at the point of application. It¡¯s like children¡¯s blocks but scaled up in size for those a few years older and the complexity for adults.¡±


    ¡°Such blocks wouldn¡¯t crush our families if laid wrong.¡± He put in with a bit lip.


    It was the closest thing to defiance he had ever shown. This lack of confidence in their own skills was starting to make my teeth clench. Especially considering I helped grow those very skills. If I misjudged their ability, then why would they trust my judgment of the buildings?


    Still¡­.


    They were worried about their families, both human and green. A feeling I couldn¡¯t bring myself to slander.


    ¡°I will be going away for a few days. In that time, work on the first and second floors of the other complexes. Get a few fully furnished with inner walls and stairs then we can sort out any issues on my return.¡±


    Any surprise the man was going to show at my mini-vacation was blotted out by relief.


    ¡°The men will be relieved, grand mage.¡± The overseer intoned with a slight bow.


    I took a deep breath before walking down the bridge with the entire gang in tow.


    ¡°Have you secured a supply of torches?¡± I asked the overseer accompanying on the right.


    An eager nod answered.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow as we walked along the opposite side of the river I had just trekked down.


    ¡°Your crafts, as always, are the backbone. After some experimentation, we found the magically enhanced seaweed burns with little smoke and more than twice as long as the regular rags and pitch.¡±


    Gula had described how the Orcs used the light from above to light some of their portions of the city. Given they were going to be significantly deeper into the rock here, that wasn¡¯t an option for them. Instead, a massive and steady stream of flaming torches would have to be used. Smoke would be a concern with enough flames, but the green women had far better vision in darkness than their human counterparts, so the torches would only have to be used sparingly in their domain.


    Our walk continued in silence as we approached the sluice gate allowing the sea water to flow into the city. We moved past my abode which was a bit closer to it than it was the proper middle of the city. A decision made so that it would be in the sewage-free section.


    On the right of the gate was a square of stone railing with an open end facing the wall large enough for a carriage and a half of traffic. The entrance leading into the underground wasn¡¯t visible from our angle of approach. As we rounded the corner to reveal double doors of wood and iron straps at the end of a downward stone staircase, the nervous twitches in the men started revealing themselves.


    They had certainly been on edge since this waking. As they were every time I inspected the underground. The why of it eluded me as all the designs the church and I worked out wouldn¡¯t reveal anything from the perusing I was going to do. Sure, at some point I would discover the horrifying revelation that Percy and his friend allowed the Orcs to snatch a hundred-plus crafts. But nothing on the path of today¡¯s checklist would bring that about.


    My steps on the stone stairs were a bit slow to allow the guards time to get ahead and pull the doors open. Two managed it and swung the doors inward without making the sweat on their brows too obvious. As we walked through, the soles of my shoes were shallow enough to allow me to feel the less-than-an-inch wide grooves on the floor. They were more than a foot deep and acted as channels for any rainwater, which would flow into a small shaft in the wall before a craft sucked the liquid out into the river.


    Along the walls and ceiling were lines of square boards plastered into the rock. These were independent crafts that kept the structure around them in place and would only activate if the surrounding stone shifted. A torch was produced and lit, which illuminated the long hallway ahead with its dots of brown squares.


    On the immediate left was an open, arched doorway. Inside were more of the wooden squares in the wall though the wide room had nothing for them to protect from a cave in. Each section of the wall was getting an underground storehouse for ammunition, bandages, and barrels of pitch. This one, however, had an additional function. We continued down the stone hallway until the black nothing outside the torchlight finally revealed the splitting channel.


    At the end of the hallway, a lisp of stone reaching from the right of the wall to the left with the smoothness of a bathtub presented itself. It reached up to my waist and beyond it was the darkness of empty void where the flame couldn¡¯t reach. The floor and sides of the walls past the lisp had a tube aspect though the middle of it was flat.


    On the right wall was a round slab of wood, and unlike the structural reinforcing boards, it came with a handle on its right side. This was the plug for this sewer line. Perfectly fit into its stone hole, a single tug on that handle would let loose a torrent of seawater that would sweep away the final resting place of all chef¡¯s work. It sported a white square beside the handle, though that enchantment only came online for the plugs closing.


    ¡°Double-check to make sure no one¡¯s down the tunnel,¡± I announced to the group.


    One of the red leather men, a blonde man with green eyes, gamely hoisted himself over the stone rail before walking down the dark tube with only a torch for company. The glow of orange continued down the shaft with the distance eventually reducing the flame to a firefly¡¯s speck. Minutes passed before the man below the flicker came back.


    ¡°Clear,¡± He announced as he scrambled back over the stone rail.


    The second his foot hit the other side of the divide, I yanked on the plug''s handle. Seawater sprinkled around the spongy plant fibers meshed along the sides of the obstruction before another tug finally brought the plug up on its hinge. A small river poured down the shaft and followed the ever-so-slight incline. Given the possibility of unprecedented rainfall or some other unknown variable, the water sections were totally independent of the rest of the underground, so I had no fear of leakage. I turned away from the empty tube to look at the guards.


    ¡°Watch it run for a good twenty minutes. If the water starts to fill the room ahead, that means a long trip down the pipes is in our future. I hope I don¡¯t need to tell you to shut the plug if that happens.¡±


    Two of the men simply nodded before the rest of us moved back to the exit, leaving three torches for them. Getting back above ground was easy, but the constant switch from cave to clear sky was going to test my eyes throughout the day. We headed back down the river towards the bridge.


    The trip ended in a similar spot to the one we had just visited, only on the opposite side of the river. These two channels would serve the communal latrines that would be placed on opposite sides of the proper river. A river that was probably due for another means of crossing. An idle thought that persisted even after the next test was set up and we moved on to new items.


    Most of the remaining day was spent going over the various underground warehouses near the two main entrances to the city and taking measurements for a more efficient logistical system.


    Elevators were an item that would spare the men hundreds of trips up the walls of the fort for supplies and ammunition. In a pitched battle, saving that manpower would make a huge difference. Even better, Rodring had already provided a convenient explanation for how I would devise such a system by having already established it in this world. Now if the bastard had invented a train system, even a neutered magical version, we could be talking about serious throughput gains. Alas, I was bound by the decisions of men centuries dead and the consistency of my own fiction.


    When the sun died and the world slowed in preparation for bed, I went back to my home and waited for the feast. As winter seeped back into the air, the awaited knock arrived at the door. Through it came two maids bearing a pitcher each and three men dressed in white. Between the men was a large bronze cart and a smaller one in the back covered in a white cloth.


    ¡°Would the mage prefer a light beer or a hard cider?¡± The brunette on the right asked with a smile.


    ¡°A light beer. At first.¡± I answered with a look at the bronze dome on the larger table.


    The chefs lifted it from its holster on the cart, guiding it in the air like the men who had been moving stone slabs. As they approached in a cloud of spice and steam, the man in the back rushed forward and placed a towel across the table. With the soft placing down of the bronze dome, the chef on the left hefted it up by a handle on the top.


    Warm air blew over my face, filling any cold pores or chilled edges with steam and a sharp spiciness. The cloud almost immediately gave way to reveal the long crab legs hidden in the delicious fog. Red shells were steeped in a cream sauce bearing stripes of red peppers. A rarity this far north. Still bubbling, too. On the right, the large cart was fitted with a grill over red coals. The man in the back pulled back the white cloth on his smaller cart to reveal the slabs of meat beneath. These were immediately applied to the grill.


    I turned back to the crab with the women placing a plate in front, a mug to the right side filled with foamy beer, and all the implements needed along the left. With nothing to do but enjoy, I reached among the crabs and took out the first victim.


    Time passed in a haze of spicy ocean bugs and freshly seared cow.


    It took almost an hour before the last bit was washed down with a warm cider. The crew gave me a low bow before retreating out the door they had come through. Despite looking the same, the room still had a sharp smell of burning coals, spice, and meat. Even as I washed my hands in the kitchen sink, the fragrance of the crab still lingered on my fingers.


    As it should.


    Sheer contentment buzzed through me to push aside hard weeks and long toil. On any other day, I would have been reluctant to go to sleep early. However, the true feast of goat woman and Orc waited for me tomorrow. The bedroom call was answered immediately after washing. No light greeted me as I entered the bedroom, so I moved on memory as I had the previous nights. The hatch beneath my bed was let loose and the radio recovered from beneath.


    With my back to the bed and wooden radio in hand, I performed the nightly ritual with even less patience than usual. Which made the disruption to the mental background script running the conversation all the sharper.


    ¡°What was that about the Base?¡± I asked Durka, now mentally present.


    A moment passed before the crackle came through.


    ¡°I said I hope Salamede has recovered from the mess at the Base enough to perform. Finished.¡±


    I felt my eyes blink even as the ink world remained unchanged. The small issue of my mother-in-law commenting on her daughter-in-law''s performance took a very distant back seat in my thoughts.


    ¡°What happened at the Base? Finished.¡±


    Dead silence greeted the question as some instinct screamed she was cursing on the other end.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Durka offered in the closest thing to remorse I had ever heard in her voice. ¡°Her minder in the sky came by and explained things but Salamede said she was going to be the one to explain it to you. It¡¯s all fine now if that helps.¡±


    It¡­.did. Probably some mishap with the new airship.


    ¡°Well, that will be some pillow talk tomorrow. If that¡¯s all, I wish you a good night. Finished.¡± I offered with a tired look upward into black nothing.


    ¡°I have nothing left to let slip, so the same to you. Finished.¡± Durka offered.


    An idle thought of Jeff of all people came to me. A big reason his dalliance with the queen was tolerated was the information he might glean for us. Of course, he would need an aircraft and radio to make that happen. I could only hope those precious crafts used to make them weren''t damaged in whatever happened.


    Placing the radio back in the shaft with a slightly soured mood, I could only crawl back into bed and hope it wasn¡¯t too serious. Sleep came within seconds of my head hitting the pillow. Morning came even quicker. A stretch loosened the tension in the muscles. The next sensation was the faint spirit connection on my foot. Reaching to the right of the bed, I pressed the mana lamp to send a golden glow blasting away the darkness.


    Sure enough, the black mass of Cell was waiting on the square bedpost at my foot. His now slightly oval core regarded me with the slit of shifting colors serving as his eye. So focused was he that even his favored nuts strewn about him were left unchewed. With a wind spell, he zipped through the air to land on my left shoulder.


    ¡®How was it?¡¯ I asked my familiar


    He sent through a sense of happiness and some images. One of a whale swimming past, another of two skinners fighting with their leather sacks around the pole of their bodies swinging from each blow. His travels were often with little rhyme or reason, at least from what I could parse out in all the time I had known him.


    The next visage he sent into my brain was a cold-looking beach with a large ship docked offshore surrounded by sailing boats. It was odd with its bulging sides and seemingly random bubbles of wood dotting the surface. Which was when I noticed that the boats were proper ships a bit bigger than those I had been helping the harbor in Crasden make.


    Without specific measurements, I wanted to place this ship as being almost half the size of Crasden itself. An unfathomably massive thing considering the crude abilities of this world and even decent in terms of size back in my own. Its purpose clearly wasn¡¯t warfare as it sported only meager ballistae along its sides. Then I considered my time going out on the ocean during the morning frenzy. Something that every ocean-faring vessel would have to dare every day without reprieve. With that in mind, this fortress on the sea seemed a bit small for the task.


    His story finished, Cell zipped back to the bedpost and continued munching on the nuts scattered about. A sense of contentment radiated from the spirit connection, so I left him to his snacking. The morning resumed its usual pace, with me stepping out over the drawbridge with a white shirt, leather coat, and brown pants. Another warm sky greeted me and more lukewarm wind told of winter¡¯s enfeebled grip. This time two things were different: a sack was slung around my back and I went to the left at only a slight angle, bringing the wide double doors of the harbor gate directly ahead. An exit I was allowed to approach unburdened by Kev, the overseer, or one of Ashe¡¯s messengers. Though the usual assortment of red leather guards came in tow.


    While some traffic was still present, it was mostly men bearing logs and blocks of stone. This allowed my group to slither through the cracks and make it into the harbor at a good pace. What greeted me was a long floor of stone against the artificial river with stairs running up from the docks so slight no cover from arrows could be given. On the right was the foundations of a harbor office. It would bear the same construction of its sibling in Crasden, but for now, it was a few blocks and a foreman going over papers at a table.


    Fortunately, the docks made up for any lack of innovation in the bureaucratic portion of the harbor. Every crane in Crasden used the mechanics of increased leverage to move goods yet they still needed some mechanism to apply force. Their choices were mules or human backs. Ours would be magic. Nothing complicated, just a simple enchantment that would push and pull a stone block based on the controls. It would be far more reliable than its flesh-powered cousins and allow finer control.


    Did the occasional wild swing of the wood arms at each of the docks give that impression? No. But practice was part of the process just as much as making the machines. And if any of them had been so poorly made that they would break after only a day of such swinging, I couldn¡¯t lay that solely on the operator''s neck. Fortunately, my destination was far from the harried-looking men trying to wrangle their wooden beasts.


    A few minutes of walking towards the ocean brought me up to the wooden finger where my boat was tied up. It had the shape of a riverboat, though its top was flat wood with a dome sporting slits along the sides. I got the hatch open and tossed in the sack. A deep breath was all I took before turning to the red leather guards following me.


    ¡°Kev is in charge. Then the overseer if anything should happen to him. After that, the command follows down in his crew. I¡¯ll be gone for five days or so to clear my head. I don¡¯t expect to be coming home to pristine towers but some progress will be anticipated.¡±


    They all nodded.


    With that, I turned around and hoisted myself down onto the boat''s seat. From there I undid the rope before pulling down the dome hatch over me. The wood panels in front of me were soon put to purpose and the speedboat was reversing out of the dock. A single turn was all it took before I sent the craft speeding forward.


    Endless waves greeted me with slaps on my hull as I took off down the coast. The land on the right was patches of bark, grass, and those bushes that were so tall they almost matched the currently missing trees. In the corner of my vision, there was an occasional bit of bark that seemed to be pulling up, no longer content to be a part of the ground. But the front of the boat demanded my full attention, so I left that sign of coming spring to a mere passing glance.


    The trek continued until a cave cut into a stone cliff face revealed itself. It was a tricky thing at first, requiring the occasional spell to get a boulder out of the way. Once inside, however, the boat was given a clear shot forward. The sides of the dome-like cave were smooth. This contrasted with the jagged rocks near the beach areas beside the small stream cutting through the cliff.


    With nothing to do but relax to the pounding waves of the sea, I leaned back and stretched.


    The day was going to be mostly spent idling but one essential work still needed doing. It took less than an hour for my member to be brought back from the dead. Once that was finished, I spent the rest of the day idling in the wooden cage going over the measurements and ideas for the Kreshton city expansion. While they would take anything that managed to stay up, there were aesthetic considerations that demanded more time than the simple core of the buildings. Domes seemed to capture the goat people¡¯s imagination considering their constant use of them in the houses. If I stuck any of my preferred square rooftops in the new sections, it would invite too many questions of who the real architect was. Of course, Salamede would insist on paying me back for this mental labor.


    Given the circumstances of the meeting, and how reluctant Gula said Salamede was to make this request, I guessed my Kelton wife was going to play her sexual game. The woman was often prim and proper but some taste for being a plaything for a powerful man found purchase into her. Whether she insisted on such acting because she thought I was into it or because she knew I only liked it because of how much her engine revved from it wasn¡¯t clear to me.


    I was too happy to let most of the day pass me by with only the occasional bit of jerky and swig from a water skin to keep me company. Aside from working on Salamede¡¯s request, I also considered how I would bring up the Base issue. There was no anger in her reluctance to tell me. Just a sense of resignation that another item was going to be put on my plate. One of the heating elements had probably blown. Whatever had happened, it needed to be addressed before we could be undressed.


    When the light in the cave finally died under starlight, I used various spells to push the boat around and below the waves. The enchantments to keep water out of the viewing holes were engaged before I fashioned a spell to cover the ship in the surrounding sea. A minute passed for me to get down the needed bits to make it look like another passing wave but as soon as good enough came, I took off like a bullet back to Crasden.


    Various holes in the spell allowed fresh air in the boat though the outside world was distorted to an almost illegible degree by the shell of camouflage. That didn¡¯t keep the occasional spot of orange on the left from peeking out to tell me of the watchman¡¯s presence on one wall or another. A small eternity passed in sloshing and dipping before I spotted the large ship anchored by itself past the northern region of Crasden.


    The vision was a bit muddy as I pulled along the mansion''s backside. When I killed the water manipulation spell, the world cleared to reveal an uncaring cliff of wet wood. Above was a wide array of windows serving as the captain''s viewing port. On the lower right portion was the same spot where I had fixed the boat into the ship on my last visit. Wood was molded together and it took only a second of preparation before the sack was hoisted onto my back and stone handholds were summoned into anywhere the boards would allow their purchase.


    The ship was barely moving in the waves which allowed me to scale up the side in less than a minute. A grasping hand soon found the needed latch in the windows and I hoisted myself into Gula¡¯s quarters with all the energy sexual hunger could give. Warm, dry wood leaped up to meet my face, which I blocked with two open palms.


    ¡°Eli!¡± The harsh Kelton voice of my wife sounded out.


    Looking up from my belly flop onto the floor, I could see bubbles around the walls and front door. Dotted along the floor were wooden disks that occasionally sucked in a bit of blue specks. On the left was the desk and chair I had seen on my first visit. In the right corner of my eye, I saw some of the grey, almost pale skin belonging to my wife.


    From this position on the floor, I turned to see the crossed feet of my wife lounging on the bed. The lack of cloth around them continued as I traced up her meaty thighs, the love handles around her belly and sides, and then to her considerable breasts. There was the usual mole under the left one though I had a hard time noticing as the hard brown nipples swung freely in the air. I gave them their due consideration before continuing the journey upward to see Salamede¡¯s face. Black fur had taken over where grey and a white streak had been as it hung just above the collar bone. Aside from that, it was the same tall ivory horns, smooth cheekbones, and worried look.


    ¡°Are you ok my lord?¡± She continued with a genuine look of worry that even her white eyes couldn¡¯t hide.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I insisted as I got up.


    Now in a better position, I turned to the Kelton woman to see she had leaned backward over the red blankets and white sheets. Most importantly, her legs were now open to allow me a full view of the slit of her womanhood along with the mole on her right hip.


    The question about the Base was on my tongue, ready to be delivered from an open mouth. Which was when I looked down to see my hands already working the knot of now unwanted pants. A sigh was let loose at the same time the band around my waist came undone. Not for the failure to hold off on the proceedings, but for the hubris which suggested I was ever capable of doing so.


    ¡°Your majesty, has Gula given you the page for the expansion of the city?¡± She inquired with a heavy breath.


    Majesty? Skipping middling lord and going straight to king, are we?


    ¡°Indeed, you slutty sow,¡± I expounded with a stern gaze as I kicked the pants away to feel the cold air. Taking off the shirt and putting the sack to the sides took long enough that Salamede abandoned the bed and instead moved to kneel at my feet. The resulting swing of her breasts only added to the display.


    ¡°Please, your grace.¡± She implored with a puckered lip. ¡°Let me repay you for the plans, though I have not a coin to my name.¡±


    Her grey hands moved to the top of my underwear.


    ¡°Repay?!¡± I demanded with a swing of my right arm downward. The grasping palm seized her breast with a sharp smack. ¡°You think your mouth is good enough to merit this much work?¡±


    Her lips went white from a bite.


    ¡°No. The rest of me might do, though,¡± She pleaded as she grabbed my other hand and placed it on the left orb. ¡°These are yours. For now and ever. If you would only help my people.¡±


    I tried to form the nastiest grin imaginable as I directed her up from the floor while maintaining the hold on her tits.


    ¡°One doesn¡¯t buy a horse without inspecting all their capabilities.¡± I offered with an accompanying squeeze.


    ¡°Hm¡±


    A pensive frown came over her face. Not a pretend one either.


    ¡°E- Lord, no comparisons to animals. If it pleases your majesty.¡±


    Shit. Right, that was a sore subject for her.


    ¡°It appears my loins have made my tongue more unruly than usual. Perhaps that can be part of the payment?¡± I offered with a small smile.


    ¡°Part?¡± She countered as her eyebrows raised. The frown was replaced with a pouty lip. ¡°Your majesty, the full use of my womb would barely merit the first copper. Never mind my meager feelings.¡±


    As she shifted back towards the bed, I was going to let her chest go to get in a better position. Contrary to expectation, those grey hands seized mine to make sure their prize stayed beneath them.


    ¡°All of this is yours. Use it to the fullest.¡± She implored with a slow widening of her legs.


    For all my speculation of this play being for her benefit, I had to concede that the way she spread herself out to be feasted on had some merit.


    I took her lips with a hard suck, almost as hard as the squeeze on her chest. Sweetness filled my mouth. A completely different sensation to Gula¡¯s yet no less for it. Instinct took over and I mounted her with total abandon.


    Night passed with our exercise in the bed. Morning came as it always did, though this time it dawned with my member being worked on by a tongue. Time seemed to vanish as I put the Kelton scions body through its paces. After a meal of fish delivered from a sailor I recognized as one of those we saved back in Mole Hill and a magic shower, I spent the rest of the day working on the designs for her city¡¯s newest additions. Unlike the sketching for my city, this labor was performed with Salamede constantly lounging atop me, pressing her breasts in my face, and kissing some bit my skin, all of which remained totally exposed to the open air.


    During this working of figures, Salamede would pay with some part of her body at the completion of a structure. The local market, however, didn¡¯t seem to have the proper prices down. Why was a bridge worth the full use of her in bed but a tower merited only several kisses? It seems the local capital investors were grossly misappropriating their funds, but who I was to correct them? Or rather, her?


    And the exchange of the currency was quite suspect. Now, could I say for certain that a desperate woman forced to sell her body to a lecherous lord wouldn¡¯t giggle in delight at taking his manhood into her mouth or lock her legs behind his back as he finished a mounting? No. I did, however, have full confidence there wasn¡¯t a theater in this universe or mine that would give either of us a passing score.


    As we played, she remained quite insistent on having her breasts in my face. Often with a very forceful assurance of my ownership over them. I thought this was merely a part of the game and assumed my husbandly duties over them. Of course, all games run their course.


    At the early morning of the second day, some ¡®I love you¡¯s¡¯ started spilling out. The whole facade crumbled shortly after with us falling back into loving wife and husband. She proceeded to lay on top of me as I plied ink to paper in between the occasional kiss or back rub.


    Despite this change in tone, Salamede still insisted on keeping her chest in my face anytime she could. And without the exaggeration of acting, I picked up on something other than sexual depravity when she kept insisting on my ownership of those grey, brown marshmallow-tipped orbs. The exact source eluded me but whatever it was, it didn¡¯t appear to be lustful. More¡­.Angry. Hidden in smiles and soft words, the continued declarations of her breasts belonging in my hands and being only for ¡®those purple eyes¡¯ seemed to be growled in challenge rather than declared in love.


    On the morning of the third day, that animating source of anger seemed to abate as she doused me in kisses while I wolfed down a fish stew. The last few bits with the expansions were sorted out around midday. Which left two of the most powerful people in the entire north to devote an afternoon to nothing in particular.


    An hour was spent going over the fake lives we had settled into, providing the first proper conversation in days. With us both lounging on the bed, Salamede was on my right wearing a slip of a blue nightgown. Unlike the past several days, her chest was turned away from me and towards the wall as she rummaged under the bed.


    ¡®Ah!¡¯ She exclaimed in my mind through an electric buzz on my right shoulder.


    She moved around in the blankets until the groping left hand finally revealed her catch. The prize of all that fumbling was what looked like some butchered limb before the shape of a harp finally formed in my mind. Brown fur held along the sides whereas the inner portion was muscle. Between the two wings were strings of sinew and most disturbingly of all, at the bottom where the two sides joined, open bone protruded that I wanted to prescribe as being elbow joints.


    ¡®My familiar!¡¯ Salamede with so much pride it almost made up for how weird the thing looked.


    ¡®Nice,¡¯ I lied with a turn onto my right hip. ¡®What¡¯s their name?¡¯


    ¡®None. It¡¯s more like an unattached limb that comes with independent spell usage and a constant spirit connection. But it does have a few instincts. It doesn¡¯t like to be held by anything but me, which is why I had it under the bed. Another is how it feeds. Speaking of which.¡¯


    She maneuvered onto her left hip before clasping the musical instrument made of flesh to her upper right shoulder, allowing me a full view of whatever was going to happen. Those brown hairs along the sides started flexing back and forth. That lasted only for a second before they shot upward like a wave of stingers. Thin strands of brown almost too small to distinguish pierced my wife¡¯s skin just below the fur along her collarbone.


    My head jerked back at the sudden motion. When drops of blood started sliding down the hairs, it was my free left arm''s turn to move on its own. The hand was almost ready to come down and yank the thing off my wife when I noticed her face. It was only that mixture of wonder and excitement that kept me from introducing the thing currently bleeding my wife to the ocean outside or a blade of rock.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡¯ She cooed in delight.


    I looked back down to see the skin absorbing the red liquid like a sponge.


    ¡®Fascinating in so many ways.¡¯ I agreed.


    Thank god Salamede was naked under the robe. I contented myself with perusing those wondrous curves until the harp was satisfied and brought back below the bed. The Kelton applied a healing spell to the area before cozying back up to me.


    ¡®And is your familiar back, fellow scion?¡¯ She asked in my mind as her brown nipples pressed against my chest.


    ¡®Yes. He got a nice excursion on sunny beaches and warm skies while I toiled in this frozen hell.¡¯ I said with a pouty lip. A small smile stole over her face along with a pointed look down at my privates.


    ¡®Oh, you poor man.¡¯


    Her words accompanied a slow climb onto my stomach. Faint sunlight filtered through the window behind us, leaving golden streaks across her breasts and stomach. Each movement to get the blue nightgown off was methodical, patient. The result of this careful maneuvering was the gowns casual throw onto the floor to reveal the full splendor of Salamede¡¯s body, replete in all its childbearing aspects.


    ¡®Well, some final compensation is in order.¡¯ She intoned as her right hand went between those sumptuous legs. Warm fingers grasped my hard stem to direct it toward its holster. As nice as the slow, sensual lead-up was, the way she immediately took me to the base in one thrust made lightning shoot up my spine all the same.


    The rest of the afternoon, and some of the night, passed in a comfortable, loving press of our bodies. Eventually, a sweaty Salamede fell to my side. She had been filled and I had done as much filling as this body could perform, so we cuddled as oblivion arrived.


    *Swoosh*


    Black void pulled back to reveal a wooden ceiling bathed in a lantern''s glow. Instinct prompted a head turn to the left to find the source of the noise, though the first thing I saw was a metal lantern on the desk before I perused southward. Salamede and Gula were by the front door, which was blocked off with reforming bubbles that couldn¡¯t hide the dark morning sky outside. The Kelton woman had a green dress on, the back of which was facing me but I could easily see her hands moving around in some argument being conducted in a spirit connection while a frowning Gula stood still in a white shirt and brown pants. Those golden eyes almost immediately went to me, which made Salamede follow her gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see my bed survived.¡± The Orc offered with a growing smile as the black bang on her right eye shifted..


    The Kelton woman gave a light cough.


    ¡°Eli, would you like to be woken up with a sucking of your loins?¡± She asked rather casually in that rough Kelton voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered like my life hung on the word despite the waking sluggishness.


    ¡°See?¡± Salamede expounded with a look to Gula as she raised her right arm to me. ¡°He wants it. Explicitly. But you can¡¯t give him the pleasant waking if you rouse him to ask first. Would we object to him plying us first thing in the morning? No.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± I hiccuped as the implication of those words cut through the morning brain fog.


    Both the women turned to look at me with remarkably matching raised eyebrows.


    Why did I feel such a strong objection to the latter implication when I allowed it done to myself? None of my cylinders were firing at full speed, so parsing the subtleties of egalitarian philosophy, sexual psychology, and societal expectation was out of the question. But a bit of sweetness was still within mental reach.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t because pregnancy is hard on a woman. And I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m not aware of that or appreciate that struggle so little that I would put you through it without your full ability to participate in the decision.¡±


    Smiles broke out across the women¡¯s faces despite their best efforts. Gula rolled her eyes but Salamede maintained her gaze as she sighed.


    ¡°Eli, that¡¯s a bit too much sugar before breakfast.¡± The Kelton woman huffed as she walked forward.


    She approached the bed and leaned towards me enough to afford a full view down the dress¡¯s top. A landscape I was afforded no time to appreciate as she took my mouth with her sweetness for the last time in what could very well be weeks or months. Our tongues dueled as they had for these past few days.


    The pullback was reluctant for both of us but we managed to complete the separation with a pop.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I offered with a squeeze of her right hand.


    ¡°A thousand times over to you,¡± She returned before moving away to Gula. The green woman was soon wrapped in the Kelton woman¡¯s arms ¡°And to you.¡±


    With that, she stuck out her right hand towards me. That flesh harp familiar sprung from under the bed in a blast of wind and landed in her palm. At that moment, the question from days past finally resurrected. My mouth opened with the words ¡®What happened at the Base?¡¯ ready to fire as Salamede went to the left towards the windows along the back wall. Which was when I noticed Gula pulling her arms into her shirt.


    The Orc took a second before pulling the white cloth over her head to reveal scarred muscles and bits of fat around delicious curves, though the breasts were covered by a cr¨¨me-colored bra.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of wives in the underground whose men have been working to build that new home for them,¡± Gula explained as she proceeded to work the pants. ¡°They spin poetry about how they repay their husbands at night for saving them. It¡¯s appalling.¡±


    She expounded on the point by yanking the offending trousers down, underwear and all. Black pubes covered the feminine prize though the sumptuous hips and legs merited some attention as well. There was a creaking swing to the back left accompanied by the full chorus of the ocean. Something about a question. Whatever it had been about, surely it involved the way Gula¡¯s hands went up and down her body.


    ¡°Some nobody gets to be a king for a night while the man making it all happen gets nothing in his bed. That ends today. Right here and now.¡± Gula proclaimed as her hands flexed backward.


    The bra resisted for only a second before falling away. It felt like the victory in the battle for Crasden was awarding me one final time with a full view of those green breasts and darker nipples. Two orbs fit for the palm. Their sway as she came up to the bed was also endearing. Green fingers grasped the blanket on top of me and pulled to reveal my own nudity to the world. The Orc plopped in between my splayed legs, taking time to admire my loins before looking back up to meet my gaze.


    ¡°The next two days are going to be spent practicing. I want to figure out how to please you even if he¡¯s not here.¡± She said with a pointed finger downward.


    ¡°A pleasant toil.¡± I offered as I raised myself from the pillow to get close to her face.


    Green lips puckered. Gold eyes tried to hold back the joy showing in them.


    ¡°But he is here now,¡± Gula announced ominously.


    Her green hands went to my inner thigh even as she held my gaze.


    ¡°May I?¡± She asked with a sultry puckering of those delicious lips.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I responded with only a vague idea of what I was agreeing to.


    A cold palm seized my stem as another cupped the balls beneath.


    ¡°You can be a cruel man, Eli,¡± The Orc mused with an idle tone as she massaged my member. I raised an eyebrow, trying to work my face into anything besides pleasure. ¡°I was quite vulnerable on my maiden night. But I was well fed, armed with the advice of women decades older, and confident in my own body''s ability. And then you used that tongue.¡±


    I returned a smug smile. Her face soured like a mother trying to not be amused at her child¡¯s vulgarity.


    ¡°The debt must be paid back.¡± Gula continued ¡°With your permission, I want to figure out the storage issues surrounding this act.¡±


    To emphasize, she looked back down to where her hands were still massaging my member to accompany sharp breaths. The way her tongue moved in her mouth left the impression she was sizing up how the stem in her hand would fit alongside it.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice even as I moved to put the Orc under me.


    Damn, even after these past three days my brain still has its main mission at hand.


    It took some maneuvering but soon the green woman was laid across the bed towards the pillows. I knelt atop her, crotch near that green smile. A solid tug on the Orc was performed before I got us both closer to the middle of the bed where I could thrust properly without hitting the headboard.


    ¡°Oh, another thing,¡± Gula asked with a look past my swinging penis. ¡°Salamede says you two like to play certain roles during sex.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes and up to a point.¡± I offered with as much patience as any man close to getting play could have. ¡°Want to be a destitute peasant girl?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She said with a shake of her bowl of black hair. Through sheer force of will, I managed to not focus on how her right bang brushed my stems lower side. ¡°It¡¯s not a role, really. I just¡­. Could you emphasize how I¡¯m an Orc?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. The fact she was still so reticent about consent seemed to clash with the suggestion, which I would merely assign to the usual contradictions of sexual taste if not for the fact that she still worried over it even as we both lay nude. Gula must have picked up what I was thinking because she shook her head with some color leaving her cheeks.


    ¡°No! Not like¡­.That. Just¡­.¡± Her lips pursed as she looked for the words. ¡°Could you focus on how the rest of the human race doesn¡¯t want you to be with me?¡±


    The excitement that single sentence produced sent enough blood into her cheeks to make them dark green. Her breathing quickened and in those golden eyes was a hunger no amount of food could sate. There was also the memory of what had been going through my mind when I finished consummating my marriage to Gula. Curiosity compelled me to try out this new avenue of pleasure.


    ¡°Do you know what the Coalition spends most of its treasury on?¡± I asked with a wicked smile.


    Her black eyebrows furrowed at the question.


    ¡°Magical resources,¡± I announced with a sly grin as I pulled my hip slightly back.


    Understanding where this was going, Gula sported a wide grin as she raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Oh?¡± She cooed.


    ¡°Yes. More than that, all their laws are centered around it. That and spreading magical bloodlines. They have libraries of rules and regulations to keep the seed of powerful mages planted into fertile soil.¡± I stopped to place a left hand behind me towards the meeting of her legs. ¡°But the biggest portion is dedicated to keeping that seed out¡­.of¡­.here.¡±


    Her breath caught as my fingers entered her second pair of lips. Even my pulse quickened. It wasn¡¯t godly, good-spirited, or helpful, but this mix of lust and spite was making my heart beat like a drum. Something Gula picked up on.


    ¡°Could you imagine what all those officials and congresspeople would do if they saw you right now?¡± She asked between heavy breaths.


    It was my turn to smile


    ¡°Forget the government,¡± I rebuffed with a wave of my right arm in the air. ¡°What about all those hundreds of mage women? They schemed and fought so hard to get what lay between my legs yet where is the quad mages seed being planted?¡±


    Her chest swelled from her breathing so much it sent her breasts to the sides. She pulled herself further up to where our knees were in the same spot. Something that did little to hinder her next words.


    ¡°In a nasty, green, spawn of the Bastard woman. And not all of them. Oh, Command would have done anything to have you. To get troops with your potent magic. But I took you for myself. Damn them all, that cock belongs in only one green vagina.¡±


    Did I know the exact quantities of the Coalition''s laws? Did she explicitly do all of our cavorting in the south to hoard my member to herself? Well, our smiles and heavy breathing said they rang true.


    Without another word, I seized her hips. Oral instruction would have to wait. Only the spraying of my seed into her innermost part would maximize the imagined anguish of the Coalition''s members. Gula agreed, opening her legs to their widest so as to afford me the greatest access. No words were spoken as I proceeded to plow forward and everything and everyone outside our room faded away save those we bid to watch on in horror.

 Chapter 130: Smoothing Bumps

    Chapter 130


    Eli POV


    Soft curves played across my bare stomach and thighs, pulling me from the void of sleep while still leaving the world black.


    Oh?


    I immediately prepared myself for the coming pleasure as a smile pushed past the morning grogginess. Seconds whittled away as I felt the feminine flesh pull to the left and the blanket resumed its position on my body. A disappointed sigh started at the base of my throat but a need to stretch forced itself to the front of the queue. An act I indulged in for a few seconds. This was perhaps the first time in days that the bed had been used for actual rest and I decided to indulge that lost aspect as clothes shuffled somewhere to the left.


    ¡°So that ship that¡¯s been delayed.¡± Gula mused somewhere behind me. ¡°Turns out it burned down in a mutiny.¡±


    To start the day on the promise of such a high note then orbital drop into this. I committed the first irrecoverable act of the morning and opened my eyes. Wooden ceiling greeted me before I turned my head upward to the source of this news.


    ¡°They what?¡± I asked as my eyes settled on the Orc slightly to the right.


    Gula stared out the window behind her desk, taking in the waves just outside. The back of her midnight, bowl-cut hair didn¡¯t reflect the rising morning sun struggling to break through dark morning and cloudy sky. That muscular body beneath a white shirt and brown pants was a bit difficult to admire as a viewing demanded the highest raise of my head from my position beneath the bed sheets.


    ¡°Burned the ship right down. Some of my kind tried to make a run in an airship. It turns out the new airship that¡¯s been having so much trouble was working fine the whole time.¡±


    I pulled my eyes away from her head, down past her white shirt to look at the radio resting in her right hand with its bottom leaning against her right leg.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell mom to pick us up. It¡¯ll be like our trip from the Coalition on that big mansion in the sky.¡±


    Spring was coming back into the air yet it was the blazing heat of summer currently working up my neck.


    ¡°Strange,¡± I stated with restraint in every word, ¡°I don¡¯t remember that trip ending with slit throats but memories are somewhat flexible.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± The Orc put in with a turn towards me, making sure to look at me with gold irises in black spheres. A smile hung above her sharp chin, a joyful look on her face that also stretched the vertical scar along her left eye and the horizontal one on her nose. ¡°They¡¯re already dead. One of the women had their child killed in the attempt and her blade found all their throats.¡±


    A potent cocktail of anger and relief coursed through me, both feeding and dowsing the fire bubbling up. I closed my eyes before concentrating on my inner self. Trying to force myself to be happy at the threat being neutralized helped, but some ambient rage still lingered.


    ¡°All right, a quick trip north is in order.¡± I offered to the air with a sullen tone I couldn¡¯t quite keep out.


    Gula nodded before working the wooden box. I got up from the bed and changed from bare skin to a grey shirt and black pants. The green woman leaned her head to the right to get a better view of my bits before they were wrapped in clothing. An approving smile hung on her lips as she informed Durka of our sudden visit for only a few seconds longer. During which I fixed the face covering of brown cloth around my face to hide everything from the nose down.


    ¡°Finished.¡± She stated before placing the radio on the desk. The green woman power walked to me before plastering her chest against my left side.


    ¡°You seem quite upset,¡± Gula purred with a rest of that sharp chin on my left peck as the Orcs lacking six or so inches of height became quite pronounced. ¡°Perhaps another round of instruction is in order.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at the impish smile covering her face as I retrieved my sack of clothes from beside the desk.


    ¡°The green women may have some taste that has been left undiscovered. I can¡¯t think of any other reason why all of yesterday was spent with you at my knees.¡±


    Her lips puckered, though those gold eyes had the same joy.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t know a human face could get so red. Both our species have so many mysteries surrounding them.¡±


    A corrective swat on her bum was the only answer I could give.


    With that, we approached the window almost fused together and made it out the left corner with a step onto the footholds left behind days ago. Salty waves pounded the ship while a sky sporting dark patches in the grey spoke of either a storm or a particularly cloudy day. I shimmied down the stone edges with as much grace as my overworked legs could give while Gula pulled back to retrieve the radio. Eventually, the boat with a dome in the middle of the solid wood construction was within reach of my feet. It would have been a treacherous proposition if not for the fact I used stone to fuse it into the larger vessel.


    The waves gave it a small drubbing but getting the dome up was effortless. A casual toss of the clothes sack inside and I was soon standing in front of the chair with wooden panels around it. As I looked up to see Gula shimmying down, a thought occurred to me. I concentrated on my frontal lobe and sent the buzzing sensation outward towards her.


    ¡®Does the crew know of the trip?¡¯ I asked in a spirit connection.


    ¡®Yes. I told them before waking you.¡¯


    Content to keep looking at her maneuver down, the last stone foot hold was ignored by the Orc, who instead elected to throw herself to me with a childish smile.


    Despite the difference in size, her kind was more physically dense than Human or Kelton women. This didn¡¯t change the fact that my dignity as a man was suddenly put on the chopping block. I caught her against my chest and managed it without so much as a sway backward. Which, between the weak legs and rocking sea, could only be interpreted as a divine sign that God¡¯s love was still with me.


    The deep kiss of smoke, spice, and vinegar from Gula needed no such interpretation.


    She clung to me as I used magic to pull the stone bits out of the shipboards. Green hands still squeezed my shoulders as I freed the boat and shut the dome hatch. Following the same pattern as my arrival, a magic spell was used to cover the ship in a blanket of water. Given the early hour, I doubted anyone could see us speeding north even without it, but caution was wisdom given time to act.


    Unlike the arrival, this trek past the shore viewed through small slits in the dome was in good company. Gula still clung to my left, feeling my arms and chest with rather needy hands as her head rested on my shoulder. I was content to let her satisfy whatever urge was behind this groping until I felt a quivering chin through the grey shirt.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Eli.¡± She sputtered with a press of her chest against my arm. Unlike these past few days, that section of her body drew my attention for its heavy breathing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, Eli.¡± She continued, struggling to speak past tears. ¡°To have a man love me in this way. You¡¯re more than what I dreamed of. I never dared even hope of having a man look at me like you do. Hold me like you do. Thank you.¡±


    I moved the ship a bit to the right so I could look away from the outside world. My head turned to the woman on my shoulder. Tears flowed from black eyes while those green lips trembled with the sharp chin.


    ¡°I only love you as much as you deserve.¡± I offered with a small smile. ¡°If you¡¯ve lacked male attention before now, then that was the men of the world missing out.¡±


    She took my mouth with eager lips.


    For a few minutes, my attention shifted between my wife and the boat. Eventually, she sated her need for my mouth yet those green hands still clung to me like a lifeline. We relaxed in our respective spots as coastline distorted by a layer of water zipped by through the slits in the dome.


    A cave was eventually found in a section where the mole packs hadn¡¯t destroyed all of the greenery. We snuck in with a pronounced wave of water going up its entrance. A quick look around for predators was all I got before Gula took up the empty space on my lap. The second she was snug against me, she produced the radio from her right hand and clicked the speaking button on the side. An opportunity I took to pull the collar of her shirt down.


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯re in a green section north. In the first big hill.¡±


    If she had any other words to give, my kiss on her right collarbone smothered them.


    ¡°F-Finished,¡± Gula growled into the box with a release of the button that matched my second blow along her lower neck.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there. Finished.¡± Durka¡¯s voice resounded in the wooden cave.


    The Orc put the radio on the floor off to the right. An opportunity I used to kiss a bit of exposed shoulder. Despite expectation, her return to my lap proper was accompanied by her further pulling down the white shirt to just above the breasts. Gold eyes begged for more while her puckered lips demanded it with a pouty lisp. Without another word, I continued pummeling her jade skin with kisses. Each blow bequeathed a sharp breath from those delicious green lips.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Finished.¡± Durka¡¯s voice sounded out too soon.


    If I was annoyed, the way Gula¡¯s lips were sucked in said stopping was almost painful for her. Still, she dutifully went to the left and out of my way of the controls. Not that she pulled those hands away from my pecks and shoulders. Soon, we were out of the cave and back on the open water with a layer of it above us.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading out to sea directly from the cave. Finished.¡± Gula stated into the radio with none of her previous trembling.


    The boat was driven through pounding waves until any remaining shoreline on the horizon was replaced with more endless waves. I nodded to Gula as I killed the water spell camouflaging the boat.


    ¡°Ready for pick up. Finished.¡± She told the wooden box.


    My hand went to the ceiling and pushed the dome hatch open. It was treacherous outside but not enough to smother the radio¡¯s response.


    ¡°We see you. Proceeding to pick up. Finished.¡±


    It was a second later that one of the grey clouds in the sky reached down with tentacles of water. Cloudy sky made it difficult to judge the distance but when the tendrils of water reached around the boat and yanked upward, height didn¡¯t really matter when put up against such speed. My stomach clenched for only a second before the tendrils pulled us into their clouds body.


    Grey mist abruptly parted to reveal the wooden hull of my first airship. Large wooden tubes zipped down as the two Kelton men in leather armor worked long poles on tripods fused to the ship''s railing, the tips of which had the long tentacles of water bringing up closer to the wide wooden floor. In the middle of the ship was the huge tube feeding heat into the white canvas above. We were brought a bit close to the balloon, but it was a smooth ride down.


    ¡°I was beginning to forget the face that went with the voice.¡±


    My gaze went to the back of the ship and spotted the large green woman at the steering wheel. Her long brown braids played over a thick dark grey coat. The corn rows on the side of her face were gone, replaced with plain hair flowing to her shoulders at a length nearly half of the pigtails. Gula left the boat with a hop out of the hole while I used stone summoning to fix it in place. She talked with her mother while I went down the stairs below deck further behind the pilot.


    An hour or so was spent going over the various fixtures and bits. There was no reason to think there would be anything out of place but idle hands only worked to feed frustration. Between that and Gula returning to plaster herself to my back, the air trip seemed to end almost as quickly as it started.


    Standing on the deck, I could see the sharp rocks peaking out of the ocean along with the concrete that was plastered between them. The artificial floor was covered in pools of white, courtesy of the magic barnacles that forged the bulwark against the waves. A look up past the cloth and its skeleton of wooden boards revealed more clouds, one of which had to be an airship keeping watch. Memory combined with the lack of a camouflage cloud placed us at¡­.


    One of the sides of the jagged spikes pushed outward to reveal the side of a square room. The angle didn¡¯t allow for a straight shoot forward, so it took a minute of swearing from Durka before we were lined up for a descent into the underground haven. We eased downward on the right side of the skeleton of another ship. It was lifeless despite some boards being on the ground ready to be placed. As the bottom of our ship touched grey stone floor, I spotted a bunch of hammers and other tools among the debris while the workshop ahead was likewise lifeless.


    A rope ladder was thrown over the sides, which I traversed into what had been untold months of grinding work. Gula followed soon after before the rest of the crew followed. The first thing I noticed was how salt filled every breath. It was always going to be the thing the senses immediately picked up but it was the figure emerging from the meeting room that drew my head forward.


    A brown-furred Kelton man with jutting ivory horns came out between the various tables of the workshop at the front of the hangar. He had a metal breast plate over a white shirt and black pants. The armor piece had a sheen that matched the simple helmet covering the back of his head to near his eyebrows. He strode forward until he was less than a dozen feet away. The sideways head bob was his kinds replacement for a nod, though the nervous clasping of hands was not so customary.


    ¡°I am Illion. Elected to be head of security¡­. A position I accepted with all responsibilities. The men performed as well as any could demand. If any fault is to be found, it would be with the man who led them.¡±


    I gave him a human nod.


    ¡°One would think it is those who committed the crime who hold the fault. But they cannot work for their penance, so that leaves us to pick up the pieces. Was any metal lost?¡±


    His his shook so hard it almost dislodged the metal helmet.


    ¡°Its copper and such had to be reforged, which took a fair bit longer. What no amount of time could replace was the space-expanded sacks in the copper spheres. I¡¯m afraid they were all lost.¡±


    ¡°Then I will have to rediscover them with my own hands and sweat. Have the needed parts been gathered?¡±


    Another head shake.


    ¡°We would never make a presumption of your labor.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather presume I waste my time making another trip up here?¡± I demanded between gritted teeth. ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯ve got a lost twin of mine skulking about that was going to do the job after I left?¡±


    The Kelton¡¯s head went sideways as he exposed his neck to me. My own neck was getting its back massaged by supple green hands beating back the furnace coming up it. A deep breath of salty air was taken in.


    ¡°Get plant bags and copper spheres ready. I intend to make enough to make another ship but metals will have to be delivered. Some locks that require being pressed on opposite ends of the base will have to be fashioned, so plant fibers as well.¡±


    Illion bowed to the side before turning back through the shop. We took a right, with Gula still plastered on my left. The lack of life continued as we moved through the wide doors leading into the open room. Whirring copper spheres ready to charge heaters beneath giant stone molds filled the air and bowls along the right wall were ready to pour liquid metals into molds.


    I flicked the switch on one of them and started retrieving copper bars from pallets stacked on the other side of the room. Three tables rested in the center where smiths would forge machinery from metal and magic. After a few minutes, a Kelton man came by with a tray of small sacks, which he placed on my work table before almost running out of the room like the very act of breathing would garner some great punishment. All the while, Gula stayed on me.


    Despite her years of fighting experience, this was more proper dance than struggle. That difference left her unprepared at a few of my moves leaving us to bounce into each other. Each obstruction was met with a swat on the butt so neither party objected to the accidents. As I was at the table fastening one of the space-expanded bags into the sphere where it would help spin the inner disk with magnets for all eternity, I noticed a bit of green in the corner of my left eye. This led to me rechecking if Gula was hanging on my right shoulder and¡­. she was.


    I turned to find an Orc child, no more than seven or so to human comparison. Her lips were puckered between chubby cheeks.


    ¡°Could you make those water squares again?¡± She asked with bashful sway that emphasized the sway of her golden pigtails and decent brown dress.


    I opened my mouth to respond when another Orc in a matching brown dress from further ahead dashed up to the girl and yanked her up on the left hip.


    ¡°Apologies, great mage! Please forgive these stupid women.¡± She pleaded with a deep bow that sent gold hair spilling down. Her apparent daughter was confused but she inferred from her mother''s fear and matched the head bow.


    ¡°No offense taken.¡± I offered with a pensive frown.


    The women turned and fled towards the doors into the housing complex.


    I resumed the work with a freshly soured mood. Gula only leaned against my right side as I molded a metal sphere from a craft board. Some innate sense told of her eyes looking at me but I decided to let her say what she wanted when she wanted. When those soft bits left my shoulder, a stab of worry came. It lasted only until I started hearing odd shuffling behind me.


    The turn to see what it was revealed a rather harried Gula. Her bowl of black hair and bang swayed from some dramatic movement but her clenched hands were up in the air. She looked like she had just tried to leap forward but lost the nerve just before taking off.


    ¡°Eli, would it be okay if I put your head in my chest?¡± She asked innocently.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I proclaimed, emphasizing the point by bobbing forward.


    ¡°No!¡± She scolded with a pouty lip and slap on my shoulder ¡°Turn around.¡±


    The turn matched the roll of my green eyes. I only got to take in the unfinished work for a second before two soft weights burdened my shoulders. Their every inch had been seared into the deepest recesses of my lizard brain, so I knew Gula hadn¡¯t put me fully to her chest.


    ¡°You know, Eli, I think I just saw something new. Something more wonderful than any of your inventions.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with curiosity more genuine than the situation would usually allow.


    ¡°A chubby child. A chubby Orc child. Baby fat stays on for a bit but meager food usually thins us out after two years. That was the first I¡¯ve ever seen with plenty of cushioning.¡±


    ¡°Not one?¡± I asked incredulously. Despite my sexual appetite purring to life, the statement still had enough punch to pull me up short.


    ¡°Not a single one. Until now.¡± She mused as I felt her chin resting on my scalp.


    Our bodies stood fused for a second before I felt those green hands run down my pecks again.


    ¡°And will our children grow so fat and plump?¡± She asked with a tone that sought assurance, not an answer.


    I squeezed her right hand with mine. A speech about the challenges of prepubescent obesity danced on my tongue but scant social sense said she wasn¡¯t asking about engorging them.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to have that childhood everyone always wanted.¡±


    A deep breath was taken behind me before Gula pulled away, chest and all.


    ¡°Right,¡± She said with only a slight tremble in her voice. ¡°Come on.¡±


    She strode to the left in a direction distinctly headed towards the housing door. A green hand made a come hither motion to me, which I obeyed with a raised eyebrow. As we came up to the door, Gula took my left hand using her right while her left pushed on the wooden slab.


    Through it was a short hallway taking only a few steps before taking a left into the much bigger version of it that held all the apartments. All around were small crowds of Orcs and some men, nervously standing below the railings that showed each row of rooms stacked on top of each other. On each of the nine floors were trios or duos of Keltons looking down on the nervous green crowd below.


    Gula pushed past a few of the nervous Orcs, husband in hand. They looked ready to scowl but immediately put their heads down when they noticed who she was and who she was dragging. Some turned to see what their fellows had. Their partners then followed the newly quiet companion''s gaze. Total silence eventually chain reacted up to the tallest floor and the far wall where the doors to another hallway stood.


    No eye dared meet mine as mothers pulled their babes against themselves at our passing. My Orc wife continued dragging me forward until we were within arm''s reach of the doors. Her turn to meet me held a happy smile, which her lips maintained for only a moment. That sharp chin pulled up with a rather forceful push of her tongue into my mouth. Green hands came up and pulled my shoulders. The preferred response of grabbing her butt was obstructed by Gula using it to open the door.


    Don¡¯t worry, the chief is going to get some play. She didn¡¯t say these words, but they were heard by all clearly enough.


    Spice and vinegar covered my tongue as we moved through the barely acknowledged stone hallway. It was enjoyable but some irritation marred the proceedings. Salamede and Gula thinking they could just sex their way through any rough spots wasn¡¯t a good impulse.


    She pressed her green bust against my chest. Which was the only warning I got before she wrapped strong legs around my hips, leaving me to carry her. I was slightly hunched over now but that did nothing to dissuade her from grinding her crotch against mine. Whatever impulse I was thinking about earlier was immediately replaced by the one behind every living thing.


    Some faint awareness that we were in the meeting room briefly intruded as I carried her through the door on the right to the bedroom. When we crossed the threshold into the tunnel leading to the bedroom proper, Gula pulled her right hand away from my shoulder to work the knot of my pants. As we went through the door, the pants were already falling to my knees. Not content with that, she started working the underwear and I consider it one of my life¡¯s great accomplishments that I managed to slam her into grey blankets just before she totally tied my legs up.


    We both knew what we wanted and we took it.


    ¡­.


    Salt played across my nose and tongue as I stared at the stone ceiling above. Being constantly by the sea back in Crasden had made me accustomed to the taste and smell of that special rock. Here at the Base, however, the concentration was so high it almost choked without proper acclimation. Even the movement of the bedroom door did nothing to change the scent.


    Fortunately, the bed I was resting on had a quite naked Gula moving to lay on my right with heavy breathing that matched mine. The Orc plopped onto her side baring all just as she had minutes, or hours, earlier. Golden eyes in black spheres watched on with amusement, pulling at the vertical scar along her left eye. That bowl of black hair and the accompanying bang near her right eye splayed across white pillows, though the grey blanket was pushed towards the front of the bed so as not to disrupt our activity. A smug smile above that sharp chin rounded out her display of satisfaction.


    ¡°So they¡¯re ready to put in that set of locks.¡± She said with a slow rub of her right hand down her exposed breast.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only failure.¡± I put in with a turn towards her. ¡°There should have been a watch on the ships at all times. If for no other reason than it¡¯s in the hangar where two of the three entrances lay.¡±


    Gula nodded in agreement though her smug smile stayed the same.


    ¡°But more than that, I should have been informed of this mess earlier.¡±


    That green right hand left the Orc¡¯s chest and went to my peck, accompanying a pouty puckering of jade lips.


    ¡°Salamede was going to tell you. She just got distracted by your massive penis.¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± I scoffed back with an eye roll.


    ¡°But that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± She continued with a serious look. ¡°You¡¯ve been very frustrated about it and I can help you regulate that anger with my body.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single word that hadn¡¯t previously occupied my Kelton wife¡¯s mouth. I¡¯d bet my life on it. The entire idea of her accompanying me was probably Salamede¡¯s suggestion. Not that the Orc had any apparent objection to the scheme.


    ¡°I am thousands of years older than your entire species,¡± I put in with a matching pucker of my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t need help ¡®regulating¡¯ my emotions. It¡¯s just not a good feeling when mothers shirk back or children put their heads down in fear whenever you walk around because then I¡¯m being the villain. Even when those same mothers'' husbands slacked around and helped make this mess.


    Which could have been avoided if anyone had been paying attention to the ships schematics and progress. And how does no one check whether the furnace or steering gears were actually working for so long? It¡¯s no mystery. We all know.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Gula asked with a raised eyebrow and amused smile at my rant.


    ¡°Yes, we do. It¡¯s the same dammed story every time. ¡®Whelp, it looks like some people are saying we can¡¯t work today. I guess I¡¯ll sit around eating free food and drinking on someone else¡¯s credit. So unfortunate.¡¯ That¡¯s what let them keep the secret for so long.


    It¡¯s-¡±


    Gula interrupted by shifting herself upward with a hypnotic swing of her breasts.


    ¡°You need some regulation,¡± She stated in a clinical tone that didn¡¯t match her gleeful face.


    I closed my eyes as the sounds of moving sheets filled my ears. Some barb about how I didn¡¯t need managing like a toddler danced on my tongue. I opened my eyes and swallowed the whole speech. The green woman was on her hands and knees with a pronounced raise of her backside, like a cat presenting herself for mounting.


    Goddammit.


    I rose out of the laid-back position with resignation in the heart and sumptuous curves in the eyes. As I came up to match my hips to just below her inner thigh, a small hum escaped the Orc¡¯s satisfied grin.


    ¡°See? No matter how ancient or wise, we all need help getting the poison out. Especially you these past weeks.¡± She prodded with gold eye¡¯s brimming in satisfaction.


    A firm spank on the bum made her black eyebrows shoot up.


    ¡°If you had any idea how beautiful you truly were, you¡¯d know being angry has nothing to do with why I need you. You and this intoxicating emerald skin.¡±


    That smug grin trembled with her quivering chin. Golden eyes froze with bits of moisture around the sides. Declarations of love were great but something about lusting after that green skin seemed to stir her emotions in a way nothing else did. Of course, prodding a woman¡¯s heart was a treacherous thing for a man, so I leaned down to deliver a kiss near the upper hip of her spine.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I repeated alongside three moving kisses.


    As I approached the bowl of black hair, I saw her chin still quaking but the rest of her face showed determination. Without a word, that right green leg raised itself up to give me full access.


    Something I took to its full advantage.


    Eventually, the time of stress testing the bed passed. A long soak in a properly warm shower, thank god for it, finished things off before we both headed back out into the stone hallway whose door was opposite our bed. We wore matching white shirts and brown pants, though Gula fashioned a fine red coat over hers and no brown cloth face covering covered her face. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the surroundings as the green woman walked along my left with a distracting plaster to my ribs. Gula was quite content to keep being distracting until we reached the door leading to the meeting room, where she pulled slightly away.


    A push on the wood slab revealed a version of the meeting room I had made. This twin of my work from another, gaudier, dimension had a circular table in the middle, complete with an intricate stone base made of waves and various fish rushing up to hold the stone circle upward. Even that circle was emblazoned with fish along the sides of the white stone and flecked with bits of gold. Evidently, some of the special metal was being panned for.


    The chairs around the table were no less ornate, sporting rich red cushioning that the various lobsters and fish seemed to play around. Six columns hung around the walls and the doors on the left and right. Each of the pillars sported long stone vines etched into the surface. The floor was likewise embellished with the smooth stone sporting countless patterns of leaves, trees, and bushes.


    None of it was taken in by the Kelton man sitting at the table opposite our entrance. A bulky goat man sporting brown fur that went over his steel breastplate. Judging by the sucking of his lips above a stubby chin sporting a tuft of brown fur, he was ready for a beating of either a physical or verbal nature.


    Nothing was said as we approached the table and took the seat opposite of him. Gula got some stupid idea of sitting to the left. A firm seizing of her hips and pull into my lap corrected the foolish notion. When green flesh was comfortably resting on mine, complete with the annoyed smile women gave when they had to fuss at something they were enjoying, I coughed into the salty air.


    ¡°Now, Illion, there¡¯s some good to come of this.¡±


    The goat man sat so still that not a single brown hair shifted.


    ¡°You took responsibility for the failure in security. A mark in your favor. In the rush to save the wastrels south of us, there wasn¡¯t a lot of time to truly develop procedure, much less practice it, so I can¡¯t fault your lacking inspection. But as the man wearing the proverbial crown, at least for those with swords here, there is more you could have done and not just for this incident. Why are there no night guards?¡±


    ¡°Setting up for a night watch requires places for them to sleep during the day. We were supposed to have some set up for the rooms¡­.then that ship came by and suddenly everything was focused on keeping the south together. Typically, those jobs would come with housing away from the rest. But¡­.¡±


    But you live in a cave.


    ¡°That is an acceptable answer,¡± I offered with an under-the-table squeeze of Gula¡¯s bum. Her face remained passive but those gold eyes had some mirth in them. Which didn¡¯t stop her next words from coming out.


    ¡°Another issue is that all the guards are Keltons. You had good reason not to fully trust us-¡±


    The audible gulp from the Kelton was acknowledged with a pause.


    ¡°However, the fact is we have better night vision. Putting a few Orcs on the teams will help cover a critical weakness.¡±


    His head dipped sideways.


    ¡°Every Orc proved themselves that night. They¡¯re also smart enough to not ask this themselves, but there is the issue of magical foods.¡± Illion intoned nervously.


    I raised an eyebrow for him to continue.


    ¡°It has been noted that mages bearing even the basic four elements could provide significant benefits for the work here. And the spreading of such talent would allow for us to help out in innumerable other ways. This would of course apply to we Keltons as much as the Orcs.¡±


    I closed my eyes.


    Having mages about did nothing for our work. Heaters performed better than anything a fire scion could make or weave from mana and any plant or healing enchantments they needed could be easily made. That bit about Kelton mages was at best a distraction. Illion, Gula, and everyone else here knew who was at the center of this issue. Realizing Garren¡¯s vision for the green women was not a step taken lightly. Still, saying no would produce too much ill will and be so hypocritical I doubt they¡¯d ever listen to what I had to say afterwards. Besides¡­.


    Fully grown men took a long time to develop magical pathways. Brute forcing it as we had with the magical Kelton city took meats and plants whose mana concentrations were hundreds of times greater than what they could produce here. That, however, was to get them all up to caster. In the Base, one man having a great aptitude for magical growth would move the timeline forward considerably.


    Stories, books, and classes covering expected magical growth from foods whose taste was magically influenced came to me with only vague outlines. The worst¡­. The most aggressive scenario was probably one man getting to caster in seven or eight months. A minor miracle but such cases had been heard of in one or two books going over the centuries. Of course, he would have to do the deed. Orcs struggling to conceive from magical men was never brought up as no one had been so stupid as to conduct such a study or lived long enough to be known for it.


    ¡°Gula, when do Orcs become semi-physically capable?¡± I asked with a turn to the green woman on my left leg.


    ¡°Three years or so. There¡¯s always some who get there quicker or later, but that¡¯s generally the age when we start really making a fuss. As far as labor goes, most wait until they¡¯re seven or so.¡±


    ¡°Or later for ours,¡± I replied with a firm tone.


    She only gave me a small smile in response, which I took as a sign to retreat inward.


    So three years after conception before the new Orc mages can sprint around and make trouble. Would that coincide with the blooming of their magical abilities? Like almost everything with magical growth, the answer was a definite maybe.


    I wasn¡¯t going to say no. That didn¡¯t mean certain incentives couldn¡¯t be offered. Once things settled down and I was working on the computer, some massage beds could be fashioned and sent up here. Sure, there would always be the believer who forsook all comfort for their cause. Most, however, would never willingly say goodbye to heated baths and kneading water jets, even if the sire of their entire species bid otherwise. Doing so under potential pain of death? Only a fraction of that already small number would say yes. And those would have to find a way to hijack an airship. As their political forebears had recently attempted.


    With all this thinking of Orc children, a wicked idea came to me. The workers here needed a correction for allowing the situation in the first place. Perhaps making the punishment through their offspring would do it. The notion was filed away to be completed later as I mentally returned to the meeting room.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I announced. ¡°Also, prepare some empty rooms similar to the canteen. I will be sending up some massage beds and heated baths to help ease the discomfort of those who already gave so much for our cause.¡±


    Illion¡¯s brown eyebrows furrowed for a moment before doing a sideways head bob.


    ¡°I will be returning to my labor then the less cold abode in the south if that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°We could ask or expect no more from you,¡± Illion answered with a rise out of the chair.


    Gula moved to the left while I vacated my chair, a separation that lasted only a second before she was plastered back into my side. Illion took off to the left while we moved to the right towards the hangar. I pulled the door open and entered the workshop, which I skimmed past before taking a left to the forge area. It took a few hours before the constant hum of copper spheres from the furnaces was joined by several on the table.


    Kelton men came by with thick leather gloves and moved them into the appropriate storage. Alongside them were several Orcs who had come to fetch the plates and mugs whose contents I devoured over the course of the work. I nodded in satisfaction when the spheres were laid to the left side of the forge area and made my way back to the ship with Gula hanging on my right. Work had resumed on the new airship with Orcs and men of both species placing planks into place. Apparently, I was now safe to be around as I was only given deferential nods by passerby.


    ¡°I need to see the Waveborn and the farmers. Get some figures for food flows and such.¡± Gula said with a quick kiss before taking a walk to the hangar doors.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    I could only nod at the retreating woman as work beckoned.


    The needed length of plant fiber was produced for the new locks, which let me set up the fourth from the last item for this trip. Digging a small groove along the walls and covering it up was more tedium than toil. After confirming that the hangar wouldn¡¯t open without two people from both ends of the buttons pseudowire, the next duo of issues were worked on simultaneously. As I instructed the men in the needed schedules for checking and maintenance from multiple teams, I fashioned several noise-deadening enchantments for the night guards'' quarters. A small chorus was conducted in the hangar as the men repeated back to me the words I had instructed them in.


    The noise-deadening enchantments were handed off as the last few bits of instruction finished. With that, I headed towards the workshop to conduct the most arduous and second-to-final task.


    Jeff was currently in the southern region working for the queen Verness. As dangerous as such closeness to the royal family was, it was unavoidable and came with a few benefits. The most important of which would be information. An advantage that required the ability to convey it.


    For this, I set about fashioning a chest on one of the workshop tables. A simple thing with leather bands on top to hide inner antennas. Inside the left wall of the exterior would be a ¡®secret¡¯ compartment holding a sword with flame enchantment or mana crystals. A press on an unmarked indent along the inner top of the compartment would activate the radio by using magical enchantments to pull a stone spike out of a wheel in the back wall. This would be a two-dimensional version of the copper spheres and would power the radio portion hidden in the wood. If Jeff should be seen using it, any onlooker would assume he was working something inside the chest and air enchantments on the sides would keep any conversation from being heard.


    All the pieces were simpler versions of what I had fashioned elsewhere, but custom work was the bane of all budgets and everything from the antennas to the power had to be personally crafted by me. The work was interrupted about halfway through by children of Orc and Kelton variety. A small sea of eager green and furry faces bid the most powerful man in the world to entertain them and I did as I was told.


    Just outside the workshop, large cubes of water were occasionally penetrated by a missile in a dress with only the occasional Kelton boy interceding. This time no mothers fearing for their brood came by. If they knew what I was going to do to their beloved children after this task, they would have come screaming and pleading with more fear than the first woman had.


    After the last bits of copper were fixed onto the chest, it was placed to the side as I focused my efforts on fashioning crafts from simple wooden tubes, hoops, and boards. A labor that took half an hour or so. At the last tubes completion I strode from the tables in the workshop with terrible purpose until I was just in the hangar section.


    ¡°All right,¡± I announced to the children running about. ¡°Come, I have an announcement to make.¡±


    The little ones gathered in front of me in a small sea of fur and green. Dresses abounded in the crowd with only a few sporting male clothing.


    ¡°This has been hard on everyone. Most of all your parents.¡±


    One black-haired Orc in the front puckered her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, mage sir. Dad seems to have liked spending time in the canteen when the ships was down for pepairs¡­. Repairs.¡± The, to my human sense of child development, four-year-old said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure.¡± I agreed with a clasping of hands, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it''s been as easy on you. And I for one think you all deserve something to help you in these hard times.¡±


    Pudgy cheeks swayed with the crowds nodding. Their youthful faces in full agreement over their struggle.


    ¡°So, some entertainment for when I¡¯m not here is in order.¡±


    I first fetched one of the wooden tubes. It was unremarkable, save for the square cut into one of the sides. When I pressed it, a small jet of water spewed out over the children¡¯s heads. Its water lasted only a few seconds before disappearing. That left those hit confused when their clothes suddenly dried but no less enthused for it. Several of its siblings were handed out.


    Some got a pouty face at not having one but when I produced hoops that shot bubbles, none complained. Each sphere of water was almost the size of an adult head and produced a pronounced pop before vanishing. The assembled group immediately began dousing each other in magic water and giving the most delightful giggles at how their clothes instantly dried.


    When I produced the boards, all eyes were on me despite the new toys at hand. A single finger was placed at the bottom of the palm-sized plank of wood, where the white line running vertically down the middle met a circle of the same color. I pressed a right index finger on the circle and quickly swung the digit up the white line.


    The sharp note of a flute rang out from the end of the board. What made this special was the pitch changed as the finger was brought up and down the line before shutting off when the circle was touched again. A simple matter of changing airflow in an unseen manipulation field, yet I might have been handing them a block of solid gold for how reverently it was handled by the tiny hands who received one of them.


    ¡°Now!¡± I exclaimed with a pointed look at each section of the kids. ¡°You can¡¯t be playing with these all the time. The biggest reason is that you could drain the local mana from the tools. That means you should only play with them away from the workspaces and during times when the main meals aren¡¯t being served or prepared. Of course, your parents are going to be tired after working the greenhouse or forges, so once their shifts are finished, you¡¯ll have to put them away. But besides all that¡­. Have fun.¡±


    Any interest in me vanished as a small tide of eager youth ran away to try out some new toy in various corners. I could only smile at the childish glee. Some of the older, more adult, sort in the left corner of my eye, however, didn¡¯t.


    I turned to see several Orcs and Kelton men in leather aprons, workers of the various crafts I had made for construction rather than entertainment. They all looked at me like I had just run over a beloved pet, with various stages of shock, anguish, and even controlled anger on display.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t-¡±


    An older Orc woman in the back bit her lip for a second before continuing with a rustle of blonde locks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that might grind the¡­.Everything, great mage?¡±


    ¡°Why would it ever do that?¡± I asked again, confused at the absurd notion. ¡°They¡¯re only using them in the canteen, housing, and hallway areas during your work hours. Of course, you¡¯ll all be in the forges, workshop, and such doing your duties away from them. So, how would they disturb you?¡±


    That drew guilty looks and puckered lips as the impromptu days off were clearly being referenced. A chorus of squealing flutes and bubble-popping rose from the kids.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I called over the rising noise. ¡°Not in here and especially not during work hours.¡±


    Bowing little heads greeted the instruction. A prepubescent tide moved out of the hangar and through the workshop toward their destinations. They flowed around adults who looked like they wanted to smash the various toys but knew what the consequences would be.


    ¡°If you would be so kind, my fellow craftsman,¡± I announced to the workers. ¡°Make sure everyone knows of this directive.¡±


    A few vigorous nods were all I got before I cleaned up any bits left from the shelves.


    Gula came back from the meeting room looking at the kids with an amused smile. Those gold eyes said she instantly guessed the bitter core of these sweet candies but no words were spoken as she walked with me carrying the chest to the side of the airship. We continued until the rope ladder came within reach. The new radio was left on the floor as we immediately started scaling the shaky rope and planks.


    On my way up the ladder, I noticed one Kelton boy in the right corner between the forge and workshop run up to his fellow stragglers and conduct a run-by shooting with streams of water out of a wood tube. The others soon brandished their weapons and returned fire. Even if the water vanished in a few seconds, the collateral damage to civilians wasn¡¯t much appreciated.


    That new chest for Jeff zipped past me, proving the men at the poles working the water tentacles quite adept at their post. Soon I was over the railing and standing off on the left side of the ship while Gula ran off to speak to her mother. Upon her return, she immediately pulled me away.


    Any notion of us going below deck was cut short as she brought me to the boat. When we came up to its left side, Gula turned with an expectant nod at the boat too high for her to pull herself onto. I obliged her with a push on the dome¡¯s handle before cupping my hands together around my stomach to form a step.


    ¡°I never considered an on land boarding for the¡­.vertically challenged. Another item for checking on any future construction.¡±


    Puckered green lips fought back a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m tall for a woman. Of all three species from what I¡¯ve seen.¡± She pouted with a placing of her brown right boot into the finger foothold.


    ¡°Tall for a dwarf still isn¡¯t tall.¡±


    A slap on the scalp was my reward for linguistic mastery before the rest of her moved onto the speed boat. I followed and set about placing the special chest in the back of the dark interior before moving to the hatch. I was stopped at the hole by a green palm bidding me to stay. Gula climbed down and immediately pushed me towards the control chair. She followed up by laying in my lap and resting that sharp chin on my lower right neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ever want them worrying or gossiping about my wifely skills ever again. The instant I get a whiff of such talk I¡¯m thrusting my hips forward and asking them how many dozens of lives have theirs saved.¡± She offered with a rather serious look.


    I thought it was only disappointed faces. That bit was mentally stored away as I ran a finger down her spine.


    ¡°Hey, you saved the quad mage''s life as well. That¡¯s bragging rights for life.¡±


    Gula raised a black eyebrow.


    ¡°For a minute back there, it looked like my stem was going to dry. Horrors beyond comprehension.¡±


    A snort escaped her before she could turn her turn her head down into my pecks. I stared at the bowl of black hair before she turned back up with a smile and a tight squeeze against me.


    ¡°I love how stupid I get around you.¡± She purred with a contented sigh.


    Green skin pressed against my chest as we both settled in.


    A few minutes passed before a sudden pull downward told of the airship''s ascent. Whatever sights were going on outside our box, none could compare to the woman on me. Idle kissing and rubbing went on for a few hours as we waited for the return of darkness. It was during a soft tasting of jade lips that I looked out the hatch slits and saw stars in a black canvas. My turn to the green face an inch from my own revealed golden eyes looking in the direction I had despite our tongues still dueling. Gula closed her eyes, let loose a long breath, and pulled back with a soft pop.


    ¡°Let me wish mom goodbye.¡± She groaned with a rise out of the two legs that had served as her seat.


    When the last Orc foot was out of the hatch and I heard a solid thump to the right, I immediately began massaging sore thighs with hands and healing spells. Green women had more heft to them than their human counterparts but the male spirit only cared for the curves and soft bits ripe for groping. Some thought of asking her to stay on the side came but was dismissed out of hand. Even if she atrophied my legs black, an hour or so of healing would set it right.


    As if hearing the idle notion, Gula went to my left upon my hoisting her back up. The worried frown seemed to deny any telepathic ability she might have employed. I took her sharp chin with a pinch of my left hand. A smile broke out above my squeezing thumb while gold circles in black spheres seemed amused as they were worried.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mother,¡± She responded with a look to the back in the direction of the pilot. ¡°She¡¯s been wanting to talk with me about something but then¡­. Everything that¡¯s been happening. Whatever it is, it has her more on edge than I¡¯ve ever seen her.¡±


    Given their history and the new facts of the Orc¡¯s lives here, I probably had a good chance of guessing the topic. But that was a conversation between mother and daughter. I took a deep breath of chill air.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to shove off!¡± I yelled through the domes slits.


    In the dim starlight, tentacles of water moved around the boat before my stomach churned with a sudden pull upward. Stars whisked by as the sound of ocean filled the void left by the absent winds. One second the world was solid, the next we were bouncing around like a bit of driftwood.


    A second was spent getting our relative position, which was a hundred or so feet from the cave we had held up in. Several swipes across the panels, a magic spell to pull seawater over us, and we were shooting southward toward her ship.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Gula put in over the waves and the occasional bounce. ¡°I can direct. It''s decent outside for me.¡±


    She concluded the offer by turning around towards the slits and sending a spirit connection to my shoulder. I considered saying it was fine but her immediate move into my lap was too compelling a counterargument. Minutes came and went as ocean waves sped by through the dome slits. This idle company agreed with me and like all good things in this universe, it ended too soon.


    ¡°We¡¯re close now,¡± Gula said with a shift to the left.


    Sure enough, directly ahead starlight illuminated the outline of her ship. Plowing full speed into the back of the mansion on water wouldn¡¯t be a good end to our days-long cavorting, so I had to take it in slow. Getting up to the back side was a painful affair but once the boat was set in stone to the ship''s rear, we were up and out the hatch with minimal fuss.


    The method of climbing this wall of wood was the same as my first time, though I now had a few half-dozen vaguely remembered spots of where to put the stone footholds. Cold sea spray wafted high above the waves themselves, making the climb a bit risky at certain steps but experience saw me get up to the window without incident. After checking to make sure the various stone footholds sticking out of the wood beams weren¡¯t spaced too far apart for Gula, I carefully made my way down the shifting mass of wood.


    When I felt my left foot hit the top of the boat, I moved back to allow her passage up. She stood off to the left like a statue. Those green arms in the white shirt and red coat clutched her sides like they were holding herself. Jade lips puckered as golden eyes looked me up and down with hesitation. Knowing what the problem was, I strode forward. Those green hands moved to hold my hips as I held her to a chorus of crashing waves barely seen in the starlight.


    ¡°We''re having a meeting in the next few days,¡± I whispered into her sharp right ear.


    ¡°But not tonight.¡± She groaned with a pouty tone as she pressed her small nose up the brown cloth face covering to kiss my hidden lips. We enjoyed each other for a moment longer before moving a few inches apart in both mouth and body.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± I affirmed with some sadness coming through.


    She simply nodded before releasing my sides and placing a foot on the first stone foothold.


    ¡°Love you,¡± Gula offered to the wall.


    ¡°Same.¡±


    The green woman gave herself a good push on the stone lisp to send her within arms reach of the next. Up and up she went, the night almost masking her along the wood of the ship. Seconds ticked away before Gula reached the windows and slid inside. I allowed myself one long breath of salty ocean air before pulling the stone pieces out. It took three more breaths for me to fix myself upright on the boat¡¯s inner floor and break those stone holdings away from its larger cousin.


    Wet hands pulled the dome down and I almost brought the boat up to full speed. Instead, I covered the backside holding the stone chest with a layer of stone to hide it. Something Cell would have to fetch later at night for Jeff¡¯s trip back here. Considering even the lightning mage didn¡¯t even specifically know where he was going, a letter from Andrew to bring him back would have to be fashioned.


    Bumpy waves and an empty lap cared for none of that as I brought the boat up to proper speed. A shell of water was summoned to disguise the wood shooting through the ocean. All requiring no effort or concentration. Time passed with little thought until I saw faint torchlight filter in. Magical water was left to slip into the ocean to reveal the docks whose bones I had wrought from mana. A few swipes on the panels brought the boat into the wooden finger closest to the sea.


    Getting out with the half-remembered sack of clothing was easier than fixing the boat to the pier, but neither was particularly strenuous. I took in the harbor as I trekked to see it mostly the same, though the harbor office near the very end of the wooden fingers now had a single layer of brickwork. Some night guards stood by the big double gates northeast of my position. When their torches came close enough to see who was casually strolling towards the gate, both heads went down in a bow.


    I passed without comment or interest into the main section with its vast stone floor. The first thing I noticed was the vague outlines of rectangular buildings. They stood in a circle around the main center of my domain and were closer to the walls than any of their future siblings. No details presented themselves in the dim starlight and I couldn¡¯t be asked to fight for them. Instead, I moved at an angle towards the oval dome sticking out far ahead and slightly to the left.


    Here and there guards stopped to see who would be approaching. Each followed the routine of the first two and I was allowed to walk to my abode on the river in peace. When I arrived, the drawbridge was still up, forcing me to reach into the stone shaft on the right and palm around its hole to find the wooden panel inside. Just as my fingers started to numb from the cold, the needed panel was found. Rushing water meant the slow fall of the big wooden walkway was barely heard. When wood finally settled on stone, I moved across and pressed another panel on the right pillar to bring the drawbridge back up.


    Opening the door revealed a black void. One groping right-hand feeling along the wall eventually found the mana crystal recently made for such entrances. Firelight illuminated the kitchen to the right and the table ahead. Magic light was used to guide me in fishing the dirty clothes out of the sack and setting them beside the main door. That minute was all that was needed before I shut the lights back off. Memory saw me to the door on the left wall and through to another on the right leading into the bedroom.


    The sack was thrown to the floor and shoes soon followed. As my left hand moved to close the door, a pounding on wood sounded out. Almost a full second passed before I placed the likely source as being the front door. I closed my eyes, changing nothing in my view as I turned around and traced my steps back to the source. Slightly opening the front entrance revealed five women standing on the stone perch with the drawbridge now fully down. Their torches illuminated the faces of a few of my maids but two were younger peasant women in simple brown dresses.


    ¡°Lord mage,¡± The blonde near the front asked with a smile. ¡°We came as soon as we heard of your return. Perhaps you would enjoy some extra warmth on this chill night.¡±


    To emphasize the point, the women pushed their upper chests a half-inch or so forward. Not content with that, one of the peasant women on the left, a brunette with a mole above her right lip, pulled the strings of her dress so as to display the brown nipples beneath. The rest were merely content to have the deep V¡¯s of their dresses almost reveal such features.


    Shit. I forgot to cut off my dick.


    ¡°A fine thing for any man to be greeted with,¡± I put in with a small smile.


    The blonde instantly got a pensive face while her companions seemed happy.


    ¡°But, I am quite content with the current state of my bed. Please bring the drawbridge back up on your exit.¡±


    Again, the blonde seemed the smartest of the pack as she immediately bowed before turning. The rest stood still with furrowed eyebrows as I closed the door. Nothing else came from the door as I left it. Memory guided me towards the latrine where pleasures stem was plucked and any residual bits of blood were washed away in the stream, along with the bits of ash burned from the severed limb.


    It took only a second of moving through memory before I was back in the bedroom. None interrupted my arrival between blankets and sheets this time. The bed had even been cleaned to fill my nose with the smell of flowery soap. It was trying, poor thing, but no luscious curves or demanding lips accompanied. Compared to its ship bound companion, it could give me a decent sleep. A good night, however, was far from its grasp.


    I placed my head on cold pillow and the ever-present void finally treated me as I had it and moved through me.


    Morning came without cause. My internal clock simply decided it was time to get up. Hands groped for supple feminine flesh. A second passed before memory finally returned and I remembered the who, where, and why of my existence. The brown cloth face covering was fixed in place before I left the room. Despite not starting as well as the previous ones, the day started off well enough with the maids coming by bearing a tub and hot water.


    Once that was finished, a hot chicken sandwich and bean soup were served with cider. For all the lack of bed time company, the meal made up for some of it. If the maids were upset at last night''s refusal, their professionalism didn¡¯t let it show. Dirty clothes were whisked away as I fit on a fresh white shirt and black pants before fixing them with a brown leather coat. Warm clothing that saw me over the drawbridge and out onto the vast domain royal paper said was mine.


    The rest of the day was equally uneventful. To my complete and utter shock, the tools I fashioned to allow the men to make apartments without any supervision did just that. Twenty three two-story apartment blocks ringed around the entire outer circle of stone wall which inspection judged as flawless. Now for the rest of it.


    It was at the sun''s dying hour as I was supervising the placement of an elevator on one of the seaward apartments that Kev, head of the local guard clad in red leather and a steel chest plate, came by. Any attention to give was spent on looking over the elevator system being placed in the center shaft in front of me. The brown-haired man with a matching mustache came up the staircase down the left hallway and the darting of brown eyes outside said these heights were not agreeable. If that didn¡¯t make it clear, the bead of sweat coming down the thin nose and cheeks did.


    ¡°Kev?¡± I announced as I inspected long thick ropes going around pulleys, all under the watchful eyes of my usual minders clad in red leather.


    ¡°Greetings, great mage. A matter of security brings me.¡± He announced with an accompanying buzz across my left shoulder. Before I could so much as raise an eyebrow, his voice reverberated in my skull through an electric buzz on the left shoulder.


    ¡®It¡¯s starting.¡¯ He announced like a prophecy of doom.


    The first guess was obvious.


    ¡®They¡¯re purging the slum?¡¯


    He nodded, sending some sweat onto the wood floor. The source of which seemingly wasn¡¯t just the heights.


    ¡®Not all at once. They¡¯re doing Fester¡¯s corner for now. I want to say they were waiting for us to start making the housing. Give us a kick in the bum to get it done once we started.¡¯


    ¡®Then let¡¯s be worthy of their confidence in our ability.¡¯


    ¡®Sally wants that meeting tonight. Gula included.¡¯


    Now that was truly outside of any guessing.


    ¡®Tonight?¡¯


    ¡®Tonight.¡¯ Kev repeated with a desperate tone.


    He bowed before turning and leaving.


    Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the pulleys being hoisted up the shaft in front of me. Each of these apartment buildings would be eight floors. Magic paid its due in sheer mass, not intricacies. Which meant each wouldn¡¯t demand nearly as much mana as Harrah¡¯s thumb. Still, there were going to be thirty two of the things, though in different sizes.


    ¡°Tell the overseer it''s time to start on the inner portions,¡± I announced to a guard on the left.


    Another bow from a man in red leather.


    Looking over the pulley and ropes being pulled upward, a sigh escaped my lips. I indulged their fears with my personal inspections but time no longer permitted such indulgence. Time passed until the eighth and final floor was put in on this seaside apartment with my last bit of oversight being given to the elevators guts. But elevators weren¡¯t living quarters and there were no more for me to make here.


    Leaving and going back outside, a construction site in full swing greeted me. There were so many torches about a case for it being daytime might be made if not for the sky. New stone rectangles were being summoned with large wooden slabs over the sections that had wooden supports beneath which were now being unearthed.


    The faces in the flames held shades of grim determination, fear, and anger. News of the slum''s first stones being pulled up had certainly become public knowledge. If the overseer was looking for me, it would have to be out in the rocks. Magic crafts were more mana efficient than human spell work, but cheaper didn¡¯t mean free. Everything was on full blast now and I doubt even the Central Continent''s generous portions of those blue specks could keep pace.


    Hours were spent sucking in mana from the outside rocky plain and spewing it into the center of the mayhem. A scions lungs were not to be underestimated and for a while, I was actually stupid enough to think my efforts alone would be enough. No undead bothered us nor did I see any gold specks of light. I had been toiling without any notice of Necrosis¡¯s end and acknowledged it with even less attention than previously given.


    Not neglecting the basic facts of this world, just busy.


    Eventually, those working the smaller crafts to forge the inner walls and furniture had to move out onto the plains under the protection of the guards while I recovered. The only other work for me was to look over the new towers in the middle. While their tools were uniform, the future lodgings of this city were not so rigid.


    Inside the elongated ring of buildings, the seaside and opposite sections were almost solid blocks while those closer to the harbor and the entrance to Crasden had openings between the apartments for traffic or sections devoted to shopping complexes. The center was hard to pin down exactly as the wall wasn¡¯t a perfect circle but the position was mentally assigned to a section of river between the seas entrance and exit into my domain. That would be where the center of government was held, a few hundred feet downstream of my lodgings.


    Time slipped by until I felt exhaustion seep in. Unless I wanted to have whatever this meeting was half-asleep, the night would have to be finished earlier than I would have liked. None of the foremen or guards objected to the plant scion retiring and I obliged their acceptance by returning home. Moving off memory brought me to the bedroom where the cacophony of construction outside could barely be heard.


    Since everyone knew how tired I was, if anyone came knocking, I could feign heavy sleep being the reason I didn¡¯t answer. I commenced trekking down the tunnel beneath the bed after closing the bedroom door. An alarm for such circumstance was in order but that energy and time was needed for the city.


    Such thoughts swirled in the darkness with each step down the unseen wooden ladder. Like the last visit, the lights were turned on during the journey and soon stone floor met the foot reaching down. Turning from the ladder presented a stone hallway. This time Gula wasn¡¯t waiting by the wall for me to sexually harass, so I walked toward the door at the end without distraction. Going through the door revealed a stone room with a table at the center, another door on the opposite end sporting a lit torch beside it.


    At the end of the table was Sally the Bishop. Her short grey hair was much the same but her face sported a worried puckering of lips between the small nose and sharp chin. Some dirt was on the right arm of her black shirt and the white square on her collar was slightly to the left. Gold eyes paid such things no attention as they focused on me. Along with Gula¡¯s on the left side of the table.


    I walked up to my wife before taking her by the hips of her brown pants and white shirt. The Orc knew better than to fuss as I lifted her out of the chair and took her place before sitting her back down on me.


    ¡°It feels out of place for a woman of scripture to scold the love between man and wife.¡± Sally offered with a pointed look at Gula placing her head on my left peck. ¡°Interfering to save tens of thousands of people could give some justification.¡±


    ¡°What would it be interfering with?¡± I asked. The green woman on my lap, however, pulled her head up to give the Bishop a sour look.


    ¡°I told you I was taking my husband away for a week or so. You didn¡¯t object then so you better not be getting ready to now.¡± She offered in a sharp tone my hand trailing down her spine barely dulled.


    ¡°There was no objection to be had until Nersa and Bellog made them two days after your departure.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow along with Gula''s.


    ¡°They¡¯re panicking and demand assurances. How a plant scion won¡¯t be able to crush us all when he discovers our existence being the most pertinent.¡±


    I took a deep breath and somehow managed to not roll my eyes.


    ¡°I was originally going to make it so I couldn¡¯t make any great digs without collapsing all the buildings. A mark of poor planning I no longer have to indulge. When everyone in the slum is cooped up in the apartment blocks, I¡¯ll say there are too many people to move out for a wide dig and it doesn¡¯t matter anyway because they waited too long.


    The Orcs now have the means to effortlessly carve into my domain at any time. Something I suggest you remember.¡±


    Sally nodded with a sway of grey hair.


    ¡°I have. I¡¯ve tried to have the architects explain it to them but charts of pressure points and structural loads don¡¯t soothe. A more thorough understanding might let me break through to them. However, that is not all that brings me. We¡¯re near the end of this road now. Nothing to do but take those last few steps. Save for you.¡± She stated with a meaningful look at Gula.


    Another duo of raised eyebrows demanded she continue, which she did.


    ¡°Kev wanted to say this but events demanded him elsewhere. The humans, the ones trying to kill all our kind and our husbands, are going to evict your ship from these lands.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Gula asked with no emotion.


    ¡°You are a smuggler dealing with Orcs. Even if none of our kind are found on your ship, you still bear the mark of our dealings in Crasden. It has been tolerated until now because you were a source of food in a siege. Now that the pirates have been seen to¡­.¡±


    Gula took a deep breath before slowly releasing it.


    ¡°I suppose receiving a medal in the town square isn¡¯t being offered.¡± She grumbled bitterly.


    ¡°The metal of an executioner''s ax is all that you would receive in such a gathering.¡± Sally put in with a small smile. ¡°But destitution is not in your future, even without considering your choice in husband. Kev has assured me there are many smugglers eager to reapply their trade. Food is the hot commodity right now and these men have the deniability you lack. Setting up a supply line to them would be easier than conducting business here.¡±


    ¡°And what of my promised abode here?¡± Gula put in with a rather put off tone as she sat up a bit straighter.


    An indulgent smile came across the Bishop¡¯s face as she leaned back into her chair.


    ¡°Your ship has been marked. Your person has not. Understand, they don¡¯t want you here but hunting down smugglers who braved siege for profit would set a bad precedent. Not a soul above ground would ever say it, but if a cloud should ever fall on Crasden again, they¡¯ll be more than happy to keep their eyes away from your ship delivering goods. Just come in on one of your future associate''s ships. They won¡¯t be looking for someone that brought in so much food when it made the difference.¡±


    At least Ashe is retaining some sense in her anti-Orc crusade. Or, at least one of her juniors is. Gula looked a little miffed yet offered no objections as I continued stroking her back. Sally rolled her gold eyes as a huff escaped her lips.


    ¡°Kev has a list of contacts ready. Men who will get you a mountain of gold if you would provide them wood to repair their ships and food for storing therein. Things in infinite supply with your husband''s talent.¡±


    ¡°Abundant supply,¡± I corrected with a cough. ¡°Mana is not without limits.¡±


    ¡°The money isn¡¯t the point.¡± Gula cut in. ¡°Getting here will take so much work that I¡¯ll hardly ever get to visit.¡±


    She finished with a wonderfully possessive hug around my chest. Contrary to expectation, Sally gave us both a small smile before shrugging.


    ¡°The wives of sailors know of such tribulation, so Lord Tilvor will have some company who understands his loneliness. Besides, I¡¯m sure getting food from the Coalition takes long enough that you could stay for an extended period every now and then. Leave the captaining to the first¡­.officer? I¡¯m afraid affairs of the sea aren¡¯t my expertise.¡±


    I looked into Gula¡¯s gold eyes. There were words wanting to come out but this wasn¡¯t the time to give them life. We turned back to Sally at the same time. My wife coughed before speaking.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She huffed.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sally extolled as she reached down to her left. ¡°But some questions remain.¡±


    The Bishop produced several papers and laid them on the table. Lines and figures of my designs were obvious even when upside down. For an hour, I reiterated the points in the city where digging into them would compromise the integrity of the surrounding buildings. It wouldn¡¯t, in reality, but the figures I wrote down would give such an impression to anyone who could parse an architect''s language.


    I didn¡¯t have that ability to peer into the mind from subtle twitches and involuntary body movements like some could back in my universe, but the way some questions were more aggressively asked or followed up gave the impression they came from Sally rather than others. Playing therapist using numbers was rather irritating and if this didn¡¯t mean I had Gula on my lap, I might not have been so indulgent. It was at the finish of the apartment''s load-bearing foundations that the Bishop leaned back in her chair with a nod.


    ¡°All right,¡± Sally said with a long sigh. ¡°That¡¯s as much as I¡¯ll be able to convey to my fellow council members. Do you know how much food you¡¯ll be able to bring in from whatever magic farm in the north you two have?¡±


    Gula bounced her head back and forth for a second.


    ¡°I could give a figure if I was using my ship. Since I have to start using couriers, that will depend on them. Why? Won¡¯t we be taking some of the stock from Tilvor''s farms?¡±


    ¡°Fools are not long for this world. If not for your shipments many would have starved and the council is not satisfied with depending on a smuggler''s charity should we fall under another siege. A stockpile of preserved foods is being prepared. After we¡¯ve made sure there¡¯s going to be anyone below ground alive to use it. And since we don¡¯t know how much of the magic crop we¡¯ll be borrowing-¡± She took a moment to look my way, ¡°Outside sources may be needed even more than before.¡±


    ¡°Borrowing implies an eventual return,¡± I put in with a smile. ¡°Unless you count using my sewage system as somehow paying me back.¡±


    Sally pursed her lips like she was fighting a smirk. The Bishop shrugged with a rise from the chair.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve recently been convinced to be more flexible with my morals. Otherwise, stealing from you might have induced some crisis of conscience.¡±


    Gula pressed her face into my chest, the slight rumbles from her head coming clear through the shirt.


    ¡°That should be enough for the council.¡± Sally offered as she took the bag beside her chair. ¡°Is there anything you would require from me?¡±


    ¡°This meeting came about from your invitation. As long as you don¡¯t knock anything down again, I shouldn¡¯t need you.¡±


    This time Sally gave me a proper smile before turning around and going out the door. The second wood slammed together, Gula stretched like a cat as she sent her green arms above my head. Her muscular release finished with a long purr as she wrapped around me like a second skin. I enjoyed the warmth as the mass of dense woman was spread out enough to not cut off blood flow anywhere. Time passed as I stared down the backside of the white shirt while making future plans.


    ¡®Eli.¡¯ A familiar voice echoed in my head from an electric buzz in my right shoulder.


    I pulled my eyes further down to meet her gold ones. Despite her sharp chin on my collarbone and chest laying on mine, those gold pools drew my attention for the worry in them.


    ¡®You look distant.¡¯ She mused.


    A sigh escaped tired lips.


    ¡®As reluctant as I am to create yet more work¡­. We need to start making plans for a new base. Things are settling down because we played most, hell, everything we have. If something else happens in these lands another miracle mage dropping out of the ether to fix everything isn¡¯t happening. The first round forced our hands because we didn¡¯t have time to prepare. Time we¡¯ve now bought. Once we¡¯ve got airships to babysit everyone, another will be dispatched to check promising spots for a hideaway in case this region finally succumbs.¡¯


    Another perusing of those green features left the impression there was more she wanted to say. After a second of silence, she did.


    ¡®Do you want to-¡¯


    Her quick look down and suggestive tone made the offer clear. Equally as apparent was her reluctance in the voice that couldn¡¯t quite be kept out.


    ¡®You seem tired, love.¡¯ I inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡®Any time, Eli.¡¯ She put in a defiant raise of her chin. ¡®If at any time your release¡­.needs worked on, don¡¯t hesitate to say so. Whatever my body can give you, please take.¡¯


    Salamede, this time at least, didn¡¯t seem to be the one producing these words.


    ¡®I never refuse what you offer. Not to my recollection, at least.¡¯ I said with a quick kiss of smoke, vinegar, and spice. Pulling back revealed some dark green cheeks beneath those black spheres and a stretch of that vertical scar on the left eye.


    ¡®I know¡­. But I want to make sure you know what you¡¯re doing¡­. Bastard''s beard, what you¡¯ve already done, means to me. A silly little girl in the swamps had some silly little dream of making things right for her people. And now it might very well happen.


    It means EVERYTHING to me. What you¡¯re doing. Just¡­. Don¡¯t ever think I¡¯m not¡­.¡¯


    Her words were lost for a moment until she craned her neck up and kissed me again, a few salty tears falling down her cheeks to distract from the sharp spice on my tongue.


    ¡®I love you.¡¯ She moaned in the spirit connection while only just keeping her gaze on mine.


    ¡®The-¡¯


    ¡®I love you, Eli. I need you more than air. More than life. I dream of you in my sleep. You were my first wet dream. The first fire in my loins. Before we had even kissed my body ached for you.¡¯


    I was a bit taken aback at the sudden dumping of pre-marriage lore but said nothing as she vibrated on top of me and squeezed various corners of my body. Gula needed emotional release at times such as these. And if it meant I listened to how I drove her crazy with lust¡­.Male pride could endure.


    Minutes passed before Gula finished with a pop of our lips and severing of the spirit connection. The green woman immediately turned her head down onto my chest with a heaving breath I only matched after climax. Most of my view was the bowl of black hair and the sharp green ears protruding. Usually, the latter would not be noteworthy except they were so dark and warm from blood that I felt her left one radiating heat through the shirt.


    With a sudden jolt, she flew off me while making sure to not let me see anything but her backside. The poor woman was clearly embarrassed beyond speech, so I opened my mouth to return the exchange of loving poetry.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± She squeaked out with a full sprint out the door to the rest of the underground.


    Slamming wood rang out before the words could come up my throat. I sat there with a smile, wondering how women managed to be so captivating no matter their mood. Time spent here, however, was time not spent recovering with sleep. Following the motions of the two women left some pain in my soles as I hefted this tired body out of the chair.


    The trip back above ground was a bit slower than usual but the steps were as routine as breathing. Getting to the top of the vertical tunnel ladder, I fetched the radio from an alcove behind the ladder and crawled out from under the bed. This time, no surprises came from the box and I was allowed to commence with the checklist of hygienic needs before turning in.


    Morning came with another pop from the front door and ended in the same manner it had many times before. Wearing a grey shirt, black pants, and leather coat matching the brown face covering, I walked over the drawbridge with ears filled by running river. Coming onto proper land presented a field of grey rectangle walls where empty stone plains had been. Workers swarmed around trying to complete their future homes. A few in the crowd worked crafts to form the apartment blocks while others plied boards, furniture, and ropes through the main doorways for the interior.


    Hours passed as I went over the new buildings. In spite of¡­.everything, some begrudging respect for the project took root in me. This place was going to be a rat den, but every apartment block had five floors when bedtime came. Their interiors were almost entirely hollow as the need to put the wood and furniture crafts out on the rocky plains more than tripled delivery times. Still, this place visually going from mostly bare stone floor to a small city in a day was an achievement even my standards couldn¡¯t deny.


    The next morning showed the promise of equal achievement. As I sat down for a breakfast of eggs, cider, and ham steaks, a knock at the door drew a black-haired maid away from the food cart. At the same time, I was lifting a fork of ham from the plate, with special care that its juices wouldn¡¯t fall onto the fresh white shirt and brown pants.


    ¡°Ah! Lady Ashe!¡±


    Some quick mental calculation said I wouldn¡¯t have time to make the bite before they came in. Another round calculated if I cared enough to commit to basic manners. For the leader I needed to realize my future vision here¡­.Fine. With a tired sigh, I placed the fork back down with a clink and fixed the brown cloth face covering over the preciously waiting mouth. Turning to the door revealed three guests coming through.


    Front and center was Ashe, her red hair playing over a gold thread dress and white scarf. Her blue lips were thin with a stone face, which almost resembled marble from the pale skin. The small nose was likewise unmoving. This statuesque appearance only made the jerking back and forth of her green eyes more pronounced.


    On the left was a woman in a green robe. Her skin was so brown from sunlight it was only the lighter portions around her grey eyes that clued me into the fact it wasn¡¯t her natural color. Gold fringes and leaves throughout the robe made it clear Percy¡¯s attire was more uniform than personal taste. Long black hair moved with her look around the room. Puckered lips above a sharp chin said she didn¡¯t approve of what lay before her.


    The right held a muscular woman, again with a leather top and pants dotted with various jewels and a mountain peak on her chest. This one, unlike her predecessor, sported a full head of luscious brown hair. Sadly, it seems the gift of full locks did not translate to a better attitude as green eyes regarded my home with open disdain.


    As the trio approached, the maids moved into the background with their pitchers of cider and spent plates. From behind the mages came a small squad of the lion guards sporting gaudy metal and gold accented cloth decorations running along their arms. They performed their only real purpose by pulling the chairs at my table back for their betters. On the opposite chair was Ashe, while the left was taken by the, presumably, plant mage, and the right sat the brooding brunette.


    ¡°Tilvor, we come on an urgent matter¡± Ashe intoned with a nod to one of the lion guards to her right. The man took out a pouch and from its depths produced a single blank page and a sealed glass glass jar of black ink. Both items were set before me before he provided the needed quill and politely unsealed the jar.


    ¡°An urgent counting of all your crafts is needed. I do not fault your ability to maintain security but some people need assurances over their use considering how many different people have been using them.¡± She finished with a smile and warm tone. Her body, however, was closed in and the cross of her arms told of a defensive mindset.


    This conversation had been played out a hundred times in my head. Pride as a mage would demand certain biting words and I might have to play a bit of the fool when it came to architectural design depending on her choices, but nothing could overcome the fact it wasn¡¯t my symbols on the crafts the Orcs were using. That Ashe indulged such nonsense spoke ill of her future dealings with these useless associations. Still, them revealing the true depth of the problem to me now could create an uncomfortable situation.


    ¡°If an accusation is being made, then let it be made clearly.¡± I shot back with a stiff spine. ¡°I¡¯ve kept track of every last one. I will put my neck on the block to say not a one is missing. And none have fallen into the hands of the Orcs.¡±


    That last word hit the room like a crack of gunfire despite being no louder than its predecessors. Both new mages jerked their heads back while Ashe remained as still as stone.


    ¡°We are not.¡± Ashe put in with a stiffening of her own spine even as she leaned back. ¡°Certain concerns merely need addressing.¡±


    ¡°Why-¡±


    The voice of the green-robed woman faltered in a cough for a moment before she resumed.


    ¡°Why would you think the green menace is involved in this?¡± She asked with a raised left eyebrow.


    ¡°Pff!¡± I scoffed with a dismissive wave of my left hand. ¡°I know the men who¡¯ve helped build this city lay with that filth. It would be the purest delusion to think otherwise. Which is why I was so personally involved in the construction. There would be no other way to keep it out of the green hands.¡±


    ¡°We are not accusing you of such neglect,¡± Ashe said stated with a set jaw. ¡°Matters of security, however, require a full accounting of your stocks.¡±


    My gaze held hers for a few seconds before I huffed. Brandishing the quill, I set about jotting down the figures. Fortunately, they were all of standard sizes, and counting them up should be an easy task. The direction of the conversation, however, demanded a dangerous turn. No man in my position would accept this sudden scrutiny without question and the presence of the two new guild representatives presented the thread of thought too clearly for the character I was playing to ignore.


    ¡°Hm.¡± I hummed when I got halfway through the list.


    ¡°Tilvor?¡± Ashe asked somewhere above me.


    I turned up from the paper to see the leader of Crasden. She looked at me with puckered blue lips and green eyes wearily taking me in.


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with our agreement with Percy and ¡­. that bald woman for crafts?¡±


    All three thinned their lips as their eyes dared not move.


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Ashe asked in a tone that was trying to not sound measured out down to the letter.


    ¡°Partly it''s because I never got a single craft. Mostly it¡¯s how we have new faces for the guild and none of them came by to see how their predecessors held up to our agreement.¡± I mused with an appropriately raised eyebrow at the sudden, and totally inexplicable, tension.


    This is it, Ashe.


    Tell me about the problem right now and I¡¯ll have to pretend I didn¡¯t anticipate having to pull the entire foundation up. You could spin that as trying to work between three factions of incompetent mages. Blame would be apportioned equally to all parties.


    A quick perusing of the two other guests made it clear they were trying to not make the conversations being conducted in spirit connections so obvious.


    Or you can keep buckling to the association''s demands. Stall their coming humiliation. Give the Orcs enough time to render the barriers I put in place too compromised for me to fix the problem I was never informed of. That leaves me unblemished and you and those two gangs of wastrels to deal with the verbal bludgeoning.


    ¡°At this late hour, we merely want to make sure all precautions have been taken.¡± The redhead announced with a small smile.


    It¡¯s not every day you get to see the future so clearly.


    I looked back down to the page, finishing the last few lines. Another inspection of the figures and I deemed the list sufficient. Ashe subtly nodded to the guard who had given me the page. The man with a metal lion head took his goods with a respectful nod before moving backward. Something his master took as a sign to speak.


    ¡°A proper count will keep the lion guard busy for several hours but I¡¯ve instructed them to keep any inconvenience to a minimum.¡±


    I shrugged with a lean back into the chair.


    ¡°The big ones we¡¯re using right now aren¡¯t easy to miss. All the others are either turning out wood for the furniture or stored in my workshop. I believe the Overseer has as good an idea of all their places as I do.¡±


    Ashe gave me a slight nod as she rose from the chair with slow grace. Her companions tried to imitate those motions but me coming so close to the truth had rattled them enough that bits of sweat beaded at their foreheads as their shaky legs brought them out of the chairs. The trio shuffled off, leaving me to the unfinished ham and eggs. When the door was shut, the attending maids came closer to the table. They looked happy to have the three guests gone as they went about attending to the various bits of the morning routine.


    A feeling fully shared.


    Something about not having the show of admitted incompetence hanging over me made the cider swirl better on the tongue, the ham juicier, and the eggs more sumptuous. Whatever shame followed the associations or leaders of Crasden from the coming scandal; my hands were washed of it. That lent an extra bit of goodness to the final bite of the meal. With breakfast finished, I stretched in the chair before making my way to the front door. Ashe and her ill company might be finished with me, but this city wasn¡¯t. I headed out into a chorus of construction and running water to see me off on yet another work day.