Chapter 16: The Baron's Son A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 16
Konstantin wore a grin as he continued. "The little boy got himself trapped on an island in the center of the chamber. There is a lake and island accessible by stepping stones. Some type of luminescent fish lights up the water, which lights up the chamber and water. The water is also home to giant aquatic centipedes. They can not reach more than five feet out of the water, according to the idiot on the island."
Castille asked sternly, "So you talked with Justin Cicero? How is his health?"
Konstantin grinned, "He tried to order me to save him. He said he had a commander's rank in the army and had the right to command me. He has been catching and cooking the glowing fish with his fire magic."
Delmar asked, "How did he get trapped? What happened to his adventuring party?"
Konstantin frowned, "He lost one man to the spiders. It was his healing mage. A spider came from under the bridge and got him from behind. The water centipedes have a strong paralytic cloud attack. His two heavy fighters inhaled it, fell into the water, and drowned while they were crossing the stepping stones."
Firth asked, "What happened to Marius, the pathfinder?"
Konstantin shook his head, "He did not say. But if the dungeon only allows seven people to enter and we number six, then it is safe to assume Marius is also dead."
"What information do you have on the water creatures?" Castille asked.
Konstantin grunted, "The glowing fish light chamber and water, like the fire beetles did in the prior chambers. The six centipedes are all about ten feet long and easily seen moving in the water. But instead of legs, they have one hundred fins. They are really fast, and that is why I think Justin's team was surprised when crossing."
Mage Castille frowned, "My shadow chains do not work underwater. Will they attack along the shoreline or just when crossing the stepping stones?"
Konstantin shook his head, "There is no shoreline. The chamber opens right to the stepping stones. The island in the middle has a shoreline— about thirty feet circular."
"What is the likely hood of getting all of us to the island with the baron's son?" Castille asked. Konstantin was shaking his head no.
Delmar suggested, "As long as we don't breathe in the paralytic gas can we sprint to the island?"
"No," Konstantin said. "The stepping stones are about five feet across, and it is about five feet between the stones. If you stop on the stones, then you will likely get quickly swarmed."
Castille heaved a sigh, "We have one instant ice potion. It will freeze all water in a fifteen-foot radius. If we can catch enough of them in the ice, we should be able to eliminate all of the water threats. It will take the dungeon at least two days to respawn them if we do not exit."
Delamar asked, "Who is going to hop on the stones, draw them all in, and freeze them?" No one moved to volunteer. A long heavy silence ensued.
Castille finally tried to entice someone, "Two essences of their choice to the volunteer we harvest from the water creatures." Still, no one volunteered. But I was thinking what everyone else was thinking. You can not use the essence if you are dead. Mage Castille upped the offer, "Three and whatever is in the reward chest for the room."
Firth started to fidget. Delmar cocked his eyebrow, thinking Firth was going to cave and volunteer. "I will do it." All eyes turned to me. "I already got some experience with the spiders being the bait, and you all will have my back," I said confidently. Or at least I thought I sounded confident.
I slowly removed the potions from my dimensional space, and Mage Castille pulled the aqua-colored potion out. "We got this as a gift from a merchant for rescuing him from a gnoll war party. Keep the lid off, and throw it in the water when all six creatures are within range." Delmar and Konstantin had something akin to ice spikes that they applied to their boots so they would not slip on the ice.
We all walked down the long tunnel. As we approached the end, a blue light highlighted the room. When we reached the end, it was actually quite beautiful. The water glowed a soft blue, and the stepping stones were round and dark gray, heading out to an island in the center. A young man stood on the island studying us. "You back, soldier?" He yelled excitedly. "At least you brought help. Ready to get me off this island?"
I didn't like him from the second I heard his voice. To make matters worse, I was about risk my life for him. Konstantin walked up to me, "Don't worry about catching them all. Get to the second stone and toss it when the first one attacks. When they emerge, hold your breath as long as you can. We will be right behind you." He patted my back reassuringly.
I nodded but was questioning my self-preservation thought process. It was a good ten minutes of preparation with the man on the island screaming the entire time for us to hurry up. Castille told me to avoid falling into the water after I dropped the potion. She jokingly said they wouldn't have time to chip me out of the ice before I died.
I could see the snake-looking creatures in the water. The glowing fish scattered from in front of them as they swam. I took a breath and leaped to the first stepping stone. I had expected it to be stable and nearly fell when it wobbled underneath me. Ripples of water spread from the stone, calling the creatures to me. I got my feet quickly under me. The creatures raced toward me incredibly fast. Two were trailing far behind, back near the island. I waited, a short sword in one hand and the potion in the other for them to get close.
Konstantin yelled, "Get to the next platform!" I had forgotten the plan to get to the second platform when I stumbled. I needed to give everyone room to fight. I ran and leaped. The wobble of the platform had me not get a great push-off, and I came up short a little short. My bad knee slammed hard, and I heard a crack in my knee as my lower body splashed into the water. Water filled my boots as I scrambled to get on the platform. Somehow I didn't spill the potion, but the knuckles on my sword hand were smashed and bleeding as I rolled onto the floating stone.
An insectoid head appeared above water. I swung my sword as the centipede spewed a foul mist into my face. My blade cut its face rubbery face. I swung twice more, hacking away. The exertion meant I couldn't hold my breath much longer. I tossed the potion into the water, unaware if all the swimming beasts were close enough yet.
I watched in fascination as the water crystalized and the ice started spreading rapidly. Konstantin landed behind me, and I inhaled in relief as I needed the air. The foul mist had not fully dissipated, and I felt the paralytic taking hold. It was hard to move and breathe, but my fellow soldiers were around me and hacking away as the centipedes were trapped in the ice. Then my feet felt cold, but it was not the paralyzing mist. My boots and pants froze, and then I was a statue. My frozen clothes from the waist down held up my paralyzed body. I watched as five of the six centipedes were hacked to death, trapped in the ice.
The last one lunged up onto the ice, and its long body slid toward me. Delmar intercepted it and hacked into the body, stopping it. Firth walked into my line of sight. "Damn, if I knew it was going to be this easy, I would have volunteered myself." He tapped my forehead. "Hey, Linus, how long before he moves again?"
"About a minute, I believe," I heard from behind me. He was correct as I felt my movement slowly return. I slowly and painfully sucked in the precious air. If I had known the paralysis would have extended to my lungs, I would not have volunteered.
I gasped and went down on one knee and tried to remove my boots, as I was now worried about frostbite. As I wrestled with the boots, the baron's son came to us across the stones and reeked something fierce. "About time. Give me some food, and you can hand me my essences from those creatures, mage."
I had only gotten one boot off so far but looked up to see the Mage Castille staring at the man who was in his twenties with weeks of haggard grow on his gaunt face. Delmar stepped between the mage and the baron's son, "Over here, First Citizen Justin. We can get you some rations." Delmar escorted Justin back up to the safe room before the confrontation with Mage Castille erupted into something.
Mage Castille stood over me as I rubbed my bare feet, trying to get the feeling back. I was still on the ice-covered second stepping stone. "Nice work Eryk." She leaned down and placed three essences into my palm. "Three apex endurance affinities. All six were apex endurance essences. The baron's son took the reward chest as it materialized on the island," she said regrettably.
"He can just take the chest? He didn't do a damn thing! What about his claim on the essences?" I asked, annoyed, starting to feel some life in my bare feet.
Castille pursed her lips, "He is a First Citizen." My confused look had her add, "They fall under different laws."
"As a mage, are you not a First Citizen as well?" I asked.
Castille harumphed, "No. You can only be born into first citizenship. You need to be a descendent of a member of the First Legion."
I had more questions but did not want to show my ignorance, "So what is going to happen with Mr. Personality?" I asked Mage Castille. She huffed in a short laugh at my nickname.
"I will give him these three essences and tell him that was all we collected. He didn't see me collect them all as he was too busy opening the chest on the island and securing whatever was in it. He will probably doubt me, so consume those quickly. You may get some indigestion as you are only supposed to take one essence a day, but if you don't take them all now, that nitwit will confiscate them. Stay down here and take one every hour. I will see you in two hours." Castille nodded at me, then she turned away and started walking back to the safe room.
Konstantin was the only one left at the passage heading up. He spoke, "Since the reward chest appeared in this room, there will be no other threats. When you feel up to it, walk down to the next chamber and take an accounting of it. If Justin asks, we will tell him we left you behind to scout. Do not enter the room, though, just note what you see from the passageway so you have something to tell Justin if he asks. The dungeon's ecology will prevent the creatures from leaving their designated room."
"Couldn't we just kill the monsters from the passageway then?" I asked, trying to find a loophole.
Konstantin shook his head in disappointment, "I thought you were smarter than that, Eryk." Instead of elaborating, he turned and left. I was left barefoot and alone on the floating stone with three essences in my hand.
I looked around and put the first essence into my mouth, thinking about what he meant. Then it struck me. The ankhegs were underground. The spiders were under the bridge. And the centipede fish were in the water and only came close after I leaped onto the first stone. All of the monsters had only attacked after we entered the room. I surmised dungeons protected their creations from making killing them too easy.
I confirmed I was alone. I sent my wet, cold socks to my dimensional storage and brought out dry socks. I put on the icy, frost-covered boots. I had a lot of time, so I decided to check out the island in the center of the chamber. I hopped to it and almost collapsed every time I landed. My knee was in serious pain, and I think I cracked the patella. On the island, I found the mess the baron's son left—piles of shit, fish bones, dirty clothes. The smell was horrendous. I looked at the far side of the cavern. I still had a lot of time before I needed to return to the safe room. I knew curiosity killed the cat, but it couldn't hurt to take a peak. As Konstantin said, I just needed to remain in the passageway.
Chapter 17: Sisyphus' Rock A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 17
I reached the far side of the chamber on the floating stepping stones. I wished I still had the healing potions in my dimensional space. I would have gladly taken some punishment for using one. But I had not been asked to store them after the fight. My knee was swelling, and I hobbled into the tunnel and looked back at the stones. Maybe this was not a great idea. I winced at the thought of hopping back across the stones. Perhaps I would hobble down to the next room and come back.
I had a strong limp as my right knee got so stiff it was difficult to bend. As the light faded behind me, a new light at the end of the tunnel appeared in front of me. I was close, maybe 60 feet from the next room. I continued to the opening into the next chamber. Standing in the passage, I looked into the room. It was a smooth conical stone dome. Lines of greenish light, like veins, lit up the dome. The lines seemed to pulse in a rhythm. I stuck my head inside to look at the wall around the door. Huh, the lines were made by fist-sized snails trailing a glowing goo behind them. These were the first non-insects I had seen in the dungeon. I didn't know what it implied.
The floor of the domed room was flat and consisted of brown dirt with some mounds near the center. I guessed they hid whatever creature guarded the room. The curious thing was I did not see an exit around the room anywhere. Was this the final room in this dungeon? Maybe the snails were the monster? Would they all fly together to giant snail…ok that was a stupid thought. The first chamber had burrowers, so this chamber probably had burrowers, and the mounds in the center hid the creature.
I stared for forty minutes and then took out my second apex essence and ate it. Castille had said to wait at least an hour between. Shit. Castille was not joking about indigestion. I started making short belching sounds accompanied by an attack of mini hiccups. My stomach roiled, and I broke out into a cold sweat, and I sat down against the wall and then lay down till the feeling passed. I kept an eye on the room, waiting for my stomach and pulse rate to return to normal. I was definitely going to save that last apex essence for much later. I pulled out some water and drank heavily before putting it back in my storage.
I stayed seated until, and in my estimation, it was getting close to the end of the two hours Castille gave me. I decided it was time to go. Besides the snails making slow progress along the dome, I observed no movement in the chamber. Taking one last look at the room, I wondered if maybe there was a doorway to the right or left that I couldn't quite see. I decided to take a quick check. That way, I could say I scouted the next room if the baron's son questioned me. I leaned in further, on alert, ready to run, remembering the ankheg had spit acid. I didn't see anything and cautiously got a little further in. I looked up, searching the wall of the dome. Nothing. I moved to go the half step back and felt for the passageway. What…it was a solid wall.
My heart started racing as I felt the wall. I had barely entered the room—if even at all. Maybe it was invisible…some type of illusion. I slid left a few feet and then right on the wall feeling the wall for the passage. I felt a tremor under my feet and swore. Why didn't anyone fucking tell me a dungeon could lock you in a room? Now, I was going to die to whatever horrendous insect swarm came after me. I drew my short sword, pulled a shield from my dimensional space, and turned to face whatever spawn crawled from under the earth.
The ground in the center of the chamber was rippling, and a body of a massive black scorpion erupted. The stinger swayed fifteen feet in the air, and each of its two claws was as big as a person. I waited with a racing heart. I could win by sending part of its body to my dimensional cube as I had done with the bulette if it was just one Schwarzenegger-sized scorpion. Nothing else came, and I started moving along the wall. The scorpion located me and turned to follow my movements. It seemed cautious.
Maybe it was stunned that only one person had come to challenge it. It tested its claws with reverberating snaps in the air. The hovering stinger did a hypnotic dance in the air as its eight legs brought it slowly forward. I prepared my dimensional space…fuck! I still had the stone pillar stored in there! New plan. Drop a big rock on a big bug. I increased my pace along the wall, and it finally charged me.
I did my best to time the stone. The edge of the stone materialized at the end of my sword arm from the storage, extending ten feet forward, looming over the confused bug. The stone hung in the air for a moment before falling. One of the claws extended and reached for me. I rolled away, but it was not necessary. The cylinder crushed the body of the scorpion, and internal fluids splattered in every direction. I was covered in metallic-smelling bug juice.
I focused on my aether and swore. The mass of pulling the object had drained all my aether in one go. I scanned the room, thinking my bad luck would have a second scorpion show up. The stinger started to fall like a felled tree toward me. I tumbled out of the way as it pierced the ground…It would have missed me by a few feet but better safe than sorry. The slimy fluids covering me were now coated with dirt from my roll. I spit something fowl from my mouth.
I slowly walked around the chamber and found a shoebox-sized stone chest in the center of the room. I breathed, relieved. Konstantin had said if the reward chest appeared then all threats had been handled. I put down my shield to inspect the box.
The box was similar to the others we found when defeating the previous monsters. I moved cautiously past the scorpion, wishing I had an essence collector to use on it. I was about to open the chest when I remembered someone mentioned traps. I used my sword tip instead to flip the lip open.
Huh, twenty shiny gold coins and what looked like a pendant. A silvery chain was connected to a hexagonal brass coin. The coin has an array of fine lines and small blue gems embedded at intersections on both sides. It was similar to the patterns that made up the discs on the translation amulet I had during training but much finer and more intricate work.
I picked up the obvious magic item. It felt light in my hand, more like the density of plastic than metal. I thought about wearing it and channeling aether into it, but since I did not know what it did, I decided to store it away with the gold coins.
I walked to the dead scorpion and wondered what kind of essence the beast would have yielded. I touched the carapace, thinking I could possibly pull the essence to myself with my ability. I focused and tried for a few minutes before giving up. I couldn't feel anything happening and felt silly for trying. I thought better at leaving the empty chest and stone cylinder. If they came down here to check this room, I figured to erase as much evidence as possible. Although the giant crushed scorpion still oozing fluids was a dead giveaway.
Unfortunately, my aether didn't recover enough to put anything in my space. I buried the chest as that was the best I could do. I hobbled back to the water chamber. Hoping across the stones this time was not fun, and I fell on each landing as my knee would not bend properly. When I got to the far side, I quickly stripped and began to wash my clothes and armor in the water.
All the tales of glory in combat never mentioned the after-battle cleanup. Cleaning up the mess after a fight was never pretty, and this was the second time for me, the messy bulette being the first. The glowing fish seemed attracted to the gore being washed into the crystal-clear water. They were not carnivorous and just seemed like fat trout with glowing scales. I wondered how they might taste and wished I had a fishing rod.
I was in my undergarments with everything laid out to dry when Konstantin came down the tunnel to check on me. "It has been four hours, Eryk. Are you down here bathing?" Humor laced his voice. "Castille was getting worried. And I have some bad news." He was staring at my swollen and red knee and knelt to inspect it.
"Well, don't keep me in suspense. Is the cave the home of a dragon?" I asked while I started putting on my wet clothes.
"No, much worse. Castille is sending you to escort Justin Cicero back to his father," Konstantin admitted. "She is giving him the griffin egg, and you are to store it in your space so it gets there safely. She is doing it so she can get the leech away from her company. Report to the Legion headquarters when you reach Varvao. They will tell you where to find our company."
"How far is Varvao?" I asked, concerned.
"Three hundred and fifty miles. Give or take. But there is good news. Your little mage friend is going with you," Konstantin chuckled.
"Renna is coming with me? Is that a good thing with the First Citizen being with me?" I asked, thinking of her safety.
"Most likely, he will not touch her. Rumor is she is promised to one of the Emperor's sons," but he didn't sound confident. He pointed at my knee, "Let Linus know, and he will give you a potion to heal up."
I had finished dressing and was working on my armor. "Why are you being so nice to me, Konstantin? You do not have the best reputation among the others."
Konstantin spat into the water. "I am tired of seeing young men like you die. I can not tell why I thought you were different and deserved my mentoring. Maybe one of the gods is pushing me to keep you alive. I do not know. Just accept it." He turned and walked up the passage.
I packed my things up and hobbled up the passage. When I reached the safe room, there was no one there. I hobbled all the way back to the entrance to the dungeon and passed through at a walk this time.
Delmar yelled, "About time, Eryk. Get some food and pack up your gear. We will be heading out shortly." I looked around the chamber, and the tents were all rolled up. Justin was arguing with mage Castille, and I decided I did not need to become involved. I got some food and went to eat it next to Renna. Renna saw me coming and had a sad face.
"Sorry, Eryk. Your fancy new tent is over there, but you are going to be carrying it for him." Renna shook her head. Well, at least I had my old tarp tent. Now I got to be a pack mule. At least I had wormed out of carrying the spinnerets. Maybe I would have to return the gold coin.
"It is what it is," I said to Renna. Linus came to me and handed me a healing potion. Konstantin must have already talked with him. I sat on the ground next to Renna and drank the potion. It was like a warm feeling spreading through my body and numbing me. The heat increased around my knee. I could feel the aether of the potion working and the swelling going down. It was a few minutes, and I could bend my knee easily again. I had had magical healing before by mages. This was different as the mage's healing was focused, while this potion was more like a swarm covering my body and then focusing on the injury.
I chatted with Renna for a while, telling her about the dungeon. Mage Castille finally approached with Justin Cicero, Firth, and Wylie. Castille said, "When we get back to the horses, you three will escort First Citizen Cicero and Mage Renna to the city." I had a lot of questions, but Castille spun and left clearly not in a good mood.
Justin held out the griffin egg, "Put this in your space, legionnaire." After I put the egg in my space, he just walked away. I could see the other members of the company eyeing us. Justin had seized the prize, and the malice was palpable. I would have to ask more about how the First Citizens fit into the Empire I now served. What was the First Legion?
Wylie and Firth, approached me. The older soldier, Firth, spoke, "Looks like we will be babysitting you again. At least you get to ride. Benito will have to ride pillion with someone when we leave until we get to a farm to get him a new mount." Soon we were all headed out of the mountains and back to the horses.
Chapter 18: Getting Answers A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 18
As we walked through the mountains to reach the horses, my pack weight had doubled. The good news was the healing potion had done more than just heal my knee. All my aches, pains, and scabs were gone. Delmar told me a simple healing potion I had taken cost about five gold and could heal soft tissue injuries and mend bones. A full healing potion, ran about fifty gold but could bring someone back from the brink of death and align and repair broken bones. Our company had eight simple healing potions and nine full healing potions.
He was knowledgeable on the subject and said potion's ingredients only cost about 20% of their value, but the alchemists needed to be exceptionally skilled. That was why magic porters were in such high demand since the valuable potions wouldn't expire in my dimensional space. Doing the math, a single full healing potion was worth what I would make in ten years as a soldier!
I nervously asked if I would be charged for the simple healing potion. Adrian laughed, "Only if you drink one without permission." I relaxed slightly, and he continued, "Castille does everything she can to keep us alive. A lot of mage company commanders have a healing spell. Castille does not, so she spends quite a sum on potions. We may take all the shit missions, but we also get more in return." It was definitely something for me to think about.
The First Citizen was carrying nothing but his sword and belt pouch. Firth and Wylie shared the load with me, but Justin Cicero still had four times as much gear as a normal legionnaire. The other men were weighed down with griffin meat, so we were not the only ones suffering. I stayed close to Firth as we traveled to ask questions.
I asked Firth, "So what is First Citizen?"
He turned back to see the man walking in the midst of the company with a cockiness that irritated everyone around him. Firth said quietly, "They can trace their lineage back to the First Legion. The First Legion was some four thousand men that arrived from another world and carved out the Telhian Empire. Only about three hundred survived the Founding Wars, but their descendants are the only ones who can own land in the Empire. They control all the seventeen provinces of the Empire with an iron fist."
He checked on Justin Cicero again before continuing, "Even being a descendent of a member of the First Legion does not grant you the right to be considered a First Citizen. There is a substantial tithe required to the Emperor. Some of the nobles only elevate the inheriting son to the status of a First Citizen. Others, like the Cicero's have enough coin to elevate their entire brood." He looked at Justin and said quietly, "They even do so knowing their child is an idiot."
I processed Firth's words. It made sense with the blended terminology of Rome and Medieval Europe if travelers came from all eras. Was the direction one way? Maybe there was a way back to Earth. "Did any of the First Legion ever return back to their own world?"
"Dragon's piss, Eryk. What do I look like a scholastic? I have no idea what happened some two millennia ago," Firth rasped with good humor.
Later in the hike, I asked, "Have there been other arrivals from other worlds?"
Firth shrugged, "Is your homeland so small you don't have myths about them? They appear and are brought before the Emperor and are never heard from again. I do not think there has been one in the Telhian Empire in three hundred years. But you should talk to a mage or scholastic, not me." I nodded and figured three hundred years someone brought the idea of noble ranks; barons, dukes, ect. Maybe even earlier than three hundred years, as Firth's grasp on Telhian history was pretty weak.
I was silent for a long time. On a long slow climb, I inquired, "Why can a First Citizen command so much power? He just took the griffin egg from Mage Castille. He didn't do anything to help get it. And the essences from the dungeon as well." I asked, hoping to clear some things up.
He laughed, "That is because the First Citizens can requisition anything they want. As long as we are not fighting or in danger, that is." He looked back, checking on Justin again, "Don't worry. Mage Castille will log what he took from us at the Legion office. Justin will at least have to pay fair market value to the Legion for what he took from us. We may even see a small bonus if they are feeling generous," he winked.
"What about the dungeon room chest from the water room?" I asked, remembering the contents had been part of my deal for being the bait and freezing the monsters.
Firth pursed his lips, "We never saw what was in the prize chest. We can not make false claims under the spell of a Truthseeker, and as a First Citizen, he does not need to submit to a Truthseeker, so he got away with that one. I am sure Castille will make it up to you when we reunite with the company." He leaned in close, "Castille and the company are going to race to Vartadria to register the new dungeon. We just have to make sure Justin Cicero takes at least seven days to reach Varvao."
This was a lot of subterfuge going on. "What do we get for registering a new dungeon?" I asked quietly.
"The company should receive a five thousand gold reward from the Adventurers Guild once it is confirmed," he grinned madly. "It falls outside of Legion business, so we should see the whole reward. If Mage Castille keeps to her regular pattern, then half the reward will be divided amongst the twenty-six of us after replenishing our potions." He patted me back while cracking a wide grin.
Firth ensured no one could hear him before adding, "I heard Justin order Mage Castille not to report the dungeon, but she is going to do it anyway. She is extremely angry about this whole situation. We save his fucking life, and he has the gall to take our prizes. This Justin Cicero is one of the worst First Citizens I have ever dealt with. Most at least have common sense and courtesy."
"If I did get the gold, could I buy my way out of the Legion? Gain my freedom?" I asked while we waited for the others at the bottom of a steep descent. I figured 2,500 gold was almost 100 gold for each man in the company.
"No, you are locked in for your five-year contract. With your ability, they may pull some tricks to keep you locked in, so be careful. I have seen it before. The best thing to do is not draw attention to yourself," Firth admitted.
"How long have you been in the Legion of the Lion?" I asked as we started walking with the group again.
"Sixteen years next November. Don't look surprised. It gives my wife and five children a steady stream of coin. And I get to use the brothels across the Empire without getting hassled," he said good-naturedly.
I didn't understand what would make someone enroll over and over again to risk their life. Was it the adrenaline rush? The path got easier as we began our final descent and could see the horses. Renna joined us as the trail was now wide enough for more people. She told us of her flying excursions around her village and how they had found and conscripted her. She talked a lot about flying and what it was like. The freedom to go in any direction—to do what you wanted. I could tell she felt constrained in her current position.
The horses and legionaries were all there when we arrived. They had fought off a half dozen wolves one night, and one of the horses had to be put down, making us two mounts short. Castille talked briefly with Justin before heading off Northeast, two men riding pillion. Justin came to our small group, irate and swearing. He ordered, "We make for Formica to resupply. Then we will make the best speed to Varvao."
Firth and Wylie took their time getting their mounts ready and did not speed up, no matter how much Justion swore at them. It was only a ten-mile ride to Formica, but we did not get there till evening. I followed Firth's lead and dragged my feet as much as possible. We stayed in the same room with Renna that night, and in the morning, we took time purchasing supplies, eating breakfast, and saddling the mounts.
Justin was not stupid enough to travel alone through the lands, and I was also keeping his griffin egg safe in my dimensional space. Maybe when we reached one of the major roads in two hundred miles, he would take the egg and sprint, but Firth planned to take him on an arcing route, avoiding the main road as long as possible. On the first day, we made only twenty miles of the three hundred, and I was sure Justin was now suspicious of our intentions.
He approached me after dinner that evening, "Legionnaire. I want you and me to ride on alone. My father's birthday is soon, and I want to make sure I make it in time." I went to piss after and consumed my last apex endurance essence. Thankfully, no indigestion.
Firth had schooled me in response, "Sorry, but I have been ordered to protect the Mage Renna. I can not leave her." Her face turned red as I stated it. He definitely knew we were stalling. We had a 300-mile trip, while Castille needed to go nearly 500 miles through more dangerous and rough terrain. Wylie was sure she would find an outlying farm to get horses for the men without.
On our second day of riding, Wylie scouted out some roving swamp rats he wanted to avoid, so we took a four-hour detour. This was how each day proceeded. We rode cautiously in roughly the right direction but avoided all possible conflict and spent an hour in the evening to find a defensible position. Thankfully it was early in the season, and most of the more dangerous monsters had not migrated with their prey north, according to Firth. During the days, I did get a lot of experience with my horsemanship skills.
Camp life did suck on the journey as the night watch was divided between Firth, Wylie, and myself. Some nights Renna would sit and talk with me quietly. Justin complained something fierce every evening about our slow progress.
On the fourth day, we ended up fleeing a troglodyte war party of five. Firth made sure we galloped in the wrong direction. On the fifth night, we were attacked by lesser shadows and had to get the fire burning bright for the entire night to keep them away. On the sixth day, we circled wide of a diseased trent. A trent was a massive living tree, and this one had no leaves and visible rot. It took us eight days to reach the walls of Varvao, fleeing every possible creature. Justin appeared to be a coward, unwilling to fight any monsters. Since he was a First Citizen, we would have been forced to defend him if he did fight, but he was willing to flee every time.
Renna paused at the gates before leaning into me and whispering, "I hope our paths cross again. Remain safe in your travels." She then rode to reunite with High Mage Dacian.
Justin's parting words were not as pleasant, "Give me the fucking griffin egg so I can take a portal to Olheus." I gave him the egg, and he stormed off, leaving us the mount he had borrowed and all his gear.
"Are we done with him?" I asked Firth.
Firth shook his head, "For now. I doubt he will be too happy after he finds out that Castille beat him to report the dungeon. But I already suspect he knows."
"How much power does a baron's son have beyond being a First Citizen?" I asked as we rode through the gates ourselves. Firth was leading us to the Legion office and barracks.
"Well, there are seventeen provinces and sixteen Dukes to run all the provinces besides the Emperor's personal province. Each Duke has a Count in charge of each city and five to ten Barons that manage regions of their province. I am guessing there are maybe one hundred barons in all of the Telhian Empire. Some are more powerful than others. Baron Cicero supplies all the horses to the standing army and the Legion. That is nearly two thousand new riding mounts and an additional one thousand war mounts yearly," Firth explained.
Wylie added, "A lot of us knew Justin's pathfinder, Marius. He used to be in the Legion and was a good man. I think part of all this was Castille getting some payback for us for his death." Firth was nodding in agreement.
"It would have been easier just to leave him in the dungeon," I said seriously.
"Mage Castille doesn't like to fail. She sees everything to the end. You will learn that soon enough," Firth replied.
"So what do we do?" I asked.
"We report in, and there should be a message from Castille on where we are to go to meet up with them," Firth said as he dismounted in front of the Legion office in the city.
Chapter 19: Self Assessment A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 19
The Legion office was more of a tavern than a formal building. A dozen men in legionnaire armor ate at the tables. Another dozen men and women in civilian clothing were eating food and drinking. I could tell most were legion by their well-muscled bodies in the more comfortable clothing. This city was much larger than any city I had been to date, so the two dozen legionaries inside should not have been a surprise.
I followed my mates to the bar, and Firth ordered four ales and paid for them. He handed us each one and took two for himself as we went and sat at a table. We got a few looks, but no one talked to us. I asked Firth, "So what do we do now?"
"After we finish these," he held up his two mugs, "I will go shower, hit the local brothel, and then I will check for messages from Castille."
He sipped on his ale, and I was a bit speechless. It seemed like we should have checked for messages first. I asked, "Can I head out and check out the city?"
Wylie said, "No problem. Be back here in four hours. You might want to shower first. You do not realize how much you reek. You smell like shit, horses, and sweat." He pointed down a hallway, "Showers are that way. They will wash your clothes and treat your leather armor."
Firth said seriously, "Don't run off, Eryk. It will not take long for the Legion Hounds to track you down. The punishment is always a public death." With that wonderful news, Firth was off to the showers. I followed slowly and stripped in front of a boy who put all my things in a box with the number forty-four on it.
He bowed, "Your items will be ready in two hours, legionnaire. You didn't take your coin pouch," he pointed at it. It was empty, but I unclipped it anyway and carried it with me. I guessed he did not want anyone questioning missing coins. There was a cold shower to scrub the dirt off to start, then a hot soaking pool, and then you finished with a scented oil rub. I didn't spend much time in the hot soak even though it felt good because I was anxious to get into the city. I also found it odd to sit in a pool with half a dozen other naked men. They were all familiar with each other and in a deep conversation about methods to fight a hill giant.
After the soak, I dried, and there were three scented oils to choose from—lavender, honeysuckle, and coconut. I went with the honeysuckle. I had not seen Firth, so he must have raced through to baths to get to the brothel. My clothes were not ready, and I only had access to a linen robe while I waited.
I went into a closet, pulled out my simple clothes from my space, filled my coin pouch with my gold and silver, and went out the back door. I walked to the streets, and after two questions, I was headed toward the trade district. My pouch bulged under my pants, and I always kept my hand near it, mindful of thieves.
The city reminded me of something akin to an open market with rows of tents selling everything under the sun. What I really wanted was an essence collector or a stat assessment tablet. I asked and was directed to a small elaborate fountain in a cul de sac. The cul de sac didn't have tents but actual shops, magic shops. The security was higher, and maybe a dozen city guards milled around the fountain. I had only seen sporadic pairs of city guards in the general market, so the fourteen here showed how important the cul de sac was.
I entered the bookstore first. A few patrons were browsing the shelves, and a middle-aged woman with a distracting mole on her chin asked me, "Can I help you?"
It was hard not to focus on the hairy mole, but I met her dull-brown eyes and asked, "I am looking for a book to teach my niece to read. She just started and needs something intermediate." She beamed at me, thinking I was helping a young girl.
"I have a few things, although you might want to try one of the general stands in the market as well," she said as she motioned me to follow.
She pulled out three books she thought were reasonably straightforward to teach a person to read. I negotiated the price to ten silver from thirteen as all the books were old and worn. One book was the history of the Telhian Empire for kids. The second was children's stories of brave men and women of the Adventurer's Guild fighting the orc hordes. The third book was an actual dictionary. I just needed to practice my reading of Latin. I thanked the woman and moved back to the fountain. I would have purchased a book on magic, but that would have cost too much gold.
I tried asking one of the guards if anyone sold essence collectors. He curtly responded, "You can only buy them from the Empire shops. Their sale is highly regulated." I apologized as I backed away, not realizing a collector was that difficult to obtain. I suppose if you could use one on a live person to collect essence, then the restrictions made sense.
I considered getting my dungeon amulet appraised, but I might draw attention to myself if it was exceptionally valuable. Instead, I was able to find a tablet reader to rent in private. I could go into a room, activate the tablet myself, and see how much I had developed. I was more interested in getting my magic affinities assessed.
Tablet readers were apparently expensive to purchase and even to just rent. I paid an entire gold to access a stat and magic affinity tablet. I did both so as to not be too suspicious. My physical, mental, and magical stat reading went incredibly well.
Physical
Mental
Magical
Strength (+2/+0)
48/79
Intellect (+3/+0)
31/54
Aether Pool (+2/+0)
14/22
Power (+2/+0)
45/82
Reasoning (+4/+0)
46/59
Channeling (+4/+0)
14/55
Quickness (+3/+0)
32/49
Perception (+2/+0)
54/60
Aether Shaping (+2/+0)
8/8
Dexterity (+5/+3)
35/59
Insight (+3/+0)
34/49
Aether Tolerance (+1/+0)
22/50
Endurance (+10/+8)
66/95
Resilience (+1/+0)
46/71
Aether Resistance (+1/+0)
5/19
Constitution (+4/+0)
41/65
Empathy (+1/+0)
11/21
Prime Aether Affinity
Space
Coordination (+2/+0)
40/61
Fortitude (+4/+0)
50/89
Minor Aether Affinity
Time
I remembered my last reading over six weeks ago. Since then, I have consumed a major essence for Dexterity and three apex essences for Endurance. Although my magical values had improved, my aether went from 12 to 14, and channeling went from 11 to 14. My aether shaping had maxed out. This was why I would never be able to cast spells, according to Damian. In order to write spell forms with my aether, I would need at least 30 in my aether shaping statistic. I could tell how poor my ability to control my aether was now that it had been some time. I just did not have the potential to be a true mage.
On a more positive note, my physical stats greatly improved. Strength (+2), Power (+2), Quickness (+3), Dexterity (+5), Endurance (+10), Constitution (+4), Coordination (+2). I think my potential for endurance also increased from 87 to 95. That confirmed in my mind that my spell form for the convergence affinity was locked into maximizing what benefits I received from consuming an essence. It should have taken dozens of apex essences to raise my endurance potential by just one point. It still felt like my gains were maybe too much since I was not training twelve hours a day as I had been at legionarie training. Was I missing something?
Did my time in the dungeon play a role? I was told the closer my ratings got to my potential, the harder it would be to increase them. I had been pushing my body harder but for much shorter amounts of time.
A knock at the door said my time was almost up. I set up the magic affinity tablet for the rare magics first and channeled my aether. The tablet displayed everything I had expected.
Rare Magics
Space
98
Time
90
Displacement
61
Materialism
9
Worlds
88
Void
22
Convergence
74
There was no change to any of my affinities that I remembered. I quickly burned the numbers into my memory.
I reset and switched the tablet to elemental affinities and channeled my aether into the tablet.
Elemental Magics (Common)
Fire
0
Air
0
Water
0
Earth
0
Lightning (Energy)
8
Spirit (Healing)
19
Nature (Plant)
0
My heart dropped a little. My healing affinity was just 19. I should be able to learn a spell form to help with my healing, but it would not be exceptional. Still, any healing spell form would be greatly welcomed. The knock at the door came again, and I rushed to the last reading, the uncommon magics.
Unaffiliated Magics (Uncommon)
Charm (Mind)
5
Illusion
0
Clairvoyance
0
Protection (Guardian)
30
Necromancy
0
Celestial
0
Abyssal
0
I reset the tablet and stood. Nothing earth-shattering, but I still had my massive affinities in the rare magics. I wished I had a book to figure out what possible spell forms I could get for my protection affinity. I also knew there were apex essences out there that could increase my magic affinities. Renna had said High Mage Dacian was questing for the apex earth affinity essence. I wondered if my convergence ability to maximize essence also extended to magic affinities. It had to. Could my convergence spell form maximizing gains from essence force my potentials past 100? From what Damian had told me, 100 was the limit for humans.
The door opened, and the proctor motioned me out of the room. Another person had paid and was waiting. I thanked him and walked out into the street. I spent a silver coin at various food carts as I walked the magical market in the cul de sac. I still had twenty gold from the dungeon chest, but I was not sure if I should spend it. My knowledge was just too lacking. I would probably overpay or get something I did not need.
It was also close to four hours, so I decided to return to the Legion Hall. I figured I would have more time tomorrow to browse the markets. When I entered the hall, it was evening, the number of Legionaries had tripled, and the tables were full. Wylie waved me over to a table with Firth and someone I did not recognize—a blonde man in leather armor.
Firth spoke, "We were just about to scour the city for you, Eryk. This is Prefect Bacchus. He runs the message dispatch. He just gave us our orders."
Wylie interrupted with an angry spat, "We are being sent to the Western Front. The City of Macha. Fucking Justin Cicero must have pulled some strings to fuck over Castille." Prefect Bacchus eyebrows went up in surprise. The Captain looked like he had a rod shoved up his ass.
I asked, "What does this mean? The western front is the Kingdom of Bartiradia, right?" I had looked at some maps but was no expert.
Prefect Bacchus turned the sheet in his hands, "It is fifteen hundred miles from here. The borders are constantly shifting. Mage Castille has been asked to reinforce the city, not fight on the battlefront."
Firth leaned back in his chair, annoyed, "We heard that before. Pegasus Campaign, Defense of Amatalhos, Emperorer's Diplomacy Mission to the Heptarchy. They always say this mission is a chance to relax, just like taking eggs from a hen. Then that fucking hen has five-inch claws and a five-foot tongue that can strangle you."
"True story," Wylie interrupted but then laughed to himself and took a long pull of his ale.
Prefect Bacchus stood and nodded to the three of us, obviously uncomfortable with the informality. He said, "The portal will be open to Macha just after the mid-day bell. Do not miss the opening."
After he left, Firth swore, "Fucking rich sons of the favored," referring to Bacchus. "That ass has never seen and will never see battle in his entire enlistment and will make ten times the coin what we do."
After spouting off some more obscenities, Firth calmed down, but I had a weird feeling it was more of an act than being truly angry with Prefect Bacchus. Personally, I did not see the difference between risking our lives against monsters or another Kingdom. I wisely kept my mouth closed. Firth looked at me and said, "No horses on the front. We are not calvary. Before you get to the bunks tonight, get our gear from the horses, Eryk. Wylie, complete three packs of provisions for us before you lay down."
Firth took a long pull, "I am going to kick the rumor mill tonight and see if anything useful falls out. He looked around the room, stood, and made his way to join a table of intoxicated legionaries still in armor."
I went to get a meal and at it at the counter. I was still a bit famished. The barkeep slid me another ale, and he asked, "You are with Castille's company?"
I nodded while stripping a chicken leg with my teeth. He seemed to consider, "Is Linus still with them?" I nodded again as Linus was our medic. He smiled, "He saved my life. Give him this when you see him. Tell him Nolan is still alive and kicking." He produced a bottle of amber liquid from under the bar. I took the bottle and nodded in understanding.
After the meal, I went to the bath and found bin forty-four. My clothes and gear were clean. I carried it to the stables and found our packs neatly arranged on shelves. I pulled an apple I had brought with me and walked to Ginger, my horse. "Sorry, lady, this is the end of the line for us. We had some really good times. You are a good horse." I rubbed her down one last time.
I spent the next two hours going through the bags and packing our gear into three backpacks. When no one was around, I moved the books, luxury tent, and bedroll into my dimensional space. Each of the three backpacks weighed about sixty pounds when I finished. I lugged them inside to the common room, and a drunk and conversing Firth told me to bring them to bunk room seven.
The bunk room was empty and had four beds, all floor-level. I dropped a pack on each bed and took the fourth open one for myself. The mattress was canvas stuffed with some type of soft straw and smelled like sweat from the last user. I almost preferred sleeping on the ground.
I still fell asleep in short order. Wylie woke me when he entered and tossed three heavy packages on the ground, rolling a pack to the floor and then quickly falling asleep. Firth didn't show up till much later in the evening, clearly drunk. He slept next to the backpack I had prepared rather than tossing it on the floor. I rolled over and tried to get back to sleep.
Chapter 20: Displacement Mage A Soldier's Life
Ranobes
Chapter 20
I slept heavily even with the noises my roommates made in the night. Wylie woke us in the morning. Firth told us not to leave the Legion office building. I went to the baths and soaked in the hot tub for an hour as I was the only one there. I had come to get my clothes washed for free and changed into my Legion gear. The box I was given this time was numbered thirty-six and was much smaller. After my long soak, I waited for my clean clothes to be returned.
When I took the box, I paused as this wooden box was a perfect size. It closely matched what I had revealed to be the size of the dimensional space. I moved the box into my space, appropriating it for the greater good. From now on, I would no longer have to guess if I was exceeding my storage limitations—at least, what I told everyone it was. I would use the box for Legion business. I did not know how I did not think of this earlier. Rather proud of myself, I went to the common room. Wylie gave me a hard time about spending two hours in the baths. On the table, we all repacked our gear. We were trying to squeeze in the food Wylie procured.
"Eryk, we are going to the war front. You always want to make sure you take as much food as possible," Firth advised.
"As much good food as possible," Wylie added.
"A legionnaire marches on his stomach, Eryk. We are going to be working in the army camps, and their food is terrible. Horde what non-perishables you can, when you can. If you can squeeze any spices into your little magic space, do it now. They are worth their weight in gold in a siege," Firth said.
"Seige? What are you talking about?" I asked, suddenly unsteady.
"The rumors last night are the Kingdom plans to push deep into Empire lands and surround Macha. The Emperor is going to allow it to draw as many enemies into the land surrounding the city as possible before wiping them out with a secret attack. At least, that is what I garnered from the twenty men I drank with last night. Then again, we are practically on the other side of the Empire, and what these drunkards know might be dragon shit," Firth said calmly.
After our packs were set, Wylie led me to the Legion goods warehouse. It was completely different than last time when I took what I wanted without supervision. Now Wylie filled out a requisition sheet. He waited for it to be reviewed and then answered a dozen questions about why he needed pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and paprika. Wylie eventually received large glass containers filled with spices. I asked about Kraken salt, and Wylie laughed, "These spices are a gold or two each. Kraken salt in one of these containers, maybe 100 gold. Alchemists make it, and you can not find it in a Legion supply room."
The attendant who was putting the large glass jars with our spices on the counter added, "Kraken salt is about a gold an ounce, quite literally worth its weight in gold. The last Kraken to be slain was some four years ago."
Wylie quipped, "I know. I was there. Can you squeeze all these into your space? Our cook will be happy to get them, and you will be a taste bud hero. Since they come in the glass containers, we can not pack them." I was able to fit all six containers in the crate in my dimensional storage. We added small leather bags of sea salt until the crate was filled, and I told Wylie I could not store any more.
As we walked to find Firth, I asked, "So, are there not any supplies out in the city of Macha?"
"Luxury goods are rare on the front. The problem is the time it takes to reach the city. There is only one Displacement Mage in each city, as the affinity is quite rare and the spell is difficult to learn. They have limits on how much they can transport. Also, once the siege begins, the enemy with set up an array around the city, preventing the use of the portals," Wylie said conversationally.
Firth waved us over, and we put on the packs, each one weighing over seventy pounds now. That did not include our leather armor and blades. I had two short swords and two short curved blades. I was not carrying a spear but planned to add a few in my dimensional space. We followed Firth to the street and toward the upper city. Firth said, "If you see Vincent Cicero, keep your mouth shut." Firth was talking to Wylie and not me, but I got the message.
The clothing of the people started to get more and more opulent as we followed Firth the portal. The square where the portal was had a full company of legionaries guarding it. That told me it was too important to leave to city guards or the army. It was a large stone archway situated on light gray stone. The gray stone had black runic markings on it. The archway itself was a plain black stone.
In front of the portal were a number of people loaded down with gear. Most looked like merchants, but there were a few soldiers. Firth went to one of the legionaries guarding the portal and handed him our orders. The man inspected them carefully and then waved us forward. Firth said, "When the portal is activated, move quickly into it. It is like a dungeon gate in that you will be slightly disoriented after you pass through. Try not to fall on your face this time," He grinned at me.
We did not have to wait long. I was talking to a merchant from the Kingdom of Nausis, far to the south, when a loud bell chimed twice, and everyone faced the portal. There were maybe forty of us in total. A mage in bright yellow robes went to a small monolith under the guard of a pair of legionaries.
Firth chuckled at my intense focus, "Never seen a portal opening before? You must be from a backwater kingdom."
The mage placed both hands on the pillar, and the air started buzzing with electricity. I watched as the black stone around the portal started to glow blue, and the runes underneath us matched the blue light. The archway shimmered into an image that looked blurry or like a heat haze. Two bells sounded, and everyone moved forward. I was pulled with everyone else and walked into the arch.
It was the same as walking into and out of a dungeon. On the other side, the air was heavy with moisture, and the buildings were much more drab, favoring a grayish wood. I did not have time to study the buildings as Firth was already walking toward a tall citadel made of blue-gray stone. I followed him, and dozens of soldiers from the regular army were inside the bailey. Some were drilling, and some were resting. They did not look war-weary to me as I followed Firth into the fortified building.
He turned left into the first room, and I noticed the first legionaries I had seen to date. I recognized Orson, Mateo, and Felix. I went and sat with them, dropping my pack. "Eryk, you survived the First Citizen!" Felix said with a smile.
"Did everyone in the company make your trip safely?" I asked, sitting on a bench.
Orson chuckled, "Donte lost a finger to giant snapper, and Flans broke his leg falling off his horse when we battled some centaurs. Other than that, it was an easy ride."
Mateo choked, "Easy ride!? Fifteen hours a day at a steady pace? I can barely walk." I snickered a little remembering how much grief I had taken from the men with my own soreness. They even gave me an expensive pillow as a joke.
"So, what is the news on this mission posting?" Wylie asked.
Orson looked perturbed, "Three legion companies are in the citadel. We are to rotate foot patrols northeast and southeast. The soldiers will cover the road due east toward the Empire, where any skirmishes are likely to happen. There is mostly woods northeast, but there have been a number of sprites causing mischief. The route southeast is boggy. Just giant frogs but a few days ago, a bullywug was spotted."
"What is…" I started to say.
Orson, one of the company scouts, answered before I finished asking my question, "Sprites are small faires that can go invisible. Bullwugs are frog men. Both are a pain in the arse in their natural habitat."
"So, what direction are we patrolling?" I asked.
"Southeast," Delmar said, joining the group. "Mateo, Eryk will be bunking with you. Show him where."
Mateo gingerly stood and indicated I should pick up my pack. I started following him but noticed Lirkin, the company cook. I paused to unload the glass jars of spices and leather bags of salt from my dimensional storage, "Damn it, boy!" he started, "Your talents are wasted carrying around those life-saving potions. Whenever you want a double portion, just ask!" He said jokingly as he checked the jars.
I would have to thank Wylie for this boon. I still had the bottle of amber liquid for Linus but had not seen him yet. It was also in my dimensional space.
We walked out into the city, and it was mostly soldiers. A lot of the shop fronts looked abandoned. Mateo answered, "This city has been handed back and forth for the past three hundred years. The regular people have an instinct when it is about to happen again."
Mateo went into a store that was clearly a bakery. A large, cold oven dominated half the back wall. Mateo explained, "Not enough room in the Legion Hall in the citadel for everyone. At least not if you want to sleep peacefully." He pointed up the stairs, "Three rooms up there, each has two beds. Felix and I have one room. Konstantin is in one room, and the third is currently empty, but the beds are children sized." He left me, and I climbed the stairs and found the kid's room.
The beds were small, but I pushed them together, and if I slept diagonally, I would fit. I dropped my gear with a loud thud and got to work moving the beds. Konstantin appeared in the doorway, "If you are going to make all that noise, then you have the energy to practice. Grab your two blades. There is a small yard in the back."
Great. My plans for a nap were crushed; instead, I was about to get a sound beating under the guise of training again for apparently waking up Konstantin.