《The Great Game》


 Ghur

    My mind calmed down slowly, since the transition through the Maw Void had been rather terrible.


    Nobody sane should ever arrive into a new life by crossing the Void directly. There are others, more sane methods like reincarnation, rebirth, summoning and so on.


    But not for me. Then again, I couldn''t actually choose to return to a freezing, airless space capsule that was headed for the Triangulum Galaxy for the next trillion years.


    Still flying among the clouds, I peeked down upon the lands below, and clenched my naked, indestructible fist.


    I was completely naked too, but that''s not the point. It wasn''t like my time-locked body would ever feel cold, or heat for that matter.


    *New game has started. You have spent 1 Entertainment Medal to obtain a body time-lock upgrade.


    -You are now remotely puppetting your body, thus being very safe from Chaos or other methods of mind influence.


    -Your body is encased inside a time-lock field, preventing physical or magical damage.


    -As a consequence of the time-lock, your body can be accelerated to Mach 30 in any direction, while ignoring simple laws like gravity or inertia.


    "Wait...Chaos?" I muttered in slight disbelief.


    Although my mind was far away, I still recoiled at the very thought of being anywhere close to something called Chaos.


    As my eyes wandered over the vast expanse of forests and mountain peaks, a large bird flew closer and closer to me, until I noticed a half-naked man riding upon the bird. The bird had two heads, but I tried not to mind such minor details.


    "I sense the smell of Ghur on you, naked boy." the flying man spoke in a plain voice.


    "Ghur? Is it a type of magic?" I deduced rather brilliantly.


    The bird, most likely a griffon, shrieked very loudly. "Twinshriek is very amused." the man noted in a mild voice.


    I nodded towards the griffon, as politely as a naked man could. "Nice to meet you, Twinshriek. I am called Pef."


    "Come down so we can talk properly. My balls are already freezing off." the man demanded in a curt voice, and began to dive towards the forest below.


    Soon enough, we entered the man''s abode, a cave filled with furs and bones and several leather-bound books.


    As the host boiled some tea, he glanced at me from time to time, perhaps not used to someone floating 10 centimeters above the fur rugs of his cave.


    "It''s almost like a god boiled you alive in a soup of frozen time. Taal</a> perhaps." the weird shaman mused in a thoughtful voice.


    "Probably something like that. I believe my body is pretty much invulnerable now..." I admitted in a casual voice, only to be laughed to my face.


    Time flexed around the man, and a bone knife flew into my thigh, ignoring my time-lock protection as if it wasn''t there at all. "Nothing is invulnerable to Ghur, naked boy." the strange shaman chuckled with amusement.


    I drew out the knife, and examined it for a minute. No runes or anything like a fancy enchantment on it.


    "It is not the knife itself...do you have time powers?" I concluded rather smartly.


    The shaman tasted his tea with a frown. "Amber magic is what I do. As for you, I could use a flying acolyte. Sending messages and such." he muttered in his bone cup.


    I could use a teacher that could tame birds and use time magic. Even if he called it amber magic. Amber itself did often contain time-locked insects and such, preserved for millions of years. Much like me right now. It felt oddly appropriate.


    "I should learn Amber magic as well. It might be important for my continual survival." I hummed to myself, thinking ahead for once.


    "Very well, acolyte. My name is Gregor, Gregor Martak of the Amber Order." the shaman decided with a firm nod.


    The griffon shrieked once more, from the mouth of the cave, and this is how I became a wizard. Well, an acolyte to a wizard, to be correct.


    Most of the normal acolyte tests and tasks were absolutely trivial to complete though, as capturing beasts and surviving in the wild is quite easy when you are basically Superman.


    Learning the lore and plants and entire magic books was much harder. Which is why, 3 months later I was sent to Altdorf, the capital of the Empire and the site where the Imperial</a> College of Magic</a> was located.


    I wore a deer-hide cloak and a pair of linen pants, and also a messenger bag made of a hollow bone. Nothing fancy really, not for Amber wizards.


    The fire lit as a beacon for an Amber wizard had barely begun to burn when I arrived. Mach 30 is pretty fast, if I may say so myself.


    "You called?" I asked with a curious voice, while waving my hand through the beacon fire.


    "By Sigmar''s beard! Are you actually flying?" the wizard beside the beacon yelled in surprise.


    "Amber wizard Martak sent me, since he is busy or perhaps simply sick with the filth of humanity. Altdorf does smell like the arsehole of a Beastman, just like he said." I answered in a calm tone. Like any medieval city, the imperial capital smelled like a thousand corpses had died in the street and were left untended for a decade.


    "You do smell like Ghur. Are you an Amber wizard too?" the fire wizard asked with suspicion.


    "I am Pef, apprentice to Wizard Martak." I said in a mild voice, while waving my hand a bit faster to extinguish the beacon. I think my action impressed the fancy wizard.


    "Well, the Shrine of Taal in the Reikwald is under attack by the wood elves. Our reinforcements were ambushed on the Altdorf-Weismund road." the wizard spoke in quick voice.


    I nodded politely, then flew up and away. I have never fought a Drycha</a> before. This should be fun.


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    "The Ox stands!" I shouted in my pitiful version of the mighty Amber spell.


    The fleeing men-at-arms of the Empire''s heard me even so, and began to regroup around their Lord, while I flew lower to the ground as to reach the damned wood elves before they completely massacred the reinforcement army.


    My other known spell was called Hunter''s Hide, and was supposed to protect me while in the wild, such as these woods.


    However, the elven arrows pierced my fledgling magic with ease, and left dozens of arrowheads embedded in my deer coat. These elves were not Amber wizards, so their weapons had no chance of piercing my skin.


    And from some hints of my teacher, most Amber wizards also lacked the power and skill to imbue Amber into their strikes, such as to become a danger to myself. It seemed that the temporal aspects of Amber magic were reserved for the more capable of the Amber Order, as most wild shamans focused mostly on communing with beasts and learning their Aspects.


    Because I was far too powerful for these enemies, I allowed them to live, albeit devoid of weapons and intact femurs. In a single minute, I laid down 54 wood elves, collected their bows and arrows and thew them into separate piles. Bodies into one, weapons into another.


    "Mighty wizard, can you help heal our wounded...?" their Lord muttered in a shy voice, and gestured towards a dozen of his men dying at the side of the road.


    I shrugged and shouted my buff again. "The Ox stands!" . I don''t expect it did much, but it did rouse morale, so there''s that.


    Then I flew away towards the target of the mission, the Shrine of Taal.


    Here there was a larger wood elves''s army lead by Drycha herself. I could tell, because she was a large tree with bloody fangs, slamming her limbs as to pulverize rock and crush the statue of the god Taal, for some strange reason.


    Her army simply stood and watched, not really bothering to help. Not that their spears or bows could crush stone arches and columns anyways.


    I cast my Hunter''s Hide again and dove towards Drycha, slamming my tibia into her femur with 1 percent of my force.


    Her right leg exploded into chips of wood and bone, and while I exulted for an easy mission her wooden arm rotated around and struck me with a fang-like dagger, right under my ribs.


    Once again, my perfectly invulnerable body was pierced, while my protection spell was also ignored. This place sucked!


    I grunted audibly, as I caught her wooden limb and crushed it with 3 percent of my force. Then I grabbed the dagger''s handle and drew it out, before something worse happened.


    * Fang of Taalroth</a> obtained.


    -This is a Divine rank weapon.


    -Secondary ability, block magic spells in a wide area for 15 seconds.


    "Give it back!" the wood elves'' leader yelled in an outraged voice.


    So I stabbed the dagger into the crown of her wooden head, and watched as her body transformed back into a normal elf, if slightly dead now.


    Thinking fast, I swiped the dagger at neck level and decapitated Drycha before she could turn into a spirit or something.


    Her troops looked at me with horror, or perhaps awe. "What? Do you want my dagger too?" I asked a bit curious while waving the Fang around.


    The wood elves turned and ran back to the forest, leaving me with their dead queen at my feet.


    It wasn''t quite the battle I expected, but I did find another thing that could hurt me. And this weapon I could keep.


    I glanced around the site, then picked up the steel weapons from the dead pilgrims, and the coin-filled donation coffer from the Shrine, and flew away, holding the head of Drycha in my bag.


    After a short stop at my cabin to deposit my loot, I returned to Altdorf to report on a completed mission.


    The same wizard was still there, understandably since I barely left 10 minutes ago. Mach 30 is a very fast speed.


    "I''m back." I announced in a curt voice, then threw the blood-filled head-shaped sack at his feet.


    "What? Already? Did you find our troops?" he asked in a worried voice.


    "Yes, I helped the army through the ambush, then rushed towards the Shrine. Sadly, it was already destroyed. I could only enact revenge on Drycha, while other elves ran away. You should send healers for your troops." I said in a mild voice, then flew up and away.


    I still had more spells to learn. Hopefully something more protective than the pitiful Hunter''s Hood. And maybe Martak might deign my mission acceptable enough to heal me, as a hand-deep hole in my side wasn''t nice to look at.


    As I landed at my cabin, I found Martak poking my new dagger with a curious finger.


    "I''m not sure if you''re lucky or stupid, my young apprentice." the wild shaman mused in a sad voice.


    "Well, I was stabbed with a Divine weapon, right here..." I allowed in a sheepish voice, while dropping my arrow-holed deer coat, to proudly show the stab wound.


    "And lived, somehow..." the Amber Wizard muttered while poking my wound with a willow branch, glowing in amber-coloured Ghur.


    As if by magic, my wound closed by itself, but still left a scar shaped like a downward arrow.


    "Wow, my scar looks exactly like.." I noticed with my genial brain.


    The man just sighed and turned around. "Rest for a week or so. Taal himself has designs for you. You will need your strength." my teacher said cryptically and returned to his cave to throw bone dice once more.


    *You have gained the Mark of Taal, god of the wild.


    -Amber magic receives 30% boost to affinity.


    -You gain minor regeneration.


    -Beasts like you a bit more.


    I glanced at my game-like screen and sighed inward.


    Twinshriek huffed from the door of my cabin, then eyed me curious with his two heads and four eyes. I know buddy. When a god notices you, the rest won''t be far away.

 Damsel

    "Stop training for speed, my stupid apprentice. You''re already faster than a god." Martak demanded as I ran through a hundred kata at hyperspeed.


    I wasn''t actually training for speed, but my teacher did have a point. Baring teleports, I was pretty much the fastest man alive on this world. Strongest and most durable as well, barring unfortunate temporal magic.


    "My Hunter''s Moons is not progressing at all. I have no talent for magic!" I complained like an angsty teenager. Which I was again.


    The Hunter''s Moons was the closest Amber magic to a mass healing spell, but even with increased affinity I still sucked at it.


    "Then practice Monstrous Regiment more. A thousand times every day." my harsh teacher demanded in a callous voice, then pointed at a nearby rabbit to come sacrifice itself for our supper, and probably a new hat for the Amber shaman.


    Amber magic is not a normal kind of magic. Everything is visceral, intuitive and wild, often by design. Practice helps, but truthfully, you need an epiphany into the nature of wilderness in order to grow stronger.


    Given the normal and natural weakness of a human in the wild, such epiphanies were easier for fragile human apprentices, but not for me.


    I could bathe in a leech-infested river and not worry about my safety. I could sleep in a wolves den, and the poor wolves would just have to endure me, or break their teeth on my skin.


    I could fly with the eagles, without needing to grow wings like other shamans.


    Yes, I had a few unfair advantages, but they also hampered my growth.


    Still, my teacher words were basically an order, so I flew up and began searching for a decent target to use Monstrous Regiment spell on.


    A caravan attacked by goblins, another caravan attacked by wolves, an army regiment on the march, they could all benefit from my aerial-cast spell, boosting their strength a few times for the duration of the spell.


    And if and when I located bandits and other evildoers prowling my forest, I could train the Leatherbane spell on them, with the usual grievous results, such as leather items breaking, water pouches leaking, belts and scabbards rotting away, and even minor bits like eyes, ears, noses and fingers falling off.


    Sure, a properly cast spell would disintegrate anything organic to dust, but I wasn''t a proper wizard, was I?


    Thus, when I located a damsel in distress, I gladly flew down to lend my aid. A dozen wood-cutters were shielding this girl, while arrows flew from the woods and then vanished in mid-air before they could reach their targets.


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    "Lady Elena, just go! We''re not worth your life." a wood-cutter spoke in a grave voice, stepping in front of the damsel and holding his axe valiantly.


    A blur passed by, and wood elves began flying into a heap in front of the damsel, legs broken and lacking their bows.


    In a few seconds, I completed the task and appeared next to my captives, floating a palm over the ground as to not dirty my naked feet.


    "There! Ambush solved." I announced in a cool, heroic voice.


    The woman dressed in a long green dress measured me for a half a second, then sighed and began healing the crippled elves.


    In a minute, the newly healed elves stood back to their feet, and eyed their bows piled further away. "Try it again, and I''ll break both your legs." I spoke softly.


    The elves possibly recognized me, as their eyes widened suddenly in fear and ran away.


    "And who might you be, Amber wizard?" the rescued damsel asked in a collected voice.


    "Ah, I am Pef, but only an apprentice, not a full Amber Wizard. And you''re called Elena?" I answered in a questioning voice.


    "Indeed. I am Elena, a Grail Damsel..." she said in curious tone, as if expecting me to know her.


    I eyed the sword at her side, and wondered for a second if I was going to get shanked once more. The Holy Grail, they had this here too?


    "Is this Grail a Divine object shaped like a cup which has miraculous powers?" I asked to make sure.


    She blinked at me slowly, so I must have guessed right. Or close enough.


    "You have read much, for an Amber Wizard..." she noticed in a low voice, then turned away walking slowly towards the edge of the forest.


    I considered the situation for a minute, then flew at her side to continue our discussion.


    "What is that spell that blocks arrows?" I asked instead, feeling quite curious for once. I knew a few wizards from Altdorf, but they weren''t sharing spells with me. Even my teacher only taught me 5 spells so far.


    Her eyes glinted with inner light, and the same spell formed in front me, about 2 meters away. "It is called Aerial Shield." she answered in a softer voice.


    I poked the shield from both sides, and found nothing there. Well, nothing solid at least. There was magic, of course.


    Not an air shield, although I already suspected that, since arrows simply vanished, instead of bouncing away.


    "Amazing! It''s a type of spatial spell, shunting the arrows into another place? Does it transport bullets or cannon balls too?" I asked in a rush.


    Elena frowned for a second, then nodded. "The spell can do that, if the caster is strong or skilled enough. My limit is arrows though." she added in a shy voice.


    I measured Elena with a sad eye. She was the same as me then. Not a full-fledged wizard, only an apprentice. "I also have a few spells that should be powerful, but only get the lowest results. I suck at magic."


    She laughed loudly, startling me. "You, suck at magic? You are flying right now. With no effort at all." she complained in a despondent voice.


    I sighed inward, as my flight was not a magic spell. "That''s not exactly true. I am not casting any spell to fly. It''s a form of Ghur baptism, I was told. Like a god dunked me into a pool of Amber magic for too long"


    Elena smirked and poked my ribs, right into the Mark of Taal. "To bear the mark of a god is a sign of greatness. I think you humble yourself too much, Avatar of Taal." she added with a coy voice.


    I mean, it was a decently good explanation for my powers, so I would take it. Few people would dare to mess with a Divine messenger, after all.


    "Perhaps, I should be more confident, right? Fancy a kiss from your savior, my fair lady?" I asked in a honeyed voice.


    Elena laughed and pointed at her camp by the road. "My Grail Knights might object to a new lover."


    I smiled widely. She didn''t say no.

 Victory

    I have to admit, the Grail Knights</a> are the most capable examplars of humanity I have seen so far, both in morality and combat ability.


    Then again, the Knights have endured long and grueling quests in order to receive their sup from the Grail, which drink grants them extreme levels of strength, speed and some manner of durability, one of the Knights being nigh-immune to magic. Not immune like me, but close enough.


    I say extreme in comparison to a normal soldier, thus being able to battle monsters or vampires on equal footing. I stayed with the pilgrim group from Bretonnia for week, mostly learning some of their sword techniques, as well as trying and failing to learn the special brand of magic used by the Grail Damsel Elena. Not much success there, but I compensated my magical failure with a romantic win, so it was still fine.


    Elena was heading towards a chapel by a lake, as to continue her own magical training, while I began my long plan to acquire gold and other metals. By looting bad people.


    Sure, I could hunt beasts and sell their meat and furs for a penny, but it was far more efficient to fly to some Orc or Goblin village, loot their metal, bury their broken bodies in mass graves, then return to my cabin in the woods with a huge raft holding my loot. I wish I had an inventory ability...


    My teacher kept sniffing dubiously at the constantly growing pile of gold, gems and iron near my cabin, until he just yelled at me. "What are you doing, silly apprentice? There''s enough gold here to build a new city!"


    I nodded slowly. "I guess I should begin spending some of it, right? Infrastructure, roads and irrigation canals, a few mines and foundries, and then prepare the large factories to construct a million rifles." I explained in a modest voice.


    Wizard Martak stood still for a minute, then sighed. "The winds of Ghur flow strongly through you, young Pef. I also see portents of Doom in the future, but nothing as clear as needing to prepare a million rifles."


    I smiled a bit sad, as my visions were not magical, only memories of another life playing computer games. Chaos would attack anyways, with or without my meddling. I could only hope to give humanity, and perhaps the elves and dwarves a chance to survive to coming apocalypse. A million rifles might seem a lot, but demons and undead and all sorts of Beastmen and corrupted creatures numbered in the billions.


    The world was already shattered, and the barriers to the Warp were broken at the Polar Gates, and only the High Elves magic and their giant magical siphon had helped delay the inevitable. But the Chaos still grew, and more and more regions fell every year.


    "It will get much better for a while. We have an entire century to prepare. I want to form a special unit like the Grail Knights too." I added in a more composed voice.


    The Amber Wizard measured me, and even glanced at my family jewels with a frown. "You don''t know if your offspring will inherit your special traits."


    I smiled a bit shyly. Being seen through so easily was rather humbling. "They should inherit something. From me or my women. And anyways, there will be the new Amber recruits." I said as a half-measure.


    Martak sighed, and walked away. My teacher was a hard man to please.


    Swiping a thousand gold coins in a hundreds bags, I flew away to begin my next quest.


    From village to village, and town to town, I visited mayors and lords, castellans and stewards to deposit the gold in exchange for Amber Order rights, and also infrastructure works.


    While the Amber Wizards tended to avoid civilization and large groups of people, I preferred to raise of my Wizardly Order in the eyes of the populace, not only for my self, but for future generations too. Other Wizard Orders were seen as powerful and noble people, treated like minor saints wherever they went, but not the Amber ones.


    This was mostly because the Amber ones were poor, and savage looking, but I could and would change this, firstly by spending coin, and later by providing other services beside warfare.


    As for mines, it was a bit simpler for someone with an invulnerable body. I could and did burrow through mountains and hills to find mineral deposits, then sold my finding to different local merchants for a small penny. Developing a distant mountain region for mining would be difficult and costly enough, without having to pay a fortune for the find.


    And during my mineral phase I did manage to obtain my first epiphany, curiously enough on the nature of the Hunter''s Hide. Unlike other Amber magic practitioners, my body was already durable enough, leaving only my clothes to endure friction with hard rocks and iron deposits. By my sixth deer coat getting trashed, I realized I had to imbue the coat itself with Ghur, thus creating a nigh-unbreakable Hunter''s Hide. After this insight, it took only one month for my leather clothes to become more durable than steel plate armor.


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    As I returned satisfied and victorious to my teacher, the man only shook his head. "Took you far less than the 22 years it took me. And you claim to have no talent at magic..."


    Then he clenched his fist and compressed Ghur immensely, creating a liquid and then a translucent stone looking like a magical bit of amber, if more ghostly and ethereal.


    "Errr. I can''t do that. Not yet..." I muttered humbly.


    "Of course you can. Any Wizard worth his salt can create a power stone of his own magic. Now take this Ghost Amber to Altdorf and give it to the Gold Order. And deal with whatever reason they lit the beacon again." Martak demanded while flicking the priceless Ghur stone into my hand.


    It felt like an unexploded bomb, but far more dangerous, since Ghur could interact with my time-locked body as if I was a normal human.


    A minute later I reached the beacon and royally waved my palm to extinguish the flames.


    Beside the beacon fire, a pair of Wizards wearing gold masks waited for me, or perhaps any Amber Wizard nearby.


    "That was much faster than expected, Magister Gelt." the first Wizard spoke in a deferential voice, if not towards me.


    "You have the stone, boy?" Wizard Gelt asked me in a superior voice.


    I managed to hold my cool, and instead locked my eyes on the other guy. "There better be a good reason why the beacon was lit, Gold Wizard. I''ve been known to rip off arms and legs from creatures that insulted me." I boasted a little. I did far more or less, depending on the situation.


    An awkward silence emerged for a minute, while I starred at the first wizard with cold eyes. "Magister Martak has finally trained a strong apprentice. You better apologize now."


    Wizard Gelt advised the other wizard with an amused voice.


    "Ehm. You do seem plenty strong. Fast too." the man muttered as he sweated bullets under his mask.


    "A donation of a hundred gold coins to the Mayor''s office will suffice. Go!" I explained politely to the failed Wizard, then turned to measure Balthazar Gelt for real. He didn''t look like the Incarnate of Metal, but then appearances could be deceiving. I was also bearing the Mark of Taal, yet few magic users could sense this.


    "My stone?" Wizard Gelt asked again, this time almost polite.


    I opened my left hand and held the Ghost Amber between my fingers. "The beacon?" I asked instead. I would show these entitled Wizards I was not their errant boy, running to answer any random call.


    Gelt sighed, I manner mildly reminiscent of my own teacher. "A few villages up North got struck by Beastmen. The Army needs help."


    I flicked the power stone in the air and flew away, probably reaching the battle site at the same time with Gelt collecting his power stone. I could have arrived minutes earlier if not for the silly Wizards playing status games.


    "The Ox stands! Monstrous Regiment!" I called out my buff spells, then dove in melee to smack the larger Beastmen into smaller bits.


    While Beastmen were fast and strong, and cunning too, they were also corrupted by Chaos. There would be no broken legs or other incapacitation strikes.


    Still, while I could simply fly a hyperspeed through the attackers and splatter them, I preferred to work on my katas, using aikido techniques to disarm and then decapitate my opponents with their own weapons.


    I took several seconds longer, but it was good practice for later. I suspected my future enemies would not be easily dispatched by mere strength and speed, not in a world where gods empowered mortals to superhuman feats. Then take a dragon or a demon and empower it further. Maybe a lich or a vampire. Then give them magic and divine artifacts.


    I had to get into habit of not accepting any hits, since one could never know if one weapon or another would be cursed or divine or magic piercing or any other dangerous kind.


    Even so, my Hunter''s Hide blocked nine hits during the battle, which was nine too many.


    "The Ox stands! Hunter''s Moons!" I casted while collecting my metal loot into a big pile.


    I looked around to find my buff had the same minimal effect as always. No mass healing yet, also a few minor cuts began to close on the armsmen closest to me.


    Oh well. I had an entire century to practice more, and plenty of battles ahead.


    "My loot, I''ll be back for it!" I pointed at my pile of iron and steel weapons then flew ahead.


    Sadly, the struck villages were already depopulated or eaten. Sometimes both.


    I could only cull the remaining Beastmen cooks and bury to remains in separate mass graves.


    Feeling a bit vengeful, I roamed a bit further North and butchered a dozen Beastmen herds, and left their heads impaled on posts like warning markers.


    By evening, I returned to my cabin with a huge raft loaded with bloody metal weapons and armor.


    My master peeked at me from his cave, then shook his head and returned to his bone dice. While victorious today, I still felt I lost.

 Acolytes

    "There are two Amber spells you must learn next." my teacher demanded one day, as Twinshriek dropped two peasant boys in front of me.


    The kids looked at me like a I was some sort of deity, with me flying and such, and quickly fell to their knees.


    "I hope they''re orphans...." I said with a mild bitter taste in my mouth. Way too many orphans around, with no state orphanages around.


    "Taal'' Fury!" Wizard Martak chanted, and the two kids transformed into savages filled with animalistic hate, aimed right at me.


    Their speed and strength almost reached a trained soldier''s level, if not their aim or precision. Wild strikes and telegraphed claws to my knees.


    I flew around the enspelled boys a bit curious, then rose to 5 meters in altitude to watch them jump comically in futile attempts to hit me.


    "Uncontrolled rage?" I asked my teacher as the boys consumed their meager stamina and fainted.


    "It is actually the wrath of Taal himself, channeled through the receiver of this spell. Curious that it did not affect you at all." my teacher observed with a clinical voice.


    "I think my mind is quite protected from outside influence. Or so I was told. Then again, the same thing was said about my body..." I noted with a sad grimace.


    Martak frowned for a minute, then spoke again. "Vengeful Hood!"


    A Ghur spell formed around him, similar in shape to a rain coat, with a wide hood too. Only made of translucent amber.


    "Throw some weapons at me, apprentice." he demanded in coy tone.


    Since I had a pile of thousand of weapons in my pile, I gladly accepted and began flicking spears and axes and pikes and maces and anything at hand.


    A second later, my thrown weapons returned right back at me, with the exact speed I launched them. Good thing I was quite durable.


    "That''s overpowered as fuck!" I exclaimed in awe.


    My teacher simply gestured at me to continue, so I did. For 16 minutes, I was bombarded by my own thrown weapons, even those that broke the sound barrier during launch.


    My own''s Hunter''s Hide failed at some point, resulting in my nice deer coat getting shredded by the rebounding weapons.


    Then Martak held his hand up, stopping me from shanking him by accident. His own spell has ended.


    "Ghur is indeed overpowered. Now, why would you need to learn this spell, since it only works on mundane, not magical damage?" my teacher asked with a kind smile.


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    I sighed inward. "Because, if I want my children to live, I will have to teach them." I deduced with my flawless genius.


    "And these two boys will be your own acolytes. Train them well." Martak explained with a wise tone, then walked back to his cave.


    I nodded to myself, knowing already how useful this Vengeful Hood would be for my future children. They would be able to tank arrows and javelins, even bullets and cannon balls, and then return them to sender with deadly results. Ghur was indeed overpowered as fuck.


    As for the other spell, Taal''s Fury...it would make a decent battlefield buff for desperate melee fights. Even 5 year old kids became quite dangerous under the spell, not to mention regular peasants or even imperial soldiers. Someone on the level of a Grail Knight would become a demigod of rage, ripping heads and spines with each strike.


    I shuddered to think that even such a fierce-some spell might not be enough when the End Times came around.


    But both spells together? An invulnerable berserk army might indeed stand face-to-face with the Chaos hordes and rip them to shreds.


    I sighed inward. I did not have a normal army yet, not to mention an army of Ghur users. I glanced at the two kids in my care, and grabbed them like kittens to set them on my bed to rest. Was I even ready to become a teacher? Oh well, what could go wrong?


    "Master Pef! I am hungry!"


    "And I need to pee!" the other kid added with an innocent voice.


    That could happen too. Gregor Martak lucked out with a perfect apprentice like myself. I only had a duo of crying babies to teach.


    "Good! Today we''ll enter the Reikland forest and you''ll learn how to survive in the wilderness. Food, water, clothes and medicine, the forest provides all. First rule, do not pee in the stream. That''s where your water comes from." I began with a sad voice.


    However , it was not all bad. In a few months, my young acolytes experienced several epiphanies, since they were weak and cold and starving in the wild.


    Odin managed to call a rabbit to him, and got to eat the entire rabbit by himself, and soon enough Thor was desperate and hungry enough to charm a wild turkey to jump down and offer itself as dinner.


    Learning from my little ones, I also managed to call a deer to me, mostly for a new coat and a pair of small boots for the young ones. Twinshriek was also watching and stole most of the deer meat as I left the carcass to drip out from a branch. Oh well. The forest is not kind to anyone.


    "Master Pef! Look, I did it! I have the Venegful Hood!" Thor claimed a month later, and indeed a minute aura of Amber covered the half-naked boy.


    I wasn''t envious, but even his pathetic result was better than my own. Perhaps I did suck at magic.


    I smirked at Odin and flexed my magical hood. "Lazy boy, no food until you do it too."


    Odin glared at me, then closed his eyes to focus. An hour later, his own spell formed, even better than Thor has managed.


    Hunger is the best motivator of all.


    By the time a year has passed, my acolytes were learning Hunter''s Hide and the Ox stands spells, even if they sucked at those more than me.


    Which is why Martak arrived by the cabin with Twinshriek in tow. "Would you boys want to learn how to fly?" he asked them, in an innocent voice.


    "Yea! Just like Master Pef!" both kids yelled happily.


    I sighed inward. Martak was never a kind teacher.


    "Climb on Twinshriek then. We need to gain more air under us..." the Amber Wizard invited them, with a warning look towards me.


    I didn''t need the Wings of the Falcon to fly, but the kids will soon regret climbing on the griffon. And especially being kicked off in mid-air.

 Donations

    From Marienburg to Averland, my patrol route was fairly long today, but I tried to keep a weekly schedule even so.


    Almost like a bee, I flew about at speed, descending to help in one place, or massacre in another, then collect the loot and drop it over in the nearest town.


    Metal was rare and valuable in this medieval world, even broken bits of armor and weapons. They could be re-smelted and forged, mostly as common goods like plows and scythes and whatnot. New weapons would need fresh ore and such, but this is why the Empire of Man had miners. The gold I used to fund roads and bridges and canals, buying the goodwill of the locals, while also improving the economy in general.


    A simple investment in infrastructure construction was not so simple in effect, after all. Builders needed to drink and eat, new clothes and tools and carts and horses...a hundred gold for a minor road to a nearby village or mine would improve the lives of everyone in the region, one way or another.


    My pile of gold back home was still over 20000 gold coins, an immense sum for such a primitive economy. I had to take care to spread the gold around as much as possible, lest I ruined more than I hoped.


    The looted gems I reserved to commission enchanted items and other magical artifacts, especially amulets, bracelets and other wards that could block or deflect magic attacks.


    While dealing with a renowned enchanter I heard about some amulet that could ward off magic completely. Maybe a myth, but perhaps not. The Old Ones that crafted the Polar Gates were surely capable of crafting magic blockers as well. I paid an extra ruby for the rumour, and flew away.


    While my stay in Altdorf was short, I did manage to surprise visit the Mayor, and donate 500 gold for a cleaning service of the city, and the establishment of a garbage service, including wooden bins on every street. A bunch of starving people will get some work, and the garbage might not smell so bad.


    "Did a Gold Wizard come to donate some gold too?" I asked on a whim.


    "Last year?" the Mayor mused in surprise.


    "Exactly. I asked him to donate 100 gold." I said with a thin smile.


    "He gave me 10 gold..." the Mayor muttered in a low voice.


    "Hmmm. Wait a second." I demanded and flew right in the Gold Order''s tower to grab the guilty Wizard by the neck and bring him in front of the Mayor.


    "What is the meaning of this?" the apron-wearing wizard demanded as he turned in outrage, only to fall back on his ass as he saw me.


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    "Which hand do you dislike more, Gold Wizard? I know you owe the Mayor 90 gold coins, which means you rather lose an arm than pay up." I asked in a curious voice.


    The wizard drew a large bag and dropped it on the floor. "There...200 coins. I''ll bring more next year, I promise!" the man yelled in near panic.


    I pretended to think about it for a minute. "Perhaps another deal is possible. Have you heard of smokeless powder?" I inquired in a soft voice.


    The Gold Order were chemists and alchemists, not simply Wizards. Most of the gunpowder used by the Imperial Army was created by their Order.


    "I''ll be away for an hour, my lords..." the Mayor muttered as he scurried away, after snatching his donation from the floor.


    "...Can''t say I have. Smokeless gunpowder, really?" The Gold Wizard asked as he rose and began to think hard, forgetting the previous misdemeanor.


    "Well, not perfectly smokeless, but certainly not the black cloud of ash our guns use right now. Something to do with the composition of the powder, as well as the humidity and granulation. And then, the grooves inside the gun barrel might also channel the smoke better, not only to impart spin and accuracy on the bullet." I said in a teaching voice.


    "It surely sounds possible, same as these grooves. A spinning bullet might keep to flight better." the man mused in deep thought.


    "Especially if the bullet is cast from lead, and made longer instead of round. Plus, lead is both cheaper and heavier than iron, which means the bullet will travel a longer path. I expect the Mayor''s Office to receive 10% of your income from now on. The Imperial Army will pay quite a lot for such a wonderful new weapon." I said next, eyeing the Gold Wizard with a stern face.


    "...If I can make such a gun, I would pay even more!" the Gold Wizard answered in a weird voice.


    "Well, I will come back next year. Lack of results will mean lack of limbs. Get a dozen acolytes and put them to work to build this rifle gun, or you may need to craft yourself a gold arm instead." I warned the man and flew out the window.


    I need to invent glass windows too. No, nevermind those. Daemons will not care for glass windows. Guns, lots of guns first!


    A short flight to Nuln, and a similar advice to a reputed gunsmith, only without maiming threats. I did need someone to build revolvers for me, and a gunsmith with less fingers would not be useful.


    The Imperial Gunnery School in Nuln was pretty well equipped for this age, and were actually crafting field cannons of some ancient version.


    I payed in gold for 100 larger guns, in 200 mm caliber for my future army. Yes, 100 gold per cannon was overpriced, but this included research and development, as well as meager pensions for those injured, burned or maimed in testing the guns. Workplace safety was not-existent here. They did use up plenty of apprentices every year though.


    They also had steam tanks in the Empire, but I found them sub-optimal. Using iron wheels instead of tracks meant that cross-country mobility was very bad, or nearly none.


    Was it really a tank if it had wheels? I sighed inward and flew away. Armored cars should work. Once I had an internal combustion engine. Maybe next decade?


    A dozen saved caravans later, I reached Averland and had to fight a dozen vampires disguised as Nobles. Very hard to kill, surprisingly. I had to stomp them, like grapes into wine. Might need a magic weapon, or some specialized spell. Or an ultraviolet flashlight? I sighed inward at the vampires'' remains, then scooped them into a bonfire. Hopefully they won''t come back from that.


    This world sucked!

 Bear

    Another year, and another 10000 gold spent on construction produced the first major result, the Amber Highway from Marienburg to Averland, a 20 meters-wide road with separate lanes for each direction.


    Every kilometer there would be side-stops and water wells for horses, and every 10 kilometer an inn with a large station for caravans, with fodder and water for animals.


    The rocky and steep parts of the road had to be hand-carved by myself, since this world lacked dynamite and excavators. The time would come, but for now ease of trade and commerce was more important. Plus I was quite a powerful excavator myself.


    Or a space launch vehicle if I needed to. I should be able to lift a mountain into orbit if I tried, but the


    Morrslieb</a>, or the Chaos Moon</a> hanging over the North Pole warned me that space was not exactly safe either.


    Such a gigantic warpstone that it formed a new Moon. I wasn''t very keen to get too close to that thing.


    Even worse, the Skaven were digging and had reached both Marienburg and Nuln with their tunnels.


    Sure, they were only rats, easy to kill. But they were also not simply rats. They were insane rats, able and willing to use warpstone to craft weapons of any kind.


    I could and did exterminate a few clans of them, then collected the magic loot and blew myself up by experimenting with Skaven weaponry like a fool. An indestructible fool, so it wasn''t all that bad. Still, warpstone was not a safe energy source, no matter my hopes.


    In comparison, the condensed power stones of our Wizards were a thousand times safer, and those were not safe at all either.


    Another road to Middenheim, and then Nordland and Ostland should link the Empire together even stronger than magic weapons.


    Which meant I had to depart on more looting expeditions, in the Wasteland and other lands, mostly targeting Orcs and Ogres and other less-civilized lands.


    When I returned, my huge raft filled with 25000 gold coins and a hundred tons of weapons and armor, my acolytes flew up to meet me, and show off their own flying skills.


    Winged flight was still flight after all.


    "Master Pef! See, we can fly now!" Thor yelled in happy voice.


    Odin just nodded at me, perhaps a bit wiser than the sanguine youth flipping his wings in front of me.


    "And so modest too..." I observed smartly.


    "Ah, I am the Champion of Humility!" Thor shouted loudly.


    I landed and split my loot into different piles. Magister Martak walked at my side to observe my effort. "And all this took you an entire week?"


    I shrugged a bit carelessly. "I also dug mass graves, helped some 30 caravans under attack, and rescued a dozen fair ladies..." I explained in a modest tone.


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    "An Ice Maiden of Kislev too..." Martak noted with a frown.


    "Anika, yes. Am I so well known, already?" I wondered a bit confused. Anika was fighting Orcs in a frozen wasteland, with no one around, no one but...wild animals.


    "The Amber Order has members all over. And they all know me. And thus you." Martak added with a snicker. Fuck! Animal gossip was the worst!


    "The network of gossip spreads all over the Old World. I know." I hummed to myself, while the kids dug into the loot for some cool weapon or gem to claim as their own.


    "You don''t know. You suspect and guess, but you don''t have any idea, my young apprentice. A sparrow or a raven may fly around and inform a shaman of your actions, or maybe a tiny mouse or rabbit trembling in a burrow under your tent." Martak said with a glance at the kids, as they mock fought with real weapons still dripping with Orc blood.


    I blinked, then moved and grabbed the weapons before the kids decapitated each other or themselves for that matter.


    "A dozen snakes each!" I ordered as punishment.


    "But they taste bad!"


    "And they also bite!" Odin commented wisely.


    "Now." I continued in a soft voice.


    They kids ran into the forest, already casting their Amber magic to protect themselves from the wild.


    "On the other hand, you managed talk to a bear?" Martak asked a bit more curious.


    "I think the bears of Kislev are special. Changed by their bear-god, perhaps?" I answered with a frown. Normal bears would not drag sleds otherwise. Nor be ridden like horses.


    Martak sighed, and walked away, leaving me confused. Much to learn I have.


    Twinshriek flew up, keeping his eyes on the kids, lest a Reikland bear eat them. Unlike Kislev, our bears were dangerous and would eat even Amber Wizards. Not very often, but it did happen.


    I went to my cabin to brew some tea, and consider my last raid. Anika was a pleasant surprise, not at all like the other Kislevites and their vodka-addled minds.


    She tasted like ice-cream...


    ''Come, hard skull. Young ones have found a bear.'' Twinshriek yelled from the sky.


    I moved fast, and grabbed the bear by the scruff of his neck before he could eat a Thor as a snack.


    "Bad bear! Little Thor is my acolyte. A future Amber Wizard, master of wilderness and all beasts!" I warned the bear and shook him a little.


    ''Food?'' the bear asked in a simple tone.


    ''Come'' I demanded in his mind, and dragged him along, like a misbehaving cat.


    A few kilometers away, there was a deer spot and some berries bushes. "You have a nose, don''t you? Smell food!" I pointed towards the illiterate bear.


    The bear sniffed at me. ''Hard paw. Bear grateful!'' the beast muttered with a humble growl, then ran towards a deer.


    Damn bears. Soon they will ask for the right to bear arms too!


    It would be quite unbearable.


    I sighed softly and flew back to my cabin. The tea had boiled over and I had to start again. Bear with it, Pef!


    It could be worse.

 Childhoods end

    Visiting Talabecland always felt strange. It felt..friendly, for the lack of another word. Or perhaps homely?


    Maybe it was the wild forests, or perhaps the ubiquitous Cult of Taal and Rhya</a> , also known as the Father and Mother of Creation.


    The province itself was named after Taal, while the capital Talabheim was nested inside a giant crater, only accessible via a fortified tunnel, for the unfortunate people devoid of flight.


    The prevalent poverty didn''t sit well with me though, so I began to change this.


    The Taal Great Road would increase commerce and give work to lots of people, as would the hundreds of minor foundries and mines sponsored by the Amber Order.


    Donations to the Cult should help as well, especially the monasteries that accepted orphans.


    Even 20000 gold coins were not enough to raise this province from poverty, but my help should be felt for a decade at least.


    The last 5000 gold were spent on the city of Marienburg, mostly to create a larger trade fleet, and several warships to protect said trade. The province had just separated from the Empire via a generous bribe to the Emperor, which was clever of them, but not conductive to survival.


    Sometimes the locals pretended they existed in a world without Dark Gods, vampires and necromancers.


    It took a dozen public defenestrations to change the mood somewhat, plus a few raids through the smuggling dens and other criminal underground factions, including some Skaven rats. I gathered a thousand dead bodies, human, rats and some other species and burned them in the main square, as a decent reason for punishing corruption and bribery.


    The smuggled goods were donated to the local Secretariat for Trade Equity, while I kept the gems and metals for my own use. Not the Skaven''s warpstone though, those bits I threw into outer space, with sufficient velocity to achieve orbital lift-off.


    Escorting a few trade fleets to Bretonnia and Estallia gave me the first sight of the maritime predators, krakens and monsters of all sorts, plus pirates, be they human, dark elves or even undead.


    My pouch of copper coins was extremely useful in dealing with such dangers from far away. A simple copper coin flicked at Mach 30 becomes a ball of green copper plasma, quite effective at destroying most things. The krakens got away missing a few limbs, the pirate ships just exploded in beautiful fireworks.


    I may not be a Fire Wizard, but I guess my plasmaballs were even more powerful than regular Fireballs.


    A year later, a newly elected Marienburg Elector asked to be received back into the Empire of Man, and the problem was solved. The trade must go on.


    Collecting some gold from the pirates allowed me to fund the road to Ostermark, albeit a small version only 10 meters wide. Still much better than the poor roads used by the Empire, but not my desired standard. Oh well. There was still time.


    Sadly, the work on better gunpowder didn''t progress as well, even with the efforts of the Gold Order and the Nuln School of Gunnery. The first rifles did emerge though, to be followed soon by rifled cannons, especially valuable for warships and siege artillery. Better range and penetration would help the Empire reach more distant enemies, or pierce through thicker armor or walls.


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    Even the newest gunpowder, while still black as coal, was slightly more potent and less foul. Then again, it took my former world centuries to achieve Poudre Blanche, the first smokeless powder. The new Minnie ball type bullets did work better too, reaching better range and a flatter trajectory.


    Thus, when I returned to my Reikland cabin and found a bear sleeping on my floor I wasn''t really upset. "Free food, right?" I asked the bear while holding him by the scruff of his neck.


    ''Hard Paw! I brought you amber!'' the bear explained with a sleepy growl. Indeed, several bits of precious amber, including one bigger than my head were revealed under the bear.


    I sighed inward. "And what do you want for it?" I asked in a suspicious voice.


    ''Food! Maybe honey?'' the bear demanded with no shame.


    The two guilty boys were not around, but I had a suspicion who taught the bear to search for amber.


    "Put the bear down, Pef." Martak said in a calm voice.


    I set him down, gently. It would probably be painful to be held by your skin when you weighed half a ton.


    ''Many thanks, Wild Master!'' the bear offered to my teacher with a grateful growl.


    "I solved the thing in Marienburg." I announced in a flat voice.


    "Yes, the entire Empire knows about the flying Wizard that burned a thousand men in Marienburg. The Amber Order has decided you''re strong enough to become a proper Amber Wizard." my teacher said with a mild voice.


    "What? I barely know a dozen spells!" I protested in outrage.


    ''Strong!'' the bear added his opinion.


    "You''re not a child anymore, Pef. With Taal himself looking after you, and the Ghur blessing in your body, you will live for thousands of years. Probably much more." Martak explained in a calm voice.


    I sighed inward. Reaching childhood''s end was kinda sad. "All right. I am a Wizard now. Can I get the beacon thing now?"


    Martak shook his head in amusement. "Just keep a bird or something nearby. You don''t need a special spell to alert you if they lit a beacon."


    I pouted. I kinda hoped there was a fancy Amber spell that would ping me for a beacon.


    "Thor and Odin are also promoted to apprentice. They rode this bear home." Martak pointed at the guilty bear, who pushed a bit of amber towards me like an offering.


    Fine! They could keep the bear then. "No eating the kids, hear me? I can make new boots from your skin..."


    The bear looked at me with a sheepish face. ''Grom smart!''


    Way too smart, if you ask me.


    "So what now?" I asked my (former) teacher.


    "Find your place in the world, just like any shaman. And take your apprentices with you." the Wizard muttered as he entered his cave.


    Great. I was kicked out!


    I glanced outside, and the gold pile barely held 100 Imperial Crowns or so. I wouldn''t starve...

 Warden

    The Empire of Man and its Elector system made me think of the Holy Roman Empire back home, which was later conquered by Prussia and integrated into the German Empire.


    But the Prussians didn''t have smokeless gunpowder either. What they did have, was a strong martial tradition and a breech-loading rifle.


    I could at least match Prussia, right?


    And just like Prussia, I decided to start my enterprise in the Eastern Province of the Empire of Man, called Ostermark, or Ostmark. This poor province had been attacked, sacked, and otherwise decimated by countless attacks by Orcs, vampires and Chaos, that it was now the poorest and least powerful province of them all.


    One of the latest such devastations was the destruction of Ostmark''s capital of Mordheim</a> by a fallen comet, four centuries ago, although in my mind an object reaching the surface should be called a meteor.


    Oh well. It wasn''t like Newtonian physics and a normal universe existed much around here. Planes of existence and distant stars were connected all over, with Magic being a far more fundamental force than gravity.


    Landing the raft with my meager possessions in the middle of the Gryphon Wood forest, yet close enough to the capital of Bechafen</a> for further deals, I set up building a new cabin in the woods, while my apprentices scouted the new forest for food and curiosity.


    Then I began to explore the haunted grounds of the Dead Wood, where Mordheim used to be, collecting bits of warpstone for orbital launch, and exterminating mutants and Beastmen by the thousands. Much like radiation, warpstone was a mutagenic element, that twisted life into tragic parodies. Even with my speed, it would take decades to clean up this land of Warp corruption, but at least I could cull the incursions of dangerous beasts and mutants into the lands of man.


    To my surprise, there were other people exploring the Dead Wood area, sometimes adventures in search of gold and adventure, other times bandits and outcasts hiding where nobody would dare enter. And sometimes, there were Witch Hunters searching for targets, mostly undead and vampires, as well as mutants and other monsters.


    I mostly ignored the Witch Hunters though, since they didn''t like Wizards much and wouldn''t appreciate my help. Instead I focused on clearing the road to Essen</a>, sometimes excavating debris and hills for an easier and smoother road, other times expelling corrupting warpstones and the inevitable mutants.


    Unlike one might imagine, the current Emperor was rather content with a powerful Wizard building roads and testing his magic on outlaws, and more importantly showing up when a beacon was lit to help out a military blunder or some unfortunate invasion. I did also built a large pool of goodwill with the return of Marienburg to the Empire, and the newest rifles.


    So when a letter from the Emperor nominating me as Warden of the East arrived at my cabin, I wasn''t very surprised. If I were the Emperor, I would have wanted a flying invulnerable Wizard on my side too. On the other hand, that placed Stirland too in my legal authority now, as was the entire Vampire problem. Someone had a cunning advisor, in some wealthy spire of Altdorf.


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    More roads to build, more territory to police and cleanse. I just sighed inward and took the damned title anyways.


    *You have been named Warden of the East.


    -Provinces under your authority receive +3 Control and -3 Corruption, per month.


    -You can legally raise armies, as well as judge and prosecute criminals or heretics.


    -Funding not included.


    All right. I would have to raid and loot even further, but I planned to do that anyways. Smashing Orcs and Goblins, Ogres and Beastmen for training and profit wasn''t all that bad.


    The three permanent inhabitants of my cabin, including Grom, were tasked with keeping an eye on the Gryphon Wood, mostly by buffing up the bear until he could batter down any beast or Goblin tribe or whatnot.


    And I flew up and way, to collect more riches from other people who looted from even more distant people. Weekly raids began to pile up, and a year later I gathered 30000 gold and a thousand tons of metal, mostly old weapons or armor. Sometimes nails.


    My first project was to clean up Wurtbad, the Stirland''s capital. And build them a sewer system. Really, the place stunk!


    While this was going on, I began another road to Averland, and then a secondary road to Essen. Just like that, 15000 gold vanished from my pile, when a request for aid from Ostland arrived at my cabin.


    Although Ostland was actually to the North, Ost meant East, so the Elector considered himself under my protection.


    They had a real problem with Chaos and Norscan marauders, although they were pretty much the same in effect, just in varied degrees of Warp corruption.


    It wasn''t all bad. I did need to test myself against proper Chaos forces, even if they didn''t have demons and sorcerers, or even if they did.


    Plus, Ostland provided a route for a great road up to Erengrad, the main Kislev port at the Sea of Claws.


    While the Norscan bands were simple to catch and destroy, the actual Chaos warbands and spies were an ever-elusive and difficult enemy to pin down, sometimes hiding in Great Spider lairs, deserted Dwarf ruins and tunnels, while other times were covered by smoke and shadows.


    By the time the Ostland pacification ended, the road to Erengard was also finished, for 15000 gold and two years later. A dozen Witch Hunters and their bands of cutthroats also appeared to scour the land for heretics and spies, with minimal or even negative results. If Chaos worshipers were so easy to find, it wouldn''t take me two years.


    It could always get worse though. When I returned to my cabin, I found a bunch of newcomers have settled in, including 3 more bears, two dozen kids of likely Kislevite origins and Anika, the Ice Maiden with her own child. My child.


    "Annie, you look a bit angry?" I asked shyly as a Frostbolt slammed in my face.


    "Why would you think me angry?" my not-so-pure-anymore maiden asked with a coy voice.


    No reason at all, eh?


    I picked up my kid, and measured the young boy for signs of Magic. "Papa?" the boy asked me with an angel voice.


    Okay. I fucked up. But it wasn''t so bad.

 Wild Guard

    "Who are you?" I asked in a demanding tone.


    "The Wild Guard!" the children yelled in a dissonant chorus.


    "And what do you do?" I continued my inquiry.


    "We fight for the Empire of Man! We are the shield that protects the realm of Man!" the kids shouted with joy. My own apprentices shouting even more enthusiastic than the new refugees.


    "Good! Remember those words, forever. Now, back to your running!" I ordered and sent the kids to run the laps.


    "It''s not the Ice Court..." Anika whispered to herself, yet she was hanging on my arm, so I was meant to hear her.


    I nodded wisely and shrugged, minutely. Maybe I was thinking ahead too far, training a bunch of orphans into an elite guerilla unit, or maybe a force recon regiment. Even with all my special gifts, I was not a real hunter, woodsman, pathfinder or any kind of wilderness expert. Not even a proper officer or guerilla fighter. I will need to recruit real specialists, some adventurers maybe, but most likely a number of wild hunters, woodsmen and rangers. Delegation was a superpower of its own.


    Then I turned towards Anika. "Tell me five ways to save Kislev."


    "Food?" she guessed, almost at random.


    "Indeed, increased food production will save Kislev from starvation. What else?" I wondered in a soft voice.


    My Ice Maiden frowned, already figuring out my motives. "Weapons, roads and..." she said in a confused tone.


    "Don''t simply infer from my actions in the Empire. The countries are not the same. But yes, both roads and weapons will help secure Kislev too." I advised my icy wife.


    Anika elbowed me in the ribs, and instantly regretted it. "Just two more ways? Magic then. More Magic users...Ice Maidens or Storm Callers. And...Bears? Bears are strong!" she concluded with a nod towards the four bears running laps alongside the new Wild Guard.


    The Ice Court of Kislev also trained Tempest Magic users, sometimes producing powerhouses that could indeed control weather and call for storms or lightning to fall on their enemies. Other times, they simply trained Navigators for their ships, able to direct sailing winds and avoid natural storms. And even better, some of these Tempest user could fly, using the True Flight spell.


    I snorted at the thought of an army of bears, bearing down on their enemies and goring them with claw and teeth. Not really impossible, given the world I was living on, but highly impractical. Bears eat a lot, or they sleep a lot. Neither feat was conductive to an efficient army.


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    "I think wealth would help much more than a thousand bears that hibernate when a chaos incursion ravages the land." I provided with a smile.


    "Gold, huh?" Anika hummed gently, and eyed my small pile of gold in the open. What? It wasn''t like gold was in danger of rusting.


    "About 50000 gold coins for now, and a million gold in a century. If only there was a Warden of the East they could rely upon..." I mused in thoughtful voice.


    Opening trade with Cathay and Ind would generate that gold eventually, as trade was bound to do. Which meant a few years of hard work in Araby, creating a navigable channel for trade ships, plus clearing the usual obstacles of undead, monsters and such.


    "The Tsar will not accept your authority, my dear Pef." Anika said in a convinced voice, and a small snort.


    "Not this Tsar. Your own atamans would depose him for even considering such a deal. And I would have to rip out their spines. And their children'' too." I allowed with a careless shrug. Taking over an entire country by violence was possible, if one used enough violence. I could drop a few mountains on some Kislevite cities, and they would have to surrender.


    But eh. I wasn''t that much of a monster. Money would work as well, and wouldn''t kill anyone.


    Plus, this world had plenty of Gods and demi-gods, Divine Avatars and whatnot. It was better to work within the system, than try to upend it by myself, and find it dangerous or unproductive. Having the 4 Dark Gods as my enemy was quite enough, thank you. A few dozen more Gods, plus Dragons and Slaan and whatever else was here.


    "Please don''t do that, Amber Wizard. There should be five ways to convince Kislev peacefully, right?" Anika asked me in a pleading voice.


    I sighed and went to check on my kid. The faint aura of Ghur around him made him beloved by bears and other animals already, while his mother''s Ice gift kept him safe from the cold and hypothermia. Sadly, little Andrew wasn''t a flying brick like me, despite my hopes. Just a Magical miracle, similar to the Grail Damsels with their dual Magic gifts.


    Andrew slept with his fists holding bits of amber, seemingly at peace. The white-blond hair gave him an angelic appearance, which contrasted widely with his smelly underwear.


    I sniffed a bit powerless. Anika rushed to change the child, and glared at me for some reason.


    I know, I know. It was my fault too. But I was busing finding more gold and save the world. So I flew away, spending two minutes to appear 1000 kilometers to the South, next to the border of Sylvania. The place was far too dangerous for most people, even Witch Hunters or Wizards. It was infested with vampires and undead, plus a form of ambient magical corruption.


    But it wasn''t all that bad. Here I could let loose, and experiment with spells and combat styles. It wasn''t like anyone alive would be in danger.


    Plasma Fist style first. A pair of steel gloves, covered in copper plates. The gloves were covered by my Ghur field that kept my clothes intact (mostly), while the copper plates were not.


    Which meant they would endure immense friction with the air, then melt and vaporize into plasma, when I was moving fast enough.


    A vampire manor and a few thousand evaporated zombies later, I switched to Plasma Steps. Steel boots and copper plates.


    It worked much the same, but even better due to greater range for my kicks, while I was flying about.


    Then I found a nearly-dormant Lich with thousands of skeletons, and changed style again. Rapid fingers flicking through an iron bar and propelling slim shavings of iron at Mach 30, a hundred times per second. The Lich abandoned his damaged body and teleported his soul away, but his army was wasted.


    Still not perfect, but much cheaper than wasting Imperial coinage as weapons.


    Then, a giant flock of bats appeared in the sky, and descended upon me with vengeance. Shark style then. My bite was both fast and powerful. And even better, I did it with no hands!

 Army of the East

    Upon returning to the cabin, loaded with some 15000 Gold looted from Sylvania, I visited the Elector of Ostmark, to announce him of my plans for a safer province.


    In effect I was creating a new army of the East, consisting of 50 Great Cannons, 10 rifle battalions and two cavalry regiments, plus support units of recon, engineers and a logistic train.


    I would also pay for it, 5000 gold for the creation of the Arsenal Ost, which will manufacture the weapons and gunpowder for the army, plus a wide road to Essen, directly across country.


    "And the Great Cannons, Lord Warden?" the Elector asked in a curious voice.


    "Those? I already had them made in Nuln. The Emperor grabbed 50 of them already, but there are 50 left for my own army." I explained with a shrug.


    "Emperor Wilhem the Second just ''took'' the cannons that you paid for?" the Elector exclaimed in outrage.


    I smiled gently. "Do you believe that strength is what is needed to rule the Empire?" I asked instead.


    The man stopped to think, already more cautious. "The Imperial Authority is drawn from the Electoral College. Which has increased once more, with the Elector of Marienburg and Westerland returning to the fold. Now, all that remains is Sylvania..." he realized with a drawn breath.


    "A year to build the road to Essen, while the new army is raised and trained. Also, enough time to gather sufficient warrior-priests of Sigmar, plus Witch Hunters and adventurers that have fought the undead before. Then a slow and cautious campaign into Sylvania, possibly for a decade or two. Stirland will help as well." I offered as a grand strategy.


    Slow and steady was much better for the security of our forces, plus enough time to cleanse the corruption, build roads and forts and all else needed by living beings.


    And even so, it would not be easy.


    "The costs of maintaining a large army in the field for a decade, maybe two..." the Lord Elector mused in a worried voice.


    "What costs? Did I ever ask anyone for gold?" I asked rhetorically, while poking the pile of gold near me.


    "...That. Hmmm. Still, the soldiers will be away from the field or workshops. The province will produce less food, less goods." The Elector said in a concerned voice.


    "All true. Even so, while the army will be permanent from now on, the soldiers themselves will not be the same. Every year, new young men will reach adulthood and start training. After a year of training, they will be sent to the frontlines, while the veterans return home. As for field work, I suppose we can employ the refugees, plenty of them around, starving on the streets." I noted with a wry voice.


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


    Every invasion or natural disaster produced lots of displaced refugees, fleeing to the Empire for safety or food from all over, but mostly Kislev.


    The Elector hummed to himself, while rubbing the small hammer hanging at his neck. "This sounds possible, even beneficial in some respect."


    I didn''t actually need his approval. My rank as a Warden of the East superseded provincial borders. But his voluntary participation was much better than bureaucratic friction. Entire armies have starved before, for lack of supplies during a campaign.


    "It will be hard, and tiresome, nobody can deny that. On the other hand, a standing army will require a lot of provisions, from tents and carts, to weapons, armor and food. Expensive things. Taxable too." I induced him with a knowing voice.


    "I know! This Army of the East could be the salvation of Ostmark, not only now, but for generations to come. I will wish to nominate some officers, especially for the cavalry units. And then to convince the Guilds to provide their service..." The Elector mused in a slow voice.


    "Agreed. In fact, I will need more officers than you suspect, Elector. At least 10 officers per regiment, and 50 for the guns. And I will prefer literate men, able to read and write letters, or calculate trajectories for the guns. " I demanded with a wide smile.


    "What? Why so many? And who can I send, there aren''t enough nobles in the entire province..." the man exclaimed in near-panic.


    "We can always use Guild members that know letters and numbers. Masons and bankers and whatnot. Logistics will mean lots of carts and supplies needing to be counted and sent to the right unit. Paymasters for the soldiers'' salaries. Bridge builders for rivers. Fort builders. I was thinking a silver mark per week, plus 1 gold mark at the end of their service of two years. Triple that for officers." I explained in a mild voice.


    A rough calculation told me it would cost me around 1000 gold/year, and 10000 gold at the service payday every two years.


    Then again, it would be a 4000 men army, rather larger than regular 1000-1500 men armies that the Electors could afford. Plus the large numbers of officers.


    The Elector slumped into his high-leather seat. "Two decades you say? And then Sylvania will be conquered?"


    I could do it all by myself in a month or so, but it wouldn''t achieve the same thing. I want my strong Prussia, not a fiefdom of broken bones and gloomy skies.


    Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of officers, all with campaign experience versus undead and vampires? That''s what I called a good start for the future Imperial Army.


    "Perhaps a bit sooner, but don''t hope too much. I scouted the place just last week. It is full of undead and vampires. A million of them, maybe more." I said with a grim voice.


    The Elector nodded with grim determination. "I''ll start on the Guilds then. 3000 rifles, plus extra pikes and warhammers. And then 2000 horses, 1000 for the cavalry..." the man grunted in near pain.


    I kicked the pile of gold on the floor. "At least it''s not your own gold, Elector. Enjoy your meetings, I have a new road to dig to Essen."


    "Farewell, Warden!" the Elector said as I flew out the window.


    Building a new road has three main steps. Maybe four if you need to survey and such, but that was a minute of my time, so it didn''t count. Firstly, dig a trench wide enough, while demolishing trees, rocks and hills in the way.


    Then fill that trench with gravel, bigger bits at the bottom and smaller ones up top. Lastly plate over the gravel with road stones, the wider and more durable the better. Also build bridges where needed, such as rivers or canyons. And not steel bridges. There wouldn''t be enough steel in the entire Empire for a single bridge.


    Man, medieval tech sucks!

 Hero

    The first part of the Eastern Highway was rather easy and swift to construct, given that it followed the river to Heffengen</a> , and also crossed by a dozen towns like Reitwein and Remer.


    From Heffengen, I had to manually dig through the Bleak Moors hills until I reached Durben, and then began the hardest part, clearing the way until Burgenhof, through tougher hills made of granite, basalt and even marble. I mean, it didn''t actually matter towards my own effort, I could probably dig a tunnel all the way into Cathay, if I got a bit mad.


    But the stone hills will be useful in the long run, both as road material and then walls and forts and other construction projects. From Burgenhof I just followed the river til Essen, thus linking into the main Amber Road going through Averland all the way to Marienburg.


    In my wake, a thousand construction workers and the newly recruited Army Engineers worked hard to set the gravel and then road stones, bringing with them wealth and affluence into an impoverished country.


    Slowly, more and more recruits began to gather at Essen for the Army of the East, including 3 units of spears with shields from Stirland, from across the Stir River.


    A small numbers of Halflings from the Moot arrived as well, to provide healing and other services, which was welcome as well.


    While I did constantly (like 12 times a day) cast my Amber buffs on the working crews and the training recruits, fatigue, disease and injuries still plagued the new army.


    The new Noble officers did well enough for the cavalry regiments, but they were abysmal for other roles that didn''t involve sticking the enemy with a pointy thing.


    The new bridge over the Stir River created a bit of controversy, as some Nobles wanted a tall bridge to allow sailing ships to cross under, while others preferred a low, and reinforced stone bridge to serve as a river fortress against ships following the river.


    Luckily, I wasn''t a medieval man, and have also seen the raising bridge in Marienburg. A single channel could be bridged by a raising bridge here as well, providing both trade and security.


    Sure, I had to use hundreds of tons of iron from my collection of scraps to manufacture the iron chains for the bridge, but it would look extremely cool too. Possibly a tourism landmark for the future, if this planet ever had a future.


    In the army, beside the cannons, rifles and cavalry I did invite all sorts of hunters and woodsmen, and thus a dozen of Vampire Hunters arrived as well, armed with wooden stakes and holy oils. Since they actually knew what they were doing, I instantly nominated them as officers for the infantry units, which caused a dozen more to arrive next month.


    Did they think I was shy of making more officers? Capable people were worth their worth in gold, especially considering our future campaign.


    Early recon into Sylvania has already began, made a bit easier by my own incursion that demolished the border defenses. Still, while Waldenhof</a> was close enough from Essen for a push straight to the capital, I also wanted to train the army before a big battle.


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


    The cavalry officers were also eager to test themselves and acquire glory, and thus we went.


    Kilometer by kilometer, a three pronged invasion began, with 3 army roads being constructed as we went.


    Sometimes the local Sylvanian peasants fled their lords and sought refuge with our army, otherwise they fled from us.


    Strangely enough, there were still living people in the bleak lands of Sylvania, albeit subject to ''blood tax'' or ''first daughter tax'' and various monsters hungry for human flesh.


    The use of zombies and other corpses and skeletons by the Vampire Counts created other problems, like the Black Plague and mutants, some of them as a direct result of warpstone exposure.


    More cleaning up for me, ejecting the stones out into the galaxy at escape velocity. A pair of Witch Hunters had the grueling task of sorting the locals for signs of mutation, followed by my own apprentices and their bear, just to keep them honest. The locals weren''t very devout people, and often didn''t even know that Sylvania was apart of an Empire, but that wasn''t a real reason for torture and execution. I wanted to rescue what I could from the abandoned populace of Sylvania, if I could.


    A hundred skirmishes over the next sixth months provided my troops with a bit of experience in killing (re-killing) zombies and skeletons, as well as live fire exercises for the cannons and cavalry. Silver amulets, as well as garlic necklaces and wooden stakes began to appear in large numbers among the troops, often by melting down their own silver mark coins which they received each week as salary.


    And of course, a dozen Vampires had been killed by me and left impaled on the outer gates of the camps, as a morale modifier.


    The undead stopped throwing away their troops into our guns, and retreated towards Waldenhof, which brought us to our first major battle a year into the campaign.


    A long barrage of our long-range artillery brought down the missile towers of the Vampire''s capital, and then produced a few breaches into the walls.


    As a makeshift experiment into mobile warfare, I had 5 large wagons covered in steel plates, and carrying a gun loaded with canister shots, basically anything sharp or durable that could be fired into a mass of infantry, such as pottery shards, small stones and nails.


    They were not steam tanks, but powered by muscles. One was powered by a bear called Grom, buffed to the gills for extra strength and stamina. Other were powered by mules, horses and the last one by a dozen strong men. Sadly, the last experiment failed as the men got tired before the war wagon reached the wall.


    Even so, the 4 war wagons proved their worth, firing point-blank into the mass of waiting zombie and skeletons, while the rest of the artillery fired in high arcs above.


    Possibly annoyed by the siege, the Vampire Count sent his heavy troops out, a dozen Vargheists and hundreds of Ghouls and even a unit of Crypt Horrors</a> , Ghouls that have consumed Vampire blood and thus had become true monsters.


    Any normal human army would have shattered by the counter-attack, but I was there to prevent that. My army had a hero unit too. Me!

 Home

    Not even Vampires are immune to the taint of warpstone, which is how the Vargheists came to be. But where a Vampire is swift and strong, and highly durable, a Vargheist is three times that, and brutally feral too. Their wings also allow them to bypass the frontlines and drop upon missile or artillery units with impunity.


    Truly, flight and air power itself is a giant boon for any army, but more so for a medieval one. Late medieval now, with the advent of rifles and cannons.


    Then again, I was much faster, stronger and more durable than any Vargheist, as it took me a dozen seconds to rip out the spines of the flying mutants, heads still attached, and then throw them right towards the Sun. It would take them a few years to reach their destination, but they will die their final death even sooner, due to lack of Magic beyond the orbit of my Magic-infused planet.


    Was it strange to consider science during a major siege battle? Don''t answer that! Due to my extreme speed, I had subjective hours to think about a lot of things from one target to another. The mind wanders.


    For the regular Ghouls, I simply flicked through an iron bar, just enough to evaporate a leg or two, and make the Ghouls easier (I mean slower) targets for my riflemen.


    For the Crypt Horrors, simply removing a limb wouldn''t matter that much, thus I descended into melee to practice my aikido. Sure, the ancient martial art is basically useless for a normal human, as they lack both the speed, and the wrist strength to grab an incoming attack and turn it upon the attacker with a casual wrist flick.


    But for someone like me? Aikido was a gift from God. I also liked to show off a little, because why not? Morale is a thing for any army, and seeing your leader behead monsters with their own claws was a great way to raise morale. Or annoy Witch Hunters. Probably both.


    "Artillery! Hold fire now!" I demanded in a big shout. It wouldn''t do to completely raze our new city, or kill too many living Sylvanians hiding in their cellars.


    The army turned to stare at me, as I flew at slow speed in front of the line. "It is now time to claim Waldenhof for the Empire, and return those citizens still alive to the fold. I expect everyone in this army to conduct themselves exemplary. Or, I will rip out your spines!" I offered in a polite shout.


    After a few seconds of confused worry, cheers began to emerge. "We won!"


    "Victory!"


    " For Heldenhammer and the Empire!"


    "Sigmar!"


    I mean sure, victory chants were not supposed to be literary masterpieces.


    Now I had to keep watch on the army, lest they ruin our victory with the usual rape and looting of medieval morals.


    Castle Waldenhof was a great example of gothic architecture, with stone gargoyles decorating every wall and window.


    Sadly, the Vampire rulers had fled from the city once the result was obvious, not that I blamed them much. I wouldn''t want to fight me either.


    The Vampire Hunters and the Witch Hunters took point in searching for hidden enemies and traps, while the engineers began closing in, to start repairing the walls and towers we had just destroyed. I would also help with that, but first there was plenty of looting to be had. By me, and just me.


    An army was quite expensive to equip and maintain, plus there would have to be medals and other prizes given to the best fighters and officers.


    As I entered the castle I found a hundred dead people, drained of blood completely. Probably the most loyal vampiric servants, who were allowed in their lords castle.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.Sad, but I would have likely allowed the Witch Hunters to make examples out of them anyways.


    Luckily, the main vault and the gold treasury was too large and heavy to fly away with, at least by someone unlike me. I could and would fly away with the treasure at some point, but here in the vault the gold was safe enough. I may have the kids and the bear stand guard at the door, but theft wouldn''t be a major problem.


    I might have under-estimated how much gold an immortal dynasty can accrue over millennia of plunder though. There were over 40000 gold coins in the treasury, plus dozens of large gems and even more magic artifacts and weapons, some of those of clear Elven and Dawi origin.


    "Master Pef! Whoa, there''s quite a lot of gold here." Thor yelled as he arrived behind me and stared at the stash, with greedy eyes like a Dragon.


    "Can you eat gold, little one?" I asked a bit rhetorical, as I tested each weapon in turn, hoping to find another Divine artifact.


    But if there had been such a thing here, it was gone by now. Oh well. I knew a few places to look for more, fallen Dwarven cities and Orc citadels for example.


    Dangerous adventuring for normal people, but easy enough for me. As long as I was careful not to get hit by such a Divine weapon.


    "Odin and Grom are keeping an eye on the Witch Hunters. They love killing humans a bit too much." Thor answered while struggling to lift a big hammer from the floor. I mean, Thor and a hammer. He did have good taste. But not the strength of a god.


    "Good enough. Find some items for you and your brother, and then select more for the cavalry officers and the Vampire Hunters. That runic chainmail is for Grom." I pointed at a wonderful work of art probably meant for a king. A very fat king.


    Thor blinked and measured the chainmail with doubt. "It won''t cover him fully, Master Pef. I think only the neck and chest."


    "Which are the most vulnerable parts when Grom charges in. I saw bears wearing armor in Kislev." I mused in a thoughtful voice, and grabbed a runic great sword that seemed more durable.


    Eh, who am I kidding? The sword will probably break the second I strike a Zombie Dragon or anything of that rank. But it also looked cool. Especially if worn on my back, like the Witcher.


    As I fitted the sword on my back and turned, Thor gasped in surprise. "Master...you look amazing. I mean, you look dangerous!"


    I smiled widely. Always have a child test your theories. You might be wrong.


    "Dangerous? Am I looking weak and innocent without a sword?" I asked with a confused voice.


    "...Errr. When you''re not flying and smile a little, then yes. You seem almost human." Thor admitted with a casual shrug.


    I sighed and picked a magic breastplate too. "And if I wore this under my coat?" I mimed and posed with the breastplate on my chest.


    "Even better. You look a bit like a warrior. Strong. More dangerous too." The kid said with a thoughtful voice.


    Image makes the man, huh? I guess I wasn''t a local after all. Without armor or weapons, even the fiercest Wizard looked fragile in this medieval world.


    I clasped the breastplate on, straightened my sword and flew out. My army was spreading out into the city, sometimes ''finding'' food and wine for free. Oh well.


    Food was okay.


    "You get a salary for a reason, soldiers of the Empire. I expect you to pay for your drinks at the taverns." I shouted from up high, making a hundred soldiers gulp and cough out their stolen wine.


    The locals were a bit confused at the peaceful transition and lack of sacking, possibly expecting far worse from their new overlords.


    As I landed beside my Army Engineers, their Captain ran towards me. "Lord Warden, I already assessed the damage we caused with our siege. It will take 6 months to repair it all, maybe one year if we want to also repair dilapidated sections that fell into disrepair."


    I nodded at the news. "Very well. We can take 6 months to consolidate and pacify the nearby villages. I counted about 4000 humans in the city, you may use 1000 of them for the repairs, paid at same rate as your troops. Food rations too."


    The Captain opened his mouth to comment, then clacked it shut, with a highly Darwinian instinct. "As you order, my Lord." he muttered in response.


    Maybe the sword on my back worked better than I thought. "Now go and talk with the priests. We''ll also need temples. At least for Sigmar and Morr. Maybe Taal too."


    Morr was the God of the dead, which would help with so many undead in these lands, since Morr opposed Necromancy in all its forms, and even protected the dreams of the living against Chaos.


    The Captain shivered, but then nodded and ran off. I guess Morr wasn''t a very popular god, with his hood and scythe outlook. Rated R, we may say.


    Morr and Taal had another brother god called Ulric, but I wasn''t familiar with his cult. Oh well. Sigmar and Taal were enough for me anyways, Sigmar since he was the Emperor of Man that Ascended to godhood and kept watch over the Empire, and Taal for his personal favour. I did bear the Mark of Taal, which meant a lot of things in this world.


    I tried to recall if there was an Avatar of Taal during the End Times, but I didn''t seem to remember any. Surely, it wasn''t a big deal, right?


    With a shrug, I flew back to my cabin to bring Anika and Andrew to their new home. A vampire castle was quite awesome!

 Charge

    Truthfully, reclaiming Slyvania would be the work for an army 10 times the size I had, plus a lot more priests and Wizards.


    Caves were infested with vampiric bats, while ghouls and other monsters infested the woods and marshes, all hungry for human blood and flesh.


    The Vampire Counts kept them in the leash, as to not lose their ''blood tax'' completely, but it was not so now. Without a local Vampire to constrain the monsters, they began attacking villages and roads for warm blood, massacring humans and animals alike in a feeding frenzy.


    It took me a whole month to fly around and dispatch the corrupted monsters around Waldenhof, but it would get much worse once the conquest expanded to the nearest towns like Eschen, Regakhof and Messinghof.


    On the other hand, once news of the atrocities spread out to the locals, more and more people began to warm up to my army, for their own safety.


    Willing recruits were sent back to Essen for training, and depending on their skills would join either the engineers, the logistic train or even the new War Wagons regiment.


    It also helped I paid them a nice salary, plus bonuses for combat and heroic actions.


    Anyways, after repairing the walls of Waldenhof and installing a new civilian government over the city, work resumed to expand the military roads towards the next targets, since moving artillery and supply wasn''t the same as marching on foot. The War Wagons were quite heavy as well, thus the need for durable roads.


    Several injured Nobles were given bits of land and titles along the roads, as to provide the army with some support, and keep the Sylvanian peasants from getting too free.


    It wasn''t perfect, but then anything that involves humans is the same. I would bet some bears would make a better Noble than those I had around. Lazy gluttons, but at least the bears wouldn''t abuse the peasants.


    Perhaps surprisingly, the news of lands being handed out for heroism produced an influx of second and third Noble sons from nearby provinces, who didn''t have much chance to own lands back home. Some of them arrived fully equipped and kited for a long campaign, even escorted by men-at-arms. Others Nobles arrived hungry and on foot, with barely a sword and a letter from their father.


    The rewards were proportional to the risks though. The Vampires'' lands were not easy to tame, especially the corruption and the mutants. And that was if they survived long enough to obtain any battle merits.


    Oh well. I could always use more men in the army.


    A short circuit around the nearby Electors to gift them a magic item and more gold for supplies produced extra goodwill, especially after I cleaned up Fort Oberstyre and allowed Stirland to take possession. The aim of Stirland was to reach and take Konigstein, a large town near their border, by next year.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Medieval armies were slow enough, even without considering the difficulties of a campaign in the vampire territories.


    And thus, a few months later my army reached Regakhof while I flew ahead to take charge of Castle Regak, and clean up the Vampire Counts and their treasury.


    Unlike my previous style, this time I went by stealth and stake, and caught five Vampires sleeping in their coffins during the day. Stab, stab, easy win.


    Maybe my Vampire Hunters were smarter than I thought.


    And the next siege was concluded fast too, if mostly by a blunder of our cavalry that rushed a closing gate and entered Regakhof before our cannons demolished the defenses. Their regiment Captain seemed quite proud of losing an arm for a city. Sigh.


    "Initiative is good, Captain. Exploiting an enemy weakness and all that. But this time it was only luck. You didn''t know what was behind the gate." I muttered as I signed the lands and title of Regakhof to the foolish Noble. I was kinda obliged to recognize the bravery of his actions.


    The man nodded serious. "I know that now, Lord Warden. But losing my arm to a Dire Wolf is worth it, if I say so myself." he offered with a glance at his empty sleeve.


    "Fine. Now, please nominate a couple replacements for the Captain rank in your regiment. I will chose one of them, with your endorsement." I continued with a flat voice. Hopefully someone with more brains than guts. Probably not. Cavalry officers were hotheads, all of them. It took a special kind of man to rush into an enemy army with only a lance or sword.


    My men had revolvers too, making their chances a bit better.


    With momentum on our side, and an easy victory, we began laying the road to Eschen for our next conquest.


    And by this time, the Vampire Counts were prepared too.


    A giant army of zombies and skeletons stood in front of Eschen, flanked by a hundred big monsters and thousands of flying bats.


    This is why the Empire hesitated to enter Sylvania. Once the dead were risen for war, it was hard to put them down. Plenty men had died in the millennia before, and now they were magicked to battle by Necromantic arts.


    My army arrayed in pretty battle lines, our War Wagons up-front to take the brunt of the zombie charge.


    "Your are brave, puny mortals. Daring to conquer Sylvania from their rightful rulers?" A Vampire Lord yelled as a greeting, from inside a corpse cart.


    I flicked my finger and evaporated his cart with a pebble moving at hyperspeed.


    The Vampire fled into the town, his skin burning from the light of day.


    "Wash your necks, little bats. I have come for your heads!" I shouted back, mostly for morale.


    "Sigmar Invictus!" "For the Empire!" my troops shouted in turn, while the giant mass of zombies and skeletons began to advance on us.


    "Open fire!" I ordered while flying to the side and flicking my finger through an iron bar, mostly at the undead behind the front lines.


    Our 50 Great Cannons began to fire, 10 from the front inside the War Wagons, and 40 cannons shooting over the troops from the back.


    The infantry began setting up their portable stake-traps, basically a fence of stakes to slow down the undead while they fired the rifles. Nothing fancy, but should provide a bit of cover.


    My new Cavalry Captain glanced at me, then held his ground, possibly worried he would lose his spine if he charged ahead. Without orders that is.


    Charging cavalry had its moments, but not while the enemy wasn''t pinned or fleeing.


    This was not Hollywood!

 Wisdom

    The giant battle at Eschen prolonged well into the evening, mostly due to the large numbers of zombies, skeletons and ghouls that kept coming with no fear.


    I mean, the undead didn''t suffer much from morale, even when our guns and cannons destroyed them by the thousands.


    Of course, I kept an eye out and directed the troops from the air when needed, or intervened when some monster threatened to break our lines.


    The Stirland spears and the cavalry also got a bit of action, but most of the damage was done naturally by our artillery.


    A normal Empire army would have 4 cannon batteries at most, and even then the cannons would barely have enough ammo for 20 shots or less. We had ten times that, and thus the damage dealt was proportionally larger. On the other hand, given the poor metallurgy of the Empire, the cannon barrels started to wear out and lose their rifling grooves, which impacted the accuracy and range of the shots.


    Oh well. Surely the gunsmiths of Nuln will be happy to produce 100 more cannons for me. I paid very well, and they got more practice for their craft.


    The worn out cannons will need to be installed onto more War Wagons for grapeshot firing, which didn''t require either range or accuracy.


    As for the rifles of the infantry, same thing happened but wasn''t so easily fixed. Yes, I could sell or trade the smoothbore guns to other provinces anyways, since even without rifling they were still breach-loaders, and far faster to reload than the old muskets.


    It was mostly the poor quality iron used for the guns though. I needed to fix that soon, perhaps a steel converter to transform the normal iron into steel?


    It was possible, once I had enough charcoal or coal to higher grade flames. Then add a bit of carbon and miraculous steel would emerge.


    Damn Dwarves, keeping all these things a trade secret while the world was going to Hell, in less than a century.


    I frowned while diving down to demolish a bunch of Crypt Horrors in melee. I may need to ''find'' a lost Dwarf city and see how they did metallurgy. Maybe find some relic weapons too.


    A flutter of wind warned me just in time, and I dodged a Vampire Lord that emerged from the city, sneakily hiding in shadows for a assassination strike.


    Then I grabbed his arm and gracefully returned his oily dagger into his face. "Gaahh! Just die!" the foolish Vampire yelled.


    "You didn''t wash your neck, I am quite disappointed with your hygiene." I quipped back while dragging the (probably) poisoned dagger through his jaw, neck and lastly into his heart.


    The Vampire groaned and died impaled through the heart. What can I say? My jokes were to die for.


    Almost immediately, the skeletons began to crumble to mere bones, as the Dhur or Dark Magic that animated them faded away.


    "Cavalry...charge!" I shouted while fly up once more.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Closing from both sides, our horsemen slammed into remaining zombies and ghouls that were engaging our spearmen, and in 15 minutes it was all over.


    Might have been wiser to chase after the Vampire Lord first, and remove the numerous skeletons from the battle without wearing out the guns, but I wasn''t a good general.


    Not a good Wizard either. I still only knew a dozen spells, and only 6 of them well enough to produce decent effects.


    Now, don''t take this wrong. Anika only knew 9 spells too, but all of hers were extremely efficient and polished, likely due to rigorous training in the Ice Court of Kislev.


    She just didn''t have enough breath to cast more than 5 spells in a day.


    "Hunters'' Moons!" I casted, increasing the vitality of the army again and closing minor wounds. My spell wasn''t powerful, but I did manage to extend its range over the entire battlefield. A minute later, I cast the spell again, and again...for a whole hour. I could cast the spell a hundred times more and still wouldn''t get tired. The Ghur was strong with me.


    I just sucked at being a proper Wizard.


    As I was searching through the treasures of Eschen, Odin arrived behind me, and just stood there in quiet. "Yes, my dear apprentice?" I asked while testing the magic items for any interesting effects.


    "We lost 19 men in the cavalry, 21 in the spears and 3 riflemen. There were other injuries, mostly among the cannon and war wagon crews, but they are better now." Odin disclosed with a weary voice.


    I nodded to myself. About 1 percent casualties, in such a big battle was fine. And mostly from the melee units, as expected.


    As I turned, I swallowed a curse. The poor boy was missing an eye, although the wound had healed, probably from my own spells.


    "You should have started with your eye, Odin." I murmured in a sad voice.


    "It barely hurts anymore, Master Pef. It was my fault too, as I failed to renew the Amber Hood and a cannon shell burst too close." the boy admitted in a wise tone.


    I sighed, mostly to myself. "Stop trying to copy me, Odin. I can engage in melee because I am invulnerable. And very fast." I muttered and ruffled his blood-soaked hair.


    "Also, I dropped my runic helmet, when I entered my beast form. It is a bear, like you predicted, Master Pef." My apprentice continued with his self-flagellating words.


    I nodded and smiled a bit sad. "And Thor?" I asked, changing the subject a bit.


    "Oh! Thor became a White Wolf. Moving faster than a bullet too." the boy gushed with an admiring voice.


    "A wolf, huh?" I mused slowly.


    "White wolves are the messengers of Ulric, Master. I think I see why Magister Martak chose us to become Amber Wizards..." Odin spoke in a somber tone.


    Thinking back to the End Times from a distant past, Gregor Martak was the Avatar of Ulric then. And I think he was killed by a Demon Lord or something.


    "Uhm. Martak is favored by Ulric, that''s true. Maybe Thor is favored as well?" I wondered out loud, while dragging a giant book from under a pile of gems and gold coins.


    *You have found a Book of Nagash.


    -This provides opportunity and danger alike.


    Wow. If my game menu showed up, this was probably important. I''ve only seen the menu appear a few times, and always for important things. The book must have been how this Vampire Lord learned to summon so many skeletons, and other undead.


    "Is that a magic book?" Odin asked with childish curiosity.


    "Sure is. Want to read it?" I hummed with a wry tone.


    Odin hesitated, his lone eye becoming cold and cautious. "It is very dangerous, isn''t it?"


    I smiled. "Of course it is. We just fought an army of undead created with this book."


    Odin turned and ran away, without bothering to read my book.


    Poor child. But maybe he was wiser than I thought.

 Steel

    Taking Messinghof was proven more a chore than a battle, as the ruling Vampires had fled before the army arrived, leaving their monsters free to roam and eat the few humans that lived there.


    On the other hand, cleaning up and picking off disorganized zombies or ghouls was much easier too.


    Then came the building and re-building part, including the ruined fort that guarded the pass into the World''s Edge Mountains. Already Goblins and Orcs were testing the pass for an easy loot campaign, but I wasn''t willing to share my loot with them.


    Then we also took Zherden easily and began preparing the army for the march on Wartenhof, another citadel of the Vampire Counts.


    We were already feeling the strain of having a too small army for such a large territory, since I wasn''t willing to split up my army for garrisons.


    Instead, the new Nobles were given the right to recruit troops from the local populace, while fresh conscripts and immigrants began to arrive from the Empire and Kislev too.


    I also had to carry out daily raids into the wild to massacre whatever monsters lurked in the bogs and woods in my new territory, and sometimes finding more survivors that had fled before they were drained of blood or eaten.


    Several of them also had talent for Magic, and thus were invited to join my Wild Guard. Wizards that survived their training could live hundreds or even thousands of years, baring combat, where a Wizard may die from an arrow or claw just as easily as any other human.


    I had hopes though, as Odin began to manifest a stronger type of Amber Hood, and could even grow bear claws made of solid Ghur.


    Thor took another route, going deeper into the animal lore, either by transforming into a beast, or calling on them for battle.


    Thus, when I was time to visit Nuln for more guns and cannons, I also visited Martak and showed him my nice Book of Nagash.


    My teacher measured me with tired eyes, and ignored the priceless book. "Wizard Pef, I hear you''re conquering Sylvania now. With no effort at all." he said in a dubious voice.


    I nodded gently. "Plenty of effort. But you realize I could do it all my myself. I just want to train an army able to fight anything. And also prevent the Vampires from hitting the Empire in the back while our forces fight elsewhere."


    Martak nodded back. "Yes. Your million men army, I remember. Not a childish fancy anymore."


    "The Amber Order could help more. Send beasts to search and fight the undead." I asked with a mild voice.


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    The wild shaman took a piece of amber and held it between his fingers. "Your apprentices, they still live?" he asked instead.


    "Getting stronger too. Found their inner beasts, a bear for Odin and a White Wolf for Thor." I explained patiently, while pouring more tea for my teacher.


    Martak sighed and sipped his tea with a thoughtful face. "And that Wild Guard?"


    "Training my elite unit, of course. They are meant to operate in the wild, as scouts and hunters for the army. One day." I said and sipped my own tea.


    Martak motioned his arm back, and a pure spear glowing amber formed, ready to be thrown. "Give this spell to the kids. The Amber Spear is the only weapon that can kill Daemons."


    he offered while flicking the amber stone into my hand.


    The process of forming and stabilizing the spell entered my mind, so I obviously tried to make the spear too. A faint glow of Ghur formed around my hand, yet no spear appeared.


    "Hah! Always so reckless, young Pef! And no, you''re not a poor Wizard for failing to form the spear at first try. It took me decades, but you''re half way there already."


    I grimaced at these words. Was my failure a big success? Why all this delay? Decades? I already spent 5 years on this world, and my Magic still sucked.


    "Anyways, Odin managed to shape bear claws out of pure Ghur. But I can''t manage to copy his spell." I continued with a calm voice.


    The cave of my teacher was quite relaxing, in a rustic way of furs and bones and familiar scents. It smelled like home.


    Martok smiled and formed a pair of talons extending from his nails. Also made of Ghur. They felt dangerous, even to me.


    "Amber Talons. Quite useful if you are caught in a melee fight. They can cut through steel and bone with ease." he explained in a reminiscent voice. Probably fought quite a few battles with those talons, given how easy he formed them.


    "Are they your own nails, grown longer? Or some external aid, like that Amber spear?" I asked to make sure.


    "What do you think, mighty Wizard?" My teacher asked me with a teasing tone.


    Yeah. That''s why Magic sucks. You cannot be told how to do things. Only what it feels.


    "So, external aids can be imprinted on amber. Like an extra memory. But internal ones..." I realized with a spark of genius.


    "Maybe. Anything is possible with magic, just look at the Elves'' Vortex or the Old Ones works. Or maybe I am not a good teacher." Martok mused, mostly to himself.


    I also mused in silence for a minute, then gave up. Neither the Elves nor the Old Ones were limited to a single Wind of Magic. Melding different winds would produce far stronger spells.


    "About steel. I have some ideas how to speed up the process, using coal and more heat. The guns get worn out too fast by using mere iron." I said with a tap on my magic breastplate.


    Martak shook his head. "Better copy the Dawi methods, I think. Invention takes too long, and will not produce good results fast enough. I remember the first guns, like 400 years ago. If you think your guns are bad, you should have seen the poor things back then."


    The old Wizard opened my eyes with his wisdom. It was likely the Dwarves already had what I needed, maybe an old furnace abandoned somewhere. It was no challenge between human and dwarven metals and forging skill. The short guys had us beat soundly, even if they were not at their peak strength anymore.


    "Is there a good place to keep this Book of Nagash?" I asked as I rose to my feet.


    Martak glanced down with distaste. "I''ll take it to Altdorf. They have another one just like it." he revealed with distaste in his words.


    I shrugged and waved goodbye, then left the book and flew away. It was time to loot some Dwarves now.

 Gromril

    With a clear aim in mind, if not a destination, I returned to my Army of the East in Sylvania carting off more gunpowder and ammo supplies, as well as hundreds of revolvers to spread out to the new officers and the spearmen.


    Even if they wouldn''t have time to reload the 5 shots when attacked by a wall of undead, those 5 shots would grant my soldiers a lot more damage. Plus melee combat did normally allow for a rotation in the first line, when the soldiers got tired, wounded and even too thirsty.


    To my surprise, the Gunnery School in Nuln was already experimenting with multi-shot weapons, although they went the route of multi-barrels. They even had a 9 barrel prototype cannon which they tried to make it rotate and fire only the top barrel. It worked just as well as you think it did, which means lots of breaking, failed reloads and barrels falling off.


    Thus I took mercy on them and induced them to a gravity fed magazine on top of the gun, which would drop the next shell into the breach. It might even work one day, who knows?


    Truly, war is the mother of invention, and this world was always at war. I almost expected nicer weapons, but the technology of the Empire was quite backwards.


    Flying over the World''s Edge Mountains, I began searching for Dwarven ruins, but there were mostly Goblins, Orcs and Trolls, with the Dwarven cities fortified to hell and keeping their gates closed.


    And then I remembered I could also talk with animals, and did just that. A stag here, a wolf there even some mice and rabbits. While they didn''t understand exactly what I wanted,


    a ruin is a ruin. Even an animal can differentiate it from a place with living people inside.


    "Comet lake? Smells like metal." a tiny mouse proposed as I held it in my palm.


    I grabbed a nearby snake and offered it as a prize for the tip. The mouse stared at the dead snake for a second, then sighed and took a bite.


    I would have given him some silver coins, but they wouldn''t have helped him any better. The Skaven wouldn''t bother to sell food to a mere mouse.


    And thus, I descended into the Black Water lake and started digging. Soon enough, I began finding bits of metal, just like the mouse promised.


    Later, I found runic inscriptions of Karak Varn</a> , and I knew I found the right place to loot. Not only steel, but also Gromril, the special magic metal. My bear will be so happy!


    Deep underground, in underwater caves I also found several giant foundries, and tons of stainless steel ingots plus hundreds of priceless weapons and armor of Dawi make.


    Jackpot!


    Even with my speed, it took an entire month to steal away all the metal, and then the furnaces themselves.


    Entire wars had been fought over a single Gromril weapon, and I had 42 of them! Plus other things like cups and candlesticks and even arrow heads.


    Skaven and Orc raiders arrived soon after to try and steal my loot, often camping at the tunnel entrance, hoping to catch some scraps. They found only a swift death, and their heads spiked near the entrance as a warning. A few thousand dead later, they stopped coming.


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    While Anika and my kids played with the priceless Gromril</a> artifacts, I was rebuilding a steel furnace in my new castle in Waldenhof , aided by some Engineers and officers with a Guild background. Like any proper medieval state, the craftsmen were all incorporated into Guilds, which provided them a support network and also a monopoly against competition. Difficult to change, and would simply generate hostility for no reason.


    Once my (stolen) furnace was operational and could produce steel in quantity, I would simply sell the right to my steel production to the largest iron smiths in the Empire, and let them deal with the Guild. Exactly like I did with my breech-loading guns.


    "What about this first steel furnace, Lord Warden? Will you sell it to the Smiths Guild as well?" a Cannon Captain asked while sketching the design of the furnace for future deals.


    "Perhaps. It may remain as an Imperial Arsenal asset. The army will like having their own production capability, since steel is useful for more than guns and armor" I mused in a low voice.


    I could see it in his eyes, the man had split loyalties now. Both a Guild member and an Imperial Captain. He hesitated and then sighed. "I suppose a single furnace wouldn''t matter too much. Plus, retaking Sylvania is a long task. We will need a lot of steel."


    Ah yes. Throw the decision a decade or two away. Maybe things will fix by themselves.


    "Anyone here knows a good Dwarf? Someone I could trade with?" I asked out loud, including all the furnace crew and Engineers.


    An Engineer with a great beard stepped in front of me. "My Lord, there is little we can trade with Dwarves. They are mostly self-sufficient."


    I smiled and nodded in approval. "True. But I do have some things they will want. I just need a good price."


    My Engineer sighed as if I was hopeless. "Head to Karaz Ankor</a> , Lord Warden. They have the best Runesmiths, and lots of gold. I just hope you have something they value."


    He was not a mouse though, so his advice was worth an entire gold coin.


    "Will do. Now finish my furnace while I speak with a Dwarf about a hammer" I added as I flew into my vault to collect a sack full of Gromril minerals, which I had no idea how to smelt or forge.


    Soon after, I landed in front of the Dwarf Zhufbar</a> fortress, and knocked politely at their reinforced gate. Only silence. Then I knocked again, even more politely. I could do this all day, but their mountain might crumble before I had enough fun.


    A metal face appeared on the door, and eyed me with suspicion. "Human. Wizard. Flying. We don''t like your kind here." the sentient metal gate spoke with discernible scorn.


    I opened my sack and held a bit of unprocessed Gromril in front of its face. "Gromril. Trade." I answered just as curtly, and held my other hand out to knock again.


    "Stop knocking, human. A Runesmith is coming." the gate demanded with an irate voice.


    Progress!

 Gold

    "YOU DENTED THE GATE!" the Dwarf Runesmith exploded in outrage, measuring the knuckles indentations into his precious gate.


    I smiled a bit sheepish. "I tried to knock gently, but I am a bit too strong."


    The Runesmith measured me for muscles, and found them lacking. "At least you do wear proper armor, unlike the other Wizards." the dwarf muttered with a knowing gaze at my magic breastplate.


    "Anyways, this is some of the Gromril minerals I found while scouting around Sylvania. Maybe you heard, but the Empire of Man is in the process of retaking Sylvania from the Vampires." I explained with an easy voice, and dropped the sack next to him.


    Gromril is quite heavy, so I might have dented the marble plaza in front of the gate too.


    The Runesmith grumbled in his beard as he took out bits of mineral and analyzed them, even smelling and tasting them.


    "The mineral has been underwater for a long time." he concluded with a sad voice.


    "Surely, your forge can dry all the water out. Maybe turn it to steam?" I said with a joking voice, only to see the Dwarf become rather confused and then scared.


    "The Gromril is valuable, but not enough for another steam tank!" he answered with a concerned voice.


    Eh? I didn''t come asking for a steam tank, but if I could get some, why not?


    "How much?" I asked instead.


    "At least 30 tones of minerals, if you want a steam tank for your army. Plus 10000 gold for my time." the Runesmith demanded in a greedy voice. No wonder steam tanks were rare. I could build 100 War Wagons for the same price. Finding a bear to power the wagon from inside would be easier too. Maybe a bicycle and some gears? I know some circus bears could be trained to ride bikes.


    "No. I mean, how much will you pay me for this sack of Gromril?" I countered with a blinding smile.


    The Dwarf glanced at me with an annoyed look in his eyes. "Bring me three more sacks like this, and I''ll pay you 3000 gold." he offered with a cunning voice.


    Good to know. I had a baseline to go after now. "So, for 30 tones of Gromril minerals, you would be willing to pay 90000 gold. I can take such a deal." I said in a calm voice, and watched the Runesmith pale.


    "...Too greedy!" he muttered, but didn''t refuse.


    "Of course, I could use that gold to pay for some runic enchantments and such. My Army of the East has to fight Varghouls and Liches and all sort of monsters. Our guns find their barrels worn out too. We could use 10000 steel barrels for our guns." I continued in a careless voice, busing examining the decorated gate, although the face was vanished now.


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    "Not every metal can take the runes. And 10000 is a large order. I cannot do it." the Runesmith said with a sad voice.


    "Too bad. I will have to visit more Dwarf cities and propose this deal. Maybe other Runesmiths will not be so busy." I answered in a tragic tone, and began collecting back my Gromril from the desperate Runesmith.


    "...Wait! I could ask other Runesmiths to help, and share the payment with them. Only the gold, mind you! I keep all the Gromril myself." the Runesmith demanded, while hanging from the sack of Gromril with all his strength.


    I played yo-yo for a minute, but the Dwarf hanged tight, like a kitten to a yarn ball. He must really like the Gromril.


    If the fate of my army didn''t hang on this deal so much, I would have played with him for hours.


    "Fine. 93000 gold. Go and prepare my coin, and I''ll go collect the minerals." I allowed while dropping the sack and lifting off.


    "Wait! What is your name, human?" the Dwarf asked me in a hurry.


    "I am Pef, Warden of the East. And also an Amber Wizard, but not a good one." I disclosed in a proud voice, then flew away to go dig.


    It may sound a lot, but 30 tones of mineral took me barely an hour to collect, even if I had to shatter a few mountains. I may not be a good wizard, but I could dig.


    Soon after, I returned to Zhufbar with a raft loaded with minerals, 31 tons of Gromril, unrefined. Perhaps I was being scammed on the price, since I might obtain much more if I went to Tilea and set it for auction. But I wasn''t only selling, but buying goodwill too. And a Runemaster''s time. That was surely a precious commodity too. Much like my own time too.


    I had to spread myself thin, flying all over to deal with a crisis or another, visit the big cities and meet craftsmen and Elector Counts, or patrol Sylvania for big monsters or starving humans. And spread out more gold too, for roads and army equipment.


    I almost knocked on the gate again, but with amazing will I refrained. Who knew the gate will dent so easily?


    Wasn''t it supposed to withstand siege artillery?


    "Tell the Runesmith that I have returned with more Gromril." I told the gate.


    "I already did, Wizard. It will take some time for the elevators to move that much gold." the gate answered in a stoic voice.


    Pretty much an artificial intelligence, or a guardian spirit. Maybe a soul bound into the metal? I had no idea how the Dwarves created sentient machinery, but they sure did.


    "Were you a Dwarf before you became a gate?" I asked the metal gate, but it didn''t answer. Oh well. Forever to remain a mystery then.


    An hour later, a hundred more Dwarves emerged from the city, some of them armored and armed, probably a guard for my gold. 93000 gold would tempt anyone.


    The Runesmith followed after the escort, and began pilling sacks of gold coins on my raft while removing the still wet minerals. Don''t worry, I didn''t cheat the Dwarves.


    It wasn''t like I was selling them poultry meat injected with water to gain more weight.


    But even so, I had to make sure. "There are 31 tones of fresh mineral here. However, if you try to claim there was a bit of mud or something like that, after the deal is done, I will come back and demolish your city. I heard all about sneaky Dwarves complaining about deals after they were finished. As if they don''t have eyes to measure the merchandise when offered." I said in a cold voice.


    The Runesmith glared back at me. "We understand how mining works. There can be some water or mud." he admitted a bit unhappy.


    "Great! I need your for other wars to come, against Chaos and Orcs, Beastmen or Dark Elves, even Skaven. It would be a pity if you died before your time." I spoke with a grave voice, then lifted my golden raft and flew away into the sunset. It didn''t feel heavy at all.

 Steam

    Soon after, I returned to my personal Runesmith with another sack of metal, this time containing a dozen pure Gromril ingots, salvaged form the underwater city. Quite heavy I would say, even for a strong human.


    I tapped the gate gently with a Gromril ingot and just waited. A puffing Runesmith emerged form the city, grasping for breath. "How ... do you have refined Gromril?" he asked in between deep breaths. Must have ran all the way.


    "So, I was thinking. Use one of these ingots to craft a pair of claws, which can be worn on the forearm, better if they can also retract. Another ingot for a warhammer with an axe head on the converse side. Then use nine ingots to make me a big club. Durability runes only, since I have enough strength and speed. And the last ingot is your payment for your time." I explained in a patient voice, and took out a paper with the desired weapons forms.


    The Runsmith picked up the paper like it was an incendiary bomb, holding it with a cautious hand.


    "The first two are possible, if hard work. But a club? Wasting so much priceless Gromril? Why?" the dwarf asked in an angry voice.


    "So I can hit something really hard, of course. Do you know how bad I feel when I strike a Vampire with an expensive sword, and they both disintegrate into vapors?" I complained in a miserable voice.


    "Even so, only durability runes?" the Runesmith asked in a superior voice.


    Okay then. I will have to show him. Picking up a Gromril ingot, I clenched my hand with 20% of my real force, making the metal groan and bend inward. "I did say I am a bit too strong, right? And this is without spells to improve myself." I said with a raised eyebrow.


    The Runesmith paled at the sight of his indestructible metal getting hand-pressed by an immovable time-lock field.


    "You must be a Divine Avatar. What God has bestowed his gift on you?" the Runesmith asked with a knowing look. As expected, I wasn''t the first superpowered being on this world.


    And I might not the strongest either, I realized a minute later.


    "I do bear the Mark of Taal, if that''s what you mean, Runesmith. But I was strong even before I got it." I answered with a careless shrug.


    "Prove it!" the Runesmith demanded with an eager voice.


    So I showed him my scar. He just nodded, a bit more confident for some reason. "No wonder you act so wild, human. I''ve only heard of Dragons crushing Gromril in their claws, but a Divine Blessing could the do same, I suppose. You have a deal." he continued and spit into his palm to shake with me.


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    I shook his hand, with great care not to liquefy it in my grasp. No wonder Martak had me handle bird eggs and tiny animals for a few months. With great strength comes high crushing power too. We shall never talk about the omelette. It never happened!


    So, Dragons were quite strong then. I haven''t met one yet, but I probably will one day. I will meet everyone important. And kill some of them. I could never forget that my existence on this world was meant only as entertainment for high realm beings that could bestow game-like powers on a normal human, for their own amusement. The thirsty gods always required notable achievements. Not unlike the local Gods, if I thought about it in the right way.


    "Anyways, did you find more dwarf smiths to work on guns for my army?" I asked while producing a worn-out rifle from my back.


    The Runesmith pursed his lips in disgust, as the weapon was made by humans and it showed. The quality was abysmal in his eyes.


    "Mild iron barrel, with some kind of inner grooves? What for?" he asked a bit curious.


    "The grooves are meant to spin the bullet, as to keep aim and range better. Works quite well, doubling both. But the grooves wear out too fast." I said with a mild voice.


    The iron had been quite expensive, and the manufacturing as well. Then I took out a paper cartridge and showed the Runesmith the loading process.


    The Runesmith nodded, and probably already knew of the method. "Quality steel will improve the weapon in all aspects, but especially durability."


    "And I want them engraved with a durability rune as well. Mostly against battlefield magic that can target mundane weapons." I demanded in a lighter voice.


    Professionals were easy to talk to, when dealing with their expertise.


    "That too, and increase the lifespan of the weapon 10 times or more. You''re a clever one, Warden of the East." the Runesmith hummed in his beard, then fired the gun at a stone wall to test its recoil, perhaps.


    Then he smelled the air, and frowned. "New gunpowder too. The humans are always advancing, aren''t they?" he asked a bit rhetorical.


    After that, I took out a prototype socket bayonet, meant to be locked next to the barrel. "These bayonets will need a sharpness rune. If the enemy gets close and needs to be stabbed"


    The Runesmith glanced at the Imperial Bayonet Mark 1 with a disgusted eye. "That they do. And steel instead of iron."


    "I''ll be back for my weapons next year." I allowed in with a wave of my hand and started to fly away.


    "Two years!" the Runesmith yelled as he turned around.


    Fine. I wasn''t in a hurry. I didn''t have 10000 gunmen for those rifles anyways.


    It was time to bestow some rare relic weapons onto the Empire, and gain more goodwill and recruits. The Forge Masters in Nuln will also need about two years to craft 100 more Great Mortars for the army, as to better convey the doctrine of Superior Firepower onto our enemies.


    While the exact methods of Hearts of Iron didn''t translate exactly in this world, guns and cannons did the same thing. I will need to write down what I remembered from the World War doctrines, and adjust them to the local possibilities.


    Then find a way to produce enough steel for a railway, and things could get better after. The Empire will love the steam trains, right?

 Heaven

    Visiting Middleheim for the first time, I almost regretted not bringing Thor with me.


    They had a huge temple of Ulric here, plus the Knights of the White Wolf acting like Templars for their cult.


    Even better, they had a Wizards_and_Alchemists_Guild</a> , which taught Battle_Magic</a> to those Wizards with insufficient talent for the Winds of Magic specialization. With battle spells offered by Teclis himself, the best mage on the planet.


    Although the High Magister of the Guild was a member of the Gold Order, I had high hopes of getting free access to the lessons offered here. I mean, without even having to strong arm someone until they cried. That should always be the second option.


    However, first and foremost I met with the Graf Todbringer, the Elector Count of Middleheim and somewhat my equal in rank, considering that his province wasn''t included under my writ. Only the East.


    "An honor to finally meet you, Lord Warden. Hearing about your Amber origins, I expected a more wild appearance." the man said as I floated in front of him, looking quite civilized with a sword on my back and a shinny breastplate visible under my deer over-coat.


    I waved a hand gently. "No, you''re right. Most of the shamans of the Amber Order look and smell like they lived in cave for a century. I am not a good Wizard anyways."


    "Hah. You''re a mountain that flies and shatters anything in the way, Lord Warden. I heard about you demolishing Vampire Lords with barely an effort." The Graf commented in a joking voice.


    I sighed. "I come bearing gifts, Graf Todbringer. Firstly, 10000 gold for repairing the city and its infrastructure. And these 3 Runefang weapons as well. To be used as you see fit, in the defense of the Empire and the realms of Men." I pointed while dropping five sacks of gold and the Gromril runic weapons in front of him.


    The man coughed in surprise, then ran quickly to examine the weapons. "They are Runefangs indeed! Can you really spare 3 of them, just for my House?" he asked with a doubtful voice, while waving a runic axe in the air.


    "Eh. I also found a Book of Nagash and 40000 gold in a single vault under Eschen. War comes with spoils as well, not only loses." I explained with a casual voice.


    The Graf nodded slowly. "I can send 500 soldiers for your army in Sylvania right now, Lord Warden. Give me two years, and I can send 1000 more." he offered in a generous voice.


    He could see already how things were coming together. To the victor the spoils, and I already found a lot of spoils.


    "And I also need a favorable entrance with the Wizards Guild and the Temple of Ulric. I was quite truthful about me being a poor Wizard. I only know a dozen spells, and not very well. I need to learn more. Things that counter Necromancy and Chaos in particular." I demanded with a sad voice.


    The Graf sighed, then agreed. "Difficult, but it can be done."


    "Just as anything worth doing. If any Noble houses want to send their offspring to Sylvania, they will get an officer commission and the chance to get their own lands. We have stalled in the campaign already, with the weapons getting worn out and the army spread thin to control all we conquered. Fresh blood will help." I quipped and started to lift off.


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    "Fresh blood! Hah. Those Vampire Counts must love your jokes to death." the Graf laughed at my giddy words.


    "So far they all enjoyed them to death, that''s true. But we haven''t fought the von Carsteins yet" I added with a grin, then flew away.


    Next visit, Hochland.


    The lands were still mostly wild and filled with Goblins and Beastmen wherever the humans didn''t reach, their reach was made longer by the splendid Hochland Long Rifle</a>.


    While still a musket and not a breech-loader, the famous local rifle also sported a contraption for aiming with some lenses and tubes.


    With a bit of work, I could adapt it for my Wild Guard. Snipers were deadly in any age, after all.


    The Capital Fortress of Hergig paled in comparison with other Empire cities like Altdorf and Nuln, but smelled much better.


    Here the deal went much simpler. The Elector Count would have sold me two daughters and his wife as well for three precious Runefangs, but I only wanted 2 Shielded Spear regiments and as many hunters he could draft. And of course, the famous rifle and the rights to produce it for my Army of the East.


    While I didn''t expect much from Hochland, I did find two recruits for my Wild Guard, both of them Bright Wizards from the local College of Sorcery. For only 1000 gold coins, they would join my Wild Guard for 100 years and provide their spells and knowledge. Excellent deal, if I say so myself. The female Wizard called Gissela even eyed me for less holy acts, and I just smiled gently.


    "Wizard Rolan, we shall meet you at Essen. Gissela will join me as I travel to Nordland." I spoke in a polite voice, then held a hand out for my new girlfriend.


    She gently hugged my side and held tight as rose in the air and flew away. "Your mastery of True Flight is amazing Magister Pef!" Gissela whispered in my ear, as we caught speed.


    I just smiled inward. I have yet to learn any flight spell. Well, I could charm a big eagle or griffon to carry me, I suppose. Bird brains always fell for the ''much food'' spell.


    Halfway to Nordland, I stopped to observe a large Beastmen Herd chanting Chaos things at a totem.


    "Let me show you how I fight, Bright Wizard." I pronounced in a martial voice, and landed right in the middle of the Warherd.


    A minute later, the clearing was only bits of bones and shredded mutant flesh. I did have 3 more Runefangs with me, and was not afraid to use them. Even if it meant lowering my strength to 10 percent as to not shatter the fragile rune relics.


    When I returned to the Wizard, Gissela was flushing red and likely leaking on the inside. "Pef, I want you. So much!"


    My blood was pumping a little as well from the fight, so I nodded gently.


    "Of course, my dear. Let''s climb into that cloud..." I pointed to sky, and lifted us into a bed of clouds and vapor.


    If you never made love among the clouds, it''s your loss. Feels like Heaven.

 Arrow

    Truly, Nordland has the worst fate of all Imperial provinces.


    Even their capital of Salzenmund</a> looks like an upstart village, partially due to the poor climate, but also due to frequent Norscan raids, and the presence of the Wood Elves from the nearby Laurelorn Forest</a> . While not as demented as Drycha, the Elves still limited the human growth and expansion, even harvesting timber or medicinal plants from the forest.


    Fishing was risky due to the presence of pirates and raiders, while the Imperial Fleet at Dietershafen</a> struggled to build ships due to lack of timber.


    I could help a little, and I did. And no, it wasn''t to impress a fiery red-headed Wizard lady. Some things should be done, simply because it was the right thing to do.


    I could harvest a thousand tall trees for the Navy. I could fly around and destroy any raiders, and bring their ships and weapons as loot.


    I could build breakwaters against the Sea of Claws storms, and sponsor more roads and lumber mills.


    And I did it all in three days. It wasn''t like I could get tired. My body was mostly a puppet, a time-locked golem able to work non-stop for millennia.


    Of course, my mind would crack much sooner, and I did allow myself some breaks. But that Graf of Middleheim was correct too. I was a mountain that flew.


    The Baron of Nordland was quite happy for my gold and help and especially for the three Runefangs. And the dozens of pirate ships filled with pirate heads.


    Of course, the pirates will rebuild and return, the trade was too lucrative. But some respite will be helpful.


    "Do you want my advice, how to grow your province, Baron?" I asked as the man stared with disbelief at his new relic weapons.


    "Of course, Warden. Your wish is my command..." the man offered a bit too eager. He was right, since I did have power over him. But legally. not so much.


    They are all Elector Counts, if they lead a province of the Empire.


    There are also the local titles, such as Baron, Duke, Graf, Arch-Lector, etc, which mean something for each particular province. Each place has thousands of years of history and lore, and different ranks and such.


    "No. Legally your are my equal, among the nobility of the Empire. Your province lacks three precious things to become a force among the provinces of the Empire. Firstly, population.


    You just have too few people. So you should go take them. Raid Norsca, steal their women and children. In 50 years, that problem will be solved." I continued in a colder tone.


    Gissela cursed something in a muffle. The Baron just nodded. "Kill their men as well. We can do that. We can also raid."


    "Next thing, is a fleet. Both for warfare and trade. You have Kislev, the Wood Elves and the High Elves as potential trade partners. Each of them have things that others want. You only need to move the goods, and become as rich as Marienburg." I proposed next, and watched the man get a glint in his eye.


    "All right. Even if we cannot harvest timber from the west, to the east we have the Forest of Shadows</a> . Still dangerous, but less than the crazy Elves and their forest magic." the Baron accepted with a determined voice.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Indeed. And for that you will need the third thing you lack. Magic. If you can recruit some Bright or Amber Wizards to help it would be great. But if not, you can certainly entice Battle mages without a Wind to help. Even better, start a College of Magic here, and train up your own mages. That forest is quite dangerous, I hunted a dozen Chaos cults in there." I explained in a casual tone.


    The Baron looked at me, then at the Bright Wizard at my side. "I don''t suppose you could stay a bit longer..."


    "Not really. I have my Army of the East and the entire Sylvania to deal with. Maybe in a decade or two." I said in sad voice. Can''t do everything, can I?


    The man sighed. "Wizards are expensive."


    I grinned a bit too wide. "Good thing that raiding is profitable then. Still, if you find a Black Ark with your ships, light a beacon in your courtyard. Those things aren''t easy to deal with. Not even for me."


    Learning about the Black Arks of the Dark Elves had been a wake up call. Mutated marine monsters, flesh-crafted into war engines of gigantic size. I might need a very big stick to beat those things up.


    As I flew away, I did cross over the Forest of Shadows again, and descended a few times to let Gissela show me her Fire Magic.


    While I expected Fireballs and Firewalls and even Fire Swords, two of her spells jumped to my attention.


    The first one was called Fire Beam, and was basically a continuous laser beam that kept hitting her target until it died, or she ran out of Wind. And since it could kill even a Great Spider, it should also work on Vampires and that sort of monsters.


    And the other spell was even more impressive and more important. Purge. With a single word, anything corrupted by Chaos would burst into flames, and keep burning until the corruption was gone, or the Wizard ran out of mana. I was quite certain Purge would also work on Vampiric corruption, since that was also powered by warpstones.


    I so wanted to learn that spell. I wanted it very very bad.


    My heart began to hurt and I spoke the word. "Purge !"


    The winds of magic condensed around me and wobbled, but nothing happened. No fire. Damn it!


    Gissela coughed in surprise, even as the spider lair around us burned bright. "What was that? I felt the Winds change. For a second."


    "I am a poor Wizard, I told you. Can''t even purge." I muttered in defeat, head hung low.


    The Bright Wizard glanced at me weirdly, but didn''t say anything. At least she didn''t compound on my shame.


    My hand clenched on air, and instead a thin Ghur spear formed. More like an arrow in fact.


    Throwing the arrow, I struck a distant Giant Spider hiding in a corner. Headshot too!


    Take that, crazy world.


    I might not be a good Wizard, but I could throw things really fast.


    Clenching my hand again, the Ghur arrow returned into my hand. It wasn''t a nice spear like Martak could do, but I finally made something with Magic.


    "I didn''t know Magic Missiles could be recalled to your hand." Gissela muttered in envy.


    That''s what got your attention? It was a simple trick of Ghur, restoring a thing to its place by time warp. Wait...maybe it was a big thing.


    *Congratulations


    -You have invented a new spell. Arrow of Time. +5 Amber Magic affinity.


    -For using the arrow without an Amber Bow, you gain a minor Achievement. +10 Amber Magic affinity.


    I stared at my game screen with a frown. This should be good, right?

 How I met my Dragon

    "We''re going to change direction for a bit" I told Gissela as I lifted off and headed straight for my teacher.


    Some thing were better done under the tutelage of a proper Wizard. Half an hour later, we landed in front of his cave, and Martak peeked out at me and my new wife.


    "Ice and Fire. Your balls are something of a miracle, young Pef." Magister Martak noted as Twinshriek landed to be petted by me. The griffon seemed even friendlier now, for some strange reason.


    ''Hard head is back!'' Twinshriek noted in glee, and pecked my head gently.


    ''Nice to see you too, twin head'' I muttered in replay.


    "...Hello, Magister Patriarch. I am Gissela, Bright Wizard in the Wild Guard." my woman offered with a polite bow.


    Wait..no. Nevermind. I didn''t care for titles.


    Instead, I formed my new spell and showed it to my teacher. His eyes widened in surprise for a second, then he just shook his head.


    "I don''t have an Amber Bow for you, Magister Pef." he said in a solemn voice.


    "I am a Magister? Doesn''t that require..." I observed with some confusion. Then it hit me. It did require extreme mastery over a Wind of Magic, including the creation of new spells. Like I just did.


    "Yes. Creating new spells is a sign of greatness, and is recognized by all Wizards with a Magister rank. Go ask the Emperor for an Amber Bow. There should be one in those locked vaults of Altdorf." Martak explained in a calm voice.


    "Is that a bow made of pure Ghur, like my arrow?" I asked while flicking the arrow away, and then recalling it to my hand.


    Martak sighed deeply, and tried to copy my spell. And failed! Hah. Not that great of a Wizard now, are you?


    "Of course not, silly Pef. It''s made of wood. Oak I believe. Maybe one day you can also make a pure Ghur bow, anything is possible after all." Martak muttered in a sad voice.


    Searching through my bag, I took out a few magic lodestones and a runic staff. "These are for you, teacher. Plenty of these things in Sylvania too." I offered him and held my hand to Gissela, who just stared at the three of us like we had two heads each. Only Twinshriek had two heads.


    "Good bye, Magister Patriarch!" Gissela yelled as we flew up and away towards Altdorf.


    "...Stupid child." Martak grumbled as he picked up the priceless artifacts dropped on the ground.


    "Your teacher is the Great Gregor Martak? He is a living legend!" my wife gushed in ecstatic voice.


    "He may be great and all, but a poor teacher. Practice that spell a thousand times more..." I answered in a low tone.


    Gissela sighed and shut up at my words. I guess nobody was ever content with what they had. Especially not me.


    A bit later, we entered the Imperial Palace by air, but as Gissela advised me we didn''t invade the Emperor''s study uninvited. We stopped at the guard post in the antechamber, like normal people did.


    An hour later, a Wood Elf emissary emerged from the Emperor''s study and someone arrived to usher us in.


    Perhaps it was good I didn''t just bust inside. Might have ruined some delicate deal, or started a war. Elves were pricks like that.


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    "My Warden of the East! Come, have some wine with me." Emperor Wilhem the Second invited me, while ignoring Gissela. I guess she wasn''t an important person in the Empire.


    I got the hint though. Personal talk, and state business. "It''s fine, Gissela. They''ll bring you some food and wine in the antechamber."


    "Not a problem, really. Glad to meet you, Emperor!" Gissela said with a bow and ran out.


    "Hmmm. At least you''re not here to ask me for gold." the Emperor noted with a wise voice.


    Right. Like I would come begging for money, when I had an entire planet to loot from.


    My face must have said so too, while I poured wine for us. "The conquest of Sylvania has stalled for two years. I''ve ordered new weapons to be made, and some Elector Counts will send more troops. They had over 100000 skeletons at Eschen, ruined the guns, and wasted most of the gunpowder too."


    The Emperor nodded and sipped his wine. "I never expected such a campaign to be easy or short. You''re already doing a better job than I ever dreamed possible. Minimal loses too."


    I shrugged a bit uncomfortable. I would have preferred 0 deaths, but war isn''t so easy.


    "The easy part will be over soon. Their Vampire Lords will have Dark Magic too. Plus Terrorgheists and Zombie Dragons and what not." I mused in a low voice.


    "You are strong enough though. Right?" The Emperor asked to make sure.


    "Stronger than a Dragon, yes. Much faster too. Their Dark Magic is the only thing that worries me. Which is why I need an artifact from your vaults. Is called an Amber Bow." I said in a level voice.


    The Emperor measured me with a cunning look. "I thought you were going to ask for the Imperial_Dragon</a> from my Zoo."


    What? He had a Dragon? In his zoo? What the hell, crazy world?


    "I want to meet your Dragon too. Can he talk?" I asked a bit too fast.


    The Emperor just laughed. "He doesn''t talk to me, if that''s what you''re asking, Amber Wizard. He might talk to you, perhaps."


    Soon after, we went to meet a Dragon. I was quite excited, I admit. A Dragon!


    "Go on...enter his lair." The Emperor urged me with a curious voice.


    And so I did. A giant cave hosted the Imperial Dragon, with thousands of animal bones burned on the floor. Didn''t bode well.


    ''A human? No, a Wizard of Ghur. And yet...'' a powerful mind spoke in my head. I thought my mind was protected!


    ''I am Magister Pef of the Amber Order. And the new Warden of the East.'' I introduced myself in a polite tone.


    A giant head rose to smell me, really too close. ''Human titles are worthless. You smell of Ghur, and of divine blessings. Taal or Ulric, I''d guess. Are you afraid of fire, little Wizard?'' the Imperial Dragon asked me in a curious tone.


    Was there a good answer here? Probably not.


    The jet of flames that followed burned my deer coat to ash. My pants too. This is not how I planned to meet my dragon!

 How to train my Dragon

    ''Not the face!'' the Dragon pleaded as I drew back my fist again. He was kinda bleeding out of his nose already. Fine! Not the face anymore.


    "You burned my pants!" I yelled, and kicked him in the ribs with 19 percent of my force. Damn durable things, these Dragons. Something cracked, but I was a bit angry.


    The Emperor of Man was waiting for me outside. How was I to face him with my bits hanging out?


    ''Wait, wait! I can fix this...'' the Dragon offered and summoned a pair of golden silk pants out of nothing. I took the pants and checked them. It wasn''t really silk, but some kind of metal weave. Probably gold wires, very very thin.


    ''You know the Chamon Wind too?'' I wondered a bit surprised.


    ''I don''t know! It wasn''t like I went to school in this cave. Magic is Magic. I just willed a pair of pants. Don''t you like them?'' the Imperial Dragon said in a worried tone.


    Did he just invent a new spell, just to get out of trouble? I doubted there was a ''Create pants'' spell in the Golden Order spellbook.


    Could be useful. Not the pants, for future spells.


    "My apprentice has a bear as a mount. But I think a Dragon would be better. What do you say?" I asked in a calmer voice, now that I wore pants again.


    "...I don''t wanna!" the Dragon claimed in a proud voice.


    I drew my fist back again. "On the other hand, it would be nice to leave this cave and fly around. Maybe fight some weaker monsters..." my dragon observed with a wary voice.


    "Don''t be such a coward, Jet. There won''t be many things out there as strong as me." I demanded and casted Hunters Moon on him for extra vitality.


    Jet measured me with a surprised eye. ''My name is Jet?''


    ''Exactly! It is how you introduced yourself, right? A jet of fire to my face.'' I explained in a serious voice.


    ''I should have picked a grand name...'' my dragon realized in a sheepish tone.


    Thinking a bit ahead, I stared at Jet with cold eyes. "You also burned my coat. Make me a new one!"


    "Uhhh. Coat, human sized...here!" Jet offered as his spell took form and created a nice (priceless really) coat made of golden wires.


    At the least the girls will love an instant clothier to make them new outfits on demand.


    "Goldenweave. Jet Goldenweave. It''s a pretty good name for a Dragon. Now behave as we meet the Emperor of Man. I let you keep your teeth, but I can always change my mind." I ordered as I flew out in my new outfit.


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    I guess training my new Dragon took a while, as my Amber Bow has already arrived, being held by Gissela as she waited beside the Emperor and his Reiksguard for me to emerge from a Dragon''s Lair.


    "New clothes, Lord Warden?" The Emperor asked with a surprised voice.


    "Jet decided to improve my outfit with his magic. They feel just as amazing as they look." I explained and offered my sleeve for his touch.


    "Oh my! Is this the fabled...why is my Imperial Dragon in such a state? He looks like he fell off a mountain and smacked every tree with his face!" Emperor Wilhem exclaimed as Jet dragged himself out of the cave, still battered and bruised and sporting crusty blood all over.


    "Pretty much what happened. A mountain fell on him. But now Jet has learned his lesson. Right, Jet?" I asked a bit rhetorical.


    The Imperial Dragon nodded with a sad face.


    "You are indeed stronger than a Dragon!" the Emperor realized a bit too late.


    "Quite so. Jet, make a nice coat for the Emperor too." I demanded in a warning tone.


    Jet obliged, and spelled out a coat that would fit Wilhem just right.


    "He listens to you?" The Emperor noted in an awed voice, while taking the coat in his hands.


    "Yeah. Jet Goldenweave, Imperial Dragon! Salute His Majesty!" I ordered and Jet raised his wing in salute.


    A few of the Reiksguard chuckled in amusement. It was not the proper Imperial salute, but as a Dragon he could get some reprieve.


    "Jet also wants to go fight Vampires in Sylvania, your Majesty. Says it''s boring in the cave." I continued, volunteering the Dragon for some fiery purge of vampire corruption.


    If Gissela could do it, Jet would be even stronger. Might need to get Jet some magic armor though. His scales cracked a bit too easy.


    Luckily, I knew a Runesmith with plenty of free time.


    ''Vampires? I don''t want to fight Vampires! They bite.'' Jet commented in outrage, not unlike my own apprentices when sent to the forest after snakes.


    "If you say so..." the Emperor mused in a doubtful voice.


    "I do. Want to ride a Dragon around for a while? Jet will be ecstatic to fly a bit." I proposed with a cunning voice.


    The Emperor was only human after all. To ride a Dragon was any man''s dream. "Yes! But you better catch me if I fall." Emperor Wilhem spoke in a cautious tone.


    "Of course. You can''t grow wings and fly unless you have Magic. And you don''t. Now let me place you on the right spot..." I said in a giddy tone, and lifted Wilhem on the Dragon''s back.


    A few tours over Altdorf later, I gained an Imperial Decree about using the Imperial Dragon to support the Empire, while Wilhem gained the right to ride Jet when we visited Altdorf.


    "Do you like my Dragon?" I asked Gissela who rode on the Dragon now.


    "He is amazing! I thought Dragons were mere myths." my fiery wife yelled over the wind.


    I flew on my back and stared at the blue sky. While I didn''t need a Dragon, having him on the frontlines was far better than leaving Jet locked in a cave. And the Emperor got rid of a giant mouth that ate entire cows as a snack.


    On the other hand, I had my new Amber Bow, a wonder of an artifact bristling with magic enchantments.


    *You have obtained an Amber Bow. +5 Amber Magic affinity.


    -Arrows fired by this bow always strike the heart of your target.


    The game screen description was too broad though. Perhaps by design?


    Even better, while the bow could be drawn by a mere mortal, it could also be drawn harder. Not even 3 percent of my strength made it crack. Magic bullshit. That amount of force would break even a cannon in two, not to mention a wooden bow.


    Should I risk it?


    I drew the bow again, this time with 10 percent force. The Amber Bow lit up with magic, gaining a Ghur feeling into its wood.


    Hmmm. Probably enough to deal with any Vampire. But not a Zombie Dragon.


    I drew it again, with 20 percent strength. The bow became almost ethereal, glowing with a blinding amber light.


    Yeah, that would kill a Dragon too. I could have drawn even harder, but probably not much more. Whatever shaman made it probably never considered a user far stronger than a Dragon.


    A day later, since Dragons weren''t that fast, we landed at Essen where my Army of the East had its supply base. Jet was really popular here.

 Unbreakable

    Even if the campaign to conquer Sylvania has stalled, this didn''t mean it has stopped completely.


    There were always problems to solve, troops to train, and forts to build and administrate.


    Camping in the open was a dangerous task, with random zombies or ghouls emerging from a forest or bog nearby to munch on your flesh, or Orcs and Goblins trying to expand where the influence of the Vampire Counts was weaker.


    Provision and supply trains needed to be guarded non-stop, long lines of carts and animals bringing food and drinks, plus gunpowder and bullets for the army. A few daring merchants have also arrived, as they always did when an army got rich from their wages and battle loot.


    I wasn''t opposed to this, but I did have to regulate trade, less it became pure robbery. They had robber barons here as well, buying things for cheap and selling them 100 times more in a different province.


    Since the army wasn''t a good option to maintain the law, I had to use my new Wild Guard instead. Luckily, there were over 100 hunters in the guard now, plus a hundred more orphan children gathered by my apprentices. If I had to guess, there will be thousands more such children until the conquest was over. Wars always produced orphans, either from the locals or our own dead soldiers.


    Jet the Dragon made imposing the Imperial Law somewhat more simpler. A gush of flame, and disputes ended right then. Or the next jet fell on the vocal part. Normal people burned like twigs in dragon fire. Quite scary, if I say so myself.


    "Only use the flames when I command you to. Either mentally, or with the word Dracarys. Got it?" I warned my new Dragon after his fire spread to a nearby cottage and I had to pay 1 gold for the damages.


    ''Dracarys ? What does it mean?" my Dragon asked curious.


    "It means dragonfire. In a long lost language. The High Valyrian language." I said with a tiny smirk.


    ''All right. But if I am attacked, I will use my dragonfire anyways. Orders or not.'' Jet allowed with a displeased tone.


    Right. He was a person too, my Dragon. Of course, he would have the right at self-defense. More so, as an Imperial Dragon.


    "Just use your best judgement, Jet. You are the Imperial Dragon, and your actions reflect not only on you and me, but also the Emperor and the Empire of Man itself. Plus, I don''t think you''ll get attacked very often. Most people would be too scared to try." I offered in a kinder voice, and patted his scales.


    ''That should be so. I am rather scary, aren''t I?'' The Dragon preened and opened his wings wide.


    "Anyways, let''s go visit my favorite Dwarf Runesmith. Maybe he can make a suit of armor for you. Don''t be offended, but I rather return you to the Emperor without grave injuries or missing parts." I said after that, and flew slowly towards the Black Water lake to collect some trading goods for the Dwarves.


    Meaning more Gromril.


    So when I arrived at Zhufbar, with a raft holding about 33 tones of precious minerals, the face on the gate only nodded at me. "The Runesmith has been notified of your arrival."


    ''These Dwarves are a type of small humans, right? I heard some humans calling their smaller variants a dwarf.'' Jet asked in a curious tone.


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    ''Humanoid, but not the same race. Just like a Dragon is not a lizard, nor an eagle.'' I explained curtly. Was dwarf or midget the worse term?


    Jet nodded wisely. ''I see. ''


    When the Runesmith emerged from the city, he stared at the Dragon for a long minute, then nodded at me. "More Amber Wizard magic? You tamed a Dragon now, Warden of the East?"


    Well...yes. But not really. "This is Jet Goldenweave, an Imperial Dragon from Altdorf. He is here to help me kill the Vampires a bit faster. But he needs proper armor. Thus more Gromril." I explained in a gracious voice.


    Jet saluted with his wing like a proper soldier.


    "Honoured to meet you, Imperial Dragon. I am Runesmith Dorin Ironforge, fourteen of my name." the Runesmith introduced himself, now that proper introductions had been made.


    Uh. The Dwarf never told me his name til now. Probably wasn''t considered an important person.


    "I was thinking runic chainmail, but you''re the expert." I interjected as silence became a bit too long.


    The Dwarf just glared at me, and stepped closer to the Dragon. "The Imperial Dragon can show me himself what kind of armor he wants." the Runesmith muttered in his beard.


    ''I think Dorin means you can summon a golden suit for yourself, and he just makes an armor based on it.'' I whispered mentally to my Dragon.


    ''I know. Just thinking how I want to present myself for combat.'' Jet answered while the Winds of Magic gathered around him, like for a major spell.


    Then a fabulous suit of armor appeared on his body, partly chainmail where he needed to move his wings or legs, and partly scaled plates over his vital parts. And much much nicer than my own coat.


    ''Make one like that for me too.'' I demanded immediately.


    Magic flared again, and a similar type of suit appeared around me, including scaled plates. It looked fabulous, and possibly costed more than a suit of Gromril armor.


    Dragging the metal silk from our bodies, I handed both suits to the silent Runesmith.


    "These Goldenweave suits are your payment for the armor. I think you already know their value." I said in a mild voice.


    The Runesmith just nodded with a deep frown on his face. "I only read about it in the old tomes, but now I saw it with my own eyes. Goldenweave. The Perfection of Chamon." he whispered in a daze.


    "Anyways, do you have anything for me?" I asked a bit curious. The Dwarves did have excellent forging skills, as proven by the Runefangs and other precious artifacts.


    "Ah. Yes, your club is ready, since it didn''t take a lot of skill to make. And I payed a dozen smiths to scribe 3 Major Durability runes on it. Also, 280 steel rifles. Do you want them now?"


    the Runesmith asked in a bored voice, his mind and eyes focused on the metal weave in his hands.


    "Yes. Also, if you are going to equip your troops with my new breech-loading rifles, I expect 1 silver coin royalty for every single one. But casted as silver bullets." I demanded when I realized what I could gain for my unpatented invention. I may need to start a Patent Office.


    The Runesmith glared at me, for no reason. "One silver coin isn''t much, but you haven''t asked for this earlier."


    "And I didn''t suspect you would dare to copy my weapon without my approval. Do you want me to take you to court? I will win, and cast shame upon you. And still get my silver due."


    I warned the sneaky cheating Dwarf.


    The Runesmith cursed something in his beard. "Fine! Those cursed Vampires better burn in the Nine Hells from my silver."


    "Why are you so grumpy? I got you more Gromril, and even this Goldenweave. Even a Runelord would be glad to such a good deal." I asked a bit curious.


    The Runesmith just sighed. "It is a good deal. It''s just that, the Skaven are always assaulting our deep mines. Damn rats...always stealing the minerals, damaging equipment..." he complained in a tired voice.


    I smiled a bit too wide. "I can solve your problem. But I want a steam tank. Changed a little."


    The Runesmith eyed the Dragon with suspicion. "The mighty Imperial Dragon will not fit inside our tunnels."


    "You did say my club is ready, right? I will test it on these Skaven rats. But if it breaks, you must make me a new one." I demanded in a cunning tone.


    "It will not break! Nothing will ever dent that damned club. Did you hear me say 3 Major Durability runes?" the Runesmith yelled in near anger.


    I smiled a bit. "I didn''t say it will break. I said if. I am a bit strong." I answered in a peaceful voice, and my Dragon nodded in turn. Jet felt my strength as well. A part of it, at least.


    "It will not break. It''s name is Unbreakable" the Runesmith proclaimed in a deadly voice.


    Hmm. A good name, I admit. But I did have to test it.

 Fear

    When I emerged a day later from the tunnels of Zhufbar, Jet was bored and playing with a Troll, biting bits off, then letting the monster regenerate so he could snack again.


    The Gromril had been carried away, and first shipment of steel rifles was instead deposited on my raft. 300 rifles. Excellent!


    In my hand, the Unbreakable looked pristine and clean, without a single dent. Weighing over 90 kilos, the baseball-bat-shaped club narrowed into a tri-sided haft, then a leather-bound handle that widened again into a pyramidal pommel. The haft was inscribed with Dwarf runes on each side, granting the weapon extra durability and a strange air of eternal aura.


    Then again, I didn''t expect any puny rat to actually damage my Dragon-beating club. They just splattered into blood vapor from a simple swing, and only their Grey Seer caused some trouble by jumping into shadows and out like a demented rat. My Fang of Taal took care of his magic dodging though, blocking it for 15 seconds. I needed far less time to crush the rat mage, when his spells were blocked.


    "Eat the troll and let''s go, Jet. I want to visit Castle Wartenhof today." I said in a mild voice.


    ''Just a minute. Tastes better when deep fried.'' Jet answered while roasting the troll with dragonfire and then eating it like hot dog.


    The dwarven gate slammed shut behind me, but I didn''t turn, simply taking my raft and flying to Eschen to prepare a small incursion for the Army.


    And by small, I meant 2000 soldiers and 50 War Wagons, while one of the rifle regiments will get to test the steel rifles I just got.


    Also, a Dragon probably worth a whole army by himself. When armored and trained for war. For now, Jet wasn''t used to fighting alongside a human army, and things might go bad.


    Better take care of the Vampire Lords in the castle, and then assault Wartenhof City. Maybe find more loot?


    Our flight path followed the mountains, avoiding the strongholds of Sylvania like Drakenhof and Templehof, where the Vampires were the strongest.


    To the West, the army of Stirland was beaten back at Konigstein, although they only had 1000 men and only 200 handgunners using old muskets. And a whole 4 mortars, which got left behind in their rapid retreat. If they had asked for my presence, we would have won anyway, but they tried to be heroes and lost half their army.


    We arrived in Eschen just as the evening fell, scaring the army with my Dragon for a while. They were tense, and quite worried, since in my absence a bunch of people had just vanished into the night.


    "The Warden is here! And his Dragon!" the news spread rapidly into the city, raising morale from our mere presence.


    ''I smell bats. Lots of them.'' Jet pointed at a wooden hill behind us.


    "Go and hunt them. And call if you get in trouble." I offered with a joking tone, then selected a random regiment to bear the new guns, and a few silver bullets as well, just in case.


    The Runesmith had only left me a case with 1000 silver bullets, but I will make sure to check. Receiving my royalty was serious business.


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    Several of the Wild Guard hunters and little Thor waited for me at the side. "Master, you found another Runefang?" Thor asked me with a childish voice.


    "This, no. I had it made for me by a Dwarf Runesmith from Zhufbar. Durability runes only." I explained in a patient voice, and waved my club around.


    "Ah, makes sense. You do tend to break every weapon that you use, Master Pef." the kid spoke with an innocent tone.


    It was true, but don''t say it like that. I was just a bit too strong, okay? Plus the Fang of Taal didn''t break yet. Maybe because Gods had durable weapons, or they would break them too.


    ''Come quick...there is a big bat!'' Jet yelled in my mind.


    I sighed inward and went to help my Dragon. To be fair, a Terrorgheist is not only a big bat, but a mutant vampire that causes terror in any living creature.


    I smacked the thing gently, only breaking its wings.


    "Did the big bad bat scare you, little Jet?" I asked in a light voice. While the bat was big, it was still half the size of my Dragon. And not a Dragon.


    Jet just burst into action, and incinerated the monster as it crashed to the ground. ''Take that. No so scary now, are you?'' the Dragon grumbled as he stomped the burning corpse into small bits.


    "It is only a fear aura, Jet Goldenweave. You can''t let yourself be influenced by any monster around. There are hundreds with similar powers." I offered in a peaceful voice.


    ''Right! Only a fear aura...I must get myself some metal defenses.'' my Dragon muttered in displeasure, then stared around at the burning forest.


    "Try to purge the corruption, Jet. Gissela says Purge!, and any bad things bursts into flames around her." I advised the not-so-fearless Dragon.


    Jet only nodded, eyes focused on the dead Terrorgheist. Magic winds gathered around him, until they formed a small cyclone of visible colors.


    A piercing pang of pain hit my brain, and the urge to ran away and hide in a cave. I looked at the grinning Dragon. "You made a fear spell?"


    "Does it work?" he asked a bit confused.


    "Yes, it works. Try a dozen power settings now. From chasing mosquitoes and flies away, to spiders, snakes and so on. And you need a stronger setting than this, for large wars. Think that you''re facing a million daemons" I advised him with a mild smile.


    "Uh....a dozen settings? You mean weaker and stronger winds?" the Dragon deduced as he began inventing a dozen new spells from a single hint.


    Hah, I knew I was a poor Wizard, but this guy here had the potential to become the greatest mage in the world. With someone like me to train him.


    I flew back at the army camp to calm down the troops. No, it was not a giant monster coming to eat us all, only my Imperial Dragon training on some poor Vampires.


    Just before dawn, everyone woke up in panic and threw everything aside to run away, as Jet discovered his final form.


    Animals, beasts and monsters ran out of the forest as well, as if a volcano was erupting.


    I flew over and shouted my Ox Stands buff a dozen times, until things calmed down. "Gather your stuff and prepare for march. Our target is Wartenhof. And wipe those tears. You are Imperial Soldiers, are you not?" My words seemed to work, as gunmen and spearmen ran back for their weapons.


    As I landed, I found Thor shifted into his White Wolf form, still resisting the fear aura. Great for him!


    "Good job, Thor. But you''re heading back to Waldenhof now. There is time enough for war. You have lessons now."


    "Books? Again?"" the kid wailed and ran off, still in wolf form.


    Ah, the joy of raising an apprentice. Martak only had to teach me to be gentle and less powerful. And barely had any books.


    My apprentices had thousands of books in my Waldenhof Castle, but only Odin seemed to like to read, despite his only remaining eye.


    A scout from the Wild Guard peeked out from a cellar. "Scouting duty?" he asked to make sure.


    "Why ask?" I muttered in a sad voice. It wasn''t like they had another job.


    "Right. Not used to a Dragon, Sir!" he admitted with a sheepish voice, and began helping out a dozen more hunters, all hidden in the same basement. Good instincts though.


    Now, let''s go visit the Vampire Count as he lay to sleep in his coffin. But instead of a sneaky approach, I''ll take Jet and go with shock and awe. His aura was even better than a Stuka siren.

 War is hell

    Our flying pass over Wardenhof City forced the local Sylvanians to run and hide in their cellars, which should save more lives when my army attacked.


    The zombie army outside the gates was not impressed by my Dragon, but we will come back for them.


    But first, loot. Then we can burn.


    We descended on Castle Wadenhof like avenging angels, the fear aura paralyzing the mortal guards of the Vampire Count while Jet''s flames burned the bolt throwers guarding against aerial attack. They wouldn''t pierce Jet, but they could damage his wings. Always a problem with flying.


    And while the Imperial Dragon remained outside to play with his food, I sped up into the Castle, while smacking my way through doors and walls until I located the Vampire Crypt.


    Nine Vampires were awake still, while two dozen were being worked upon with warpstone crystals and alchemical devices. Making more Vargheists, I presumed.


    "Hello, dead people. And good bye!" I quipped in a light voice, and sped up to maximum.


    Vampires were both durable and dangerous, and a pair of them had dark blades in hands. I left them for last, choosing to smash my easier opponents to scraps.


    In a second, the crypt was clear of mooks and extra chaff, leaving me alone with the two Vampire Lords.


    "Quite fast, but still a mortal." one of them whispered in a cold voice, while magic shades covered him like mirrors.


    My left hand clenched on the Fang of Taal, while I spun around to strike the other Vampire with my club. He had somehow sneaked behind me, but his Dhur weapon was tingling my magic senses anyways.


    At the same time, I triggered the Fang and struck the now visible magic Vampire in the heart, just as the other Count hit the wall and splattered like a bag of blood.


    "Impossible..." the Count groaned as he realized his fate.


    "The world of Magic allows anything. Nice teeth..." I quipped as my club smacked him in the head and evaporated it.


    Then I checked my club, and noted a small chip where the Vampire Lord had parried my strike with his black sword. Unbreakable my ass.


    I will have my due, sneaky lying Dwarf! But not yet.


    There was looting to be had, and then some cleaning up. Warpstone was highly mutagenic to all life forms, as proved by the dead half-formed Vargheists in this crypt.


    My fingers tingled as I began to collect rings and other precious jewelry from my targets, separating them into magical and mundane artifacts.


    Perhaps I could train my Dragon to identify their purpose? I sure could.


    Next, a visit to the armory and the hidden vault (there always is one, you just need to break enough walls) and I had enough loot to sustain my army for a year or two again.


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    Jet flew to my side and began smelling the magic stuff. "Dark magic?" he asked a bit curious.


    "That''s is your task from now on, Jet. Identify and evaluate the worth of each artifact. Those two hammers look like Sigmarite weapons used by their Templars. These two black swords were used by the Vampire Lords. Most armors are mundane chainmail or plate, but this breastplate is made of Gromril. I''ll have to ask Dorin to refit it for me." I explained in a patient voice, while shoveling gold and silver coins into former grain sacks and other receptacles.


    "I see. The spoils of war." Jet mused in a thoughtful voice, while gathering magic for a new spell.


    Not exactly the Bright Order''s Purge spell, but a cleansing spell anyways, glowing with bright light. An audible scream rose from the loot, and then vanished in wails of pain.


    Dragons are bullshit. No joke!


    "Wow, was that Hysh Magic? I thought it was hard to learn." I asked in surprise.


    My Dragon just looked at me with one condescending eye. "You told me to do this."


    Well...yes. I did.


    "Those two Hammers smell like Heaven. Should be safe to use, even by humans. The black swords...metal, blood and death. Bloodsteel, I think. Valuable, like Gromril." The Dragon said as he poked around gems and jewellery while smelling for something.


    "What is it?" I wondered and picked up the amulet he just found.


    "Ward Save. Reduce any damage by a quarter. Even magic damage." he pointed out in a grave voice.


    Really? I paid like hundreds of gems to enchanters for 2 or 3 percent defense wards, now gifted to my officers and wives, plus some Elector Counts and other people I had to bribe. And here, a single amulet had 25% defense? Damn lucky Dragon.


    "I will have Dorin install this ward on your armor. Might need to smack you twice with my club." I offered with a gentle smile.


    "Please don''t. I mean, yes, I want the Ward Save. Not the evil bat to the face." Jet said in a hurried tone.


    "Right, you go and hunt some Orcs or Trolls in the mountains. Be at Wartenhof in 6 hours, or you''ll miss the siege." I ordered while assembling my loot on the raft to carry it to my Castle.


    While the distance from Eschen to Wartenhof was barely 20 miles, marching 2000 people and 50 War Wagons took more time than you''d expect. Plus the ammo and food supplies and all such things like tents and cookpots and...war is hell, you know? So slow.


    Deposit the loot, meet up with Anika for some ice-cold lovemaking (she wasn''t too happy about Gissela), visit my steel furnace to drop off damaged items for re-smelting, check on the kids if they were reading or playing (Thor was playing and had to be chastised) , check on little Andrew (still sleeping), then visit Wizards Rolan and Gissela at Essen.


    More fiery lovemaking with Gissela (she didn''t care about Anika), then fly back to Zhufbar and meet with my (not-so-favorite) Runesmith to drop off some magic items, exchange insults and make friends, then back to check on Jet from afar (playing with Orcs) and then landed at my Army just as the Wild Guard scouts returned with news. Being fast meant I could move around, and do more things in 5.30 hours than others in weeks.


    "Lord Warden, the way to Wartenhof is clear. No skeletons either, for a change." a wary hunter spoke while drawing a small sketch of the city defenses. Not perfect, but quite accurate considering he had to be at least a kilometer away to avoid zombies or ghouls prowling outside the city.


    "That''s true. I took care of their Dark Mage already, so there won''t be skeletons this time. Wild Guard, you set up camp a mile back with the supply train. Captains, advance and clear the way to the walls, wagons in front, spears on flanks. Then we wait for the Dragon." I commanded with pointed fingers at each Army Captain.


    "By your command, Lord Warden!" my officers shouted and ran to their units, while I brooded inward.


    Hopefully, Jet will remember we had a siege planned for today. If he was late...I would have to kick his ass again.


    We had a war to fight, not just play.

 Cleanse

    For once, I didn''t take to the field, standing up high in the air while the War Wagons shot their canister rounds into masses of Zombies or Ghouls, the riflemen shot their guns and the spears held the flanks against undead wolves.


    Well, I did shoot my bow when someone was in danger of getting eaten, and casted wide-range buffs on the troops to increase their strength, vitality and morale, but Jet the Dragon did most of the melee today.


    Half-way into the fight, Jet figured a new spell made of 3 metal balls that spun around him in a deadly circle, crushing undead into paste and bones.


    "Make more balls, Jet!" I urged the Dragon, as I figured this could be a decent war spell.


    "Take my balls!" the Imperial Dragon shouted, and now he had 9 balls spinning around.


    Excellent! I laughed as I descended into his whirlwind of metal balls and blocked one with my hand. Almost 5 percent of my strength! Amazing really.


    Still laughing in a fit of giddy giggles, I took out my club and struck the flying ball for a home run. The metal ball bounced through hundreds of zombies and scattered them bowling pins. When I launched the ninth ball into a pack of Ghouls I looked around and found the battle was over.


    "This was so much fun!" I congratulated the Imperial Dragon.


    "Indeed! I thought war a dour business, but I''m getting to like it now. Let''s go fight more undead!" Jet exclaimed in a fit of bravery.


    Hah. Well, you asked for it, silly Dragon!


    "Army of the East, we have won a great victory for the Empire. Don''t shame it with dishonorable conduct now. Or the Imperial Dragon will roast you a little..." I shouted as I flew into the air.


    "Sigmar!" "For the Empire!" yells resounded over the battlefield, as Jet joined me in flight towards Castle Templehof.


    Couldn''t let the Vampire Counts prepare a giant army of Vargheists or other abominations to strike my army in the flank.


    Even that small coven of Vampires in Wartenhof could produce 20 Vargheists. Templehof was a far larger and richer city, lead by a Van Carstein Count.


    Jet struggled to keep up with me, until he spelled out another magic wonder. "Accelerate Time?" I asked as his wings blurred twice as fast now.


    "I call it Twice Speed, but keeping up with you is still too hard" the Dragon groaned as I sped up again.


    "Try harder. A dozen settings again!" I yelled and kept moving away, only for the Dragon to bullshit his way once more.


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    Thrice Speed. Fourth. Fifth. By the time we reached my target, he was already at Ninth Speed and glowing with Magic Winds. Mach 9 wasn''t bad at all for a living being.


    I kinda wanted to learn this spell too. Mach 30 was nice, but Mach 60 would be even better.


    When the Castle appeared on the horizon, I sped up to maximum and crashed into the Castle like a missile, the Unbreakable out in front to clear the way.


    "Rejoice, dead people! For I am here to provide release from undeath!" I shouted as the Castle exploded in my wake.


    As I circled back, only three Vampires Lords emerged from the ruins, a dead lady with a crown on her head, and two ugly men covered in Dark Shields.


    "Damn you, Warden of the East! You ruined my life''s work!" the woman shouted just as I touched my Fang of Taal.


    Magic failed over the entire Castle, and for 15 seconds I was a small god among fragile mortals. First, blow up the mages. Always dangerous, even to someone like me.


    Then stab the Vampire Countess in the heart, and cut off her head.


    Victory! It never felt easier.


    Which is when the ruins exploded outwards, and a giant Zombie Dragon howled out for blood. My blood.


    A jet of corrosive gas almost hit me, but I was pretty fast too.


    I flew back, and flicked a few coins at the atrocity, but even my plasmaballs didn''t do much. The entire thing was infused with Dhur, while his corpse aura would likely melt my clothes and armor to rot.


    I grit my teeth and held my Unbreakable club tight. Can''t let this thing escape. I can buy new clothes.


    Just then, my Imperial Dragon flashed by at hyperspeed, his claws covered in molten metal as he smashed right into the undead Dragon.


    "Mine!" Jet growled as his claws dug into the Zombie Dragon with remarkable ease. Chamon Magic now. And extremely strong. Might even damage me as well.


    I took a deep breath and flew a bit higher. No. Metal magic was strong, but it was not Ghur. This was Jet''s final fear aura.


    I also understood how he made it. He took his own fear and turned outwards. For such a coward, the Imperial Dragon was quite the brave one.


    I bound the club to my hip and took out the Amber Bow from my back. Then I focused, and released my Arrow of Time, piercing through the undead Dragon''s heart and then returning to my hand. Martak was right. Ghur can pierce anything.


    Jet barely noticed, caught in an animalistic frenzy, but the Zombie Dragon had already died. By the time they landed on the ground, Jet had dismembered the dead Dragon and began both spitting out jets of flame and pulsing with bright light to cleanse the corruption of his fallen relative.


    The whole Templehof Castle lit up from his spell, as the Dragon cycled through a dozen settings commensurate to his grief. The skies above cleared from the murky clouds of Vampiric corruption, while dead souls rose into Heaven on magic winds.


    My heart felt release too, as I touched the light of Hysh with my own magic. Cleanse. I finally did it!


    I added my own spell to the far stronger hurricane of magic winds circling around Jet. While I wasn''t as strong, my reach was far wider and still expanding the more the Dragon drew on the Wind of Magic. I could sense the town of Templehof a few miles away, and sense the corruption getting cleansed as well.


    And deep underground, more corruption and warpstone resisting with evil stubbornness.


    I dove into the ruins and dug them out, until I found a giant pit of death, thousands of dead people tortured in cruel devices, as well as other dead Vampires, Vargheists and Ghouls, and large boulders of warpstone inside vats of blood.


    "Burn it all, Jet Goldenweave." I asked my Dragon with a sad voice.


    Jet just howled, then turned his flames on the death pit, and set it to flames so hot that stone began to melt.


    Looking at the clear sky above, and the setting sun, I knew that things have truly changed now. The entire world must have felt this spell.

 Rings

    Castle Templehof hosted a treasure worthy of kings, including magic staves and amulets and all sort of artifacts, some more cursed than others.


    There were also gems, gold and silver worth at least 100000, plus armor and weapons of a hundred kinds. Even several Inquisitor weapons and symbols, likely from those which tried to kill his Vampire Countess and obviously failed.


    "That staff grants half again bonus to Dark and Blood spells, and nearly a quarter Ward Save. Very valuable." Jet said while poking a nondescript wooden staff with a black stone capping its tip.


    I picked it up and indeed, could feel its magic ward covering me with a resistance aura. Sadly it was too cumbersome to carry around, and likely not good for my public image either. Maybe the Grey Order would like it though. While the Grey Wizards avoided Necromancy (usually), their Shadow spells weren''t nice at all.


    "Don''t bother with that staff, take this thing instead. The glass bit has one third Magic resistance. " The Dragon added, while picking a black glass prism from its silver chain, and held it for me in his claw. I took it curious.


    *Congratulations.


    -You have obtained an Obsidian_Amulet</a>


    -Grants 30% Deflection versus spells and Magic weapons.


    Uhm. What the screen said and what the Dragon said were nor exactly the same.


    "Okay, this looks good. I''ll keep it then." I nodded while donning the silver chain over my head. The glass bit stuck to my chest, like a powerful magnet.


    Protection against spells and Magic weapons at once? Must be a rare thing. As the game screen popping out hinted too. Perhaps this was because I was already immune to normal damage? And most spells too. But twice already I had been harmed by magical weapons.


    "When we find more like these, you can have one too." I offered in a generous voice.


    Jet just shrugged. "Most spells will simply fail against a Dragon. When I get that Ward Save from the Dwarf, I should be nearly immune to magic."


    Ah, racial bonus. Made some sense. The Dragon was probably a magic monster of sorts, possibly made by the Old Ones as a toy for their kids, like a pony.


    As I packed up to loot and started flying back to my castle in Waldenhof, Jet veered away. ''I need to think for a while. I''ll be back for the next fight though'' he sent to my mind, sounding rather sad.


    I mean, probably that Zombie Dragon hit him hard. I tended not to think about zombies and skeletons as people, dead of course, but for a Dragon seeing his kind desecrate in this way...must have hurt a lot. Thus the giant light show that cleared the sky over a third of Slyvania.


    As I landed in my courtyard with a raft full of loot, Anika and the kids came out, mostly to pick an item or two for themselves. Being related with me carried a lot of perks.


    " I want his amulet. I never like Fire, but this Amulet_of_Fire</a> will block more magic." Anika demanded in a cold voice, while choosing a burning coin.


    That coin had an ever-burning flame on it, but Anika managed to wear it without getting burned at all.


    Probably something about Gissela in there, but I wasn''t that smart. "If it warms your heart, my love. You''re welcome to it." I offered with a kind smile.


    She just puffed her cheeks, then ran away back in the castle.


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    Odin looked at me with his remaining eye. "You want my advice, Master?"


    I just sighed. Kids these day. "I know. Apologize to her." I muttered in a low voice.


    The kid grinned and picked a pair of rings. "Something more tangible than words, Master Pef. Lady Anika is afraid you''re losing interest."


    I picked the damned rings and flew after my wife. Odin was quite smart.


    "Dear Frost Wife. I have something for you." I called to Anika just before she closed the door in my face.


    "What? Another wife somewhere?" she grumbled as I closed the door behind me.


    I just smiled gently and showed her the rings. "You will always be my wife, Anika. Maybe our next child will be girl." I whispered while slipping a ring on her finger.


    "What next child...oh." she froze as I undressed at speed and flew in front of her naked.


    "Ever sucked an icicle?" I continued flying closer, and poking her lips with my time-frozen organ.


    "M....ou" she tried to speak as I entered her mouth.


    I dropped her dress with barely any effort and played with her snow-white peaks, while my icicle melted in her mouth.


    Then I flew down and took her from below, holding her hips in my arms while still afloat. "Elsa, I think. If the child is a girl." I whispered in Anika''s ear as her frozen core began to melt around my icicle.


    She rode me passionately for an hour, until spring came and the glacier melted inside her. "And you take me flying on a Dragon." Anika demanded while admiring her new ring.


    "Of course. Now, I have to give another ring to Gissela. Blue or red stone?" I asked my wife in a curious voice.


    Anika snorted. "You need my advice to charm a Fire Wizard? Give her the red one..." she provided with amazing wisdom.


    "Great! I wonder how good it will feel to have you both at once." I quipped and flew away, before a Frost spell hit me in the ass.


    While flying back to Essen, I mused a little about other magic winds. I should get a wife from each type, right? Magic wasn''t simply will over reality, but also emotion.


    How better to learn all kinds of magic, than by knowing each emotion intimately?


    Maybe Gissela could help.


    Although she was quite enthusiastic about her new ring, and being welcomed properly at the Waldenhof Castle, Gissela didn''t have any likely candidates for me.


    Instead, Wizard Rolan had. He apparently knew a bunch of female Wizards from Jade and Light Orders, having worked together to purge Beastmen camps and other corrupted places.


    Jade Magic dealt with nature and plants, so things should be easy enough. We would have plenty things in common.


    Light Magic however...hmmm. Jet will have to suffer a little for my happiness.


    "Ostland, you say? Guarding the Forest of Shadows?" I asked to make sure.


    "Or lost in research, like Light Wizards are prone to do. Possibly both as well." Rolan disclosed with a careless shrug. Good enough for me.


    I took out a magic sword with a fire enchantment I just picked from my vault. Probably worth 1000 gold, but I was feeling generous. "Your advice was priceless, Wizard Rolan. Please accept this gift, as a sign of my friendship."


    The man blushed fiercely. "I...mostly women..." Rolan stammered as he gazed at the valuable sword.


    "Good. Wizards tend to have more mage children. You need to have a dozen kids at least, for my Wild Guard." I demanded while flying up to search for a new wife. Maybe two.


    What kind of rings will I need?

 Seal clubbing

    Alana Garden sat on her knees, the Light of Hysh coursing through her as she contemplated the dark forest around.


    A malign, corrupting force was twisting and changing the animals inside, and the men that wandered too close.


    Beastmen, they were called, as they turned cruel and savage beyond belief. Worshiping Chaos and in particular the Dark God of Change, which granted them mutations and horns or hooves and all manner of beastly parts. The Enlightenment spell ran its course, but no solution appeared. It was never that easy.


    "Grant me strength, and show me the way to Salvation!" Alana whispered while invoking the Winds of Hysh to light her way.


    "Ehem. Something more concise, if you can? Do you need a spell, or an army? Maybe a strong warrior?" an amused voice commented slightly above her.


    Her magic shield sprang out by instinct as she opened her eyes.


    A Wizard no doubt, flying a meter above the ground while wearing a strange collection of leather and metal clothes, and a huge club at his hip. And yet she felt no spell being active.


    A Magister rank then, so powerful to hide his magic even from her Light. His eyes measured her with amusement, and perhaps interest?


    She just rose and bowed slightly. "Who are you, Magister?" Alana asked in a cautious voice.


    "Oh! I oversee this province, and all the East. I am Pef, Warden of the East. Also a Wizard." the man spoke with a casual voice.


    Alana nodded politely. There were rumours that Baltazar Gelt was to be named Warden of the South, if and when the Emperor choose a worthy candidate. As for this Warden, he was known to be extremely strong, but not much else. And supposed to be far off, dealing with Vampires.


    "Vampires dealt with?" she asked to make sure. Maybe they were.


    "Hah. Only Templehof for now. Took quite a spell to cleanse the corruption there. Maybe you felt it too?" the Warden asked in a curious tone.


    Alana had felt that spell, as would any Wizard worth their title, anywhere in the world. And the Light of Hysh had shifted too. "You can use Hysh?" she asked in surprise.


    The Warden held a hand out and wobbled it a little. "Mostly no. Only if my Dragon guides me. But now he''s brooding some place, since we had to kill a Zombie Dragon at Templehof and well... Dragons are sensible beings."


    Alana coughed in surprise. Some things were clear now, but others much less. "Why did you come for me?" she asked more to the point.


    "Right! A Bright Wizard called Rolan recommended you for my Wild Guard. Were also doing what you''re trying to do, but more effectively, I suppose. You''ll love it!" the Warden explained in a dubious manner.


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    "But why me? I am not strong..." she muttered a bit suspicious.


    The man sighed and flew down at her side. "The Dragon and I have the strength part covered. Let''s go to the nearest Warherd and you''ll see for yourself." He added while holding her in his arms, then flying off at an incredible speed, taking 5 seconds to cross the mountain range in the distance and land in the midst of a thousand Beastmen.


    A death sentence, without several Imperial regiments and a few good Battle Wizards. Normally, that is.


    A few seconds later, the entire Warherd was wiped out and shredded to blood mist, as the Warden waved his runic club and the Beastmen just exploded.


    Not even a single spell! Just brute force and speed, and that crazy rune club.


    "See? Strength, I got it covered. Now do your spells and cleanse the corruption." the Warden spoke in a mild voice, while rummaging through the Beastmen'' belongings for gold coins, gems and metal items.


    Alana could only nod, a bit overwhelmed. Got it covered? The man was an army onto himself! And he also had a Dragon?


    She drew on the Light to cast Banishment, and the Chaos corruption fought back, resisting her meager strength.


    "Keep at it! I can see it now!" the Warden demanded while ripping out some stone pillars to extract warpstone crystals, with his bare hands, then throw them right at the sky.


    As more and more warpstones were hurled away, the spell became easier and eventually ended with a clean forest glade, without any corruption at all!


    Now she could see what her use would be, and why this Warden looked specifically for her. Her self-imposed task of clearing the Forest of Shadows wasn''t a dream anymore.


    The light of Hysh had answered her prayer, if not exactly the way she had hoped.


    "...I understand now, Lord Warden. Together, we can indeed clean up corruption quite efficiently. Let me see your hands now!" she exclaimed in a wary voice, as the man had touched foul warpstone bare-handed.


    The Warden placed his palms into hers with a careless shrug. "A bit early for holding hands, but what can I do? A pretty woman and a Wizard? I am conquered already..." the man joked in a light tone, while Alana examined him for corruption. There was nothing, not even a speck of dust or blood. His hands were hard like marble, and...coursing with Ghur. Somehow he had imbued his hands with Amber Magic, making them immune to damage. Thus breaking stone pillars with his hands.


    "Amber Wizard!" she realized with a gasp. The shamans were normally dressed in furs and leathers, so no wonder she never suspected. But if he tamed a Dragon...


    "For now, yes. Now, there is another Wizard we can collect. Rivia from Jade Order. I think you know her." The Warden said in a modest voice, then once more held her in his arms and flew up and away at crazy speed, for less than a minute, then landed near the coast of the Sea of Claws, while a Norscan raid was ongoing.


    The Jade Wizard was fighting alongside the villagers, throwing spells and healing the wounded, and then they landed and the raid ended in a second.


    The Warden simply waved his club a bit, and the Norscan raiders just ... vanished.


    Alana ran out and began casting healing spells as well, while Rivia nodded and sat down to rest. She looked drained already.


    The Warden just stared around for a few seconds, taking stock of the loses, and flew away. A minute later he returned with a large tuna fish the size of cow.


    "I guess we can stay the night and feed these people. I mean you two. I''ll go find the Norscan port where these guys come from and...you know. Seal clubbing?" the Warden offered with a cold voice, and flew away once more.


    Alana sighed and went to look after Rivia.

 Raid

    It took the entire night to complete my raid of Norsca'' shores.


    The crazy barbarians had to be laid low, while also diminishing their recovery ability by stealing and kidnapping their children, and young women.


    Both Ostland and Norland would benefit from an influx of population, same as my Wild Guard.


    Longboats filled with loot and children flew over the Sea of Claws, while the Norsca ports vanished in the wake of rune club.


    By the time morning came, both Elector Counts found their castle courtyards filled with loot and blonde kids, much like my Wild Guard base in Ostermark.


    Did I also keep a hundred blonde maidens for my own use? You can bet I did. I worked hard today, must as well earn myself a reward. To the victor the spoils, like the saying says.


    I also saved a pair of young women for the each of the hunters in my Wild Guard, and three for Rolan. What can I say? I took care of my people.


    The kids that showed promise may be taught magic, but most would become hunters in Guard, their constitution was hardy by the simple fact they were descendants of people who survived in the North among monsters of all kinds.


    As I landed back at the ruined village in Ostland, the locals were mildly better, wounds healed and stomach fed. I took care to drag their dead away and bury them, but this village would need a generation to recover.


    Alana had spent herself into a tired state, casting healing spells to her limit. Rivia had also fought hard and was kinda groggy.


    "We''ll go find a Dragon now, it will only take a minute." I said to the two Wizards who looked at me with blurry eyes. Whooosh.


    Jet was resting in the World''s Edge Mountains, having massacred an Orc camp to make himself a lair of burned bones and skulls. Very edgy.


    "This is Jet Goldenweave, the Imperial Dragon of Altdorf. Jet, they are Alana and Rivia, our new Wizards in the Wild Guard." I introduced the ladies while the Dragon opened a lazy eye to make sure it was me.


    "A real Dragon!" Rivia noted with a startled voice.


    Alana just bowed. "I have felt your mighty spell, honoured Imperial Dragon!" she spoke in an awed voice.


    "I like her! See, human? This is how a Dragon should be treated, not with fists to the face." Jet exclaimed in a more interested voice.


    ''Don''t show her your Hysh magic. I want you to steal her spells and then come up with better ones. A dozen settings. Don''t forget you represent the Empire and the Emperor. You must appear as a super wise Dragon, not a bumbling mage that has to taught everything.'' I cautioned my Dragon, before he made a fool of himself.


    The Dragon only had the potential to become a great mage, right now he was far worse than my own apprentices. Mostly because he never read a single book. Nor did the Emperor provide magic tutelage.


    Jet nodded back, and turned towards Rivia. "Nature magic. Jade Order. Same as that Wizard who healed my broken ribs..." he sniffed.


    ''That was the Magister Patriarch of the Jade Order. You''re lucky the Emperor cares so much about you.'' I spoke to his mind, while landing the ladies on his back.


    "Let''s go flying a bit. Let''s say towards Konigstein." I demanded with no ulterior purpose.


    The Imperial Dragon took off with two stunned Wizards on his back. ''Slow speed?'' Jet asked as we cleared the mountains and passed over Waldendorf at Mach 1.


    While we did have a whole day ahead, it didn''t mean we should waste it. ''Go Ninth speed for now. And try to figure out three more settings.''


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    "What is this spell? Timewarp?" Alana shouted as I kept pace with the slow Dragon.


    I just shrugged. It probably was, but I had no idea about Light spells other than mere common knowledge.


    "The Dragon will tell you, if he feels like it." I yelled back.


    Rivia just glanced around wide eyes. She would have likely died in the Norscan raid, or worse, get captured and taken. Now she was riding a Dragon, while the terrain below moved with alarming speed. And the Warden of the East flew by their side, looking...bored?


    "Lord Warden...why do you need me?" she asked a bit timid.


    I smiled gently. "Many reasons. The most important will be to maintain the fitness of my Wild Guard, both mind and body. And perhaps help out in other ways."


    Rivia nodded, and closed her eyes to rest. At least she wasn''t called as a battle mage. She wasn''t strong nor skilled. And the Imperial Dragon surely didn''t need her help.


    Half-way into our flight, Jet discovered his Tenth speed, and began to glow with visible Hysh Winds as he sped up even more.


    "I did it! Ten times my normal speed. Take that!" he exclaimed with a victorious shout, only for me to fly a bit ahead and then step on his nose.


    ''Pathetic. Your next spell should be at least twice faster than this. I know you lived in cave until now, but the world is far too large to move around like a slow turtle.'' I answered and laid back on his face, while trying to awaken his own spell inside me.


    It had worked once at Templehof, now I only had to do it again. I sunk my mind into our bond, trying to feel the light of Hysh through my Dragon.


    I failed, of course. Maybe it was the slow speed which didn''t impress me at all. Or maybe we had to get another cyclone of Magic Winds going?


    "That must be Konigstein below!" Alana yelled as Jet banked and circled a large undead army forming up for battle.


    A few miles away, the Army of Stirland had returned, twice as numerous as the army that got beaten before. Half of them were archers and crossbowmen, with a line of shielded spears out front and two cavalry regiments on the flanks. Not a single gun or cannon. Practically begging for another defeat.


    I just grabbed the Wizards and flew away. Jet need more battle experience, and the undead had just gathered in large formations set up in parallel lines.


    "Enjoy the fight, Imperial Dragon!" I yelled while diving towards the human army.


    I stopped a palm above the ground and let go of the ladies while I stared the Elector Count for a long minute. He began to sweat, then cowered a bit under my silent gaze.


    "Lord Warden..." he muttered.


    "You can send the cavalry back to Leicheberg</a> already, Grand Count. These troops will suffice to garrison Konigstein after we win the battle." I commanded in a harsher voice.


    The scream of a Terrorgheist reached the army, and even from this distance, people began to panic and tremble.


    "Wizard Rivia, see to their minds." I continued in a mild voice and flew up while drawing my Amber Bow.


    My Arrow of Time found the heart of the mutated Vampire and returned to my hand, while I casted my Ox Stands buff a dozen times.


    It wouldn''t do for the army to scatter to the woods and forests around, and ruin a great victory.


    "Peace!" Rivia casted over a group of peasant archers who had fallen to the ground with their hands over the ears. Sigh. Medieval armies sucked.

 Wire

    My own aerial survey, plus the expertise of my scouts had provided me with a decent map of northern Sylvania, over which me and the Elector Count of Stirland were pondering over.


    While there was still a large gap between the Army of Stirland and the Army of the East, there were not any big towns between.


    Lichenheim was barely 1000 people to take over, and after that only the wild lands and forests til Templehof. And quite little corruption now.


    I glanced at the pile of loot from Konigstein and decided to split it in two. "Half of the gold for a grand highway til here at Konigstein. And perhaps a military road towards Swartzhafen. The rest of the gold to equip your army with better weapons, including rifles and cannons." I decided with a glance at the Great Count.


    The man just nodded, perhaps considering the loot was his right all along. "Sounds good."


    "I am preparing a new model of armor for my own Army of the East, a cloth gambeson covered in chainmail and a few armor plates, including over the heart and the left shoulder like a knight''s pauldron." I added while placing a few sketches on the table.


    A few of the Stirland Captains stole a peek at the armor design and then pouted.


    "My officers seem disappointed." the Count noted in a curious voice.


    "Ah, because they imagine the troops going into melee all the time. Plate armor is heavy and cumbersome, but sadly does not protect against bullets or bombs that much. Instead, the chainmail will protect against most common weapons like swords or zombie bites, should the undead even get past the guns." I countered with a shrug.


    Plate armor was also expensive, not to mention difficult to carry on foot. And rifles could pierce it anyway.


    The Count grabbed a nearby musket and took a firing stance, his left pauldron covering a third of his body. He wore a nice suit of armor, but none of his soldiers had anything like that. "I see where this goes. A good helmet, the left pauldron and a rifle, and my soldiers would be like a knight, when behind a wall. Maybe in a hip-deep ditch."


    I wouldn''t go that far as to compare a normal soldier to a knight, but the Count had a good head on his shoulders. He got the gist very fast.


    "Plus, the cost of equipping a soldier will drop from 10 gold per armor suit to 1 gold, including their weapon. Thus, 3000 soldiers in decent armor for 3000 gold." I pointed out with a wave towards the sacks of gold on the floor.


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    "Gentlemen, please wait outside." the Count demanded before his angry Captains could voice their outrage.


    I sipped a bit a of wine while the officers filed out of the room.


    "Building chainmail may be cheaper than plate or lamelar armor, but the iron rings are still heavy, and difficult to link up." the Count noted in a knowing voice.


    I smiled a bit too wide. I might be living in a medieval world, but I wasn''t a medieval man. "Jet, make a chainmail suit." I ordered to the Dragon looking through the window at us.


    An extremely fine suit of woven Goldenweave appeared in the room, and then fell on the table. Sure, this thing was more expensive than a suit of runic armor, but that was not the point. Jet had seen my armor design too, and could produce a mail suit with a single spell.


    "I meant to say, chainmail suits made out of woven steel wire. A full suit would weigh less than 5 kilograms. Probably 6 kilos with the defense plates." I explained while wrapping the Goldenweave suit over the wooden torso which kept his armor at night.


    Flying out the window, I collected my new Wizards and had them ride the Imperial Dragon once more. Jet took off towards my Castle, while I waited beside the window. "I don''t know who can make steel wire like this." the Count spoke in a soft voice.


    "So make your own. I already have an Imperial Arsenal in Waldenhof producing steel, just need to draw the hot steel into wires. If you sell that Goldenweave suit, you will have enough funds to start." I said in response, then flew after the speeding Dragon.


    We stopped an hour to check on the army units taking over Templehof, the followed the new road to Eschen and then reached my own Castle in the evening, right in time for dinner.


    Jet took off for the mountains to find some food, while I escorted my new Wizards to meet my wives.


    Anika and Gissela had barely got to know each other, when the new women joining us at the table created an awkward silence.


    "A Life and a Light Wizard now?" my wife asked in a cold voice.


    I just nodded and tasted the soup. Perhaps I should fly to Ind or Cathay and buy some pepper. Our food was quite bland.


    "Did you two just join our Wild Guard?" Gissela asked the new Wizards.


    Rivia smiled a bit confused, and ate her soup in silence.


    Alana got the hint and turned to measure me for a another kind of meal. "I expect to be treated with respect, my lord husband." she demanded in a dignified tone.


    I picked up the white diamond ring I had already prepared and placed on the table, lighting up the room and Alana''s face.


    As she took the ring and tried it on, all three of my wives stared at the oblivious Rivia.


    "I was almost dead. Maybe worse. Becoming the wife of the strongest man in the world isn''t so bad." Rivia muttered even as I took out an emerald ring and placed on the table.


    Hmmm. Things went easier than I thought. The smell of fried chicken entered my nose as the next course arrived. Perhaps a bit burned, but not as bad as Jet throwing his dragonfire at zombies. It could be worse. I decided tonight I would be happy and just enjoy life.


    It will get so much worse. Not point dwelling on bad things. I just smiled kindly as Rivia placed the ring on her finger, and smiled warmly at me.


    Anika glared for a second at me, before cutting into her chicken with a frost blade. Perhaps I should warm her heart again?


    Women were such a mystery.

 Shadow

    As the preparation of the army still takes a long time, I took Jet and traveled to Altdorf again, mostly because this was where the Wizards had their center.


    Not so much the Amber Order, as they disdained living in a city of any kind, but the others.


    The Emperor was glad to ride a Dragon again, and present his Imperial Dragon as a symbol of power and authority.


    And then we hid in his study for more wine and plotting.


    "Already got half the colors of Magic? Well, I can perhaps help with the Grey Order. They often work for me as diplomats. Or killers." Wilhem whispered in a secretive voice. Was this a big secret? Everyone knew the Shadowmancers worked in the shadows...


    He took out a magical device from his desk and tapped a few brass keys. A minute later, a statue beside the door gained a new shadow, and a young man in a grey cloak emerged mysteriously.


    "Immanuel, this is Pef..." The Emperor said in a mild voice.


    "The Warden of the East. The Dragon Tamer. And the giant Club in your right hand, your Majesty." the young Wizard declared in a creepy whisper.


    Did they train to speak like that? Most likely.


    "There is a need for a young female Wizard of your Order to join my Warden''s retinue in Waldenhof. Possibly for her entire life." Wilhem proposed in the same mild voice. It was fascinating to see soft power at work. The Emperor could tug a few strings, and a head would fall a thousand miles away.


    The Wizard stood still for a long minute, likely considering candidates and skills. "There is no Wizard like that and available here in Altdorf. But I do have an Apprentice close to gaining her Journeyman rank. If the mighty Warden thinks he can avoid deploying Emmanuelle on dangerous missions for a few years, until she becomes strong enough."


    I nodded gratefully. Young Wizards were rare. But a strong Apprentice would be enough. I had my ways to make her stronger.


    "Also, I would request you investigate the Skaven citadel under this city. Their Grey Seers are dangerous, so don''t go too deep. Just pinpoint entrances and connections with the criminals that trade with the rats. I''ll deal with the massacre when it''s time." I said in a level voice, and patted the Unbreakable club on my hip.


    "As my Warden says, Grey Wizard. Reports from Marienburg and Nuln have confirmed the rats were infiltrating my Empire for decades." Wilhem added in a sad voice.


    The man nodded and jumped into a nearby shadow, his spell quite reminiscent of the Grey Seer I had killed in Zhufbar. But far less speedy.


    "So, I heard you visited Norsca recently?" the Emperor continued in the same collected voice.


    "Only the shores and only a few ports. Destroyed a few Chaos temples as well. But they won''t give up." I answered with a casual shrug.


    The Emperor just sighed, sounding old and tired suddenly. Of course, medieval people rarely reached 50 years old. And Emperors likely never did. The Imperial Court was just as dangerous as any battlefield in Sylvania. Any Noble or courtier might plot to change the Emperor, even without the warp-plagues caused by the Skaven underneath.


    "You would be the perfect Emperor, my Warden. Immortal and invulnerable. Just like the Dragons which rule Cathay." the Emperor suggested in a delicate voice. Was he testing me?


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    "A perfect Orc Boss, you mean, your Majesty. If strength was the only requirement to lead a human country, we wouldn''t need laws and roads. I think those old Dragons are far smarter or wiser than me. Even so, my strength will always be available when the Empire of Man is in danger. The big club behind the throne." I offered with a sad voice, then flew towards the window.


    "I hope so..." the Emperor said in a low tone, then coughed into a towel, leaving a globe of green slime on it.


    I landed beside Jet, who gazed upon the Imperial Zoo from the castle''s rampart. "Miss the old place?"


    "Not really. Just memories, some good, most bad. And there''s a woman inside that wall." my Dragon pointed with his nose at a tower just behind me.


    "You can come out, Emmanuelle. Don''t worry, Jet is quite friendly." I called out to the shade hidden inside a wall.


    Dressed like a musician, maybe a bard, even holding a lute on her back, the Grey mage stepped through a shadow in front of us.


    "I think my Master already told you I am not that strong, Lord Warden. Emmanuelle Nacht, at your service." the new companion introduced herself, with a decent bow and a bouncy chest nearly popping out of her bodice. Good enough, her disguise would deflect any suspicion of magic. Not that she had much magic anyway.


    "Her control over Ulgu</a> is quite shaky, Warden. But her glands will feed your children quite well." Jet spoke in my mind, sounding bored.


    Exactly my thoughts, dear Jet! Truly, having someone talking mind-to-mind was a great boon. Not only in battle, but also for other things.


    "Now we only need the Lore of Heavens to start your training, little Jet. Or maybe a Tempest Maiden. " I spoke in a low voice, while placing Emma on the Dragon and flying up.


    "I would have thought you were going to search for an Amethyst Wizard next, they use Shyish</a> , right?" Jet asked as we flew towards Nuln at Mach 10.


    "They can read minds though. I will avoid that until I get stronger." I answered with a reluctant voice. I didn''t mind their Death spells nor their supposed association with Necromancy.


    Any Wind of Magic had a few spells that neared the bad limit, simply because what their source was, the Warp. But if I knew my lore right, any mage could technically use any other Wind, or even all of them. Not easily or fluently, especially not if they learned magic in a certain system.


    But my own experiment with the Book of Nagash proved I could cast those spells just fine. I mean, barely at all. But the rest only took practice and probably affinity with Dhur. Very likely, it would take decades of practice and a million spells casted just to get enough skill as the least Necromancer, but it could be done. And plenty fallen Wizards had done so.


    This was the probable reason why Teclis had formed the Colleges of Magic this way. Keep the Wizards and their Winds separated and in conflict, such that they wouldn''t work together and reach my conclusion. Uniting the Winds would bring back the High Magic used by the Elves and the Old Ones before them.


    Well, they will unite soon enough in my bed.

 Enchantment

    Dragons are bullshit. Any human instinctively knows this, not only because Dragons are big and powerful, but because they have magic. And Dragon magic seems to work on whatever rules it wants.


    The Dragon rulers of Cathay have actually raised their Bastion wall going for thousands of kilometers with a single spell. Little Jet had a long way to go until he reached those magical heights, but in Nuln he proved his worth.


    I simply said: "It''s nothing bad if you fail, Jet. I will be a bit disappointed, and just hire a dozen Dwarf smiths instead."


    I know, I was a bit unfair, but he would grow faster this way.


    Thus, the Imperial Dragon bypassed thousands of years of study and casted not only Durability but also Protection from Fire enchantments on the new rifled cannons just finished by the Engineers. Not exactly runes, but the draconic equivalent which worked just as well.


    And then, to amaze me even more, Jet enchanted the artillery shells with his dragonfire, or filled them with exploding napalm. One of these two.


    Emma was supposed to be a reserved and sneaky type, as a Grey mage, but the test firing of the Nuln cannons filled her heart with excitement anyways.


    Those straw targets exploded and burned like...desiccated undead, perhaps.


    "Can you imagine what these big guns will do now, Lord Warden? A dozen of them would lay waste to entire armies from afar! And never get worn out either." She gushed with a gleam in the eye, and hugged me tight.


    "Imagine that. And I just ordered 100 such cannons for my Army of the East." I noted in a wry voice.


    Emma blushed a little as my hands lifted her by her bouncy ass. "We could celebrate at an inn...maybe with some wine." she proposed in a horny voice.


    And so we did. Her bouncy breasts bounced nicely in front of me as she rode me for a few hours. Bouncy Emma. I bought her a long robe to hide my wife''s precious bounciness from unworthy eyes.


    The Empire will need thousands of cannons like this, especially the kind enchanted by a Dragon. Thus I ordered 300 more cannons, 20 for each Imperial province and 100 more for a second army. The South also suffered numerous incursions from Goblins, Orcs and other races, coming through mountain passed or forgotten tunnels under the Grey Mountains.


    While I could pay an advance fee to start the new furnaces and hire more apprentices, I kinda lacked 300000 gold for the extra 3000 cannons.


    "You could raid further away, Warden. The undead in Araby are very rich, entire pyramids filled with gold and gemstones. Magic items too." Emma proposed in a raspy voice, while hydrating herself to recover.


    "That''s an option, but not without risks. There are strong mages in those lands. Thousands of years old. Plus they may strike back at human lands afterwards." I mused in a low tone. I may need to go there anyways, maybe find another Book of Nagash or some amulets for magical protection.


    "Hunt more pirates? There are numerous tiny islands and coves filled with treasure, and all kind of pirates from Araby corsairs to Dark Elves and undead ones from the Vampire Coast. Nobody will know, or mind, if you destroy such scum." My Grey mage wife whispered in a secretive voice.


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    Pirate treasure? That sounded quite good! And also make the Imperial trade much safer. I should avoid killing human sailors though, unless I caught them in the act. Perhaps make a few examples of the more blood-thirsty ones, and reform the rest. As in, direct them to raid and plunder other races.


    From Nuln we flew to Middleheim, where the Graf was supposed to grant me access to the local College of Magic which taught Battle_Magic</a> to poor mages without a Wind.


    I was also a poor mage, and in need to learn more spells, since my teacher sucked and promoted me to a Magister rank without teaching me much.


    And also, provide me magic books to teach a Dragon how to become a great mage.


    "It was not easy, Lord Warden. It seems the High Elf Teclis has imposed a number of rules for someone to become a Battle Wizard, and you would break most of them. You''re also too old." Graf Todbringer muttered in low voice, while admiring my Imperial Dragon and his rider.


    "So, what it will take?"I asked in casual tone.


    "A Runefang weapon..." The Graf explained a bit hesitant.


    I mean, if I wasn''t me, it would have been impossible. The rare and precious runic weapons were gifted by the Dwarves in a limited number, only for the Elector Counts. And they couldn''t give away their heirloom, even if they got mad and tried to.


    In fact, I carried such a Runefang sword on my back, mostly because they could withstand 10 percent of my force without breaking, so I wouldn''t need to keep replacing the great sword I carried for my martial look. I tended to forget about it and break it when moving a bit fast.


    I drew out my sword and showed it to the nice Graf. "I can spare this one. It''s not a famous weapon, but still made of Gromril and holding a few runes."


    The man measured the great sword with a greedy face, then sighed. "The High Wizard will be extremely pleased."


    I smiled and flew away, heading for the top of the mountain where the Wizards_and_Alchemists_Guild</a> was built. Less than an hour later, I returned with a bag filled with magic manuals and a young and freckled Celestial Wind Wizard. I thought Magic Wind users didn''t bother to visit Middleheim, but it seems the Celestial Order was also involved with leading this institute of learning.


    Lady Janna was barely out of Apprenticeship, but the promise of a personal Runefang and teaching a whole lot of orphan children in the East convinced her somehow. But it was probably the High Wizard from the Gold Order being eager to grab my runic bribe, thus his unusual kindness with precious manuals and his assistant being given away.


    Hmm. Hopefully my other wives won''t mind two more wives. Ah, Anika will be upset again, won''t she?

 Jinx

    The flight from Middleheim to Essen should have taken a few hours, even at the low Mach 10 speed of my slow Dragon.


    But every 10 minutes or so, we would need to descend and aid a caravan under attack, then a Witch Hunter fighting an ugly Strigoi, then adventurers fighting Beastmen in the Great Forest, more adventurers daring to search in the Dead Wood and fighting mutants, more trade caravans attacked by zombies and ghouls, a Hedge Wizard being chased by a huge boar, a Slayer Dwarf losing to a Vampire Lord, more caravans, some Roadwardens fighting forest goblins, and a dozen more encounters like that. And not a big loot pile either.


    I looked at Janna with a suspicious glance as we approached Essen and saw the town being besieged by Orcs. Maybe the High Wizard gave me this woman to get rid of a jinx.


    "It is not me! I bring fortune to those in my party!" the Celestial Wizard claimed as I drew out my big club.


    Nevermind then. Orcs should have a lot of metal with them, being quite the enterprising looters and pillagers of this world.


    First thing, a pass around the walls to clear the ladders and give the garrison some support and rest.


    Then another pass, pasting the siege engine crews in the back such that my city wouldn''t get burned to a crisp.


    And then, land in the middle of the Orc army and begin my aikido training in the earnest. The crazy weapons of the Orcs with their spikes and unlikely shapes made the training more difficult, but also more rewarding. Especially since I made my purpose into only using the weapon of the enemy for their kill, and give the Unbreakable some rest.


    That Strigoi had already nicked my club once more, although I shouldn''t have smacked him in the face. Magic fangs, probably.


    It took me another hour, but in the end only the Orc Boss remained, some 3 meters tall and made of giant muscles.


    '''' ''Uman ''ero, are ya?" the Orc asked with bad grammar, while hefting a huge axe, glowing with Dwarf runes. Maybe his huge tusks made speaking harder?


    "Where did you find that axe?" I asked back in a calm voice.


    "The Skull-crumper? Over at the stunty'' fortress in the Bad Lands. Past the Tsar boys..." The Orc explained with a vague direction towards Kislev.


    Worth taking a look, if more Runefangs could be found in another fallen Dwarf hold.


    "Great, I''ll go visit the place and look for treasure...but until then, I''ll take this axe." I explained in a polite voice while moving forward.


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    The Orc Boss reacted as expected, slicing at me with enough force to fell a dozen trees, only to find his wrist redirecting his axe at his own neck, and losing his head.


    Taking the axe for myself, I sliced the air a bit, but no game menu popped-out. Not every runic weapon was a Legendary one.


    A gleam of light caught my eye, and I sliced the Orc''s ear off to reveal an amber-studded earring.


    *Congratulations


    -You have obtained a relic earring, formerly called Yellow Eye of Gork.


    -Grants +10 Affinity to Ghur. Grants +10% Ward Save. Adds +10% weapon strength.


    Okay, maybe Janna did bring me luck. I should take her with me on future raids.


    Jet had landed beside me to start eating dead Orcs, since food was food. Word of advice, a Dragon is a hungry beast. Do not attempt to raise one if you can''t provide food.


    I shrugged then took the women in my arms and flew to Waldenhof at a better Mach 30 speed.


    Introduce the new wives, deposit the loot, pick up Alana and Rivia and fly back. These two wives had healing spells, quite useful for repairing the garrison to full health.


    Then fly back to my castle, and meet Anika before her blood froze to ice.


    "My lovely wife. Did you miss me?" I asked gently, and took her in my arms.


    "Worse than a pig. Man-pig!" She called out to me in an angry voice.


    I kissed her neck and flew into the sky, before the entire castle heard her. "Anika, I am but a single man. When Chaos, and Skaven and the undead descend on our world, millions of people will die. Maybe all of them. I need to have many children, and grant them my magic. Maybe then, there''s a chance..."


    The Ice Maiden sighed and wrapped her hands around my neck. "A well-meaning man-pig?" she wondered in a rhetoric tone.


    I kept flying until we reached the Wild Guard base in Ostermark. There, hundreds of blond kids and a hundred Norscan women were learning the woodcraft trade from my hunters. Norsca had few woods. "These are captives from Norsca. The women will give me a lot of strong kids. The orphans will fight in my Wild Guard. But even so, we will probably lose and everyone will die." I said in a soft, sad voice.


    Anika turned towards me, eyes glowing with cold ice. "Norscans! Do you know what they do, when raiding in Kislev?" she growled in a hateful voice.


    "I kinda do. I saw their work in Nordland and Ostland. But these kids will grow up in the Wild Guard. When they are ready, you could lead them to raid Norsca for women and more kids. Then Kurgan lands in the East of Kislev. I want to deny Chaos an easy recruiting ground, see?" I offered in a gentle voice.


    Anika nodded slowly, although her eyes were still brimming with cold ice. "I see, husband. Your heart is even colder than mine. Frozen cold, as the Great Winter itself."


    I sighed inward, since the truth was quite hurtful. But what could I do? The Empire had few people, and the Chaos would recruit the rest, especially those in Norsca and Kurgan. Better my way, than the alternative.


    Anyways, after this Anika became more understanding, if also colder. Does it make sense? I wasn''t good with women, so I don''t know.


    In her belly, Elsa was growing too, hopefully to become a frozen princess to ally us with Kislev.


    Poor Kislev. As bad as local peasants had it in the Empire, those under the Tsar and his atamans had it much worse.


    But since I was the Warden of the East, I mentally included Kislev under my protection too. Finish things in Sylvania, and then I could start on Kislev too.

 Magic lessons

    The genial plan of training my Dragon into a proper powerhouse is working!


    Lady Janna took her teacher role very seriously, and trains anyone from the Wild Guard with any kind of magic spark, while Jet keeps an eye out and gives awesome rides to the kids that manage to learn a new spell.


    Positive reinforcement seems to work just as well as getting hungry in the wild, so we''re doing both. The healing spells need practice too, and I learned Cure Light Wounds too. I can use it just fine on the kids even the bears, but not on myself or my Imperial Dragon . He resists my meager spell without even noticing it.


    Thus, by beating up Jet and forcing him to heal himself, he gained the more powerful version called Cure Serious Wounds which was strong enough to heal even Dragons! But when he casts the spell on me, it barely works at all, which is both good and bad.


    The good is obvious. Most spells also fail to reach me at all, with Ghur as a particular exception. The bad thing though, should I ever get hurt badly, I would need an Amber Wizard to heal me, or a Dragon much stronger than Jet.


    The next important spells are Detect Magic and Dispel Magic, for obvious reasons. My Detect Magic only works when close to Jet, but on the other hand, my Dispel Magic is both strong and wide enough to cover an entire battlefield. I can work with this.


    Should an enemy mage cast a curse or debuff on my army, I can cancel it with a single word. Also, I can remove my own spells, which is quite important if I need to cast Taal''s Fury on someone, and they become beserkers howling for blood.


    Janna stepped beside me, and hugged me gently with one arm. "My lord husband, this was the strongest Dispel I have ever seen. It covered the entire forest for kilometers!"


    I kissed her cheek, then nodded towards the Dragon pretending to sleep. "Jet has a great healing spell too."


    The Celestial Wizard just shrugged. "Dragons should compare only with other Dragons. And from what I''ve read, other Dragons are a hundred times stronger." she said with a mild voice. I felt Jet''s pain though the bond, as if someone had kicked him right in the ego.


    I smiled a bit sad. As proud as I was about my Dragon pet, she was probably right. "I haven''t met another Dragon yet, so you may be right. But Jet is our Imperial Dragon and still young. He will get better."


    " I will get much better, Warden!" Jet grunted in my mind, while observing hundreds of kids struggling with magic exercises.


    His magic sight or witchsight</a> was something amazing too, allowing the Dragon to sense things nobody else could. Like invisible Shadowmancers sneaking around and spying on me.


    My left hand caressed the bottom of my wife and touched the Divine dagger, cancelling everyone''s spells including Emma''s Shroud of Invisibility.


    "Eh! I was found again?" Emmanuelle wondered as she walked towards me and hugged me from the other side.


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    "I see your magic reserves are full again. Jet, want to hunt my wife a little?" I asked at random, guessing intent and fact just as Jet opened an eye.


    "Can I use my dragonfire?" he asked in a bored voice.


    If Emma was a full Wizard, we may risk it, but she had a lot more training to do. "Only on illusions and such. Don''t cook my wife, I like them raw." I quipped and pointed to the side. "Run, bouncy Emma. The Imperial Dragon wants to hunt." I urged my wife, who took off while casting shadows and illusions to mask her trail.


    Jet counted to 10, like any proper hide-and-seek player, then howled loudly announcing his hunt had begun. Emma was long gone, leaving only mists and all sorts of illusions behind, but a Dragon was not easily fooled.


    He sped into the forest, hunting the Grey apprentice for fun.


    Janna shivered for a second, as a jet of dragonfire burned a cloud of mist to reveal it was empty. "Five minutes top." she guessed at the remaining time.


    People tended to underestimate Dragons, for some reason. Jet could have found and neutralized Emma in 2 seconds, if moving at Tenth Speed.


    He was being quite the sportsman, chasing illusions and making a show of his dragonfire.


    "She made a Shadowsteed and runs through the tree tops." Jet explained as he flew up and then down again, while pulsing with Detect spells like a radar station.


    Clever of you Emma, but a shadow horse will drain your mana even faster. Maybe she had a new spell to try out today?


    "3 minutes now." Janna predicted with her own magic. She couldn''t predict me though.


    I sped away, grabbed Emma and returned to the camp in a single second. Jet kept chasing the illusion riding a shadow horse for another minute, then realized he had been fooled.


    "Cheater! I only lost because you interfered!" my Dragon shouted in my mind, then sped back to the camp in 2 seconds.


    "Next time, don''t take so long, mighty Dragon. If this was a real enemy, they could have aid waiting for them, or a teleport circle prepared." I said in a disappointed voice, while entering my cabin and setting my wives on the bed.


    "Oh...more husbandry again, dear husband?" Janna guessed and started taking off her clothes with slow and calculated moves.


    "Well, I was caught...now I have to deal with the consequences." Emma said while blushing slightly, and taking deep breaths to recover from the chase.


    I nodded seriously, and undressed as well. The new wives needed to be bound to me with chains of love and responsibility, thus plenty of lovemaking and setting them on important tasks.


    I took Janna in my lap, and kissed Emma deeply. "Cast your Pall of Darkness, my Grey wife. There are too many curious eyes on us right now." I proposed with a knowing voice.


    My cabin and everyone inside vanished in black darkness, leaving us blind as well. But we could find each other by touch, and made our threesome more exciting too. Magic was nice, but best use it for training as well as pleasure.

 Firefly

    Odin finished learning another spell, or better said a Battle Magic spell.


    The magic tomes brought by his Master did not require a Magic Wind to cast, but they did get stronger for a Wind user.


    Odin was particularly fascinated with the three Auras: Resistance, Protection and Invulnerability. While they weren''t as strong as the cheeky names suggested, they did provide an insight into becoming as durable as his Master.


    Same again for the mobility spells, Accelerate Time, Fleetfoot and Flight. There were also spells to increase his strength like Hammerhand or Magical Might, but Odin didn''t consider them as important. He would never match a bear in pure strength, not to mention a Dragon.


    And he didn''t need to anyways. His Amber Claws were deadly enough, if they could make contact with an enemy.


    Armor or weapons, skin or bones, they simply parted like rain in front of his special Claws.


    Taking a deep breath, Odin began layering auras and mobility spells then jumped from the Waldenhof''s walls and flew like a hawk. For 3 seconds he felt like a real Wizard: strong, fast and durable, flying too.


    Then his magic reserves reached their end and he fell, Amber Claws vanishing as well.


    ''Little Odin is being reckless again?'' A curious voice appeared in his mind, as the Imperial Dragon plucked him in mid-fall before he landed into the hay stack at the base of the wall. He might be reckless, not suicidal.


    ''What do you want, Jet?'' Odin growled as the Dragon caught speed and flew towards the World''s Edge Mountains faster than a cannonball. Much faster.


    ''What do I want? I hunted 97 Trolls and blinded them a hundred times each. Just because the Warden has a stupid apprentice blind in one eye.'' Jet growled in annoyance, then landed on a rocky outcrop filled with Troll bones. Almost a hundred Trolls, going by the skulls.


    "Wait! Lady Rivia said the injury is too old. It can''t be healed anymore." Odin exclaimed in a wary voice, but it was too late.


    A swipe from the Dragon''s claw gouged out both his eyes, including the good one.


    ''Who cares what a human Wizard says! I am a Dragon. Cure!'' Jet proclaimed in a confident tone, and light returned into both of Odin''s eyes.


    A strange kind of double vision made Odin wobble with the loss of balance. Jet was covered in a magic glow, like burning metal, while his heart glowed with warm light. "You made things worse! I see glowing things now..." Odin muttered, although he touched his eye to make sure it was back again.


    Maybe Master was right. Dragons were bullshit.


    The Dragon examined the young apprentice for a minute. ''Different, but not worse. You must have gained a form of magic sight, like I have. Now show me those spells!'' he demanded in a hurried mental voice.


    Odin sighed and began forming the new spells he just learned. Why would a Dragon want to learn weak Battle Magic? He had no idea. But since he gained his eye back, might as well reward the big Dragon with new spells.


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    Jet just waited patiently, and just nodded after each spell.


    "These five spells are the newest ones. I also learned Flight...but I don''t think you need it." Odin explained while channeling to recover more mana.


    ''Show me! If I need it or not, it''s not your concern.'' the Imperial Dragon demanded in a cold tone.


    Odin floated a meter in the air, then dropped down into a pile of Troll bones.


    Jet sighed audibly, and muttered something like ''...a dozen new settings'', before grabbing Odin and flying back to the castle at super-speed.


    Slowing down and flying over the training grounds, Jet dropped Odin and picked up Thor with his other claw then flew away.


    "I only have one spell! Come back next month!" Thor yelled before the Dragon just vanished in a crazy burst of speed.


    A minute later, Thor was dumped back on the ground and the Dragon saluted in mid-air before heading North towards Ostermark.


    "You had a new spell? Which one?" Odin asked his intellectually-challanged brother.


    "Ah. I learned Wind Blast. It was the only one that worked with my wolf-form." Thor explained in a proud voice.


    Odin clenched his fist and managed not to sigh, or yelled in outrage. He never got the gist of the Wind Blast, and his brother could use it even while in White Wolf form? "You should try Lightning Bolt next. Jet will like it too." he advised his brother as they walked towards the stairs.


    Thor frowned for a minute, then nodded. "You got your eye back?" he noted a minute too late.


    "Dragons are bullshit." Odin answered in a calm voice, and his brother smiled widely. "Haha. They sure are. Maybe Master can catch a few more."


    Odin wanted to shout and explained it was impossible, but with his Master impossible was merely a matter of punching a bit harder. If he could find half a dozen wives, he may find more Dragons too.


    "You should suggest that to him, Thor. I did the rings last time." Odin deflected the problem onto his luckier brother.


    Truly, the Heavens and the Gods loved idiots. Master had an excuse, since he would only scratch his head in confusion if a comet struck him down, but Thor would likely destroy an enemy army and also find a precious relic in the crater.


    And indeed, Thor sniffed the air and poked the wall to the side. "Lady Emma? Should I ask Master to find more Dragons?" he asked in an innocent voice.


    As expected, Thor learned Detect Magic simply by associating it with a better sense of smell, and then forgot to turn it off. No wonder the big Dragon liked Thor so much.


    As for Odin, while a bit envious on Thor, he mostly wanted to be like his Master. One day, he will fight a Dragon too.


    "Hmmm. I''m not sure about more Dragons..but one more should be all right." the Grey mage inside the wall mused out loud, then stepped through a shadow and ruffled Thor head as if he was a precocious genius.


    Odin had seen the spell happen, two dimensions superimposed for a second, while Lady Emma traversed the shadows. Quite a bit different than he imagined it worked. Did she enter a different Plane, perhaps the Plane of Shadows?


    Did Ghur also have its own Plane? Maybe Master will know.


    Soon enough, they sat at the table with all the Wizard Ladies and Grom appeared too, keeping quiet in a corner.


    The Amber Wizard flew through the window and waved at everyone with a cheerful face. "My wives, and the rest. Everyone hungry?"


    Grom grunted softly while Thor yelled his agreement.


    "Does Ghur have its own Plane?" Odin asked in a calm voice.


    Master Pef smiled a bit too wide. "Odin, you gained more wisdom with the new eye! And yes, Ghur has its own plane. It''s mostly a wasteland, but still has beasts and such."


    Odin nodded as things became clear. The loss of one eye for years had been worth it then. Now, he could try to enter Ghur''s plane just like Lady Emma traveled through the Plane of Shadows.


    "Master, can you find another Dragon? For Jet I mean..." Thor added with a childish voice.


    Pef''s eyes glinted with amusement and then glared at Lady Emma for no reason at all. "I could. But what will this new Dragon eat?" he asked in a joking voice.


    Odin looked, really looked at his Master with his new eye, and found a fountain of Amber Wind, impossibly bright and infinitely deep. Jet''s bright heart was barely a candle compared to a sun. And Pef always claimed he was a poor Wizard. What about his Wizard wives? They were pale fireflies, dim and barely aflame at all.


    It wasn''t Dragons that were bullshit. Pef was.

 Attack on Drakenhof

    The preparations for the next advance into Sylvania took more than 2 years, simply because the intrinsic latency of medieval transportation. Which is basically walking. If you ever walked 1000 miles, you know how long that takes.


    On the other hand, thousands of hopeful conscripts and hundreds of impoverished nobles arrived in this time to get a chance to fight in the Army of the East and oust the Vampires from the holy land of the Empire. Some arrived by river boat or by horse, more by wagon and caravan, and most of them on foot.


    Most of the new recruits arrived starved and in poor physical condition, as expected of people marching through sun and rain for months, and sleeping in grass and forest. There must have been others that gave up and got lost, or died during their trek, but I could only count the ones who did arrive.


    Add to this the recovery period including healing by the Wild Guard mages, the training phases including gun discipline and then mustering in their camps with new armor and guns to begin live training in the Sylvanian bogs and forests still infested with monsters, mutants and undead.


    As an ad-hoc solution we used warm air balloons to monitor the forts and nearby lands, which increased the use of spyglasses and telescopes, as did the introduction of snipers and their long rifles.


    When the Army of the East finally marched on Drakenhof, we numbered over 10000 soldiers, 50 War Wagons and 100 Great Cannons, plus several mages flying on gryphons to provide aerial cover and scouting. It would takes a few decades to fully establish an air corps for my Wild Guard, since both gryphons and mages were quite rare. But the basis was already here, and a dozen gryphons and their nests were transported from their distant peaks to the welcoming crenelations of Castle Waldenhof.


    Jet liked playing with the gryphon pups, or perhaps train them to be worthy fighters. Maybe both. It involved a lot of flying, hunting, Flight and Cure spells and tons of screeches. As a Dragon, Jet was quite the adherent to my aerial supremacy doctrine.


    But for now, superior firepower will be sufficient.


    Soon enough, our cannons opened fire towards the hordes of zombies and skeletons guarding Drakenhof, over a million of them, blowing up thousands of enemies with each salvo. From among the undead troops, Dark magicians cast their own spells, returning the zombies to...a semblance of combat effectiveness, if not life.


    But lost limbs and weapons in the bombardment did not return, even with their great Necromantic spells, and so our cannons kept firing and blowing up more zombie formations, skeleton archers, and even ghouls and crypt terrors, while more and more advanced units poured out from Drakenhof.


    I raised my own spyglass and noted Varghouls and Vargheists, Death Guards and even Black Knights preparing for the counter-attack.


    With a 100 to 1 numerical superiority and so many high tier monsters, the Von Carstein Vampires probably felt quite secure in repelling our siege.


    Coming from the side, a squad of 9 Terrorgheists attempted to induce mass-panic into my army, so I took off at hyperspeed, and smacked them with my 300 kilo club made of nigh-indestructible Gromril. Move, counter-move.


    You''re next, dear Count!


    The Imperial Dragon glanced at me with one eye. ''What now, Warden?''


    ''We let the guns fire. I didn''t bring an entire army just to win single-handedly. And you will probably die by yourself, outnumbered a million to one.'' I answered with a careless shrug. He would surely do a big damage to the undead, but if their high-tier units crippled his wings, even a Dragon would die.


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    Jet sighed softly and kept silent.


    As expected, the Vampires were not content to just wait and let their army disintegrate under artillery fire. As one, the undead turned our way and began shuffling and try to reach melee range.


    I glanced down, to find the engineers were hard at work, digging trenches and raising stake fences, while the War Wagons were towed into their positions, with the front roadwheels parked onto planks set over roller logs. A primitive aiming assist, since we lacked both tracks and turrets. Even trunions for the cannons inside, which allowed a modicum of elevation control were a big discovery in this day and age.


    ''Firewall, front ranks. Delay the undead for a few minutes.'' I told my Dragon and he dived to attack.


    Our fortifications were not complete, which could lead to an early penetration of our lines. It wouldn''t do for my reputation.


    The Battle Magic spell was properly called Wall of Fire, not the Firewall of Bright Wizards, since it wasn''t a Magic Wind spell.


    But give this spell to a Dragon, have it fueled by dragonfire and then extrapolated to a dozen settings.


    The entire frontline burned, as Jet burst this flames into long lines of dragonfire which then extended with Walls of Fire left and right.


    In a minute, the Dragon returned at my side, breathing in deep as he channeled magic back into his core. I wondered for a second how it would feel to be out of mana, but then shrugged. It would never happen.


    Rolan and Gissela added their own Fire spells to the Dragon''s wall, burning thousands more zombies as they marched into the flames and just burned to ash.


    "Elevation 15! Fuzes at 1.3 seconds!" the Cannon Captains shouted to their crew, as other crew rushed with wet plunges to clean the barrels for the next shot.


    The next salvo of bombs landed among the Black Knights, just as they formed for a charge. I glanced down to find Janna, the Celestial Wizard congratulate the Cannon Commander for an effective salvo. Whatever scrying or precogition spell was specific to Celestial Wizards, it sure worked nicely to provide targeting coordinates for my artillery.


    To me Celestial Magic looked like astrology and reading the future in tea leaves, but if that kind of magic actually worked and provided effective battlefield support, it was welcome.


    Of course, the Vampires had their own casters and mages, much older and greater than our own. Summoned zombies emerged past the flame wall, while curses and fear spells stuck the front ranks.


    Alana and Rivia tried their best to counter, but they were overmatched by thousands of years old liches and Dark mages.


    "Dispel!" I chanted in a loud voice, and the battlefield lost its magic luster for a second. The firewalls and the curses vanished both, leaving only small bonfires of dragonfire still devouring dead zombies.


    A surprised silence covered the entire field, followed soon after be the cheers of my army and the sound of guns.


    "Lord Warden!" "Sigmar!" "For the Empire!"


    "Steady shot!" "Aim for the heads!"


    Despite our gunners shooting the zombies with deadly efficiency, the undead had huge numbers and kept advancing.


    Right in the sights of our War Wagons. Their cannons were loaded with grapeshot, and their salvo cleaned the front ranks of zombies for 20 meters inward.


    ''I''ll land and Cleanse'' Jet said curtly, and dropped just in the back of the War Wagons, possibly wary of friendly fire, which is not too friendly to anything not invulnerable.


    Then his body began to glow with the Light of Hysh, drawing Alana into his spell as a pillar of light split the heavy cloud cover, even filling my own heart with the same light.


    I smiled and cast ''Detect Magic'' instead, making use of the ease of the spell. My own troops and their rune weapons gained a tinge of yellow while in the Vampire camp, 21 Vampires and magicians lit up with black lights covering their magic items.


    So I drew my Amber Bow and began shooting. One by one, my Arrow of Time traversed the battlefield to strike the heart of each enemy, then returned to my hand to be loosed again.


    I patted myself on the back, mentally, for being so smart. Then a giant cloud of bats flew towards us and coalesced mid-flight into a large and old Vampire wearing red armor. The Cleanse spell of my Dragon evaporated thousands of zombies and skeletons every second, but this Vampire seemed unaffected.


    "Congratulations mortals! You managed to awaken me ahead of time with your light show. But, now I am very thirsty." The old monster growled, and I could feel his Hunger driving him.


    I landed in front of the Vampire Count, and lifted my club on my shoulder. "Did you wash your neck Vampire, before coming here to die?" I asked in my coolest voice.


    His eyes glared red, almost driving me to my knees. "You court death, mortal! For I am Vlad von Carstein, Elector Count of Sylvania and the true Emperor of the Empire."


    I nodded gently. Technically, the Vampire Count was correct, as he rubbed elbows with Sigmar back in the day. Over 2400 years ago.


    "So you''re saying, the man who kills you gets your stuff?" I asked in a curious voice, while glancing at his magic ring which granted him immortality.


    Then I moved.

 Accusation

    My hand grabbed and crushed the Vampire''s ring hand, holding him in place as my club crashed into his right knee, producing a sickening crunch noise.


    "An Emperor you say? That only feeds on humans?!" I asked rhetorically, as my club raised again to smack the Count in the shoulder before he could hit me with a black sword.


    "Fool!" he growled, not really discouraged by the pain. The Vampire had died a few times before, and was probably hoping to do so again.


    "Let''s see then. Sedition, treason, armed rebellion at the first glance. Then Necromancy and using warpstone to fuel your magic. How do you plead, Elector Count?" I continued my public interrogation, while my club blew up his other knee.


    "Why would I care for those stupid mortal laws?" Vlad countered in a disgusted tone.


    "Exactly! The Empire of Man is a construct of laws. What would Sigmar say, if he saw you right now? Good job, my dear Count?" I wondered in a mocking voice, while hanging my club and grabbing the Vampire by the spine.


    Vlad von Carstein recoiled at my words, his red eyes glaring inward for a second. "Sigmar..." he muttered in a daze.


    "I can tell you what Sigmar will say..." I whispered in his ear, while my Arrow of Time stabbed the Vampire Count in his heart.


    "...but why spoil the surprise. You''re about to hear his words soon. Farewell, Elector-Count!" I continued while slipping his immortality ring on my own finger.


    "...." whatever words the Vampire tried to say crumbled into dust along with his body.


    I picked a black pendant from the air, before it fell among the rest of armor and weapons that piled at my feet.


    *Congratulations


    -You have obtained the Carstein Immortality Ring. Upon Death the wearer will return to life at sundown.


    -You have obtained a Lichbone Pendant. Grants 30% resistance to spells and magic weapons.


    -Your Warden of the East rank now covers Sylvania as well, granting +5 corruption reduction and +5 control per year.


    I stared for a second at the game menu, then sighed inward.


    Bombs from our cannons fell among the shambling zombies, blowing up thousands more, but this time there was no Necromancer around to reform them.


    I grabbed the loot and flew to the back line, and began aiding with the supplies, unloading carts of ammo at hyperspeed.


    The giant undead army will take a long time to be vanquished, and more ammo will help. The Dragon was still channeling his cleansing funnel, making the dark clouds spin around the horizon like hurricane. At least the sky was clear now.


    Some time later, I felt Emma sneak back and then uncloak beside me, while I lazed around with my Wild Guard scouts and hunters.


    "Lord Warden, Castle Drakenhof is still warded and protected, at least four maybe five high ranked Vampires or Dark Wizards." she reported and sat down tired, her mana almost spent from using too much Grey Magic.


    I nodded and stood up. Our mages were all tired and low of mana, while the gunners were starting to miss even easy shots due to prolonged combat, as holding 5 kilos of rifle up wasn''t easy for a normal human, especially after a few hours.


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    "Spears, take the front for an hour!" I ordered in a clear voice, while pointing at my snipers to flank and help a little while the gunners rested.


    ''I''ll go out as well'' Jet send to my mind, as he leaped over the front lines and started his disco ball spell that spun metal balls around like a constant cannon ball barrage. His claws blurred as well, slamming through a dozen zombies and skeletons at once.


    I stretched my shoulders and picked up the Unbreakable. "I''ll go after the big monsters now." I explained politely, and my hunters just nodded gravely.


    I chose the most direct route, crushing through the middle of the undead army, and leaving only clouds of blood and bone dust in my wake. Then I kicked the largest Varugulf I ever seen in the chin, and while his head evaporated I began smacking the Death Guard and other mutated monsters into blood paint.


    Damn stupid Vampires! They had so many advantages, they could have laid waste to Orcs or Skaven with ease, but no. Why not go after humanity?


    Oh well. I was here to encourage a perspective change for those who would attack the Empire, and later the humanity in general.


    ''Speak softly and carry a big stick, you''ll go far...'' a smart President said once. My stick should be big enough, right?


    "What do you say, is my stick big enough?" I asked curious, in a soft voice, as a whole pack of Vargulfs rushed towards me howling for blood.


    What would take an army to bring down, took me a dozen swipes with my big runic club. Best idea I ever had, this club.


    Quite the way to bring out the caveman hidden inside me.


    Smack, smack. Eventually Jet made his way to the back of the undead army too, and fired his jets of dragonfire over the piles of crushed meat and bone that had risen a few stories high.


    ''Good job, Jet!'' I praised the Imperial Dragon, who had a thousand arrows and dozens of spears stuck into his runic armor, plus several gashes and cuts into his wings.


    In comparison, the armor that Dorin the Runesmith made for me was covered in blood and acid, but not a single weapon had touched it.


    I felt more like stomping ants and getting splashed with their insides.


    ''I am getting tired, Warden. Why are so many undead here?'' Jet asked with an exhausted tone.


    Why not? The dead outnumbered the living at least 100 to 1, plus numerous manufactured and mutated monsters.


    A charge of Black Knights got splattered by Jet''s metal balls, but the fallen Knights just stood back up, and charged again, until they met my club and vanished into bone dust.


    ''Go back and heal, Jet. I can do this all day. For a million years.'' I advised the poor Dragon who seemed on his last legs.


    ''Damn monster...'' the Dragon muttered with a sad voice, and began walking back towards our lines, leaving broken bones and a trail of blood after him.


    Bombs fell all around me, and even on top of me, but I just ignored them. They barely scraped the blood and acid away from my armor, not that it would last. There were plenty undead to destroy, and I didn''t want the battle to last after sundown.


    Darkness would only favor the dead, even if firewalls and light spells could still provide some combat ability for the army, it would not be full effectiveness.


    After smashing the nine regiments of Death Guards, I chased the flying Vargheists before they landed among our cannons, filling the air above the army with a blood rain left by exploding mutated Vampires. Not ideal, but war never is.


    ''I''ll try to Cleanse the army before they get corrupted...'' Jet spoke in my mind as I returned to push back the front lines of undead, then changed course and started helping the cavalry before they got overrun by zombie wolves and howling ghouls.


    Perhaps a bit too late. I could see at least two dozen dead cavalrymen, and more wounded horses limping away towards the forest.


    ''Monstrous Regiment, Ox Stands, Hunter''s Moons, and Cure Wounds spells recovered the cavalry to a semblance of cohesion and combat power.


    Thus I decided to chance it, and cast Taal''s Fury onto the cavalry. It was a bit much, as my men became berserk and ripped the poor dire wolves to shreds, before changing direction and closing with the remaining zombies and ghouls, and gored them as well.


    The horses were even worse, biting and kicking like wild beasts, their eyes filled with bestial fury. Horses should eat grass or hay...not zombie heads.


    I might have overdone it a little.

 Rats

    One might think our victory at Drakenhof changed things for the better, and in some ways it did.


    The major threat of a Vampiric army striking in force was eliminated, but Sylvania was still infested with undead and Dark Wizards.


    The local population, the few living Sylvanians peasants were mostly starving and had to be relocated North, while the army advanced slowly and methodically, shooting and slicing feral zombies and ghouls.


    Our Wizards and Priests had the grueling task of consecrating the foul sorcery sites, not an easy task since they were all at odds.


    The Sigmarite Warrior-Priests might be a boon on the battlefield with their Faith powers, but in a civilian capacity they were simply rabid fanatics.


    And don''t let them hear about Skaven.


    "There are no such things as the Skaven! Superstition and child tales." an old Priest claimed with furious eyes, his hand clenched on the hammer icon hanging on his chest.


    I just shrugged politely. "Perhaps the name itself strikes a chord. I meant the rat dens under major cities, or even Dwarf holds. Big rats though, going from dog size to Ogre size. Some of them even use magic fueled by warpstone." I explained in a mild voice.


    I had no need to aggravate the Sigmar''s priesthood, nor would it serve any good purpose.


    The Priest glared at me with intent. "Rats!"


    "Pretty much, yes. But that''s like calling a Vampire a bat. These rats are holding thousands of people in slavery and always kidnap more. They even have pirate ships out in the ocean. And powerful magic too." I continued with a kind smile.


    "...We would know of such things, if they existed." Another Warrior-Priest interjected, his voice suspicious and incredulous.


    I looked at the holy templars and fancy armors who stared at me like I was a fake prophet. "Of course you would, if you would not burn alive the witnesses when they dare to come forth. What did your top guy say? Superstition, right?"


    "...The Grand Theogonist?" the Warrior-Priest muttered in a slow voice. That was kind of the Pope of the Sigmar''s Cult, and infallible of course. Like any man should be.


    "Right! Whatever title you gave your top guy. Look, you already know of Beastmen. You seen the Vargheists and Crypt Terrors made by Vampires. It''s exactly the same thing, mutation and corruption caused by warpstone. Only mostly underground for these rats. They are sneaky, and bide their time." I concluded with a deep sigh.


    Hesitant glances among the Priests gave me a bit of hope. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, Warden of the East. Your strength is not in doubt, but your feats in battle do not make you able to change our religious doctrine."


    I nodded while seeing the problem. "I do not wish to change your doctrine. It''s perfectly fine as it is, and binds the Empire of Man together, much like my roads do. But warpstone mutation affects all living and unliving things, thus your doctrine must expand to address this reality. Including bats and rats."


    The lead Priest shook his bald head, unconvinced. "We will need a stronger proof, Lord Warden. These dens..."


    "Of course, I did tell you the rats are digging under most cities. But the largest den I know is right under Altdorf. We can be there in a few minutes, and see the proof with your own eyes." I said with a gleaming smile.


    Altdorf stands astride the confluence of the Rivers Reik</a> and Talabec</a>, which makes the city a hub for ships going down the river to the ocean.


    Under the city, the rats had built a whole network of tunnels and even directed underground rivers to carry their barges of trade and slaves.


    Luckily for the Empire, the Skaven Warprail trains did not reach Altdorf, which meant reinforcements from various rat clans would need to take the foot tunnels from Nuln.


    Unluckily for the Empire, once I collapsed the major tunnel towards Nuln, the Skaven had either the choice of sitting still and getting massacred, or coming out through their myriad of small tunnels and burrows towards the surface.


    On the other hand, Altdorf did hold the largest imperial garrison, plus the Home Fleet base, plus the Colleges of Magic and the Holy Temple of Sigmar.


    While I was underground, dealing with the far more dangerous Grey Seers, and other Warpstone mutants and magic warmachines powered by more warpstone, the city above was engulfed in flames and warfare between men and rats.


    Altdorf itself held the highest population in the Empire, over 1 million people, with about 10 percent of those people living underground in various caves, dwarf tunnels and basements, and often trading with the Skaven for illegal and heretical magic and devices.


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    I think most of these people died, either to the Skaven themselves rushing out, or to the imperial counterattack which followed, lead by fanatical Sigmarite priests, Witch Hunters and various Battle Wizards supported by imperial troops.


    It could have been far worse, and would have been in the future. But like this, the boil was lanced early and the Empire had another enemy to deal with.


    The new Emperor wasn''t too happy with the Skaven attack, and neither was the Grand Theogonist of Sigmar''s Cult, who was kinda pissed at having his doctrine proven a bit incorrect. Mutants rats sounded completely different from Skaven, after all.


    "And now, we also have to deal with the rat dens under Middleheim, Talabheim and Marienburg, before turning our might towards Nuln and clearing the tunnels going into the Grey Mountains." I spoke in front of the War Council, which included representatives of the largest powers in the Empire.


    Wizards, Inquisitors and Warrior-Priests glared at me as if I was the one guilty of this state of affairs. I just smiled and glanced around the room, taking notes of each reluctant face.


    "This will cost my Empire a great deal, Lord Warden. Four province capitals might get ravaged by the rats too, if we proceed in this way." the Emperor spoke with a tired voice.


    "Of course, we can also hide our heads in the sand, and proclaim the Skaven do not exist. Sorry, I mean rats. Or even that this war never happened and everything is just fine." I proposed with a kind voice.


    The Grand Theogonist seemed ready to agree with the stupid solution too, nodding wisely.


    "If his Majesty would agree to grant me the Warden of the South rank, my Gold Order and I will make sure to turn these rats into lead. Or maybe gold." the Magister Patriarch of the Gold Order proposed with a honeyed voice.


    A hundred angry eyes turned on Baltazar Gelt, but them man''s greedy face was hidden under his gold mask, and he seemed undisturbed, maybe even glad at the attention.


    I sighed inward and continued my crowd scan, until a Light Wizard smiling in agreement with Gelt''s proposal stood out light a beacon in my mind. Curious behavior for a Light Wizard who was supposed to hate Gold Wizards. This reminded me of another guy with a dragon. Chaos guy with a Chaos Dragon.


    I just flew at his side and grabbed his neck before anyone could react. "Who is this person?" I asked the Light Order''s Patriarch.


    "He is Egrimm van Horstmann</a> , my best student and our future Patriarch." the old Wizard spoke in a worried voice, already glowing with Hysh Winds.


    While my wrist rotated sharply to snap the guy''s neck, I ripped the Light Wizard''s robes off, showing a body tattooed with Chaos symbols. "Banishment now, if you can." I asked in a low voice, while my other hand summoned an Arrow of Time to stab the Chaos cultist in the heart.


    Two dozen spells from the gathered Wizards struck the dead body, just as a powerful Daemon burst through the reality veil and was hooked by my time arrow and held in place. At least half of those spells struck me as well, but they didn''t affect me too much. I had already 70% magic resistance from artifacts, plus my natural immunity.


    I felt Gelt arrive at speed and smash a Gold spellfist into the Daemon, just as the Light Order''s Patriarch managed to cast his Banishment.


    Two top tier Wizards, plus myself, and the Daemon still forced its way through, causing panic inside the council''s room until the Grand Theogonist jumped in with his Holy Hammer and crushed the Daemon.


    "Curse you, foolish mortals!" the Daemon screeched, making several people faint with their ears bleeding.


    A soft sigh emerged behind me, and my teacher extended his Amber Spear to impale the Daemon, and held it still while silver bullets and more glowing spells, magic hammers and containment arrays converged on the Daemon, as dwarf runes it up on the room''s walls.


    Still not enough.


    But with Gregor Martak''s spell so close, and the clear and present danger of an emerging Daemon, my magic just aligned and the Arrow of Time changed into a Spear.


    *Congratulations


    -You have mastered the Amber Spear spell. You gain +5 Ghur affinity.


    My spell broke the stalemate, shattering the Daemon into warp bits and closing the portal.


    "I''m too old for this bullshit. Pef, you can deal with this city business." Martak muttered and walked away, leaving the council room in a few small steps that bent time somehow, such that his words could be heard while he was already flying away on Twinshriek''s back.


    "As you say, teacher." I answered in a gentle tone. Maybe one day I could be as cool as he, a mysterious wizard moving as he pleased.


    Gelt''s mask turned to stare after Martak, but most others didn''t even see my teacher come and go.


    "Your future Light Patriarch, right? Curious choice." Baltzar Gelt said in a less amused voice, then nodded towards me and returned to his chair like nothing has happened.


    I followed suit, treating this matter like it never happened.


    The Emperor just pointed at the Light Patriarch, silent in his rage.


    "The Priests of Sigmar will be glad to assist the Light Order with tracing the actions of this traitor." the Grand Theogonist spoke with a heavy voice, daring anyone to oppose him.


    The Emperor just nodded, then raised a hand. "Do confine this event to secrecy, everyone. This never happened, understood?" he demanded in his imperial voice.


    I flew beside Gelt and handed him the runic axe I had found earlier. "You will make a great Warden for the South, Gold Patriarch. I expect to the see you in Nuln, in three months." I said in a respectful voice, then flew out before Jet got too anxious and crashed into the room.


    ''I could have Cleansed that Daemon by myself!'' Jet claimed in a proud voice as we flew towards Middleheim.


    I thought for a minute, then nodded. My Dragon''s Light was powerful enough, that was true. Stronger than any Wizard I knew, even the Light Order''s Patriarch. "One Daemon, yes. But you think too small, little Jet. A million daemons, and several Great Daemons too. You need to grow stronger."


    Jet glared at me, then pushed his Timewarp spell higher, reaching a new setting. Around Mach 15, going by the mild effort I had to put in catching up.


    A 50% speed increase from Mach 10 was not bad at all.


    ''Still not fast enough?'' Jet asked with surprise.


    He was quite fast, but I was faster. "Try twice this speed for your next setting. Don''t think so small." I advised my Dragon with a careless voice.


    An angry growl was my only answer.

 Hound

    The reward for clearing the tunnels under Middleheim of Skaven rats and other criminals was its own reward, but the local Wizard Guild bestowed me with three weeks of intense lessons from their Magister.


    Three weeks meant I could learn the basics of three new Battle spells, the most important being Accelerate Time, which didn''t do that, but granted me a 50% speed boost. Or I could cast it on someone else too, as a buff. Regular people gained 100% speed boost, but they were also much slower anyway so it was kinda fair.


    The next spell was called Blast, which also didn''t blast anything, instead shooting a stream of magic missiles that could be spread out to strike a group, or a single target. Using an entire week to train only this spell in the Middle Mountains reduced the local monsters and Beastmen by half, since my mana didn''t exactly drain, or perhaps regenerated much faster that I could spend it.


    Either way, the incursion in the mountains provoked a Black Dragon to come and chase me, which didn''t go as well as I thought. Perhaps Jet wasn''t the best example of a Dragon, but this Black one was nigh-immune to magic and could spit streams of corrosive acid just like a Zombie Dragon.


    He wasn''t immune to the Unbreakable club, but my club wasn''t immune either. Its perfect baseball-bat shape now changed into a gnarly mess of metal. At least it didn''t break.


    Finally, the last spell was called Conjure Servitor, which also didn''t summon a nice butler from another plane of existence. Instead, it allowed me to animate a bunch of wood, ropes and metal bits and make it into a golem...which wasn''t strong at all. I mean, it was stronger than a human, but that wasn''t saying much. I''ll need to speak with my Runesmith friend and try to obtain some better materials for a nicer golem.


    Instead, my Imperial Dragon learned a single spell here, called Drain Magic. Which did exactly what the name did, and more. Not only did it suck the magic of out someone, but it also added it do himself. So unfair!


    Anyways, we then followed the rat tunnel down South to Talebheim and massacred the rats and their magical Seers much easier, since we caught them by surprise, and Jet was quite useful now, even draining a Grey Seer by himself. Turns out, without mana a Grey Seer is just a weak rat that was a mere snack for my Dragon.


    The huge rats tunnels linking the provincial capitals gave me an idea for later, since they could be used as bomb shelters, warehouses and even metro lines once enough Steam trains could be obtained. Much easier to secure too, without the threat of monsters breaking the train lines and derailing our trains. There would also be room for normal roads and perhaps underground rivers being converted into channels for trade boats.


    In Marienburg, things got worse, since the Skaven were alerted and rushed out into the streets and channels of the city, causing a fierce fight with the militia and the Imperial Garrison. However, the Navy was also prepared and armed with guns and cannons, and the channels allowed the ships to navigate from battle to battle like huge tanks.


    Once the rat caverns were cleared, the city received a huge boon, since the population now had a place to expand, from housing to warehouses and even shops and some industries that didn''t require fire, like textiles and so on.


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    More work for me, clearing out warpstone and other toxic sludge left by the rats, but with my speed boost I finished cleaning up just in time to reach Nuln and the Gold Order''s armies prepared here under Baltzar Gelt.


    "Warden of the South" I said in a polite voice.


    The golden mask nodded at me. "Warden of the East, and Jet Goldenweave. A pleasure to meet the Imperial Dragon." the Gold Patriach answered in a strange voice, while his mask stared at my Dragon for too long. Hmmm.


    "Make him a nicer robe, Jet. Painted silk is not enough for the Warden of the South." I urged my Dragon with a friendly elbow to his ribs. They didn''t break, so he should be fine.


    Jet rubbed his ribs while casting Cure Wounds on himself, then raised a claw and produced another wonderful miracle for the Gold Wizard.


    Then my Dragon froze for a second, and focused his gaze at another Gold Wizard waiting in the ranks. ''Warden, that man...''


    I moved and grabbed the target by his neck, just as the fallen Wizard revealed his Chaos magic and summoned a three-headed dog daemon.


    "Too late, mortals!Lord Karanak</a> will feast on your bones!" the Chaos cultist yelled and then died as I snapped his spine. Even with my speed, I was still too slow.


    "...Not again" I heard Gelt mutter in a sad voice.


    Jet blurred into battle, smashing the daemon hound with his claw and launching it into the air, while growling at me: ''Let me deal with this daemon!''


    I stepped back beside Gelt, and watched the airbattle with interest. My Dragon was armored and warded, and using his Drain to power up powerful molten claws that ripped through the screaming daemon. "I hope the dead guy wasn''t the next Gold Patriarch..." I whispered with a bit of irony.


    "Who? Ah, Ricart Drallborg was not that good. Not even a Magister after 100 years in the Order." Gelt answered after a second.


    "Too bad then. I''ll dive into the caverns now." I spoke with a careless glance at the Imperial Dragon, and then pushed down straight through the plaza and the bedrock. To be fair, normal rock was just as easy to move through as water for me, barely slowing me down as I drilled through and emerged into the giant caverns below.


    "Blast!" "Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!""Blast!"


    A thousand spells later, most of the Skaven were dead and burning, leaving only their mages and the Warp-constructs to deal with.


    A Grey Seer emerged behind me from a shadow and tried to stab me with a oily dagger, but I was in Accelerated Time now, and circled his paw with my aikido move, then returned the dagger into his neck. For a second, the Seer glared at me with hate, then melted into a puddle of acid and poison. Uh, nasty stuff on that dagger.


    Another rat mage pointed an emerald glowing staff at me, so I threw the same dagger into his belly. He also melted.


    A dozen Warp Cannons fired their beams at me, but I was already flying away. Damn Skaven!

 Train

    You can say anything bad abut the Gold Order and you''re not going to be wrong. They are arrogant and annoying, obtuse and secretive, sometimes treacherous other times magnanimous, deadly to their enemies and great friends to have. Because they are rich. An entire magic order with more money than common sense, as proven by the dead guy who summoned a daemon earlier.


    Imagine you lived in our current world, and your superpower was manipulating the digital to create bitcoins at will. Although magical gold is forbidden for buying goods and services, the Gold Order has mastery over a lot more metals than mere gold. Plus, Imperial Law is only enforced inside the Empire borders. A clever Gold Wizard can always buy things with magic gold from distant lands: such as Estalia, Tilea or even Araby.


    And while magical gold will revert itself to lead after a while, the Gold Order is still very rich. So rich they can hire thousands of mercenaries from Kislev and Tilea to fight for them, and they can also repair and improve the weapons and armor of said mercenaries with enchantments and various transmutation feats.


    Which is quite nice for me, as the various Regiments of Renown descend into the Skaven caverns and help me clear out the enemy. And then loot the corpses. This is not so great, as bits of warpstone are always integrated with Skaven equipment and thus are deadly to touch, for mutation and curses and other worse reasons touching the soul of a mundane human. Even mages and wizards are quite in danger from warpstone, which is why the material is forbidden in the Empire of Man.


    While dragging a leather sack filled with warpstone bits, I met Baltazar Gelt once more. His new runic axe is dripping with green rat blood.


    "Warden...found anything nice down here?" I ask in a pleasant voice.


    His golden mask measures me for a long moment. "Hundreds of cannons stolen from Nuln, and thousands of slaves. Enough to begin creating my Army of the South." he answers in a secretive tone.


    I smile a bit sad. It is a power play. But it doesn''t really matter for the next 50 years. "The Imperial Dragon uses both Light and Gold magic. And these daemons target both of your orders equally." I say with a cryptic voice and fly away.


    As I return for the next cleanup a minute later, Gelt is waiting by the pile of warpstones I collected from the rats.


    Maybe he got the point?


    "Are you suggesting cross-training, Warden of the East?" the Gold Magister wonders while I fill the sack again.


    I nod gently. "For now, I suggest you re-train all your Wizards to cast the Battle Spells available at Middelheim. The Winds of Magic can be melded in numerous ways, but Teclis did have a working method to reduce the dangers."


    His mask changes color from gold to silver as I fly away loaded with more warpstone to throw into space. I think I made my point now.


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    While the tunnels under Nuln go for a thousand miles under the Grey Mountains, the Gold Order and their mercenaries should be sufficient. Plus the future Army of the South and their cannons. The Skaven will keep trying, and the Army of the South will get plenty of battle experience in these tunnels.


    As for myself, I have two goals to achieve. One, as suggested by Emma and Janna, is to roam the seas and the ocean to the West for pirates and treasure. The possible loot of this operation would allow me to provide for the next goal. Securing the East by strengthening Kislev.


    I can also recruit some mercenaries for my Wild Guard, mostly as combat trainers and other cadres like recruiting, supply and logistics. The Army of the East is too powerful and important to move outside the Empire, plus they are still needed in Sylvania for a decade or three. Pacifying the undead-infested lands is the work of a generation, and we''ll probably never find all the caves and hideouts hiding the last undead.


    Anyways, it takes another week to clean up the under-city caverns of Nuln, until I can fly to Zhufbar and trade with a famous Runesmith once more.


    However the corpse of a Black Dragon and a dozen tons of gromril minerals are sufficient to buy me some rare Dwarf goodwill.


    "I only read about Dragons until I met you, Warden. But now I can work with Dragon scales and bones! I am certain I will create marvelous items from them!" the Runesmith proclaims in an ecstatic voice.


    So I drop my mangled club on the ground with a loud clang. His face changes a dozen colors at the sight, then he eyes the battered Dragon corpse. "Perhaps using a Dragon bone into the alloy will increase the durability of weapon..." he mutters in dismay.


    "Perhaps. I do need 1000 Long Rifles with glass optics for my Wild Guard. And a set of runic light armor for them as well. Enough bullets to fight a dozen Beastmen Warherds, and some Dwarf volunteers if any want to join. I hear Kislev is filled with all kind of monsters." I speak very softly. My big stick is mangled but present too.


    The Runesmith glances at his fellow Dwarves in his group. "You mean Slayers..." he says in a doubtful tone. His bodyguards grunt with stern faces.


    "We leave in a year, as I still need to clean up the last Vampires in Sylvania and open a trade route through the mountains." I explain in a polite voice.


    Although managing the Sylvanian castles won''t take more than a month, I do need to find and loot a lot of pirates. One year of pirate raiding should be enough to fill my treasury.


    "The guns will be ready by next year, Warden of the East. And I''ll pay for the silver bullets myself" The Runesmith offers with a sad voice.


    The Dawi must have begun mass-producing my steel rifles then, if my royalties have reached 100000 silver.


    I take out the schematics for a steam train, modified to include oil-sprinklers for extra heat in the steam chamber, plus conical wheels to keep the train on track and a revolver-cannon for the turret. And I don''t mean a multi-barrel cannon like the Dwarves already have, but a rotating chamber like a revolver pistol. "I did consider heat enchantments for the iron breaks, but I left those out for now, since iron is quite cheap. If you produce 10 steam-locomotives in a decade, I will pay 100000 gold for them."


    While the Runesmith ponders over the detailed schematics of the train, I fly up and away, reaching my family at Castle Waldenhof in a single minute. Mach 45 speed is quite fast, if I say so myself.


    I could reach Cathay or Ind and be back in a single hour. And I will, one day. But not today. My wives must miss me dearly after months of campaign agaisnt the Skaven. Damn those stupid rats!